buggy frame buildup

**paulkeith** · 09-21-2005, 03:15 PM

so, i took what was worth saving off my old "zheap" project...which basically boils down to the leafs, 14bolt, np205, sm465, and the 305.

we've got a tpi setup ready to go onto the motor. leaf mounts are 1/4" plate, shackle mounts are the MORE poly bushings with sleeves inside DOM. stupid 10bolt is still in the front. i bought 140' of DOM and HREW, and have a protools bender waiting to get the cage going. 21 gallon rci fuel cell. i ran out of time and money this summer...so for now i'm back in atlanta slugging away at the books.

got a clocking plate on the 205, too. things to be done are:

build a crossmember (got more MORE bushings for that purpose), buy the rest of the parts for the hydro steering...
box in the shackle mounts with 1/4" flat bar.

long term... find a damn d60 front when i start working again, build the cage, eventually swtich suspension to linked (what frame was designed with in mind)

wheelbase is ~104" and the cage design should allow a negative rear departure angle and almost 90* in the front once i get it linked.

welder is a sp-175 lincoln, pretty kickass. frame is remarkably square for welding it up on a concrete floor. by my best calculation, its off about 1/8" on 8'.

anywho, enjoy.

and a shot of moving the project from one house to another this summer:

a little better than my first try at this project thing, eh? its looking like i wont finish this til about 2007, but...whatever. i sold my dd jeep, so this is all i've got left to weld around on.

Paul

**OverkillZJ** · 09-21-2005, 03:30 PM

This should be a good read.

I'm starting my Phoenix-Buggy this weekend, and honesly I think the only reason I decided to cut down the unibody instead of making it from tube up is because I want to still say "this used to be my daily driver grand cherokee" and attend the grand slams.

I'm dumb.

**paulkeith** · 09-21-2005, 03:37 PM

i wanted to try that, and did. kind of blew it, though....

this makes it soooo much easier to build simple, strong mounts for everything. granted; it does take away a little of the uniqueness. unibodys just make everything 10x harder and unless you're a badass, weaker.

its great to just be able to be like, i want a motor mount here...and you can weld on some 1/4" plate without thinking twice.

i hate having to be in atlanta and just think about this project instead of getting my hands dirty. oh well

**ATL ZJ** · 09-21-2005, 05:36 PM

Looking really good. Much better than last time

.

Originally Posted by paulkeith

i hate having to be in atlanta and just think about this project instead of getting my hands dirty. oh well

I know exactly what you mean. Except for me it's the opposite, when I am in Atlanta, I'm working hard on the heep, and when I'm up at PC in SC, all I can do is plan...

**Kraqa** · 09-21-2005, 05:47 PM

holy pic size. did you miss the annoucment abotu that. 640x800

**TrojanMan** · 09-21-2005, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by paulkeith

i hate having to be in atlanta and just think about this project instead of getting my hands dirty. oh well

I know the feeling. My zj is in charlotte, I'm in raleigh. I finished it up about 2 weeks before I moved out, all i want to do now is finish the little tweaks and drive it.. but I can't

**Kraqa** · 09-21-2005, 10:15 PM

are you going to put an X brace in the middle arounf the tranny area? what wall thickness is that frame? final tire size.

**ELLLLLIOTTTTT** · 09-22-2005, 01:04 AM

no more crimped style cages please.

**paulkeith** · 09-22-2005, 03:51 AM

haha, fuckers....

yeah, i did miss the pic size thing. first time i've posted anythign since i sold my zj. what difference does it make? its only bandwidth on my pic server thats getting used. anyway, i'll get em resized when i get a chance.

there is still much triangulation that has to go inside the frame rails. there will be an "x" in the rear portion, behind the front "crossmember", and then whatever i can work out with the floor/tranny mount/etc.

frame thickness is 3/16". final tire size hopefully 40 or 42. maybe 38 depending on backspacing/turning radius/rubbing.

**JeepinHank** · 09-22-2005, 10:53 AM

Looking good.

Hope you saved the receipt on that GMC chop saw. If that's the only chop saw you're using, I guarantee you'll take advantage of that 2 year warranty.

Mine made it through 2 bumpers and half of my suspension build before it gave up the ghost. Luckily, I've got until this december before the 2yrs is up!

**Kraqa** · 09-23-2005, 04:24 PM

th epic size makes it super hard for peopel to veiw. It also makes it hard for dial up people.

**TrojanMan** · 09-23-2005, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Kraqa

th epic size makes it super hard for peopel to veiw. It also makes it hard for dial up people.

I, and probably some other people too, prefer larger pics.

But then again you do have to cater to those without widescreen and high speed internet.

**Cue-Ball** · 09-23-2005, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by TrojanMan

I, and probably some other people too, prefer larger pics.

But then again you do have to cater to those without widescreen and high speed internet.

I agree that the larger pictures are nice, but it does make the thread difficult to read for the majority of the users.

If you want to share your larger pictures, simply post a link to them and then people have the choice to follow the link for better detail or just stick with the smaller ones posted.

Besides I have dial up only at the house and it KILLS me when I am at home.

So Paul please resize your pictures and repost.

Thanks

Dirk

**deadman** · 09-23-2005, 05:05 PM

I always use 700x500

I don't mind the size (kb), but I hate scrolling around.

======================

Why did you go with a box frame, and not a full tube chassis?

**paulkeith** · 09-25-2005, 11:57 PM

aiight, gimme a chance to get em resized. school is a freakin disaster..

few reasons on the box tube. 1) i had it all already 2)simplicity of construction 3) simplicity of creating suspension mounts and adding the cage

i prodded a few folks over at pbb and here about it, and the consensus was for a first full-fab project, square would be the way to go for simplicity and learning's sake. saved me a bucketload, too.

**paulkeith** · 05-24-2006, 08:21 AM

back from the dead, bitches!
after two semesters of 15 hours each senior level aero engineering plus 15 hours of work a week and a 3.25 avg to boot, i'm back at the hack-fab game at night and the cubicle-jockey by day.

uncovered the pile and started on the crossmember. using MORE bushings and weld on tabs cuz i'm lazy

. bolts will get sleeved, rest of the xmember should be done by tonight. once the drivetrain is in place, i can....you guessed it...start bending some tube.

have at it,
Paul

**OverkillZJ** · 05-24-2006, 08:42 AM

Forget the buggy; make a giant riding lawnmower out of it

**paulkeith** · 05-24-2006, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by OverkillZJ

Forget the buggy; make a giant riding lawnmower out of it

don't tempt me.

**AgitatedPancake** · 05-24-2006, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by paulkeith

don't tempt me.

Oh he is.

How big is the blade gunna be?

**paulkeith** · 05-25-2006, 07:09 AM

it'll be fiftyshutup inches

**paulkeith** · 05-26-2006, 11:21 AM

crossmember is done.

on slate from now until august is the cage. If i finish before then, steering too.

**paulkeith** · 05-31-2006, 08:02 AM

tube has started to bend.

almost $1grand of bling:

the first bends:

actually didn't mess them up....go figure

some engine hotness:

305 with TPI manifold, megasquirt custom fuel injection, cheapo ebay block hugger headers

some bling fittings to allow regular fuel line....(and crapass photo quality)

**ATL ZJ** · 05-31-2006, 08:50 PM

Looking good man, keep the pics flowin..

I feel ya on the bender, I took a hit buying my JD2... with the tube added in, it ended up being about $1300 and half a heart attack when i realized how much i spent, haha..

**Tommy** · 05-31-2006, 11:33 PM

That is a Pro Tools bender, right. That a nice bender, same one I got.

**paulkeith** · 06-01-2006, 07:31 AM

its a protools, with every option except the hydraulic. it also isn't mine..haha, but i dropped a nominal fee to my buddy for some bends. neither of us have bent tube before, but now that we got it mostly figured out, i've gotta help him with a cage for a IH scout after we finish this one.

anyway, the two hardest pieces of my cage are done, and perfect. haven't even scrapped any tube yet...fingers crossed. maybe that 4 years of engineering school is paying off....?

note that the third bend is compound in a plane 8* offset from the first two, allowing the cage to be the width of the 'sliders' until the 'b' pillar and then narrow down 'frame' width at the rear mount.

is it crinkled exhaust tube this time? dont think so bishes! 1.75 .120 DOM bling

sorry for the darkass pictures.

and after we finished the other, which was must faster since I only had to copy the one i already made....

does it need more triangulation?? :finger:

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