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Weird Front Beam

Posted: January 8th, 2014, 12:12 pm
by fvkartguy
Hopefully everyone can see this picture...
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 048%2C1357

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but that looks like a link pin beam with the shock towers cut off that has been turned upside-down... Why? Purely aerodynamics? Would the location of the bolt holes raise or lower the beam or are they centered vertically and horizontally?

Re: Weird Front Beam

Posted: January 8th, 2014, 12:14 pm
by fvkartguy
fvkartguy wrote:Would the location of the bolt holes raise or lower the beam or are they centered vertically and horizontally?
And by "raise or lower" I mean relative to the chassis.

Re: Weird Front Beam

Posted: January 8th, 2014, 1:11 pm
by BLS
I've seen a picture like that before, noting the modification to the beam to produce neg camber. I did not notice the beam was upside down. :shock:

The mounting holes of a link pin beam are offset slightly with respect to the beam centerline, towards the lower tube. Reversing the mounting would raise the chassis with respect to the original mounting, but this would be taken care of with the design of the mounts. So, why is it done this way (ignoring the modification to produce more camber)?

The beam itself is just two tubes, the orientation of which seem to be of no value since you can orient those by design (given the shock mounts are cut off). Reversing changes the original spring anchoring points from the front to the back and changes the mounting from front to back. If there is any advantage beyond that I cannot see it. Of course I'm not the brightest bulb in the batch...

Re: Weird Front Beam

Posted: January 8th, 2014, 1:55 pm
by fvkartguy
BLS wrote:The mounting holes of a link pin beam are offset slightly with respect to the beam centerline, towards the lower tube. Reversing the mounting would raise the chassis with respect to the original mounting, but this would be taken care of with the design of the mounts.
I KNEW that beam looked bent! I thought it was just me.
So maybe the rationale is to be able to mount the beam lower on the chassis and then adjust ride height back down to have a lower center of gravity?

Re: Weird Front Beam

Posted: January 8th, 2014, 3:57 pm
by brian
The folks from "down under" have been bending their beams to achieve negative camber. I seriously doubt that such a mod would survive the SCCA tech.