Board logo

fixing alum side panels
John Stones - 28/3/22 at 05:54 PM

Hi. So, I have been trying to determine the distance, max or min, required by IVA
for hole centres for pop rivets to secure the sides to the chassis top and
bottom rails. Cannot find in regs. It appears so far that best engineering
practice is the best info I have. Can anybody advise me please.

nickm - 28/3/22 at 07:19 PM

Hi
Dont think there is a max or min for ali panels but the panels do add rigidity to the chassis. I think most will say approx 4 inch but down to you really.

Nick M

gremlin1234 - 28/3/22 at 07:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by John Stones
Hi. So, I have been trying to determine the distance, max or min, required by IVA
for hole centres for pop rivets to secure the sides to the chassis top and
bottom rails. Cannot find in regs. It appears so far that best engineering
practice is the best info I have. Can anybody advise me please.

since you could fit them with just 'glue' (I believe Sikaflex is what you want) there cannot be a minimum distance, just go with what looks right, and add the sealant.

Slimy38 - 28/3/22 at 08:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nickm
Hi
Dont think there is a max or min for ali panels but the panels do add rigidity to the chassis. I think most will say approx 4 inch but down to you really.

Nick M


Aye, I think I went for around 100mm, or 4 inches in old money. I did do it quite evenly though, to make sure I had a rivet in each corner and evenly spaced between them. And when I go for the final fit they will also be sikaflexed.

John Stones - 28/3/22 at 09:33 PM

Hi. Thanks to you all for your valuable info.
I had thought that 100mm centres would be
ok so that is what I'll do, plus some sealant.

roadrunner - 28/3/22 at 10:11 PM

When I fitted my ally side panels I used clear silicone where it touched the chassis just to stop any rattles.
150mm centers is what I ended fixing at.

Mr Whippy - 29/3/22 at 06:22 AM

As above there is no requirements other than the panel must be secure. My personnel method of spacing is to take the two end points and half them, then half that again and again till it looks about right... A bit of common sense applies here and the more holes you drill though your chassis the weaker it gets, so going mad with tiny spacing just makes the car less strong not more. Really for side panels something like 2 inch spacing is perfectly fine. Combining it with a good adhesive like Tiger seal or even an automotive adhesive will greatly increase the strength. Buying blind pop rivets i.e. ones not open at the end will also prevent annoying water leaks.

nick205 - 29/3/22 at 03:39 PM

My MK Indy had GRP side panels.

For the Ally floor, rear bulkhead and tunnel I used rivet centres of 50mm IIRC, with PU adhesive between chassis and panel to prevent any rattles (and any water ingress up between chassi and floor.

My build was long enough ago to be SVA (pre-IVA) though so the rules may well have changed or be different. There were no comments during the SVA test though.

padrc66 - 29/3/22 at 03:59 PM

not a locost but the Sylva R1ot/J15 manual recommends:

"The panels are riveted in place with 4mm alloy rivets at approx 50mm centres except the floor which requires 40mm centres. They could be given additional strength by applying an adhesive like Sikaflex."

loggyboy - 31/3/22 at 11:17 PM

As mentioned, there is no min. Key to remember is the IVA is there for lots of different car types and specifics relating to one type are few and far between.