Author Topic: DIY: Make your own tunnel brace (Read 71434 times)

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #50 on:** December 23, 2008, 05:56:46 PM »

I used a drill press and a jigsaw, high speed die grinder with 80 grit to bevel the edges and smooth out the cut.

Deep-GXP · « **Reply #51 on:** December 24, 2008, 02:26:24 PM »

Does this need to be done on a lift? Or can you jack up the car and remove it? Is it safe to remove the tunnel brace while the car is jacked up in the air? (since the body would be kind of twisting).

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #52 on:** December 24, 2008, 03:13:08 PM »

Drive up a ramps and jack the back of the car, place the back on jack stands.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #53 on:** December 27, 2008, 10:28:55 PM »

Hmmmm, I still had questions and I wanted to talk to my brother the other day about getting some material. I was going to see him in a few hours and I PMed Lucy's Daddy to ask him a few questions about a previous posting that he made on this thread.

I had read Wayne's posts about the 7075-T6 vs 6061-T6 and I wasn't sure if I were to use the 7075 if I should go to 3/8" stock or stay with the 1/4". We obviously want all the stiffness but don't want to add the weight.

Wayne said that he would probably go with the 1/4". He has seen some 5/16 also. Obviously 3/8 would be better, but how much? DDM did testing on their lift. He had thought that 1/4" 7075 would be similar to 3/8" 6061, and cost about the same, but be that pound or 2 lighter. He also pointed out that he had no intentions of carving out the center of the brace as DDM did. Probably a couple of drain holes, but that's it. Definately powder coating it but he wasn't sure what colour. I mentioned the the triangular holes in the DDM product pictured on their site were only on the prototype and not on the product that they were shipping.

I should find out the first of the week what the material will cost me. Thanks to Wayne for getting back to me as quick as he did.

Fred · « **Reply #54 on:** December 27, 2008, 11:13:30 PM »

Can someone please explain to me the importance and/or necessity of powder coating?

baconbits · « **Reply #55 on:** December 28, 2008, 12:01:59 AM »

Powder coating looks cool.. That being said I recently had my snow plow epoxy coated..holds up better..
Bacon

Sly Bob · « **Reply #56 on:** December 28, 2008, 12:14:02 AM »

Quote from: baconbits on December 28, 2008, 12:01:59 AM

Powder coating looks cool.. That being said I recently had my snow plow epoxy coated..holds up better..
Bacon

Yes it does, but on the practical side, the 7075 T6 aluminum is not as corrosion resistant as the 6061. It won't rust out but powder coating will protect it.

Deep-GXP · « **Reply #57 on:** January 05, 2009, 04:38:41 PM »

Over here in So. Cal. it was $2.90/lb

They sold me a piece that was 12inch by 48 inch which was 10lb for $29.00
BUT, they had to cut my piece out of a bigger piece so they charged $7.00 for 1 cut.
I know 12inch by 48 inch is too much but it was pretty much the same price as paying for another cut to make it 32"x12"

So in all, i paid $36.00 for my piece but in theory someone else might be able to get theres for around $30. All in all, i'd say anywhere around $40 is the going price.

Now i actually have to get it done

Lucy'sDaddy · « **Reply #58 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:59:54 PM »

Deep-GXP, is that 3/8" 6061-T6, 1/4" 7075-T6, or what is it?

Deep-GXP · « **Reply #59 on:** January 06, 2009, 10:48:17 PM »

Quote from: DeepBlueGXP on December 19, 2008, 11:23:17 PM

I used 6061 T6 Aluminum 3/16 thick, T6 is very hard and will not flex.

I bought exactly that kind ^^^^^^

Deep-GXP · « **Reply #60 on:** January 12, 2009, 09:35:22 PM »

Before i get down there and start taking off bolts some time later this week, i have a couple questions and maybe i can get some answers

Does any part of the Exhaust need to be taken off ? Does anything else need to be loosened in order for the brace to slide out ?? Did you drill extra holes into the brace or did you just leave it as a solid piece ?

Thank you.

Carlos

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #61 on:** January 12, 2009, 09:57:09 PM »

I drilled the same holes that are used to bolt it up. Depending on the exhaust you may have to take it apart. The Solo street race had a Y pipe that was in the way. The Magnaflow was no problem. I torqued the bolts to 35 ft lbs.

Deep-GXP · « **Reply #62 on:** January 19, 2009, 05:36:59 PM »

Just made a brace of my own....here are some pics.

Jacked up the back and used two 6 ton jacks

Took the 12 bolts out and this pic shows how the brace gets stuck on the GXP exhaust.

One of these suckers will help with getting one of the bolts out. All other 11 bolts had easy access. I dont mean this exact one, but a Swivel Socket will help you out with one of the bolts but it's not neccesarry.

Lubed it up with some WD-40 and pulled and twisted til i got this sucker out.
This is the Front-Driver side rubber holder thing.

This is the Back-Driver side rubber thing.

This is the Passenger side front rubber thing. I didnt have to remove the passenger side back rubber. After removing these 3, i was able to pull the exhaust down an extra 1/2 inch or so and i was able to slide the tunnel brace out.

Finally the sucker was out and i just HAD TO take a picture of me bending the stock tunnel brace

Trace, Cut, Drill, and Paint.

Stock brace (Left) and new brace (Right). My cut wasnt the straigthest or the cleanest but...... whatever

Trying to bend the new piece but it barely bends just a tiny tiny little bit and i could only hold it for like 2 seconds and im a decently strong guy.

The car definitely feels more stable and more in control. I still need to give it a good test drive to see how well it performs over stock.

Thank you DBG, this would never have happened without you

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #63 on:** January 19, 2009, 06:54:00 PM »

Good job, btw, nice color car !!!

Sly Bob · « **Reply #64 on:** January 19, 2009, 09:13:55 PM »

Nice post Deep-GXP! Now that I am back from holidays, I have to get on this. I found some 3/8" stock for $80 but 1/4" would save some weight and 3/8" might be a bit more than we would need anyway

Deep-GXP · « **Reply #65 on:** January 19, 2009, 09:25:03 PM »

Quote from: Sly Bob on January 19, 2009, 09:13:55 PM

Nice post Deep-GXP! Now that I am back from holidays, I have to get on this. I found some 3/8" stock for $80 but 1/4" would save some weight and 3/8" might be a bit more than we would need anyway

You should be able to get it cheaper? 3/16" 6061 T6 Aluminum did a great job. I picked up a 10lb piece for $29 + $7 for them to cut it for me (12" X 48" I believe, which was more than I needed). You should be looking to spend roughly $40 for the aluminum piece.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #66 on:** February 17, 2009, 02:00:09 PM »

Now that the weather is clearing up a bit here, I have jacked up the car, taken off the tunnel brace and found the 6061-T6 locally for $52.90 Canadian. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning and cut it out tomorrow afternoon.

Critterman · « **Reply #67 on:** February 17, 2009, 06:15:19 PM »

Quote from: Sly Bob on February 17, 2009, 02:00:09 PM

Now that the weather is clearing up a bit here, I have jacked up the car, taken off the tunnel brace and found the 6061-T6 locally for $52.90 Canadian. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning and cut it out tomorrow afternoon.

that's like 3.32 US right

Sly Bob · « **Reply #68 on:** February 17, 2009, 06:28:09 PM »

Quote from: Critterman on February 17, 2009, 06:15:19 PM

that's like 3.32 US right

That's about right...

Sly Bob · « **Reply #69 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:31:59 PM »

I cut the tunnel brace today and now I just have to get it powder coated. I wasn't going to bother with the powder coating but a local guy said that he would do it for $15 as long as I don't care what colour it is. Looks like it'll probably be gloss black. If I was going to paint it, I couldn't buy the paint for $15!

Joe suggested that I use oil, WD40 or some lubricant to prevent the saw from binding. I had no problem with the saw binding but without lubricant, at one time the saw blade plugged with aluminum and I had to stop and pick the aluminum off the teeth of the blade. A little WD40 prevented that from happening again. I used a 11 tooth per inch metal cutting blade on the saw and I still have the second blade of a two blade pack. Broke the first blade.

Sides were filed straight after cutting and smoothed with a flapper sanding wheel on my die grinder.

Thanks goes out to DDM for the idea and Joe for that old DIY spirit. When I get it powder coated, I will post another picture.

[attachment=2]

Deep-GXP · « **Reply #70 on:** February 18, 2009, 07:13:26 PM »

Quote from: Sly Bob on February 18, 2009, 05:31:59 PM

I cut the tunnel brace today and now I just have to get it powder coated. I wasn't going to bother with the powder coating but a local guy said that he would do it for $15 as long as I don't care what colour it is. Looks like it'll probably be gloss black. If I was going to paint it, I couldn't buy the paint for $15!

Joe suggested that I use oil, WD40 or some lubricant to prevent the saw from binding. I had no problem with the saw binding but without lubricant, at one time the saw blade plugged with aluminum and I had to stop and pick the aluminum off the teeth of the blade. A little WD40 prevented that from happening again. I used a 11 tooth per inch metal cutting blade on the saw and I still have the second blade of a two blade pack. Broke the first blade.

Sides were filed straight after cutting and smoothed with a flapper sanding wheel on my die grinder.

Thanks goes out to DDM for the idea and Joe for that old DIY spirit. When I get it powder coated, I will post another picture.

Wow man.....that came out clean !!!
Great Job!
10/10 ! Mine on the other hand was probably 2/10 lol but i figured it doesnt have to look pretty

Sly Bob · « **Reply #71 on:** February 18, 2009, 11:05:40 PM »

Quote from: Deep-GXP on February 18, 2009, 07:13:26 PM

Wow man.....that came out clean !!!
Great Job!
10/10 ! Mine on the other hand was probably 2/10 lol but i figured it doesnt have to look pretty

Thanks Man! Yeah it REALLY doesn't matter at all as no one's gonna see the darn thing anyway.

I don't know that I would say yours was a 2/10 but that post you made with the pictures was a 10/10.

An orbital sander with fine grit sandpaper really cleaned it up.

lil goat · « **Reply #72 on:** February 19, 2009, 02:14:09 AM »

Just a comment on thickness, I remember the rather ingenius test that DDM thought up, they would jack up the car from one side until the opposite side was off the ground and measure the difference in height of the 2 tires off the ground with different braces on the car. Stock then 1/4" and then 3/8" they did notice a difference with the thicker brace, there was less of a drop. How relevant is this I can't say, but there is a valid reason they sell a 1/4" and a 3/8". I tend to really throw my car around so I went with the thicker one, but I think a 1/4" sheet of good stiff cardboard would be better than stock.

baconbits · « **Reply #73 on:** February 19, 2009, 03:00:39 AM »

Try Kerosene as a cutting lubricant for aluminum..a trick an old Millwright showed me when I was an apprentice..
Bacon

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #74 on:** February 19, 2009, 09:14:22 AM »

Quote from: baconbits on February 19, 2009, 03:00:39 AM

Try Kerosene as a cutting lubricant for aluminum..a trick an old Millwright showed me when I was an apprentice..
Bacon

Why, so when it heats up you can use the flame as a light?

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Author Topic: DIY: Make your own tunnel brace (Read 71434 times)

lil goat