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The Type 3 chassis is a modified version of the
Type 2 chassis. This design replaces some of the
25SHS tube in the more highly loaded areas with 50x25RHS
tubing. It is intended for use with a 6 cylinder
engine or small V8.
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The
chassis is constructed from square and rectangular tubing.
All chassis members are
constructed using either 25 mm square steel tube or 50
x 25 rectangular tube, all with a
1.6 mm wall thickness.
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The image
above shows a 3D wireframe structure used to perform a simple
stress analysis for this chassis design.
The analysis involved applying a couple (two forces of equal
size but opposite direction, to create a purely torsional
load) to the front of the frame while holding the rear of the
frame fixed. The relative rotation of the front of the
chassis under this load is an indication of the torsional
stiffness of the chassis.
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The image
above shows the predicted stress levels (axial stress along
each tube) in the chassis structure
due to an
applied torsional load. The red colour indicates the most
highly stressed chassis members.
Yellow
indicates moderate stress levels while blue indicates low
stress.
This chassis was tested for theoretical torsional stiffness. A value
of 2175 lbs.ft/degree was calculated. A calculation
was also carried out to see what the stiffness value would be
if the rectangular members were replaced with
square members (to see the specific effect of using the RHS
tubing). This gave a value of 1787 lbs.ft/degree.
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