Carbon Fiber question

mkgino · 12-14-2002, 07:22 PM

Is carbon fiber stronger than the metal on a normal car? I always heard that it is stronger than metal, anyone?

BMW_M52_M20 · 12-14-2002, 08:08 PM

Hmmmm, don't know, I don't think it is to be quite honest. I am not a carbon fiber fan. I love brushed aluminum!
J

mkgino · 12-14-2002, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jays_Arctic323is
Hmmmm, don't know, I don't think it is to be quite honest. I am not a carbon fiber fan. I love brushed aluminum!
J

Well I where I heard if from is from Top Gear when he was test driving the Ferrari F50, the entire body is carbon fiber, and he said its lighter and stronger than normal metal is. Reason is cause if I put a carbon fiber hood on my car (painted of course) I wouldnt want to do so if its not as safe.

BMW_M52_M20 · 12-14-2002, 08:16 PM

Yeah I have seen a few CF hoods around, it would certainly save you on weight.
J
Are you still buying that M body kit of daydream///m3? Bastard I wanted the front bumper, it was arctic silver!

LoL, just kidding.
J

**SickFinga** · 12-14-2002, 08:16 PM

The problem with carbon fiber if it brakes, you have to replace whole part.

BTW, i wouldn't paint it if I had a black car.

mkgino · 12-14-2002, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jays_Arctic323is
Yeah I have seen a few CF hoods around, it would certainly save you on weight.
J
Are you still buying that M body kit of daydream///m3? Bastard I wanted the front bumper, it was arctic silver!
LoL, just kidding.
J

You were gunning for the front bumper huh?? I gave him an offer he couldnt refuse, sorry man. There is another one in the for sale section though, artic silver too.

I was thinking of the CF hood for weight saving purposes and I would get it painted since I dont like how it looks, I like the stock look. But I just wanted to know if its as safe or even safer than the normal hood would be

Soldo · 12-15-2002, 04:36 PM

i'm pretty sure that carbon fibre IS NOT as strong as metal (NOT POSITIVE, just pretty sure), but what i do know is, that CARBON FIBRE is the STRONGEST material FOR ITS WEIGHT (weight being the KEYWORD!!!!)
so, it's still pretty safe, just look at all the cars that have it,
LAMBORGHINI's
F1 cars have it too, and look at the amount of accidents they get into, they're still pretty safe, so if i was you, i'd get it, cause remember, even if it is a BIT weaker (which it might NOT BE), you have a SOLID BMW under it anyway, it not like your one of those lil bastards in a CIVIC!!!

**SickFinga** · 12-15-2002, 05:26 PM

Body panels in F1 just doesn't work on race cars like o street cars. Race car is a shell covered with carbon fiber for aerodynamics, where on street cars fenders and hood has crumbling(sp?) zones so car acts like a pillow in the accident

dtthiaga · 12-15-2002, 06:02 PM

The metal hood is designed to bend up in an accident. It probably would protect projectiles from entering through the windshield.

My only concern would be how does the carbon fiber react in an accident. Does it break instantly... have some bend/give ???

However, I can't see the hood (metal) assisting too much in absorbing energy as it only has three fixed points to the car; two hinges and a lock which is bound to break in an accident.

Most of the safety is going to come from the fenders and structure underneath.

How much weight would you save with a Carbon Fiber Hood???

Soldo · 12-15-2002, 06:07 PM

well, if you go with the MA SHAW carbon fibre hood, it is weighed in at 13 lbs, and thats INCLUDING the braces, where as the stock hood weighs 41.5 lbs, so thats a difference of 28.5 lbs, but MKGINO, theres ONE THING i dislike about the CF hood, at least with the ones i saw, you loose the shocks on your hood, so you have to be like every other car!!

330DTM · 12-15-2002, 06:15 PM

Well here's my feeling.

A carbon fibre hood is probably similar to carbon fibre material used for racing. Just like the orthodics I have, it's made out of carbon fibre too

The only different I could see from street purposes to racing is maybe the way how they bonded the materials, but in most cases it should be the same method I think.

Anyways, it depends, if you crash at high impact, for sure it will probably crumble. It's so stiff that once when hit by impact, it just breaks into pieces to absorb the impact.
That's why metal bends when hit on impact, they can't break into pieces when hit on impact.

My gut feeling is that it's just as strong as metal if not maybe stronger. Otherwise if you wip a tennis ball to the C/F hood and it shatters, then dam, that's crappy stuff!

Bob bimmer · 12-15-2002, 08:52 PM

In the case of a head on collision the carbon fiber hood wouldn't do much better than the normal metal because it snaps, like it did on my cuz's Integra. I am not sure if its stronger but I doubt it because if you try to find carbon fiber doors its a lot harder because no one likes to sell them, due to the fact that in a side collision you would be pretty much screwed. So for the doors it's definitely not stronger and also in the hood, but I am not sure about the rest of the body, it may be for all I know.

330DTM · 12-15-2002, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob bimmer
In the case of a head on collision the carbon fiber hood wouldn't do much better than the normal metal because it snaps, like it did on my cuz's Integra. I am not sure if its stronger but I doubt it because if you try to find carbon fiber doors its a lot harder because no one likes to sell them, due to the fact that in a side collision you would be pretty much screwed. So for the doors it's definitely not stronger and also in the hood, but I am not sure about the rest of the body, it may be for all I know.

Hmm, ever notice how the WRC cars don't use carbon fibre doors or a hood? I think there's a reason behind that. They probably want to have those parts intact to the car even though after impact they bend and deform. Quite possible that they don't want to litter the roads/forests with carbon fibre bits and pieces, otherwise it'd be a hell to clean it up in the middle of a tight forest road

Bob bimmer · 12-15-2002, 11:27 PM

Yes that is one of the reasons they don't use carbon fiber doors or hoods in WRC, and I know that thanx. But this guy was asking about every day cars and how carbon fiber holds up, which in thoes cases its not very safe.