First X - 6 Graphite Chassis Build!
On Tuesday and Wednesday May 9 & 10 Paul Sinclair built the first molded X - 6 chassis. We have produced 25 chassies, nose pieces, and shock towers, and this was the first time we've actually built them into a car. Paul removed all the parts from his aluminum prototype and put them onto the new molded chassis. Thus, this car is sort of an hybrid, with part molded proto parts and part machined prototype parts. But the chassis is the major thing, and we wanted to know how it would work.

Paul began by putting the nose piece on the front of the chassis with four screws from the bottom. The two front screws go into threaded inserts. We're now ready to install the B4 front end, steering, and servo.
After the front suspension is on, install the bottom covers. Watch out, they're not the same. One's right, the other's left. They hold the front of the hinge pins, and, if the hole for the pin ever wears, just replace the cover, not the entire chassis. (Paul's are prototypes still).
   

Mom loves this pic!
After you've installed the bottom covers and motor plate support, put in the two threaded inserts for the toe-in bar and install the shock tower. One bolt holds the inserts and tower for now.
   

Put your AE tranny internals into the X Factory transmission case. Paul's case is still a machined prototype.
Install only the bottom three short tranny screws.
   

Now the transmission goes in the car. Install your trans height shims now.
The right side. The top three tranny screws are still not in.
   

Now the motor plate. Note design error - The ball stud and its land interfere with the plate. Paul has ground off the plate so it clears everything nicely - the changes have already been incorperated into the production pieces.
Install the three long screws through the tranny to secure the motor plate. We must do things in this awkward order because there's no other way to get at the right front bolt that holds the tranny in.
   

Put the hinge pins through the control arms, install the front of the pins into the bottom covers, and hold things together with the toe-in bar. The kit will come with two bars - select 3 degrees per side or 4. Notice that because the transmission is held in by threaded inserts, you can really crank on them, yet you can remove the trans often to re-build or change shims without worrying about self-tapped threads plastic.
Add shims under the toe-in bar to set anti-squat. Notice the thickness of the chassis in the rear - this helps prevent flex and breakage. The X - 5 has a similar thickness at the back.
   

Secure the bar from below, with the screws going through the shims. Since these screws go into the plastic bar, just snug them down. (Paul's machined aluminum prototype 3 degree toe-in bar is still in use here.)
Now two cap head screws through the bar into the threaded inserts. Now you can really secure the bar, and, again, the inserts allow frequent removal to change bars or shims.
   

Bones into the outdrives and install the camber links. Check your work carefully, Paul…
Nice job! Let's head for the track.
   
We took the newest New Math up to DirtBurners in Detroit and Paul ran it on Thursday May 11th.  The chassis and nose piece held up great.  They fit together well, and everything bolts right up.  Most important, in the 5 or 6 packs Paul ran, there seems to be no damage at all.  The car handled just like his aluminum prototype did and everything seems strong and working as planned.
   

Thursday at DirtBurners installing a pair of front tires borrowed from Matt Millen.
Set up the speedo and we're ready to go. Check out that "prototype" battery hold-down. Makes the left side strap on the X - 5 look like a work of art!
   
The shock tower did not do as well.  It fits perfectly -- everything bolts right up.  However, we experienced some problems with ball studs pulling out.  Unfortunately, this may be a result of moving the studs as described in the Keith & Chazz podcast.  Everything works and fits correctly on the tower, it's just a matter of making adjustments in the mold so the part is strong.
   
It will take a few days to re-work the mold, but this is a problem we can handle, and we're glad it happened now before you get the cars.  We expect to have new towers immediately after the other parts are ready.
   
The chassis is right, and strong, and that's the main thing.  Stay tuned...