Hoodrat buggy

So this is a project I started in August 2015. This is my first time bending tubing and attempting anything buggy related.. the specs are 5.3, th400, Ford 205, sd60 front, sterling 10.5 rear..

Don't pay any attention to the fugly brown xj seats they were used for mock ups while waiting on corbeaus

A few more random pictures... a big shout out to Ryan at he-man for the th400/ford 205 adapter.

Tcase mounted in a funny position. Great work!

Man....I'd HATE to publish anything I did for a "first time" after the other "first time threads" I see on here. You guys would probably tell me it looked like Ray Charles, Helen Keller and Stevie Wonder TRIED to build a buggy!!

It has been a steep learning curve, and I think having a decent bender helped me alot.. the main frame rails on this was the first pieces of tubing I've ever bent.. that transfer case is the new "top secret" way of mounting it.. :****:

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Just a suggestion before you get too far... Double check your link separation at the frame, looks a tad short.

A few more pics as the chassis progressed a little bit.

Thanks rokcler, I've changed the rear links up quite a bit since this pic was took.. I'm actually building trailing arms for it.. I'm just slow posting pics..

Few more progress pics, and the start of the fuel cell..

A few pics of the radiator mounts and the rear fuel cell mounts..

look closely at where the hot air from your radiator fans is going. If it is blowing directly onto the fuel cell it can get the tank hot enough to boil the gas in it. hopefully someone with more experience in this area can chime in. a quick google search turned up that gasoline boiling point is somewhere between 100 and 400 deg. F

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Trailing arms on a req wheeler is cool. Allows a lot of travel. Will you have the mounting for the shocks down in the arms or toward the top where a wobble stop is needed?

I'm gonna mount the shocks about 16 inches up the arm, from the axle side..I'm using greasable bushings for the chassis side link mount.. with the fans do you think it will be a problem with the fans set for one to push and one to pull? Thanks for the input.

I have no scientific data to back up my comment but I think your fans need to both go the same direction. I would probably do some sort of reflective hear coating/protection on the fuel cell. It is a little close. Anyone else??

I know Jake Burkey mentioned his tank overheats because his fans blow right on it. I'm not sure what overheated fuel does but it's probably not a good thing.

Re: Re: Hoodrat buggy

Beerj said:

I know Jake Burkey mentioned his tank overheats because his fans blow right on it. I'm not sure what overheated fuel does but it's probably not a good thing.

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JJ went through a big debacle on overheating fuel with his last buggy.

Heat makes the fuel areate easily, burns up pumps, vapor locks, all sorts of aggravating stuff

I had to put a heat shield on the Solo Buggy to stop the fuel from boiling. I have a sight tube as a fuel gauge. You could literally see the air bubbles in the sight tube, and a LOT of them!!!!

Long boring video, but look at 14.5 to 15.5, showing boiling at just over 160.

Gasoline Boiling Temperature ((Way Below)) 220 Fahrenheit

Thanks for the info guys, what kind of heat shield would you all recommend? Also johnG what kind of tubing material did you use for the sight tube?

I would imagine just a sheet of aluminum would work. As long as theres a gap between it and the tank it should do what it needs to.