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Trailing arms
Thinking about it - 27/1/09 at 08:51 AM

What do you think is best.
Made from round or square tube.
The ones I have look a little on the thin side to me and I don't know the wall thickness. So I was thinking about making some new ones up but unsure which way to go.


Mr Whippy - 27/1/09 at 09:15 AM

1) round or square if you are fitting rubber bushes cos it makes little difference but round looks nicer and is a bit lighter

2) round if its rose joints cos you can thread the tube and simply screw them in and save weight and time, plus you don't need to weld anything

Wall thickness is not really that important as they are in tension or compression, not being bent. My Bluebird has trailing rods made from 20mm diameter tube only about 1.5mm wall thickness (around 400mm long) and that’s not a light weight car by any means.


[Edited on 27/1/09 by Mr Whippy]


maartenromijn - 27/1/09 at 12:13 PM

I made them from 16 gauge 1"RHS. With square tube it is somewhat easier to get the small tubes for the bushes alligned.