More chassis ??? Long travel dune truck

[swyman]

Tossing around the idea of building a custom chassis of a reg. cab short bed f-150. Would use King Coilovers, mid-engine (would like to put it behind the cab). Would build the f-150 looking, not using a cab, just building a roll cage and sheet metal the cab and flared fiberglass fenders and bed sides. How would you build the chassis... sq.tube? round tube? Chromemoly?? I was thinking of using round tube, building two truss like rails for the main frame and building off that. Am I on the right track? Any web sites to point me towards regarding chassis design??
Thanks in advance, Shane

[krackle]

I would use the round tube, for its strenghth. sounds like your on the right track.

[welderman23]

i would use rectangular tubing 3"x1 1/2" 1/4inch think

[TS-Off-Road]

Square tube for the main chassis rails - round for everything else. We usually use 2"x3"x.120 or 3"x4"x.120" for the square and 1.75"x.120" round DOM for the rest.

[2tay530]

Sounds like a realy cool project! what are you gonna use it for?

[swyman]

Sounds like a realy cool project! what are you gonna use it for?

Been going to Silver Lake sand dunes in Michigan for the past 33 years and finally retired from 2 wheels. I love to jump and have seen what the long travel buggies can do and want a piece of the action. I think I can do a truck a lot cheaper than building a buggie. I want a mid-engine, center seat driving position and try to squeeze seats on each side set back a bit. Plan on a super charged 5.4 out of a Lightning with trans. Have not completed my research on the feasability of a rear straight axle with a mid mount. There would be virtually no drive shaft. How do they do it?
Are you using mild steel or chromoly? I also have not had much business and have barely touched that beautiful Dynasty 350, so would like to TIG the whole chassis. Still, any web sites on chassis info would be very helpful.
Thanks, Shane

[swyman]

Square tube for the main chassis rails - round for everything else. We usually use 2"x3"x.120 or 3"x4"x.120" for the square and 1.75"x.120" round DOM for the rest.

Hey Cooter, web site is pretty cool, nice work. I don't have a tubing bender or a notcher. Any reccomendations?

[TS-Off-Road]

Hey Cooter, web site is pretty cool, nice work. I don't have a tubing bender or a notcher. Any reccomendations?

Thanks,
We use a Pro-tools 105hd to bend tube and a heavy duty notcher we built here in the shop. We do bend tube to customer specs. If you only need a few tubes bent up for a project, that might be the way to go. If you have a chopsaw or an angle grinder, simple notches in tube are really easy. Do a search on google for "chop saw notching" and click on the how-to thread from Pirate off road.

[kelzweld]

Tossing around the idea of building a custom chassis of a reg. cab short bed f-150. Would use King Coilovers, mid-engine (would like to put it behind the cab). Would build the f-150 looking, not using a cab, just building a roll cage and sheet metal the cab and flared fiberglass fenders and bed sides. How would you build the chassis... sq.tube? round tube? Chromemoly?? I was thinking of using round tube, building two truss like rails for the main frame and building off that. Am I on the right track? Any web sites to point me towards regarding chassis design??
Thanks in advance, Shane

I used to race a buggy that was mild steel round tube truss like rails with everything built off it. Bring your cage uprights down on top of vertical tubes in the trusses and they're really strong and can be fairly light. Lots of triangulation and you're onto a winner. Chromoly would be lighter but I wouldn't go there myself unless I had a proven chassis design. MS is so much cheaper for R&D.