Ali chassis.???
 

Need to pick you brains a little, has anyone built one of these cars with an ali chassis at all.? If not why not.? Is it just cost.?

I know I'll have to stiffen things up a little (I was going beef it up even if it was steel). I was hoping to get the steel this week, but steady day at work and my mind wonders :D so looking at getting a quote for some ali instead.

But what grade should I get.? I know some of the bike chassis guys (spondon) use 7020 which doesn't need treating after welding, but if I use a more 'regular' grade ali and stiffen it up enough could I get away with out getting it heat treated.? And if I did get it heat treated would I need to make a massive jig to hold it together.? (already sounding like a nightmare).

Thanks in advance for your input ;)

Dave.

SEXSPENSIVE! id say , but if im thinking correctly 7075 would be a goodun to use, It would be light but the cost of everything in total would out weigh your wallet :p

Saying that, i think it'd be cool :)

michael

Go for steel and there is not a lot of need to beef up the design except for replacing with 25x50 the bits that are doubled up 25x25.

Ally chassis,nice idea,mega money.

This has been discussed a number of times on Locost Builders. Aluminium isn't strong enough to make a space frame like the Haynes Roadster (in the same way you wouldn't make a roll bar from 2mm aluminium). Yes some exotic cars use aluminium in their construction, but its designed and developed from the start. Its not about stiffening up the corners or heat treating the welds, its just simply about it not being strong enough for this chassis design.

Very true, take a look at the Elise chassis for an example. Completely different design methodology compared to the roadster. The joins are glued and baked in an oven :eek:

Yeah, been thinking a bit more today about how the chassis is built, it is the wrong style of space frame chassis for aluminium box/tube.
I did find the haynes chassis in solidworks and I'll see I can play with it at work and change it's properties and mess with it a little.
Thanks anyway for your thoughts guys :)


edit.... just did a search on Locost :eek: , I think I won't even bother pursuing any further.

The Lotus came to mind but Wyllie beat me to it,there is always the VXR 200 or whatever it was by Vauxhall.

VX220 was basically a Lotus Elise with Vauxhall running gear.
Had a variety of engines from 1.8 to 2.2 but the one to go for was the 2.0 Turbo running a Z20LET engine.

A turd by any other name !:rolleyes: