Body support frame

I have had a couple of emails regarding how I made the frame on which I have mounted the body. For those that are interested I have added some more info below.

It started with a trip to AK early last year so I could see exactly what they do to move/support their bodies in the factory. I tool a few photos and some measurements and started from there.

The pictures above show the AK frame and how the body sits on it. Unfortunately, even though I used the "measure twice cut once" rule my frame didn't quite come out how I wanted it but it is OK and does the job fine. I just needed to add in a few packers and supports here and there.

Basically I made the frame from some wood battening 63mmx36mm(2.5"x1.5" planed) approx. 2.4m long. I got this from B&Q for around £2.50/length. The castors all came from Machine Mart. The frame is glued and screwed throughout having first made sub-assemblies for the front and rear supports then adding the sides to complete the frame. All areas were then to be braced to make a very rigid frame that can easily be moved around the workshop or outside when necessary for complete access to the chassis for things like brake and fuel line plumbing and engine/transmission installation etc.

I started by modelling up the assembly on CAD in my 'spare time' to make sure I knew exactly what I needed. Created a cutting list from this, cut all the parts and then started assembling. It took a couple of weekends to complete, a lot faster than expected. Each different length is shown in a different colour on the CAD layout.

From here I created several drawings to help me build and get the pieces in the correct positions. First is a general layout showing various views and overall sizes, less castors. Secondly there is an overall isometric view showing the parts that connect the front and rear frames & complete the wooden structure. Lastly are the two sub-assemblies for the front and rear frames. Each drawing has a cutting list for the lengths of each part.

Below is a photo of all the parts cut and ready for assembly. I used M8 coach bolts and wood glue to permanently fix. I could have just bolted it but felt that this would not be rigid enough and with the body sitting on this for a year or so and being moved about a lot I wanted to make sure that it would stand the test of time.

I wanted the frame to be quite wide so that it would pass over a rolling chassis width. This appears to be OK at the moment but it may be different for yours. I have added a few photos of the completed frame with the body in situ.

It was essential to ensure that the timber purchased was as straight as possible. Also during construction I constantly checked that all parts were square and true to each other else this would make the joining of the front and rear frames much more difficult.

Not sure what to do with it after I have finished with it though. Hopefully it will either be near to November 5th or there's always the possibility that it would be available if someone else has need of it. I will decide later and post on the Cobra Club.com forum nearer the time.

Now for the disclaimer bit. This was designed solely for my purposes. If you choose to have a go I am happy to assist in any way I can (time affording!) but please check all the dimensions before cutting. I found this to my annoyance on more than one occasion.

If you want to contact me please do so via http://www.cobraclub.com my user name is stu238.