Feeler thread: Carbon Fiber and your GM truck
#13
Price point dependent, I would be interested in a hood if it were significantly lighter and provided additional heat extraction. A smooth HD style (notch for silverado HD grill) bumper would spark my interest too unless the stock style mentioned above would utilize the stock bumper caps.
#16
There is actually a company who does carbon pieces, but they are relatively hush about it. I am not sure why. I would be interested depending on price point. My chief interested would be in an OEM or HD style hood and a one piece grille. If they were made to OEM quality I wouldn't mind a set of fenders.
#17
formerly turbo4.8 (2014-06-25)
iTrader: (12)
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 447
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From: FT Bragg, NC
I have called everyone who does anything in fiberglass or carbon fiber for trucks and no one would make me a 06/hd hood out of glass or carbon. I have been searching for months. I am in 100% in for a hood and even fenders if theyre atleast remotely close. I almost bought the reverse cowl HD hood, but it only comes in steel. Hell i would be happy if they only came in a pin down too.
#19
Having worked in an aviation nacelle carbon-composite environment for 34 years, making composite parts is no easy task. From tooling up with a mold that will survive repeated thermal cycling and maintain its original form through cure cycles can be a daunting task and quite $$$$.
I can't imagine a part like a hood for example, being free-bagged and cured under vacuum alone. A hard mold form, capable of maintaining complex/compound contours, an autoclave and a highly controlled layup process and cure cycle process controls are essential to the success of manufacturing high quality parts, repeatedly....All while maintaining the quality and workmanship of the article the customer would expect.
I can say from real time practical experience that it's not an exact science and you don't always get a perfect part. Far too many variables, both tangible and intangible.
Didn't mean to go off like a Rocket Scientist here, but just stating reality...Cudos if you've already worked all of this out. You obviously are a Rocket Scientist...
I can't imagine a part like a hood for example, being free-bagged and cured under vacuum alone. A hard mold form, capable of maintaining complex/compound contours, an autoclave and a highly controlled layup process and cure cycle process controls are essential to the success of manufacturing high quality parts, repeatedly....All while maintaining the quality and workmanship of the article the customer would expect.
I can say from real time practical experience that it's not an exact science and you don't always get a perfect part. Far too many variables, both tangible and intangible.
Didn't mean to go off like a Rocket Scientist here, but just stating reality...Cudos if you've already worked all of this out. You obviously are a Rocket Scientist...




