Since you all have given me several good reading ideas to help me get some more understanding I figured I would ask, yet again, for another suggestion. I don't plan to build my own chassis yet, but I would like to understand the reasons for the various shapes and cross members used.

I've been looking at all the different types os locost/hicosts recently and while they do differ in their designs for the most part they are the same. Is this due to that particular design being tried and true so why buck the system? Is it a balance of cost, strength, and manufacturability.

I understand the engineering aspects of things so I don't really need a dumbed down book so with that said, is there a good read(s) on chassis design that you lot recommend? Preferably one that talks about the different design elements of a good chassis. Like explaining square vs round tube, how much triangulation is too much, different materials, ways to calculate the stress load on joints and beams, things like that.

Thanks,

Beags

Hi,
I wondered why round tube was used for cross bracing square tube so I used square tube as I had some at the time, then found out why, because it is very difficult to weld all four sides of the tube where it terminates into the right angle of the chassis, round tube is far easier to weld as you can get your welding torch much closer.