Aluminum Monocoque for a production vehicle

[C6H5CH3]

Is a riveted aluminum monocoque a suitable option for a (low volume) production sports car ?

Not like the Elise but rather like older sports cars ? ( Think McLaren M6 GT for example )

Would it be durable ? Will the rivets need replacement after some time ? Fatigue failure ?

 

[GregLocock]

Landrovers were rivetted for a long time. No, properly designed rivets will last. But anybody else who made aluminum cars welded it one way or another.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[3DDave]

Aluminum will fatigue over time. There are, however, 30-50 year old riveted aluminum aircraft, some in near daily use, so if the design, assembly, and maintenance are well done it's possible.

 

[BrianPetersen]

Landrovers were body-on-steel-frame. i am ASSuming that your word "monocoque" means you want to build an aluminium unibody.

Rivets in body-in-white assembly nowadays are used in conjunction with structural adhesives, and the rivets are mostly to hold things in the right positions while the adhesive cures.

The places where suspension or powertrain loads are transferred to the unibody are of particular interest. Steel subframe to which the powertrain and main suspension and steering mechanisms attach is the common way to do this. But, I'm much more familiar with Chevrolets than McLarens.

 

[GregLocock]

I had thought the Panhard Dyna Z was an aluminium monocoque, but it had steel subframes in it. The problem with aluminium for suspension parts is that it tends to have low ductility (yes it can be done, but at added cost).

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?