Boardbysled's Budget Buggy Build

[zukkev]

You sleeved the rearmost upper tube connection, right? If not sleeved and roset welded, it will crack with not much contact form something...ask me how I know! There IS a reason why I now have 2 support braces coming from the side tube...:redneck:

 

[boardbysled]

You sleeved the rearmost upper tube connection, right? If not sleeved and roset welded, it will crack with not much contact form something...ask me how I know! There IS a reason why I now have 2 support braces coming from the side tube...:redneck:

Yup, all the tube connections are sleeved.:awesomework:

 

[SJR]

How's the progress?

 

[boardbysled]

No change, been busy with the holidays and honey-do's. Should get started on it again here pretty quick. Should get another pile of parts before long as well.

 

[boardbysled]

Haven't had much of a chance to work on this the last few months, busy with work and the holidays. But I have amassed a pile of parts:

For the Front:
2.5"x14" FOA reservoir coil overs
3 link kit w/7/8" heims from Barnes4wd
2.5"x8" Surplus Center Ram
22"Wx19"H crossflow aluminum radiator from Speedway
Set of Pacesetter headers (stock manifold is cracked to ****)

For the Rear:
22 gallon RCI fuel cell
2.5"x2" FOA air bumps

Still need to get a pile of steel to finish out the rear and start on the front.

 

[ToyotaTom]

That's a nice parts pile you got there!

 

[jprcrpr94]

Haven't had much of a chance to work on this the last few months, busy with work and the holidays. But I have amassed a pile of parts:

For the Front:
2.5"x14" FOA reservoir coil overs
3 link kit w/7/8" heims from Barnes4wd
2.5"x8" Surplus Center Ram
22"Wx19"H crossflow aluminum radiator from Speedway
Set of Pacesetter headers (stock manifold is cracked to ****)

For the Rear:
22 gallon RCI fuel cell
2.5"x2" FOA air bumps

Still need to get a pile of steel to finish out the rear and start on the front.

Also been busy with completely destroying the old rig on the busy. :fawkdancesmiley::haha:

 

[boardbysled]

Also been busy with completely destroying the old rig on the busy. :fawkdancesmiley::haha:

Can't part out a good running rig.:redneck:

 

[boardbysled]

Worked on this a bit today for the first time in a few months...

got a 2.5"x8" Surplus Center Ram.

Was able to take a closer look at some of the stuff in the parts pile. Kinda disappointed with the quality of the FOA shocks and bumpstops. But they aren't leaking oil yet and the price was cheap enough to put up with some cosmetic issues. Not sure on the dual rate slider with 2 short sides though...

Hard plastic pads on the bumps should hopefully mean they are at least somewhat quieter then the all aluminum style.

Looks like they should fit good on the rear axle. Little worried about fitting 2.5" on the front, guess we will have to see when I get it all mock'd up.

Corners of the RCI cell are all beat up. Should be able to straighten them out though.

Threw the fuel cell in to see how well it fit. Fits almost like I had planned for it all along! Should be plenty of room behind it for tool/spare storage. It will sit an in and a half lower when it is all said and done. Plenty of link clearance.

 

[boardbysled]

Started mock'n up where I am going to add some more tubes in the rear.

Worked on tearing the body forward of the firewall today. Plan is to chop the inner fenders/core support off at the firewall and tube it out forward of there and the motor mounts.

 

[boardbysled]

The time came to steal the good parts off my original Pathy. It will be sad to take it to the scrap heap, but the time has come. It was my first vehicle and the one I really learned how to fix/fabricate on.

Got the t-case setup out of it along with the front axle, rear third member, and some other goodies.

Little more work on the cage. Got the roofbars in.

Tied to cage into the door hinge mounts.

Got some more goodies: Trail-gear orbital, mount, & column and 2"x2" FOA bumpstops.

Been slowly working on cutting all the un-needed junk off the front:

Finally got the front suspension cut out of it today.

Next step is to get the front of the frame cut-off in front of the motor-mounts, get the new front frame-rails built, then mock up the front axle/suspension.

 

[crash2]

Lookin good. My original plan for my rig was to do the same and remove the frame rails forward of the motor mounts.. Keep it up...

 

[boardbysled]

Glad to see photobucket changed their linked images policy. I will update this with some fresh pictures! Haven't made as much progress as I wish but starting to move forward pretty good now.

Onto pictures!

Manual transmission TX-10 t-cases have this little lip on the input of the t-case. Auto TX-10 t-cases simply have this lip removed. So I cut the lip off my manual TX-10 range box and it bolted up perfectly to my auto trans.

Took the old rig to scrap, was a sad day, it was my first vehicle and I had owned it almost 10 years, 8 of those being SAS'd. It taught me a lot about wheeling and fabrication.

Came home with a fresh load of tube

Finished out some tube work in the rear

Built a mount for my 26 gallon fuel cell

 

[boardbysled]

More parts arrived

Some sweet Ruff Stuff gussets

And a heavily discounted Ruff Stuff aluminum rear facing lightbar

Started work on the front end. Chopped the frame just behind the motor mounts and started my tube frame.

Started eyeballing the radiator placement

Custom motormounts built

Front radiator support hoop coming together

Hoodline bars in

And cross tubes/support tubes that I will build the front coil mounts off

 

[boardbysled]

Mock'd up the t-case setup. The D300 will allow for a flat belly, but the range box sits about 1.5" below the frame. We will see how it ends up.

Couldn't find a frame side panhard bar mount for tube I cared for, so I started building this one

Front axle all cleaned up and started the cut and turn. Shooting for 8-10* of caster.

Started on some custom high steer on the D44 knuckles.

Got some sweet 2 1/8"x36" 7075-T651 aluminum round bar for $26 a piece off Amazon! Should make some sweet bling-bling links.

Got the Speedway radiator mounted top and bottom along with the Derale 2 speed fan and shroud mounted

And that pretty much catches us up. Next up is getting the steering ram mounted, front links setup, and then the front shocks and bumpstops mounted. Then need to work on getting the PSC steering pump and GM 1-wire alternator mounted.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Its looking good!

Why not a hi pinion upfront?

10 degrees is a bit too much.

Id shoot for 6-8. The more the better it drives, but will do wonky things offroad if too much.

8 for a caddy ride/drive! 4-6 for a offroad rig, less stress and scrub.


Here's a discussion about it.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/539422-caster-angle.html

 

[boardbysled]

Had the Waggy D44 (with chromos, locker, and the right gearing) from the old rig, just going to reuse it. If I do anything else, I will likely go straight to a SD D60, but going to run this for the time being.

It may end up closer the 8* of caster range depending on what ride height and driveshaft angles look like. I was just really sick of the stock 1* of caster the waggy axle had. It will be full hydro, so steering effort shouldn't be an issue.

 

[boardbysled]

Today's progess:

Got the steering ram mount built and one of the tie-rods built as well.

 

[boardbysled]

Little more progress.

Got a PSC TC pump mount made.

Single wire GM 110 amp alternator mount made.

Dragged the axle back under the front to start mocking up the suspension.

At full bump, axle pumpkin gets into the alternator mount.

 

[boardbysled]

Decided to sleeve the passenger side frame rail for the track-bar mount.

Track-bar mount built.

Got my China-Spec power steering cooler mounted.

Oil pan hangs way too low. Looks like a 2wd pan will be a good replacement and give me some clearance.

And a current overall view