> I have heard of people reinforcing the doors with steel beams for some
> side impact protection, but don't know anything about it. Those doors
> are pretty flimsy though, so it probably couldn't hurt. Any thoughts?
It's got to be done right, and I don't think the doors as they exist
"stock" provide the means to do it right. Any impact or shock follows a
load path somewhere, and it will find a structural "ground", so to speak.
In the case of the door, it will be those potmetal hinges, or wherever a
local weak spot is (it's a chain as strong as its weakest link). Unless
you ground secondary structure properly, it just becomes a projectile under
any real impact. If you can tie it to primary structure, it'd do some
good, like a rollcage tied to the box frame and other "strong" points on
the car with high strength fasteners or good welds. In passenger aircraft,
secondary structure is tied to the seat tracks whenever possible, which are
usually about the strongest part of the main cabin substructure (along with
anything near the center of pressure, ie the wingbox) since the airlines
don't want seats becoming projectiles during tough landings.
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