LocostUSA.com

That's a nice looking upright all right, and forged aluminum it says.

I don't know if it applies to cars, but just today I saw a 3-wheeler youtube where a guy couldn't license it because it's illegal to use off-road suspension (or maybe any kind) parts on street vehicles.

That was in WA state, may be different elsewhere.

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Noah

Never found a reference anywhere, so drew this.



I'm probably the only one who will ever get any use from it, buit I need the CAD practice anyway.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Make your own uprights

Band saw from aluminum bar, 1 1/2” x 6” and 1”x6”. Drill and bolt together. The caliper supports are steel. These are set up for Gen 5 Camaro hubs and brakes. Front and rear are same. These are for an off roader so they are a little stout. I have a lighter design on the boards.

Drawing
pdf doesn't load.

'Nuther attempt

Have you road tested those arms?

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-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

In testing right now in the desert. So far the spindle and control arms didn't break under a run that has fractured two steel tube arms. I'm using an energy absorbing "seismic" joint detail for the rod end connector shoes, not shown here. There's money in devices that will keep wheels from going into the crowd.

[quote=There's money in devices that will keep wheels from going into the crowd.[/quote]

Locost teathers?

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Honey anyone?

Seems like a major weakness in this design is the clips that attach the rod ends to the arms?
Was this done intentionally to provide a point of failure that was field repairable?

It would be much better to drill and tap the arm and screw the rod end into the arm.

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Honey anyone?

Yes, those are temporary clips used for checking alignment only. The final clips, or shoes as I call them are my "secret sauce" design that will absorb large deformation energy before they break. They are similar to some of the seismic joints we used in bridges in earthquake country. We've purposely hit huge rocks that left the wheels and control arms dangling but the wheels did not separate. I should patent the design but would rather spend my time in the shop.

As you may know, a patent is cubic dollars to secure.
More cubic dollars to protect.
And "China" will still rip you off every day.

So the money needs to be cubic-epic to make patent sense.
Might be better to carefully select a related corporation to share the idea with AFTER an NDA is signed.
You might end up with more that way and they can have the hassle of protecting the product.

I had a minor product that was giving me some walking around money, too simple to be patented.
Sales suddenly ceased, found a clear copy on feeBay, made in China, selling at my cost of material.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Last year my biz partner and i started the patent process on our mountain bike handguard invention

www.geohandguards.com

there are 3 parts to patents:
provisional (ie patent pending) - about $2500, good for 1 year, leads to next level
design patent - "what it looks like" not function 3-5K, takes 1-3 years
Utility patent - this is everything 5-7K takes 2-5 years

If the design and utility patents are filed within the first year of the provisional patent, then all patents date back to the day the first one was filed, ie Born on Date. It is actually a really good system as you can start selling right away. IF the product flops, you dont have to continue. Apparently, intellectual property is taken very seriously these days

Here's the drawing. I have a lighter version under design. This one weighs the same as the OEM Camaro spindle.

Old thread, but updated numbers- if you think getting the aluminum upright front a 2016+ miata will save you weight, I guess you are wrong, as was/am I! Haha. Oh well:
2016 Miata front upright: hub/bearing + aluminum upright: 9.25LB. No dust shield, brakes, balljoints, brackets etc.

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69 4age 20v powered MG Midget