Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:33:30 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Bumper types
In-Reply-To: <479B6513.8030500@gwtc.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I'll offer this and try not to make it too long or rambling-
1. Having either end be a good battering ram is only one small part of
the picture.
.......it wont' do you any good in a roll over for example
2...............Won't do you any good getting hit from the side, which is
THE worst crash scenario, or even on a 45, which is the most common one.
3. you might even LOOSE crumble-ability in a crash. Crash engineers might
cringe a at the notion of you changing their very carefully calculated
crumple zones craftily designed to spread crash loads out and dissipate
them. Putting a battering ram on one end defeats that, if there's a huge
hit there - Too solid, and it transfers the crash load directly to the
occupants. So it's not 'safer' , depending of course 'for what.' And in
what type of crash. Low speed, sure, high speed.........you want
crumple-ability in the body of the vehicle, it's designed intentionally that
way.
4. when you add mass at the ends of the vehicle, you increase polar moment
of inertia, which means it can't change directions quite as easily, and
handling wise, it's more weight, in the wrong place, for the shocks and
suspension to control. If you must add weight, make towards the middle, and
down low.
Enuf for now. I say, try to keep the weight down, and the battering ram
affect is only good in some aspects, not in all aspects.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Jeffrey Olson
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 8:52 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Bumper types
This is a really nice bumper - one like it runs $400 on vendor sites. I
put a 2" x 6" on the bumper mounts on my first bus, a 66 camper. I
couldn't tow anything of course, but it took bumps up to three or four
miles an hour. I'm wondering if Schedule 40 steel pipe is necessary for
an effective bumper not intended for towing? Maybe it's the look of
nicely welded black painted steel. I don't know. I look at my stock
bumper and know I'll replace it eventually, but I'm wondering what the
options are. My imagination is not working overtime this morning...
Jeff Olson
Martin, SD
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> David Wilhite
> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 7:43 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: My Recently Fabricated Rear Bumper
>
> Guys,
>
> I wanted to get these pics out to show a rear bumper I just recently
> made with the help of a friend.
>
> Hopefully, the links below will work.
>
> I think the pictures are pretty self-explanatory as far as how it's put
> together. I will tell you that it's made with two tubes of 2" sch 40
> steel pipe and the part that goes in the frame is 20" long and uses a
> total of 6 bolts to hold it in place.
>
> I plan on adding elbows for wrap around and possibly a diamond tread
> step plate across the top later.
>
> My main concern is that if someone hits me now, It will rip out the
> frame from underneath the van.
>
> David Wilhite
> 84' Vanagon Westy
> Middle TN
>
> Back View
> http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dqvmg42_10fqws73f4
>
> Right View
> http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dqvmg42_14hhjph8vp
>
> Left Side
> http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dqvmg42_12c3tjcq7s
>
>
>
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