Thread: I need help building a frame to go with my Jaguar front suspension

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If you have the suspension componants from a jag then get the frame plans for that car. From those plans you will be able to get the proper suspension mounting locations in three dimensional space. When you know where the bolts holes should be then you can design a frame that can accomodate where the suspension bolts to. What you will find in working with dedicated componants is that they won't be very forgiving nor adjustable - they are designed to work proper in just one particular relationship to each other and if you - for instance - want to change the ride height it won't be a simple matter of raising a bolt hole or two.
Chassis design is a simple or complicated as you want to make it. I do them from chalk on the floor to AutoCad Inventor 3D plans and the absolute best is get a roll of butcher's paper and draw everything at 1:1. Figuring out where everything goes is easier than you think, just apply common sense. What size rear tire, draw it on the paper and the middle is the center of the rear end, about an inch below that will be the pinion (figure which rear you want to use and get the right pinion offset); what size front tire? draw that and the middle is your front spindle height; How big clutchcan/torque converter and add some clearance - say 12" + 6 or 1/2 of 12+6= 12" to the crank - so that is your driveline height from the harmonic balancer to the tranny tailshaft and now you know where the engine and tranny is all you need to add is the length. This will set the driveline level and the driveshaft will run uphill into the pinion which should also be level and that will automatically give you a good pinion angle. Just keep going, plug in the knowns and the unknowns will solve themselves. Drawing at 1:1 you can lay the part on the paper and trace it or cut the frame member and lay it right where it belongs.

Thanks for the info. Turns out the doner car is still in one piece and I can go measure where everything went. That should make it much easier for me.

Thanks!
Chris