Chassis/body mount spacers - Can you run without?

[Smith]

Hi, 

I've been through the site and I've found information on the spacers that go inbetween the body and chassis - usually 6x: a mix of generally 4x aluminium and 2x rubber, and that they are mainly used to help with panel gaps. 

My question is, is it possible to put a body on a chassis without using any spacers? 

Ie: if the body is in a restoration state, so panels/gaps can be amended once on the chassis before welding/paint etc., would this be okay? 

My thinking is that the body being on flat pieces of chassis rather than small round spacers would be a more solid mounting for rigidity. 

The body would obviously sit that little bit lower overall (5x or 6x mm?) but would there be any issues? 

The brake lines and fuel lines run on the vertical edge of the chassis, and I have brand new ones of each to run, so I can make them not be in the way. 

The only thing so far I can see that could be an issue, are the top of the bolts on the front mount of my R160 LSD are very close to the underside of the body. 

Do any of you know of any issues? 

Many thanks

[Mark]

Hi

Are you talking about Spit/gt6 or Herald/Vitesse? I used solid ally and steel spacers to mount my Vitesse. The bodies and chassis's are not precision engineered, dead flat and true. As soon as you start bolting things down tight there will be movement in the body and chassis, gaps will open and close. I spent a long time using different thickness solid spacers and shims to get acceptable panel fit.

[Smith]

Hi, 

Thanks for that. Sorry, forgot to mention what car! It's a Mk1 GT6 (or technically GT8). It has a 6x point roll cage, and I bought extra aluminium spacers alongside a new body mounting kit with the aim of stiffening everthing up. 

I think Nick Jones' son did some work writing up chassis stiffening, so I'm re-visiting that side too. 

Thanks so much.

[Nick Jones]

You can use solid spacers everywhere and I have on my Vitesse and GT6. Whether it actually makes any difference other than making the car harsher is a different question.

GT6 is the stiffest of them anyway. The part you can’t do much about without adding real bracing is between bulkhead and suspension turrets. If you want a car with torsional  stiffness a small chassis Triumph is a terrible start point….

[Smith]

Hi Nick, 

Thanks for this. You've already been really helpful in the work on my GT so far! 

Yes, I'm planning some (bolt-on) roll cage bars joining the front part of the chassis and the top of the suspension turrets, to a transverse roll cage bar under the dashboard. The plan is to bolt these through the bulkhead so that it is all still removeable for any future chassis/body seperation/repair. 

See photos for ideas.  (Note it's a LHD). 

Cheers. 

[Mark]

Lots of mods there, looking good. The braces to the turret tops, chassis, tied into a cage is as about as good as it gets for adding ridgedity.

[Smith]

Thanks Mark, that's the plan. Photos are from a racing GT6, mine is far less finished at the moment!  But the V8 sits nicely.