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1988 Samurai Turned Buggy

FleshEater said:
To date I’ve never made it to California. If I lived in the mid-west I’d probably try to take you up on this deal.

However, I also remember you saying you didn’t like the wheelbase you built it to.
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Yeah, its a little long, however shorter links is all it would take. Its 113ish now and someone could easily pull 4" out of the back and a couple out of the front.

108-110 would probably be ideal with doing a better job of tucking the belly up.
 
So for shits and giggles I reached out to Fabn801 to get a shipping quote on a Rock Lizard. $1,875. :eek: So about $5,400 for a chassis. :laughing:

I’m reading through the OSP build YotaAtieToo sent me. Just going to mimick his build for the most part. If I can get it to weigh in under 2,700lbs. I’ll be happy.
 
FleshEater said:
So for shits and giggles I reached out to Fabn801 to get a shipping quote on a Rock Lizard. $1,875. :eek: So about $5,400 for a chassis. :laughing:

I’m reading through the OSP build YotaAtieToo sent me. Just going to mimick his build for the most part. If I can get it to weigh in under 2,700lbs. I’ll be happy.
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Yup, his 2 buggy builds are stupid simple and seem to work great. Not sure if he came over here or just over on the old site?

www.pirate4x4.com

OSP's Zuk/Toy buggy Deux

www.pirate4x4.com www.pirate4x4.com
 
I got tired of looking at the rust starting all over that truss so painted it up again.

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I also rearranged the shop a lot to try and fit the Samurai chassis in this winter. The Toyota will switch places with the Tracker. I hope I can get it inside. If not, I did a lot of work and eliminated 1/2 my work bench for nothing.

Need to hang drywall and run some wiring then put everything back in order and I’ll be ready for the chassis/frame to roll in.

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Sorry for the crude drawing, but I forget all of my mechanical drawing classes from school and I don’t have any fancy computer system. :flipoff2:

Does this look like a decent plan for a frame? These are the measurements I pulled off the Samurai frame. Whoever said about rust above got in my head. I’m not dicking with the frame. Building one.

I’ll square my frame up instead of narrowing the front. It will also have bracing where it can. Plan is 2x3x.120 wall.

Because my hand writing sucks, I’ll make a legend.

Front Rail: 27.25” L @ 17 degrees
Flat Bottom Rail: 27.25” L
Rear Rail: 22” @ 22.5 degrees

Rear outer frame width: 28.5”
Front outer frame width: 27.25”
Motor mount location is also 27.25”
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This probably shouldn’t even be in this section now.

I’ve read through the Rock Lizard buggy thread now about 4 times and have decided to use all round tube. The only piece of the Samurai I’m using is the engine now. :laughing: Yotaatietoo hooked me up with a Toyota drivetrain, so this is more Toyota than Suzuki. It might get the pedals out of the Samurai, too, although the Sidekick pedals I have are way bigger for my feet.

Oh well…this is moving very slowly. Ordered up knuckle gussets yesterday from Ruff Stuff. Going to try and keep ordering one or two pieces each week on pay day. Only way to start knocking this parts list down.
 
Why abandon those rectangle tubes?

Even Jesse Haines has built lots of buggies with box tube frame rails, makes mounting stuff way easier. I'll be going that route if I ever build a buggy.

Plus you already made them.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Why abandon those rectangle tubes?

Even Jesse Haines has built lots of buggies with box tube frame rails, makes mounting stuff way easier. I'll be going that route if I ever build a buggy.

Plus you already made them.
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I haven’t made anything yet. Still in planning phases.

The only thing the rectangle really helps with is mounting the engine. The all round tube is easier for me to do. The angles up and the stopping points are actually harder than making all round work.
 
FleshEater said:
I haven’t made anything yet. Still in planning phases.
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You're right, I must have been thinking of a different thread :homer:

FleshEater said:
The only thing the rectangle really helps with is mounting the engine. The all round tube is easier for me to do. The angles up and the stopping points are actually harder than making all round work.
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Engine, tcase, brake lines, fuel lines, electrical, skid plate, link mounts, winch, ......

Lots of stuff is mounted to the frame and a flat 3" surface will make your life much easier.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
You're right, I must have been thinking of a different thread :homer:



Engine, tcase, brake lines, fuel lines, electrical, skid plate, link mounts, winch, ......

Lots of stuff is mounted to the frame and a flat 3" surface will make your life much easier.
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Between Ruff Stuff and Barnes they have enough tabs for tubing it’s not that bad. Round tube also gives me more options for link mount locations. Hopefully this will be as bare as bare can get with electrical. It’s a 1.3l that I’ll run on propane, couple lights, mechanical gauges for oil and temp, electric assisted brake booster, no rear brakes. Shouldn’t be terrible.
 
FleshEater said:
Between Ruff Stuff and Barnes they have enough tabs for tubing it’s not that bad. Round tube also gives me more options for link mount locations. Hopefully this will be as bare as bare can get with electrical. It’s a 1.3l that I’ll run on propane, couple lights, mechanical gauges for oil and temp, electric assisted brake booster, no rear brakes. Shouldn’t be terrible.
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Obviously people do it both ways, but I read a few builds where guys who did all round tube said they wished they had done box tube frame rails.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Obviously people do it both ways, but I read a few builds where guys who did all round tube said they wished they had done box tube frame rails.
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Due to ease of installation of said things?

I’m not opposed to it, but it definitely limits my link locations if I build them into the frame rails.
 
Got the knuckle gussets welded up. Front axle should only have link tabs, shock tabs, and full hydro mounting left to go on it.

Rear axle truss and bash plate are in the mail. I also need to eliminate the drain plug from this rear housing.

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I might as well update this.

So, I started burning in the bash plate, when I realized I ordered a back truss from Ruff Stuff instead of the top truss.

I got frustrated and instead of sending back the truss I sold it to another member as shipping back to Ruff Stuff was $55. Instead I ordered the full rear truss kit from Ballistic Fabrication.

Hopefully I’ll get that started on Monday.

Anyways, bash plate is welded on a housing that’s going to get used on a future project, or sold. :laughing:

Other rear housing I have is prepped for welding. Today I shaved the drain plug and I’m adding a 3/16” plate for reinforcement on the bottom. Probably unnecessary, but oh well. Good welding/fab practice anyways. :flipoff2:

Bash plate on unused axle.

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Rear axle I’m going to use. :homer:

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Should be fully welded and done tomorrow.
 
Finished up the Ballistic Fabrication trusses tonight. My plan to use the factory breather failed, so I need to either weld it up and move it, or drill the truss out and run the hose through it. I think there’s enough holes to allow tightening a hose clamp down.

This rear housing is no longer light. I still have the link brackets to weld up as well.

Anyways. Pics.

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Sorry to keep nay saying everything, but that rear truss is not a good design. It just puts all the stress on that short section of tube. Might be OK in a samurai, but I'd add some gussets to that area.
 
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YotaAtieToo said:
Sorry to keep nay saying everything, but that rear truss is not a good design. It just puts all the stress on that short section of tube. Might be OK in a samurai, but I'd add some gussets to that area.
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It’s not going to be G-ing out across the desert at 100mph. Plenty of comp rigs not even running trusses.
 
Byro said:
It’s not going to be G-ing out across the desert at 100mph. Plenty of comp rigs not even running trusses.
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No, but its a toyota axle, you can bend one in a 2k lb rig going 10 mph ask me how i know :flipoff2:


imo that truss is worse than nothing since there is no give until the last bit of tube. Same issue the stupid, common front toyota axle trusses had. Just makes them bend at the leaf pad.

Easy enough to add a bit of metal now While it's still straight.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
No, but its a toyota axle, you can bend one in a 2k lb rig going 10 mph ask me how i know :flipoff2:


imo that truss is worse than nothing since there is no give until the last bit of tube. Same issue the stupid, common front toyota axle trusses had. Just makes them bend at the leaf pad.

Easy enough to add a bit of metal now While it's still straight.
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I disagree, a 3 foot lever makes it a lot easier to bend then a 1' lever. I agree that it may be worse at the failure point but think the axle will live a lot longer un bent life.
 
2big bronco said:
I disagree, a 3 foot lever makes it a lot easier to bend then a 1' lever. I agree that it may be worse at the failure point but think the axle will live a lot longer un bent life.
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Yes but the longer lever is more likely to flex. Now you made half it rigid where it cannot flex. There is a reason no one else makes a truss like this.

Not to mention the lower links don't mount to the diff, so the leverage is actually the same when the forces are front to back.

Like it said, it may be fine, but I would extend it now while it's easy.
 
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