RTS Chassis originated in 1988 in Terry Schaeffer's parent's garage and in 2001 expanded to our current location. We now operate in a 9000 square foot facility, which includes a 1200 square foot showroom for customer convenience. Terry single handedly started this business, and we now employ nine full time and one part-time professionals to better serve your needs.
Terry Schaeffer, Owner and operator of RTS Chassis is also an accomplished race driver. Terry raced midgets for 10 years. He then spent the next several years on the pit crews of the Joe Harz sprinter and Toby Tobias Jr. modified. In 1985 he decided it was time for him to return to driving and he began his career in micro sprints. The first RTS Chassis was built and the rest is history. Like sprint cars, the initial RTS car was built with four bar torsion suspension. This was a revolutionary advancement at the time, and he ignored the opposition (a trait we admire in Terry). He made a name for himself in only a few races. Terry is also a certified machinist and welder. He is considered to be one of the top car builders in the United States.
The bottom rail of an RTS chassis is constructed of 1 1/8" x .083 4130 tubing. The cage is 1 1/4" x .083 4130 tubing for the 250 division. Our 600 and 1000 cage is constructed of 1 3/8" x .083 4130 and the bottom rail is 1 1/4" x .065 4130. All the tubing is bent on a CNC bender. All of our frames are TIG welded for added stability. The major difference between RTS cars and many other cars is that RTS cars are built with thicker walled tubing. This makes them slightly heavier, but we view this as an advantage for safety. The overall weight of an RTS 250 race ready chassis is 390-410 lbs. and an RTS 600 race ready chassis is 600-625 lbs.
Our record helps support our ideas. We have captured 2,856 features wins all over the United States and Australia in the past 12 years. In addition, RTS cars have captured 155 track championships in the past 16 years.
We have a CNC Lathe & CNC Mill in house. This enables us to manufacture and design all of our own axle spacers, birdcages, torsion arms and stops, engine plates, guide plates and anything else you can think of. We make our own torsion bars in-house; they are noted for their long life. We make our torsion stops and arms from 2024 material for added strength. We have also purchased our own broaching machine. This will ensure the highest level of quality that you have come to know and expect from RTS chassis in-house parts. Our splined rear axles are the strongest on the market. We were the first to design the double bearing birdcages for the 250's and 600's. The double bearing helps free up the rear axle. These are just a few of our accomplishments. It should also be noted that we are very proud to announce that all RTS manufactured parts are made entirely of materials from the U.S.A.
RTS Chassis, Inc. is pleased to introduce a new 1000cc rolling chassis for the racing enthusiast who wants to participate in the newest class of micro sprint racing. We begin with our 600cc frame and a few minor changes to bolt-on parts. We are now making available a 2" rear axle, which can also be used in the 600cc class as well, Due to the torque of the 1000cc engine, we felt it was necessary to upgrade the rear axle to 2" for added strength and stability and of course, safety. This necessitated a new design for rear axle wheel centers which are now available to accommodate the new 2" rear axle. We are also making new spindles out of 7075 aluminum forging with 3/8" steering arm bolts which can be used on either the 600cc or 1000cc models. Thicker w-link bodies will also be utilized in an effort to prevent bending, We are making these changes in such a way that a 600cc customer can convert to the 1000cc class with a minimal amount of effort and cost.
RTS Chassis is also proud to announce that we are now authorized dealers of VRP Shocks and Guhl Motors and accessories. We are always happy to offer you more choices of quality product. See Back Page for complete list of Authorized Dealer.