Chapter 24 - A Better Backbone
A long, long time ago, in a chapter far, far (chapter 16) away, I made a torque tube extension. What?? Yes, you remember. That metal backbone running down the center of the Volt Vette. Everyone on the Volt Vette team thought I needed a stronger torque tube extension when the car was finally running. Tim made a sketch and told me how heavy the steel needed to be.
This photo shows the new inch and a half steel next to the old Swiss cheese steel.
My hand drill isnt really up to cutting steel that heavy, so I go shopping at the Bigger Hammer Hardware store for a drill press. I find one I like. It's not as powerful as I would like, but it is strong enough to get the job done.
And the laser crosshairs are a nice touch.
I measure and drill and then measure and drill and drill and drill, and finally it fits. Now the really hard part, what color should it be?
After painting it green. I bolt it in place and reinstall the driveshaft. It looks stronger than the torque tube itself. Time for more testing.