kj280z Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Hey all... Anyone have any experience with foam reinforcement in a Z's frame rails? I've read about it here and there, but never really gave it much thought... Then recently I heard Mazda introduced some new technology, so I did a search and came up with this: (from Dec 1999) http://autoweb.drive.com.au/cms/A_51894/newsarticle.html Anyone ever tried this? What products did you use? Did it work? Regards Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzzzzzz Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 I saw a Toyota FJ that had the voids filled with "Great Stuff". It was discovered after the body rotted fron the inside out due to moisture being trapped inside. I think it was put there in hopes of reducing noise levels. There is nothing on the market (that I've ever seen) like the item described in that news article. Much like the composite heat barrier material used in modern vehicles, trying to acquire such material is not likely ever going to be viable IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube80z Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Yep, tried it and it works. You need special structural closed cell foam. And you need to make sure you have no rust as you are basically screwed if you need to do a repair. The foam is toxic when melted and makes it nearly impossible to weld. Our old race car went to the JY because of this. It's a common thing to hear about with the japanese tuner crowd. http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/p...6scc_proj300zx/ for more info. Cary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj280z Posted June 16, 2005 Author Share Posted June 16, 2005 A little research provided me with some interesting results. I believe I found a company that has a similar product to the one described in the article about Mazda that I posted earlier... They state briefly on their website (much more detail in the PDF link below) that: Cymat Stabilized Aluminum Foam (SAF) is an innovative material with a combination of characteristics that can be engineered to provide solutions to the challenges facing automakers today. Particularly, we believe that Cymat SAF will be a cost effective solution to address automotive companies' competing needs to lighten vehicles, yet improve crashworthiness and occupant protection. Cymat SAF is a lightweight material whose cellular structure provides superior energy absorption capabilities. These characteristics are becoming increasingly important as consumer demand and legislation require safer, more efficient, and easier to repair vehicles I guess it's time for the engineers to chime in! Waddaya think? Check out these links: http://www.cymat.com/pdf/automotive%20applications.pdf http://www.cymat.com/CYI_auto8.htm http://www.cymat.com/CYI_auto10.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 I've used Cymat before and this isn't at all the same stuff as what you'd use to make your chassis more rigid. It is used by OEM's in their crush zones/bumper mounts, and we used it in FSAE for the same thing. It isn't something that can be sprayed into cavities... Inventive and superior product for what it is, but it's not going to help you much in this application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Don't some of the high end car makers like BMW already use a spray in foam? There are set procedures when repairing the bodies of such cars which cope with the presence of the foam IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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