What kinds of forces is the instalation of wonder bar ment to counter?
Compression or tention, help keep that part of the body parrell to it's self?
Shearing forces, the ends are bolted in place and the bar keeps them from moving past each other?
Other weard forces like lifting or tilting?
I was just trying to figure out what it has to do so I can pick materals to make it out of. I have a real nice peice of Grade 9, 32.8'' long .87'' diameter .95 wall peace of Titanium. The best thing about it is that it only weighs about 460 grams.

 

besides connecting the two frame rails it's meant to eliminate the frame cracking problems common to the thirdgen f bodys from what i understand

 

Based on what I recall of the cross section and length, it's probably primarily a two-force member, especially the stock piece. The global west piece I have is about 1" in diameter and mid-grade steel. There will be some moment capacity but I'd wager you'll be fine with the piece you have. You can always do a shear and moment diagram for each piece and compare if you want to get crazy.

Not sure about other weard forces. In my day it was primarily tension, compression, shear and moment.

 

It looks like with the after market one that they are made to resist shearing forces, the frame rails moving forwards or backwards. By the way they have flat metal welded up the sides.
I think I could make one out of Titanium that weighs a little more than 2lbs. The bar it's self is just at 1lb. If I made one out if steel it would weigh about 5 to 8 lb's. If I had a piece of common cold rolled .87'' dia .95'' wall thick mild steel I could tie it in a knot, so I would have to get thicker stuff. Not this grade 9 stuff it's real stiff and springy.

 

pic
I think this is some one from this bords car.

 

The Steering Box Support (AKA Wonder Bar) was installed by GM to eliminate the stresses put on steering box by the then new 16 x 8 wheels & 245/16 tires on the IROC-Z. Thats all it is a suport for the steering box. Not some super duper supension upgrade requiring exotic materials and advanced Strength of Material calulations.

 

oil pan-Actually the brace is intended to prevent the steering box from fracturing the frame member it's mounted to. Like DJP said it helps the frame and mounts handle the additional stresses larger tires place on the members primarily during low and no-speed turns of the front wheels. In this respect it behaves like a two-force member-resisting tension and compression only. It is unlikely to provide much resistance to the frame rails moving forwards and backwards. The mounts don't provide much of a moment arm and that's not its purpose.

DJP-I hope you realize my earlier reply was tongue-in-cheek, it's really been too long for me to break out the old materials text at this point.

 

Naf, I just get tied of people thinking this simple part is the 8th wonder of the world for supension parts on 3rd gen car. They have NO idea why its there.

 

DJP, naf was simply answering the question in the original post; from what I understand, oil pan asked what forces wonderbars are subjected to because he wants to put together his own. Also, no one stated that the wonderbar was the 8th wonder of the world..

 

Have to agree with you to some extent. No one should notice a difference after installing a wonderbar. They're designed to prevent problems with the box/frame. If you notice a difference you've got more problems than the wonderbar can fix.

Still a recommended mod though.

 

I don't think the wonder bar is the ultimate suspention mod, that's the WS6 sway bars job .
With the stories of cracks around the stearing box I'll trailer the car to the car wash so I can clean it and check for the cracks before I drop the engine in but after I take out the K-member.
I was asking around becasue I want to under stand it before I make one, so I can make a good one and keep it light.
The wonder bar dosen't realy help handling, but do I need it? Yes, but I'm keeping it light.
This is for the V6, the theam for my V6 is great handling, light and fast. I'll get eather 16'' or 17'' wheels for the V6. Most likely 17's only because they are shown to help handeling the most.
I want to get into auto x and stuff when I go state side.
The Z28 is going to be shear power, I don't have any plains for Titanium parts other than some of the valve train parts.
I have been looking at other pics of peoples sway bars and I can see where the bushing has been rubbing on the sway bar from compression and tentioning forces. You can see where the bushing and grease have been rubbing around where they shouldn't be. In those pictures there was no wonder bar.

 

wonderbar almost looks like a secondary sway bar cept it doesnt go to the spindles. anybody have any autocad drawings of these.

 

Why it is just a bar, it is used like a strut tower brace, except it connects the front frame rails together. It acts as a tension, compression, and shear member. It is unlikely there is any moment acting on the bar if there is it is very small.

It is highly recommended to have one, and it does help with handling.

I built my own out of 1.25" mild steel bar and some 3/16" plates, i can't remember how thick the tubing was but not much. Since the bar acts mainly in the longitudinal direction it doesn't have to be beefy.

 

It will be a light weight.

 

I sure wouldn't waste titanium on it though, build something you can see or something that needs more strength.

Don't do it man, don't do it, put the titanium down.

 

Yeah, how bout a titanium strut tower brace? That would be trick and visible.

 

I got my torque arm, hahaha!
I would love to make a Ti strut tower brace.
Let me see, I got a wonder bar shiped over here for $62. I could make a Ti wonder bar for just about that much $$.
Only problem is I bought up the last surplus supplys of .87'' wide .95'' wall grade 9 Ti.

 

Ti STB would be crazy cool! I like it!

 

And oil pan's already ordered a steel wonderbar.

Oil Pan: Keep us posted on your fab projects.

 

Titanium stock, camaro parts and so on are slowly accumulating over here. Welding season is more or less over but I think I will do more welding in a box.
It is getting cold here and the wind blows hard all the time.

 

I do. I hope you'll understand if I don't choose to share it though.

Lon

 

no i dont understand

 

LoL, took you that long to come up with that reply... J/K

I want to see pics once things get underway.

 

he sells them. TDS, the company... If he gave you the drawing, then you could make your own, and he wouldn't get the profit. He does have to pay someone to make the drawing, so that's only fair.

 

oil pan, you're a crazy dude, ti this, ti that. It's like me buying the lightest helmet at a drag strip . All the effort for nothing measurable... but heck, ti is just SO cool. I admire what you're doing.
To answer your question, it all depends on how you fasten the bar to the frame rails. It see's a LOT of forces and every one is important in helping stiffen the car. The frame rails do a bunch of things depending on what the car is doing. For one thing, they move in and out on hard turning, this motion is a compression. In the same instance the frame rails are actually TWISTING in all directions putting moments on the bar. They're very small but only 1/2" movement at that part of the frame rail is a LOT more displacement at other parts like the bumper. I'd say there's every force imaginable on the bar. The same thing goes for STBs. Build it so that you put as many forces on it as possible. The 2 bolt designs only work in compression and tension, they don't strengthen as well as if you bolted the bar down and put the brace into bending.

 

Well I have a 12''X9" (I think it is) .125'' plate of grade 5 titanium and a 1" wide .110'' wall 3ft tube back home in maine that I will be brining back here in about 6 weeks. Then I will make it. I also have a .95''wide .87'' wall tube I could make another one from.
I have plenty of .125'' plate not enough tubes.
That Titainium has been sitting at home for ever and I need to go get it.
My mom got tired of shipping junk over to me, so I gave her a break form it.

 

You Know whats sad tds prob only has about 10 dollars of steal involved with the wonderbar and they sell it for 50 dollars. Of coarse the welding and pc cost But I see them making at least a 50 % profit on those suckers. Because they prob send quite a few to pc and welders and get a good price or do it inhouse. Oh well when you have the right stuff to make them its easy.

 

I love this thred, it just keeps coming back.

 

What's your point? It's called a business. You think he's supposed to give them away or something?