Quote:
Originally Posted by switchlanez
But how would they know to apply it in the first place? Perhaps the proof of concept has been proven over and over again/immortalized within structural/automotive engineering circles. No need to reinvent the wheel. To be thorough, the OEM may have used a strain gauge to validate the decision. Or not, because that might be like doing integral calculus then taking the derivative of your answer to prove it (an academic exercise).
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Oh, they absolutely do. It's called the pedigree of the analysis tools, and it's a big thing. You've got a nice pretty computer simulation, but that's all it is - a simulation. Who knows if it's correct or not? Only way is to run the simulation, make the design, test it with strain gauges, see if it matches the model, then refine the model. It's an iterative process. Your computer model isn't worth a fart in the wind if it doesn't have a pedigree. I'm sure Subaru has a nice model that is refined from years of development and testing, and it's worth a lot of money to them. You can bet the computer code for that model is as closely guarded of a secret as Coke's secret formula.
And frankly, that's why I'd be worried about a chassis brace developed by an aftermarket company solely using computer analysis tools. They don't have Subaru's chassis models, they don't know what all the loads are or what the chassis is doing. It'd be a huge task just to develop a functioning computer model of the BRZ chassis, and that's without even seeing if it's accurate. (Note: I'm referring to determining the locations where braces are needed, not for the analysis of how the braces themselves are constructed, that should be easy). Simple tests like before-and-after laps, or using a strain gauge or another test method to look for chassis flex (like leaving one end unbolted and seeing if it stays lined up) is probably the best you're going to get, and a refund if you don't like it seems pretty reasonable to me.
I guess at the end of the day, I'm mostly just skeptical that Subaru, who went out with the intent of making a great handling car, and had the analysis tools, test equipment, and manufacturing capabilities to do whatever they wanted to, would miss any "easy" spots to add a brace and get a big handling improvement for a small weight impact, but who knows how rushed they were, or how worried they were about weight, or whether they were trying to reduce costs.