carbon fiber
10-07-2010, 02:58 PM
#1
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carbon fiber
Ok. I've heard some talk about carbon fiber. I know this may seem like a dumb question but I don't know any better. Is carbon fiber really as strong/ stronger than the stock metal our cars come with and SUBSTANTIALLY lighter?
10-07-2010, 04:38 PM
#4
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teej281 is kinda right.... Carbon fiber is much stronger than steel pound for pound, but in a situation where material thickness matters carbon fiber is not as strong as steel or aluminum, which is also stronger than steel pound for pound comparison.
And Kong carbon fiber does not bend well at all, when it reaches its breaking point it basicly shatters and can somewhat be dangerously sharp.
Carbon fiber makes an excellent weight savings comparison when the full strength of something is not needed. Example anything non structural steel(body panels, trim, ) carbon fiber is an excellent replacement for weight savings, the downside to Carbon Fiber is it is expensive, and cannot be repaired easily.
And Kong carbon fiber does not bend well at all, when it reaches its breaking point it basicly shatters and can somewhat be dangerously sharp.
Carbon fiber makes an excellent weight savings comparison when the full strength of something is not needed. Example anything non structural steel(body panels, trim, ) carbon fiber is an excellent replacement for weight savings, the downside to Carbon Fiber is it is expensive, and cannot be repaired easily.
10-07-2010, 08:19 PM
#8
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I'm going to have to disagree with you guys. I used to be into r/c car speed runs, and anyone that had a carbon fiber chassis would crash it over 100mph. At the 2009 rc sped runs a car went about 150 into the wall and was still drivable and it had a cf chassis. Where as I crashed mine at 100 with a chassis 1mm thicker made out of aluminum and it got bent and wasn't drivable afterwards.(would have gone alot faster if I hadn't lost control from an axle breaking) Carbon fibber is more superior in any way, let it be weight, flexibility, tensil strength.
10-07-2010, 09:05 PM
#9
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I'm going to have to disagree with you guys. I used to be into r/c car speed runs, and anyone that had a carbon fiber chassis would crash it over 100mph. At the 2009 rc sped runs a car went about 150 into the wall and was still drivable and it had a cf chassis. Where as I crashed mine at 100 with a chassis 1mm thicker made out of aluminum and it got bent and wasn't drivable afterwards.(would have gone alot faster if I hadn't lost control from an axle breaking) Carbon fibber is more superior in any way, let it be weight, flexibility, tensil strength.
i'm pretty sure if you made a car out of carbon fiber and hit a wall at 100mph, it would shatter into a million pieces. the advantage to having metal framework is it IS able to bend, this is why there are crumple zones and things like that designed into the chassis of the car. if your chassis cannot bend and crumple, it offers almost nothing to "reduce" the impact of the crash. think about it... i'm no expert but thats what common sense tells me. having a car that is completely rigid and unable to bend is bad as far as safety is concerned.
10-09-2010, 08:22 AM
#10
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your talking the difference between a three pound car with almost no inertia behind it going into a wall, versus a three THOUSAND pound car.
i'm pretty sure if you made a car out of carbon fiber and hit a wall at 100mph, it would shatter into a million pieces. the advantage to having metal framework is it IS able to bend, this is why there are crumple zones and things like that designed into the chassis of the car. if your chassis cannot bend and crumple, it offers almost nothing to "reduce" the impact of the crash. think about it... i'm no expert but thats what common sense tells me. having a car that is completely rigid and unable to bend is bad as far as safety is concerned.
i'm pretty sure if you made a car out of carbon fiber and hit a wall at 100mph, it would shatter into a million pieces. the advantage to having metal framework is it IS able to bend, this is why there are crumple zones and things like that designed into the chassis of the car. if your chassis cannot bend and crumple, it offers almost nothing to "reduce" the impact of the crash. think about it... i'm no expert but thats what common sense tells me. having a car that is completely rigid and unable to bend is bad as far as safety is concerned.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-e...il-crisis1.htm