expandable insulation in trailing arm??????

[..SNAKEBIT..]

expandable insulation in trailing arm??????
has anybody heard of this?
was told sno-x racers do it to make the arms stronger? to keep from bending?

 

[yammy]

I've never heard of it ,but it sounds like a good idea! I'll think i'll try it!

 

[YamiSmurf]

Where do they inject the foam? Do they drill holes on the underside of the arm every few inches? Sounds like it would work and still be light.

YS

 

[riverman]

I have a feeling replacing a bent arm will be alot cheaper than replacing and straighting everything else out from a hit the arm would have absorbed.(sp?)

 

[crimsonride]

I have my doubts expandable foam would greatly increase the strength of an arm.

 

[Old Thumper]

I agree with Crimsonride. A hit that is gonna bend a steel tr. arm isn't gonna stop because of some foam. You could fill it with fiberglass resin - that would make it some kind of solid, but then you're asking for more serious damage as Riverman suggested.
Just ride it!!!

 

[REDMATER]

i dont think the foam would strengthen the arm but i do beleive it will help with damping the blows the skis take,this would be beneficial to a xcross racer whos landing a sled from 15-20 feet. think of like this take a piece of pipe and hit it with hammer and you will here it ring,now fill the pipe with expandable foam and wack it with the hammer no more ring the foam absorbs the shock.its a density thing(science).the trailing arm will absorb more filled than hollow.i have seen done on the canadian yamaha race teams sleds about 8yrs ago...

 

[Bischof]

The first thing I thought of when i read this was RUST!
If the foam doesn't fill every void and you get some water in there it's going to pool and excellerate any corrosion going on in there.

 

[Waterfoul]

Bischof, please change your avatar!! That's nasty!!!!

 

[skidooboy]

that foam isnt waterproof, snow, water moisture will collect and your front end will rust from the inside out worse than it does now, plus the weight of the saturated foam would be significant. ski

 

[yamaholic22]

I have a feeling replacing a bent arm will be alot cheaper than replacing and straighting everything else out from a hit the arm would have absorbed.(sp?)

I gotta agree with riverman. This is the only big advantage of the aftermarket kimpex trailing arms. They are thinner and bend easier than the stock ones, so when you hit something hard the arm bends instead of bending the tunnel when it tries ripping out the rear trailing arm mount. That is never fun.

 

[familyman]

foam....wont that float in the river?