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Wisbone design
clbarclay - 10/3/05 at 05:01 PM

I am planning on building my lower front wishones to a similare design as the Stuart Taylor wishbones.

First, how thin could the plate that the ball joint (maxi) bolts too be, is 3mm plate too thin or would I need thicker plate like 5mm?

Second, which is better, to weld the plate to the top of the wishbone tubes or do like the ST wishbones and weld the plate between the tubes?

britishtrident - 10/3/05 at 08:38 PM

Strongly recommend not to weld plate on top but put it along the neutral axis (tube centre lines) -- this is a really basic enginnering practice -- welded on top it creates a really bad stress raiser close to the point where peak bending moment lies.
3 mm plate istoo thin because of the way the Maxi balljoint mounts there is a bending load to consider.


I bought a set of ready cut Maxi balljoint wishbone plates for wide track suspension off Darren for almost next to nothing they are high quality and of excellent design ----- but also see what MMR and MK have to offer

britishtrident - 10/3/05 at 09:17 PM

See these http://www.mnrltd.co.uk/Wishbone-Plate.jpg

NS Dev - 11/3/05 at 08:13 AM

quote:
Originally posted by clbarclay
I am planning on building my lower front wishones to a similare design as the Stuart Taylor wishbones.

First, how thin could the plate that the ball joint (maxi) bolts too be, is 3mm plate too thin or would I need thicker plate like 5mm?

Second, which is better, to weld the plate to the top of the wishbone tubes or do like the ST wishbones and weld the plate between the tubes?


The ST wishbones do use 5mm plate. I think this is well OTT for the job, and rather heavy, but I guess Ian Gray doesn't want any failures!!

clbarclay - 11/3/05 at 12:23 PM

Thanks, the MNR plates look like quality stuff, but i'm planning on building as much of the car my self as I can.

Time to dig out some 5mm plate, all I seem to find at the moment is 1/4" (maby a little to think me thinks) so its back to searching.

NS Dev - 11/3/05 at 01:04 PM

Practise that steady hand for the gas torch!

britishtrident - 12/3/05 at 03:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by clbarclay
Thanks, the MNR plates look like quality stuff, but i'm planning on building as much of the car my self as I can.

Time to dig out some 5mm plate, all I seem to find at the moment is 1/4" (maby a little to think me thinks) so its back to searching.


By the time you make bones completely from scratch it will cost you much much more than buying complete bones never mind the very few pounds MNR or GTS charge for pre-cut plates making the bones up to be both of good apearance and structurally sound takes a lot of time that could be better spent elswhere on the build. I have just spent a month making wiishbones up and that was from precut plates.

clbarclay - 12/3/05 at 03:54 PM

At no point in that post did I mention cost. I didn't say that I was trying to do it on the cheap, I just said I wanted to build as much as possible (satisfaction).