New LS1 Owners - Newbie Tech - Home made X member

Hi Guys,
Has anybody attempted to make their own front cross member?
It doesn't seem like rocket science. If you can weld and rent a tube bender
I am sure that it could be done. I suppose you could make you own LCA's also. I tried a seach but came up empty.
Dave :)

Hey if you're keen to give it a shot, why don't you sketch your design and post it here to get some feedback. And yes, you can do lots of useful car bits with a welder.

As for making LCA's, check out this dude's website for ideas - http://www.jonaadland.com/Z28/Mods/LCA/AluminumLCAs.html

Thanks for the reply,
That link should prove to be very valuable!

If you're talking about the K-member that
holds the front end together and the motor
mounts too, you'll want to be doing a good
job. Even the manufactured ones fail every
once in a while.

A long time ago I welded up a crossmember
for a project - Buick V6 into Fiat. Every time
I would drive it after that, the front tires
spread apart at an angle. Lack of gusseting
allowing the angle welds to bend.

There's more to it than just the bead. You
need to understand the forces that will be
applied and the K-member sees plenty of load
in many different directions.

I would weld up my own SFCs and stuff like
that. I wouldn't weld my own K-member.
Because I am aware of my limitations as a
welder and as a weldment designer, and I
like my car.

If you're not even aware of your limitations
yet, discover them on more benign failures.

Good point about "safety first" with designing your own K-member, if that's what you're talking about doing. But like I said earlier, sketch out your design, scan it as a jpeg, and put it here on the forum for others to offer comments and suggestions. We'd love to see it!