Builds fj60 going to EV FJ45 (1 Viewer)

[workingdog]

After repair the passenger side lower link bracket on the axle, I did 'as-is' measurements on the suspension to see what my anti-dive actually. I had laid out the front much like the rear, so assumed it was good, but was way wrong. Anti-dive is around 50% at ride height (varies on how much I say the car does weight or will weight. So, that' no where near enough. The anti squat is over 100%, which is why the rear end feels so good.

My first assumption is to move the lower link frame end mount forward about 6 to 8". Which would steepen the angle - which I think will move the anti-dive point closer to where it's supposed to be. But I might also have to move the upper link either forward or up. I really hope I don't have to move the upper link frame side mount, it's a real PITA to get in there.

Edit: I went out and confirmed some of the measurements and the upper link was off. I fixed it, and the upper link is actually flatter than shown here and the anti-dive as-is is 100%. So, I'm not sure what to make of that. Very small differences in the links locations make a huge difference in the calculator. So, I'll put it back together and go out and drive it some more and get some video of it under braking.

 

[workingdog]

Spent a bunch of time trying sort some strange behavior in the Hyper 9 system. Turns out, all of them were nothing. The controllers for two motors were designed to run separately and they assumed they'd be running opposite directions. When you hook them up like this, the slave thinks it's running backwards. It's all good. and the fancy little display for the slave shows nothing. And they don't know if it's supposed to or not. And while trying to diagnose all that. The power from the batteries went away. He through the fuse had blown. But, after chasing with the voltmeter, I found the fancy connector had been blown apart and the contacts melted pretty badly.

So, cleaned that up and put it back together and it's all good.

I also found out that netgain only distributes, does not make these motors. And that the people that make these motors got bought by Dana - interesting.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, a couple more test runs with the GoPro looking under just to see if anything weird is happening. Looks okay. The thing drives very stable.



The camera rotated on it's own on the rear, so not much video



Next up, swap to lighter flywheel (I think it will help with the motors tendency to keep spinning). That means breaking the drive train apart for what I hope is the final time.

 

[55guy]

Ok over my head ,
But you are the man !

 

[DangerNoodle]

Looks good! The half-welded brackets scare me though.

 

[workingdog]

So, wanting to deal with the inability of the motors to slow down, I've been looking at regen. So, it turns out the Hyper 9's have the ability to do what they call 'neutral' regen. You can use the displays to set the mode from 0% regen to 2 stages of regen when you are off the throttle. And that helps. but, I'm realizing there are more issues. When the electric motors spin up, like if I'm going along in 2nd gear, it feels like the flywheel is now spinning so fast that it's overwhelming the motors ability to slow down. Clearly, the electric motors don't want/like the flywheel. I'm hoping that the racing flywheel will reduce the effect, but it would also seem that keeping the RPMs down by using a taller gear could be a good idea. But, it's making me question the entire idea of using a traditional flywheel, clutch and transmission.

In addition, you can also hook up a pressure transducer to the brake lines and feed the brake pressure to the controller and it will increase regen to help braking. I'm interested to see how that works.

Now that it's running, I'm trying to figure out all the testing I can do now - before the cab goes on and access gets tougher. I'm going to swap the flywheel for the light one this weekend, and after that, the next thing would be to put the cab on. So, I'm trying to think of EVERYTHING I can do now.

 

[waiting for time]

Won’t a standard regeneration setting compensate for the rotational energy of the flywheel and convert it back to e-power and reduce the pushing effect?

 

[workingdog]

Won’t a standard regeneration setting compensate for the rotational energy of the flywheel and convert it back to e-power and reduce the pushing effect?

I'm not sure. Trying to figure it out. It might require the brake to be engaged to regen that much.

 

[Honger]

This is only getting more fascinating... loving it!

 

[workingdog]

Okay, so, since the cab is the biggest generator of noise in a 40/45, I decided to LizardSkin parts of it before I installed it. So, here is the bottom prepped and sprayed with first coat. I bought the Lizardskin gun - it has the ability to flow lots of material and works great. It chews through the quart bottle in about a minute. 2 quarts did one coat on the bottom. I'm also going to do the lower back of the inside of the cab behind the seats. and I'm thinking of doing the inside of the firewall as well. But I'm not sure if there's any point to have the material on both sides of the surface? Once this is done, I'm going to spray rhino liner on the inside of the floor front to back. Dark grey? Black?

 

[911nFJ60]

Okay, so, since the cab is the biggest generator of noise in a 40/45, I decided to LizardSkin parts of it before I installed it. So, here is the bottom prepped and sprayed with first coat. I bought the Lizardskin gun - it has the ability to flow lots of material and works great. It chews through the quart bottle in about a minute. 2 quarts did one coat on the bottom. I'm also going to do the lower back of the inside of the cab behind the seats. and I'm thinking of doing the inside of the firewall as well. But I'm not sure if there's any point to have the material on both sides of the surface? Once this is done, I'm going to spray rhino liner on the inside of the floor front to back. Dark grey? Black?

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View attachment 2921923

Looks great! Lizard Skin is good stuff. You get minimal benefit from coating both sides of a panel. If it were me, I would overcoat the LS with Rustoleum Satin Black and use black Rhino Liner on the inside.

 

[workingdog]

Looks great! Lizard Skin is good stuff. You get minimal benefit from coating both sides of a panel. If it were me, I would overcoat the LS with Rustoleum Satin Black and use black Rhino Liner on the inside.

I think you're right.

 

[workingdog]

Here's a longer test drive. Got it up to 25 or so, fast enough that sitting on a tractor seat with no seat built and no cab is not safe. One wrong move and I'm out of the EV and it's continuing on it's own. But, it's surprisingly solid. No clunking or banging. Very stable. the only weird thing is the cowl still has enough movement in it that over bumps, the entire steering system moves. So, definitely time to put the cab. I genuine thought for a long time I'd never get here.

 

[Chuckha62]

Okay, first drive out and back, didn't have to drag it home, did not fall out.

Things I noticed.

the throttle is totally wrong. You basically push it straight down and I didn't build a platform for my heel. The pedal expects a vertical firewall, mines at 45. So, it's going to take some work to figure out how to make it work.

It surges, you can see it in the video. Not sure what that that is.
When I pulled into the garage, it wanted to keep going. You can see the when I stop it load up and release. Going to have to figure that out.

Right on!

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Here's a longer test drive. Got it up to 25 or so, fast enough that sitting on a tractor seat with no seat built and no cab is not safe. One wrong move and I'm out of the EV and it's continuing on it's own. But, it's surprisingly solid. No clunking or banging. Very stable. the only weird thing is the cowl still has enough movement in it that over bumps, the entire steering system moves. So, definitely time to put the cab. I genuine thought for a long time I'd never get here.

Shaky cowl, no cab, no seatbelt.... Still pulls out and uses phone while driving. Damn California drivers!

Seriously though, super cool!

 

[workingdog]

I had to get out my phone to turn on the GPS to see how fast I was going. I can't get the displays to show the right speed.

 

[DangerNoodle]

I had to get out my phone to turn on the GPS to see how fast I was going. I can't get the displays to show the right speed.

Have you calibrated the speedo?

 

[workingdog]

What speedo? What is this 'speedo' to which you refer.

 

[DangerNoodle]

What speedo? What is this 'speedo' to which you refer.

Thought you had a Dakoda Digital hooked up. MB.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I had to get out my phone to turn on the GPS to see how fast I was going. I can't get the displays to show the right speed.

I was just giving you crap. LOL!