Re: Chassis Stiffening for Alfa Spiders ???

[Jon Pike <jhpike@xxxxxxx>]

> I haven't, but I remember one of the car mags doing a test on something
> > years ago.  I seem to remember it involved raising one corner of the car
> > a measured amount, and measuring the deflection somehow.  The somehow is
> > the hard part.
> > Cool, so all we need to do is figure out how to collect some data.
> > Thoughts?  I have a flexy spider and a stiffener.
> >
> > Ian
I had a half formed idea of using a laser pointer as a straight edge.. 
attach it to the body, say at the bottom of the rocker at the front, 
aiming down to the rear end of the rocker and hitting a firmly mounted 
rule or some such...  and lift the front wheel at that side.

You should be able to see the movement of the spot down the ruler as the 
body bends, and thereby trig out the actual angle of bend.

Of course, you'ld like to measure the weight on that corner while you 
jack up the wheel to make it an absolute value of bend per weight,  but 
on the same car it wouldn't matter..  (apples to apples, ignorning the 
+30 lb of stiffener weight)

Care to invest in one of those laser pointer levels Ian?  Or at least a 
$5 pointer and hose clamp it to a magnetic block?  ;-)  Hmmm.. might try 
this myself..  if I didn't have all four wheels off and the car on 
jacks, getting ready for major suspension work..

Jon
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