Panels rivets

[cherno]

I've build my haynes 4 year ago and I still make modification on.
My car is only used on track I try to have the a better car each time.
I want to share you experience about adding rivets on the side panel to enforce the chassis/frame rigidity.
I consider to add a lot of rivets even the aesthetic is not preserved.

Do you have commandations or experience to share on this subject ,

Thanks

[Badger]

Hi Cherno, assuming a standard Haynes chassis, whilst it would somewhat depend on what material your side panels are made from I would not think that riveting them would provide a large boost to chassis rigidity. Replacing the panels with welded in items or diagonals would provide more rigidity, but comes with a weight cost.

[flyerncle]

Changing the chassis spec ie tube wall thickness and replacing 19mm with 25mm is what will effect rigidity of the chassis and that was what was done to a chassis that was built by Saturn to be raced,2mm wall tube instead of 1.6mm and it was very rigid and handled well.

you may find improvements in suspension mods like spring rates and dampers,also anti roll bars or more drastic inboard suspension so the dampers work at a different angle.

[cherno]

Thanks for answers

About chassis change I'm not going to rebuild a chassis so I keep my 1.5 thickness tubes
I prefer stay light. If we change 20mm to 25mm we increase by 30% the weight
and for thickness changing from 1.5 to 2 is also 30% more.
The result will be a heavy chassis ( 40kg with 20 and 25 and 1.5 and more than 60kg with bigger tubes ).
A best choice if with consider to change the chassis will be to stay with 1.5mm and use rectangular tubes ( round one are more complex to assemble ) to increase size only where it give more rigidity but it's complex to make the right choice.

I have allow side panels, riveting then is a very light change even if it not give big difference it can't be negative. I've planned to add rivet each 5cm on tubes joining top and bottom of the chassis sides.

[cherno]

Here is my panel with some rivet



Full size image

[flyerncle]

You could also panel the insides,replacing the 19mm tubes with 25mm would not add much weight but as you say the chassis is built.