Six seater buggy build ( long term project)

[matthewl]

So got the other shock mounts on and realized I did not put that much angle in them. For some reason I thought they were to be vertical at full jounce . Then after I welded everything I re-read the book and they are to be 90° to the spring plate, well s#$t..... If it causes a problem I might just move the shocks back one bolt on the lower mounts ( only using two of the three) and run a limit strap to keep from over extending the shocks.
Lesson is don't rush and re-read what you think you know LOL. But I got the front fire wall on at least.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[dustymojave]

The shocks should be set so that at full bump or jounce (as you prefer to call it) or bottomed out, the angle of the shock to the spring plate and trailing arm (a theoretical line from the center of the torsion bar to the center of the axle) should never be more than 90°. This is so the shock is never "over-center".

If you move the tops of the shocks back, when you bottom out the suspension in the upper travel, you will be pushing sideways on the shaft, which will tend to bend the shock shaft.

The angle on them now looks pretty good. It's best when setting up suspension, to not install the springs (in this case the torsion bars) until you have "cycled" the suspension. This applies to the axles and CVs as well as the shocks and all other aspects and components of the suspension, front and rear. Put it all together with everything EXCEPT the torsion bars, coils, air bags or whatever other suspension springs it will get so that you can readily cycle the suspension.

This has applied to offroad racers, road racers, circle track, play buggies, and even dry lakes racers and street rods I've built.

The shocks bolts should be parallel to each other top and bottom, and should also be parallel to the trailing arm pivot bolts with an IRS, and at 45° to the centerline of the car with swing axle.

Again, the way you have it in the pictures above looks pretty good.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[matthewl]

Dustymojave thank you for all your advice, it helps a lot. I used a cardboard template to guess O mate where the the trailing arm will be at full bump ( I know not the best but I didn't want to take the suspension apart) to setup the upper shock mounts.
I believe you are right that they will be fine. It was that I just read back through Jeff Hubbards book after I got it all welded LoL and seen that other people have a lot more angle than mine and thought well screwed that up..

This is a learning curve for shore, and will admit I done some things wrong. I'm Going to re-read Jeff's book again and not trust my memory before I move on LOL. Once again thank you for all your advice.
If it was not for you and the other on this form I would have probably given up on this project.
_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Added some diagonal bars today. Should help stiffen up the chassis and will also give me a place to mount the third point on the middle seat belts.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Made a plate to keep the front passengers feet off the fuel cell.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Going to light it up like Christmas, 5 per side 16" apart. Wanted to do them in green, but checked and the law says amber. O well at least you can't say you did not see it.

Also found the paint I'm going to use. Rust-Oleum hammer dark green, should be easy to touch up when I scratch it.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[Wulfthang]

I used the same type of paint on mine, Rustoleum Hunter Green. I bought a gallon of it at H/D. I thinned it down just a little so I could pray it and it worked fine. My intention was the same: It would be easy and cheap to touch up but then something happened. I started touching up everything with Browns, Blacks and Grays and before I knew it, I had a Camo'd Trail Rail.

[matthewl]

Lol Wulfthang....
So if this thing comes out looking like a 5 year old painted it with a brush in the dirt..... Don't blame me lol. The little man was so happy to have this one his favorite color.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Did some more painting today.

The color shows up better in the light.
_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Painted the upper cage.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Painted the bottom of the roof, and yes I see that I missed a spot or two on the cage LoL. Ran out of paint to do the top of the roof. So I will try to get some tomorrow. Feels good to get it in some color.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[dustymojave]

On my Baja Bug I used the same Rustoleum hammer tone dark gray metallic that you used on your frame. But I used it on certain detail parts, like the front and rear trailing arms and steering box and I used spray cans instead of brush on.

I 1st applied it on my trailing arms in 2008. I just re-painted the front trailing arms last month. Much of the paint had been sand blasted off the leading edges of the trailing arms.

I was down to very little left in the can I had on hand of the gray. So I went to buy some more and could find silver, but not gray. So the fronts got repainted in silver hammertone. It looks good even if it's not the color I wanted. I found the newer cans did a vastly better job of creating the hammertone texture than the original had. The newer spray cans go quite a bit farther than I thought they would based on my earlier experience.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[matthewl]

Good to hear that the paint held up well Dusty. The brush on hammer tone is pretty thick so hopefully it will last a while. Got a new can for the roof, and painted it tonight.

Once I removed the floor and paint the bottom rails, I will have to get to work on the trans ( got to reseal it) shifter linkage and radiator mount. For some reason I've been trying to avoid those thing. But getting it painted has brought some life back into it. Then the big job of wiring it lol.
_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Put some LED's in the shifter cover. Looks good and can see which gear we are in at night.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Got the dash set up and painted. I put the USB charger port in the glove box, that way you phone doesn't get so wet lol.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Well the youngest little man wanted to help on the buggy so we put the dash back together and mounted some lights.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

No real work done, just got the trans cleaned of all the dirt and grime. I need to quit procrastinating and reseal it. Maybe I will do it next week LOL.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

So I took a leap tonight. Finally starting to re seal the replacement auto trans. Found some small stuff in the filter, but not as much as I thought I would have. Next I have to suppurate the trans from the diff and do those.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

Replaced the diff pan gasket and the seals that separates the auto unit from the diff. Looks fairly good inside, hopefully it works. Got to replace the drive flange seals and torque converter seal next.

_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber

[matthewl]

So I got the torque converter seal and drives flange seals in. This weekend is bugjam so no buggy work happening. But I plan on installing the trans the week after.

Also put some fittings on for the trans cooler.
_________________
Check out all the Air-cooled fun on my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl9IVR1svnDmH1i6yQ4_o1Q?view_as=subscriber