03-23-2012, 10:38 AM
I thought it was time to say "thank you" to the community in a tangible way they could appreciate, and offer a sale on what has been one of the most popular items I make. But first, I'd like to tell the tale of how I got there and why. I apologize in advance because it’s really long and detailed, but so is the design process.
A lot of work goes into the design of what might seem like even the simplest of parts, and it dawned on me that perhaps not everybody understood all of what is involved. I thought I would take the time to illustrate just how much it takes to bring something to market.
Market potential is a huge concern, and there are so many factors involved, that you are almost better off just flipping a coin to see if it's worth it or not. If turned over to an MBA school as a case study, this business model would be a "what not to do" exercise. Clearly anybody who develops anything for this car is in it for the love of the car and for the community. The market is truly thin, and the risk of failing at cost recovery is very high. This isn't a ploy to gain sympathy or praise, or to whine about anything, nor is it an attempt to compare this product to any other. It's merely to take you on a journey and lead you through the process, so you might understand why some things are the way they are.
Many factors are considered before finalizing a design. Things like variances between cars, materials suitability, stresses, load application, weather resistance, contaminant resistance, physical damage potential, cost, manufacturing process, and installation method, are just some of them. As an example of what is involved in the process, from inception to market, the Design 1 Racing Lower Suspension Brace underwent a number of revisions before finally ending up with the superior design it now is.
Back in early 2005, I saw the Brey Krause unit, and liked it. The machining was a thing of beauty, and clearly it resolved a problem in the car's design. Having already had 6 alignments in 3 years at that point, the thought of having to have another one, because the unit could not be installed without moving the Caster Blocks, just made me cringe. It was time to put all those years of engineering and design experience to work.
It was very clear that the Caster Blocks take a beating in the 968 suspension and that bracing was needed to obtain the best handling possible from the car. Some quick testing showed that the lower suspension mounting points moved as much as 1/4" under load, resulting in camber change that cost speed in the corners.
Immediately I thought about simplifying the design, yet still accommodating variances between cars, ensuring that there was no preloading of the Caster Block Retention Bolts, providing the rigidity I was looking for, all while keeping in mind that a brace is only as strong as its weakest component, so some real care had to be taken in the design.
Breaking the connection between the 2 Caster Block retention bolts allowed for installation without actually disconnecting the Caster Block from the car, thereby eliminating the need for an alignment. This would be a huge benefit for the DIY mechanic, enabling installation with confidence. Cool! Step 1 complete!
Given the nature of the "hand built" 968, the differences even within the same model year meant that one size does not always fit all. A simple Heim Joint and reverse threaded rod would create the stiffness I was looking for, and allow for variance between cars, so as to eliminate any preloading or slack. Cool! Step 2 handled.
It didn't end there. I also had to consider how the Caster Blocks were mounted, and the nuts welded to the frame. With some cars having their frames welded up to fix ripped out nuts, it told me that I had to be extremely careful about any chance of side-loading of the bolts. The OEM Caster Blocks have very wide tolerances to accommodate the loose tolerance of the installation of the welded nuts in the frame of the car. That meant that anything I added had to also accommodate that tolerance. Anything that applied pre-load to the Caster Block bolts could ultimately cause failure of the OEM mounting points and why the installation instructions for the brace are very clear about not applying pre-load, and only adjusting the center link so as to take up slack.
I considered a "2 piece" design but the holes needed to be so oversized in order to accommodate the tolerance variance of the car that they would allow too much potential for slippage under impact loads, like on a bumpy road. If I didn't make them that big, then the opportunity for pre-loading arose again, putting me back to a potentially ugly failure situation. I was also going to have to make the bracket so thick in order to prevent bending or twisting that it became an undesirable idea.
Instead, I chose a 3 piece bracket design, all of 3/16" thick steel, as 1/8" was too thin to handle torsional loading, and consisting of 2 "L" brackets and a strap connecting them. This made for simple installation, and built in smaller tolerances in each of the smaller holes, which then could accumulate, if needed, to allow for the loose OEM tolerances, without allowing slippage. Cool! Step 3 handled.
To make everything stay put, the hardware had to be strong, but not brittle, handle vibration and not come loose, and also handle exposure to the elements. Stainless was out, as it would be too brittle. Grade 8 was the choice here. I chose split-lock washers, and avoided nylock nuts, as the heat from the nearby exhaust would soften those and defeat the locking feature. Everything is zinc plated for resistance to corrosion. Step 4 now done.
The Heim Joints were a tough decision. Too small and they would not handle the impact loads. Too big and they were cost prohibitive, which would result in fewer people having as much fun. Billet Aluminum joints were out there, but the impact loads would quickly tear those apart and result in rattles. So, I chose massive 5/8" Chrome Steel Heims, having the highest resistance to impact loads, and more likely than any other unit to hold up. Step 5 complete.
The 6061 Aluminum Center Link was a no-brainer, as it wouldn't rust, could easily handle the loads, but would bend upon impact with large objects, thereby helping to save the frame from damage. Step 6 finished.
Protecting everything under there from the elements was interesting. Powder coating is fine, and I did that on the steel parts, but on aluminum anodizing is better. It holds up better to the elements.
Finally I was done, and could get one made.
Designing something for one car is easy. Designing something that will fit them all isn't. The variability that comes with a 17 year old car, that likely had more than one owner, and has often undergone much change over the years, meant that even after all of this, I went through 3 different revisions of bracket lengths to finally get enough clearance in there to accommodate sagging motor mounts and such. This was no simple process for sure. But in the end, due to this unique and innovative design, I think I now have the best brace on the market.
There about 100 of the Design 1 Racing Lower Suspension Braces out there now. The development costs have now been realized, and it's time to pass that on to the public. So, here's the good news! The 968 community can now benefit from this. Design 1 Racing is proud to announce a new reduced price on this unit!
$109
Sold exclusively at www.Design1Racing.com
http://shop.design1racing.com/Lower-Susp...ce-CB1.htm
A lot of work goes into the design of what might seem like even the simplest of parts, and it dawned on me that perhaps not everybody understood all of what is involved. I thought I would take the time to illustrate just how much it takes to bring something to market.
Market potential is a huge concern, and there are so many factors involved, that you are almost better off just flipping a coin to see if it's worth it or not. If turned over to an MBA school as a case study, this business model would be a "what not to do" exercise. Clearly anybody who develops anything for this car is in it for the love of the car and for the community. The market is truly thin, and the risk of failing at cost recovery is very high. This isn't a ploy to gain sympathy or praise, or to whine about anything, nor is it an attempt to compare this product to any other. It's merely to take you on a journey and lead you through the process, so you might understand why some things are the way they are.
Many factors are considered before finalizing a design. Things like variances between cars, materials suitability, stresses, load application, weather resistance, contaminant resistance, physical damage potential, cost, manufacturing process, and installation method, are just some of them. As an example of what is involved in the process, from inception to market, the Design 1 Racing Lower Suspension Brace underwent a number of revisions before finally ending up with the superior design it now is.
Back in early 2005, I saw the Brey Krause unit, and liked it. The machining was a thing of beauty, and clearly it resolved a problem in the car's design. Having already had 6 alignments in 3 years at that point, the thought of having to have another one, because the unit could not be installed without moving the Caster Blocks, just made me cringe. It was time to put all those years of engineering and design experience to work.
It was very clear that the Caster Blocks take a beating in the 968 suspension and that bracing was needed to obtain the best handling possible from the car. Some quick testing showed that the lower suspension mounting points moved as much as 1/4" under load, resulting in camber change that cost speed in the corners.
Immediately I thought about simplifying the design, yet still accommodating variances between cars, ensuring that there was no preloading of the Caster Block Retention Bolts, providing the rigidity I was looking for, all while keeping in mind that a brace is only as strong as its weakest component, so some real care had to be taken in the design.
Breaking the connection between the 2 Caster Block retention bolts allowed for installation without actually disconnecting the Caster Block from the car, thereby eliminating the need for an alignment. This would be a huge benefit for the DIY mechanic, enabling installation with confidence. Cool! Step 1 complete!
Given the nature of the "hand built" 968, the differences even within the same model year meant that one size does not always fit all. A simple Heim Joint and reverse threaded rod would create the stiffness I was looking for, and allow for variance between cars, so as to eliminate any preloading or slack. Cool! Step 2 handled.
It didn't end there. I also had to consider how the Caster Blocks were mounted, and the nuts welded to the frame. With some cars having their frames welded up to fix ripped out nuts, it told me that I had to be extremely careful about any chance of side-loading of the bolts. The OEM Caster Blocks have very wide tolerances to accommodate the loose tolerance of the installation of the welded nuts in the frame of the car. That meant that anything I added had to also accommodate that tolerance. Anything that applied pre-load to the Caster Block bolts could ultimately cause failure of the OEM mounting points and why the installation instructions for the brace are very clear about not applying pre-load, and only adjusting the center link so as to take up slack.
I considered a "2 piece" design but the holes needed to be so oversized in order to accommodate the tolerance variance of the car that they would allow too much potential for slippage under impact loads, like on a bumpy road. If I didn't make them that big, then the opportunity for pre-loading arose again, putting me back to a potentially ugly failure situation. I was also going to have to make the bracket so thick in order to prevent bending or twisting that it became an undesirable idea.
Instead, I chose a 3 piece bracket design, all of 3/16" thick steel, as 1/8" was too thin to handle torsional loading, and consisting of 2 "L" brackets and a strap connecting them. This made for simple installation, and built in smaller tolerances in each of the smaller holes, which then could accumulate, if needed, to allow for the loose OEM tolerances, without allowing slippage. Cool! Step 3 handled.
To make everything stay put, the hardware had to be strong, but not brittle, handle vibration and not come loose, and also handle exposure to the elements. Stainless was out, as it would be too brittle. Grade 8 was the choice here. I chose split-lock washers, and avoided nylock nuts, as the heat from the nearby exhaust would soften those and defeat the locking feature. Everything is zinc plated for resistance to corrosion. Step 4 now done.
The Heim Joints were a tough decision. Too small and they would not handle the impact loads. Too big and they were cost prohibitive, which would result in fewer people having as much fun. Billet Aluminum joints were out there, but the impact loads would quickly tear those apart and result in rattles. So, I chose massive 5/8" Chrome Steel Heims, having the highest resistance to impact loads, and more likely than any other unit to hold up. Step 5 complete.
The 6061 Aluminum Center Link was a no-brainer, as it wouldn't rust, could easily handle the loads, but would bend upon impact with large objects, thereby helping to save the frame from damage. Step 6 finished.
Protecting everything under there from the elements was interesting. Powder coating is fine, and I did that on the steel parts, but on aluminum anodizing is better. It holds up better to the elements.
Finally I was done, and could get one made.
Designing something for one car is easy. Designing something that will fit them all isn't. The variability that comes with a 17 year old car, that likely had more than one owner, and has often undergone much change over the years, meant that even after all of this, I went through 3 different revisions of bracket lengths to finally get enough clearance in there to accommodate sagging motor mounts and such. This was no simple process for sure. But in the end, due to this unique and innovative design, I think I now have the best brace on the market.
There about 100 of the Design 1 Racing Lower Suspension Braces out there now. The development costs have now been realized, and it's time to pass that on to the public. So, here's the good news! The 968 community can now benefit from this. Design 1 Racing is proud to announce a new reduced price on this unit!
$109
Sold exclusively at www.Design1Racing.com
http://shop.design1racing.com/Lower-Susp...ce-CB1.htm
94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com
"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
