christurismohk

iTrader: (2)

What is the smallest lip avaible out there now except the stock (if some of you consider that as a lip)? I was wondering....if a lip is Carbon fiber..does that mean it WILL not crack???

shaneotool

Veilside has one of the smallest lips.

I thought carbon fiber was supposed to be strong, but it looks like it cracks almost as easy as fiberglass.

Traffic

Hasemi and Central20 have very low-profile front lips. Check www.streetsports.com

The Veilside is pretty small too.

reen

When carbon fiber structures are made properly, they are extremely strong and lightweight.

THE KEY IS IN THE PROCESS.

A proper carbon fiber composite piece is processed using elevated temperature, the proper level of evenly-distributed surface pressure, and vacuum for the evacuation of volatiles and excess resin.

The vast majority of products available in the automotive aftermarket are not made this way. The reason is that it is very expensive to make a carbon fiber structure properly, and this would price a product out of the market.

Most stuff you see out there is dry carbon fiber cloth laid into a mold and then wetted out with polyester resin and allowed to cure. If you're lucky it's been vacuum bagged to remove the excess resin. This is how fiberglass has largely been processed for decades.

In addition, almost everything I've seen on the market is actually made of fiberglass with a layer of carbon fiber on the outside to give it "the look".

These crappy peices crack and fail, and lead people to say things like "I thought carbon fiber was supposed to be strong, but it looks like it cracks almost as easy as fiberglass". This could get me off on another tangent, because fiberglass can be used to make extremely strong, resilient, lightweight structures as well (think Corvette leaf springs and a gazillion other things). Again, the key is in the process.

Anyway, in most cases it's a moot point because most people just want the look of carbon fiber and don't really care about function. They want the look of function. The look of a race car.

For example, the 350Z has a very nice aluminum hood. You'd be hard pressed to make a carbon fiber replacement that was stronger and lighter at a price that would make it economically viable. However, half the posts here are from people looking for whatever carbon fiber hoods they can find under the assumption that the magic carbon fiber makes it better.

Published weights for carbon fiber pieces are as hard to come by as dual exhaust dyno sheets. The reasons are the same.

I'm sure some fine purveyors of carbon fiber products will post replies extolling the virtues of their product. Many more are afraid to. Let's see the numbers -- I'd love to be proved wrong.

1200tt

let's not forget carbon fiber honeycomb. This method is used in racecars, and people don't seem to understand the fact that Carbon Fiber will shatter no matter what.

Speaking which, Veilside does have a true dry carbon hood for the Skyline and Supra. Both weighting 3lbs, but priced at $4,000.00

ares

iTrader: (2)

I dont care how good it is, if you drive it into a curb its sure as hell not gonna hold up to 3000lbs pushingit into an immovable object.

plastic will bend and return to its original shape, sometime getting creases depends on the bend. metal will bend and stay that way. any form of fiber, carbon or glass will crack.

fiber will not dent like metal. plastic is the most resistant material IMO simply because it doesnt try to stand up to the impact, thats impossible, instead it gives but doesnt break(depending how hard its hit, it can crack eventually). not as light as the others tho.

reen

It's all about trades.

The plastic trades light weight for resiliency.

The composites offer the lightest potential weight (as well as strength-to-weight ratio) at the expense of impact resistance.

datspeed77

iTrader: (1)

Check out these VERTEX Kits from Japan.
I have six full body kits in stock. PM me if you're interested.

insaneamine

iTrader: (1)

Great post!