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Author: Subject:  Alyce the Baja
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posted on September 3rd, 2013 at 01:16 PM



Quote:
Originally posted by bajachris88
Super hyper mega exciting stuff for Fraser! Just be sure to not run over Frog when you tower past on the sand :D


I have to get there first!
Still buttloads to do!!
Ordered a new set of gauges last night though. Had to spend the tax on something nice for the car :D


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posted on September 3rd, 2013 at 07:54 PM



I'm kind of excited to see the alyce MK2 :smirk:



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posted on September 3rd, 2013 at 10:12 PM



Quote:
Originally posted by nils
I'm kind of excited to see the alyce MK2 :smirk:
x2

:tu:




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posted on September 3rd, 2013 at 11:11 PM



Quote:
Originally posted by matberry
Quote:
Originally posted by nils
I'm kind of excited to see the alyce MK2 :smirk:
x2

:tu:


X3

Now if only someone would get off their butt and get some work done on her! :crazy:


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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 12:13 AM



Well. As most of you might know on the way to the Gold Coast VW show in May this year Alyce took a bit of a tumble. There were a number of contributing factors but I think it has mostly been put down as a 'lack of talent' on the drivers part. Never mind. My passenger and I were both fine, it was a very slow speed rollover. Unfortunately Alyce's body sustained some irreparable damage. We got her back on her wheels immediately and she still ran like a dream. I was still able to attend the show and even managed to win a trophy, 'Dog of the Day'. Lets hope she can be back there next year and get an award of a more positive nature!

In the few weeks leading up to the show I had put some time into a new engine cage mounted tyre rack. I'll put a few pictures of this up first and then show you the damage.


This first picture is of one of my rear tyres with my spare sitting on top of it. The tyre rack had to be able to carry both. Which also had very different offsets on the rims. I also had to mount it so that it didn't cover up my number plate or obscure the view out the back window too much.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0001_zpsee98632f.jpg


First thing was to fit the larger tyre and make the mount high enough that it cleared my plate. I didn't really care if the back window was covered because if it was on there I would only be limping home at slow speed etc.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0004_zpse27f6d52.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0005_zps7371e7b1.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0006_zps47ca6f93.jpg


I added a bunch of mounting tabs to the cage and started getting the frame roughed out.
One problem I've had in the past is threads I have drilled and tapped into the engine cage to hold the cover down have stripped out and I've had to go to a larger size. I added the 12mm plates so there was plenty of meat for a secure mount. You don't want them stripping out and your spare cartwheeling off the back of the car into traffic.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0011_zpsf6f5fbe0.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0013_zpsa95873ca.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0014_zpsbb4a01d0.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0035_zps04612d2a.jpg


Here is the spare sitting in place. This is as low as I can mount it without covering my number plate up. View out the back is still pretty good.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0035_zps04612d2a.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0039_zps4f9ccfe8.jpg


You might have noticed that the exhaust actually sits slightly proud of the mounting face. And the spare sits over the top of it. Clearance was tight and took lots of measuring and working out. All of the wheels and tyres clear it fine. I have been checking with one of my fronts too.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0057_zpse461ad31.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0058_zpse6f139b3.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0059_zpsc95485da.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0061_zpsc0cc605f.jpg


And now for the mounting plate. I had an old spare hat style disc left over from when I did my rear brake conversion. So I chopped it up and used it for the mounting plate. I got some M12 threaded rod for the wheel nut to mount on and holds the wheels on the back.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0010_zps6f232437.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0063_zps0aef167a.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0066_zpse56cce34.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0067_zpsbc2d6e23.jpg


And here it is all done. This was the night before I drove down (about 800km) to the show. It's not super pretty, but the idea was to sort it out and make any changes when I got back. I am happy to say that it performed perfectly and is even rollover proof.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0068_zps5be79037.jpg



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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 12:26 AM



Here's a few pictures of the carnage. She rolled over to the left 3/4 of a turn and ended up on the RHS. Didn't take much to get here upright again but I was not very pleased with myself. Doesn't look too bad in these pictures, after the show we spent the afternoon kicking the roof back out so it was semi round again, and disassembled the LHS door and straightened it out enough so the glass could go up and down again.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0080_zpsd1f6c230.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0082_zpsf0d4887d.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0083_zpsb3302586.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0085_zps48d51332.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0087_zpsf32ca5c0.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0091_zps21d68d0c.jpg


And here is the new body that she will be receiving. It's a later model being a 1969 1500. I had always planned at some stage to swap to this body for all of the upgrades they offer. Things have just gotten a little bit moved ahead in schedule now :)


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0094_zps74eb51da.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0095_zps55565413.jpg


You will also notice that this body has already been chopped into a Baja. I managed to pick it up for a good deal off a friend about a year prior. Cause it's already cut I can't be blamed for "ruining" another nice beetle by the purists. Like a really care what anyone thinks anyway!! :D


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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 05:38 AM



Always thought that was the best place for spare tyre, usually just found i onlycarried a spare frnt. but that said never ever had a single flat on the baja.

Any thoughts on the colour for the new body? Or are you going to just anchor wax it and run like the cool kids?




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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 08:43 AM



Sucks about the roll over dude. Bad luck, at least have some fun with it while you dont need to care about the body ;)
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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 09:41 AM



Quote:
Originally posted by Allbones
Sucks about the roll over dude. Bad luck, at least have some fun with it while you dont need to care about the body ;)


This is what I should have done. But silly me I stripped it down.



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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 09:55 AM



It wasn't long before I had the first body off and strip down had begun. I had it sitting on some milk crates and car stands. But decided to buy some box and castor wheels and make a body trolley. So far it has been amazingly useful. I think once the car is done I'll put a top on it and turn it into a welding bench.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0100_zpsd157cc58.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0103_zps555d1b9e.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0105_zps077b0c23.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0109_zpsb4f7336c.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0116_zps0d3a9c0b.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0117_zps7e7f2ab8.jpg



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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 10:05 AM



Then it was time to pull her old body apart for the last time :(

This one took a bit longer as it had a bit more fitted to it than the other shell. And there was a lot more mud and sand holding some of the pieces in place!!!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0120_zps6f5b1ad4.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0119_zps17657a19.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0121_zpsfa211170.jpg


I'm going to have to do a far better (read neater!) job of the wiring this time! Though, surprisingly I never had a single problem with it!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0125_zps89fae821.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0127_zpsb9231061.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0137_zps33eb1398.jpg


I also cut the fuel filler out so I can fit it to the new body.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0138_zps9d3be7dc.jpg


The floorpan will need some tidying up. Ground clearance certainly gets impressive without a body weighing it down!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0129_zpscb53b0f8.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0133_zpsa5ad28e9.jpg


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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 10:18 AM



Now it was time to start sorting the new body out. I bought a 7" grinder/buffer and started taking some paint off. When I stripped the inside of the door of winder mech/handles I noticed some blobs in the bottom of the door crevice. Yep! she had bog. A few nice blobs too!
And the gap under the back window had completely rusted out.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0141_zpsc94ced59.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0140_zpse3944dd4.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0145_zps98977b11.jpg



I opted to get the body blasted. I really wanted to do this body once and do it all properly from the start. So I won't have it rusting or breaking out it cracks in a few years time.
So on the trailer she goes.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0147_zps30c82199.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0148_zps6e52a036.jpg


All blasted now, and ready to come home. But look what we've uncovered!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0149_zpsdeaf4173.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0150_zpsab96d4e9.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0152_zpsc44f8f06.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0153_zps0b30b9d0.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0155_zpsa78b2793.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0156_zps0b1901a6.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0157_zps616cce93.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0158_zps2b037891.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0161_zps4ae7b95f.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0163_zps585f8507.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0165_zps07c744f9.jpg


As soon as I got her home I put her into the booth and got a few coats of 2pac epoxy primer onto everything to stop it rusting. Now I just have a lot of body work ahead of me. What we thought was a straight and rust free body has turned out to be a straight (thankfully) but quite holy body!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0169_zpsa8881bbd.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0171_zpsfdd59ab6.jpg


Wish me luck.



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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 10:28 AM



So I went and bought a new drill/driver set. And got myself a spotweld drill. And started removing sections of the firewall so I can repair the gaping hole under the back window.
And I managed to roll the car again, even slower this time :)


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0189_zps008401b3.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0190_zpsa0d4463d.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0192_zpsc9d973af.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0196_zpsa09d30bb.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0200_zps2f3c68d9.jpg


I really need to get both of the heater channels replaced with new items. So I started building the bodylift for the car. I'm using 100mm C-channel for the lift which will give me 80mm of lift (just over 3" for the imperial minded). What I'm going to do is make the lift kit and use it as a jig to replace the sills one at a time.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0221_zps0fc34fd9.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0222_zps3b3bbdd6.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0223_zpsf08ae521.jpg



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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 10:38 AM



Floorpan time!! I dragged it back into the shed and lifted it up onto my trolley so I could strip it too. I'm planning to replace the framehead too. When I built the car I used a Super floorpan and added a K&L front to it. I bought a brand new one. And what a mistake that was! The metal was thin, welds were poor, fit was horrible and lots of gaps everywhere! And 3 years on it's rusting everywhere and completely bent out of shape. I'm going to cut it off and replace it with a good second hand one off a spare pan I have here at home.

Other plans is to replace the brake and fuel lines. Run a line for the hydro clutch, and set the pedals up for it. Converting to rack and pinion steering. Widening the front end with new shock towers. And obviously, welding on my lift kit.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0205_zps89d82564.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0206_zps152456e4.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0209_zpse482410f.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0210_zps6ab36dac.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0211_zps0a204d66.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0212_zps3ef66c7e.jpg



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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 07:09 PM



Holy crap! My favourite build thread has taken a twist I was not expecting. I guess starting again will let you change the things you weren't happy with on alyce no.1. Good luck. But we all know Smiley will have it finished by warwick.....................:lol:
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posted on September 4th, 2013 at 11:02 PM



Ok. Where were we?

Frontend. Here's a little something I knocked up so I could coax a little more travel out of the front end. Cut out of 6mm plate. They are about 5" taller than standard ones. I will be running Bay Kombi rear shocks as they are nice and long and fit very well.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0220_zpsf8d33ec6.jpg


Then I set about widening the front a little. 2" to be exact. I had an old beam lying around so I cut the centre grub screw out and welded it into the new beam I was making. I also did a cut and turn while I was at it. I've had adjusters in the past and while they are nice I never really bothered adjusting them. Screw them up as high as they went and they were like that for years. Plus they let sand and dirt into the beam. So standard screws it is!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0224_zps5a473d13.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0228_zps9b51b206.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0229_zpsb7df3a96.jpg


I use angle and stainless hose clamps to ensure that the beam stays straight. I've used this method a few times and it works great. Make sure you measure measure measure and make certain that everything is in the right spot. What I like to do is tack the beam in 4 places around the circumference. Grind these down smooth so it all sits flush in the angle. Weld out as much as you can on both tubes. Then remove one piece of angle and swap it onto the other side of the beam. Use some small blocks of metal on the flat sections to space the angle up above the welds you have just done. Then finish welding the back side of that tube, then do the same on the last tube. Easy peasy, and the beam stayed perfectly straight!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0230_zpsb9581e37.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0232_zpsb63f649c.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0233_zps873136bd.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0234_zpscf93daf6.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0236_zps3449873d.jpg


Now because it's widened the beam clamps are now in the wrong spot. So it's time to cut them off and move them too. I left them and the shock tower on during the widening to help keep everything straight and square. I sprayed them a good coating of weld thru primer before fitting them back to the beam. And I figured the best thing to use as a jig was the framehead itself. So I bolted them on, measured and made sure it was centred. Tacked in place then removed and welded out.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0238_zps44f644f7.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0239_zpse68b8090.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0241_zps551ecd1c.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0242_zps99d02e12.jpg


Then I cut the old standard shock towers off and tacked my new ones in place. I took plenty on measurements so I could get them sitting in the right position on the beam. Then I threw an arm in the beam and an old shock on to see how it would go. I know I won't get this much travel once the stops are in place but it's quite impressive!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0243_zps2016ea14.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0245_zpsd39548e6.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0246_zpsb1401c8e.jpg


I have showed you this picture already.
And that is how you build a manly beam for your Baja with mostly stock bits and a bit of plate.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/DSCN0247_zps959800c2.jpg



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posted on September 5th, 2013 at 06:11 AM



Love that when you start welding big steel items and can sit back, admire your work and think. . .
. . . . .

MMWWWWAAHAHHAHAHHAHA ! :punk:

With the wider front end, I assume you will add beamclamps to the chassis. concider adding more caster to your set up before you fab those. otherwise the bottom clamps don't reach and you end up feeling pretty silly :blush:




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posted on September 5th, 2013 at 10:39 AM



Just a quick one. A little bit of messing around that I got done last night.
As I mentioned I'm converting to Rack and Pinion with my new front end.

The rack I'm using is out of a Mk I Golf. The cool thing is because I've widened the beam that small amount the rack ends are the exact prefect length.
One other thing to note for those playing at home. The rack ends that I have are Golf ones, and they are the same taper/size as Balljoint Beetle (or Country Buggy in my case). But if you get Mk I Passat rack ends, they are the same taper/size as a K&L pin Beetle. So you can use this rack on either beam, just get the right rack ends for your application.

Now I know you want to see pictures!


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0266_zps26f181d6.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0267_zps253a1a55.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0268_zpsa6d5ce26.jpg



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posted on September 5th, 2013 at 05:51 PM



If your going to replace that frame head i would cut the old one off 40mm foward or cut your replacement german one off 40mm rearwards (preferable option )with the main aim of moving your beam foward 40mm which will help with your turn in and big tyres not srapping on inner guards anywhere , plus you know your going to end up with longer front trailing arms sooner or later and they'll put your whels back in the stock position .
But if you are thinking about bigger front arms now would be the time or you'll be remounting the rack when you do to get rid of bump steer .




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posted on September 5th, 2013 at 07:58 PM



Like andrew said,

Also, its hard to tell because i don't have a computer handy. Is the golf rack end load? Because the theoretical position of the inner ball joints is the same no matter how long your steering arms, the shorter they are, the less tolerant the misalinement of the rack will become. as an example a the difference between drivable and a nightmare is only 5mm on a centerload, maybe half that on end load? And of coarse shorter arms means less travel and nobody wants that!

Have you had a chance to see how the drivability of your rack turned out Andrew?




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posted on September 5th, 2013 at 11:22 PM



This thread just keeps getting better and better.......
Shame about the roll over, I felt your pain when i saw that roof damage, brought back memories of what mine looked like before i spent hours and hours straightening it....
Keep up the awesome work.
And im so happy you are finally doing a body lift :D

Are you going to be boxing those shock towers? gusseting? that beam is awesome.

PS: those spot weld drills suck balls, I have broken like 7 of the stupid things, they dont last very long at all.
I was much happier with the solid spot weld drill bits with the spike, obviously the bits have two different applications, but if you can weld it doesnt really matter.
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posted on September 6th, 2013 at 02:56 PM



Ok smarty pants (Nils and Westwood) wouldn't I be better off moving the framehead forward the same amount as the arms? Aren't they only available in 2 1/2" or 4" longer? So I should move it forward about 60mm at the very minimum?

Thanks for the comments AndrewB. I will be gusseting the towers, they are just tacked in place for the moment so I can cycle the suspension and do all the bumpsteer business.


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posted on September 6th, 2013 at 03:02 PM



And Nils, the Golf rack is end load. I'm aware that makes the fine tuning a little more sensitive. I've read through Wes's thread about 5 times in the last few years.

Just wondering how you went with the calculator? Did you just measure everything on your car and transfer the numbers in and it told you where the rack would be? Then you trail and error a little from there to get it perfect?
Because the calc is made for balljoint. Did you put the upper and lower spindle balljoints as where the line of the king pin intersects the line of the Link pin? I figure that's the same as it's where it technically pivots on two points.

Andrew. When you did yours and cycles the suspension. How the hell did you hold the trailing arms in the correct spot with no torsion leaves fitted? I'm having troubles with them sliding in and out on the bearings a little. I picked up some threaded rod to maybe try and lock them at a set length where the torsion leaves would normally hold them.

I know doubt will have a millions more questions so please keep checking back and keep an eye on me ;)



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posted on September 6th, 2013 at 03:28 PM



I've used threaded rod for mock up, when the seal are installed you can gauge the crush on the seal to get it similar to how the arms sit when the torsions are installed.
I reckom ,ove the frame head too... how much depends on what arms, but a little more tyre clearance is a good idea IMO.




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posted on September 6th, 2013 at 07:07 PM



Righto smiley you have got me to go to the computer. Lets start with Wes' calculator, I didn't use it per say but it did help me understand how the movement in the front end effect bump steer and how to find the ''sweet spot'' From there I moved back to where I was more comfortable, (with something tangible in my hands, not computer code) Computers and I don't really work well together. Drafting on the other hand, I'm old hat at.
I've drawn a Quick representation of what I drew in full size. First you will have to measure where all the moving point are on your spindles and steering ball joints (remember that the movement point on a ball joint you cant actually see, it's the centre of the ball) Measuring the outer ball joint in relation to the link pins in only 2 dimensions is a pain, but keep at it it's a very important dimension. If I can find my old drawings I will post my measurements seeing as you have the same spindles.
Now, on your great big piece of drafting paper draw this perfect side on view of your torsion bars, arms, spindle at full expected droop. And again at full compression (using the same torsion bar you drew the first time). Continue drawing this though out the range of travel as many times as you need to build the ark that your out steering ball joint travels though.
Then all you have to do is find the center point of that ark, and [size=6]BAM![/size] this is the sweet, sweet caramel and nougat center of your inner ball joint

This is why I couldn't tell you (westwood) for absolute sure that you could use the same dimensions as my build when you where setting up your rack.

But in smileys case, this is where your end load rack will come into its own. The centerload racks always require reshaping of the top of the frame head to get it in the right spot. I believe you get away with out (or very minor) because you have no moving parts there to account for

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/baja53/2013/rackandpinionscetch_zpsf4ffe0a5.jpg

Onto the subject of the stretched frame head. aside from clearancing for longer arms the best reasons for stretching is to lengthen the wheelbase for smoother ride, better stability and to try and rescue the dynamics of the car, seeing as we have butchered it so. The ''right'' amount to stretch it would be the same percentage that you have widened it. Widen it 5%, stretch it 5%, easy yeah? Otherwise you end up with the same (and i'm going to get grilled here) situation as the short manx buggies. Your ackerman all kinds if messed up.

Hope I have made a few things that seem difficult alittle more user friendly




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posted on September 6th, 2013 at 07:08 PM



Thought I post post a few more pictures of some goodies that I have picked up.

First off 5-speed trans out of a T3 Kombi/Vanagon. These have a heap of improvements over a bay Kombi trans. Including a proper reverse gear (nice and strong), 4 spider diff, lower first gear (great for crawling), hydraulic clutch, deeper bellhousing so I can fit the 228mm flywheel and clutch etc etc.
I also picked up a Weddle linkage kit for it. Which should make fitting it and adapting to the bug stuff a little easier.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0271_zps6f6fae09.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0272_zps75546f9e.jpg


To compliment this lovely gearbox I got my hot little hands on a difflock! Same as the ones used in the Syncro buses. Thanks a million to Paul form Steelart for organising this. So now I really will be a 2WD!
Plan is to have it air activated.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0273_zps9f90b191.jpg


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0274_zps87d040fe.jpg


I really can't wait to get all this up and running!



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posted on September 6th, 2013 at 07:12 PM



OH! almost forgot.

Yep threaded rod, throw your torsions away and get some coils while you are at it :lol:

Lock your wheels in place on the ground (with toe set) and raise and lower the chassis to simulate the travel

That gearbox is SSSWWWWEEEEEEET!!!!




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posted on September 6th, 2013 at 07:20 PM



Wow.........you got the shit now! It's a win/win with that box set up, crawler gear for tough stuff and a 5th for the highway, and with the locker you can piss that dual handbrake setup off :tu:
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posted on September 7th, 2013 at 10:16 AM



Nils! You are a genius. That is the simplest explanation I've heard and very easy to comprehend. I'm thinking that I need to get some more accurate measurements off the spindle. Measuring the ball joint isn't as hard cause I made one of these out of an old balljoint. Makes it a little easier.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0275_zps98f8c02c.jpg


I think that I'll have to go and get some large drawing paper now too.

I put all the measurements that I got into the calculator and came up with 35.6mm up and 135mm back for the rack position, giving 0.9mm bumpsteer at the end of my tyres. And even rounding the first measurement out to the nearest mm in either direction took it up to 1.3mm. That's crazy sensitive! I can understand now why people carry on like setting racks up PROPERLY is voodoo science!

Thanks for all your help.



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posted on September 7th, 2013 at 01:06 PM



Well I took Nils advice and went and bought some paper and broke out the old compass, rulers and protractor. It's been ages since I've done any drawings like this and I can say I quite enjoyed it :cool:

I plotted the suspension at 5 different points. From literally sitting the shock against the tower in both directions. (Will end up with less than this once stops are in place I would say). Lower arm travels a 125° sweep. Then used these points to plot the centre of the circle and where my rack should sit. The "sweet spot" is 23mm up and 61mm back from the centre of the top torsion tube. Way cool! Now I just need to build it and see how much more fine tuning is required from here.


http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/smileyman1968/Alyce%20the%20Baja/Alyce%20the%20Baja02/DSCN0276_zps5659a375.jpg



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