pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

looks sweet! The only thing I might suggest is a support bar i the middle. You dont want for somebody to hit you from the direct side and the whole chassis compresses inward. You could move both supports in a bit to fix it also without adding weight. :D

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

The only thing is the weight. 44 lbs is a lot, even with gearboxes. The lighter the better:

faster
more weight for other things

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

how thick is the 4x1 tubing? 1/8"?

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

Also if you have access to a CNC or Waterjet, that would lose a lot of weight.

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

Or just a mill if you have one. This would take a lot of time but it saves money and all the weight you want.


You could also do the same cheese holes with the cross braces.
Nice design though.

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

Nice, but some teams own a cnc, so you may want to ask them. 1323 offers to help any team with machining if they need it.

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

You could go with 3x1 tubing and angle aluminum for mounts to the transmissions. One angle aluminum piece on top of the 3x1 and one on the bottom, which should cover the 5" face of the transmission for mounting. The angle aluminum could be attached to the 3x1 via welding or via riveting.

Weight savings should be roughly 4.5 lbs assuming a 36"x27" base. Since that's 4.5 lbs of pure aluminum, it'd wind up being less expensive as well.

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

Why not look into using plate and standoffs to save even more weight. You only lose a little bit of strength but it is easier to work on the drivetrain and much lighter. For an idea of what Im talking about take a look at this frame that we are working on :
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/31759

Re: pic: 6w/d Chain base
 

With your choice of using inner and outer frame rails to support your wheels, plus your use of standoffs (or what appear to be standoffs) between the frame members to protect the wheels in case of a side hit, you could use 4" x1" U-channel in place of the box tubing--that would save a lot of weight. Adding cross members (at least 1, probably 2), as suggested by RMS11, would be a good addition...and you could get away with using 1/16" wall on the cross members.