240Z Chassis prep / reinforcements

[LLave]

 

 

http://s160.beta.photobucket.com/user/psanders240/library/BSR-260Z-IMSA

 

These pictures were from a roll of undeveloped 35mm B&W I discovered a year or so ago and Z-Ya put up in photobucket.

 

You can see how they went about prepping the car for structural concerns.

 

Thank you so much for those photos. I found what the didn't do just as amazing as what they did do. Complete absence of bling and unnecessary parts. You can really see the load paths on the cage. Very well thought out.

[Leon]

 

 

http://s160.beta.photobucket.com/user/psanders240/library/BSR-260Z-IMSA

 

These pictures were from a roll of undeveloped 35mm B&W I discovered a year or so ago and Z-Ya put up in photobucket.

 

You can see how they went about prepping the car for structural concerns.

 

 

Very nicely and efficiently done, thanks for the shots!

[EF Ian]

Radiator Core Support Reinforcement.

 

 

 

Is this very worth doing?

 

I'll be seam welding a fair bit of my car aswell as subframe connectors, strut braces and eventually a half cage but as I'll be redoing my bay shortly I thought this would be a fairly easy mod to do using fairly small tubing as to keep weight down so I'm just wondering will this really add much strength?
 

Also is it worth adding some tubing beetween the back of the shock towers and the bulkhead even if theres no other supporting mods like being linked to a full cage inside?

 

 

 

I'd also like to know the easiest way to reinforce  the pedal box/brake MC mount?

Edited March 12, 2013 by EF Ian

[JMortensen]

I think the idea that makes the most sense is to reinforce out to the sway bar mounts and then leave it alone after that. Barring hitting something, just about all the stress comes into the chassis through the suspension. Little bit from aero if you have it, but nothing like what the suspension does.

 

EDIT--for the m/c I'd do some sort of brace from the strut tower that touches the end of the master.

Edited March 11, 2013 by JMortensen

[heavy85]

For the pedal box, I reinforced the box itself during the swap to dual masters. Since its attached to the body in several places, stiffening the box itself worked well.

 

 

[JMortensen]

For the pedal box, I reinforced the box itself during the swap to dual masters. Since its attached to the body in several places, stiffening the box itself worked well.

 

Did you bolt the masters together? That's something Cary clued me in on, never seen it before but it makes sense.

[duragg]

Great pics.

I need a spare shell to spend the summer on...

[tube80z]

For the pedal box, I reinforced the box itself during the swap to dual masters. Since its attached to the body in several places, stiffening the box itself worked well.

 

 

And if you have a cage you can tie the pedal box into the front cross bar.  If you do this then you will really notice a difference.  It's always good to have someone push really hard on the brakes while you watch the pedal box/masters.  Many times you'll be surprised at how much all this moves around.  Removing that will help with brake feel.  And then you just keep going down the line.  

 

best,

Cary

[tube80z]

 

 

http://s160.beta.photobucket.com/user/psanders240/library/BSR-260Z-IMSA

 

These pictures were from a roll of undeveloped 35mm B&W I discovered a year or so ago and Z-Ya put up in photobucket.

 

You can see how they went about prepping the car for structural concerns.

 

 

I just notices these.  Very nice and thanks for posting.  The bar from the passenger corner to the middle of the front cross bar is very effective at increasing the torsional strength of the car.  I have a few grape models I made I need to post showing some of these small changes and the difference they made.  Also adding the boxes in the front behind the wheel is helpful but I think the tube that Jon adding in his cage going from the bottom of the rocker to the top of the front strut rail is much more effective.

 

Cary

[takeuchi]

For a street driven S30, here's about as much as you can do to stiffen the chassis:

 

1. Seam Weld (every sheet metal seam overlap.)

2. Bad Dog Subframe Connectors

3. Weld-In Roll Bar.

4. Welded In Rear STB.

5. Triangulated Front STB.

6. Radiator Core Support Reinforcement.

7. Transverse Link Bracing Reinforcement.

8. RT Diff Mount.

9. Tubular Seat Mounts.

10. Box Upper Frame Horns to Firewall/Cowl.

11. Reinforce Pedal Box/Brake MC Mount.

12. Reinforce Front ARB Mount.

13. Reinforce Front Strut Tower to Frame Rail Junction.

 

 

I have not been able to find any pics of the following so I have a few questions and please excuse my ignorance:

6. Would this run along the outside of the upper radiator bracket? or just on top of the lower one?

11. Is this just a matter of welding some sort of bracket like so?

http://www.racingonthecheap.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2009-10-02-037-Small.jpg

13. Would you weld an "L" bracket from the engine frame rail to the fender wall (inside of engine bay) all the way up to the top of the strut tower? or something similar on the inside of wheel well/strut tower.

[johnc]

Any of the reinforcements you mention above will work.

[AZhitman]

Enjoying this thread immensely.  I've got an RB-powered Z that's complete, and after all that work, she's "creaky."  

 

When I started the build, my intention was to do a full stock restoration... but now that she has power and handling and braking, I really want the chassis to be as well-done as the rest of the car.

 

Almost thinking I'd like to find a clean rust-free shell, media blast it, incorporate ALL of the aforementioned efforts, and THEN swap everything over from my completed Z.

 

Just what I need.... another project.  

[RebekahsZ]

Take the doors off and remove the hatch and it will stop creaking. Cover the holes with duct tape. Otherwise, all zs creak.

[duragg]

Enjoying this thread immensely.  I've got an RB-powered Z that's complete, and after all that work, she's "creaky."  

 

When I started the build, my intention was to do a full stock restoration... but now that she has power and handling and braking, I really want the chassis to be as well-done as the rest of the car.

 

Almost thinking I'd like to find a clean rust-free shell, media blast it, incorporate ALL of the aforementioned efforts, and THEN swap everything over from my completed Z.

 

Just what I need.... another project.  

I've just begun this very task with a 1970 shell.

As "rust free" as they come = just replace floorboards and delete spare tire pond

[AZhitman]

TJ?  Can't imagine there's someone in Phx with a modded Z that I don't know of.  

 

 

I've just begun this very task with a 1970 shell.
As "rust free" as they come = just replace floorboards and delete spare tire pond

[rjracin240]

Not sure why the quote is not coming up, but referring to the comment about OP being irritating to someone for asking about pictures.

 

Any thought to the fact that this gentleman said he was currently deployed to Afghanistan, so it might be a little difficult to go crawl around a Z and analyze these spots your saying for him to study?

Thank you sir for serving our country.

Edited July 2, 2016 by rjracin240

[LLave]

Not sure why the quote is not coming up, but referring to the comment about OP being irritating to someone for asking about pictures.

 

Any thought to the fact that this gentleman said he was currently deployed to Afghanistan, so it might be a little difficult to go crawl around a Z and analyze these spots your saying for him to study?

Thank you sir for serving our country.

 

Well, it is likely that he is back now, that was a tick over 6 years ago.

[Michael]

Time passes.  The OP evidently sold his Z last year.  The person to whom is ascribed above the mention of irritation, has recently passed away.