[**NEW CHASSIS QUALITY**]

I bought a designa chassis about 5 years ago and the build quality was horrific, and to top it off they werent interested in listening to my complaints or sorting the problems out.

I will never go near that company again from my personal experience. the welds missed the joints, holes werent aligned correctly and the fuel tank came rusty inside and out!

Colin

i'm supprised to hear that.. if the owner was th one you spoke to i'm supprised he didnt listen, i know that the two guy's that worked there one called arther dont know other one, they both got the sack about 4 yrs ago. i work in the building next to designa so i help out quite a bit, company boss makes the chassis himself now.

might be me but i dont think many fabricators (if you can call them that) have pride in there work..

i know if i hadnt got a chassis that was perfect and without any twist it would be going back..

i'm supprised you accepted it.

[**NEW CHASSIS QUALITY**]

Id be interested to hear peoples experience (good or bad) with new chassis. Ive seen some pictures recently of Designa and Richards Chassis - the quality of which would curl your toes!! Some of the welding is so bad it defies belief, crossmembers fitted wrong way round etc....It leaves me confused because i'll be in the market for a galv chassis soon, but if im shelling out £1200 i want the quality to be top notch...

like to see the pictures that you have seen

[Chassis Makers]

I was going to ask that - all of your posts are praising them, so it 'smells' like it to me.

Les.

i've done a lot of projects with a lot of different people, i use designas workshop quite a bit, i work on off-road beasts to drag cars, all sorts of projects,

right now i'm putting together a 130" for designa..

i made designa a set of jigs for producing range rover chassis (who else makes range rovers stuff)

but just for the record i've altered a few chasis from richards, a couple have has a slight twist which i've taken out..

marslands make really good chassis if you were wondering what i thort of them..

all i'm saying is i know exactly how what goes into making chassis from a jig and that designas chassis are well made...

[Who's the best new landrover chassis supplier?]

You a chassis inspector? Not sure I've seen a single new chassis yet though hope to get one of those Richards chasis this year.

no not a chassis inspector at all.. now i'm just a welder that has a lot of dealings with landrover and range rover chassis..

[Chassis Makers]

88" s3 chassis from main dealer (via Bearmach) is £2400 inc Vat

88" s3 chassis with no rear x-member from Richards chassis (primed only) £646 inc VAT

88" s3 chassis with no rear x-member from Designa chassis (etch primed only) £780 inc VAT.

Have to contact the Land Rover Orphanage this week for a price for the same

Les.

designa used 3mm plate 1mm thicker than richards (2mm) all side rails are gussited inside and tubed where all holes are re-enforcing inside rails where spring hangers are welded. and rest of chassis is fullywelded, not many people realise that there is only designa that use 3mm plate for almost everything on the chassis,

if you want very strong and well made chassis then phone design chassis again, they make and alter evey asspect of chassis to suit what ever you want,how long you want, what ever engine you want,

i do know they have just done a one off 88" coil altered down to 80" wheel base,power steering and fitted in a v8 that he wanted with a 5 sp gearbox instead of the std 4 sp,

[Who's the best new landrover chassis supplier?]

Ahhhh,

In that case all the Richards chassis i have seen are fully welded.............

Thought so, but i thought i had better ask a grown up

Jim

i've seen plenty of chassis from richards that were stitched, they might be fully welding now i dont no, prob realised that they should be fully welded na like designa's are..

as for being fully welded creating built up stress, it all depends how there welded and if the welder is'nt a carp welder and he knows what he's doing, and if there was any build up of stress through welding (which a good manufacturer would make sure of) the temp that galv takes the chassis upto its more or less lost anyway.

[Who's the best new landrover chassis supplier?]

why would anyone want to buy a chassis thats not fully welded...

there is a massive difference between fully welded and stiched ( strength wise).. fully welded it has a far less chance of twisting when you hit something, so surly its a big plus to have a fully welded chassis especially when made from 3mm instead of 2mm plate..

[Who's the best new landrover chassis supplier?]

Thicker rails = stronger and a lower CoG... Personally (if I was in the market for a chassis) these would be plus-points

richards chassis use 2mm steel on all of its components.also sadly too much stitch welding for my liking, in my oppinion if you buy a chassis it should be fully welded not stiched..

. if you want strong then designa is the place everything is FULLY WELDED not stiched and all chassis rails are 3mm steel,

filly gussited around spring hangers for strength, spring hangers 3mm thick,radius arm mounts all 3mm A frame x-member 3mm thick, basicly its all 3mm and cos its fully welded its strong and stiff. cant see the point in stitch welding like richards chassis do cos it may make turn around slightly quicker but personally i'd rather not go down the bodged route....

[Disco 200TDi chassis engine mounts]

just to set the record straight desinga do V8, 200tdi, 300tdi, 2 1/4 std mounts, seems strange why they would tell you they dont do them.