Building my own Kafer Cup brace.

[yetibone]

Hokay, I've sourced all the materials online to fab the bars out of hard aluminum pipe, and pieces to connect to the uprights out of 11mm ID aluminum pipe, and aluminum plate. I guess the ball-ends will be 1/2" stainless with a 3/8" hole. I'll make the chassis attach points myself.

I don't know the pipe measurements yet, or the actual size of the ball-end threads.


Yetibone

[boygenius]

When I get mine in three weeks I'll give you the measurements.

[yetibone]

Thanks man! That would help alot. What I really need to know is the dimensions of the rod ends, i.e. the thread pitch, and diameter.

The tools needed are a right hand tap, to thread one end on each bar, a left hand tap of the same size, to thread the other end on each of the three bars.

That's about $35 for the thread taps. $35 for the aluminum pipe (16', hopefully enuf for 2 sets), and $120 for 6 stainless steel rod ends.

I can get all the materials online, and and the tools locally.


Yetibone

[jhelgesen]

Glad I'm not the only "I'd rather build it than buy it" guy around here.

Yeti, if you want to share those dimensions on the brace, I'll be happy to make you a pretty set of plans to go with them.

[super vw]

Any updates? I myself am thinking of fabing one up, maybe a parts list (exact size..ect of materials and such) from you guys who have done this... just to make life easier

Thanks!
Jonathan

[boygenius]

Main tube length is approx. 24" and the secondary tubes are approx. 8-1/2".

The thread size was 22mm X 1.5mm.

The tubes were 30mm OD X 20mm ID.

Each of the ends have 2" of threads.

[super vw]

Originally Posted by boygenius

Main tube length is approx. 24" and the secondary tubes are approx. 8-1/2".

The thread size was 22mm X 1.5mm.

The tubes were 30mm OD X 20mm ID.

Nice.... so where did you get the tubes and the ends at? what ones should i be looking for?


Thanks!

[boygenius]

I got mine from power tuning parts in Germany. I don't know where you would get all parts for your brace. You might want to talk to your local machine shop. See if they have any scrap metal laying around.

[Rob]

Do you guys think you could also make it from square tubing ?
I've been thinking about the same thing, but without the adjustability.
So basicaly just bracing the 5 points that a Kafer cup brace is using.

Rob.

[judgie]

Originally Posted by Rob

Do you guys think you could also make it from square tubing ?
I've been thinking about the same thing, but without the adjustability.
So basicaly just bracing the 5 points that a Kafer cup brace is using.

Rob.

this just what i did but out of round tube and welded mine in.welded the main cross brace to the shock horns and then the rear faceing bars to the main tube then to the gear box cradle,but did not weld them to the cradle but made up some mounts so i can get the cradle out if i want.would not go this route with a swing axle car as you won't get the gear box out agian!
cheers rob

[yetibone]

Originally Posted by Rob

Do you guys think you could also make it from square tubing ?
I've been thinking about the same thing, but without the adjustability.
So basicaly just bracing the 5 points that a Kafer cup brace is using.

Rob.

The reason for the threaded ends is the ability to tighten everything, thus pre-tensioning the rear frame geometery which will eliminate the frame horns from flexing. Without this provision, the chassis will still flex, but will be limited by the welded in bracing.

Square tubing should work as well as round tubing.

[judgie]

Originally Posted by yetibone

The reason for the threaded ends is the ability to tighten everything, thus pre-tensioning the rear frame geometery which will eliminate the frame horns from flexing. Without this provision, the chassis will still flex, but will be limited by the welded in bracing.

Square tubing should work as well as round tubing.

hello mate
true one of the reasons for treaded ends is to put some tesion in to it but also to make up the production tolarance that always happens when building cars and braces.
cheers rob

[mattfaulkner]

Did any plans ever surface from this? I have to do a project for a welding class I'm in, so I thought I'd make a kafer cup brace. Anyway, if anyone can reverse engineer some plans from an existing brace, I'd be happy to make them one. I promise it will be nice, too. I know if you already have one, you're probably not in need of another one. However, maybe you could use it on a future project. It'd be sweet for the whole GL community to have some real plans for the DIY kafer brace anyway. Thanks guys!

Matt F.