Time for another update
First off, the body choice:
DEX410 body and Bugle 410 undertray, but hopefully in the long term a custom (extra) front cab body based off the chassis dimensions/curvature of the DEX410.
The second thing, the steering:
The TLR22 steering has arrived, I really like how simple and beefy it is. I measured it and though I can't make the front assembly as compact as I hoped, it does seem to get me the right geometry.
And some progress on the chassis plates:
I made a start on the design of the chassis plates. There is an upper chassis plate, to which two braces mount that reinforce the shock tower. The steering also mounts to this chassis plate. Then lastly, at the rear ends of this upper chassis plate, there will be two posts. These two posts are to reinforce the structure and the battery plate will also mount to these points. The battery plate will run over the battery to a rear upper plate. By changing the battery plate's amount of material or the material itself I can hopefully adjust flex in the chassis if needed.
As I think it's necessary to have an adjustable wheelbase on this car, I am considering to split the lower chassis plate in two pieces as well. Either that, or I need to make many mounting holes at the back for the bulkhead.
And last but not least, a bit of re-designing:
The feature is not yet visible on the pictures, but I've added it to a newer version: The rear suspension blocks of the front end will not be mounted straight to the lower suspension plate to prevent potential damage to some expensive custom parts (front suspension arms, lower chassis plate). The two blocks will be mounted to a small plate, which is then mounted to the lower chassis plate. By deliberately making it the weakest link in the construction I can prevent the expensive parts from breaking (as 'regularly' as they usually would).