The Type 5 chassis is a modified version of the
Type 3 chassis. It incorporates the Mazda MX-5 rear
sub-frame and also has the front structure modified to take
standard MX-5 front suspension wishbones.
This is not a practical option as the lower wishbones are
quite long and the chassis
changes result in a very substantial reduction in the chassis
torsional stiffness.
The
chassis is constructed from square tubing. All chassis members are
constructed using 25 mm square steel tube with a 1.6
mm wall thickness.
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The image
above shows the 3D wireframe structure used to perform a simple
stress analysis for this chassis design.
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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 1205 lbs.ft/degree was calculated.
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