I wrote:
>I think the Blind Moose Fab conversion is very poorly designed. Far
> too many small welds connecting too many pieces of metal, and
> that top plate and its welds are highly stressed.
Then Bud replied:
> My guess is that both kits would work just fine and that our
> biases are based mostly on ownership ;)
My bias is not based on the materials either, but purely on design.
> The Holden kit looks like there could be some twist since it's
> essentially two long flat pieces (one with a couple bends) welded
> at a 90 degree angle together...the BMF kit having 1 1/4" square
> steel tubing will not twist.
In either kit, I am not concerned about twisting of the brackets. My
concern is with the lack of gusseting at the base of the BMF brackets, where
it bolts to the chassis mounts. A similar gusset should aslo be employed at
the center of the unit, where the two pieces of 1 1/4" steel meet at that
angle, and where the flat piece of stock (that recieves the end of the
shock) is welded to the top piece of 1 1/4" steel.
> The Holden top plate is welded on one out of four sides....the BMF
> top plate is welded on all four sides. Which one do you think will
> take the most stress? If one weld breaks on either top plate which
> one is going to start bending?
Actually, to be correct, the Holden kit is welded on two sides and an
additional corner at the top is actually the bend in the piece of steel.
The Holden kit is simply a better design at taking the load that the shock
places on the top of the bracket and putting it through the entire bracket
in a uniform manner. If BMF adds some triangular gussets (no need for 1/2"
steel here, even an 1/8" thick gusset will do) to the base and top of the
their design, I will agree that their design is equally as good.
> The Holden kit is painted...the BMF kit is powder coated. Which
> one will rust first?
That is way off from the point I am trying to make. I admitted that I was
not pleased with the finish of the Holden kit, and that the welding was
sloppy which resulted in a lot of weld splatter that was not cleaned up.
> The BMF kit looks cool even off the car...the Holden kit looks, well
> it looks like something I'd make ;)
Nope, I disagree there. The BMF kit might have a nicer finish, but I think
it looks like someone found some 1 1/4" tube in the scrap yard and decided
it would make a good shock bracket.
Kai
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