No More Front Chassis Flex!

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Intense

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Here is one of my winter projects for my XB-E.


Like others, I kept bending the front center drive shaft, and tore up a few gear boxes. I got the to thinking about it and looking at it rand realized the problem was the chassis was significantly flexing just in front of the center diff / motor mound. I noticed that there was a significant gouge on the chassis where one of the screws on the motor for the end bell had been hitting.


My solution to this was make a brace that ties into the motor mount, and runs under the front center drive shaft. I have the 7075RC motor mount which raises the center diff shaft so it made fitting the brace under no problem. I milled the brace out of 6061, and milled a slot in the motor mount to make sure I had a solid connection between the two. I a using two screws to hold the brace to the motor mound. The bottom screw had to be a flat head so it would not hit the spur.


I have taken some hard nose landings with my new brace, and no drive shaft damage or diff case damage has occurred.


I even accidental tagged the curb coming into my drive way, and no drive shaft damage or diff case damage has occurred. Now that one did bend the two lower sus arm mounds and bent the chassis a little bit under the front diff (had to hammer it out a little), but the brace held up with no damage.


I realize that not everyone can get access to a machine shop, so maybe Ol'Fart could make something like this an option for his motor mount.
 
First off I'd like to say nice machining but, The chassis is flexing the most in the thinest area, right behind the diff housing. By stiffening up the rest of the chassis you are adding stress to the thin area. If you take this idea and extend it and bolt it into the diff housing it should reduce the stress from the whole front area of the chassis. I think it would work well but the flex problem would still exist for the gas cars. I think redesigning the chassis would fix the flex for both cars and that is what I'm working on.
 
I think redesigning the chassis would fix the flex for both cars and that is what I'm working on.
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This will be a great product as the XBE, XB, XT & XSC share this type of chassis. I am looking forward to this one. :)
 
Ol'fart is your chassis going to be stock length? Looking forward to giving you more money because I am tired of bending front driveshafts
 
Ol'fart, you are right about the narrow area behind the diff case being the most flimsy. But I have the aluminum Front Top Plate and Front Brace, and with these two aluminum parts, I don't seem to get much flex at the narrow point behind the diff case. We will see how well those parts hold up. There is a lot of load on those two parts.

So I, agree a better chassis is the way to go.

If my brace ends up not holding up, I'm glad I will have the 7075RC chassis to fall back on.
 
Ol said:
First off I'd like to say nice machining but, The chassis is flexing the most in the thinest area, right behind the diff housing. By stiffening up the rest of the chassis you are adding stress to the thin area. If you take this idea and extend it and bolt it into the diff housing it should reduce the stress from the whole front area of the chassis. I think it would work well but the flex problem would still exist for the gas cars. I think redesigning the chassis would fix the flex for both cars and that is what I'm working on.
Click to expand...
A big Hell Yea to You..lol..

Actually Ive really studied the chasis and you are 100 percent right .

Like Ol'Fart said extend it a little but most of the flex on a gas is right behind the diff.I was starting to mod braces and bottom supports but decided to wait..
 
Intense said:
Here is one of my winter projects for my XB-E.Like others, I kept bending the front center drive shaft, and tore up a few gear boxes. I got the to thinking about it and looking at it rand realized the problem was the chassis was significantly flexing just in front of the center diff / motor mound. I noticed that there was a significant gouge on the chassis where one of the screws on the motor for the end bell had been hitting.

My solution to this was make a brace that ties into the motor mount, and runs under the front center drive shaft. I have the 7075RC motor mount which raises the center diff shaft so it made fitting the brace under no problem. I milled the brace out of 6061, and milled a slot in the motor mount to make sure I had a solid connection between the two. I a using two screws to hold the brace to the motor mound. The bottom screw had to be a flat head so it would not hit the spur.

I have taken some hard nose landings with my new brace, and no drive shaft damage or diff case damage has occurred.

I even accidental tagged the curb coming into my drive way, and no drive shaft damage or diff case damage has occurred. Now that one did bend the two lower sus arm mounds and bent the chassis a little bit under the front diff (had to hammer it out a little), but the brace held up with no damage.

I realize that not everyone can get access to a machine shop, so maybe Ol'Fart could make something like this an option for his motor mount.
Click to expand...
very nice work.
 
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