Road car with alloy chassis?

[cheapracer]

isn't steel by definition an alloy?

Pedantic Prick.

What do you think of when someone says "alloy wheels" - you think aluminium not steel which is wrong because aluminium is a an element and steel is an alloy.

[GSRman]

and wheels made completely from aluminium would be pretty useless.

[Dave75]

^^^^Many,many years ago ,todays "Alloy" [Aluminium] wheels were always referred to as MAG wheels,which is obviously incorrect as well.

[Unless they are BBS Porker Cup [wheels]...I have 1/2 of one from Bathurst,just waiting for another crash to get the inner section.
.....Makes a good base for a glass top Coffee table.

[linzerl]

Yes.. TVR's have a frame.... made of 100% british steel

Here's a shot of a Griffith frame.. however all TVRS are similiar

[Banzai]

^^^^Many,many years ago ,todays "Alloy" [Aluminium] wheels were always referred to as MAG wheels,which is obviously incorrect as well.

Not when it was short for Magnesium Alloy. Original minilite style as found on various British cars as well as Porsches. They make a nice bright bonfire when they burn and are banned from most racetracks because they are so flammable.

[New Stratos]

^^^^Many,many years ago ,todays "Alloy" [Aluminium] wheels were always referred to as MAG wheels,which is obviously incorrect as well.

My Lancia Beta had factory mags on it - they were some Magnesium Alloy, funnily enough.

[ALLMTR]

Yes I meant aluminium based alloy. Cool, I was just watching the American Hot Rod episodes where they built the Alumitub and was wondering if there were factory ones (I assume the factory ones are cast)

Id be worried about the chassis work weakening though I suppose different grades/composites would be better than others. . .

[Banzai]

Loyus, Jag an Astin Martin alloy chassis use extrusions. Certainky in Lotus case these are gloed together. Flat or lightly shaped aluminium sheet is used for things like floor panels. Galvanised steel is used for the engine subframe and a carbon fibre crash box is bonded/glued onto the front. Steel rollbar is bolted to the chassis rails.

[Nero]

Yes I meant aluminium based alloy. Cool, I was just watching the American Hot Rod episodes where they built the Alumitub and was wondering if there were factory ones (I assume the factory ones are cast)

Id be worried about the chassis work weakening though I suppose different grades/composites would be better than others. . .

fatigue is an issue, however general rule is that in similar design you need virtually the same mass of steel as alloy to achieve the same stiffness. One reason why the NSX, whilst a nice car, wsa not a great leap forward - it used conventional unitary design for a different material. Lotus' use of extrusions is clever.

[ALLMTR]

Yep from the calcs I was doing the alloy would need tto be twice as thick or wide. You could also build a steel one "weaker" as flex wouldn' t be an issue