So I got Solidworks 2012 a few days ago and have been playing around with it non-stop, it's too cool! If you have the means, I highly recommend picking it up!

I made a couple objects, modified shift plate, custom T56 shift ****, 2-part wheel face (work-in-progress) but I'm really not sure what else to make now! I'm still pretty new to it, but I figure if anyone wants some fairly basic kind of custom parts modeled (emblems, shift *****, etc.) let me know and I'll try my best to design it for ya!

-Jack

 

I'm actually at SolidWorks World 2013 in Orlando right now :-)

I'm a Mechanical Design Engineer for a living, and SolidWorks is my preferred platform. I have never actually used it to design parts for my car, ironically....

 

how about a k member? a arms... trans mount. maybe even the t56 or 4L60,6l80 trans

 

Thats a little beyond just learning. The A-arms and K-member are something you want a pro designing.

 

What is it 4 or 6 bolts that hold it? Then then bend in it for the oil pan. I guess it would be a little trouble to get the angles just right so the engine mounts are in the right spot but any first year engineering student should be able to do that. I don't have any CAD software, well not anything like solid edge or pro e but I would take my stock k member and give all the geometry of it.

.oO I wonder if I could talk some one in to running one on a cmm

 

Its not just the attachment points, but the actual stresses on the K-member itself. If its weak and breaks your car is in a world of hurt. And considering that its more likely to fail on bumps on on hard cornering/acceleration/braking the chassis will likely be off balance when it fails.

 

^ its not hard to do an FEA analysis in solidworks to validate your design, and you can do some hand calculations to double check the big stuff. We do it all the time, you just have to make sure the applied loads are correct (same as what the car will actually apply to the part plus your preferred factor of safety)

it would be cool if you could do a .dwg for a lower control arm relocation bracket like spohn sells. You'd have to solve for the arc pattern from the LCA but everything else you should be able to measure right off your car

 

but, cut the stock k member open and see what is made of. really theres not much to it.

how about this, we apply a static load to the k member and solver for zero. but who really cares about a little algebra?

all the after market k members are just .093" nor .135" wall tubing. the stock one is much thiner wall then that. just get the geometry right and it will all be gravy.

 

IF you run it on a cmm, pass along the data, and after a couple more weeks, Ill draw one up, Solid works gives you the tensile strength of the material.. and alot of other stuff I havent clicked yet.. We have 2 cmm's at work, but i havent ran one. they keep me under the hood "welder". Should be simular to a ABB robot. Yeah material Thickness is just part of the (A+C=X). They Build BMW's around here, and Ive built stuff for their floor pans. Those folds that are pressed into the panel, and multiple panels do add up strength. However, Ive made repairs to trailers that had to stand up to Cranes at a Scrap yard. Yeah they broke it anyway, but were talkin apples an oranges. Going to start some Aluminum Subframes soon.. Aluminum K member, IDK about that one..

 

Most engineers make stuff look good on paper, but what they put down on paper (or have the drafter draw it) and the way they want to go about it, an what actually has to be done are usualy two differant things.

Where do you find these so called "pros"?


M.Engineer quote "what do you think"

 

I can testify to what he is saying... Engineers are great at coming up with concepts and proofing them, but in my experience as a designer / drafter, we often have to remodel what they come up with for several reasons. Number one would be that their models frequently are not built in such a way as to be parametrics friendly, they tend to stack correction on correction adding features to the model as they go, rather than go back and edit original features and dims to refine the model. This makes a non-CAM freindly, non-drawing friendly mess. Second, is that they often 'fudge' dimensions at the drawing level. Most of my day is spent redrawing/remodeling.

 

Same goes for flow simulation. You can design a TB, plenum, intake, etc and check your flow rate, check velocities and turb etc. You can even check to see how well your fuel will atomize. Flow sim is pretty wicked. We did a smoke test here with a chem hood, and the flow sim matched the patterns almost to a T. It was pretty impressive.