Low on Funds

Hey everyone, as you can see by visiting my budget page I am running a little short on funds and am for sure going to be over budget in finishing this project. I have just over $425 left in the planned budget and I still need to get all of my steering setup (~$800), more engine parts (~$200), new brakes and pedals (~$200), a driveline, and much more and I have run into a money crisis. Running over budget on this project, getting ready to head off to the University of Washington for college this coming year, and trying to stay in good terms with high school has left me short on money and short on time to work to earn some cash.

So the reason for this post is quite simple, I am short on money and the completion of this project is questionable without enough funds. So if you would like where this build is going and want to make the completion of this project possible and a long time dream turn into reality for me, I would greatly appreciate your support.

I have put a "Donations" button on the right had side of the page that you can use a credit card or paypal with. Any amount would be a tremedous help, or if you don't have the means to donate right now just leave a comment showing your support.

ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING HELPS!

Thank You for Your Support!

New TH350 Transmission

After looking at how much extra work and time I would have to spend getting a clutch and shifter linkage set up for the manual tranny I have now I decided to go with an automatic transmission instead of the big bulky manual truck transmission. After that desicion I went on craigslist and searched for a good, relatively cheap tranny and found a TH350 which will fit on the small block chevy. It cost $90 and came with the torque converter and shifter cable and linkage.

There is an adapter for the current manual trannsmission on the engine and an oversized flywheel so I will have to unbolt the adapter and get a stock flywheel to fit the TH350 tranny.

(Pictures coming soon) 

Front Suspension Compete

After a long night working in the shop I got the front end suspension completed. The first step was to build mounting points for the Fox 2.0 Air Shocks. I clamped on a piece of angle iron to find the angle and length the tubing needs to be to reach out to the shock.

 

I then cut and notched tubing to create a triangle support for the shocks and welded them in place parrellel to the frame rails.

 

 

After getting the basic triangles on I added an X-support, cutting and notching the tubes, between them to prevent them from being pushed and bent inside. I didnt place the X-support all the way to the point of the triangles to leave space for the shock mounting brackets.

 

 

I then welded on the univeral shock mounts from Poly performance with a mock up shock I made. I put them on the inside to get a more ideal angle for the shocks and make sure they would clear the tires when I put them on.







 

 

After that I bolted on the Fox 2.0 Air Shocks. Here is a picture of what the whole thing looks like currently.

 

 

 

 



Rear Suspension Completed

 Today I have completed the rear suspension. The Fox Air Shocks 2.0 with 12 inches of travel came in from Offroad Warehouse along with the shock mounting brackets from Poly Performance. In the two pictures below I have mounted the brackets to where the leaf springs used to go on the rear end and to a 3/16 inch thick plate on the back of the frame.

Here is what the back looked like after all four shock mounting brackets were mounted on.

I then took two of the Fox 2.0 Air Shocks and bolted them into the brackets with 1/2 inch bolts. The shocks came pre-charged so the back of the buggy currently supports its own weight now but there is still tuning of the shocks that needs to be done to improve the ride quality. Here's a picture with the shocks bolted in.

Front End Modification

Here is the Chevy 10 bolt front end I got, as shown in an earlier post. It needed some modifications done to it to accommodate the four link suspension and to lighten it up as the offroad buggy I am making is only going to be 2 wheel drive so the heavy 10 bolt differential won't be needed.  

The first thing I did was weld the front end to a jig made from some heavy steel tubing and angle iron and then cut out the differential. I made the jig first and welded it to the front end so when the differential fell away and the axle was in 2 pieces the alignment would not get messed up.

Then I took some thick steel tubing with a 3 inch inner diameter and placed it were the differential used to be and welded it to both sides of the axle.

After getting the front end back in one piece I made 8 brackets that will hold the four link suspension, 4 go on the front end and 4 on the frame. The brackets have 3/4 inch holes which will fit the four link rod ends I ordered from QS Components. (link on right side of page)

To mount the brackets I cut some thick rectangular steel tubing and 45 degree supports and welded them onto the axle in the locations specified by the SolidWorks model I made up for the front 4 link suspension. Then I welded the brackets I made onto the steel tubing at 30 degree angles.

New Suspension Parts

I have finally found the perfect shock, the Fox Racing 2.0 Non-Coilover Air Shock with 12 inches of travel. This "Air Shock" doesn't require a coilover spring but instead utilizes high pressure nitrogen that fills the shock and acts as a shock absorber. This type of shock is cheap, lightwieght, condensed, and tunable. A new shock from offroadwarehouse.com (link on the right) is just $211 for a total of around $850, a much lower cost than any new coilover shock you wil find. Also without the heavy coilover spring the Fox Air Shock provides a very lightwieght option that also takes up much less space as a normal coilover. Another benifit to these shocks is that they are very easy to tune, all you have to do is change the pressure of nitrogen inside the shock.

I also ordered some limit straps and bump stops for the suspension to protect the shock from being pulled apart when the buggy gets air and the rear and front end drop or getting smashed when the suspension bottoms out. The limit straps are Synergy Suspension and are very high quality, I definitely recommend them for only $25 each and can be ordered in just about any length you specify. The bump stops are from Daystar and just simple cone shaped ones with bolts integrated into them. They are very cheap, just $10 for a pair and perfectly functional. Both of these other parts I ordered from Poly Performance (link on right)

New Front End

I just purchased a new front end (well new to me) off of Portland Craigslist for a whopping $50. It came out of an old Chevy Blazer and is a 1/2 ton, 10 bolt. It's has disc brakes and a steering rod and damper that came with it. Yes, it is a little bit rusty but with some resurfacing to the rotors and some new calipers it should turn out to be a good, functional front end. Also since I am not going to make this buggy four wheel drive I am thinking of cutting out the differential and just weld a tube across where it used to be to allow for more clearance between the frame and axle and also to just lighten the front end.

What do you think about cutting out the differential, will it work? Leave a comment.

Shortened Frame

I recently cut down the front of the frame from 55 inches all the way down to 33 inches. The new modification still provides enough room for the engine to fit while being able to accomidate a wheelbase that will end up being 22 inches shorter than the original frame. A shorter wheelbase will help me reach my performance goals by giving the tube buggy better handling and just being lighter, shorter, and overall easier to maneuver. I also welded a solid plate on the front to provide mounting points for the four link suspension that I will be fabricating soon.

Rear Four Link Suspension Complete

I have finally completed the rear four link suspension. Before I started building it I designed what the dimensions of it were going to be in the SolidWorks program. I designed a system that would be relatively easy to build and yet provide me with enough movement for the 12 inches of travel I am going to have. Here is a picture of what the design I made up...

(Picture coming soon)

Next, I built up the brackets that the trailing arms were going to attach to using steel tabs I purchased from Poly Performance (link on the right) to speed up fabrication.

I then welded thick, strong steel bars on the back of the frame to provide mounting points for the brackets and also made mounting points on the chevy rear end to put the brackets on.

I then made the trailing arms out of 1 1/4 inch by .120 round tubing following the dimensions of the SolidWorks model and welded in the bungs from the four link rod end kit I bought from QS Components (link on the right) putting one left hand and one right hand bung onto either side to make for easy length adjustment.

Finally I screwed in the four link rod ends to the trailing arm and bolted the four into the brackets on the frame and rear end. Here's how it turned out.

Engine and Rear End Mounting

I just wanted to update everyone on how the build was coming so far, time has been limited lately but progress has been made. Since last time I got the transmission mounted to the Chevy 350 engine and started mounting it in the frame, Ive got the front mount made and now I just need to made a mount for the back of the engine. Here's a picture of the front mount, it's probably the simplest design there is but it works great, I just need to cut off the extra on the two ends now.

I also got a rear end out of an old 1980 chevy pickup and put a set of wheels and 34" tires on it. I then set it up behind the frame to take some measurements and I am now designing the 4-link suspension that I will use to attach it to the frame. There's more on the rear end and drivetrain under the "Drivetrain" tab near the top of the page.

I also started the engine up for the first time, it runs but will need some tuning to get it exactly how I want it, I'll post a video of it running soon.

Engine Update

Here's a quick update on how the Chevy 350 is coming, there's more detailed info on the "Engine" page on the top menu bar. After give the engine a good cleaning and taking a wire brush to all the remaining paint, I tapped up all the place's I didn't want paint to get along with putting the old valve covers on to protect the valves from overspray. Then, using Dupli-Color engine primer, I doused the engine with 3 coats of gray primer.

After letting the primer set up for around 15 minutes, I put on 3 coat's of Dupli-Color Chevy Orange engine enamel in 10 minute intervals. After the paint dries and is given time to properly cure (a couple days) it'll be time to start reassembling the engine and see how she runs.

New Engine Parts

Today I ordered and picked up some parts for the new engine. From craigslist I got a Edelbrock Performer intake manifold that is in next to new condition that I pick up for just $50 along with a Edelbrock 650cfm carburetor that was just rebuilt and also in very nice condition for $80. Both very good prices. I also ordered a new fuel pump, AC Delco spark plugs, and gaskets from Jeg's (Check the link on the right hand side of the page). Those parts along with the distributor I purchased for the other engine should get this Chevy 350 going good.

New update's of how the rest of the engine is coming along are up on the "Engine" page along the top bar. Let me know what do you think about this carb and intake? Leave a comment.

New Engine, Chevy 350!

I have came to the realization that the Chevy 427 I previously thought I was going to use is just too big and bulks and weighs more than I would like for this project. Thus, I went on a search for a Chevy 350 which even though it's not that many less cubic inches it's outside dimensions are much smaller as it is a small block and the 427 is a big block. I found one on a nearby farm inside of an old Chevy C60, lifted the front end up with a front-end loader, and dragged it nearly 2 miles driving backwards to my workplace. Here's a picture of the truck.

The engine definitely looks pretty dumpy right now and will for sure need some work but I have found a nice Edelbrock 600cfm carburator and a Edelbrock Performer intake manifold together for $125 on craigslist that will be a nice start.

Frame Build - Day 5

Day five of the frame build was just more of adding supports including finishing the bottom X support, welding on more of the lower diagonals, and adding on two more side protection tubes. I am waiting to proceed with the front half of the frame until I set the engine in and see how it fits in. 

There's more on the building of the frame under the "Frame" tab at the top of the page. Check it out.

Rod Ends for Four Link Suspension

I just placed my order for this rod ends kit (shown below) from "Racing Rod Ends" that will be used in making the four-link suspension.   The kit comes complete with everything from the 3/4 x 3/4 inch rod ends, cone spacers, jam nuts, and weld-in threaded bungs. They are not the really high grade rod ends but with a static radial load of 18,810 pounds and a much nicer price of just $167.20 they will do the job. Now all I need it do is make up some brackets and get the 1 1/4 by .120 inch tubing that the weld in bungs fit and I'll have everything I need to make the four link suspension setup.

There's a link to Racing Rod End on the right hand side of the page. They have a wide selection of rod ends at a very competitive price, the best I could find after a long internet search.

Free DIY Plans?

Hey everyone, I'm thinking of going through and making plans for the frame, 4-link suspension, and a basic "how to" of the entire build. I am looking to see if anyone would be interested in me doing that, the plans would be totally free and open to anyone to ask questions about. I don't want to spend the time making up the plans if no one is going to use them so let me know if you would like to get some plans for this project and I'll make them up within the next couple weeks.

Leave a comment below or contact me via my contact information to the right.

Frame Build - Day 4

Today I spent another couple hours working on cutting, notching, and welding up frame tubes. I added the top and rear X-supports.

I then started on the lower diagonals but ran out of time before I could get too many done.

I also added the side protection tubes, here's a picture of the entire frame as of this afternoon.

Frame build - Day 3

Day three of the frame build brought along significant progress, using up every spare minute in the shop either measuring, cutting, and notching tubes or welding them up onto the frame. Here are some pictures of the progress thus far. The first picture is mid-way through the day.

The next picture was taken after hours of work long into the night.

For more information on the frame build check out the frame tab at the top of the page. Let me know if there's something you would like to see that I haven't posted yet, Leave a comment.

A Mod Already?

Yes, I have decided that with the current frame putting the axle out in front will create a wheelbase of around 135" which is too long for the kind of handling I would like to get out of it. To cut the wheelbase down by around 15" and get it to a reasonable 120" I am going to cut the front of the frame down about 15" which will require me to slide the engine and tranny back as well.

Modifications like this are a real pain but if it's not done now, it will come back to haunt me in the end.

Let me know what you think about this length of wheelbase, too long? too short? Leave a comment below.

Pictures of the modified frame to come soon.

A Weekends Work

I have started the build. After finally getting all the materials I need and finalizing the design it was time to start the cutting and welding. Over the weekend I assemble the Notchmaster from JD Squared, (by the way I got the Notchmaster instead of the TN-100 as I had said in a previous post because I had hear better reviews about it), made a jig out of some scrapped wood, and started cutting up and assembling pieces for the frame.

Here is the Notchmaster after making many, many notches. So far its been great, just took a little fine tuning to get set-up right, as with all tool like this though. I've just been using a cheap old bi-metal hole 1 1/2 inch hole saw from Home Depot with it, it's been though over 35 cuts and still amazingly sharp. There's a link to Home Depot's website on the right side of the page, and here's a link to the 1 1/2 inch hole saw I am using.

Here's the jig I made up to assist in building the frame. Yes it is wood but is precise, cheap, and easy and quick to put together.

And here is the first work on the frame, still got a long way to go but at least it's starting to look like the design.

Let me know what you think so far, leave a comment below.

Frame Design and Cost

Here is what I have come up with thus far for a frame, sorry it is a little bit hard to see and the reference lines are still there. (I'll try to get better picture soon) It is more of a race buggy style frame but still with the solid axles and big V8 of a rock crawler, it's almost like a crossover between the two which will be nice for a big variety of terrain. 

The axles, wheels, engine, tranny, and seats where all measured up and then I made mock up's of them to assure it would all fit. I also measure how much head room and leg room I would need and made sure the frame fit the requirements of that as well.

All together, there will be about 210 feet of 1 1/2 inch by .120 inch round tubing used in the construction of the frame which will cost me just under $400 from "The Steel Yard" in Portland, OR. This price will fit my budget perfectly. (There's a link to "The Steel Yard" website on the right side of the page)

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

SolidWorks!

In a previous post I had said that I would be using the CAD software "Bend Tech" which is a great program for making all sorts of chassis, roll cages, bumpers, and much more at a very affordable price. But I recently got my hands on the SolidWorks program from work at no cost to me and since money is a big factor in this build I have decided to use the SolidWorks software to help me design a chassis.

In reality, unless you can find a Solidworks program you can use for little or no cost, in my opinion Bend Tech is still the better option. Not because it is a better program as you can do so much more in SolidWorks but because if it fits the requirements for what you are designing it is thousands of dollars cheaper.

I am currently designing up the chassis and will have a post on it soon.

Budget Estimate

     Hey Everyone, I've come up with a budget for the whole project. I've been thinking on this for a while now trying to decide if I am going to make it a super high end project with all new stuff or a low budget project and I've decided to go with the low budget project, this does not mean that it wont be high quality by any means it just means that I am going to be re-using a lot of parts from other projects and doing a lot of fabricating myself as well to keep the cost of new parts I need way down. My goal for this project is to keep it under $3,000. This does not include any tools or software I buy to help the build along but only what actually goes on the Rock Crawler including frame materials, shocks, axles, wheels, seats, tires, and everything else. This may seem like a measly amount to build a whole Rock Crawler from but I'm confident that it can be done with a little extra work.

     Another reason that I chose to go the low budget way was to show other people who may not have $20,000 to buy a pre-made tube buggy that for less than a sixth of the price they to can have a quality, powerful, and purpose built Rock crawler.

     Here is a buggy another builder did and kept it to $5,000...

     Not too bad right? I mean if I owned that I'd be pretty happy but lets see if we can't to better. Also let me know if you think I am taking the right path, leave a comment below!

Steering Design - Options

     Hello again everyone, so I am trying to decide on what kind of steering to use, I have a couple options. First I could do full hydraulic ram steering, I could do conventional steering with hydraulic assist, or I could just do purely conventional steering.

     Full hydraulic steering is definitely the best because you don't need a steering shaft going all the way to the front axle and it has the most steering power but it is also very expensive and since I am trying to make this a low budget project it would be hard to get all the needed parts and stay under budget. Here's a picture of a full hydraulic setup, the shaft going to the front axle is the drive line, not the steering shaft.

     I have for the most part checked hydraulic assist steering off my list of options because it still has the high cost of hydraulic steering and yet it still needs a steering shaft going all the way to the axle so it really defeats one of the purposes of hydraulic steering.

     Conventional steering with a steering shaft going all the way to the axle into a power steering box is usually much cheaper than the other two options but doesn't have as much steering power. Here's a picture of a more conventional steering setup.

     Although it is going to be hard to find all the parts to put together a good full hydraulic steering setup and have the project stay within the budget I'm going to give it a shot. I'll have to scavenge some parts off some old machinery which will take a lot more time to refurbish and get back to good condition than just ordering them new but when trying to stay relatively cheap that's the way it's got to be done.

     I would like to hear your thoughts about the best steering setup, which one do you think would be best? Let me know in the comments below.

Suspension Setup

     Hey everyone, here's just a quick update on the design of the "Indestructible V8". I have finalized the design and decided what componets to use for the suspension. I am going to use the traditional 4-link suspension design in the front and back to allow for lots of travel and lots of axle tilt. Here is a picture showing the basic design of a four link suspension setup...

This is not exactly what it will look like but it gives you a good idea of what the basic 4-link looks like. In the picture the left side would be attached to the frame and the right side would be welded to the axle.

     For the suspension I am going to use air shocks which are filled with nitrogen. I choose these shocks because of their low cost, especially compared to coil-overs as well as their high performace and ease of use. There will probably be 18 inches of travel in the front and rear.

Have a better idea? or just a question? Leave a comment.

Design Software

     So I have decided on which program I am going to use to design the frame of this machine; I choose to use Bend Tech. I choose this program over others such as SolidWorks because it is much cheaper, under $300, and it is very easy to learn and use. Bend Tech has a couple different versions of the program and you can get one that is specific to designing a frame or chassis, the process goes very quick and after your done the program also tells you how to bend, how long to cut, and how much each and every peice will weigh. A bonus for Bend Tech is that it has a feature in it that is used specifically for designing exhaust headers so after your done designing you frame you can make up some killer headers to go with it and give the rock crawler a rock solid look.

If you want to see what the program looks like click here to see one of their demo videos.

Here is a picture of a chassis that was designed with the Bend Tech program...

Have you used the Bend Tech program? Let me hear what you think of it, leave a comment of how it worked for you.