The basic support structure of any vehicle is the chassis and provides the rigid platform to which all other components are attached. It provides the attachment points for the suspension, the steering, the engine and transmission, all peripheral subsystems and the body.

The chassis of a racing vehicle also serves as the driver compartment safety cage. The Sidewinder D-MAX Type-R tube chassis uses a proven NASCAR Late-Model truck chassis driver cage structure with several bars forward and behind the driver’s cage that have been reconfigured to accommodate the unique suspension mounting points and the twin-turbo Duramax V8 diesel engine.

The chassis is constructed of 0.095 x 1-3/4” mild steel and chrome moly tubing atop 3”x 4” rectangular side rails. All other bottom rails are 2”x 3”. The bare chassis, without suspension pieces added, weighs just over 325 pounds. Final construction and welding of the chassis was performed on the chassis jig. The chassis will remain on the jig during all suspension fabrication, body mounting, and construction of Banks’ Sidewinder D-MAX Type-R.