+- Austinsevenfriends (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum)
+-- Forum: Austin Seven Friends Forum (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Forum chat... (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=14)
+--- Thread: Chassis shortening (/showthread.php?tid=941)
Pages:
1
2
Chassis shortening - John Bonnett - 09-03-2018
I am basing my special on a six foot three chassis but the one I have is six foot nine so it needs to be shortened. If anyone else has successfully done this, I would be very pleased to hear from them. There may be other problems but the one that has struck me straightaway, is the spring mounting on the axle which is the wide track to suit the longer wheelbase. It is a D type axle which I want to use. Once the chassis is shortened, the axle mounts will be too far outboard and will need modifying.
Any help and advice gratefully received. Thank you.
John
RE: Chassis shortening - Bryan Norfolk - 09-03-2018
John,
You could take 6inches from between the cross members as shown here. Also perhaps box the chassis below the joint for additional strength.
RE: Chassis shortening - John Bonnett - 09-03-2018
(09-03-2018, 03:03 PM)Bryan Norfolk Wrote: John,
You could take 6inches from between the cross members as shown here. Also perhaps box the chassis below the joint for additional strength.
Ah, that's interesting Bryan. Thank you. So it would be necessary to fabricate a section that accommodates the difference in widths at the join. This would avoid the problem of axle mounts using my solution of just cutting lengths off the spring end of the chassis rails.
RE: Chassis shortening - Bryan Norfolk - 09-03-2018
Each A frame member was cut parallel to the centre line of the chassis, the front and back were the moved together by 6 inches, and the two halves rewelded together as shown.
RE: Chassis shortening - Steve Jones - 09-03-2018
Alternatively, shorten your chassis and narrow the rear axle. You'll need a pair of short half shafts but it's all a quite straight forward process.
Steve
RE: Chassis shortening - Hedd Jones - 09-03-2018
Lopping off the lugs off the axle and welding new ones is a fair bit easier.
Forgive me for stating the obvious. Modify the chassis. And surely youll need an IVA?
RE: Chassis shortening - John Bonnett - 09-03-2018
What a good solution. A splice with plenty of contact area for a strong joint. Thank you very much for that.
regards John
(09-03-2018, 05:00 PM)Hedd Jones Wrote: Lopping off the lugs off the axle and welding new ones is a fair bit easier.
Forgive me for stating the obvious. Modify the chassis. And surely youll need an IVA?
As things stand with the 8 point rule you are quite right. The chassis must not be modified. However, a recent letter from the DVLA or whatever they call themselves to the Beach Buggy Club indicated that the 8 point rule would be superseded in May with something that could be rather more lenient. Remember most VW base buggies have a shortened Beetle chassis. So it will be interesting to see what happens.
RE: Chassis shortening - Zetomagneto - 09-03-2018
(09-03-2018, 03:03 PM)Bryan Norfolk Wrote: John,
You could take 6inches from between the cross members as shown here. Also perhaps box the chassis below the joint for additional strength.
That looks awful, ruination of a chassis.
Not difficult to shorten a long chassis properly, note the 6 " has to be cut from the ends of the sidemembers, not in btween because the chassis section tapers along it's length.
The rear crossmember will also have to narrowed, best to take the excess out of the centre where the torque tube anchorage is fastened.
I have seen narrow chassis with wide axles In them or you could get Andy Bird to narrow your casings and half shafts
RE: Chassis shortening - JonE - 09-03-2018
Would it not be easier just to find a basic short chassis, then the car has potential to be on an earlier age-related plate as well as avoiding of hassles around modification? I suppose if the lwb already has a V5 then more understandable...
RE: Chassis shortening - Peter Naulls - 09-03-2018
John,
My Ulsteroid is on a shortened Ruby chassis. The inner lugs were cut from the rear axle. I had longer spring pins machined up then assembled the axle and springs and welded the lugs back on in the new position. All quite straightforward. The propshaft was cut and shortened - cutting through the weld at one end to free the UJ yolk, shortening the tube and welding back together.
All done as a youngster with no ability or experience whatsoever!
At about the same time a friend shortened his at the front end - making up a new, wider nose piece. The modifications got very complicated indeed so I reckon I made the right decision!
Peter.