badding
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 08:13 AM |
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The use off carbon parts.
I want to make the floor panels out off carbon instead off the standard alloy panels, does anyone know if this is a problem for SVA.
Concerning strenght etc...
Carbon looks cool is lighter and does'nt rust.
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alister667
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 08:44 AM |
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I'm not sure how strong it would be. Don't think the SVA would be a problem. I'd worry about putting my foot through it, or a
stone coming up maybe.
That said i know very little about carbon fibre.
As for the weight saving it costs a lot less just to visit the toilet before going for a drive......
http://members.lycos.co.uk/alister667/
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Hellfire
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 08:46 AM |
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It also scratches very easily and is not so strong in compression so not really suitable for floors due to large amount of stones that seem to
collect! Also the rivets would compromise it's strength, unless you're not using them.
Then there is the cost... probably £300 (just a guess) 
Agree - it would look cool though 
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Peteff
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 09:04 AM |
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Carbon looks cool is lighter and does'nt rust
Neither does aluminium, I can't see any benefits other than looks and bragging rights and you will only be able to look at it while it's
parked anyway. The extra reinforcing you'll need will outweigh the weight savings.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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badding
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 10:48 AM |
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The cost isn't really a problem, a friend off mine owns a company www.eurocarbon.nl that makes composite parts, you can also reinforce the
bottom off the carbon plate with
glassfibre.
I have same carbonplates about 4 mm tick.You can say what you want about strenght, but they are really very tuff.
The dash is also going to be made out off carbon.A nice project if I may say soo "homemade carbon"
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smart51
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 11:05 AM |
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carbon fibre has a high tensile strength. A carbon floor pannel will not stretch in its own plane which will add rigidity to the chassis.
As for piercing strength, if the panel is thick enough you won't pierce it, either by standing on it or by stone impact. Aluminium isn't
that good and you'll need a good floor thickness in either material
I would guess that it would have to be many "layers" thick for this which will make it expensive. It will still be lighter than aluminium
of the same thickness though.
Carbon has a density of 1.75 ish, epoxy something like 1.2. Aluminium around 2.7. A CFRP panel of equal thickness is likely to weigh less than
aluminium.
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chrisf
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 11:55 AM |
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Stone piercing
A layer or two of Kevlar thrown into the mix would stop this as well. I once read that you need two top layers of CFRP before the Kevlar or the Kevlar
will show through. Assuming you'll put another layer of carbon over the Kevlar...you now have a 4 ply laminate minimum.
I too considered going this route. But like Alister says, there are easier ways to shed weight.
--Chris
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bimbleuk
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 04:26 PM |
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For the rest of us on a budget how about carbon effect ABS sheet in 2.5mm or 4 mm.
http://www.esp-plastics.co.uk/acatalog/molding_plastic_sheeting.html
I haven't bought any yet but I've got them in mind when I change some of the ali sheets on my kit car.
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Matthew_1
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| posted on 13/7/05 at 05:14 PM |
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My floor is made of carbon and you certainly won't "step through it" its perfectly rigid enough and is less prone than ali to stones
"comming through". Rivets won't compromise strength any more than they would in Ali either.
It's certainly not cheap if you have to buy the raw materials from CFS say, my floor is 5-ply with a 1.5mm nomex core and took 7M of fabric -
which I scrounged of a friend who builds boats, from CFS I think you're looking at £130+ with the epoxy, more if you vacuum bag the thing to
make it even stiffer. The whole lot comes in at just over 2mm thick and weighs about 2.85kgs.
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