Fixing bodywork to the chassis

[jason 82]

Morning gentleman. I am after a little advice please, I have just started to receive some of my bodywork through from Gillham online, and was wondering, when you fix the nose cone & rear tub etc, would it be advisable to put a strip of steel across it to spread the pressure on the grp ? For instance, on one side of the nose cone, put a thin strip of steel from the first fixing at the front to the last fixing at the back. By doing this, sandwiching the grp, rather than bolting straight through it, using only a washer.

[jps]

Originally Posted by jason 82

Morning gentleman. I am after a little advice please, I have just started to receive some of my bodywork through from Gillham online, and was wondering, when you fix the nose cone & rear tub etc, would it be advisable to put a strip of steel across it to spread the pressure on the grp ? For instance, on one side of the nose cone, put a thin strip of steel from the first fixing at the front to the last fixing at the back. By doing this, sandwiching the grp, rather than bolting straight through it, using only a washer.

Presumably, if it doesn't move, then it doesn't matter if the 'load' is spread or not - for the nosecone i'd guess less of an issue - perhaps a different matter for the rear panel - which may move about if it really does 'act as a huge parachute' as some people have said...?

For the nosecone I am intending only 4 bolts anyway - one either side at the top onto the chassis rails (into a rivnut) and two attaching the bottom of the nose to the lower chassis rail that runs under the rad.... I may use the 'strip of metal' approach at the bottom now you've suggested it...

[skov]

For the scuttle I just used big washers.
For the nosecone I bonded on strips of metal with sikaflex as there wasn't enough of a lip for big washers.

[jason 82]

Thank you both. I was wondering about stress cracks from vibration etc