I decided I wanted a tube frame for my Clod. Since I
planned to use it for rock crawling, I wanted an outer
"body" that could survive multiple rollovers and take
a beating better than the lexan body. This is what I
came up with.
It is designed to allow me to get full articulation out
of the axle, yet not be mounted so high as to make it too
top heavy.
Approach and departure angles are over 90 degrees so
that climbing and dropping off vertical faces is much
easier.
The frame is constructed of 3/16" and 1/4" steel brake
line tubing. I bent it using a small tube bender and assembled
the pieces using 45% silver content solder and an oxy/acetylene
torch. Most of the tubes were fish-mouthed where they mate to
other tubes. I estimate the frame weighs 1 to 1.5 pounds.
Have yet to weigh it. This pic shows me standing on the finished
frame. Seems to be pretty strong.
This pic just shows a detail shot showing the rear aluminum
skidplate.
The tube frame is attached to the main aluminum chassis
using six 6-32 screws. The top three 1/4" aluminum rods
were removed from the aluminum chassis and three brake
line tubes on the tube frame take their place. Each of
these tubes has been tapped to accept the 6-32 screws.
Copyright (c) 2000 by Jay Kopycinski, All Rights Reserved.