wishbone tubes

[peter2482]

im gonna be cutting my wishbone tubes next week when the tube turns up, i was wondering the best way to cut them, by that i mean did you guys profile the tubes to fit around the tube it was welding to. if so how did, coz when i cut them on the saw they will have flat ends. does that make sense? :o

[Tatey]

A good start might be to use a tube mitre program such as:

http://www.ozhpv.org.au/resources/shed/tubemiter.html

You input all of the tube details and it creates a pattern, which you print off, wrap around your tube and you then have a rough shape to work with.

[peter2482]

thanks for the link, do you just use the template to mark the tube and then cut it out using a grinder etc

[londonsean69]

The tube mitre programs really help.

Even so, you will be grinding, fettling, grinding, fettling........

Sean

[AshG]

even with the tube mitre program its just a case of using the grinder and a file combined with a lot of mucking about. if i were to build another roadster i would definatly buy the pre done tubes from 3ge and just weld them up myself. brings the fabrication time down to hours rather than days

[allterrain]

I am just profiling mine at the moment using my lathe,made up a rotory cutter mounted in the chuck,same diameter as the bush tube, made a jig to hold the arm tube and mounted to the cross slide, works a treat.Cheers Brendan.

[Talonmotorsport]

Thats how we make all of our wishbones,profile cut with the lathe to the correct angles first time every time. Process goes from full lengths of steel to full set of finished wishbones in 3-4 hours.

[AshG]

i was going to do mine in the lathe but i was too tight to buy the cutting bits as the local machine shop wanted £50 for the two.

[uggy]

use holesaws. you just need to make a holder and they are cheaper than endmills. thats how we used to do the chrome-moly tube for karts

[londonsean69]

use holesaws. you just need to make a holder and they are cheaper than endmills. thats how we used to do the chrome-moly tube for karts

Do you mean mounting holesaws in the lathe?

Good idea, I had never thought of that.

You can get tube end notchers for just this sort of thing, but they cost wedge

Sean

[flyerncle]

RacerAl had a good picture of a mitre tool he had made on his blog,worth a look.

[Ricky]

hi i was wondering if anyone could help me? I would just like to know if i cannot find semless tube will normal tube work and i also would like to know what is the recommended thickness of the tube wall.. Thanks

[andyuk697]

hi ricky
i might be wrong but i dont think normal tube will work seamless is used because of its strenth theres plenty on ebay also spikehaus on here is selling some

cheers Andy

[Ricky]

hi thanks for the info and i dont think buying anything from guys on this forum is going to help much cause im all the way in south africa but anyway im sure i can find it somewhere but tell me would you know what is a good thickness for the wall of the tube wall

[londonsean69]

hi thanks for the info and i dont think buying anything from guys on this forum is going to help much cause im all the way in south africa but anyway im sure i can find it somewhere but tell me would you know what is a good thickness for the wall of the tube wall

Edit your profile so people can see your location. Then people can give you suitable replies.

There is another guy on here from ZA, maybe he can help point you in the right direction. Just rembered his user name - Landlocked

IIRC the wall thickness is in the book. Can't remember it off the top of my head, will have a look at my receipts. Just checked receipts and it's not on there. I think it is 2mm off the top of my head. Book is in garage and the weather is miserable, so I'm not going to look

[Ricky]

thats the thing unless im really blind but i cant find it in the book it dont say the wall thinkness but i have looked at some pictures of the tubes its looks like 3mm

[Ricky]

sorry i ment see i dont see it in the book

[Land Locked]

hi thanks for the info and i dont think buying anything from guys on this forum is going to help much cause im all the way in south africa but anyway im sure i can find it somewhere but tell me would you know what is a good thickness for the wall of the tube wall

Ricky, my steel merchant has offered to order the seamless tube for me. Not sure how much we need, but maybe place our order together? I'm in Kempton Park.

[londonsean69]

thats the thing unless im really blind but i cant find it in the book it dont say the wall thinkness but i have looked at some pictures of the tubes its looks like 3mm

That's a fair point. I've just been down to my garage and I have a handwritten note in my book, it's 2mm wall thickness.

A quick search of the forum using the term "seamless" brought this up though - link to question on seamless thickness. (http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=124&highlight=seamless)

The answer at the time, from Chris, was 2mm.

Hope that helps, and if you are anywhere local to Landlocked order the steel together, you 'might' get a better price, then you can have a brai when you pick it up;) (I have a load of Saffer mates - Bring and Brai's all summer long:D)

[3GE Components]

The 25mm diameter tube is 2mm wall thickness, and the 19mm tube is 1.5mm wall.

Hope this helps in your search.

Kind regards

John

[flyerncle]

Seamless tube is used in hydraulic system's,try a supplier for hydraulics.

[RAYLEE29]

I used 3mm wall tube for all my wishbones as thats what the stockist had others have too so if you can only get 3mm im sure it will be fine
Ray:)

[Ricky]

hi thank you all you guys for the info i guess that my answer is 2mm for the tubes but im thinking of 3mm to be safer is that ok or will it be to heavy and they guy from kempton park i would like to buy the stuff but at the moment im having a bit of a money issue cause im jobless but i believe in getting as much info before starting a project it makes things a little easier for some people like myself