CarPC Needs to Survive Severe Offroading

**Josiah** · 06-23-2009, 07:24 PM

I don't want the hard drive's read/write head to scratch the hard disk and I don't want the fiberglass work to endure cracks. I'm thinking a SSD for a hard drive is the only way to go, but what else do I have to worry about in a CarPC build? Is there any suggestions as to products or extra reinforcement techniques you guys can give me? I just imagine a heavy LCD hanging onto my fiberglass work and flexing it until it cracks.

Is there anyone out there that has had any issues offroading with their setup?

And for the curious:

www.youtube.com/getstuk

**malcom2073** · 06-23-2009, 07:43 PM

I would be careful if you have any PCI cards or even risers, they can vibrate loose so using some non-conducting epoxy or even a hot glue gun can help to prevent that. same with SATA connectors and some power cables. To be honest, if you get a shock resistant 2.5" drive, you probably won't have any issues. At my work we have some off-road vehicles which withstand severe hits, harder than any on-road vehicle could and we run 2.5" drives in them without issue. That being said, a SSD is never a bad idea for a situation like that, but you may be fine using a 2.5 hdd if money is an issue.

**blk02si** · 06-23-2009, 10:37 PM

use lots of silicone

and definitely use a SSD

**nalav** · 06-23-2009, 11:07 PM

Seagate makes a hard drive that might be to your liking.
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/pro...s/ee25_series/

**DarquePervert** · 06-24-2009, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by nalav

Seagate makes a hard drive that might be to your liking.
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/pro...s/ee25_series/

Those are still subject to skips and potential damage form extreme shocks.
They are better than most other drives, sure.

+1 for an SSD.

**rdholtz** · 06-24-2009, 09:02 AM

I've attached my laptop drive with Velcro strips to provide a mounting system with more cushion. If I were mounting it for off-road use, I'd consider mounting the Velcro to a foam rubber pad -- like a mousepad -- and mounting the pad on Velcro. That would provide three layers of jounce protection to an already toughened drive; that should be pretty good.

I've watched some of your videos on YouTube, and you give that F-150 a pretty good bashing, but I don't see anything the hard drive couldn't handle if it had all that padding. Whatever you use, it should be motion-damping, so it doesn't allow the drive to just bounce around all the time.

And I agree with the others who say an SSD is pretty hard to beat, especially as a boot drive.

**thekl0wn** · 06-24-2009, 09:22 AM

Severe off-roading? You drove through a mud puddle and had to bump an idiot out of his own holes...

Anyway, an SSD is gonna be in-order. And as far as the CPU mounting, you may want to look at some form of foam-mounting, just to dampen the vibrations that will be incurred. Placement is also a consideration if you take it through deep water, since there's always the risk of a pesky hole swallowing a side of the truck and having water in the floor.

As for your F/G work cracking, if you don't already have the work done, I'd look at having it done in more of a modular fashion, rather than one big solid piece which will flex and break... Having two pieces flex against each other is better than one solid piece flex. Using fender washers, increasing thickness, and metal mounting plates will help distribute the forces from the LCD mounting.

**DarquePervert** · 06-24-2009, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by rdholtz

I've attached my laptop drive with Velcro strips to provide a mounting system with more cushion. If I were mounting it for off-road use, I'd consider mounting the Velcro to a foam rubber pad -- like a mousepad -- and mounting the pad on Velcro. That would provide three layers of jounce protection to an already toughened drive; that should be pretty good.

It's also going to make the HDD bounce more, increasing the chances of damage to the drive, skips, etc.

BAD IDEA!

**rdholtz** · 06-24-2009, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by DarquePervert

It's also going to make the HDD bounce more, increasing the chances of damage to the drive, skips, etc.

BAD IDEA!

That depends on the material. Velcro is resilient, but it doesn't bounce like a rubber band. Mousepad foam -- at least the ones I've seen -- are motion damping, not bouncy. Both materials allow motion, but damp the motion as well.

If the drive were hung on rubber bands, it would bounce all over, creating repetitive accelerations and decelerations. Yep, that's bad. But if a material cushions shocks and damps the motion, not allowing bounce, that's the material we want to use.

Damped motion is far better than impact.

**thekl0wn** · 06-24-2009, 02:16 PM

I'd have to side with rdholtz on this one... It's much like a vehicle's suspension. With no shocks, and only springs, hitting a bump will bounce your brains off the roof. However, combine the spring with the shock, and you've got a nice smooth ride. Basically, that's what the foamlike mounting would do: Provide enough rigidity to keep the needed placement, but have enough "give" when jarred to absorb much of the jolt.