Custom Chassis Material and thickness.
 

I have a new project, which is still just in the planning phase. And need a few opinions from you guys. I am going to cut a custom chassis that will either be the start of a whole new project - "Maxx-Buggy" or just be a new chassis for my existing E-Maxx.

The question is what type and thickness of aluminum should I use for the new chassis? I have come down to a few options. Prices & Weight are for a single 12" x 36" piece.

A) .125" (3.17mm) 6061-T6 $34.42 5.28 lbs 1.76 lb/SqFt

B) .185" (4.75mm) 6061-T6 $58.87 7.92 lbs 2.64 lb/SqFt

C) (3.17mm) 7075-T6 $65.44 5.49 lbs 1.83 lb/SqFt

This is going to be a Low COG Chassis with front and rear skid plates and chassis as one piece. Chassis Braces will either be a skinny top deck running bulk to bulk, Or top deck on the front and turnbuckle braces in the rear.

I wanted to go with 3mm 6061 because it is the cheapest and lightest, but may opt for the 7075 for strength. Sould I go for the more expensive but extra strength 7075? I'd like to keep it as light as possible...

Thanks Guys any tips welcome! Also anyone see Aluminum cheaper than this?

6061-t6
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=76&step=2

7075-t6
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=916&step=2

I would use the 7075. It's slightly heavier, but it's much stronger to make up for the extra weight. You could use the 0.1" 7075 instead of the 0.125" and still be stronger than 0.125" 6061, but it would be lighter. OLM is just about the least expensive place I've found to buy materials from.

.125 is a bit think for a chassis, I would go with the .185 myself. I used .100 for the lst build, but it has multiple layers to make strength. Last flat chassis I made was at least 4mm thick, and it was about right IMO.

If you make the chassis a "double-deck" design then the 0.1" 7075 will be more than strong enough. If you're going for a single plate design then, yes, thicker material on the order of 0.188"+ would be good.

3mm 7075 is pretty standard for chassis. You should be good with that IMO.

3mm 7075-T6 ehough for chassis.

Since this chassis is going to be a Low COG Chassis with front and rear skid plates and chassis as one piece, you should be good with 3.17mm 7075-t6. Anything thicker than that will give you a hard time to bend the chassis for the front kick-up.

How will you be cutting the chassis? 6061-T6 will cut almost twice as fast as 7075-T6 for the same thickness if you will be using a blade.

Despite the difficulty in working with it, I too would go with 7075-T6, around 3mm thick.