Body alignment on chassis

[bogster]

Hello,

I've just installed the body on the chassis for a trial fit. I seem to have a bit of misalignment at the front and I'm not sure if it's the way the body is sitting on the chassis or the way the offside bracket for the front bumper has been welded onto the chassis. Has anyone had this problem. If so how did you get around it. I believe it is the way the bracket has been welded on the chassis as the rest of the body seems to fit okay.

The brackets for the front bumpers also are touching the the body. Is this correct?

Everywhere else seems to be acceptable and I've checked that the body is central measuring from the wheel centers out to each plumbline.

Thanks for the help.

[richc]

Bogster,

There are a few threads knocking about on this subject. Basically the bodies aren't symmetrical. I have the same misalignment at the front regarding the air duct holes in relation to the over-rider mounts (my chassis is black so it's not as visible as your grey one). I didn't have a problem with them touching the body tho....

Other problem areas were the rear wheel arches, the offside flares out more at the back, and the inner wings where I had to fabricate plates to pick up on the over-rider mount so the chassis didn't distort. The body required a bit of trimming at the backbone brace area to sit down on the chassis properly, oh.. the transmition tunnel halves don't fit together properly either.

Just make the best compromise and understand that most people will never notice.....

Rich

[dave]

Go with the wheel arch alignment, forget about the front nudge bar brackets.
Make sure the body is pulled as far forward as possible on the chassis and then plumb line the arches over each wheel and you are done.
As Rich says the Cobra bodies are not symetrical and that is why the brackets dont sit in exactly the same place in relation to the body.
I was expecting this post either Sunday or yesterday Colin, what happened to that?


Rich.
"Chassis distort"! Those inner wings will not cause that to happen.

Colin.
At the very front of the inner wings use "G" clamps to pull the GRP to the front chassis horns and then check arch alighnment and then drill and rivet job done.

[richc]

Rich.
"Chassis distort"! Those inner wings will not cause that to happen.

Sorry, Dave, meant to write "body distort".....

Rich

[JonnyT]

Colin,

Sorry if this seems an obvious point but I only say it because it took Simon and I about an hour to work out why our body was not lining up correctly. When you put the body on and check the plumb lines the chassis has to be level - we levelled it on the front cross member just in front of the radiator and in the boot (there are bits of the chassis still visible in the boot, between the springs, and I used equal props and a level between them to make sure). If you don't do this you will spend time trying to get the body to move places where it shouldn't be going!!!

Jon

[BIGUNDIES]

Before I fitted my Dax body to the chassis I read alot of the posts about problems with things not quite lining up. However when I came to do the job we droped the body on and pulled it forward. I then looked at trying to make sure the body was centre over the tyres, ie same gap, and couldn't even budge it. When I did check they were close enough for me and to be honest you really are not going to notice if there is quater of an inch difference from one side to the other. I felt that the side profile was more important to me and so made sure the wheels where central in the wheel arch from a side view. So personally I wouldn't get to concerned about it.
Going back to your question about front horns touching the body work, I'd just take some of the fibreglass away from the inside so that you have a gap.

IMHP

[bogster]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Now that I have the body back off having marked were I need to remove the powder coat I can get to sanding those areas both on the chassis and body. I've also decided to trim back the side of the front bumper bracket on the chassis that is slightly exposed when looking through the air duct at the front. It only need as 1/4" and it will be hidden behind the body. Hopefully get the body back on and clamped down on Friday for drilling my rivet holes. Then off again for the final cleaning of surfaces and final fit and rivet on Saturday. I know, I'm taking ages!!!

The problem is I live in the country and have to organise extra pairs of hands to assist with the lift each time the body needs put on or taken off.

Does anyone have any good pictures of where and how the panels fit in the boot (both which go either side of the battery and the two that lie on top of the chassis rail either side of the boot).

Thanks again

[madjohnny]

Be careful drilling the rivet holes & then lifting the body off again. Sounds very difficult to match the holes back up to me.

I got my body on and alligned & drilled through the outer harness mounting plates, enlarged these holes and then bolted the body down using these to hold it firmly in place.

Lifted it off cleaned the mating surfaces with alchohol, put the Wurth adhesive on the chassis, dropped the body back on and then drilled & riveted in one go. No alignment problems then.

This is were Dave tells me I've done it wrong!!!!!

[dave]

Nah,
You do not need to drill holes, remove body,grind chassis, clean with alcohol, refit body, re align and then rivet.
What do you think the swarf that comes out of the holes is going to do? If you Wurth the chassis and put the body on then drill and rivet it will be fine. The Wurth sets so strongly you will not be removing that body again in a hurry. You also only need drill and rivet about every 4" except at the very front of the inner wings, I fit 6 rivets per side in this area.
It's your car and you are free to drill as many holes and fit as many rivets as possible but to date doing it "My way" not a single car has had the body shell blow off in the wind in over 90 builds.


Just trying to save you some time and energy.

[JonnyT]

Colin,

If you follow Dave's advice it is probably not so relevant, but I would highly recommend getting an air rvietter for the job. £35 very well spent. They are fantastic. I think we probably put in far more rivets than Dave suggests (not having had the benefit of his advice at the time) but even so the job, with about 5 high quality HSS drill bits and an air rivetter was done with little effort.

BTW - we bought 10 new drill bits - a bit of overkill in the end, but if there are two of you I would strongly recommend one drilling through the fibreglass at a slow speed (battery drill or the like) and one drilling the steel - we worked this out having blunted two drill bits on the fibreglass after just a few holes!!

Hope it goes well over the weekend,

Jon