JHF Goatbuilt Trail Buggy

['84 Bronco II]

I'm looking forward to hearing what your first impressions are. I dig that chassis and recently had the opportunity to sit in one and I think I could actually be comfortable driving one around all day.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

I like the mini links to support the oil pan skid. Should be easy to remove and re install even when the skid gets a little tweaked.

 

[crazybluerider]

Not many pictures because I was too busy driving the piss out of this thing. I'm super happy with it. I took it off the trailer Friday night and made a few runs up and down the forest road to see how the converter and trans felt and then made dinner and waited for more people to show up. Around dark 2 of us decided to shake it down on some easy trails. After two fairly easy trails I gave it a once over to make sure nothing was falling off and we decide that the only logical next step was a midnight run through the hardest trail in the park in the difficult direction, which is roughly 3.5 miles and one way in and one way out. It performed flawlessly.

The only issues I had were a fuel delivery issue caused by me not cleaning the tank well enough after cutting the hole for the in tank pump, easily remedied by pulling the pump hanger and cleaning the sock out and sucking the remaining debris out with a pump. The Stinger solid state relay was doing a lot of really weird shit like killing the ignition output when I would turn off my rear locker valve, which is not routed through the relay, and after the first night it decided that the engine could only start if the head lights were turned on. I'll be removing it and switching the four circuits it was controlling over to traditional relays. It looked like a clean solution but turns out it is actually a POS.

 

[Ghetto Fab.]

Any idea what this came in at weight wise?

Congrats on finishing it!

Kevin

 

[crazybluerider]

Any idea what this came in at weight wise?

Congrats on finishing it!

Kevin

I haven't got it on a scale yet. The spring rates are crazy light. I'm fairly sure its under 3500 but I hate to say that because now it'll be 4k or something silly.

I rolled the trailer across the scale on the way home and it is lighter than my stock TJ.

Springs are 100/120 front and 80/100 rear with the 14" shocks 7up/7down at about 1.5" preload front and 2" preload rear.

 

[Ghetto Fab.]

I haven't got it on a scale yet. The spring rates are crazy light. I'm fairly sure its under 3500 but I hate to say that because now it'll be 4k or something silly.

I rolled the trailer across the scale on the way home and it is lighter than my stock TJ.

Springs are 100/120 front and 80/100 rear with the 14" shocks 7up/7down at about 1.5" preload front and 2" preload rear.

I was just curious since those 4.3s are all iron.

Thanks!
Kevin

 

[crazybluerider]

Got some creature comfort stuff installed and converted the Stinger relay over to multiple standard relays. A company in AZ makes a real nice set of bags that fit in the side panels. I also installed some cup holders.

Last week Kevin from Fullstack came by and put a tune up in the shocks using some info from what it was doing on the maiden voyage. After running it this weekend I'm really happy with where that got it. It is working very well.

This weekend I took it out to my 4wd club's non event event. Which is a unofficial timed race up an obstacle we built in a local park called the Boat Ramp. My best time was 19 seconds. Fast time of the night was 12 seconds, I think?, out of the Maditude buggy. John Martinson in the 59 fiat Ghouly also ran 13 seconds I believe.

It's all pretty unofficial but someone that was spectating the whole day told me I had the fastest time on a tire under 40".

Here is a couple video's. These were both early "practice" runs, I haven't seen any from later on when we were running faster.

WatchthisFourwheelerz | Facebook

fb.watch

I also picked up a set of reds today.

 

[chaplinfj60]

where did you get them cool zip up bags mounted to your side bars. wow amazing

 

[crazybluerider]

where did you get them cool zip up bags mounted to your side bars. wow amazing

In Stitches Customs in Havasu, AZ They actually stock these because of the popularity of the chassis but I was asking about another project I'm working on and they said they could build anything from a cardboard template.

 

[chaplinfj60]

omg tool cool. ty ty

 

[crazybluerider]

While doing my KOH prep and switching over to my other set of wheels I discovered that the Vision wheels must be a little thicker than the method wheels. I wasn't ever super happy with the amount of thread engagement on the front hubs with the Methods but it wasn't dangerous. However with the Visions I could only get about 3 thread on the nuts. I was running a Dorman 610-382 stud which is what Torq recommends for their brake kit. I dig some digging and came up with the Dorman 610-383 which is about an inch longer overall. The shoulder is longer and sticks out of the hub a hair which may interfere with some rotors, which may be why Torq doesn't recommend these studs, but with the ones I have it was fine.

Checked all my fluids and nut and bolted the suspension stuff and I think its ready to make the trip.

 

[crazybluerider]

Just got back from the hammers. I'll definitely be going back, the trails there are incredible.

The trip went fairly well and the rig worked better than I could have hoped. The reds are crazy.

I did have a couple of issues with the RCI cell. I blew the passenger front seam out of the tank sunday out past aftershock and had to rally clear back to camp with fuel pouring out of the tank. I bought some fuel tank repair and got the tank sealed up. That fix worked for all of monday and started weeping slowly at the end of the day. I added a little more repair epoxy and took it out to turkey claw to check the fix, it all seemed to holding until dropping off a ledge coming out and the drivers side of the tank split open. So with both sides of the tank pretty well blown out and a plan to leave in the AM I went and watched qualifying and visited some racers we knew.

It was still a great trip.

 

[SteerAndStuff]

Looks like an awesome trip, thanks for sharing

I had an aluminum RCI tank on a previous rig once upon a time and had a seam fail just like that. Used some gas tank epoxy on the trip then welded some aluminum angle over the corners. After that I have used plastic tanks on all the next rigs and setups. Not sure size of yours but if you can fit I really liked the GoatBuilt tank that uses a factory fuel pump module (jet pump version so always had a bowl of fuel). New buggy tank is a universal plastic tank and used a Holley Sniper in tank pump with built in regulator and a hydramat. Only 1 external hose from tank to engine, so clean.

 

[crazybluerider]

Looks like an awesome trip, thanks for sharing

I had an aluminum RCI tank on a previous rig once upon a time and had a seam fail just like that. Used some gas tank epoxy on the trip then welded some aluminum angle over the corners. After that I have used plastic tanks on all the next rigs and setups. Not sure size of yours but if you can fit I really liked the GoatBuilt tank that uses a factory fuel pump module (jet pump version so always had a bowl of fuel). New buggy tank is a universal plastic tank and used a Holley Sniper in tank pump with built in regulator and a hydramat. Only 1 external hose from tank to engine, so clean.

The goatbuilt tank is a little big, I'd have to move my tool bin and maybe go to a smaller cooler. Smaller cooler wouldn't be the end of the world since this one is actually a little larger than I typically need.

I've been looking at the Motobuilt tank that shares the same dimensions. Still an AL tank but .120 wall and fabricated in the USA...

He sells it with a ring that fits the factory TJ pump, I'm working on getting a TJ pump in my hands so I can compare it to the factory GM pump that I am running in this tank.

I'm also looking at fuel safe cells, but they would all also require reorganization of the cargo area.


More pics, cause everyone likes pics.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

RCI makes a plastic tank that's the same dimensions as the aluminum tank if you are running the same one the Jeep guys use with their stock fuel pumps.

Replacing a junk aluminum fuel cell with another junk aluminum fuel cell is not the correct answer. Aluminum tanks without internal bladders have no place in anything meant for offroad use.

 

[crazybluerider]

RCI makes a plastic tank that's the same dimensions as the aluminum tank if you are running the same one the Jeep guys use with their stock fuel pumps.

Replacing a junk aluminum fuel cell with another junk aluminum fuel cell is not the correct answer. Aluminum tanks without internal bladders have no place in anything meant for offroad use.

I'll have to check that out. I really don't want to use another AL tank after this cluster fuck, I was just exploring all my options.

Thanks.

 

[crazybluerider]

RCI makes a plastic tank that's the same dimensions as the aluminum tank if you are running the same one the Jeep guys use with their stock fuel pumps.

Replacing a junk aluminum fuel cell with another junk aluminum fuel cell is not the correct answer. Aluminum tanks without internal bladders have no place in anything meant for offroad use.

This tank looks like it would fit without having to move too much shit around, however, I don't see how i'd get my GM pump drop into it. This is the problem I keep running into with bladdered cells. Seems like most are for external pumps, I really like having the GM pump with bucket, plus it is so much quieter.

Racer's Choice Inc.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

It's easy, you cut an opening in the lid that's larger than the fuel pump lid, cut out the top of the plastic bladder to accept the fuel pump ring and install it as usual.

 

[SteerAndStuff]

Check out the holley sniper fuel pump module. 1 hole and you have filler, line fittings, and internal pump. Even do internally regulated and 1 hose from tank to fuel rail if you are returnless.

 

[ZJs]

Sorry to hear about your tank bud. Did you get a decent amount of wheeling in before it split?

 

[crazybluerider]

Sorry to hear about your tank bud. Did you get a decent amount of wheeling in before it split?

Yeah, I managed to get three full days before it broke and another day out of permatex fuel tank repair epoxy before the other side blew out. The second failure happened around noon the day before we were going to go home so I didn't bother trying to fix it again after that and we just wandered around town and watched qualifying.

 

[ZJs]

Awesome!

 

[mobil1syn]

can you weld AL?

simple solution is to re-order the tank, cut the top off, add some guessts and reweld the top on. are you running foam, alltech baffles, wiffle balls, or oil jugs? the main issue causing cracks in AL is fuel slosh.

how is the cell mounted?

 

[MAC33]

I've been looking at the Motobuilt tank that shares the same dimensions. Still an AL tank but .120 wall and fabricated in the USA...

I had the same issues with my RCI and switched to the motobilt tank with the same dimensions, was an easy swap and the mototank is great. I've had zero issues with it vs constantly fighting RCI after a 4 month old tank leaked like a sieve from everywhere

 

[korda]

I had the same issue with an RCI tank. I had the seams that cracked re-welded and then lined the tank with Kreem fuel tank liner. It’s been holding up fine for a few years.

 

[crazybluerider]

It's easy, you cut an opening in the lid that's larger than the fuel pump lid, cut out the top of the plastic bladder to accept the fuel pump ring and install it as usual.

So I spoke with RCI this morning, they will sell the RCI 2161j bladder style cell with a blank top. That will make it a bunch easier to get my pump centered up in the lid and eliminate unnecessary fittings. They'll actually sell this "custom" version for about 50$ less than the normal price since they don't have to cut the holes or install parts.

They claim they'll have it built for me by the end of the week.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

So I spoke with RCI this morning, they will sell the RCI 2161j bladder style cell with a blank top. That will make it a bunch easier to get my pump centered up in the lid and eliminate unnecessary fitting. They'll actually sell this "custom" version for about 50$ less than the normal price since they don't have to cut the holes or install parts.

They claim they'll have it built for me by the end of the week.

Hell ya!

 

[ZJs]

Are you coming up for Epic?

 

[crazybluerider]

Are you coming up for Epic?

Unfortunately, no. Just got the new fuel tank and its not just an easy swap into place deal. I've also got a couple obligations Saturday morning that can't be avoided.


You interested in a Hoodoo run after the snow melts?

 

[crazybluerider]

Got the old fuel cell mounts cut out last weekend and then spent a full day cleaning my garage because I couldn't find a tool. I need to really do a deep clean when I get the TJ moving again.

Then this weekend I got the new cell mount built and installed. I would have got it 100% but I could not find a single can of machine grey paint in North Portland. 2 home depots, 2 lowes and an local hardware store were all out.