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Lexi.laron wishes you a happy workday from lexi and me to you.

Rays Engineering; Another Manufacturing Video

     No wonder Ray's Engineering has the best 1-piece, 2-piece, and 3-piece wheels out there! After the wheels are hot forged and forged in Ray's own process known as "RM" forging, they are cold spun and heat treated for long periods of time. When the wheels are ready to be finished they are CNC lathed on a spinning wheel with an accuracy of one 1/100th of a millimeter.
     Then, they are shot-blasted, sealed, powder coated, spray painted, and treated to improve glossiness.  Check out the rest of the steps in the making of these precision wheels!

Spoon Sports America; a Tuning Philosophy

Chassis and Subframe Assembly Rigidity

Hello ɭexi.ɭaron viewers!

     Today's addition is a little late, and I apologize for that, but for the tuners out there, I have a story that will stress the linear relation between chassis rigidity and handling.

     Before I go any further, think back to the Swindon Honda Plant post that I made about a week ago.  In the second part of the plant tour video, you get a peek at how engines, suspension, steering racks, and all are assembled to the chassis all at once.

     Well, this is a subframe assembly.

     All of the aforementioned components are mounted to it, and it is jacked up and attached to the bottom of the car's chassis.  When the two are mated, chassis and subframe, there are significant gaps between the threads of the bolt and the threads of the subframe assembly's hole.  Also, there are slight imperfections in between the subframe assembly's and chassis's hard metal which make it hard for the fit and finish to be perfect.  Check out this illustration.

     By placing a piece of special alloy in between the bolt and the subframe and chassis, it is possible to eliminate motion which occurs even when the bolt is torqued.

     This eliminates much of the vertical motion experienced when going over bumps in the road, thus eliminating bump-steer, improving stability and response at all speeds, and lowering road noise.  Check out this video.

Toyota Sells 30,185 Camrys in 2011, Toyota's Sales Fall, Lexus's Rise

     According to the U.S. Toyota Sales Report for 2011, the company has sold quite a few cars, however not as many has they have in 2010. This could be due in part to their short bout with recalls, or the economy.
     Regardless, Toyota's Lexus Division has actually managed to up sales! In 2010, Lexus sold 9,353, raising that number by 6.2 percent to 10,331 in 2011.

     Yet, there is some interesting news accompanying this year's plummet in sales for Toyota. According to this source, Toyota's Japanese competitor, Honda, has actually seen a shorter fall in U.S. sales! And furthermore, the article gives a possible reason for all of this decline in U.S. sales.
     The Japanese earthquake that struck not so long ago crippled Japanese manufacturing plants-- apparently part of the reason for the decline. Will this fall be permanent? Let's hope not. Check out the sales report for Toyota. Here.