Aluminum Torque Tube Pictures!
06-18-2003, 09:39 AM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Aluminum Torque Tube Pictures!
<a href="http://gallery.rennlist.com/gallery/Aluminum-Torque-Tube!" target="_blank">Aluminum Torque Tube Pictures!</a>
I saw Dave's Tube in person, and I feel very good about it. Check it out for yourself.
I saw Dave's Tube in person, and I feel very good about it. Check it out for yourself.
06-18-2003, 09:55 AM
#2
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Apr 2002
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wow, that looks really nice. excellent work on that dave.
just curious but is the only benefit weight savings? not that that would be so bad but i didn't know if there was any other reason to want to upgrade
just curious but is the only benefit weight savings? not that that would be so bad but i didn't know if there was any other reason to want to upgrade
06-18-2003, 10:08 AM
#4
Nordschleife Master
This tube is rebuildable and the bearings that he uses can be found off the shelf with the proper C4 tolerances. If you try to rebuild the stock tube you can't find the specified bearing. So other than weight loss this is huge plus.
Anyway, it is a very well made unit and I look forward to giving it a test run for dave.
Anyway, it is a very well made unit and I look forward to giving it a test run for dave.
06-18-2003, 10:59 AM
#7
Race Car
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What about safety? I remember reading something in the brochures for the 944s that the torque tubes also acts as safety in a crash. Absorbing impact energy and trasfering it to the other side of the vehicle bypassing the cabin? Im not engineer, so i have no clue how that stuff works, but would going aluminum effect that any?
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06-18-2003, 11:44 AM
#9
Nordschleife Master
Alex,
Test are going to start on the 28th, the same day my car should be on the road again. I'm going to drive it around for a week or so and see if there are any issues, if not the torque tube will be heading north to 944 Fest for its first long term "endurance" test.
Dave figured the elevated HP levels of my car should be a good test for it.....
Test are going to start on the 28th, the same day my car should be on the road again. I'm going to drive it around for a week or so and see if there are any issues, if not the torque tube will be heading north to 944 Fest for its first long term "endurance" test.
Dave figured the elevated HP levels of my car should be a good test for it.....
06-18-2003, 11:53 AM
#10
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Sep 2002
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If all is well, what will one of these suckers cost the local friendly rennlister 
.
I'm not too hip to getting down there and dealing with that thing at the moment, but my next clutch job should be a valid time.
.I'm not too hip to getting down there and dealing with that thing at the moment, but my next clutch job should be a valid time.
06-18-2003, 07:55 PM
#12
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Tony-
By design, the tube in our cars is used to transfer crash energy to the frame of the car after using up a crush zone. The crush zones are the 2 or so inches between the firewall and the bellhousing and between the rear bellhousing and the passenger compartment. The factory went one further by adding collision lugs to the tube to distribute some of the load to the torsion bar carrier. I really doubt their effectiveness. Since both tubes are cylindrical, a comparison of area of material is in order. My tube has a material area of 2.62sqin, the factory is 1.28sqin. Even though aluminum is softer (at least in its annealed or untempered form), that?s a factor of more than x2. Throw in the fact that my tube is T6 temper and I seriously doubt that compression will ever be an issue in any crash that you have a prayer of surviving.
Benefits of this tube:
1) less expensive than factory replacement ($2k+)
2) uses proper C4 clearance bearings
3) can use any bearing that will fit inside and into a carrier
4) ease of rebuild, snip the safety wires, remove screws, slide out driveshaft
5) can use any number of bearings, rather than 4
6) can be any length for weight redistribution (track guys)
7) lighter weight by 23 pounds
8) bling factor, who else has one?
As for weight, I had a discussion with a well known Porsche track car fabricator on the subject. He tells me that the rule of thumb here is $100/lb. So to save 23lb on a track car, the part should cost about $2300. I?m going to be less than half that.
The testing will commence as soon as Ian gets his car back together and I go install the tube. He?s going to drive it for a while and take his car, tube installed, to 944Fest in Ohio in July. I feel confident there will be no problems, but want to test it to be sure.
By design, the tube in our cars is used to transfer crash energy to the frame of the car after using up a crush zone. The crush zones are the 2 or so inches between the firewall and the bellhousing and between the rear bellhousing and the passenger compartment. The factory went one further by adding collision lugs to the tube to distribute some of the load to the torsion bar carrier. I really doubt their effectiveness. Since both tubes are cylindrical, a comparison of area of material is in order. My tube has a material area of 2.62sqin, the factory is 1.28sqin. Even though aluminum is softer (at least in its annealed or untempered form), that?s a factor of more than x2. Throw in the fact that my tube is T6 temper and I seriously doubt that compression will ever be an issue in any crash that you have a prayer of surviving.
Benefits of this tube:
1) less expensive than factory replacement ($2k+)
2) uses proper C4 clearance bearings
3) can use any bearing that will fit inside and into a carrier
4) ease of rebuild, snip the safety wires, remove screws, slide out driveshaft
5) can use any number of bearings, rather than 4
6) can be any length for weight redistribution (track guys)
7) lighter weight by 23 pounds
8) bling factor, who else has one?
As for weight, I had a discussion with a well known Porsche track car fabricator on the subject. He tells me that the rule of thumb here is $100/lb. So to save 23lb on a track car, the part should cost about $2300. I?m going to be less than half that.
The testing will commence as soon as Ian gets his car back together and I go install the tube. He?s going to drive it for a while and take his car, tube installed, to 944Fest in Ohio in July. I feel confident there will be no problems, but want to test it to be sure.
06-19-2003, 12:21 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
My 2 cents on this...Dave is a very stand-up guy, a quite competent metals/materials guru, and all-around avid 944/951 enthusiast. I have a lot of confidence in what he has put together here. We have been discussing this idea for a long time and he has put a lot of thought, research and hard work into making it a reality.
For you racing types, and power-to-weight obsessors (like me - non-AC, non-balance shafts, non-power steering, gutted interior, and the onssession goes on), this will be a must-have item. Any place you can shave weight from our porky cars without affecting practicality is a true benefit....Regards Al Nelson
For you racing types, and power-to-weight obsessors (like me - non-AC, non-balance shafts, non-power steering, gutted interior, and the onssession goes on), this will be a must-have item. Any place you can shave weight from our porky cars without affecting practicality is a true benefit....Regards Al Nelson
