Hi, as a complete novice to kit-car building I'm looking for some advice. I bought someone's Sierra donor parts including a built locost chassis.

The chassis doesn't have the suspension brackets attached and I'm concerned that my first task could ruin it.

Checking the front vertical sections, I expected the tube faces where the brackets attached to be in-line and parallel to the center line, but they're not.

Do these sections need to be replaced?

With that in mind, what are the other areas I should worry about not being true?

All advice appreciated, as I'm nearing the throw it away and buy a kit stage.

Have to got one of the build books? The basics are in there.

If you are local to worcster you can borrow my book or have a look round my car.

Shaun

The book measurement are wrong... you need to have a google for the corrections.

Anyway Flakmonkey on here has kindly taken care of this, look here

Regards Mark

Hi & welcome to kit car madness,
which chassis is it? the ron champion or haynes roadster? or any other?
as Shaun says, once you know which chassis it is you can get the relevant book & all will become clear for you to check the chassis dimensions are correct etc, also the book will guide you through the whole process of building the car (more or less whole process),
don,t throw it away, buy/get the book.
best of luck
andy

Hi Andy, I'm a bit confused about the chassis model. Was told it's a Rorty IRS, but plans I have only detail the rear, so don't know if that means the front is Based on the Ron Champion book. Based in the pictures in the book, it has slight differences.

GTLC
you have a u2u message,

andy

Actually that's a good question, that book mentions angles of 1 degree. Now surely that's going to be obliterated by the welds? I mean do I have to be THAT accurate?

You make youself a simple jig, have a search on here, this will locate the brackets evenly on both sides allowing for 7 degree's caster.

You then just offer this to the frame and weld on the brackets.

If you are slightly out by a couple of mm, then pack the wishbones out with washers on the bush end or make the wishbones to suit.

Certainly not worth throwing away a built frame, if the uprights are a little different than the book dimensions and you can weld additional supports.

Regards Mark

why not post some pics first of the chassis so it can be positively identified

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
why not post some pics first of the chassis so it can be positively identified

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Rescued attachment DSCN0602.JPG

This one shows the gap at FU2 when a level is placed flat against LA at the bracket position.
Rescued attachment DSCN0596.JPG

As you said, the outside edges should run parallel to the centreline of the chassis. Otherwise the wishbone brackets will be at a funny angle!!!

I don't like what's been done at the top corners of the 'L' assembly at all, a lot of the strength of the joint has gone IMHO. I would chop out both those rails and the top one two and re-make them properly.
Alternatively, I guess you could fit a gusset inside the corner to replace the strenght.

Also, what has happened to the bottom of the FU tubes? Why are they outside the chassis rails.
They should be inline with the outside edge of the lower rails. And the top of them should be 16mm (IIRC- check it first) inside the top rails.

Best thing to do is only fit these once you have the brackets place. Make the FU rails fir the bracket placement rather than the other way round.

Make a wishbone bracket jig as per the pics in my archive:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/photos.php?action=gal&user=James&folder=Bracket%20Jig

and use this to set the position of your brackets and the Fu1/Fu2 rails.

Hope that helps,
James

EDIT: This is all assuming it's a Ron Champion Locost chassis. It's hard to tell exactly- but it looks like it to me!

P.S. Put the 'Y' (IIRC) engine bay bracing rails back in.
These are key to helping prevent the chassis lozenging.

Cheers,
James