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-   -   Front lower wishbone plate bending (http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6228)

rincewind23 3rd April 2011 07:29 PM

Front lower wishbone plate bending
 
Hi all,

Now my chassis is finished I'm starting on the wishbones. I am stuck at the point where I have cut the plates for the front lower wishbones, following the dimensions in the book. I am having trouble putting the 10 degree bend in at the bend line. I have tried clamping and bending it (obviously not going to work with 5mm plate!), heating and bending (still no luck). Thought about banging it with a *really* big hammer, but managed to convince myself that was unlikely to end well before I tried it :) (plus hitting exacly 10 degrees would be next to impossible..)

I just wondered how others have approached this problem - I thought about putting a groove in at the bend line with a grinder, bending, then putting a weld bead along the groove for strength. I'm not sure if the groove would weaken the bend and the weld bead wouldn't help - I'm hoping someone better at engineering than me might be able to help out.

I've got a 6-ton bottle jack if there's any way I could build a jig to bend the plate and use the bottle jack.

Cheers,
KEv.

flyerncle 3rd April 2011 10:15 PM

Try a couple of bits of heavy angle in conjunction with the jack to form a press and use the point of one angle in the vee of the other.

minicountryman1961 4th April 2011 06:46 AM

the proper tool is a press brake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_brake

someone near you has one, it could be a sheet metal fabrication shop or heavy metal working shop. Take a copy of the book to show the guys what you are building and ask them nicely to bend it for you. Take a 24 pack of beer to reward them.





Quote:

Originally Posted by rincewind23 (Post 56475)
Hi all,

Now my chassis is finished I'm starting on the wishbones. I am stuck at the point where I have cut the plates for the front lower wishbones, following the dimensions in the book. I am having trouble putting the 10 degree bend in at the bend line. I have tried clamping and bending it (obviously not going to work with 5mm plate!), heating and bending (still no luck). Thought about banging it with a *really* big hammer, but managed to convince myself that was unlikely to end well before I tried it :) (plus hitting exacly 10 degrees would be next to impossible..)

I just wondered how others have approached this problem - I thought about putting a groove in at the bend line with a grinder, bending, then putting a weld bead along the groove for strength. I'm not sure if the groove would weaken the bend and the weld bead wouldn't help - I'm hoping someone better at engineering than me might be able to help out.

I've got a 6-ton bottle jack if there's any way I could build a jig to bend the plate and use the bottle jack.

Cheers,
KEv.


deezee 4th April 2011 12:58 PM

Where abouts are you? I used a press in the engineering shop next door. Just popped a bit of 5mm plate into the machine to test the angle before I risked putting the wishbone plates into it!

rincewind23 4th April 2011 01:17 PM

Cleckheaton - M62 Junction 26.


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