Time to start a new chassis

fl-krawler · Feb 12, 2015

Finally got a little time to start a build thread for my new buggy build, since I sold the last one before it was finished. The only parts being carried over from the old build are the 47" LTB's and the wheels they are mounted on. I have bounced back and forth on what axles I plan to run quite a bit lately. Anyways onto the build. To make packaging a little easier, I decided to make the chassis midrail one solid tube front to back. This will allow me to plumb it as an on-board air tank, that if my math is correct, should hold 16 gallons of air

Once the two main rails were done, I added in the tubes for the rear trunk area

Engine is a L92 out of an 09 silverado, backed by a 6L80 trans. CNC ported heads, TSP VVT-2 cam and a 416 rotating assembly will find its way to it when the build is done

I also have a supercharger off a ZL-1 camaro to help bump the power numbers

More pics to come as the build continues

jordan7118 · Feb 13, 2015

Awesome! Looks like a good start, and I like the trans choice and supercharger, too.

fl-krawler · Feb 13, 2015

Started laying out the roof tubes

I also built a double "X" behind the front seats. I wanted the strength of an X brace, with some type of support in the center of the roof, but without it blocking my view when I looked back

That is all the updates for toda

Delaney6019 · Feb 14, 2015

Welds all look great

snoball · Feb 15, 2015

Looks good man. Do you always weld the chassis as your building rather than tack everything in?

We need to get together and wheel sometime man not man people in our area. We are having a little get together at Hardrock in March 14, come on out man.

fl-krawler · Feb 15, 2015

snoball said:
Looks good man. Do you always weld the chassis as your building rather than tack everything in?

We need to get together and wheel sometime man not man people in our area. We are having a little get together at Hardrock in March 14, come on out man.

Before I built my fab table I would just tac weld the chassis till it was finished, because that was the best way for me to keep it as square as possible. (Chassis I built for Scott Sutton)

I can say that doing it that way was still really difficult to keep the chassis somewhat square after welding, and if you have a tube juncture with multiple tubes, each tube isn't being welded fully obviously (unless you fully welded the portion of tube being covered by another tube beforehand). With the table I can use fixtures to hold the tubes where I want them, so there is no reason to not fully weld them. The only downside is that it sucks if you want to make a change (which I've had to do once). Another added bonus is that when the chassis finished enough for a shakedown run, I don't have to tear it down, weld it, reassemble, wheel it, then tear it down again for paint..Just run it, make any needed changes , then tear it down once for paint, which really speeds up the process.

Thanks for the invite, but I don't have anything to wheel till this buggy is done, or I get the parts I've been waiting on since November from Behemoth Drivetrain for my son's jeep (waiting on parts for this build from them as well). Two of the guys I normally wheel with (Spike and Scott) have been wheeling with I guess you and Whit a lot recently).

Anyways here are some more updates on the chassis
Started building the front portion of roof. Lots of triangulation and protection.

Added a hand hold in the center, so the driver/passenger can share, rather than reaching toward the outside of the chassis to grab handholds normally put there

Obviously notch fit up and tube prep go a long ways toward keeping things square

So far I have been able to keep the entire chassis less than 1/8" out of square (and it gets checked after every tube is placed/welded) One thing I did do differently on this chassis compared to what I normally do, is I built the roof portion first. It has been very easy to keep the roof square, but now when I go to build the lower portion I will have to resquare the upper portion to the table.

TBItoy · Feb 15, 2015

Good looking fab work,

what's some of the things you are changing compared to the old chassis?

fl-krawler · Feb 15, 2015

TBItoy said:
Good looking fab work,

what's some of the things you are changing compared to the old chassis?

Thanks!

I've been getting asked that a lot by friends who say this chassis is identical to the old one up to this point. The old chassis was cut apart several times and changed as I found better ways to do things to make the chassis easier to work on, or stronger/lighter. Also getting the L92 w/ supercharger, and 6L80 was a big change I hadn't planned for, since I typically build around the planned engine going in the chassis (which was a LS1/700r4) It had just gotten to the point where I was wanting to do a few things different on the old chassis, and it just wasn't worth the effort to cut it apart. The belly of this chassis will be 3" shallower, along with a 4" lower ride height. This chassis will have way less tube in it. Also, if the tube isn't at risk of getting hit by a rock or causing structural damage, its .095" or even .065" wall, to help cut weight. When I get to the lower portion of the chassis you will see a ton of major changes

John Galbreath Jr. · Feb 15, 2015

I am always concerned about hitting stuff on the roof in a roll over. We saw it happen to Uncle Bob in Ubicon, and it "appeared" to be impossible to reach just sitting in the buggy. It looks low in this picture. It appears you could raise it a good amount and it still function as designed. Something to think about before powder.

fl-krawler · Feb 15, 2015

JohnG said:
I am always concerned about hitting stuff on the roof in a roll over. We saw it happen to Uncle Bob in Ubicon, and it "appeared" to be impossible to reach just sitting in the buggy. It looks low in this picture. It appears you could raise it a good amount and it still function as designed. Something to think about before powder.

Are you talking about the handhold John? There is less than 3" between the two tubes. Any further up and I wouldn't be able to reach it. I will have almost 7" of head room once everything is done. I will sit as low as possible in the chassis, but the roof will be tall so that the rear seat occupants will have good head room as well

John Galbreath Jr. · Feb 15, 2015

Okay, hard to see the height without seats, or some other point to reference. Keep up the good work.

crawlin85cj · Feb 15, 2015

I dig it! I've always liked the look of a classic roof line.

2010 Jim's Garage 4429
2012 Jim's Garage YJ
2013 Wide Open Design WFO

fl-krawler · Feb 16, 2015

Did the windshield gussets. What a pain in the ass to hand cut these with a grinder

Addison66 · Feb 17, 2015

Very nice now hurry up and get done!!

slravenel · Feb 17, 2015

can i ask (and i dont mean to sound like im bashing, I am just curious) why you built the frame so "flat"? Wouldnt it make more sense to angle the front and back upwards like most other buggies to make this thing as low as possible? It just seems to me that the buggies that I see with flat (or close to flat) frames are sky high and dont really perform as well?

I am assuming that there will be a subframe in the middle as well to drop it down some...(and this may be an incorrect assumption) but I will assume Rockwells too? Just would seem like you could get it way lower and keep some uptravel if you redesigned that lower portion? with 7" of headroom, and a well thought out and executed upper chassis...you have the space to "squish" things up and in a bit i would think?

Just my thoughts... :stir:

rock mafia · Feb 17, 2015

fl-krawler said:
Did the windshield gussets. What a pain in the ass to hand cut these with a grinder

I used to do them with a cutoff wheel. Portaband is where its at. I wish I'd have got one long ago.

1TONZR2 · Feb 17, 2015

he also does not have the lower portion of the frame done yet, just down to the belt line.

slravenel · Feb 17, 2015

1TONZR2 said:
he also does not have the lower portion of the frame done yet, just down to the belt line.

ahh...that would make more sense haha

i saw the "trunk section" and thought that was the underside of the trunk. and then i realized I am an idiot...i didnt even see that section under the roof section haha

I just thought he had taken the bottom off and laid it somewhere else.

ignore me...carry on! :wtflol:

fl-krawler · Feb 17, 2015

slravenel said:
can i ask (and i dont mean to sound like im bashing, I am just curious) why you built the frame so "flat"? Wouldnt it make more sense to angle the front and back upwards like most other buggies to make this thing as low as possible? It just seems to me that the buggies that I see with flat (or close to flat) frames are sky high and dont really perform as well?

I am assuming that there will be a subframe in the middle as well to drop it down some...(and this may be an incorrect assumption) but I will assume Rockwells too? Just would seem like you could get it way lower and keep some uptravel if you redesigned that lower portion? with 7" of headroom, and a well thought out and executed upper chassis...you have the space to "squish" things up and in a bit i would think?

Just my thoughts...

This is just the top part of the chassis. The lower portion hasn't been built yet. The pictures I'll post later will make the way I am doing things make more sense. The front seats have good headroom, but the rear seat is close for me (being 6'1). Problem is that the rear lower rail and seat will not clear the axle and control arms if I drop them down any lower. I simply can't go any lower and keep it a 4 seater without adding wheelbase