What do I really need to re-enforce with a 400 HP car?, Re-enforcement panels |
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What do I really need to re-enforce with a 400 HP car?, Re-enforcement panels |
Gearup |
Nov 7 2019, 08:20 PM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 154 Joined: 21-April 15 From: Denver Member No.: 18,660 Region Association: None |
Gents,
I already have purchased Mad Dogs GT steel reinforcement panels for the wheel well and surrounding area. I am seriously considering purchasing the Longs reinforcemen panels as well and “maybe” the trailing arm kit. Gents, what do I really need? It’s gonna be a street car for me but I don’t want to short change the build. The trailing arm reinforcement has been hotly debated here in the past. ANY input from people here with direct knowledge would really be appreciated. My car is at a Spot where now would be the time to do whatever I end up deciding. Power will be and LS1 with possibly a mild cam. 380-430 HP ish. Thank you very much, Brett |
mepstein |
Nov 7 2019, 08:24 PM
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#2
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914-6 GT in waiting Group: Members Posts: 19,142 Joined: 19-September 09 From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE Member No.: 10,825 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
I buy into the theory that the trailing arms bend before the chassis and they are cheap to replace. I would buy or make a suspension console reinforcement, like what tangerine racing has. It's not as much the HP as the wide tires that rip the pivots from the consoles. The Brad Mayer long kit is the one to get if you don't care about originality.
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Gearup |
Nov 7 2019, 08:29 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 154 Joined: 21-April 15 From: Denver Member No.: 18,660 Region Association: None |
I buy into the theory that the trailing arms bend before the chassis and they are cheap to replace. I would buy or make a suspension console reinforcement, like what tangerine racing has. It's not as much the HP as the wide tires that rip the pivots from the consoles. The Brad Mayer long kit is the one to get if you don't care about originality. Mad Dogs longitudinal reinforcement goes on the inside (cab) Brads on the outside as I recall. Brads are a fair amount more expensive. Worth the extra expense? How difficult is the install for a Good Welder? Thank you for responding. |
tygaboy |
Nov 7 2019, 08:35 PM
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#4
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,244 Joined: 6-October 15 From: Petaluma, CA Member No.: 19,241 Region Association: Northern California |
Remember, you're more than 4x-ing the amount of power that the car came with.
I would do the Mad Dog inner long kit and Tangerine's suspension ear kit. I wouldn't do the GT chassis kit or worry about the trailing arms, given it's a street car. I you want to upgrade the trailing arms, contact Tangerine Racing and have Chris do his thing to them. It's far better than the GT kit. It's what I went with on my 500+ hp LS build. Brad's kit is very stout, for sure. But I'd say do the above stuff and see if you think you need more. Of course, there's always a cage. And there are "safe for the street" options for cages. |
Gearup |
Nov 7 2019, 08:39 PM
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#5
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Member Group: Members Posts: 154 Joined: 21-April 15 From: Denver Member No.: 18,660 Region Association: None |
Remember, you're more than 4x-ing the amount of power that the car came with. I would do the Mad Dog inner long kit and Tangerine's suspension ear kit. I wouldn't do the GT kit or worry about the trailing arms. Brad's kit is very stout, for sure. But I'd say do the above stuff and see if you think you need more. Of course, there's always a cage. And there are "safe for the street" options for cages. Do you know of a Safe for street cage source. Renegade offers one but only if they install it as they have had major fitment issues when sent out. A cage would be reinforcement by itself. Correct. Maybe the dog ears too? |
Chi-town |
Nov 7 2019, 08:42 PM
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#6
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 850 Joined: 31-August 18 From: Disneyland Member No.: 22,446 Region Association: Southern California |
The last car I built flexed more than I liked with a stock 1.8 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
Things I would recommend: A full cage tied into the rear trans mounts and engine mount points A functional reinforcement of the trailing arms and mounting points. When I say functional I mean something better than heavy metal plates welded all over. This isn't 1970 there are better ways without adding 50+lbs to the car (sprung and unsprung). |
tygaboy |
Nov 7 2019, 08:44 PM
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#7
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,244 Joined: 6-October 15 From: Petaluma, CA Member No.: 19,241 Region Association: Northern California |
Remember, you're more than 4x-ing the amount of power that the car came with. I would do the Mad Dog inner long kit and Tangerine's suspension ear kit. I wouldn't do the GT kit or worry about the trailing arms. Brad's kit is very stout, for sure. But I'd say do the above stuff and see if you think you need more. Of course, there's always a cage. And there are "safe for the street" options for cages. Do you know of a Safe for street cage source. Renegade offers one but only if they install it as they have had major fitment issues when sent out. A cage would be reinforcement by itself. Correct. Maybe the dog ears too? Well, I have the advantage of being able to fabricate my own cage and other stuff. If it were me, I'd do a front hoop and a rear hoop and join them with "inset" connector bars., sort of like a wide T-top. Clearance for heads but prevents the main front/back chassis flex. Not as strong as a full race cage but again, you're talking about a street car. |
Krieger |
Nov 7 2019, 09:01 PM
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#8
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 4,686 Joined: 24-May 04 From: Santa Rosa CA Member No.: 2,104 Region Association: None |
Remember, you're more than 4x-ing the amount of power that the car came with. I would do the Mad Dog inner long kit and Tangerine's suspension ear kit. I wouldn't do the GT kit or worry about the trailing arms. Brad's kit is very stout, for sure. But I'd say do the above stuff and see if you think you need more. Of course, there's always a cage. And there are "safe for the street" options for cages. Do you know of a Safe for street cage source. Renegade offers one but only if they install it as they have had major fitment issues when sent out. A cage would be reinforcement by itself. Correct. Maybe the dog ears too? Talk to Chris @ Tangerine racing he makes cages. |
Krieger |
Nov 7 2019, 09:03 PM
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#9
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 4,686 Joined: 24-May 04 From: Santa Rosa CA Member No.: 2,104 Region Association: None |
Chris has cages with strippers too! If you need them! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)
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Andyrew |
Nov 7 2019, 09:59 PM
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#10
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Spooling.... Please wait Group: Members Posts: 13,376 Joined: 20-January 03 From: Riverbank, Ca Member No.: 172 Region Association: Northern California |
All 914's need the longs reinforced.
400hp or more importantly the torque needs really nothing else, your not going to rip the body up on the street, you'll just spin the tires or go... The chassis isnt going to "twist" Personally I think the following is necessary for any 914 thats going to be driven hard. 1. Long reinforcement 2. Rear suspension ear reinforcement + brace 3. Outer trailing arm reinforcement I dont think the "GT" kit does anything except for the outer trailing arm reinforcement. I think a bar from the front trunk firewall to the front suspension front mount is important in the long run for conversion cars due to the cutout in the wheel wells, but after 15 years I still dont see any tearing and mine are ugly... Also one last thing to note, the biggest thing your going to notice is if you actually cage the car... That is a serious night and day difference in the way the car feels. |
Chi-town |
Nov 7 2019, 10:05 PM
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#11
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 850 Joined: 31-August 18 From: Disneyland Member No.: 22,446 Region Association: Southern California |
The plates for the trailing arms are a waste. If you look at the arm it will flex at the tube long before the boxed section. It's just simple leverage.
Anyone ever wonder why the arm shafts are all bent? If you do a simple 4 point cage in the interior you can skip the long plates also. |
ClayPerrine |
Nov 8 2019, 07:13 AM
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#12
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Life's been good to me so far..... Group: Admin Posts: 15,367 Joined: 11-September 03 From: Hurst, TX. Member No.: 1,143 Region Association: NineFourteenerVille |
400hp or more importantly the torque needs really nothing else, your not going to rip the body up on the street, you'll just spin the tires or go... The chassis isnt going to "twist" Yes the chassis will flex. I have a 4.0L 964 engine and I broke the left rear top catch in two due to chassis flex. It actually snapped the part that bolts to the top into two pieces. I have a Brad Mauyer kit and a GT stiffening kit on my car. My solution is going to be to put in a bolt in GT style top with the steel cross bracing. |
Andyrew |
Nov 8 2019, 07:31 AM
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#13
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Spooling.... Please wait Group: Members Posts: 13,376 Joined: 20-January 03 From: Riverbank, Ca Member No.: 172 Region Association: Northern California |
400hp or more importantly the torque needs really nothing else, your not going to rip the body up on the street, you'll just spin the tires or go... The chassis isnt going to "twist" Yes the chassis will flex. I have a 4.0L 964 engine and I broke the left rear top catch in two due to chassis flex. It actually snapped the part that bolts to the top into two pieces. I have a Brad Mauyer kit and a GT stiffening kit on my car. My solution is going to be to put in a bolt in GT style top with the steel cross bracing. Flex vs twist (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Flex is good for preventing damage as that means something is absorbing the force. Twist (in what I'm describing) is a permanent change in the body structure. Did you break that on a twisty road when you hit a pothole or at a track getting on power mid turn? |
mepstein |
Nov 8 2019, 07:53 AM
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#14
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914-6 GT in waiting Group: Members Posts: 19,142 Joined: 19-September 09 From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE Member No.: 10,825 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
The best way would be to assemble the car and run it to see what you need, add the reinforcement as needed and then finish the car. It sounds like more work than doing it all at once but in the long run it’s probably more efficient to do metalwork and finish than to guess at what is needed with metalwork and mechanical, finish and then go back and work on a finished car (painted) with updates.
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Tdskip |
Nov 8 2019, 08:23 AM
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#15
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,674 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
Long kit isn’t that hard to do if the interior is out - makes a BIG difference. As Dylan said so will a proper rollbar in the cockpit.
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RickS |
Nov 9 2019, 12:56 AM
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#16
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,408 Joined: 17-April 06 From: 'False City', WA Member No.: 5,880 Region Association: None |
With 400hp I would recommend your sphincter.
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rick 918-S |
Nov 9 2019, 05:34 AM
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#17
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Hey nice rack! -Celette Group: Members Posts: 20,354 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Now in Superior WI Member No.: 43 Region Association: Northstar Region |
Never reinforced the Alien (IMG:style_emoticons/default/assimilate.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Drive the he'll out of it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)
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ClayPerrine |
Nov 9 2019, 06:49 AM
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#18
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Life's been good to me so far..... Group: Admin Posts: 15,367 Joined: 11-September 03 From: Hurst, TX. Member No.: 1,143 Region Association: NineFourteenerVille |
400hp or more importantly the torque needs really nothing else, your not going to rip the body up on the street, you'll just spin the tires or go... The chassis isnt going to "twist" Yes the chassis will flex. I have a 4.0L 964 engine and I broke the left rear top catch in two due to chassis flex. It actually snapped the part that bolts to the top into two pieces. I have a Brad Mauyer kit and a GT stiffening kit on my car. My solution is going to be to put in a bolt in GT style top with the steel cross bracing. Flex vs twist (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Flex is good for preventing damage as that means something is absorbing the force. Twist (in what I'm describing) is a permanent change in the body structure. Did you break that on a twisty road when you hit a pothole or at a track getting on power mid turn? It happened at an AX, but I don't know when during the run. I got out of the car, and it just fell on me. |
Andyrew |
Nov 9 2019, 07:51 AM
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#19
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Spooling.... Please wait Group: Members Posts: 13,376 Joined: 20-January 03 From: Riverbank, Ca Member No.: 172 Region Association: Northern California |
Sticky tires or streets?
The top moves quite a bit on the 914. I can see how the latch would snap at an autox but this isn't an indication of permanent damage to the chassis, just the body flexing. |
Superhawk996 |
Nov 9 2019, 12:33 PM
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#20
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,673 Joined: 25-August 18 From: Woods of N. Idaho Member No.: 22,428 Region Association: Galt's Gulch |
Smart aleck response coming in 3 ... 2 ... 1
Reinforce the whole car. You really have to ask yourself what you hope to gain with 400 HP in a Targa. Look to the 916 and ask why Porshe would put a welded on roof on it with far less than 400 HP on tap. Cage it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) |
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