Anti-Intrusion for Space Frames

[Drew Price]

I am considering developing an anti-instrusion system for the front a-arms for this year's space frame car. I think it can be done effectively with very little added weight. I am thinking this through carefully after curbing our own car during last year's testing and bucking front lower arm, after the banking transition at Michigan this year, WWU almost having their way with Toledo at East, and Braunschweig doing hero work to make it to comp.

I didn't specifically notice anyone doing anti-instrusion for space frames at Michigan and West this year, but does anyone do it, and would you care to share?

The though i had was to add an anti-instrusion member joining the inboard pivots, and looping swaged cables around the anti-intrusion member and the nearby frame rail. This should let the arm buckle, but if it over-misaligns the inboard bearings and the housings fracture, the broken end doesn't enter the driver's compartment.

Considering experimenting with preferentially buckling the arms in a safe location too, by kinking the tubing just where it meets the outboard end, or something like that to take an impact and keep the deformation away from the inboard ends.

Best,
Drew

[McMasteRacer]

We ran anti0intrusion this year. we were space frame with (5/8)ths steel a-arms, in board rod ends. Basically we just linked our 2 a-arms where we welded in threaded plugs. im not sure how big the tubing was but it was very small diameter 4140

it worked because after competition we were testing and i curbed the car, everything buckeled properly and nothing penetrated the driver compartment.

a piece of advice though, after talking to Mr. Rouelle, he suggested we try a telescopic anti-intrusion so that you can still un-hread the rod ends a little to get +or _ more camber and stretch your a-arms a little

[Brian Evans]

The normal way to construct anti-intrusion bars is indeed telescopic, but you must pin the bar in place so that when needed it doesn't telescope apart.