will i need to brace this?

[BIGS]

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/2ltr/newnova017.jpg

As you can see in the pic above ive cut most of the slam panel out, now what i want to know is will it be strong enough like this or will it need bracing as in the pic below

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/DSC06452_640x480.jpg
Hope you dont mind me using your pic Dar.

And the rad isnt going in the front so it wont need nothing to hold that. and the rollcage im getting goes to the turrets if that makes any diffrence?

[Dave.]

tbh its better to be on the safe side and brace it, if your in a head on crash all youve got is the hollow bottom valance atm dude :thumb:

[BIGS]

Yea that is true but im just thinking if a bar and two bolts will make any diffrence like that.

[C14se]

its better to be on the safe side and brace it

[NovaLad]

He knows that he just doesn't know if 2 bolts holding it are going to be sufficient.

[black16v]

personally, i woudld use a nice bit of alloy and make it same width as the slam panel was and put a bend in it so it bents at the front to make the front look like it did before you cut it out but leave the back wit h the clearence,, a bend will give it more strength in the metal and personnall would have 4 bolts attatch it one in each corner mate.

[black16v]

heres a pic of what i mean , you need something like this
http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k405/white2i/ENGINE.jpg

[mviboi]

just buy a full cage with door bars the whole hog then thats the only way youre going to be safe. head on at 20 would be bad in the standard car

[jimbob-mcgrew]

regardless of safety id say brace it, atleast to stop the shell flexing under heavy driving. 4 bolts would make it more solid than 2, but dars hardcore.

[BIGS]

just buy a full cage with door bars the whole hog then thats the only way youre going to be safe. head on at 20 would be bad in the standard car
i will be getting a full cage, in fact this is the cage i will be getting

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/2ltr/1177925364.jpg

So will be more then safe. the main thing is that i dont want it to flex to much at the front if there was no sort of slam panel there if you get me

[Lee]

The slam panel is not structural. It makes no difference if its there or not. All the weight of the car is transfered backwards through the chassis legs.

[BIGS]

Cheers for the pic black16v but i dont think i would be able to have it that wide, as thats why i had to cut the slam panel out in the first place due to the manifold being to big. If you see the pics below you will see what i mean. so if i was to put a bar across i would only have room to put one bolt either end anyway

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/2ltr/newnova015.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/2ltr/newnova008.jpg

you can se in the next pics where it hit and bent the slam panel
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/bigs011-1.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/bigs008.jpg

[BIGS]

The slam panel is not structural. It makes no difference if its there or not. All the weight of the car is transfered backwards through the chassis legs.
Ah right so i could take it around combe without a bar and it will still handle fine then?

So did dar do his like that purly because of the grill to mount it?

[Lee]

We decided to make the slam panel removeable as it makes working on the engine a lot easier. You can either bolt the original back in or use a bar. We used a bar purely as its neater, but theyre only held in with a bolt each end on both cars :) As I said, the front of the car is not load bearing and will not flex wether theres a slam panel there or not.

[BIGS]

Ah thats ideal cheers Lee, thats one less thing to do now and maybe i will catch you lot on the track next year if i can hurry up lol

[Dar]

Hope you dont mind me using your pic Dar.


Not at all :D

[jimbob-mcgrew]

sorry but i refuse to believe it, are u guys ALL saying that the stress going through the suspension turrents and the front tie bar mounts has no effect on the surrounding frame, the nova chassis cant be that strong. i can see a bolted bar beeing acceptable as it will send force down it to the other side, but without a slam panel entirely, there must be some flex there, i would have thought enough flex to promote rusting, especially with a growling 2.0 16 lunging back and forth screaming "TO ISENGARD WE RIIIIDE"

[Adam]

The slam panels only function is to hold the bonnet down/headlamps in.

[black16v]

what you want is a bit of angle mate that goes over front and top and leaves cleareance at back, as a bar on its own wont be very strong will bend easily but angle is strong and could make anything bolt with 2 bolts at either end, just weld a plate on the end to spread the load out.

[Dod]

I dont think it will need to be braced. The Cage welds up to the strut top mounts so thats all the strength you'd need. You might want to put something across it to attatch your grill to though.

[BIGS]

tbh i dont think i will need anything for that as its all moulded into one as you can see

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/b17ova/2ltr/mywidearchkit003.jpg

[BIGS]

And i would just like to thank everyone that replyed, thanks :)