What does everyone do for fabricating the suspension mounting brackets? the book states 26 brackets. Seems like a lot of work for the hacksaw and the
old elbow grease !
...also, how accurate do they really need to be? what's the impact if they differ between 38mm or 42mm (rather than book 40mm wide) or do you not
fabricate at all?
Get a piece of 50x50mm box section with a 3mm wall thicknes. Cut them into sections. Drill them all the way through in one go and then cut out the
face with the seam in it and tart them up.
Link
total cost £2 + lots of time and efort
or just buy them. Been loads on eBay.
What about these?
Steve.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOCOST-KIT-CAR-SUPENSION-BRACKET-SETS_W0QQitemZ180051242383QQihZ008QQcategoryZ100921QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Hi - I found it easiest to cut the brackets from 50X3mm square tubing with a cut off machine (well worth the investment if you are building a car).
For details of how I made them see my build diary no 3
If I build another car I would make the brackets about 54 mm wide as it gives more adjustment of caster ie use 60mm tubing - it might mean you have to
gusset the back of the bracket.
Also I think a 26 - 28mm ID bush tube is better than the 20 shown in the book so allow enough offset of the holes to fit.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOCOST-KIT-CAR-SUPENSION-BRACKET-SETS_W0QQitemZ180051242383QQihZ008QQcategoryZ100921QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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for ~£30 buy-it-now and delivery it seems reasonable to me, but I just wondered whether it would take hours otherwise.
After my efforts in the shed last night I don't think I could face doing the second one !! 
.... thanks guys, that 50mm RHS tube sounds like a good idea. Ivan - what type of saw is that you're using? and blade?
I bought an "el cheapo" Chinese cut -off saw that takes 300 X 3 mm reinforced abrasive cutting discs - cost about 60 pounds.
For complete chassis used 2 discs.
All brackets took me about 5 hours to make but then I remade them later as I changed the bush tube size and the bolt size to 10 mm at the front and 12
mm at the back. Up from 8 and 11 per book.
Next time I would leave the brackets till last - or at least until I had finalised my suspension arms and the bush tubes and use the suspension arms
with a suitable frame to locate the brackets on the chassis.
That way I would have more flexibility to change the design as I went along.
I would at least only tack weld such things as brackets and their attachment tubes to the chassis until near the end of the build.
If the box trick does not give you the dimensions required, make each bracket in two pieces (two 'L' sections) and weld together
just buy 40x50x40 x3, fill-up with wood, drill, cut, ready.
Or different size if you want.
[Edited on 20/11/06 by t.j.]
Just to be different, I bought some 40mm x 3mm steel strip and bent them over a mandrell - one cut per bracket (not that I'm lazy 
)
quote:
Originally posted by Marcus
Just to be different, I bought some 40mm x 3mm steel strip and bent them over a mandrell - one cut per bracket (not that I'm lazy
quote:
Ok, but you had to bent.
I was looking round the shed the other day and found I have nearly as many hammers as I have spanners
Obviously a man of some precision