Hot Rods Elliptical Tubing for Frame Rails

Bandit Billy has you covered. One piece should get you pretty close for a 112" wheel base without crossmembers. Would have a lot left over if you but 2 pieces. Shipping might be a killer, I don't see where the tubing is located. Still cheaper then having some made.

I believe I would rather see the tubing ran through a set of rollers several times, over trying to make the shape in a press. I'm picturing the press making lots of bumps as the material is moved.

I also believe I would be concerned about where the tube weld seam is in relation to the flattening process, I have to wonder if squishing the round tubing (in either of the above processes) would put a huge stress on the original tube's weld seam.

 

I've been wanting to find some aluminum oval tube with about 1/8" wall. Been thinking about getting some 2" round tube, splitting it on my table saw and welding in flat stock between the two halves. Controling warpage might be a problem. I probably wouldn't have any pieces longer than 4'.
Would that work for you @Russco ?

 

I’m gonna try that and see how it goes. Or make a fixture that fits in the press and try the rollers and pull it through with a come along or winch maybe make several passes maybe

 

Might not be exactly what you want but this place sells oval style wing struts not as long as a pby but long enough to make your frame rails. Check out wing struts on the main page
https://baspartsales.com

https://baspartsales.com/0723610-6-cessna-182m-wing-strut-assembly-rh/

 

That stuff ships out of China it says, but I thought there might be something there that would work for a mi Ute but nothing that they list is large enough. The one listed is almost 4” tall which is what I need but instead of 2 -2 1/2” wide that I need it’s only 3/4” wide. Still there has to be something. Someone in the other thread said they may have a couple PBY struts. Maybe that will pan out.

 

Check with Ferrari restorers, the early chassis used oval tubing.

 

Will any of the tubing need to be bent or curved after its made elliptical, or will you only need straight lengths? Some airplane struts are made in an elliptcal shape. You might try some of the aftermarket (homebuilt/experimental) air craft parts places and see if they sell preformed lengths.....but I imagine they will be made from aluminum if available.

Edit: https://www.wicksaircraft.com/shop/...F4jwkl2lKvCcVnZ7lw9QjMyylA91KxEEaAsRNEALw_wcB

 

Here is a video of an airplane junk yard. That might be a source?
A visit to the Boneyard: A retirement home for warplanes | Watch

 

Grasping at straws here. My last Fed was built from a kit /and extra stuff from S & W. The cross top bars in the cage were elliptical/airfoil shaped. I would say 2 1/2 wide by 1 1/4 tall. They were super nice. Don’t know if they have it in longer lengths or even larger sizes but a phone call can’t hurt.

 

Well after dozens more phone calls and emails to numerous companies, still no luck. The PBY struts I thought I had found I don’t think are going to pan out either.
Searching on the internet I have found a few places (all in China) that appear to either make the machines/tooling or list similar shape tubing but so far I haven’t been able to directly contact them. I’ve also been checking into the possibility of buying a cheaper Rollforming machine but it would need modified to produce this type of shape and I’m not even sure it would be capable of doing this. There are several places I have found that sell flat sided 304 stainless oval tubing in about the correct size but its intended use is for exhaust and is only .065 wall. And even then, it’s not actually the correct shape. I’m waiting to hear back from a place in Iowa called Superior Tube Products but again they don’t actually show true elliptical tube but rather flat sides oval tubing and they are more of a bending and shaping place than a source for small amounts of tubing.
Here is a picture of one of the Chinese companies that showed the correct shaped tubing (shape 2) for reference and the approx size I need would be about 2 1/4” x 3 3/4”. I am not very proficient at computer /internet type stuff so I’m still hopeful someone will be able to come up with a source
I’ve still got a few places/sources to check. And I’ve got a couple friends that are in NASCAR racing but they are crazy busy right now a good distance away from me here in the Midwest. I never thought sourcing this tubing would be so difficult.

 

Is fabricating it your self out of the question? Cut a 2.5" pipe down the center (band saw), and weld the halves to the tops and bottom of a piece of square tubing, then grind the welds smooth? If you only need 20ft, it is doable, time consuming but doable.

 

He's not wanting straight sides.

 

Start with a much larger diameter, cut out a couple sections, weld together, hammer form the smaller end radius to get it started. Then build a heavy duty two roller, adjustable depth former and slowly pull it through squeezing the pipe more each pass. The rollers would have the correct groove machined in them, like a super heavy duty bead roller. You would only need to form the small radius, not the larger side radius. Might need a roller on each side face to keep from widening out the tube.
A coule of torches to preheat and a power winch to pull it through.

 

This make them yourself out of halves line of thinking is where I landed as well after thinking about Josh Shaw and Mike Wagner / Cornfield Customs building those crazy headers with the flared and curved cone collectors.

second thought was give one of the airplane surplus/ junk yard places in witchita Kansas a call and see if you can’t find a lead

 

Perhaps ask the producers if they would get you in touch with a customer or two that would be willing to resell a small quantity.
If it's typical for light aircraft, check with kit plane builders.

This looks like a clearing house for producers. 2500+ listings.
https://www.thomasnet.com/suppliers/usa/tubes-88501200

 

Yeah, here's one. They are in the UK but might be cheaper to ship this than get a special made closer to home ...

https://proformancemetals.co.uk/ferrari-and-maserati-chassis-tube/

 

I'm glad you found that oval tube supplier, thank you for posting the link. Bob

 

How about 2 round DOM pipes inside an oval shaped thin pipe? Easier to oval the thin pipe? Use a “form”? “Wrap” the form with thin metal / slip round pipes inside the form(s)?



Or, 1 round “structural” pipe inside a flattened “non-structural” pipe…

 

Thanks! that stuff will actually work! The 92mm by 55mm x 2mm is just about right. Now, I’ve got to see about getting some shipped to the states. If it’s feasible, I’ll probably buy a few extra pairs, I would expect it won’t cost that much more to buy 8 sticks of 3meter vs just 2 sticks. I sent them an Email requesting info. Anyone have any experience shipping stuff in from the UK?

 

Try to find someone shipping a car. DELAIR it is there in the shipment, and wire it securely to the chassis. Air freight may not be that more than ship. International shipping goes on every day, just takes more details with brokers and handlers. Used to pick up cars and parts at airports & the docks years ago.

 

I've sold a few things that the buyers had me ship to the re-shippers on the east coast that filled containers with individual's purchases for shipment to the UK; maybe there are people over there that do the same for stuff coming here.

 

Man, I appreciate everyone’s help and suggestions. I’m still waiting to hear back from several places. And I have a big list of places I still have to contact. I also was contacted by Dave Crouse who restored the 303 Bell Roadster, he said he had a pretty difficult time finding the same PBY tubing when they restored that car like 20 years ago too. He said they found some from an Aircraft supply place in Denver. He thinks is was Aircraft Spruce but wasn’t sure. I’m going to call them tomorrow if I get a chance and actually speak to a human. Hopefully… some of these places I’m just sending emails to and getting shot down via email. I’m going to call a few of them back and at least see if I can get some more suggestions of places to try. Thanks to all again, I’ll keep updating this as I get more info and I’ll start a build thread when I can actually start building.

 

Glad to help. Can you post a photo of the car this build is based on?

Bob

 

If it works by air freight it is the best way. The plane lands and you pick it up at the airport. Had a couple motorcycles shipped that way.

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...otty’s-t-roadster-back-from-the-dead.1333489/

 

Thank you! That is a great car and having the correct frame material is very important to the overall look.

 

I was at the University of Iowa hospital, and the wheelchairs that they supplied were made from oval tubing. Maybe look into who supplies the chairs

 

Waiting to hear back from them still. Potentially found some here through Aircraft Spruce, but waiting to hear back from them as well to make sure it’s actually available. It’s a little bit smaller than I thought I would use, but It’s pretty darn close. My other concern is it’s only .049 wall thickness. The stuff in the UK is .079 I think. If I end up with the .049 stuff I’ll have to be careful welding heavier brackets and such to it. I don’t mind spending a bit more to make sure it’s the best possible option for this build.

 

If the original was PBY wing struts I would be surprised if they and thicker than .049

 

Yeah I’m pretty sure they would have been considerably heavier walled than .049. This .049 is so far, the only similar tubing I have found that Is actually available to purchase. This car will only be a static display car so if I have to, so be it but I’m still waiting to hear back from the place in the UK that has the .079 walled tubing.