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dre


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Frame - What do you look for
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Hi all, first post.  I have been involved in off-road racing in the past as a navigator and will be looking to get back into it in the future when funding allows.  In the meantime I am playing around with designing my own buggy on a CAD system so I am hoping to use everyones experience here to help me out.

So, first things first, the frame.

What do you look for in a buggy frame, light, stiff, low cog, etc, etc?  I would have thought light and stiff would be the main things to get sorted, as well as allowing for good suspension pick up points.  Is there anything else I need to consider. 

For example what makes a Southern Cross better or worse than a Hunter Rivmasta?

I have copies of the CAMS manual in front of me so that defines the passenger compartment pretty well, but it seems the rest is pretty free, are there restrictions on overall size, track, wheelbase?

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KUSTERRACECO


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welcome brendan the first thing to decide is what engine size or class you are going to run in . it is allways cheaper to buy a all ready set up second hand car

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dre


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Would be looking to run super 1650.

As a clarification, the design project is purely something to keep me entertained while I save to buy a buggy. Down the track it may become something more, but my first buggy will be a 2nd hand one for sure. I am thinking to design a buggy well from start to finish in my spare time will take a fair while! Also, I am hopingto learn a lot more about chassis and suspension dynamics while doing it which would help no matter what car I run.


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Wolf


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Biggest factor will be budget!

As Kuster askesd, what class will you run? how much have you got to spend on shocks and gearbox? Which end do you want the motor in?

no restrictions on wheelbase and track bar the trees and the engine capacity/brakes to push and slow down extra weight. Big cars are great at somewhere like finke and donald, not so great at colo or crookwell! depends on what you where to race and how much you can spend to do it.

If your budget is low and you're club/state racing I'd think CDW chassis, beam front end and a 1300 and kombi box similar to Jeff Thomas's car in sydney (351) is a great car.

If your budget is middle of the road a car simiar in size to a southern cross would be perfect, you can run 1650 and a kombi/porsche box or up to a prolite or even pro - great size for an allrounder with the advantages of a-arm and the ability to improve the car over time. Youve also got a moly vs mild chassis question here too.

If you budget is big you'd be in the states buying a new car rather than asking here!

Let us know what your plans are and Im sure you'll get plenty of advice you can read and discard! haha!

If you're like us and your first car is looooow budget we bought a basket case rivmasta and rebuilt it then kept improving it after we started racing. Great fun car to both work on and race.


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dre


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When I naved it was in a mk4 southern cross, trailing arm suspension running a 20 valve with a kombi box. I really enjoyed that car and that would be something like where I want to be.

Budget is the big question of course. It is going to be fairly low for a start. But I don't expect anything super quick for a start anyway. I would be looking at 10k as an initial invetment, hopefully something more like 8k knowing that there would be work to do to make it competitve.

Happy to go mild for the chassis, easier to work on from all reports?

May I ask what CDW chassis means?

I have a lot more questions to come as far as A-Arm vs trailing arm and about a million other things. Like I said, beginning research and saving, might be a long journey.

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Wolf


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CDW is cold drawn welded steel - 350mpa mild which is the minimum standard for cams. We made our new car from it as we only have a single phase welder and no tig.

anything around the mk4 era would be perfect for you, southern cross, rivvy, hornets, there are always a few around.

We started with the rivvy with a datsun 1600, stock kombi, 1" over arms in the front and 3" in the rear. then started upgrading. Brakes first, then tyres, gearbox, front end (4" with coils) then 100kw 4age.

My best suggestion - when you buy a basket case make sure its got a log book. you'll be screwed otherwise.

Any car you buy around that age would prob be mild and easy to cut, grind and weld.

Yep, quite a journey ahead!

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Wolf


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dre, been a while since I wrote this but it might help give you an idea on which quesitons to ask!

http://sorra.offroadracing.com.au/club_car_info.htm

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dre


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Cheers for the help.

Looking around for basket case cars now. Seems there are not a lot about! Couple of frames on offroadracing.com.au fairly cheap but both single seaters. I am thinking converting from a single seat to a 2 seater would take a fair bit of work especially to get certified.

What size is a standard cockpit, width, height, length for a 2 seater?

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Bryan


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bryan hear can you buy plans for an a arm frame

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boss truck


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Bryan plans are impossible to find or buy what state are you in if you are in Queensland you can come and measure up mine if your in NSW someone should help you out down there.

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Magila


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Bryan your from my end of the country, I know somebody that lives near Drouin with an A arm buggy, we could organize for you to have a look at ?

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Renegade


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Magila wrote:

Bryan your from my end of the country, I know somebody that lives near Drouin with an A arm buggy, we could organize for you to have a look at ?


You'll be trying to sell my frame next. :P

 



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Bryan


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Magila that wood be grate give me a call 0407044756 bryan

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Magila


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good luck Bryan
hope that help's

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