Continuing the buildup on project: The Show, Chassis by Aaron Iha takes fabricated sheets of steel and assembles the chassis, turning it into a rolling work of automotive art. Last month we showed you how the frame was designed and came to life, and in this installment you'll see the wild spindles, control arms, ridiculous 9-inch IRS, Wilwood big brakes, and Bonspeed wheels and Nitto tires meticulously being placed on the chassis. Rather than just put an obvious caption with a photo, we went to the man himself, Aaron Iha of Chassis by Aaron Iha, to tell us the reason/benefit of why he went so extreme on this build. Don't miss next month's insight into project: The Show's powertrain, as we're certain you'll be impressed with the throttle-by-wire, high-horsepower blown LS-engine. Oops, we may have said too much. Check out issue 3, where Chassis by Aaron calls up a Chevy C10 from the minors and gets it ready for the Show.
1. Aaron, after spending 11 weeks creating the frame and chassis components, it was a relief to see the frame off the table and onto the jackstands, ready to be assembled?
2. You used adjustable QA1 shocks, both front and rear, are they your preferred dampener or were they just a better fit for this application?
3. Last issue you told us the lower control arms were fabricated from 1/8-inch-thick steel, how thick/strong are the upper control arms?
4. What type of mount is used to connect the spindles to the control arms?
5. What brand/part number did you use for the front and rear airbag?
6. For the front suspension, was it your initial vision to have it look industrial and heavily mechanical?
After building a frame for...
After building a frame for 11 weeks there is always something that can still be cleaned up or added. You just have to take a few steps back and say when is when. I don't build a full frame in 11 weeks straight on a project of this size. I jump between the sheetmetal work and frame work, because in some cases I get fabricater's block, just like writers get writer's block. As much as you want to finish the project you don’t want to look back and say, "should've, would've, could've". So it's best for me to just take my time and be methodical about every individual piece.
We used adjustable QA1 shocks...
We used adjustable QA1 shocks not for their size but for their tuning ability. Each person has a personal preference on how a lowered vehicle should ride. We can fine-tune those personal preferences with this size adjustable shock.
Since those photos were taken,...
Since those photos were taken, we changed the design and made them better. The upper control arms are a waterfall style made from 3/16-inch plate. They are over built, but I was more concerned with the look of the A-arm. Construction of the upper arm is not nearly as important as the construction of the lower arm. The lower arm supports the weight of the vehicle while the upper arm guides the caster, camber, ect.
For the front spindles we...
For the front spindles we used Uniballs, which are widely used in off-road for its fabrication usability and high angle of change. The rear spindles use bronze bushings, which act like bearings to keep the rear toe parallel through its travel.
We used a Contitech 2,500-pound...
We used a Contitech 2,500-pound bag for the front and a 2,600-pound Contitech for the rear.
Neither, I designed the front...
Neither, I designed the front suspension around a factory-looking frame. I feel the only industrial or heavily mechanical part of the front suspension are the spindles. They have a lot of force applied to them compared to the A-arms and frame. They are heavily gusseted and multi-layered.