My first attempt at building an air dam...
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From: Gainesville, FL
My first attempt at building an air dam...
My limited budget and great need to get my brake ducts up and running by next weekend forced a project that may have otherwise sat on the back burner for a while. I found a local metal distributor that had aluminum sheet stock, and I picked up a 4'x10' (yea, huge) sheet of 0.040" aluminum at a very good price since it was scratched. I now have enough material to make a total of 5 or so airdams, so I have room to experiment with designs. My goal was to make something rigid, light, removable, and legal for road racing. I also needed something that could house my brake duct openings since the '88 bumper doesn't have the OEM foglight mouldings and I have to keep the wiper bottle and all that other garbage which is right in the way behind the bumper. Anyway, here are some pictures of what I ended up with as a first attempt. It has yet to be painted but I figure it's easier to see in its raw color. I intend to replace the current hardware with dzus fasteners at some point, but right now the allen head bolts and wingnuts make for a sub-5 minute install/removal so I can't complain. Once the SBMS brake ducts arrive this week I'll get everything put together and we'll see how it works this weekend at AMP.
Some impressions:
0.040" is a good thickness to work with. It's easy on the consumables (cutting wheels, grinders, etc) but it's very rigid when used in small pieces. It requires being pounded/folded over on the bottom edge for some added stability. I would not leave the bottom edge flat as it's not that strong. I have the option to add an undertray as a result of the bottom edge design, and I think I would need a slightly thicker piece for that application.
It is much lighter than I expected. The addition of the ABS plastic brake ducts added a very signifiant amount of weight, which gives you an idea of how light the aluminum structure is. I'll get it on the scale when I can, but I'm sure it's sub 5 lbs even with the brake ducts.
I need to figure out a good way to make the height adjustable so that it doesn't limit the suspension adjustments I can make and still be legal under IT rules. I removed my OEM lip to make room for this one, so the total height change is only about 2.5" from where I was before. I need to raise up my coilovers by 1" all around anyway, so I'm only loosing about 1.5" in the front. It's still above legal height but I'm not sure exactly by how much.
This air dam, as pictured, represents about 6 total hours worth of work. If it gets destroyed by an "off," I could rebuild it in under 2 hours now that I know what I'm doing. So, if you're a starving student and your time has no monitary value, this might be a good way to save some money compared to buying an air dam. However, if you make some good money at work, 6 hours may make this project a waste of time and you'd be better off buying somthing that's no doubt much better quality.
Finally, if anyone cares to comment on the design or legality of this piece, I would appreciate it. I made no cuts into the OEM bumper for the ducting, so there is no restriction on the size of the hole I could cut for the ducts (unlike if I were to cut them into the bumper). As long as I keep it above the minimum height, I see no reason this would not be legal under current IT/HC/PS rules. No?
Pics:
The back, folded bottom edge for stability:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....D.jpg
A close up of the duct and hardware:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....D.jpg
The whole thing installed:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....D.jpg
*Edit* uncleben was kind enough to resize these pictures for me. Click the link for larger images if you want them. All pics are on WTDR, so be patient.
Modified by travis at 4:01 PM 1/13/2004
Some impressions:
0.040" is a good thickness to work with. It's easy on the consumables (cutting wheels, grinders, etc) but it's very rigid when used in small pieces. It requires being pounded/folded over on the bottom edge for some added stability. I would not leave the bottom edge flat as it's not that strong. I have the option to add an undertray as a result of the bottom edge design, and I think I would need a slightly thicker piece for that application.
It is much lighter than I expected. The addition of the ABS plastic brake ducts added a very signifiant amount of weight, which gives you an idea of how light the aluminum structure is. I'll get it on the scale when I can, but I'm sure it's sub 5 lbs even with the brake ducts.
I need to figure out a good way to make the height adjustable so that it doesn't limit the suspension adjustments I can make and still be legal under IT rules. I removed my OEM lip to make room for this one, so the total height change is only about 2.5" from where I was before. I need to raise up my coilovers by 1" all around anyway, so I'm only loosing about 1.5" in the front. It's still above legal height but I'm not sure exactly by how much.
This air dam, as pictured, represents about 6 total hours worth of work. If it gets destroyed by an "off," I could rebuild it in under 2 hours now that I know what I'm doing. So, if you're a starving student and your time has no monitary value, this might be a good way to save some money compared to buying an air dam. However, if you make some good money at work, 6 hours may make this project a waste of time and you'd be better off buying somthing that's no doubt much better quality.
Finally, if anyone cares to comment on the design or legality of this piece, I would appreciate it. I made no cuts into the OEM bumper for the ducting, so there is no restriction on the size of the hole I could cut for the ducts (unlike if I were to cut them into the bumper). As long as I keep it above the minimum height, I see no reason this would not be legal under current IT/HC/PS rules. No?
Pics:
The back, folded bottom edge for stability:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....D.jpg
A close up of the duct and hardware:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....D.jpg
The whole thing installed:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....D.jpg
*Edit* uncleben was kind enough to resize these pictures for me. Click the link for larger images if you want them. All pics are on WTDR, so be patient.
Modified by travis at 4:01 PM 1/13/2004
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From: I am Tyson
Re: (Want2race)
solid design, just dont go off roading. i think it might be worth it to add some kind of understray for the sake of reinforcement, plus it may just bend in with the wind.
please remember to share with us your brake ducting once youre finished.
please remember to share with us your brake ducting once youre finished.
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From: Gainesville, FL
Re: (Want2race)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Want2race »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">professional</TD></TR></TABLE>
Heh, hardly, but thanks. I think the primitive thought process shows through in the design, but I was trying to keep it as simple as I could. Glad you're not laughing
I should add that the total cost of this project was under $50 including the bumper ducts. The cost of the aluminum was only $40, so that's less than $10 per air dam if I make more (I only used a 7'x8" strip). Add $10 in hardware and consumables and about $30 for the bumper ducts and you've got yourself an air dam!
Heh, hardly, but thanks. I think the primitive thought process shows through in the design, but I was trying to keep it as simple as I could. Glad you're not laughing
I should add that the total cost of this project was under $50 including the bumper ducts. The cost of the aluminum was only $40, so that's less than $10 per air dam if I make more (I only used a 7'x8" strip). Add $10 in hardware and consumables and about $30 for the bumper ducts and you've got yourself an air dam!
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 666
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From: Los Angeles, CRX Heaven
Re: My first attempt at building an air dam... (travis)
Very nice work, it sure looks good. I have been thinking about doing something similar myself.
I was thinking of using the stock bumper cover and using a plastic materiel attached to the stock air dam points. Garden edging materiel is cheap, flexible, yet rigid enough for the purpose.
In a a race-only vehicle, I would have used the existing turn signal "ports" for the air intakes. For the collectors for the air, I would use Shop-Vac attachements from the hardware store (they are cheap) and use the Shop-Vac Hose to the front disks.
In your class, are their restrictions on the rear bumper cover? On my car, the bumperr cover is hollow and acts like a "drag chute." I cut the bottom of the rear bumper cover off to allow air passing under the car to escape easily.
I was thinking of using the stock bumper cover and using a plastic materiel attached to the stock air dam points. Garden edging materiel is cheap, flexible, yet rigid enough for the purpose.
In a a race-only vehicle, I would have used the existing turn signal "ports" for the air intakes. For the collectors for the air, I would use Shop-Vac attachements from the hardware store (they are cheap) and use the Shop-Vac Hose to the front disks.
In your class, are their restrictions on the rear bumper cover? On my car, the bumperr cover is hollow and acts like a "drag chute." I cut the bottom of the rear bumper cover off to allow air passing under the car to escape easily.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,125
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From: 15 percent slip, FL, USA
Re: (travis)
Nice work!
One thing I might change about the design would be to add at least a minimal splitter. This should improve your aerodynamics and will also reinforce the bottom edge.
A couple suggestions about working with aluminum:
1 - Polish the cut edges. This will not only prevent you from cutting yourself when working with the piece, but will also help prevent cracks due to stress risers. Good job in rounding the corners on the tabs along the top, that'll go a long way toward preventing cracks. This is not likely to be a highly stressed piece under normal circumstances, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.
2 - Along the bottom edge, I would have crimped the lip to make the curve rather than notching it. This is not only stronger, since the material is still there, but also gets rid of the stress risers caused by the sharp ends of the notches.
Overall, though, very nice work.
One thing I might change about the design would be to add at least a minimal splitter. This should improve your aerodynamics and will also reinforce the bottom edge.
A couple suggestions about working with aluminum:
1 - Polish the cut edges. This will not only prevent you from cutting yourself when working with the piece, but will also help prevent cracks due to stress risers. Good job in rounding the corners on the tabs along the top, that'll go a long way toward preventing cracks. This is not likely to be a highly stressed piece under normal circumstances, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.
2 - Along the bottom edge, I would have crimped the lip to make the curve rather than notching it. This is not only stronger, since the material is still there, but also gets rid of the stress risers caused by the sharp ends of the notches.
Overall, though, very nice work.
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Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Union, KY, USA
Re: My first attempt at building an air dam... (travis)
Nice job. I agree about adding the bottom plane with a little front lip for aero and structure both.
Getting the ducts that low is the only legal way I have found on a CRX of getting around the windshield washer bottle that has to be there. That puts your air dam pretty deep but bring the ride height up a bit to clear the lowest part of the wheel. For my ITA car with a deep air dam, the rocker panel measurement still was only 5.25 inchs (5.00 min allowed). As long as your alignment is good, I 'd trade a little bit more ride height for a proper air dam and better brake ducting.
Getting the ducts that low is the only legal way I have found on a CRX of getting around the windshield washer bottle that has to be there. That puts your air dam pretty deep but bring the ride height up a bit to clear the lowest part of the wheel. For my ITA car with a deep air dam, the rocker panel measurement still was only 5.25 inchs (5.00 min allowed). As long as your alignment is good, I 'd trade a little bit more ride height for a proper air dam and better brake ducting.
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From: The Lowcountry, SC
Re: (travis)
WOW!! nice
building your own stuff is soooo fun
I have built a ram air setup....refabricated it a few times.
I wanted to make a similar "scoop" in my stock bumper, but it is sort of curved at the edge, so I didn't think it would look good.
I just have a 2" dam at the bottom of my bumper and some dryer ducting going to the filter from the front grill....also have a metal heat sheild, helps keep the cool air going to the filter, and not to the bay.
I'll post pics....
building your own stuff is soooo fun
I have built a ram air setup....refabricated it a few times.
I wanted to make a similar "scoop" in my stock bumper, but it is sort of curved at the edge, so I didn't think it would look good.
I just have a 2" dam at the bottom of my bumper and some dryer ducting going to the filter from the front grill....also have a metal heat sheild, helps keep the cool air going to the filter, and not to the bay.
I'll post pics....
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From: MA
Re: (Agent Smith)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Agent Smith »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">2 - Along the bottom edge, I would have crimped the lip to make the curve rather than notching it. This is not only stronger, since the material is still there, but also gets rid of the stress risers caused by the sharp ends of the notches.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Not to go OT or hijack the thread, but how would you go about crimping the bottom edge? I am just not seeing how you would physically go about doing it, so please share!
Good work Travis. Your project definitely has me thinking about making one now, for sure. After doing my ghetto sunroof plug, this shouldn't be too bad!
Not to go OT or hijack the thread, but how would you go about crimping the bottom edge? I am just not seeing how you would physically go about doing it, so please share!
Good work Travis. Your project definitely has me thinking about making one now, for sure. After doing my ghetto sunroof plug, this shouldn't be too bad!
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From: Gainesville, FL
Re: (Agent Smith)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Agent Smith »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
A couple suggestions about working with aluminum:
1 - Polish the cut edges. This will not only prevent you from cutting yourself when working with the piece, but will also help prevent cracks due to stress risers. Good job in rounding the corners on the tabs along the top, that'll go a long way toward preventing cracks. This is not likely to be a highly stressed piece under normal circumstances, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.</TD></TR></TABLE>
While I did not polish them, I did grind all the edges with a fine Dremel tool to keep them smooth. This stuff is dangerous when you start cutting it and I knew I would be removing/installing it many times so I wanted to slash myself as little as possible.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">2 - Along the bottom edge, I would have crimped the lip to make the curve rather than notching it. This is not only stronger, since the material is still there, but also gets rid of the stress risers caused by the sharp ends of the notches.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
You know, after I did it I was thinking about crimping being a better idea. I actually had planned to throw this piece away after doing some cutting and fitting, but it turned out so good that I kept working on it. I like the idea of crimping the bends since those are the weakest point of the lip. How do you do the crimping? Is there a good tool I can use for the job? Thanks for the advice
Tyson,
Off-road = death for sure. I don't think there's any way around it. Fortunately, if I do go off and destroy it I can still run the rest of the day with the regular bumper in place and fix/replace the air dam later. I can't imagine a way to make it any stronger for ditch digging
As for the ducting, the SBMS ducts arrived today so I'll have them on by the end of the day hopefully. I'll share pics when I have them.
cbstd,
Most of those modifications aren't legal for IT. I can't use the turn signal holes since those must stay, and I can't cut the rear bumper. As for the shop-vac parts, I would bet that the attachments might hold up okay, but I would be afraid to melt the hose from ambient heat.
solorex,
The air ducts are from http://www.racerpartswholesale.com but lots of other race shops sell them in different designs. I/O Port racing has a good supply too. These were the shortest (top to bottom) I could find for 3" hose, so that's what I chose since anything taller meant going lower.
CRX Lee et al,
As for the undertray, I agree with all of you. I'm just afraid that the 0.040" won't be strong enough for a true splitter with that kind of downforce. Still, I could use it as just an undertray and not have the splitter under the front lip and see how sturdy it made it. I'm already planning "air dam v. 2.0"
Keithv,
You dont' know ghetto until you've seen my sunroof plug
A couple suggestions about working with aluminum:
1 - Polish the cut edges. This will not only prevent you from cutting yourself when working with the piece, but will also help prevent cracks due to stress risers. Good job in rounding the corners on the tabs along the top, that'll go a long way toward preventing cracks. This is not likely to be a highly stressed piece under normal circumstances, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.</TD></TR></TABLE>
While I did not polish them, I did grind all the edges with a fine Dremel tool to keep them smooth. This stuff is dangerous when you start cutting it and I knew I would be removing/installing it many times so I wanted to slash myself as little as possible.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">2 - Along the bottom edge, I would have crimped the lip to make the curve rather than notching it. This is not only stronger, since the material is still there, but also gets rid of the stress risers caused by the sharp ends of the notches.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
You know, after I did it I was thinking about crimping being a better idea. I actually had planned to throw this piece away after doing some cutting and fitting, but it turned out so good that I kept working on it. I like the idea of crimping the bends since those are the weakest point of the lip. How do you do the crimping? Is there a good tool I can use for the job? Thanks for the advice
Tyson,
Off-road = death for sure. I don't think there's any way around it. Fortunately, if I do go off and destroy it I can still run the rest of the day with the regular bumper in place and fix/replace the air dam later. I can't imagine a way to make it any stronger for ditch digging
As for the ducting, the SBMS ducts arrived today so I'll have them on by the end of the day hopefully. I'll share pics when I have them.cbstd,
Most of those modifications aren't legal for IT. I can't use the turn signal holes since those must stay, and I can't cut the rear bumper. As for the shop-vac parts, I would bet that the attachments might hold up okay, but I would be afraid to melt the hose from ambient heat.
solorex,
The air ducts are from http://www.racerpartswholesale.com but lots of other race shops sell them in different designs. I/O Port racing has a good supply too. These were the shortest (top to bottom) I could find for 3" hose, so that's what I chose since anything taller meant going lower.
CRX Lee et al,
As for the undertray, I agree with all of you. I'm just afraid that the 0.040" won't be strong enough for a true splitter with that kind of downforce. Still, I could use it as just an undertray and not have the splitter under the front lip and see how sturdy it made it. I'm already planning "air dam v. 2.0"
Keithv,
You dont' know ghetto until you've seen my sunroof plug
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Bethlehem, PA
Re: My first attempt at building an air dam... (travis)
Nice Work Travis
How many solid mounting points do you have? I see three along the top with zip ties and 2 bolts per side....don't under estimate the amount of force that will be applied to this piece at 100 mph. Our 88-89 A-Ds have 9 bolts attaching it to the bumper cover.
Couple of hints I learned early on.
1. Reinforce the back to avoid it folding under at speed. Since you added ducts the entire A-D is a bit weaker than one solid piece.... add backing brackets.
2. Don't use Alum. thicker then .040. The thicker you go the more likely it will damage the bumper cover instead of the A-D if there is a major off.
3. Splitters and undertrays are a whole other story. My advice- Go test this Air-dam and work out any bugs before you think of adding complications.
Good Luck and feel free to contact me if you have a question or two.
John
roadracegear@earthlink.net
How many solid mounting points do you have? I see three along the top with zip ties and 2 bolts per side....don't under estimate the amount of force that will be applied to this piece at 100 mph. Our 88-89 A-Ds have 9 bolts attaching it to the bumper cover.
Couple of hints I learned early on.
1. Reinforce the back to avoid it folding under at speed. Since you added ducts the entire A-D is a bit weaker than one solid piece.... add backing brackets.
2. Don't use Alum. thicker then .040. The thicker you go the more likely it will damage the bumper cover instead of the A-D if there is a major off.
3. Splitters and undertrays are a whole other story. My advice- Go test this Air-dam and work out any bugs before you think of adding complications.
Good Luck and feel free to contact me if you have a question or two.
John
roadracegear@earthlink.net
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From: Gainesville, FL
Re: My first attempt at building an air dam... (JohnW)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JohnW »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Nice Work Travis
How many solid mounting points do you have? I see three along the top with zip ties and 2 bolts per side....don't under estimate the amount of force that will be applied to this piece at 100 mph. Our 88-89 A-Ds have 9 bolts attaching it to the bumper cover.</TD></TR></TABLE>
That pic is already outdated as this is a work in progress. There are four very solid mounting points (two on each side) with 2" washers on the outside and an aluminum backing plate on the inside. I will be adding two additional fasteners of the same design, one above each brake duct, in the meaty part of the bumper. As for the three tabs, the zip ties are waiting to be replaced with dzus fasteners since it's not easy to reach the back side of those bolts. If I can't get my hands on those in time for this weekend I'll just bolt them in place with some extra effort and I'll deal with it later. So all in all, that's 9 solid mounts, maybe just 7 for this weekend. It's solid enough that I'm already afraid that the bumper will come off before the air dam will separate from the bumper.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Couple of hints I learned early on.
1. Reinforce the back to avoid it folding under at speed. Since you added ducts the entire A-D is a bit weaker than one solid piece.... add backing brackets.
2. Don't use Alum. thicker then .040. The thicker you go the more likely it will damage the bumper cover instead of the A-D if there is a major off.
3. Splitters and undertrays are a whole other story. My advice- Go test this Air-dam and work out any bugs before you think of adding complications.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Since I didn't know how to properly crimp the folded lip accross the front bumper, the slits are the weakest point. I am planning to add either a short (6-8") undertray or a square aluminum bar with a few pop rivets. I don't think the face will hold up to the force of wind at 100 MPH, but then again there is only about 4" of air dam that extends below the support of the bumper (the picture makes it look like more than that is hanging down). Thanks for the info on the aluminum thickness. I wasn't sure what to use so I just went to the distributor and felt a bunch and then guessed.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good Luck and feel free to contact me if you have a question or two.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I really appreciate your feedback, John, since I know you know your stuff.
uncleben,
Pics have to wait until tomorrow. I got caught up trying to find a 2.5" to 3" adapter for the hose and it got dark before I could take any pictures. I will say, however, that I'm very pleased with the SBMS racing product so far.
How many solid mounting points do you have? I see three along the top with zip ties and 2 bolts per side....don't under estimate the amount of force that will be applied to this piece at 100 mph. Our 88-89 A-Ds have 9 bolts attaching it to the bumper cover.</TD></TR></TABLE>
That pic is already outdated as this is a work in progress. There are four very solid mounting points (two on each side) with 2" washers on the outside and an aluminum backing plate on the inside. I will be adding two additional fasteners of the same design, one above each brake duct, in the meaty part of the bumper. As for the three tabs, the zip ties are waiting to be replaced with dzus fasteners since it's not easy to reach the back side of those bolts. If I can't get my hands on those in time for this weekend I'll just bolt them in place with some extra effort and I'll deal with it later. So all in all, that's 9 solid mounts, maybe just 7 for this weekend. It's solid enough that I'm already afraid that the bumper will come off before the air dam will separate from the bumper.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Couple of hints I learned early on.
1. Reinforce the back to avoid it folding under at speed. Since you added ducts the entire A-D is a bit weaker than one solid piece.... add backing brackets.
2. Don't use Alum. thicker then .040. The thicker you go the more likely it will damage the bumper cover instead of the A-D if there is a major off.
3. Splitters and undertrays are a whole other story. My advice- Go test this Air-dam and work out any bugs before you think of adding complications.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Since I didn't know how to properly crimp the folded lip accross the front bumper, the slits are the weakest point. I am planning to add either a short (6-8") undertray or a square aluminum bar with a few pop rivets. I don't think the face will hold up to the force of wind at 100 MPH, but then again there is only about 4" of air dam that extends below the support of the bumper (the picture makes it look like more than that is hanging down). Thanks for the info on the aluminum thickness. I wasn't sure what to use so I just went to the distributor and felt a bunch and then guessed.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good Luck and feel free to contact me if you have a question or two.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I really appreciate your feedback, John, since I know you know your stuff.
uncleben,
Pics have to wait until tomorrow. I got caught up trying to find a 2.5" to 3" adapter for the hose and it got dark before I could take any pictures. I will say, however, that I'm very pleased with the SBMS racing product so far.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,125
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From: 15 percent slip, FL, USA
Re: (travis)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You know, after I did it I was thinking about crimping being a better idea. I actually had planned to throw this piece away after doing some cutting and fitting, but it turned out so good that I kept working on it. I like the idea of crimping the bends since those are the weakest point of the lip. How do you do the crimping? Is there a good tool I can use for the job? Thanks for the advice </TD></TR></TABLE>
In college we had a bench-mounted thingy we could use for both crimping and bending. There may be hand tools that make this easier, but I'm not familiar with any specific type or source. Browsing sheet metal fabrication tool catalog should turn something up.
For a recent project, I whipped up a little tool using a 2x2. I rounded one side then cut a triangular notch in one end, with the point towards the round side (see pic below). To make a crimp, put the 2x2 in a bench vice with the notched end up, place the work (blue) with the inside on the round side of the 2x2 and the lip over the notch. Take a rod of some sort (red, I used a 16d nail) and hold it against the lip over the notch. Hammer the rod to bend the lip into the notch and create the crimp.
For the guy who asked what a crimp is, the result should look something like what's shown in blue at the bottom.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Off-road = death for sure. I don't think there's any way around it. Fortunately, if I do go off and destroy it I can still run the rest of the day with the regular bumper in place and fix/replace the air dam later. I can't imagine a way to make it any stronger for ditch digging As for the ducting, the SBMS ducts arrived today so I'll have them on by the end of the day hopefully. I'll share pics when I have them.</TD></TR></TABLE>
The nice thing about aluminum is that even if it gets mangled, it's easy to pound back into shape. Just bring a decent hammer, snips, a drill, some pop rivets, and some extra material and you can patch pretty much anything that goes wrong.
</TD></TR></TABLE>In college we had a bench-mounted thingy we could use for both crimping and bending. There may be hand tools that make this easier, but I'm not familiar with any specific type or source. Browsing sheet metal fabrication tool catalog should turn something up.
For a recent project, I whipped up a little tool using a 2x2. I rounded one side then cut a triangular notch in one end, with the point towards the round side (see pic below). To make a crimp, put the 2x2 in a bench vice with the notched end up, place the work (blue) with the inside on the round side of the 2x2 and the lip over the notch. Take a rod of some sort (red, I used a 16d nail) and hold it against the lip over the notch. Hammer the rod to bend the lip into the notch and create the crimp.
For the guy who asked what a crimp is, the result should look something like what's shown in blue at the bottom.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Off-road = death for sure. I don't think there's any way around it. Fortunately, if I do go off and destroy it I can still run the rest of the day with the regular bumper in place and fix/replace the air dam later. I can't imagine a way to make it any stronger for ditch digging
As for the ducting, the SBMS ducts arrived today so I'll have them on by the end of the day hopefully. I'll share pics when I have them.</TD></TR></TABLE>The nice thing about aluminum is that even if it gets mangled, it's easy to pound back into shape. Just bring a decent hammer, snips, a drill, some pop rivets, and some extra material and you can patch pretty much anything that goes wrong.
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,062
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From: Hockeytown, MI
Re: My first attempt at building an air dam... (travis)
nice work travis, I went thru this same venture last summer. feel free to steal ideas from mine
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=627746
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=627746
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 720
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From: 50mi west of Hell, Michigan
Re: My first attempt at building an air dam... (sackdz)
For splitter I would suggest some Delrin or similiar material from McMasterCarr. I am going to be making my airdam out of it eventually. Made brackets ages ago, but need to work out use of dzuz fastners.
Thread Starter
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Gainesville, FL
Re: (DMF)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DMF »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Travis, you should have never said you made these. Now i'm going to want your help doing mine. </TD></TR></TABLE>
No problem, I would be happy to help. A little experience goes a long way, so let me get finished with V 2.0 and then we'll talk. There are still a couple of things I would like to change.
DsR,
http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/naca.htm
Agent Smith,
Holy crap, great post! This is exactly what I will do on the next air dam. I imagine that the deeper you make that crack, the larger bend you get. So if I notched a very shallow crack and crimped it in many spots, I could get a nice gradual bend. Thanks for the help
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sackdz »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> feel free to steal ideas from mine</TD></TR></TABLE>
Already did
Oh yea, since the brakes and the air dam are two different projects, I put the pictures of the brake ducting here for those who are interested:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=732832
</TD></TR></TABLE>No problem, I would be happy to help. A little experience goes a long way, so let me get finished with V 2.0 and then we'll talk. There are still a couple of things I would like to change.
DsR,
http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/naca.htm
Agent Smith,
Holy crap, great post! This is exactly what I will do on the next air dam. I imagine that the deeper you make that crack, the larger bend you get. So if I notched a very shallow crack and crimped it in many spots, I could get a nice gradual bend. Thanks for the help
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sackdz »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> feel free to steal ideas from mine</TD></TR></TABLE>
Already did
Oh yea, since the brakes and the air dam are two different projects, I put the pictures of the brake ducting here for those who are interested:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=732832