And so it begins - buggification

Eskimo · 02-15-05, 08:21 PM

Sorry Woody - couldn't hold out any more, the tub had to go. Based off the what it took to re-compress the rear springs, so far we've lost a ton of weight... There was LOTS of 1/4 plate reinforcing the tub...

So what's the term.. Cruggy?

woody · 02-15-05, 08:44 PM

looks better already!

Mace · 02-16-05, 07:54 AM

Plans???

Eskimo · 02-16-05, 09:55 AM

Plans -

A pretty typical cage/buggy thing, boatside sliders... simple rear area, to hold the forklift tanks, with a small toolbox and a really tiny cooler mount. I've got a bunch of aluminum diamond plate in .120 and .063, so expect to see alot of that to be used... There will also be some tube going up front to protect the goods there.

On the more unusual note - We're gonna try and make a console that extends down from the center of the dash to hold switches, gauges, and stuff like that, so that it can be reached while belted in the 4-points. will go from the dash bar down to the seat mount bars.

The stinkin' PO cut the center of the dash to bits, so I think a solid piece of diamond plate (painted) will cover all that.. Still gonna keep the cruiser gauge cluster and the glovebox door though

(For the purists!)

If we had more time, we might hack the frame behind the front spring hangars, but I don't want to spend all summer wrenching... I'll save that for the 4-link & 1-tons.

orangefj45 · 02-16-05, 11:41 AM

i guess we'll have to share the name "cruggy" for our rigs.

wngrog · 02-16-05, 12:58 PM

Get it!

ScottFJ40 · 02-17-05, 03:13 PM

Rock on!

cruiserrg · 02-17-05, 05:29 PM

Good Start. More cutting needed!

Rock Taxi · 02-17-05, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiserrg

Good Start. More cutting needed!

No doubt.

Home Depot has more sawzall blades.

Ed

redcorn · 02-19-05, 10:18 AM

give me a few weeks and I will be up your way with some plastics...........

i will bring the shine

john

Eskimo · 02-20-05, 07:22 PM

A little more work, nothing too special.. cut off the sliders, and the 1/2" plate that was above the spring hangars... re-made the crossmember 2" lower to allow the BBQ tanks to sit down some.. a little pressure washing, and a WHOLE lotta paint!

before:

after today...

OK, I'm not ready to weld for Sunray's buggy, but I haven't been welding much lately, and was pretty please how these came out. (Don't mind the top weld, I used a scrap, the top was shaped like that)

Eskimo · 03-27-05, 08:48 PM

Doesn't look like alot of work, but the first part took the longest, and we had to re-plumb the bender with the correct valve (works sa-weet now!), and let my friend Rob finish some work on his junk.

Sliders do have a bit of a boatside to them, they're not crooked

Here's mock-up to get an idea where the seats need to go.. ghetto-fabulous!

The end result- seat rails are burned into the tubes, but everything else is only tacked for the time being. The seats ROCK... (Might have to get a set for the CTD

)

And if you're curious... so before the seats (20lbs/pair), and approx 20' of tube, Blue was ~1100lbs lighter than before, where she weighed in at 4160. I hope to have her trail ready at under 3500 lbs.

woody · 03-28-05, 05:36 AM

damn...lookin great....keep 'em coming!!!

wngrog · 03-28-05, 05:54 AM

I want those seats!!!

gunmetalcruz · 04-02-05, 11:48 AM

Are you going to cut the frame behind the rockers? Fernando's is so much more rigid then mine. The suspension is doing all the work, mine still has the cruiser frame flex.

LC_Hamma · 04-02-05, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunmetalcruz

Are you going to cut the frame behind the rockers? Fernando's is so much more rigid then mine. The suspension is doing all the work, mine still has the cruiser frame flex.

I was thinkin' the same thing. What's a buggified Cruzah with all that rear frame & bumper weight? Now'z a good time to link it out!

Eskimo · 04-04-05, 07:13 AM

Not just yet. I need to get this thing back on the trail pronto. I've already missed the roundup and GSMTR... The cage is designed so that when I do go links, there will be a minimum that needs to be done to hack the frame off.

slight update, but nothing picture worthy.. Saturday was spent at the disel dyno day, so Sunday - bent up the a and b-pillars, which were the most complex (and longest) on the rig, so I'm glad i didn't screw them up! Also made some scab plates to go on the inside of the frame to brace where the b-pillar, sliders, etc.. tie in. The top of the cage is very Woody-esque, the only difference is that my overhead bars will V from the front to the back, where as his go rear to front. I will run a windshield bar.

Eskimo · 04-10-05, 06:15 PM

A little more from this weekend:

Before anyone says anything.. the body parts are not really bolted down, so that's why the tube doesn't line up with the body panels.

Eskimo · 04-24-05, 09:40 PM

Well this weekend saw ALOT of progress.. though Saturday was an excercise in anger management, which I failed miserably... (Sorry Rob, Susan, Carey, & Logan!) Sunday kicked ass...

3 more small tubes to add... and I'll be at 160' of 1.75, and ~12' of 1.5". THEN the work begins.. plumbing, wiring, center console, fueling, yadda, yadda.
And yeah, the rear bumper looks ridiculous now. Probably gonna have to do something about that.

Nodes? You want nodes? (Yeah, it was a PAIN!!)

Inboarded the body mount so I can cut that rock magnet off.. trimming it up like it is wasn't good enough. It also lowered the body tub 1" for better visibility.

lowtideride · 04-24-05, 10:04 PM

sick cage dude.

wngrog · 04-25-05, 07:36 AM

I like that cage a lot. YOu will find that the absence of weight in the rear though is going to make those leafs real stiff. Just be carefull first time out.

woody · 04-25-05, 07:44 AM

agreed....lookin awesome!! you took it much the same as my ideas....now I just gotta get off my ass and start on mine!

Flex 'er up and plan on a rear center limit strap to help you control it on steep descents....

Mace · 04-25-05, 08:11 AM

I would plan on tying the cage into the front cowl windshield mount. Just for the added bash protection..

Eskimo · 04-25-05, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woody

agreed....lookin awesome!! you took it much the same as my ideas....now I just gotta get off my ass and start on mine!

Flex 'er up and plan on a rear center limit strap to help you control it on steep descents....

Where do you think I got the idea for the overhead cage area?

I knew your cage has been through quite a bit, and like how the corners spread out an impact force...

I've got a tight center strap because of the anti-squat that the anti-wrap bar introduced, but I'm expecting downhills to be, ahem, interesting, the first few times.

For the rear suspension, I'm going to be taking a few leafs out of the rear pack to soften them back up, and to get the ride height back down to as well.. Hopefully it won't make them too weak (They are stock 7-leaf Waggy's)

Mace - we already made 4 little sleeves to go into the center door of the hinges (not pictured), which we'll run a bolt all the way through (double-shear, if you will), to hold the tub in place.. ya think that's sufficient? (hadn't even thought about using the windshield mount!! - Great idea!)

I'm bummed that it's taking so long and that I missed a few good trips so far this year, but it's coming along, very much how I imagined it.. I'll be much more at ease knowing it'll take good hits, so I'm even more apt to take the silly lines now...

Mace · 04-25-05, 08:59 AM

Actually I was not worried about holding the tub in place.

When you start to get stupid you tend to start smacking the cowl into rocks. And having a bit of support to the cage (skidplate basically)

I'll try to find a pic..

Eskimo · 04-25-05, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mace

I'll try to find a pic..

That would be great, I appreciate it - having a hard time picturing what you're referring to.

Eskimo · 05-08-05, 03:10 PM

Progress? Took all the body panels, cowl, hood, etc.. off, gonna strip 'em down some and paint them. Since there was nothing on the cowl except the steering, now was deemed the "right time" to do it.

Got the last of the big tube work done, but had to remove it to get the cowl out, so it's not visible.

360 pounds of tubing added back in, still over 700lbs lighter! Going to have to take 3-4 leaves out of the rear spring pack, and one from the front.. I'm psyched.

concretejungle · 05-08-05, 09:31 PM

Damn dude, looking sweet!

wngrog · 05-09-05, 05:58 AM

Is there any way to powdercoat a frame like that with the engine still in the rig?

Eskimo · 06-05-05, 08:25 PM

OK.. let's see...

Rob doing his best to burn a hole through the frame...er, cutting off the Ford shock towers.. Damn those things were ON THERE...

This is where we started Saturday morning... the cage is mostly welded, but the bars going forward are just tacked so the cowl can go back in.

The battery tray.. I know J-hooks aren't preferred, and I'll probably change them out for some kind of bolt... OTOH, they have been working for over 5 years.. Anyway, this is under the passenger's seat.

Extended the brake pedal for 2 footed driving.. What isn't readily visible is that the brake and throttle have been re-shaped to be more comfortable as well...