You forgot cup holdersHead gasket
Rust
PHH
Drive flanges
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You forgot cup holdersHead gasket
Rust
PHH
Drive flanges
Working on them yes but I'm just a hobbyist.Really cool thread!
@J1000 Do you have an background on working on EVs?
I am also curious about how you will be mounting the batteries in the engine bay so there is little dust / water ingress
NO!Can we stick to tech
Don't forget such classics as floppy mirrors/sun visors/vents etcYou forgot cup holders
Yes also they are just generally lower quality because they are a cheaper car. The early ones are worse than the later ones. I would like to have active water cooling and use it as cabin heat but I'm not sure if it's even worth it. I used to have a LEAF and really the battery didn't get above 100F that often if ever. Lithium batteries are actually in their happy place at 94-98F and produce the most power/can charge the fastest at that temp. In AZ and hot climates LEAFs suffer badly but not as much otherwise. It also helps that LEAFs are only 80kw (100hp). The least powerful Tesla has almost 3 times that power.I know leaf batteries had an issue with thermal control shortening the life and range of the pack. Any thoughts on temp management on them?
Also do not throw a pack on the rack. Keep that weight as low as possible.
Totally do-able and not only that but I will probably bring a generator along "just in case" for the first few runs.I had a crazy thought while I was running today. What if you mounted a generator, say low on a rear bumper swing arm, could you theoretically charge while off grid? Or, would this overload/ overheat your system? Also, I know you were just being hypothetical but I don’t think putting batteries on the roof would be a good plan in the unlikely event of a rollover seems like a good way to cause a short and start a fire. Like always enjoy seeing the progress and can’t wait to see it move under its own power again.
Thanks, I really am a novice welder and fabricator but have watched experts closely while holding pieces for them to tack so a little bit has been rubbed off I think. I also binge watch YouTube automotive fabricators and try to pick up their tricks. There is lots of room for more batteries. The harder part will be wiring them in to the HV circuit safely and reliably.Amazing build, you’re skills are great!0
Looking at how much room you’ve liberated underneath the truck, plus if you had a rear swing out tire carrier, you could extend the range by fitting two more battery packs.
The EV equivalent of a Long Ranger fuel tank
Good luck
No the driveshaft is floating. There is about 1/4" of play back and forth and the motor and t-case input are as close to perfectly lined up as I can manage. The driveshaft builder told me to set it up this way. There is also a bit of grease packed in on either side. I won't really know how it will behave until I start driving it but I'm prepared for anything even horrible failure lol.Is your drive shaft between the transfer case and motor fixed to one end or the other? If it is "floating" between the two it will tend to wander to one end based on gravity or torque and may tear up stuff or create bad vibrations.
Just asking, as I cannot tell from the pics.
As I am not a spark chaser, I am very impressed with your methodology that you are approaching this.
Does the electric motor setup have "engine braking" type capability or does it just go into freewheel? This may put additional strain on the braking system and you may have instances of overheating the brakes if they may not get the additional help from the "engine braking" on the trail.
Excellent concept! Keep up the great details and information!
It is my 1982 Unique Mobility Electrek. It is a fiberglass monocoque with VW Rabbit suspension/brakes and a GE electric motor. It was the first production car with regenerative braking and it's super ugly. They only built 60 of them or so in Englewood, CO about 1 mile from my shop! Carroll Shelby was on their board of directors and drove them around when he was living in CO. I am restoring it on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UniqueMobilityThe brown car, next to the batteries with the shifter on the dash....what is that?
Yeah I am pretty much just winging it haha. Perfection is the enemy of good and all that. I also think it's cool for the reasons you mentioned and good for a project car, not for a daily driver. After all, I am going to be towing this to the trail with my V8 Cruiser at 9 MPG haha!As stated by a few others, I've been waiting for someone to do this. It was only a matter of time. When Ford unveiled their EV crate motor a few weeks ago (weeks, months? Idk, whatever) this was my first thought. I doubt I will go down this road but kudos to you for being bold enough to wing it and try something truly creative. I, like many here, have my doubts about an EV getting me to remote places but that's really just a reflection of the current technology. As things progress and we invent new, more energy-dense power sources things will change. The mechanical simplicity of an EV is hard to argue with. Few moving parts compared to an ICE set up.
Hey, then you could officially call it a hybrid.I had a crazy thought while I was running today. What if you mounted a generator, say low on a rear bumper swing arm, could you theoretically charge while off grid?
There is room for the compressor, but I need the 1/2" on the firewall where the AC line goes through. I have an electric AC compressor from the LEAF I was going to try to plumb in to the stock FZJ80 AC system but that was overly ambitious anyway.There appears to be lots of room on the passenger side? Can't fab up a electric powered AC compressor mount?
Yes, though I don't think you'd really need to use it that much. Electric motors go well beyond the 5k rpms we redline atThis is a really fascinating read, thanks for posting.
Hypothetically, if one was to convert a manual transmission vehicle, could the functionality of the gearbox be retained somehow?