The ins and outs of chassis strengthening

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What are everyone's thoughts regarding chassis strengthening? Would you say that your Skyline already is perfect from factory meaning its not too stiff that road use is unbearable yet able to handle any extra power not to mention extreme driving? By that I mean it absorbs the forces acting against it without flexing, at least not noticeably.

We see advertisements for all types of products from chassis foam to all types of bars. Have any of you installed any of these products in your Skyline? And if so, what made you do it? What difference has that product made to the car both in terms of handling as well as comfort? Do you regret that decision or was it the best thing you've ever done?

Personally, I'm not against chassis strengthening but there are certain products or modifications I'd probably never do. One of which is the use of chassis foam which is injected into various points and then expands and hardens within the hollow points of the structure. I believe the chassis, designed by engineers, needs to flex and the flexing occurs at such minute levels we definitely don't know its happening. But once you introduce this rigidity where its not engineered to be, how safe is that really?

Take the example of the human spine. It definitely isn't straight, and the reason why its curved is to allow the proper distribution of weight, give us flexibility and mobility yet allowing the skeleton to support the weight of the body while protecting the spinal cord and whatever wiring harnesses inside. So its very much like a chassis isn't it? What happens when the spine is straight? Well it then becomes inflexible and weight is therefore wrongly distributed, placing strain on the lower back and even back of the thighs. Don't worry Prof Nain, this isn't Google'd or Wiki'd but rather based on my own spine. :proud:

So let us now discuss chassis strengthening and hopefully add more information so that in future, this forum can become a knowledge base for all things Skyline related. :burnout:

Disclaimer: For the sake of this discussion, chassis strengthening will encompass both modifications made to strengthen the chassis as well as body of the car with the goal of improving handling by introducing rigidity into the overall structure of the car.
 

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gobiz2

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Got one legendary car that had spot welds all over... it's a 4 door skyline.
The owner says he uses it to go pasar...but the pasar that he goes to is so far away... like in Lukut, Bentong, Mersing... :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 

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I was thinking if we could keep the discussion centred on cars used primarily on the road where comfort is still a factor. But if there are those who do drive spot welded Skylines and/or ones equipped with rollcages then by all means, your input is invaluable.

In addition, I was hoping to introduce the subject of reinforced bars such as the ones made by everyone from Do-Luck to Ultra Racing. These are the types of strengthing I would consider. However, given the fact that Do-Luck tells you what the bar is made of and you can tell where the mounting points are, couldn't Ultra Racing replicate the exact same thing? Logically it should work the same.

Aside from Ultra Racing, who are the local alternatives?

Thanks in advance!
 

devious17

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In complementing chassis reinforcement, the dynamics of vehicles would add to the breath and depth in the discussion.

The dynamics includes and not limited to suspension, weight transfer and weight to power distribution.

suspension - spring, damping, roll center, travel, CG.
weight - lateral, longitudinal.
roll center - kenedy theorem, roll axis.
 

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mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> While strengthening seems to be the ultimate goal, the materials used and the construction also need to be considered. For example, a solid steel front strut bar may be the most rigid; it does not crumple when sh1t happens. If the car is hit on one side, the force is transferred to the other, which will result in a deformed chassis. That may cause more harm than good. Some might scoff at aluminium constructed strut bars, but a well designed (i.e. tubular design) is rigid enough at the same time will crumple at the hinges when the car is hit. I disagree to those who said solid steel is the holy grail of chassis strengthening. Not to mention it is heavy too.. Put whatever bars available for your car and you’ll end up adding another 10-20kg.:rofl: After all, you get what you pay for.


Chassis foaming? I have heard nothing but praises with the result, but it is not something that I would do. If it is so good why don’t manufacturers pre-fill the chassis with it? Cost? The foams aren’t that expensive.
 

turbolover

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One thing for sure is that when you strengthen the chassis you get sh*t ride. Uncomfortable from my experience.
 

Temujin

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I'm not a race driver so I can't say much about handling and stuff.

I do feel a difference between having the front and rear struf bars but can't comment much on other chassis strengthening as I've never done any more than what I've mentioned.

I guess it would make a hell lot of a difference for those competing in drift and other motorsport events but I'm quite happy driving my car the way it is on the highway and up touge.

I suppose having a rollcage would not only stiffen the car (for better handling perhaps) but also it could save lives (as per last Sunday's drive).

Suspensions are a different matter but that is another story (a very subjective one at that too)..
 

[PIMPIN]

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I think everyone has missed the questions in the first couple of paragraphs of my initial post. It's ok, I do realize my posts are long-winded and hard to follow if you're not paying attention but I make no apologies hahah.

For me, my Skyline was a good compromise from factory whereby the chassis can and has been proven to handle double or even triple the standard power output. Even in my situation where my car is substantially heavier than the average BNR34, the car still feels nimble and is able to change directions quickly. In short, it doesn't feel like a car that weighs 1600kg from factory. One of the reasons for this is the structure of the car itself. If you have removed the back seats before, note the huge bar or should I say beam even running across the width of the car. That I feel contributes a lot to the rigidity of the chassis.

I've done no chassis strengthening modifications whatsoever aside from replacing the front strut bar with an ARC item. However, the difference would probably be next to none. I have yet to find a reason to do anything more just yet.

Well that's my approach. I'd be very interested to hear from others, the more specific the better if possible and not meant to be kept secret that is.

Thanks

---------- Post added at 11:42 AM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 11:38 AM ----------

If I could touch on rollcages very briefly. When I was studying in Perth, cars were only allowed rollcages under very strict circumstances. For example, a coupe like the Skyline could legally have a half cage fitted but can never carry passengers in the rear, meaning it'll be legal as a 2 seater only. The reasoning behind this is simple. Should you be involved in an accident and your car had come to rest in a position where access by emergency rescue teams is severely limited, you could die by the time they are able to free you from the wreckage since it won't be as easy to cut through. Add to that a car that is slowly going up in flames and you'll see the potential danger is quite significant as well.
 

ftzone

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imho, some sports-car manufacturer did not include the extra strut bars due to cost and also to maintain the comfortable feel for daily use such as the 4 door skyline. not all sport cars owners bring their rides to the tracks right? therefore making it an option for owners to upgrade if required. just like the stock coilovers which don't make you feel like travelling on the moon surface.. if you like racing and drive fast there is always an option to upgrade for improved handling instead of being comfortable.
i personally felt the improvements of my car handling @ the tracks when i installed the lower arm bars, anti roll bar and fender bars. (of course not a skyline as i can't afford one) even my lap times were improved. however sacrificing some comfort level on public roads.
 

Veloc

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Oh crap... Sorry I didn't see this if for skyline... Deleted post!
 
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Alchemis

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in general point of view, under braces is actually over kill. depending on what you need. i used to drive an old car ... mazda RX7 FD3S... i'm the legendary 777 :P

under braces could help the car because of the material fatique over time. the twist gets more and more as years goes by. because i drive like a bull. normal braces is a stock for the car. changing to other brand of braces will not help other than emptying your pocket for something unnecessary.

previously i've tightened the lower arms with additional braces. the damping of the car feels tighter and more accurate in term of steering, feels more direct. the center brace, they don't do any help. as the mounting point is not any heavy stress point. thus i took out the brace and left it. as for the rear, the suspension arms were tightened only. the rest is still stock... stock front tower strut and stock rear tower strut. it's good enough... the next stage will only be a roll cage either half of full.
 

[PIMPIN]

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Oh crap... Sorry I didn't see this if for skyline... Deleted post!
No, actually all opinions are welcome here. It's just that I for one don't really read the other sections of the forums which is why I chose to start this thread here. Chassis strengthening in principle would work the same way regardless of what brand of car you drive so please feel free to join in.
 

devious17

Senior Member
Senior Member
Nov 18, 2003
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Kay Ell
Suspensions are a different matter but that is another story (a very subjective one at that too)..
I believe chassis tuning includes suspension, cant have one without the other. A simple fender bar makes a differences on my drift setup car depending on the diameter and material of the reinforcement employed.

I had to have the front fender bar cause the chassis was old and prone to cracks, I had one pair installed on both sides and the car was under steering more than usual. I reduced the tire pressure a little and that helped a bit but resulting in inconsistent grip. Back to the pits, inflated the front tires and tweaked the bump and rebound rates and behold! the car was back to its old manners minus the chassis cracking worry.

Just to share.
 

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