Stiff Chassis!!!

[P-51]

This is by far the stiffest chassis I have ever seen!

The other day, I jacked up the front end under the lower control arm mount. I lifted the one corner high enough I got the rear, and the *opposite front* corner off the gound! Only the opposite rear wheel was on the ground.

Then, for the piece-de-resistance I tried opening the doors. "Like butta!"

Once when I lifted my Mustang to take only 2 wheels off the ground at once by putting the jack under a subframe connector, it permanently bent the chassis, and the one door is impossible to open whenever the car is lifted.

[Ducman69]

Sweet huh!



The angle in the back is almost flat, but the front is quite twisted.

------------------
00 Ford ZX3 / 96 Ford Cobra
90 Yam FJ1200/ 85 Yam RZ350 / 84 Yam RZ350
Engine Forum Moderator -Chris-

[This message has been edited by Ducman69 (edited 05-17-2001).]

[P-51]

What the.... what's wrong with that car?

Could the whole car be tilted and the axle is laying flat because of the suspension?

I can't imagine the whole chassis is that twisted!

That's a pretty cool picture though.

One thing I was worried about was if I twisted my Focus during the rally. I stuffed it into a snowbank really good, and had to be yanked out by a truck. They had a Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 "sweeper" truck that followed behind all the cars. The road was too slippery for him to pull me out (even with 6000lbs and 4WD!) so he had to *yank* me out using a stretchy tow strap.

I tested the car last week by taking a plumb bob and hanging it down from the center of each wheel, and then measuring the cross lengths (front right to rear left, front left to rear right) and it came out perfect, so I was happy with that.

Actually, I was amazed how good it was. Within millimeters as far as I could tell.

[Ducman69]

Yeah you're right. Solid axle is "stretching" the suspension down on the other side. Looks kinda funny though doesn't it. I just remembered that picture on the Texas Spokes front page when you mentioned frame twisting.

He does that a lot. New technique to cheet and get around the cones hahah!
http://www.ccsi.com/~vitek/spokes/pics/3wheeling.jpg

[Daniel]

I did the same thing, Rob. I was surprised to find the opposite corner of the car lifting off the ground...

[ZXmurph]

OK...had to do it too!

and P-51....you're right- the doors are like butter.....I couldn't believe it- I must have opened and closed them twenty times just trying to feel some sort of little misalignment but WOW

I know what you mean with the Stang.......I guess those times when my rabbit doors popped open over an angled speed bump didn't quite scream "structural integrity"

[P-51]

Glad I could provide you chaps with some cheap entertainment ideas!

This reminds me of the time a few months ago when some guy was on here trying to tell me that his Mustang is stiffer than the Focus...