My Elio Alternate Project Is Underway.

[JEBar]

Just like this.

View attachment 24705

No cutting, no welding to the control arms themselves, just 'off the shelf', add the simple extensions, and use.

I used the box tube so I didn't have to get the edges folded, later I will laser these out and fold them (many at once).

nice ... a simple step to create channel that has a stronger resistance to bending than flat bar

 

[Mark BEX]

My machinist was a little slow to do my spacers today, the 6 x round things in the middle, later I will laser cut them out, and as you can see, I bought the other side control arm now I know it's going to work, and the hardware to bolt them all together properly.

 

[JEBar]

step by step .... in years past I worked on my own vehicles, I kept and drove a 1978 Jeep Gladiator pickup for 24 years .... rebuilt a Jeep 360 V8 twice .... it is one thing to repair a vehicle, it takes an entirely different set of talents/skills to design and build one from the ground up .... tip of my cap

 

[Mark BEX]

and then there was a left and right side control arm...

Spacers worked perfectly for the control arms to the crossmember, all mounted

and now looking at how the engine and gearbox will be mounted ..

 

[JEBar]

nicely done, the crossmember centered and the same control arm on each side, that should prove to be a major asset in wheel alignment

 

[Mark BEX]

The never ending saga of the front crossmember ... but I have to get it right the first time ..

The are some issues with the current setup related to engine mounting and interference for the sway bar.

Today I skipped over to the next city an bought a Chevrolet Aveo crossmember, yes, same as the control arms, and tomorrow will do the analysis of using that setup instead.

As with the control arms, this will also make the crossmember available 'off the shelf' in the USA, as well as 120 other Countries :-)

 

[Mark BEX]

The new crossmember setup is looking pretty good.

The rear mounts being near the corners of the chassis tubes, blue arrows, will be easily mounted with simple triangle plates.

The 'dogbone' engine stabiliser (controls the engine's rocking), green arrow, is very simple to mount to the gearbox being no more than a channel shape with a few holes. Cheap and simple.

And the sway bay mounts, red arrow, are accomplished by a separate link that hooks to the spindle upright, rather than attached to the lower control arm, giving me options of where to hook it up. This gives me an advantage of being able to change the rate of the sway bar to suit the car's dynamic cornering weight.

 

[Coss]

So your planning on a 4 cylinder, possibly with turbo? Or will it have to option of a V6 (please say yes Pleasssseee)
I'm a firm believer in the V engine for power, rather then a I4 with turbo it just doesn't have the grunt that a V6 does.
Yes, I'm a old fashion hot rodder that loves the growl that a 4 just can't do.

 

[JEBar]

understood on the growl .... I'd imagine it would be a pretty tight fit to mount a V6 with or without a turbo under the hood of an Elio size trike .... some modern day 4 cylinder motors have a good deal of pep ....

 

[Mark BEX]

So your planning on a 4 cylinder, possibly with turbo?

? Toyota 1.0 3 cylinder KR1 engine ....