I work in the cycling industry and every high performance bicycle gets fatigue tested....
Meaning it gets put on some sort of cyclical machine until it breaks....because of this, some companies only warranty their frames for 5 years and some do even less.... because of aluminums,and or, steels inherent fatigue characteristics....

my question is......

what do you thing the fatigue life is on a ITR chassis?

My 97 is 10 years old and it does not feel as "solid" to me as my friends 00'

meaning the chassis feels flimsier....it seems to creak and bend more than his....(his car is also stock)


now, I am in the process of restoring the car to a better state.... it has not been wrecked, nor has it been modified....

the stock susp. has 134k on it.... I will be soon buying new shocks(stock or Koni) and possibly replacing the bushings w/ the Hardrace kit.....but I have a feeling it is the chassis more so than the susp.

I have thought about installing a Autopower roll bar to stiffen the chassis up.... but I dont want to change autox classes....but that is not as big a deal as the stiffining of the chassis....


any thoughts?


do they make a chasis bar similar to what Cusco makes for the S2000?

pic for those that do not know what bar I am referring to....this bar runs the length of the floor pan

 

The chassis shouldn't really become more flimsy over time. It is more than likely just your suspension that you feel being more worn out than your friends.

I would update your suspension and add the roll bar, get some azenis and then get back to us.

You could also upgrade your lower tie bar, get a rear upper strut bar, ASR rear sway bar if you really wanna toughen your cornering up.

 

try http://www.monkeybarz.com

 

I bet its the bushings that you are feeling. I would start with new bushings and suspension and then see how it feels from there.

 

That chassis bar won't do anything. I have an 8 point cage in my car and it still flexes, especially with 950/1,250 springs . You're most likely feeling worn suspension components.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cmdr430 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I have thought about installing a Autopower roll bar to stiffen the chassis up.... but I dont want to change autox classes....but that is not as big a deal as the stiffining of the chassis....


any thoughts?


do they make a chasis bar similar to what Cusco makes for the S2000?

pic for those that do not know what bar I am referring to....this bar runs the length of the floor pan

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm not so sure a roll bar would put you out of DS if that's the class you race in down in Wilmington. Shaun Whipple had a bar setup in his PY and we raced in nationals IIRC with it along with harnesses.

For what it's worth, I can still go into tripod mode (the car ) on some right turns into parking lots or anywhere the elevation changes from the front to the back of the car. It's strange when the wheel comes back down, you can hear the ABS make a strange electronic sound.

 

seam weld the bitch
then foam the inside of the frame

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Utilitarian &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'm not so sure a roll bar would put you out of DS if that's the class you race in down in Wilmington. Shaun Whipple had a bar setup in his PY and we raced in nationals IIRC with it along with harnesses.

For what it's worth, I can still go into tripod mode (the car ) on some right turns into parking lots or anywhere the elevation changes from the front to the back of the car. It's strange when the wheel comes back down, you can hear the ABS make a strange electronic sound.

</TD></TR></TABLE>
The rules for Stock and ST classes states that you can't add anything that stiffens the chassis. That rule would eliminate this and Harness bars. As I see it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bbasso &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">seam weld the bitch
then foam the inside of the frame </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bbasso &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">seam weld the bitch
then foam the inside of the frame </TD></TR></TABLE>


I would love to do this!

Stitch welds are where it's at!

 

Integra shells dont get fatigue only maybe if your suspension is so hard that you loosend the welds. I have an ITR with 257K miles yeah thats right HARD HARD miles. Daily driver for over 10 years. My 01 feels no different.

 

Yup, just old sloppy suspension and bushings. You're on the right track with where to start first, your car will feel brand new again, guarantee it.

My chassis only has 45,000 on it and when I did a full Mugen bushing kit it felt incredible, can't imagine the feeling after the amount of miles you have on yours.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


I would love to do this!

Stitch welds are where it's at! </TD></TR></TABLE>

Anyone here had this done? Seems like it might not be a bad idea.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DVC2008 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have an ITR with 257K miles yeah thats right HARD HARD miles. Daily driver for over 10 years. My 01 feels no different.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Holy crap! Nice!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DVC2008 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Integra shells dont get fatigue only maybe if your suspension is so hard that you loosend the welds. I have an ITR with 257K miles yeah thats right HARD HARD miles. Daily driver for over 10 years. My 01 feels no different.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Pics please!!!!

 

after my autopower 4pt rollbar was installed, i immediately noticed the increased rigidity (just as koala mentioned). my suspension is now doing a lot more 'work'...which is what it's supposed to do. driving an itr w/o the rollbar feels 'smushy' to me.

however, mine is a 2001...

kepani

 

plumber bobby says do it... TO IT!

 

so the concensus is that it is probably in the suspension?



so, shocks and suspension bushings are now on the Christmas list....


just imagine how much stiffer/solid the ITR chassis would have been if the rear hatch opening was not so large....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bbasso &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">seam weld the bitch
then foam the inside of the frame </TD></TR></TABLE>

any chance you could elaborate on ''foam inside the frame'' tried searching but got nothing, i've heard of people spraying expanding foam inside chasis legs before but never imagined it could increase rigidity.

is this a real technique or is it something that must only be done in conjuction with a ported vtec solenoid

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LUCKY CHARMS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

any chance you could elaborate on ''foam inside the frame'' tried searching but got nothing, i've heard of people spraying expanding foam inside chasis legs before but never imagined it could increase rigidity.

is this a real technique or is it something that must only be done in conjuction with a ported vtec solenoid </TD></TR></TABLE>


there's a video floating around somewhere - I may have it on best motoring dvd or something, and it's probably on youtube or google video too.....

but it shows JUN AUTO prepping their race cars and shows them strip a car down to bare frame and remove all paint, then acid dip it, stitch weld it, full roll cage, and install liquid polyurethane foam inside the unibody frame rails, etc. It's a very interesting process, and I'm sure it's not cheap!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


there's a video floating around somewhere - I may have it on best motoring dvd or something, and it's probably on youtube or google video too.....

but it shows JUN AUTO prepping their race cars and shows them strip a car down to bare frame and remove all paint, then acid dip it, stitch weld it, full roll cage, and install liquid polyurethane foam inside the unibody frame rails, etc. It's a very interesting process, and I'm sure it's not cheap! </TD></TR></TABLE>
You are correct. It was the JUN dc5.

 

cheers lads, i'll check youtube etc.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LUCKY CHARMS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">any chance you could elaborate on ''foam inside the frame'' tried searching but got nothing, i've heard of people spraying expanding foam inside chasis legs before but never imagined it could increase rigidity. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Welcome to a few years ago:
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.....html

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LUCKY CHARMS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">cheers lads, i'll check youtube etc. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Here ya go. About halfway thru.
http://www.gtchannel.com/ch1/?...26132

 

you're a gent x 2, tanx


Modified by LUCKY CHARMS at 8:47 PM 10/29/2007