1988 Samurai Turned Buggy

[FleshEater]

I was planning on adding top and bottom gussets to these shock tabs and making them wider at the tube for gussets.

It may be possible to use a bit of DOM notched for the front shocks. I can use flat bar to gusset it as well and kind of blend it into the hood design.

Either way, whatever I end up with will probably be overkilled in the end.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

I was planning on adding top and bottom gussets to these shock tabs and making them wider at the tube for gussets.

That will help, still puts a lot of load on one side of a pice of 120 wall tube.

Try to add some bracing some how on the rear. Althaybe wait till you have fuel cell and cargo area figured out, as you may be able to integrate it all together.

It may be possible to use a bit of DOM notched for the front shocks. I can use flat bar to gusset it as well and kind of blend it into the hood design.

Either way, whatever I end up with will probably be overkilled in the end.

Front doesn't look to hard to do since you have that cross member right there.

Just be careful with over kill, as adding material helps, but adding a ton of weld heat in one spot could just make it worse.

 

[FleshEater]

That will help, still puts a lot of load on one side of a pice of 120 wall tube.

Try to add some bracing some how on the rear. Althaybe wait till you have fuel cell and cargo area figured out, as you may be able to integrate it all together.



Front doesn't look to hard to do since you have that cross member right there.

Just be careful with over kill, as adding material helps, but adding a ton of weld heat in one spot could just make it worse.

I usually jump around and only run short beads on stuff like this. Figure I got 4 corners to rotate.

I think what I’m going to do is see how much angle I gain by rotating the front down a smidge. If it’s a 3/16” difference between front and rear on bump, I’m calling it good.

 

[FleshEater]

Finally a roller. Front shocks ended at 18 degrees in, mounted to the front bar using 2.5”-2.75” brackets. Rears are actually 16.5 degrees in and about 4” brackets. The rear brackets actually fall right on a node, so bracing should be pretty solid.

Pulling the engine next.

 

[Mike Honcho]

Those shock mounts look weak. Add some tube and make a solid mount

Looks great outside! Can't wait to see it in person

 

[FleshEater]

Those shock mounts look weak. Add some tube and make a solid mount

Looks great outside! Can't wait to see it in person

Wuz-A-Zuk works in a fabrication shop, so I’m going to send a pile of cut outs his way for reinforcements on all these brackets. My lower links all need gussets as well as my shock mounts.

In my mind this just needed to become a roller before vacation. The tiny details can be worked out down the line.

 

[Blase]

Is this with or with the 1.5" wheel spacers?

If this is how you plan to run it the tire will hit the shock. Weight of the buggy and tire flex. Things always move more on the trail than flex testing.

 

[FleshEater]

Is this with or with the 1.5" wheel spacers?

If this is how you plan to run it the tire will hit the shock. Weight of the buggy and tire flex. Things always move more on the trail than flex testing.

That’s with.

I’m currently looking for 2” spacers.

 

[Blase]

IMO it will still rub with 2" spacers just less. And listen there are a LOT of rigs I see where the tires rub on the shocks!! You can see the marks on them. Not the end of the world as long as its light...like its the mud caked on the tire rubbing or ONLY when I'm WAY flexed out theres a light contact ETC. BUT If I was you I'd try to fix it now.

Best way I see to gain clearance is to move the bottom of the shocks in on the rear axle. They appear to be almost inside the wheels which means that top would have to move in A LOT to gain a little as they are currently mounted.

 

[FleshEater]

IMO it will still rub with 2" spacers just less. And listen there are a LOT of rigs I see where the tires rub on the shocks!! You can see the marks on them. Not the end of the world as long as its light...like its the mud caked on the tire rubbing or ONLY when I'm WAY flexed out theres a light contact ETC. BUT If I was you I'd try to fix it now.

Best way I see to gain clearance is to move the bottom of the shocks in on the rear axle. They appear to be almost inside the wheels which means that top would have to move in A LOT to gain a little as they are currently mounted.

But then I’m back to moving the tops out more. Even a 1/2” can mean a lot on top to maintain the degrees I need.

I’ll think about how to approach this. They’re currently 4” out. I could run a bar across the back and drop the mounts down. I already notched some tubing for that.

It’s a give and take on these stupid narrow axles. Every bit they come in on the bottom I lose stability. 2” wheel spacers would push these out another 1/2” and like you said, light rubbing is fine. The rear tires aren’t even squared up with the front, so 2” spacers aren’t a terrible idea.