Originally posted by bensenvill:
Originally posted by skifast87:
if it were me and i was going to buy a hood. i would buy a carbon fiber one. only because they seem to have less of a cracking issue. dont get me wrong they BOTH CRACK just CF seems to hold up better. if its color your worried about i know they do make it in different shades. however it is not all one color.



carbon fiber is in such short supply now that your paying enough of a price premium just for the regular stuff, once you start getting into the color weaves or metalics the price absolutely skyrockets.

about cracking. I dont know alot about how carbon fiber car parts are fabricated but I have made 2 carbon fiber boat hulls. That 4x4 weave carbon fiber you are use to seeing used for hoods is probably part of the reason for cracking... it is purely used for astetics [as opposed to other varieties. although I am unsure if they just use it for the top layer or if all ply's are weaves]. The plain-jane twill is the material that should be used for hoods. it is noticibly lighter and stronger [but very ugly]. the weave stuff is what you would typically use for highly contoured shapes [not generally flat areas].

also for our hulls we would include one or 2 layers of kevlar, which was primarily used to help prevent hull punctures. which in our unscientific testing, held up much better to damage. if you are really worried about cracking, you should be able to ask for a layer of kevlar to be added because it doesnt change the fabrication process.

[I also want to add that I think the CF hoods availible are BS, 12 pounds for a hood is way too much for the square footage. my last hull weighed in at 20 pounds for a 17' long enclosed hull, which included the cockpit and my seat]


Lest we forget all the layers of carbon and kevlar will not stop cracking. I believe that is a function of the resin used. Kevlar is not stiff at all, but it provides good abrasion and puncture resistance. Carbon is very stiff if you use the right weave. You can use a stronger weave on the inned layers and put a layer or two of bi-directional cloth on top for asthetic purposes. Kevlar does nothing for a hood except give it a different color. I'll have to double check this, but I think if it's any color but black it is not carbon but a dyed fiberglass or kevlar. I'll look now.

Jim T

"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats".--H.L. Mencken Bumper sticker, OXYMORON #65 - Liberal Thinker