Rival Autosport Engine Damper Kit

[inuvik]

Appreciate the amount of time and energy you've put into this.

[Littlestan]

We're just brainstorming here to try and help you come out with a product that everyone enjoys and is compatible with other products out there. Not questioning your experience or skill in designing.

I have a background in aircraft structural engineering where the name of the game is 'make it as light and compact as possible yet be within a wide margin of safety while being structurally sound'. Seeing as the major forces being applied to the bracket arm are compressive in nature and not torsional or bending, I don't see how 1/8" nickel alloy wouldn't work with a second attachment point and the brunt of the force being taken up by the absorber. I'm guessing you already know this due to the long support for the arm being designed the way it is and no support brackets from above or below.

Assuming a redesign is inevitable due to the realization that the UR bar isn't compatible, I have access to a fully equipped metal shop with a programmable 2d plasma cutter table. I can whip a few base circle brackets up in various thicknesses (1/8" and 3/16") and weld up a less pretty but functionally sound copy of your current bracket, but I'd need a few quick measurements of the 'jog' height where the arm is welded to the current attachment point and how far the arm comes out to meet the absorber end. It won't be in nickel alloy, just mild steel. Should be able to get it done up and shipped out to you by the end of the week, time allowing. Free of course. Let me know!

Could someone with a UR strut tower bar take a second to measure the available amount of thread currently sticking out? This will tell us how much we have to play with.

I want the shaking to end, dammit!

[inuvik]

What about designing a strut brace bar with a base plate that covers both strut bolts but has a tab with a bolt hole to mount the engine damper kit to? You would then have two products for sale. Strut brace bar stand alone or a combo kit with both.

[Littlestan]

What about designing a strut brace bar with a base plate that covers both strut bolts but has a tab with a bolt hole to mount the engine damper kit to? You would then have two products for sale. Strut brace bar stand alone or a combo kit with both.

This would be awesome! Strut bars are simplistic to design, so it wouldn't be that much more of a stretch to incorporate.

[Rival Autosport]

Sorry for being snappy guys. I got out of line. It's no one's fault other than mine that there are foreseeable shortcomings with the kit .

Littlestan: The reason I say torsional is because the plane that the damper sits on and the rocking motion (from the passenger side it rotates counter clockwise from 11:00 to 10:00) of the motor also technically apply an upwards bending force on the bracket since the motor mount the lower bracket attaches to the front-right of the motor, which I've seen when the damper bracket kicks upwards when not fully tightened down. I may take you up on your offer, but I think I may be moving the mounting altogether to clear any and all issues.

inuvik: The purpose behind these parts is to be able to be used independant of other parts, so no one has to worry about whether they can use Part B from Tom or not because they already have Part A from Bill or Steve instead of Tom. It would be nice to be able to do that, but other companies already make strut tower bars for the Mirage and to make the damper kit to suit one bar or another is not logical. It cuts down the number of people who can take advantage of the kit in question. No one wants to be put in that position.

[Rival Autosport]

So, sorry to say to all of those expecting a kit, but the group buy is off until things can be sorted out and the Mirage community as a whole can rally behind a design. There is no point in trying to press forward for a kit that no one wants. Anyways, the factory that sold me the dampers got the order wrong and sent me the wrong size of damper, which is twice the size of any type that would be useable for our engine compartments. just have to swallow the losses and move on.

Otherwise, IF you still want the old kit, something can be arranged.

[Daox]

Doh, that stinks. Sorry to hear of the setbacks.

[roosterk0031]

Go ahead and use both bolts and provide a stud to attach the brace to just in front of the existing bolt.