Howard Darr wrote:
> Looking at the eye candy I was wondering what is a webbed lug for.
>
> http://www.kirkframeworks.com/
Same thing any lug is for.
Or if you were asking specifically "what is the web for?" then the answer is "just decoration". I don't think anyone seriously contends it gives a structural advantage - or at least a significant one. It probably stiffens the joint ever so slightly, but too small an amount to talk about. And stiffer joints are generally not an advantage. In fact I would say that stiffer at the joint is usually a disadvantage in the fatigue endurance department.
Note I am NOT saying webbed lugs are bad for fatigue endurance. I have used those very lugs myself. I'm just saying that IF they did stiffen the joint significantly, then that would be a negative, not an advantage. Being fairly stiff cast lugs, they should ideally be thinned a fair bit for use with thin tubing, but that is true of most lugs whether webbed or not. The web is just a stylistic addition, which you are free to like or not, on purely aesthetic grounds.
Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA