Strengthening and Self-Supporting

So this is the blog that will put the build at its current progress.

I took the engine out of the subframe and started strengthening the subframe with a decent MIG welder, previously i was using a portable one which struggles with 4mm+ metal. I attached two spars under the two main spars to create more strength and welded the top seams of the towers. I cleaned up the tie rod mounts and because i had scrapped the previous front spar, i still haven't completed the entire subframe. Speaking to people on the forums, there seems to be a little bit of flex in the subframe if there isn't a direct join from the front of the subframe to the rear. The tie rods take a massive beating also especially under heavy braking so it would only be right to attach a bracket that will join the rear of the subframe to the front, and mount that to the tie rod mounts also.

That is what i have in mind for the next part of this project, as well as attaching the ancillaries such as the alternator and a water pump idle pulley.

Here are a few pictures as she stands at the workshop.

 

Rear of the subframe where the gearbox used to foul after i tidied it up a little bit.

The self supporting engine in all its subframe glory. Not 100% complete but getting there.