[theDevThing]

Got some more mods for the car. Here is a quick unboxing video.
I am genuinely surprised by how durable the CF skid guard is from Vescaa. Will have the install videos in a couple of week 😃

What do you all think? CF overkill?

[aerobod]

Carbon fibre doesn’t perform well under impact from small high velocity objects or sudden point loads, it tends to shatter, instead of giving and still maintaining some protection.

Not the best material for a skid plate.

[kudos]

Waste of money.

[theDevThing]

This is what I had thought initially too. But these videos convinced me otherwise.
I was surprised to see this 😃

Check out the YT video at the 5:21 mark

Can’t seem to share the small clips

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by theDevThing

This is what I had thought initially too. But these videos convinced me otherwise.
I was surprised to see this ��

Check out the YT video at the 5:21 mark

Can’t seem to share the small clips

Just light taps with a hammer with a large flat head and a nice distributed load from a car tyre don’t show much resilience.

A better test would be impact from a sharp object at highway speed over a small area. Dropping a screwdriver on it tip first from the top of a tall building would be a better test (15 floors is about equivalent to 120kph / 75mph).

Carbon fibre (assuming it isn’t just plastic with a CF outer layer) can only take about 1% strain before failure compared with 12 to 15% with aluminium or steel. A point force would quickly exceed the low strain limit, CF also has poor strength perpendicular to the weave requiring distributed forces along the weave in tension for maximum strength (that hitting while unsupported with a hammer or driving over it will more likely achieve).

Doing a drop test with a screwdriver will likely see the whole screwdriver pass straight through if the CF skid plate is supported around its edges away from the ground. With aluminium of the same thickness the blade will probably go through and stop at the handle Steel of half the thickness will likely just dent.

[theDevThing]

Originally Posted by aerobod

Just light taps with a hammer with a large flat head and a nice distributed load from a car tyre don’t show much resilience.

A better test would be impact from a sharp object at highway speed over a small area. Dropping a screwdriver on it tip first from the top of a tall building would be a better test (15 floors is about equivalent to 120kph / 75mph).

Carbon fibre (assuming it isn’t just plastic with a CF outer layer) can only take about 1% strain before failure compared with 12 to 15% with aluminium or steel. A point force would quickly exceed the low strain limit, CF also has poor strength perpendicular to the weave requiring distributed forces along the weave in tension for maximum strength (that hitting while unsupported with a hammer or driving over it will more likely achieve).

Doing a drop test with a screwdriver will likely see the whole screwdriver pass straight through if the CF skid plate is supported around its edges away from the ground. With aluminium of the same thickness the blade will probably go through and stop at the handle Steel of half the thickness will likely just dent.

Wow, I feel like this could be a Mythbusters episode 😃😂

From a real world use perspective, I guess I could inspect it after a few months of driving on it. For now, I need to survive the Canadian winter 🥶

Another point I guess is that it’s great to have options and depends what the main purpose would be. Compared the stock it’s definitely better, protects the cooler rather than being exposed.
Likely an element of weight savings, if people are into that.
Finally every time the car is up on a hoist, I could admire the beautiful CF piece 😂