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Footwell bulkhead material
nludkin - 30/3/06 at 02:14 PM

I have been pondering this question for a while. Is it acceptable to use aluminium for a footwell bulkhead?

My kit supplier has provided 16swg ali for this purpose and thinks it will pass SVA? Surely this can't be right?

Any advice would be very much appreciated. I fear I am going to have to start welding more bits onto the chassis.

chrisf - 30/3/06 at 02:23 PM

Thats what I used as well. However, I have a 3" strip of 1/8" steel welded across the footwell to support he master cylinder

--Chris

nitram38 - 30/3/06 at 02:24 PM

A lot of tvr's have fibreglass floors!

jimgiblett - 30/3/06 at 02:24 PM

My bulk head is ally, but pedal box is steel though. Cant see why ally would be a problem for that too so long as it didnt flex / fatigue.

- Jim

Mr G - 30/3/06 at 02:25 PM

Lol, i've got fibreglass floors and bulkhead ffs

nludkin - 30/3/06 at 02:32 PM

There is a fair bit of flex in the ali, but it does seem to hold the master cylinder ok...

I am all up for leaving it as it is, just appreciated a second opinion. :-)

Thanks for the replies..

fesycresy - 30/3/06 at 03:12 PM

You're not bolting the master cylinder to the ally are you ?

I stand to be corrected but this would worry me.

nludkin - 30/3/06 at 04:09 PM

I had been told that it should hold the master cylinder and applied braking force ok. It is currently bolted straight onto the ally as per instructions.

Not overly sure that I am happy with ok.. It's just that my welding skills are non-existant and I would prefer not to have to modify it :-(

lexi - 30/3/06 at 04:24 PM

When you press brake pedal is it pushing on the rivet head ? ie. is panel rivetted from engine side ? Just thinking if you doubled panel thickness you would still be relying on rivet heads. You`re missing a lot of fun and capability not welding. They`ve never been cheaper!
Alex

jimgiblett - 30/3/06 at 04:39 PM

I braced up my steel pedal box because it flexed under hard braking. Gives the feeling of spongy brakes which is not good.

I'll be a lot easier to weld now than when the car is fully built. Just check your yellowpages for a mobile welder if you dont fancy doing yourself and cant move the chassis.

- Jim

MikeRJ - 31/3/06 at 09:16 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nludkin
I had been told that it should hold the master cylinder and applied braking force ok. It is currently bolted straight onto the ally as per instructions.

Not overly sure that I am happy with ok.. It's just that my welding skills are non-existant and I would prefer not to have to modify it :-(


Not sure I would be overly happy with that either, doesn't sound great. Aluminium work hardens quite easily, so any flexing will cause cracks.

andyace - 31/3/06 at 01:07 PM

I have a GTS chassis and the bulkhead is prewelded on and is a steel plate.

ned - 31/3/06 at 01:19 PM

Steel sheet for the driver footwell bulkhead to mount pedals and mastercylinder, but ally on the passenger side imho.

Ned.

Liam - 31/3/06 at 03:03 PM

Definately wouldn't mount master cylinders on a thin ally panel

Liam

britishtrident - 31/3/06 at 05:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ned
Steel sheet for the driver footwell bulkhead to mount pedals and mastercylinder, but ally on the passenger side imho.

Ned.


Same here -- drivers side is an old genuine IBM AT PC case -- the master cylinder bolts through the bulkhead and two 18x18x2mm RHS stiffeners that run vertically between C and Q -- nb crush tubes brazed in before welding into the chassis.


Once had an early Lotus +2S that suffered badly from spongey brakes due to pedal box flexing since then any home builds have been extra stiff in the pedalbox area.

andrews_45 - 31/3/06 at 06:09 PM

I picked up my chassis yesterday from mk and it came with aly footwell plate. Two steel bars welded into chassis to stop it flexing