Tube chassis design

[Mean 69]

So... You're in San Diego, eh? Well then! You'll just have to give me a shout and come by to see the goods. My shop is in Carlsbad!

We can accomodate just about anything from a "custom" standpoint, in this case, the floater axle assembly is a non-issue, no sweat on our part. Obviously we'd need to know what snouts you'll be using (GN, HOWE, etc), and it might require a modification to our assembly/welding fixture, but we're here to please.

We won't be using Corvette control arms, but it is very possible that we will be using the C5 hub pack on our custom spindles. I think there's enough meat on the hub to drill for larger studs, but that is without question an open issue, we'd have to look into it. We are in the process of building a 70 Camaro that will basically be the demo vehicle for the shop, the front stub is being prototyped right now, though there are still some open items. One thing for certain on this setup, at minimum for my own car, there will be a pretty good motor setback in order to get the suspension geometry we want, while still allowing room for the rack (front steer), and having "correct" steering (no cheating by moving the engine up, or having bad bump steer issues, or putting the rack in a place that will kill it after a thousand miles...). No doubt most folks won't want this as a product for their own car, but it will be "right."

Sounds like you want a pretty 'core project car, and while we love them all, the tough ones get us stoked up and give us a chance to show our prowess and creativity.

Mark

[TLWiltman]

PM sent...

[ironworks]

Dude the stock car front suspension are still based on a camaro subframe in alot of the classes of racing. i bet with minor fab and a lot of bolt on parts you could get thet to work pretty easy. We have used a front clip on a 70 nova with all winston cup parts from a road race car. Arms are not rebuild able but they are greaseable to make last a little longer. they don't make that stuff rebuild able because you will probably crash the car before it need to be rebuilt.
Rodger

[TLWiltman]

Dude the stock car front suspension are still based on a camaro subframe in alot of the classes of racing. i bet with minor fab and a lot of bolt on parts you could get thet to work pretty easy. We have used a front clip on a 70 nova with all winston cup parts from a road race car. Arms are not rebuild able but they are greaseable to make last a little longer. they don't make that stuff rebuild able because you will probably crash the car before it need to be rebuilt.
Rodger

Oddly enough, that was one of the ideas I came up with. Basically the idea was to "front-half" the car using a Laughlin front snout with all the fixin's, use square tubing to make the rocker box a "double-rail" (current Nextel Cup chassis appear to be constructed similarly with a double main rail), and then fill in the gaps (basically creating a rather elaborate subframe connector). The rear unibody structure would remain intact to maintain a "crush zone". This could be workable, but I'd have to figure out how to create a lateral brace for the rollcage main hoop to prevent the side rails from collapsing inward (Side impact protection keeps coming to mind, and I very much believe I will eventually crash the car...HARD!).