Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

[MarsFab]

Umm kick farkin ass sheet metal work!!!
Looks awesome!

So are you a fab shop or just a small operation? Just a one man show with a press break and a bead roller?

Thanks man. Yes I'm a shop. This is my full time gig. I am however a one man operation but I do have an apprentice who's shadowing me for a little over a year. I've been in business for almost 6 years now and love every minute of it! I don't do any retail sales, I strictly stick to fab work so that's probably why lol. I normally stay booked up with work for 3 to 6 months out on builds, I like to focus on one or two builds at a time with small filer jobs in between. This build is right up my alley. Josh came to me with an idea and said "make me something cool", so.... I get to run with it. Tube and tin work are what I really enjoy.

Here's a link to website (I rarely get to update with pics) www.marsfab.com
I post a ton on instagram if you're into it. @marsfab_offroad
give me a like and feel free to share my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/MarsFab-Off-Road/176341622417132?ref=br_rs

 

[jordan7118]

Awesome work

I enjoy seeing the pics you post on IG. Thanks for doing that!!!

 

[MarsFab]

Thanks. whats your username on IG?

 

[Eddyj]

Someone should post his pics on Hardline. Maybe your apprentice.

 

[MarsFab]

Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

Here's a good side shot....

 

[MarsFab]

Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

Rear panel, front tube finished, belly pan and cut a stainless grille today......

 

[84turbotoy]

I found this unit on ig the other night and its just nasty! Love the sheet metal work!

 

[Bebop]

Man, that's awesome !!
I would hate to put a ding in that hood though

 

[Blase]

This thing is awesome! I'd hate to roll it and lose all that hard work on the hood. But I guess if you can build it once building another one is no big deal.

 

[dwa2469]

I am digging the **** out of this rig, cant wait to see more!!!

 

[MarsFab]

Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

Ask and you shall recieve...

Driveshafts mocked up, pillow block built, roof done, steering done, clutch, brake pedal mounted, orbital mounted, stainless grill done. Started on a new alternator bracket tonight to raise and better align it with the other pulleys and have to weld on knuckle gussets and it's done!
The pillow block is a piece I made in house to try out. There is literally no room for anything larger than 3" between the cradle and the bellhousing so I had to come up with something that would work. I used 2 pieces of 6061 aluminum to sandwich a factory 2 piece shaft bearing, then mounted it on rubber so it's Isolated from the chassis. We'll see how it holds up.....

 

[MarsFab]

Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

 

[TBItoy]

Reason the ram is mounted so low in relation to the tie rod? ???

 

[kmcminn]

How close is the drag link going to be to the front shocks?

 

[MarsFab]

Re: Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

Reason the ram is mounted so low in relation to the tie rod? ???

On a toyota with hi-steer arms the tie rod sits only a few inches in front of the axle tube meaning the steering cylinder has to also be close to the front of the axle. That leaves no room for the lines to run out the back between it and the axle and you really don't want them to come out under or in front of It so they have to come out on top. It sits that low so the lines can come out of the cylinder with 90's and across the housing. If we were using a smooth body ram like a Howe or PSC it may have been possible for it to actually go behind the tierod up higher but this thing is over 4" diameter. There was just no way.

It may not be ideal but the tie rod and cylinder are perfectly parallel at full lock in both directions so I'm optimistic that this will hold up fine. Because of the spacing I was able to make the tabs that hold the ram to the tie rod much wider to at the weld too. It spreads the load better and allows for almost a 7" long weld where most would only be a small 2 or 3 inch wide tab with half the weld.

 

[TBItoy]

Re: Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

On a toyota with hi-steer arms the tie rod sits only a few inches in front of the axle tube meaning the steering cylinder has to also be close to the front of the axle. That leaves no room for the lines to run out the back between it and the axle and you really don't want them to come out under or in front of It so they have to come out on top. It sits that low so the lines can come out of the cylinder with 90's and across the housing. If we were using a smooth body ram like a Howe or PSC it may have been possible for it to actually go behind the tierod up higher but this thing is over 4" diameter. There was just no way.

It may not be ideal but the tie rod and cylinder are perfectly parallel at full lock in both directions so I'm optimistic that this will hold up fine. Because of the spacing I was able to make the tabs that hold the ram to the tie rod much wider to at the weld too. It spreads the load better and allows for almost a 7" long weld where most would only be a small 2 or 3 inch wide tab with half the weld.

I figured that's what it was, didn't know if you had planned ahead for something else.

I've tried to put single ended rams on Toyota axles a few times, and always end up going to a double ended ram for packaging reasons.

No doubt it'll hold up fine, I'm planning on doing something similar with ag rams on a set of 1 tons.

Looks good man, impressive work

 

[MarsFab]

Re: Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

How close is the drag link going to be to the front shocks?

In that second picture I suppose they do look really close don't they? It's not nearly that close though. There will be more than an inch between them at full droop and that's the closest point.

 

[KyTrash]

Nice Work.

 

[karatejosh]

Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy

 

[karatejosh]

Re: Re: Marsfab light weight Toyota buggy