Too Much Flex (from my Hood) (1 Viewer)

[Isotel]

My Hood is everywhere, It shifts from side to side about 2 inches, and eventualy i loose my latches and its catching air.. I did not realize how bad it was till i saw this photo..

Im going to be doing a cage tied to the frame at 6 places, aswell as some tube fenders / Radiator protection soon, Any tricks to keeping things in place while flexing??

 

[greenfox]

Leave it alone it will be fine.

 

[Isotel]

yea yea, i know, id just like to eventually have a rig that dosent squeek rattle and hum as im working it thru a trail..

 

[numtel]

Mine is at least that bad...now I have more squeaks and rattles though so I don't notice it.;p

 

[sine80]

One suggestion that came up recently (if you have your window down) is to leave it unhooked and let it do its thing. That does seem to be an awful lot though...

 

[wngrog]

So much help here

That is FRAME flex manifesting itself in the hood.

Add a crossmember, tie in the cage to the frame and box the rear of the frame.

Any of the above or all will fix this.....

 

[bustanutley]

First build a cage that ties to the frame in 6 places, you will be surprise how much it stiffens up your chassis, plating the rear of the frame won't be necessary. Then either weld the 2 C's of the frame together up front or build an engine cage.

A stiff chassis is a happy chassis, frame flex is a very dated train of thought.

 

[Isotel]

So much help here

That is FRAME flex manifesting itself in the hood.

Add a crossmember, tie in the cage to the frame and box the rear of the frame.

Thanks Nolan.. not alot of room for a cross member, Cage is a MUST, cant wait to get that done!

First build a cage that ties to the frame in 6 places, you will be surprise how much it stiffens up your chassis, plating the rear of the frame won't be necessary. Then either weld the 2 C's of the frame together up front or build an engine cage.

A stiff chassis is a happy chassis, frame flex is a very dated train of thought.

Zach, So your Saying, Stitch Weld the C's that are Currently just Riveted?

 

[bustanutley]

yes

make sure to do your best to square up the frame before-hand

 

[Isotel]

cool.. My garage floor looks like a fault line runs thru it, so i think ill find another place to weld..

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Mace]

Thanks Nolan.. not alot of room for a cross member, Cage is a MUST, cant wait to get that done!



Zach, So your Saying, Stitch Weld the C's that are Currently just Riveted?

Grogan hit the nail on the head...

Stitch weld the frame. It will work wonders..

cage hard mounted to the frame does a lot as well..

 

[greenfox]

I stitch weilded the frame on my 74 it did help out alot.

 

[gottoy]

hi,
IMO I would leave it like that for two reasons;

-first, adding a cage will bring stiffness to the frame and aren't we looking for more flex? this hood thing with old cruisers is good because it alows more flex in general in contrary to newer cruisers were the hood is kept in "between" the flares instead of sliding over the flares...
-and its known that what flexes doesn't break...well that's what i've been told

besides this a cage looks good and protects the passenger but i would just leave the original cage and add an extention around the windshield

Cheers,

greetings from Belgium!

 

[Mace]

I perfer to allow the suspension (that is designed to move) do the work..

 

[Tapage]

A stiff chassis is a happy chassis, frame flex is a very dated train of thought.

Just curious .. coz I saw the F-350 of a buddy flex the chasis very well and it helps a lots ( coz the spring packs are really stiff ) at the trail ..

Are diferences chassis materials of design . ?

 

[Eskimo]

Just curious .. coz I saw the F-350 of a buddy flex the chasis very well and it helps a lots ( coz the spring packs are really stiff ) at the trail ..

Are diferences chassis materials of design . ?

The suspension is so stiff because the frame is so flexy. stiffer frame lets you use a softer suspension.

Frame flex sucks. The flex on mine went to -nill after the buggy build. No more creaking, popping, groaning, etc... from the frame.

 

[Mace]

Just curious .. coz I saw the F-350 of a buddy flex the chasis very well and it helps a lots ( coz the spring packs are really stiff ) at the trail ..

Are diferences chassis materials of design . ?

When his frame fails, you will know it..

 

[Landcruisin'60]

The suspension is so stiff because the frame is so flexy. stiffer frame lets you use a softer suspension.

Frame flex sucks. The flex on mine went to -nill after the buggy build. No more creaking, popping, groaning, etc... from the frame.

Isnt the suspension stiff because its designed to tow and haul a lot? Tractor trailers have really flexy frames so that they flex instead of break. Just watch one as it accelerates it twists all around.

 

[camcruiser13]

the frame twists, the body twists the body twists thing start to fail. let the suspension do the flexing

 

[bustanutley]

you cannot dampen chassis movement....