Home Terrapin Links
Solo 2 D-Modified Locost: Chassis Drivetrain Body Brakes Fuel Cooling Safety
Chassis
|
My Locost Chassis is a built according to the book dimensions. Since the car intended purpose is Solo 2 competition size does matter, for that reason I never considered one of the oversized chassis. I ordered my steel tubing from one of our local steel distributor. I found them looking in the yellow pages, most of the one advertised had no minimum order, but nobody sell less than full lengths i.e. 20ft tubes. I built my table with some2*4 and MDF sheets. I made the perimeter and 4 transverse pieces out of 2*4 and the top is 2 4*8 sheets of 3/4 inch MDF one on top of the other. I made sure that the table was both flat and level.     I incorporated at
the front part of the chassis the famous Ausie mods (Picture 1&2) .
The document is available here
it is interesting to read. At the time I thought I would be better to
build a light transmission tunnel (Picture 3), since it would give a
structure to build the steel backbone. Today I would not bother.
Instead I would build 2 driveshaft loops out of 1*1 by 16 gauges steel
tubing: Legal according to the SCCA Solo 2 Rule book. When building a
racecar, read the rule book 3 times before even thinking of cutting
some metal. It pays to do your homework. You don't whant to be trown
out for something overlooked. Also this way it eneable you to think
what can be done to your advantage within the rules. I would then
bend the tunnel out of 18 gauges steel sheet in one pieces.
 1  2  3 I've also incorporated a full floor to my chassis.    
I've continued working on the chassis. To reinforced the front of the frame I added an addition R tube, without any concern for interference. I also added some 22 gauge stress panel at the front and at the rear in the area of the mumford link.      In the driver
compartement, I added two diaganal tube to add some strengh to
the chassis. I got caught in a bind when I purchase a 4.6L Firecharger
extinguisher system. The tank was to big to put at the passengers feet,
or at the back above the differential, since I had planned a removable
scuttle, it would fit there. I only had to make a small shelf for
it, so I added a tube between the two new diagonals and then cut a
piece of 22 gauge sheetmetal for the shelf. I now need to drill some
holes and swag them for strenght.
     |