I've spent a good portion of the week working on this. This is currently going into my track car, but I also need one for my S5 in order to have a strut brace the way I want.

Some projects just make you want to punch yourself in the taint. For me this has been one of them. A lot of measuring, cutting, recutting swearing, redesigning and a cut thumb have gone into getting it to this point. I still have to update the CAD files for the plate and sort out a tensioning bracket but all in all I'm happy with the results.

 

Cool story bro fix your oil leak.

 

Wow. That piece looks fairly well engineered, but I can't help but think that strut brace is going to be GIGANTIC (uber strong, but possibly heavier than necessary?). Either way, props for finding a solution to a problem.

 

LOL yeah I know. It's my track car and will never see the road. I picked it up running but expect the motor to get replaced before next year. Just focusing on chassis work right now.


Thanks. I haven't designed it yet, but I want it to sit centered between the strut towers. This will ensure maximum bracing and I'm a huge fan of chassis rigidity. I also needed the alt out of the way for when I get off my *** and start working on my supercharger project.

 

Nice looking piece, it's not as easily designed as people might think (I tried the same thing before I came across a Pineapple Racing kit in the classifieds).
Not sure how the tension arm is going to work though.

 

It looks like you may be able to use some sheetmetal either bent or welded into the shape of an L. The short leg of the L could tie into the two long studs closest to the belt. The long leg would need to profiled with a banana slot (just like the stock piece) and clearance for the alternator. Here are some badly drawn pics.

 

A metal arm will be easy enough to do, although I'm going to experiment with a bolt tensioner and idler pulley first.