crossmember update (more pics..)

[treed2@u.washington.edu (T. Reed)]

It's finished!

Well, almost.. it's installed and I'm driving the car with it. All I have
left to do is drill two more holes and install the 2 bolts that are
supposed to keep the bar from changing length when the chassis flexes
around corners. (The primary function of the bar is to share the load of
the front motor mount with the front crossmember - the "stress bar"
aspect of it is completely secondary.)

So yeah, I was very busy this weekend with the drill press and angle
grinder--

Here are some pics of the installed bar (sorry about the quality.. these
were taken in the dark during a downpour while I was laying in a puddle)

http://students.washington.edu/~treed2/xmember4.jpg
http://students.washington.edu/~treed2/xmember5.jpg
http://students.washington.edu/~treed2/xmember6.jpg

It's not really visible but behind the motor mount there is a vertical
steel plate the connects the hollow square tube to the front mount.

So far, the design seems nice and solid. I can pull myself up on the bar
and it doesn't flex at all. I'm going to start driving the car hard again
and see if the cracks get any longer (hopefully not!!)

Anyway, it's possible that I could start making these as soon as my spring
break (after my last final, March 20). I will post some better pictures of
the setup after I get it cleaned up and painted, then I will see if anyone
is interested (in my particular design.. I'm well aware that there is
demand for the bars in general)

To the people that are interested - would you rather buy a (slightly
cheaper) unpainted bar and paint/powdercoat it yourself, or make me go
through the agonizing sanding and painting process (which I'm not
particularly skilled at) for an additional cost?

-Toby