Hey all,
Just an idea I have been thinking about and finally got around to doing it. This is only mock up and tacked into place...obviously the mounting areas need to be plated. I think this would help to stiffen up the weak front end of these cars. Fits pretty darn tight to the body, so tire clearance issues should be minimum to zero.
Let the pics do the talking...tell me your opinion.

Very nicely made. I do think the forward 1/3 of the brace is in the "rub zone". Every 1/4" counts when fitting bigger tires.

Interesting idea. Mandrel bent pipe?
I suppose that the shock mount would be welded to the pipe for support?

Tubing...Tubing...Tubing. LOL. Us racecar guys cant stand the term "pipe"...thats for sewer systems.
It is not mandrel bent, but bent in a tubing bender like most tubing is. Mandrel benders are HUGE money. Yes, I would say it would be beneficial to weld the shock support to the tubular portion.

I never hear anyone say Exhaust tubing. I hear them say Exhaust pipes. To me, and I am new to custom chassis stuff, THAT looks similar to the material used in an exhaust system.
Nevertheless, it looks beneficial. Relax.... the weekend is here!

looks good, i like that it doesn't butcher up the fender walls.

also. i am no expert, but why not just run it to the firewall?

also this will stiffen it up linearly along the axis of the car, but won't do much for flex or twist in the horizontal. for this i have seen people hoop the radiator support, roll cage, other supports as needed.

You will have tire rub with that tube in that location. On the B-bodies the supports are tucked up real close to the upper aft part of the inner fender and attach to the firewall, those sometimes rub with big tires. Tim

Looks nice and will it help add fender support. You do make nice parts that are reasonably priced, so I'm sure some may pick them up. However, its support to weight ratio is low, IMO. I suscribe to the triangle theory of reinforcement; ie, short runs of tubing that create triangles with their attaching points. This keep rigidity high and weight low. I also agree that the front section appears to be in the path of tire interference.

XV did some of the most comprehensive research on this most recently. Even if you don't like their customer service, there is no disputing their findings on the four post rig. Unfortunatly, they appear to have removed the video from their site that shows teh before and after results of their stffening kit, but their research showed where the biggest gains for the least effort could be achieved.

Other items worth a read;

http://sn65.com/Chassis%20Design%20101.htm

http://www.circletrack.com/chassistech/ctrp_9902_hendrick_motorsports_chassis_building/viewall.html

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.41.1562&rep=rep1&type=pdf

I have a set of the new US Car Tool ones, we are working out the fit issues because my 68 Charger inner fenderwells are different than the 67 they built them to. Tim

Thanks for the input guys. These are along way from being a sold product...just wanted to do it to see what it looked like and get opinions. I have since talked to a friend whose idea is to kick the tube out towards the fender just behind the shock area, and then run it down the profile of the firewall. This would put the tube in more than just one plane and help in bending and torsion. I'l grab some more tubing today and see what I can come up with.
By the way, I do plan on making the front radiator support tubes and other stiffeners. My idea to tie into the T-Bar crossmember was because I thought it would help stiffness. People complain, and I agree, the firewall is not the best place to attach these tubes. I thought maybe running a tube like in the pics above, and then ad a second tube from the upper firewall out to this bent tube. In a sense, tieing the tube into two places and triangulating it at the same time.
Im an engineering student, so I do things and ask for feedback. Have some good friends who are very educated and help to better my ideas.
Thanks again guys.

I think the twisting of the front unibody is what needs attention. Thats where the triangulation part is needed.

I think your inner fender support would be better if it triangulated the upper shock mounts to the firewall, rather than what you have now.

Really nice work for an Engineering student. You will be succesful when you graduate. Any kid who came in to interview with me and showed this kind of initiative and work would get an instant job offer. Where are you going to school and when do you graduate?

Astrobuf
Engineering Director of a really Big company!