Rick Morrissette's Aluminum Channel Chassis

This aluminum channel is available at Home Depot & Lowes, its about $6.00 for a 4' length. First cut the channel to the desired length for your chassis (I use a x-acto razor saw/miter box). Next lay out the axle hole locations, drill the front with a . 093 drill bit, and the rear with a . 125 drill bit. Click on thumbnail for a larger image.

The distance between axles is based on the body you plan to use. Next lay out the motor box and the gear cut out, scribe the locations and drill a 1/8 dia. Hole in the four corners of the motor box, and in the two inside corners of the gear cut out.

Using a dremel with a cut off disk, cut out the motor box & rear end, use a file and clean up the cut edges. Assemble the front axle; use brass tube spacers on both sides of the channel to keep the axle centered.   Now assemble the rear axle/crown gear, and use two small pieces of . 125 od brass tube as bushings, secure these in the channel using ca. glue.

Next drill two .062 dia. Holes (as low as you can) through the channel for the piano wire that will hold the side pans. Cut two pieces of .055 dia piano wire about .250" shorter than the width of the body your using. Next cut two pieces of brass strip( I used .125"x.500") cut them the length of your body (from wheel well to wheel well).

Slide the piano wire through the holes in the aluminum channel and solder the brass pans to the piano wire. If you need the pans to be wider for your body just add some spacers on both sides of the channel. Now you can drill the hole to locate your guide flag then attach and space the flag so the front wheels just touch the track. To install the motor just press it between the channel (it's a snug fit) As motor cases vary some may be to tight, if you run into this just take your dremel with a ball reamer  and grind a little from both sides were the motor touches.    Wire it up and go racing.