Here is another rapid fire update as the week moves faster then I can type.  So far so good as assembly continues on the Rock Bug.  Our custom 4130 hollow suspension bolts just came back from heat treat, so we wasted no time assembling the front and rear axles.  Yes, we made our own suspension bolts.  Hopefully this does not come across as an “exercise in excess” as the point of the Rock Bug is to test new & innovative concepts in an effort to build the strongest & lightest vehicle possible.  We focused specifically on the suspension bolts, an area that deserved improvement on both strength and weight.  A typical grade 8, 3/4 x 2-3/4” hex bolt has a tensile strength of 150,000 psi and weights 0.46 lbs. each.  Our custom 4130, 3/4 x 2-3/4” heat treated hollow hex bolt has a tensile strength of 182,000 psi and weights 0.35 lbs. each.  So we are 1.21 times stronger and 1.31 times lighter.  When all is said and done, we give up 10% in overall strength but saved over 20% in overall weight.  This may not seem huge by itself, but it all adds up in the end.  In addition to suspension assembly, we finished up the “doghouse” on the dashboard (removable instrument panel) and have continued to make progress on the plumbing.  Plumbing will absorb most of our time this week, with our ultra light sway bar and gun drilled axle shafts still on the list, and updates will follow as the progress happens.