Thread: Helpful suggestions please

I suppose the first question is this going to be powered by a car engine or motor bike/stationary engine.
In a cense depending on the engine will determine the strength needed in the chasis.
Also depending on the track will effect if you can get away with using a small cars steering rack without having to shorten it.
The drive would probably be easier through a chain and solid axle with either single or dual motor cycle discs.
If you were thinking of a motor car engine you would probably go with something small and have it mounted at the rear,you could allways cut the axles down to suit your wheel track.
Would you be making your own tubular chasis or trying to work with something you can find.

When you said an off-road buggy, were you referring to something like a gokart, or a proper offroad truggy sort of vehicle?
If the latter, what sort of size do you have in mind? And 2 or 4wd?

There are very few car parts that lend themselves to making a buggy. Unless you go for one of the advertised off-road kart plans and use the company's custom parts, you will spend a fortune adapting or custom-making parts to suit.

If Jesse has visions of leaping safely through the air (or even driving quickly around a bumpy paddock with some degree of safety); he'll need to spend at a minimum, $5,000. He would probably be better off buying somebody else' un-finished project or a running machine.

Have found several possibly workable plans in some old Popular Mechanics Annuals, one of which dates back to 1945 !! Being American, everything is in USA terminlogy of the time. One of the Popular Mechanics Plans, ( 1968 vintage ), is for a, " Suburba-Car. " - three-wheeler, two at the front, with the steering gear attached, & the third rear wheel being the driving wheel. According to the photos it can safely hold two adults, with a storage tray behind. Has a simple, straight-forward Box section chassis, and powered by a 6hp. Honda Stationary engine via a drive chain to the single rear wheel. A separate battery-operated Starter motor assembly provides reverse gear via a simple spring-loaded sprocket & clutch assembly. The original was designed in the 1960's by the students at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and it even worked !!!
According to the Plans, which I am reading while typing,- it has Drum Brakes at the front, along with leaf springs from a small trailer, while the rear Brake drum also serves for braking, PLUS, it also is part of the unique final drive system, as the drive sprocket is attached to the outer rim of the drum. Steering is a convention motor vehicle steering wheel, shaft, steering box, & linkage adapted from a small car such as a beetle. All the control pedals are adapted from an old car. The detailed work plans appear to be quite comprehensive in detail, and in instructions.With the addition of seatbelts, safety Roll-Bar, etc., it may solve Jesse's problem, of finding a decent work plan, or may not. That I will find out when I show this plan to him on the weekend.
Have also found an Australian site called, Edge Products, ( www.edge.com.au ) who have a range of 3D CAD Plans; Parts; Kitsets; plus the choice of 8 different models to choose from. Going by the contact phone No., they are over near Perth, WA, somewhere. Going to have a look,- see on their site too,- could be useful. Who knows ? Only time shall tell.
Roger

That sounds awesome - I was thinking parts from something like a VW Beetle might do the job.

If you get a chance you should try and watch the Scrapheap Challenge / Junkyard Wars series - highly inspiring in terms of knocking together working machines from bits and pieces.

I also have been thinking along these lines for a long time now. We live on 40 acres with sheep and cattle. A cheap means of transport for various uses around the property and a fun vehicle for us and the young grand children when they visit would be great.

I own a metal lathe, drill press, band saw, cutoff saw, arc and mig welder so many things are possible. The biggest problem as I see it is a differential! I could have two fixed wheels or one fixed and one free but I think a differential would be the best way to go.

I have a ride on lawn mower diff/gearbox (4 speed). I am not sure this would be strong enough. I have thought about cutting down a car diff. A lot of work!

A friend of mine was building a go-cart for another friend many years ago. This was to be complete with independant suspension etc. He had a diff which looked like a cylinder with a sprocket attached to one end and drive shafts from both ends.

I have searched the internet and have not been able to find anything in Australia. I have seen go-cart differentials in UK however. Maybe someone from there would have some idea. I think postage may be excessive however.

The other possibility is a 4 wheel motor bike rear axle. These do not seem to be readily available however.

Dean

Are the 'Suburba-Car' plans on paper or available via link?
I'd love to see them as stuff like this interests me to no end.

PS: A lot of quad rear ends are solid drives (ie no independence). A rideon rear end may work if your not wanting lots of power or lots of speed.
Best thing for a property is an old Subaru wagon or ute.
I had an old Subaru wagon and I cut the rear half of the roof off. It was brilliant.....and cheap. About $250 if I remember.

Its in a Book titled, Popular Mechanics,- 1968 Do-It-Yourself Encylopedia, volumn 3. - Pages 492 - 498. The 16 books in the set, which some kind person ," donated to me, " some weeks ago. - here at Port Vincent, I am heavily involved with Electronic Recycling, besides being a Chippie,- result all sorts of things arrive in my driveway.
** I can photocopy the Information and post it to whoever is interested, providing you pay me for the cost of photocopying and postage,- estimate $5. all up, using an A4 size envelope. Simply PM me IF you are interested.
Roger

Originally Posted by bigboofhead

Best thing for a property is an old Subaru wagon or ute.

Yep, I recon something like that is the best starting point - it gives you everything you need and you can just modify what you want.

I used to work with a guy that was making a "buggy" out of an old Lada Niva 4WD. He had purchased plans that went through the conversion, step-by-step, however I don't know if he every completed it.