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strut tower failure

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Old 03-01-2019, 03:00 PM
  #736  
switchface
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I see SP Motorsports has a proposed solution, but based on most people's comments in this thread, you all seem to feel the bracing/support must come from below to be effective?

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Old 03-01-2019, 03:26 PM
  #737  
chapmans
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There was a picture of the GT4CS with those brackets that still had a tower failure. The bracket did keep the strut from popping all the way through so it has that benefit.

Definitely doesn't hurt but I don't think it would totally prevent it.
Old 03-01-2019, 08:10 PM
  #738  
G-forceGT4
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I had extra flanges welded onto the motorsport plates & secured those to the chassis similar to the clubsport. With 3 extra securing points & the steel plate, I feel it's more resistant to failure. Even if it strut tower fails, at least the strut isn't going to come up & damage the hood as well. I'll post pics when I get the car out of storage.
Old 03-01-2019, 11:47 PM
  #739  
BealeAss
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Originally Posted by G-forceTarga4S
I had extra flanges welded onto the motorsport plates & secured those to the chassis similar to the clubsport. With 3 extra securing points & the steel plate, I feel it's more resistant to failure. Even if it strut tower fails, at least the strut isn't going to come up & damage the hood as well. I'll post pics when I get the car out of storage.
Please do, I've got the plates so curious how yours are setup.
Old 03-02-2019, 02:37 PM
  #740  
Saru385
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SF Bay Area people: avoid the middle lane of northbound 19th Ave from SF State to Lincoln. Potholes galore!!!
Left lane was much better but still a few good ones
Old 03-02-2019, 11:35 PM
  #741  
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Originally Posted by O5C4R
it was suggested to me that a mere 5mm approx. thick layer of high density polyethylene or similar on top of the shock mount would absorb a lot of impact on the aluminium casting, however, you would have to see what that would do to movement and feel of the car, and life span? although its pretty tough stuff
I wonder if something from this company might work here: https://www.d3o.com.
Old 03-02-2019, 11:50 PM
  #742  
mooty
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Originally Posted by Saru385
SF Bay Area people: avoid the middle lane of northbound 19th Ave from SF State to Lincoln. Potholes galore!!!
Left lane was much better but still a few good ones

Bay Area ppl should avoid 19th period
Old 03-03-2019, 10:51 AM
  #743  
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This is also one case where I’d definitely recommend staying with stock suspension and not adding more hard mounts/ suspension components for obvious reasons
Old 03-03-2019, 10:52 AM
  #744  
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Originally Posted by mooty
Bay Area ppl should avoid 19th period
the 880 through Oakland is a great shakedown for a lowered 26 year old 964
Old 03-03-2019, 02:03 PM
  #745  
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Originally Posted by sharkster
This is also one case where I’d definitely recommend staying with stock suspension and not adding more hard mounts/ suspension components for obvious reasons
But I thought going to the higher rate springs was recommended not just to improve handling but to also minimize bottoming out? It as one of my planned upgrades.
Old 03-03-2019, 07:34 PM
  #746  
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Originally Posted by Petevb
There are already a number of bolt-on options that will partially alleviate the issue to choose from. I’d guess a rough order of effectiveness as: 19” rims with taller tires, stiffer shocks, increased ride height, stiffer springs.
For those with failure due to pothole impacts, it would be helpful to note if compression rate was with PASM Normal mode (20-30%), PASM Sport mode (70-80%), DSC Normal mode (10-100%), or DSC Sport mode (15-100%).
Also, if DSC, did impact occur under no, light, medium, or heavy braking.
Old 03-04-2019, 11:22 AM
  #747  
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Originally Posted by G-forceTarga4S
I had extra flanges welded onto the motorsport plates & secured those to the chassis similar to the clubsport. With 3 extra securing points & the steel plate, I feel it's more resistant to failure. Even if it strut tower fails, at least the strut isn't going to come up & damage the hood as well. I'll post pics when I get the car out of storage.

I 2nd the pic request on this . Planning on installing my motorsport plates now that Spring is pretty much here. Looking forward to seeing what you had done .

Old 03-04-2019, 12:20 PM
  #748  
aryork
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Originally Posted by G-forceTarga4S
I had extra flanges welded onto the motorsport plates & secured those to the chassis similar to the clubsport. With 3 extra securing points & the steel plate, I feel it's more resistant to failure. Even if it strut tower fails, at least the strut isn't going to come up & damage the hood as well. I'll post pics when I get the car out of storage.
I was thinking about something possibly similar to what you are saying. Here's my terrible cartoon, but I think you get the idea. The plate could be effective at preventing the failure if it could be stiff enough to x-fer some load into the thicker/stronger region where the extra bolt is located. Another way of saying it is if you attach the plate to its mounting location, it should press down on the 3 shock-mount locations and be stiff. Again, as has been acknowledged, this could be just moving the problem to a different location...

This is a good application for 3D printing out of some high-performance materials. Could use an even more complex shape to increase stiffness...
Old 03-04-2019, 12:58 PM
  #749  
G-forceGT4
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Originally Posted by aryork
I was thinking about something possibly similar to what you are saying. Here's my terrible cartoon, but I think you get the idea. The plate could be effective at preventing the failure if it could be stiff enough to x-fer some load into the thicker/stronger region where the extra bolt is located. Another way of saying it is if you attach the plate to its mounting location, it should press down on the 3 shock-mount locations and be stiff. Again, as has been acknowledged, this could be just moving the problem to a different location...

I will post my "flange mod" in a couple weeks when I get down south. I like your idea (artwork too!) as it beefs flange up even more so, compared to what I've done. The welding of the flange cost me $40 at a local shop : )

If you look very closely at the photos posted by SP Motorsports (specifically the top row, scroll right to second last photo). Notice the clubsport's plate on driver's side is different than the adjacent (R) streetcar's plate. The CS has two flanges mounting to the chasis & the yellow car has only one. The motorsport plates on the two cars are different. I had flange welded onto the driver's side flange similar to the CS's, so the plate is secured to the chassis in additional place. This may not prevent tower failure, as some CS's have blown these things as well, however it does make it structurally stronger & the strut won't become a "Jack in the box" if it does fail. Besides the CS is a race car, & I'm fairly sure the failures on them were secondary to more extreme impacts.
Old 03-04-2019, 01:07 PM
  #750  
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I dont think that anything short of an internal composite sleeve (tight fitting) bonded to the underside of the shock tower or a reinforcement collar welded to the top of the tower (under the top plate level) and then gusseted down to the frame rail will do the trick.

Jpr


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