We built a 3/4 tube chassis car for a customer a few years ago. He had more money than driving experience and put it into both walls at the drag strip in Seguin. He was on pace for a 7.90 pass and blew the tires off. A 4-link won't hit a second time at speed, so he smoked 'em again trying to get back in the race. Anyways, that chassis was built to NHRA spec with 1.625 chromemoly, all tig welded. Every interface with the body was chromemoly to mild steel. It passed tech before being run and after cutting all the panels off, we found no cracks whatsoever in any joint. He had hit both front corners hard enough that no single run in the car was still square. It was a total loss, but the material and workmanship were plainly up to snuff. I'll pass on the horror stories and stick with my personal experience. The cheapest way to add performance is to shed weight. In this case, I believe that safety is improved as well. Invest in quality and you will never regret it.
thanks everyone for all the help and pictures and whatnot i bought tubing last night and started on the frame I'll post pictures once i get it along a little farther i think i came up with a pretty good design that fits the period 1949 look im after thanks Zach
It's later than the 40's, but the Orange Crate had a single tube chassis. According to the Hot Rod feature in Feb 1962, it used 3 inch .120 wall seamless Shelby tubing.
just please ignore my old wheels... There's a 10pt roll cage on this too now, so it's super stiff. Triangulation is the key; even very small tubing becomes crazy strong when it's triangulated.
thanks guys....i have been working on it for a few days i'll post pics if it works out!...it looks good so far i went for a very simplistic approach I'm really having fun working on it i found a ©1943 geometry book with 1948 homework in it at an old hot rodders place that i cleaned out the books...the new owners were gona burn them all!! figuring all the angles and stuff is actually fun on paper autocad woulda sped it up...but this is 1949 not 2007! and if it doesnt work out....i wasted alot of money on chromoly
thanks...it actually wasn't terrible... i bought some sizes slightly different then i wanted because he had them in stock from a few years ago....so i got the "old price" i have about $215 in it so far...im figuring $250 till i get it all done and make a few mistakes
Zach, you should research the frames that Ferrari had built by a company named GILCO back during that time. The tubing for these was actually oval, but you could certainly used the frames as a model for what would have been cutting-edge for back then. Cris EDIT: Didn't realize Beach Bum had already posted about Gilco...sorry.
chris, thats really encouraging seeing those frames i think mine will be slightly overkill....but its working out kinda neat and its still pretty light weight thanks alot Zach
Here's a guy who hand-built an aluminum Cobra Daytona coupe and the frame is 3" DOM .125 wall. Interesting. http://members.aol.com/COUPECHUCK/chassis.htm
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"></TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> We've seen the kind of garbage you put out. In all seriousness, I am looking forward to how this turns out, after seeing your other quality work. Definitely keep us posted.
Did you ever get this going? I am an ex rockcrawler who just finished a tube chassis for my old buggy. I am now thining about doing this for hte chassis on this new project. What is would use from experience of HARD rolls and what not is: 1.5-1.75 .120 DOM for theMAIN rails, and HREW for all the small stuff. I am still thining about doing this. dIma
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198599 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206975 check it out flatty
You have to clean the burnt oxides and stuff off stainless steel immediatly after welding, either chemically or with a wire brush/wheel, as it prevents the correct anti-rust oxides forming and promotes rust. Contrary to opinion, stainless only stays bright if it is able to form a thin layer of protective oxide on its surface.
The Jalopy Journal
