Building wing plates

**90 5.0** · 10-20-2016, 08:38 PM

Been thinking about building some light weight wing plates.

Using marine ins ply as the core and wrapping with vacuum bagged carbon fiber. Using bushings for the mounting holes and pulley mount to save some weight.

Think this would be strong enough or not worth risking losing steering?

**loop** · 10-21-2016, 08:03 AM

jmho there are safer places to lose weight
if a wingplate gives way you are done

**97 TWISTER** · 10-21-2016, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by loop

jmho there are safer places to lose weight
if a wingplate gives way you are done

+1 I have thought about machining slots in mine but boy tough lesson if it don't work

**largecar91** · 10-21-2016, 02:29 PM

I would sure have to agree. There is a tremendous amount of torque on a steering arm. If it breaks, you will have to wake ole Leroy up cause he ain't never seen a wreck like you're fixin to have!

**AZMIDLYF** · 10-21-2016, 04:01 PM

Agree...much better less risky areas to shed some weight.

**powerabout** · 10-22-2016, 01:20 AM

titanium

**patchesII** · 10-22-2016, 07:23 AM

Titanium is heavier than aluminum

**loop** · 10-22-2016, 07:53 AM

Neat idea and I dont mean to say that it cant be done but the design and building of it would need to be 100%top notch. I'd think the attachment points would be the most critical part of the design and bushings would definitely be a must . If it was solid carbon laminate at the motor and at the pulley holes,with rest of it cored and contoured for stiffness it would work fine. Probably be pretty pricey for what you'd save on weight.
You're in Houston area so contact Ro Yale. He knows boats and CF

Titanium and carbon steel parts can be designed to be stronger than and as light as the same aluminum part

**97 TWISTER** · 10-22-2016, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by patchesII

Titanium is heavier than aluminum

Titanium is stronger so in theory I suppose you could build them using less materials. But how much weight will be lost vs $$$'s. Like stated there has to safer areas to lose the weight like clamp, batteries, or like on my case driver lol.

**AZMIDLYF** · 10-22-2016, 11:11 AM

I remember seeing a post in another thread where Chaz was making some wing plates out of aluminum.

**patchesII** · 10-22-2016, 12:10 PM

Most wing plates are made of 3/8" 6061. There are options to lose weight, believe me, I've looked at them. It really comes down to cost VS. weight savings. Once weight gets over about 200 dollars per pound you have to start asking if it's worth it. For what it's worth, my wing plates are 3/8" 6061

**90 5.0** · 10-22-2016, 05:16 PM

I have the stuff in the shop laying around to make them the way we were thinking so it wouldn't cost anything. But I was worried about the safety factor.

Prolly better off not risking it.

Guess i I need to buy plates then

**97 TWISTER** · 10-22-2016, 07:18 PM

get ahold of Nick Winskie at Wintech Engine & Machine he made mine and they are nice 262-662-0892

**Chaz** · 10-23-2016, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by AZMIDLYF

I remember seeing a post in another thread where Chaz was making some wing plates out of aluminum.

Yes , my rule of thumb is light boats 3/8" ths , heavy or offshore 1/2" . All get a biscuit in area's that are in single shear to keep from wallowing the hole out.
I'm sure if you wanted to , you could make them out of 1/4" if you used rib's and gusset's . Would be lighter and more rigid than an aluminum or stainless plank , but like any other purpose built racing part , you would have to check it from time to time .

I have a friend in the aerospace industry who was building all the seat's , floors , dash and wings out of carbon for my dragster chassis I was building.
I always felt better when I ran a series of aluminum spars with perforated feet inside the wing to bond to the carbon. Two of them naturally had tabs sticking thru the skin to bolt it to the wing struts .
He always shrugged and did what i wanted . One day I asked him why he didn't like the idea of the aluminum tabs to mount to . He said , if we did that to our aircraft , the jet jocky's would go out and shear the wings off .
I had him do about a dozen more with carbon spars . They were lighter and no one ever broke a loop off , to this day. So I would have to say they were even stronger. I would have no problem using a carbon wing plate. Forget trying to karate chop one in half , you could park your truck on one , or hook an eyelet up and lift your truck off the ground . Incredible material , when used correctly .

Anyway , these are half inch 6061 plates , going on an offshore V-hull with a pair of 300x motors. They weigh and cost a third of what a "name brand" stainless one is .....