Carbon Fibre wheels?

[BRPORSCHE]

I recieved my new evo article for this month. On the front page was the new ferrari, the new murci, and the pagani. In the murci article about the murci evo said that the U.S. version would come with Carbon Fibre wheels. Wouldn't this shatter? Unlike magnesium or any other metal which would crack and bend? Or are all 4 wheels strong enough able to support all this force?

[techweenie]

There is 'carbon fiber' and there is Carbon Fiber.

I've worked with an engineer who has done a lot of work on stealth fighter components, and the "good stuff" can be made both strong and resilient.

In fact, we've talked about CF wheels, and it's practical to make 'em. The issue is going to be: does the reduced weight warrant the increased expense?

We are engineering some race car panels now, using true aerospace quality CF. It'll be expensive, but we are considering a lifetime replacement guarantee on some panels because they are astonishingly strong. If the market works out for us, we may consider moving into wheels -- expecting a lot of resistance from sanctioning bodies.

[BRPORSCHE]

hmm, so there are different grades of this stuff? Kind of like the difference between a ricers pimped out CF hood and the real stuff? I wonder if even the aerospace CF would be able to stand up to a 180 mph (80.4 m/s) curb hit. If the car weighs 3000 lbs (1360 Kg) that would be a force of =109,344 N! I don't know much about that material, but that is one hard hit.

[motion]

Already using them on the bikes:

http://www.oncycles.com/dymag_5spoke_carb.asp

[BRPORSCHE]

Those things are beautiful, but my goodness look at those prices!

[techweenie]

Originally posted by BRPORSCHE
hmm, so there are different grades of this stuff? Kind of like the difference between a ricers pimped out CF hood and the real stuff? I wonder if even the aerospace CF would be able to stand up to a 180 mph (80.4 m/s) curb hit. If the car weighs 3000 lbs (1360 Kg) that would be a force of =109,344 N! I don't know much about that material, but that is one hard hit.

I think the airframe stresses on an F-22A are fairly high... but in any case, we won't be making wheels for quite a while, if at all.

[motion]

Yesssss, very beautiful.

http://www.ram.mc/wheels/BST/gallery/BSTgallery.htm

I think I need a cigarette.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by BRPORSCHE
Those things are beautiful, but my goodness look at those prices!

BTW, the 'good stuff' is not beautiful.

[Tervuren]

Originally posted by BRPORSCHE
hmm, so there are different grades of this stuff? Kind of like the difference between a ricers pimped out CF hood and the real stuff? I wonder if even the aerospace CF would be able to stand up to a 180 mph (80.4 m/s) curb hit. If the car weighs 3000 lbs (1360 Kg) that would be a force of =109,344 N! I don't know much about that material, but that is one hard hit.

Like my Fuch wheels are not going to deform at all with a 180MPH impact? Seriously...

Carbon Fiber though, has a lot to do with how you put it together. There are lots of different ways to work with it. The problem is, weakining is permament, once you over stress a surface, its weaker, and the crack will spread so long as stress is still aplied. Its very strong, but when you exceed its strength, it snaps. Aluminum, for the weight, is not as strong, bt will still hold together after being bent. This is why you don't have Carbon Fiber roll cages, but you do have Carbon Fiber chassis. Then again, depending on how you do it, you can build a certain amount of flex into the carbon fiber design. I've ridden mountain bikes with no springs, the carbon fiber chassis acts as the spring with a built in amount of one directional flex under force.

[masraum]

Hmm, 4# wheels.

[scottmandue]

Don't some of the high end open wheel race series use CF tubs for the drivers?