Outer Limits 4x4 Board

As already mentioned in another post about body types I'm looking into building a rangie tray comp truck and have another query.

When competing in the Outback Challenge a couple of years back I was in the same group as Chip and Huddy who were competing in Chips trusty old rangie and they spent one night at Denian welding up body mounts and suspension mounts. Roger Smith was in the same group and didn't have any probs but think his chassis is strenghtened a fair bit.

Also navigated for a mate in the Vic Winch Challenge 2 years ago in a 74 model rangie and we managed to partially tear both rear lower control arm mounts from the chassis. We think this happened due to being airborne at about 40 km/h and coming down with to much right foot (350 chev) and new 35" pedes as we tore the mounts foward out of the chassis.

Is this common with a rangie chassis?

Besides strenghtening/laminating is there a later model, disco perhaps, chassis that is stronger and would be reasonably easy to fit an earlier body to?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

The defender/county chassis is stronger than a rangie or disco chassis (at least in the middle) as it has much deeper rails. But you cannot fit a RR/disco body shell without extensive modification and you would have to shorten it from 110" WB.

There are some small changes between the rangie and disco chassis, but none that I think would really affect strength. I have owned a rangie and a disco chassis and the only real difference was the cross member the a-frame attaches to (disco is round rangie is square). It is pretty simple to add extra gusseting to the suspension mounts and other stress points. The rangie chassis is quite strong compared to other stock chassis.

Make sure you laminate the trailing arms before worrying about the chassis though - they will give you a lot more problems.

Thanks Ben

ISUZUROVER wrote:It is pretty simple to add extra gusseting to the suspension mounts and other stress points.

Would certainly be doing this

ISUZUROVER wrote:Make sure you laminate the trailing arms before worrying about the chassis though - they will give you a lot more problems.

If this project does gets off the ground there will be no rangie suspension components anyway.

A couple of UK Comp safari motors I've seen using chopped Rangie Chassis
add extra plating on the section behind the front top spring plates following down to the gearbox x member
apparently this area is prone to bending if jumped/heavy landings.

Chips Rangie had a 98 Disco chassis in 2002, I am unsure if it still does.

Jason

i thought both the smiths and chips (no pun) re-chassissed(sp?)their respective rangies because of all the repairs on the old ones.
better with a reliable condition chassis.
if the early rangie and later disco chassis were the same strength then i guess you could say the newer one woulkd be stronger because it has not been exposed to the rigours of age (eg-twist)
david

Thanks for your responses guys. I also thought chipper was using a disco chassis in 2002 so will have chat to him when I get the chance to see how much is involved.