[JHSmentor]

Thx for the feedback everyone - keep it coming.

I'll take this opportunity to reply on some of the comments / suggestions so far.

I agree with the 1/2" bolts being way overkill - I'll check to see what bearings we have and how they fit in the wheels and sprockets we plan to use. Like I said before, we are very limited on machining capabilities so boring out holes in sprockets and gears is not an option.

for the 1/2" aluminum shafts - how do you attach them? I can see welding them to the inside rail but not the outside - or do you tap the ends and bolt them on that way?

the bracing would be welded as well but I'm not sure I understand the need to notch the aluminum - in fact, the reason for using angle is to have the added strength of the angle. notching would remove that (if I understand it correctly).

Clearance is definitely an open subject right now. if we don't have to climb anything then it's a moot point - but leving enough material at the top of the frame for manipulator attachments is a very good idea. Thx for the heads up!!

for the lightening holes - there is no guarantee that we will be able to get these cut out but I wanted some opinions just in case. I also have not figured out how to get Autodesk to calculate weight so I have not compared it with and without the holes to see the savings. I would think that 4-5lbs would be a good savings but if it weakens the frame too much then it's really not worth it. Again, I don't have any practical experience with this to know.

for the corner gussets - I thought about that as well. Not sure if it's worth the trouble but I'll leave that open as an option for improvement. I expect it to bend a little but should not actually cause any functional issues. There will be bumpers to help as well as the standoffs in the corners for the outer wheel plate that will help keep these in place (I think). if it's easy to do though, then I think we should.

By the way - no bedpan in the plans. At least not a structural one. we will obviously be using something to mount electronics and stuff like that but not an aluminum plate or something strong enough to help the frame any.

again - your feedback is greatly appreciated. having all of your experience at our fingertips is awesome!!