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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Chassis Reinforcements

Just gathering parts and info as well as planning my 3.4 Camaro/T5 swap into a 75 B.In looking at the "How to Give your MGB V8 Power" book they have a section on the RV8 showing how the front spring perchs were reinforced using a tapered U shaped bracket. I would like to know if anyone has done a similar reinforcement using a stock size square tubing or fab'd component??
Any sketches of the final piece?
I will be mounting the tub on a spit once it is blasted and primed so I want to make all the mods before it comes off to have the engine/trans test fit.
Also looking for some homegrown ways to do a panhard rod using the stock rear end.
Thomas Rynne

Thomas

Try Tony Barnhill's site for details of his Top Hat conversion.

http://www.theautoist.com/poorb.htm

I have a section on reinforcing the sill/floorpan section on my site under modifications.

http://www.mgbv8.co.uk/

Nick
Nick Smallwood

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

for chassis reinforcements, you can't beat seam welding and chassis foaming. my project is getting it, as well as reinforcements around the rear spring mounts and other places. it will make a HUGE difference!

Joe Pitassi
Joe Pitassi

Joe
I hate to sound thick but what is chassis foaming?
Mick
Michael Black

I'm even thicker- what's a chassis? :-)
Anthony

gather 'round my friends...

Chassis foaming is a really neat thing...I heard about it several years ago when I found out that it's one of the things some rally teams use to stiffen up the chassis (or unibody, frame, whatever gives structure to the car)

It's an awful lot like the insulating foam-in-a-can that you can buy at a hardware store (at least here in the states you can), except for one crucial difference: it's anaerobic, which means it doesn't need air to dry. the kind you buy at the hardware store does, so if you were to squirt that into your frame members, you'd be carrying around a bunch of wet goop for the next few years.

the benefits of using the foam are pretty obvious...you're filling a void (with something that adds virtually nothing to the weight of the car) and turning a hollow into a solid. the car will be stiffer, not to mention safer in case of an accident as well.

do a search on the web for "chassis foam" and you're bound to come up with info including manufacturers.

Joe Pitassi
Joe Pitassi

Thanks Nick and Joe. I will now have to decide if I will go with the carbon fiber springs and traction bars or try fabricating the top hats and come up with some other traction bar system. I had heard of the foaming as related to Detroit's efforts to improve crash worthiness of domestic cars and had read the engineers concluded the foam actually made the cars tested TOO STRONG! In crash testing the energy was not being absorbed as intended by the deformable sections and thus being transfered to the occupants. In race car applications this is not as big a deal because of the more extensive restraints used as opposed to the typical street car's shoulder and lap belts.
I have full shoulder and lap system in my 72 B which makes me feel much more comfortable and will be looking to put full race shoulder and lap belts along with some form of body strengtening in the rear cockpit area of this V6 conversion.
Thomas Rynne

the thing you have to remember though is that the B was not designed with crashworthiness in mind. anything you can do to make it stronger is going to be better. Do I think that filling the rocker panels with foam will help me survive a side impact? You bet! Just like side impact beams.

a roll bar or roll cage would be great too.

Joe Pitassi
Joe Pitassi

Joe, what about using a fire retardant foam rather than the quite flammable home repair type! The thought of someone (or future owner) at a later date doing a weld not knowing whats behind that metal or if the car catches fire in an accident is a bit of a worry! I imagine a non-flammable type is what racing cars use though where one gets it I don't know.
regards
mark
mark mathiesen

The archive has information on foam injection. General consensus of opinion appears to be not to do it due to moisture being absorbed by the foam.
Try itwfoamseal.com for a manufacture. ‘More than 12 million vehicles have benefited from ITW Foamseal applications’ and apparently 3,000 vehicles a day are treated. DIY kits are available.
Has anyone tried this stuff?
Geoff
Geoff King

Hi,
When I asked about foam some time ago, the general consensus was not in favour, evidently the fumes are highly toxic if heated by welding etc.
I foames a Frogeye Sprite a few years ago, as a rustproofing precaution, and found it quite amazing how many nooks and cranies it oozed out of. Sold the car to a guy in Holland and never heard about it again,if he ever put it in a dyke, I guess the additional advantage is that it will float!

Mike Barnfather
Michael barnfather

This thread was discussed between 05/07/2001 and 13/07/2001

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