Starting to create the frame as a prototype using low-cost materials
(wooden sticks and tape). Advice from TomA on the diyelectriccar.com
forum (thank you tom!) advised welding on a jig in order to help reassemble
everything. However it was almost too late and there isn't enough steel
spare to do that! Luckily the entire rear suspension was still in one piece,
so creating a new frame around it and removing the older parts is still an
option.
By this point it seemed logical to create a more comprehensive prototype
frame out of sticks, then replace them all once satisfied that it'll
hold together with proper steel. The original frame of the Suzuki is
far too heavy: just the pieces of metal shown here must weigh 40kg:
everything non-essential has to go. Using sticks allows experimentation
without costing a fortune in steel, and it's quicker than using CAD/CAM.
Sometimes, computers aren't worth the hassle. This way it's clearly
and immediately obvious if one leg of a triangle is missing (ok, it's
obvious in 3D - 2D photos don't really cut it...)