DSE Sway bar ends,how to lighten them a bit?
 

Has anyone drilled holes or machined slots etc on DSE / Speedway hollow bar ends? Can they take it? I think these heady duty arms really kill the beauty of hollow bar.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...i/DSC09314.jpg

would you be doing it for weight or looks?

I would not drill holes but you can machine a patterned relief into them. OR paint them flat black and get nice rims, you'll never notice them.

Vince i am looking both. Better looks and smaller weight. They are really heavy. I wonder why DSE didnt go with high strengt aluminium on these.

I forget the holes and try to machine small reliefs on them.

Bending the aluminum arms is a pain, and keeping them in one piece is even more of a pain.

It looks like we use the same arms as DSE, and my biggest complaint about those is also the weight. 3/4" thick is way too much for our application, and flycutting them down to, say, 5/8" would really increase cost. Making our own is an option, but the 1-1/4"-48 spline broach isn't cheap.

In my opinion, you can do what you are asking. It's easy for me to say because I have FEA software to help out, but you have the section height working for you. The stress on those arms isn't terribly high, just think how a conventional 1-1/8" hollow bar holds up under similar stresses.

PM me and I'll see if I can get you some idea of what needs to be done. Time is tight for me, but I think I can help.

Matt thank you for the professional input :cheers: You PM:cool:

Pickup the phone and call DSE ask them what they think about your idea.I use the same splined arm w/ my sway bar setup.I thought about drilling holes but that adds to the cost of the unit.And everybody is looking to save a few bucks in these times. So I leave it to the end buyer.

I read a story way back in CIRCLE TRACK Magazine that the aluminum arms are not good on a heavy car. The DSE arms have a lot of curve to the side in them and weakening them could allow them to twist more easily. You could probably cut some relief's or small holes, but I'd be conservative.
David

Remember these?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...i/DSC09314.jpg


Guess,how much these weight?

Too much.. 1.85 kilos / 1855 grams :faint:

Luckly I took this up at here, and Matt offered me help :cheers:

Matt is a real gentleman to deal with and he gave me his technical opinion on how and from where to lighten these without compromising safety.

Holes were machined in accordance with Matts suggestions.


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...i/DSC09508.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...i/DSC09511.jpg


After that , two coats of flat black powder coating

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...i/DSC09528.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...i/DSC09525.jpg


Sorry for the crappy pics but my camera needs service asap. Anyway, now they look like DSE parts are supposed to look ;)

And then the weight, over 200 grams less!!! 1650 grams!! That is way more than I wished for. Thank you Matt for help - beers are on me, hope in this years Sema :cheers:

I hope you wiped off the residue from your scales before you measured...LOL

Wow, those turned out great!