NS F355 Project (Page 60/73) Yarmouth Fiero DEC 26, 08:57 PM Thanks for the link Fieroguru. That's a complicated piece of structure once its all chopped and assembled. I'll continue with my design and see what I come up with but its entirely possible aluminum may not be the way to go. Luckily I have access to a wide variety of aluminum extrusions at work from which to choose from. Yarmouth Fiero DEC 27, 12:46 PM As a follow up to Fieroguru's question regarding the weight of my structural changes to the engine bay, I loaded up the old trunk with all the steel parts removed from my chassis aft of the fire wall. This does not include the lower frame rails as I no longer have them. However, the total weight of steel removed so far is 65 lbs. This includes strut towers, trunk and related structure, engine bay plating and upper frame rail notches. The total weight of the new strut towers, engine bay plating, upper frame reinforcement and new transverse frame between the lower frame rails is.............. 65 lbs. How odd is that? Even I was suprised so I weighed everything a second time to be sure. This does not include the weight of the 3" chassis stretch which is already welded in but I estimate to be approximately 1 lb per side. My new lower frame rails weigh 17 lbs each which I am sure is a few pounds heavier than the stock units. So it looks like my chassis modifications should only result in a slight increase in chassis weight when its all done. Another bonus is that I have shifted the C of G of the chassis slightly forward due to the removal of the trunk and related structure which was all located behind the rear suspension. Yarmouth Fiero DEC 27, 05:16 PM Gotta love a 4 day weekend. I got the drivers side engine bay panels fabricated and test fitted. Now all that's left is to get all the parts blasted and primed and then welded in once and for all. I have a design for the strut tower top that suits the QA1 caster/ camber plates I purchased with the coil overs. I'll get those laser cut at work from 3/16" plate so that the adjusting slots are uniform and positioned perpendicular to the slots in the camber / caster plates. fierogt28 DEC 27, 10:13 PM Hi Yarmouth, I see in your trunk metal parts bin you have the gray carpet push tabs retainers. Are you throwing tham out?? If so, I like to have them as long as they are removed with care. I don't want the tree ends to be chewed up. We could work out a payment or parts trade if your interested. LMK, Thanks... Yarmouth Fiero DEC 28, 07:10 AM Good eye fierogt28. I'll see if I can get them out. PM sent. Bloozberry DEC 28, 08:07 AM Sure cleans up the engine bay! What are your plans for the rear cradle mounts? There looks to be a disconnect between orientation of the ones on the frame rail and those on the cradle. What's up with that? Yarmouth Fiero DEC 28, 08:12 AM Oops. I hadn't noticed Blooz. I'll have to put in the cradle stretcher at work 85-308 DEC 28, 11:48 AM quote Originally posted by Bloozberry: Sure cleans up the engine bay! What are your plans for the rear cradle mounts? There looks to be a disconnect between orientation of the ones on the frame rail and those on the cradle. What's up with that? Thought it was just me..... Yet the front cradle mounts are bolted in place..... Details required here!! What's the plan? Yarmouth Fiero DEC 28, 12:06 PM The plan? That's a tough question ha-ha-ha. With regard to the stock cradle being bolted in place, I am merely using it as a guide to help ensure my new lower frame rails are relatively parallel to the chassis. Its not perfect but the stock cradle is the only thing back there that probably hasn't sagged, warped or twisted during the excavation of my engine bay. When its all welded up and proven true to the chassis, I'll add the stock engine cradle to the scrap bin and build a new cradle that is wider, longer and suited to support the LS1 and Audi gearbox. It turns out that the track width increase in the suspension is about equal to the width increase of my lower frame rails that now run parallel and also my cradle design so my control arms should retain their stock length and thus keep the suspension geometry unchanged....... approximately. As mentioned in a previous post, I am considering an aluminum engine cradle....... but that decision has yet to be carved in stone. 85-308 DEC 28, 12:57 PM quote Originally posted by Yarmouth Fiero: the excavation of my engine bay. EXCELLENT choice of words! So you'll fit custom or Arraut (or similar) lower control arms/radius rods/links to the new cradle, to simulate the existing? AKA: you'll more-or-less duplicate that geometry? Apologies if I missed it; you are going to use '88-based geometry/components? I'm going to be doing 'something' the same and am hoping for a guinea pig, here! I won't be doing it in alum; looks like too much complication for too little pay-back, plus I am not set up anymore for welding aluminum so even being able to 'tack' things in place would be fussy. I'm sure you are WAAAAYYYYY ahead on that issue, so not a concern for you. I got the 88 dimensional dwgs from Blooze (thanks! ) and will use that as the basis for a wider cradle to suit the wider body. Interestingly, he noted that GM's chassis alignment was 'in the order of' +/- 3 mm or so - I'd have to re-check the number before anyone goes running off building a cradle on that basis, but it seemed like a fair bit from the actual manufacturer.....