I just read a little of the carbon fiber hood deal in the for sale section here and was wondering how that will affect crashworthiness.

The stock hood is built to crease in two sections and deform upon impact and absorb the force of the crash. A carbon fiber hood might not do that, but rather get pushed into the passenger cabin through the windshield!

I hope this isn;t the case, but I hope people here keep in mind that a mod that compromises crash worthiness just isn't worth it when it comes to enhancing performance or looks.

 

carbon fiber tends to break upon impact. like it'll break before it gets sent to the passenger area...that's just my theory

Dan

 

carbon fiber, tho light and "sturdy" tends to shatter upon impact, so instead of ramming into the windshield and cutting off your head, mostlikely it'll crack in several spots (where the latch is, where it bolts onto the hinges) before it takes you out..


i was thinking of the same thing..

 

but come on, does it really make sense to spend $400+ on a hood that has UNKNOWN CRASH PERFORMANCE all for a measly 50 lb weight savings? Seriously, I know CF shatters and splinters upon impact, but don't pretend to understand crash dynamics enough to know how it'll react when in a real-world crash. It MAY WELL be possible for the hood to push into the passenger compartment under certain crash circumstances.

Keep that in mind before you decide to buy this thing.

 

i am glad that eric brought up this point...we can't just assume that it will crack and break before it can reach the passenger compartment...seeing as i have a 95, apparently my crash test results are lower than some to begin with...i will have to do additional research before i buy

 

And yes, CF does shatter, which can be a bad thing. (Bad you say?) Hoods do two things. Fold up and absorb the impact, and can become a shield, blocking the windshield, and help to protect everyone inside from flying debris. If you don't believe me on that look at your local junk yards at the wrecked cars. Most that have had heavy front end damage have the hood blocking at least part of the windshield. They are made to do that. CF would shatter before doing either, possibly leaving everyone inside exposed.
On a trip to FL on night, my family was riding in my little 89 Pontiac lemans(lemon!) and a Semi dropped a 2 1\2 foot piece of steel I-beam. We were about 3 or 4 car lenths behind the truck when it fell and it bounced striking the front lip of the hood. Fortunatly the hood was flipped up covering the windshield and us. The Officer that arived on the scene said if it had been just an inch higher, or if it had not flipped up,it would have flown through the windshield and someone would have died. CF is cool, don't get me wrong, But what would have happened if I had a CF hood when it hit? My point is, (god do I sound old) Safety before Style.....

[Edited by Whitemax on 09-06-2000 at 09:42 AM]

 

I agree...so what if it shatters. The stock metal hood does two things: crease to prevent it riding through the windshield, and absorb the force of the crash. The CF hood might shatter, but will it absorb as much force as heavy steel? Nope.

I'm glad other folks understand the "safety" point of view on this topic too. Lots of people mod their cars, but it must be to ENHANCE performance (whether handling, speed, or crashsafety), not DECREASE your chances of surviving a crash.

 

I think CF hoods and what not really came about for sure. As an additional selling point, they said, hey it's light and will increase performance.

I donno, it looks cool(on certain cars), but I donno about getting them...

-Shing

 

I think you are right, i but i still want one lol

 

Why did you bring up a thread that's almost 4 years old?

 

WOW, i have heard of a lot of people dying on a car wreck because they had a cf hood. cmon guys, its not like the front windshield is like as weak as paper. and either way, safety is more important than looks, but we still get performance mods to make our cars faster?

 

This is a good point, stock hoods have crumple zones, I am pretty sure CF hoods were not designed for safety. So you can spend $500 save 50lbs, which wont help you much in the 1/4 and risk your life or families in an accident...your choice. I can spend $500 on going faster.

 

I think Stock Hood is just as expensive or even more when painted then cf hood.

 

Is a carbon fiber hood *solid* carbon fiber, or is there a layer of aluminum sandwiched in there?

I always thought a CF hood had aluminum in there, so while this "CF shatters" stuff is true, the aluminum won't.

 

Interesting question. Moreover, I'd question the sanity of anybody spending $400+ to save such a measly amount of weight on a car that was never built to drag race in the first place

 

yeah, our cars are not made to drag, so why do we get performance mods? the e55 amg is not meant for drag either but people still do it.
we get cf hoods, not for the weight, but more for the style.
why do we get body kits then?
its not like it makes us go faster.

 

hehe, E55 AMGs are pimp.

I dont know about CF used for style, most people that dont know any better think the car was in an accident and has a different colored hood from the boneyard that still needs to be painted.

 

My understanding is that CF hoods made for Maximas are composed of a layer of carbon fiber on top, with fiberglass below. No metal layer AFAIK. Yet another reason it's silly to spend so much money on one.

 

 

I was watching a show one day, and they showed the process of making a CF hood. I forgot which show it was, it was a weekend. And I tend not to try and think on weekends.

But basicly your real "cheap" CF hoods, are nothing but fiberglass. And for the last 3 or 4 layers, the fiber glass is painted two shades of grey. Then layed in criss-crossing strips.

And the good CF hoods use actual carbon fiber material for the last few strips. And some reinforcement strips to keep the hood from flexing so much from the heat.

I've seen what happens to a "cheap" CF hood from the heat. The color was faded, and hood flexed so bad, that when the guy opened his hood. Then try to close it back, it didn't line up with the pins he had installed. He had to wait awhile before he could get his hood closed again.

 

I'm gonna die

 

Hey look at the brite side it SHOULD be quick and painless...... Can I have some of your Mods???? j/K

 

My brother inlaw wrecked his civic with a cf hood and fiberglass front bumper, it all smashed and cracked to pieces. He was fine, but the car was toast.
Im not worried.

 

I'm old enough to remember when people were making the same arguments against fiberglass bodied Corvettes. It doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.