Strength of windshield/A pillar
 

Hi folks,

Do we have any specs or way of determining the max static weight the A pillar/windshield hoop can support?

I can't give you a number, but I've tried crushing the window frame down using a John Deere 5055 4x4. With the weight of the bucket and front end of the tractor on one A pillar, the pillar didn't budge. I'd guess that's over 4000lbs

That's good to know Woody. You should start your own YT channel like TTGator except you smash up retired Boxsters for educational and scientific purposes. The car might be 20 years old but we need to collect more data.

The sides of the windshield frame are made from high carbon boron steel that can support the car upside down.

This was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

Just wanted to check to ensure this could my body weight and then some.

?
So..... tell us what you're up to? Sounds interesting?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Best response ever. :D

Do extrapolate for everyone.

What Maytag and Qingdao said! We're intrigued and our imagination is going wild! :D

If you're really wondering, its strong, but it will bend. The high strength boron doesn't go all of the way up to the top of the windshield frame so the frame can bend about 3/4's of the way up.

This a photo of a Boxster Spec that flipped over at about 80 mph at Willow Springs Raceway in SoCal. And this is a car with a full roll cage.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1593406405.jpg


http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1593406425.jpg


You can see that I had a window frame support bar installed with my roll cage (vertical bar) specifically to add additional support to the windshield frame.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1593406449.jpg

Hmm, I'm not a real engineer, so I can't speak to the difference in static weight vs the dynamic force created in a roll. Do you think if my fat 200 lb ass stood on it it would bend? What about my fat 200 lb ass + an extra few hundred cheeseburgers? I know this is all speculation at this point -- but I'm hopeful based on the post regarding the earth mover trying to crush it.

The other question is, even if it won't bend like my will to live, will it be enough force to have the windshield itself tap out?



It's not a unique idea, in fact it's a blatantly stolen one, though I think I'll be the first person attempting it with a convertible.. :). I'll announce it and post pictures next week. But if you really really want to know in the interim, take a gander at the user account names posting in the marketplace looking for an RTS for a hint.. I might be beating Brock to the punch, at least on the 986 platform.

I can tell you that its really strong. You can definitely roll a stock Boxster and walk away unhurt.
As Tom noted, at a high speed, it will bend

Someone on this forum rolled a 986 a few years ago and walked away, he flipped it after hitting a patch of wet leaves which acts just like hitting a patch of ice. That said, flipping a Boxster is pretty hard to do on a flat surface under most circumstances.

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/59293-psa-wet-leaves-suck.html

He is putting a wing on top.

Anyone else remember oly beer. That was a hot ticket about 40 years ago. I had my share. Not picked up in 26 plus the oly brings back some memories

Olympia Beer had excellent commercials!

I’m guessing a roof tent. Seen it on a 996.

Yup. Olympia Beer. Brewed right in Olympia, Washington. Never visited the brewery, even while growing up in Tacoma... but passed it many, many times.

I believe I was around 12 years old... maybe 74... my Mom was drinking her Olympia... it was on the counter... she exited for a moment... I took a swig. It just had a watery taste. Even at 12 I knew I was out.

Rainer Beer... they had the coolest commercials, bar none.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLNOa3sO6KU

Here is an idea! Roof tent that is stored INSIDE a case shaped like a wing!

We don’t get Rainier ads here, we did when I lived in Edmonton in the ‘80s, but I can the actual beer in a 15 pack at a local rural liquor store. May not seem odd to you but getting a west coast American beer here on the east side of the Canadian prairies is very weird.

Lowered myself down on the windshield pillar today. Confirmed that it can handle ~200lbs. Didn't want to push it much more than that.

My concern is now the design of the RTS system. all of the weight on the A pillar is going to be resting on two small bolts.

In the rear, it is resting on one bolt. I stood on the rear mounts, which can hold the same ~200lbs.

Ditto with the rear bar of the RTS system. Even with it half-bolted in, it held me up sitting in the center of one bar.

The max weight rating of the RTS is 75kgs, or 165 freedom-loving lbs, but we'll see what it actually can hold..


;) You probably saw 996roadtrip's