Chassis Leg Measurements

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Nourish
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by Nourish »

Hey nslocomotives2 - hurry up and finish your fixture and see if yours fits cos mine doesn't and I can't work out why - the chassis rails are a good inch below the floor level!
don58van
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by don58van »

Hi Nourish

I have taken some measurements on my Traveller, which is stripped bare. It has recently had new floors put in but I doubt that the inflection point between the toeboard and floor would have moved significantly. My other Minors have the usual stonechip and crud underneath, so it is difficult to get a reliable reading.

Here are my pix, both left and right:
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Then I tried this:


So the inflection between the upper and lower toeboard is about 8 to 8.5 degrees.

Don
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Nourish
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by Nourish »

Thanks Don - That's very helpful.
I have stripped out the 'Chassis Extension box' so that it doesn't interfere with the chassis leg alignment.
With my fixture fitted the chassis rail seems to be an inch below the floor so I wonder if anyone can confirm for me the measurement between the centre of the top and bottom shock mount bolts and the centre of the chassis eye bolt hole. The drawing below shows it to be 12.437(12 + 7/16"= 315.9mm) but is this right?
AlignmentFixture.jpg
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Thanks for the help
Martin
Nourish
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by Nourish »

Also ...... As my floor is not at the same depth as the chassis height could someone please measure their Inner Box Sill depth in front of the X member (front seating area) - I haven't replaced mine and these set the height of the floor, mine measure about 2+3/8" (61mm) or there abouts.
Sill Depth.jpg
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Thanks again
don58van
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by don58van »

Here is my measurement of the sill height:
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Longitudinal horizontal projection of the eyebolt centreline to the centre between the upper and lower damper bolts: I could only get approximate measurements.

From the centre between damper bolts to the top of the chassis rail flange: 11.5".

As you no doubt already know, the top of the chassis rail flange to the centre of the eyebolt seems to be about 1.2"

So the dimension you are looking for is in the ballpark of 12.7"

Don
Nourish
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by Nourish »

You're a Star - Thank you Don.
That 2.4" is close enough to my rough measurement and the 12.7" is close to the drawing dimension but would put the chassis leg further away from the floor level.
I'm lost - Not understanding why my floor doesn't meet the chassis leg
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To the right of the picture you can see the piece of rusty angle iron I've clamped to the bottom of each box sill setting the floor level and you can see there's a 1/2" gap between it and the chassis leg. The end of the leg won't fit into the x member when it's clamped where it should be!
don58van
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by don58van »

I fully understand how frustrating this must be for you.

No doubt you would have been expecting your jig to sort things out pronto--I did.

I wish I had a brilliant insight that would help you solve the dimensional problems.

Is there any evidence that the damper crossmember has been displaced--perhaps by crash damage or poor rust repairs? I only ask this because, as you know, the jig uses the damper mounts as the master reference points for all the other key points at the front end.

Perhaps starting from different datum points might reveal what is wrong. For example what can we learn from using the crossmember as the master reference (did your replace the crossmember? Is it original?).

I am happy to continue supplying measurements you might need--I have very straight, original Minors here.

I'm just tossing ideas around. Sorry if they sound silly or you have already investigated them.

Don
Nourish
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by Nourish »

Thank you Don that's very nice of you.
Last night I tuned the shell back upright.
Today I'm hoping to set the shell level with an engineering spirit level on the box sills and the Bulkhead Cross member.
I'll then use some cotton with a bob weight to check that the Bulkhead Cross Member is square to the sills and check whether the lower suspension mount on the Jig is in the right place from vertical. If all ok then the chassis legs can be placed up to the level of the Box Sill bottoms and then the Mid Cross Member can be placed at the ends of the Chassis Rails.
Well that's my plan!
Nourish
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by Nourish »

Well it turns out that my bulkhead cross member isn't at right angles to the floor.
I cleaned up the cross member and can't see see any buckling .
I can't see this being a real problem as long as the legs are parallel and the eye bolt holes are both in the same place .
So I'm going to temporarily brace the floor with angle iron and see how the legs and floor cross member fit without the jig.
Nourish
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Re: Chassis Leg Measurements

Post by Nourish »

Ok - I think I'm getting somewhere. After taking off the X member and chassis leg I tidied them up and the floor panels. I bought from the US a 5" Disc Shrinker and along with a Panel Hammer and got the floor into a reasonable condition.
I welded the two legs to the x member with suitable spacing's between the lower king pin pivot point and the pedal pivot points so the legs are nice and square to the the x member. I took out the two Chassis strengthening structures that fit under the steering Rack. Here I noticed that the off side structure and the toe board floor panel has been pushed back!
I then decided I'd cut out the floor pan above the X member leaving in the tunnel after tacking in two pieces of angle iron on the inside. between the two sills ant floor level.
With my Chassis Alignment fixture in place I put the chassis legs up under and using G clamps clamped them to the Angle iron I put in sandwiching the floor and clamped up the X member ends to the sills, putting in the alignment bar through the legs into the Fixture and bolting up where the engine mounts fit it looks quite reasonable. A little adjustment the get the x member central to the inside of the two box sills and Robert is your Fathers Brother!

I drilled through the floor tunnel and drilled and tapped the X member and put bolts down through to clamp them together and then welded them up - but it didn't work out to well as they didn't really fit snugly and tapping the floor (Hitting!) between the welds has made a right mess of the tunnel. I going to have to cut this out and try to be a little creative with a strip of steel here.
Thanks again all for your help.
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