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making lift kit
wadd - March 23rd, 2004 at 08:50 PM

hey guys
i`m gonna try making a 2 inch lift kit .i have got hold of a sharp built front yoke. i though i would make the side lengths out of 50x 35mm but am told that i can not get the sizes so do i go to 50x50 for the side and 50x25 for the rear bits thanks guys


Brad - March 23rd, 2004 at 11:52 PM

you go 50 x 50 for the sides and 40 x 40 for the rear bit. The 40 x 40 will allow for the change in verticle height. In other words teh 40 x 40 on the angle given by the floor pan will give 50mm of verticle lift thus keeping the body at the correct height. They use 50 x 50 across teh top of the tunnel.

I have found 1.6mm wall box is fine for strength. 2mm is also fine but 3mm is over kill.

On teh front yoke I would cut the end off the sharpbuilt yoke and keep the side bits of RHS going through picking up the two front bolts. Then drill the shaprbuilt yoke and use two bits of 3mm strap to hold it in place by bolting the strap to it and welding / bolting it to the front pan wall. This will give you max strength and stop the yoke falling over.


wadd - March 24th, 2004 at 09:35 PM

thanks brad i did not realize you need 40x40 on the rear . i suppose i would of found out soon or latter:thumb i will look at the yoke . i guess it was meant to bolt to the pan with those front holes but your way sounds fine . i f i under stand you still need 50x50 over the rear tunnel .


Brad - March 24th, 2004 at 11:00 PM

yep you use 50 x50 everywhere that is flat and 40 x 40 when on an angle to compensate


manx - April 22nd, 2004 at 08:45 PM

Is it worth making a small lip over the front yoke that would sit up in front of the fibreglass? On mine the between glass an chasis foam was pushed out of the gap by numerous high speed water hazards :) ...

any probs with doing sumthin like this?


Baja Wes - April 23rd, 2004 at 10:56 AM

Wadd,

it's probably a bit late now, but this will apply to any future projects.

I used 50x25 for my Baja.
I used it for the following reasons;
* The 25mm is close to what the pan lip is
* The thin 25mm makes the body overhang the pan on the inside, which allows you to run pipes and wires under the overhang and not be able to notice it under the interior carpeting.
* the 25 is easier to cut in lots of places and bend to shape.
* The 25 walls are nice and close so you don't need to worry about the bolts crushing it between the walls.

I used the sharpbuilt cast front yoke, and make the other pieces myself. I used 50x25 everywhere, which works well on the baja.

When the 50x25 is sloping up at an angle on the rear, it's actual height is closer to 53/54mm. It's not a big enough difference to make 40mm equal 50. On the baja the steel body lip at the rear is quite happy to bend and accomodate the extra 53/54mm of height in that area. You just got to hammer the middle flat bit back down cos the area's either side are slightly taller. In the end you can't notice. And I used a rubber body seal above and below the lift kit which helps too.


MikeM - April 23rd, 2004 at 11:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Wes
I used 50x25 for my Baja.



Wes,

Did you get your lift kit blue plated? From what I can gather from the QLD transport rules when adding lift kit to a car it is not a blue plate mod, you are sposed to submit a request to midofy vehicle form.

Is that what you did?

Thanks


wadd - April 23rd, 2004 at 03:40 PM

i submitted awritten request to main roads "she" had no idea and told me that i needed to see enginere about baja and liftkit great help when the nearest is 980km away
all the person did was to send me some info on seats and seatbelts :cussing

[Edited on 23-4-2004 by wadd]
thanks brad:P i`m going with 50x50 now and 40 x40 rear angles just bought the steel to day eather sound fine so wish me luck

[Edited on 23-4-2004 by wadd]


Baja Wes - April 27th, 2004 at 11:34 AM

the lift kit is a funny issue. They say 50mm max for a body lift kit, but it is in reference to a 4WD where the kit lifts the entire body, floor, seats and all, and dramatically effects the stability of the vehicle. You are correct that in this case you get prior approval, then go to the department of transport and get a stamped bit of paper.

A VW is different. For a buggy and baja it's really just floorpan reinforcement / stiffening. The department of transport don't seem to have an issue with reinforcing the floorpan.


Brad - April 28th, 2004 at 03:10 PM

I have spoken to Dept Of Tpt and asked this exact question. The response I got was that approval was not needed to fit a body stifner made of 50 x 50 RHS. I asked if I could use 75 x 50 and replace the 25 x 25 one used in the original Manx to clean it all up and they said that was no problems either.

I refferenced the phone conversation and got all the details of teh person I spoke to and am now just doing it. I have had my buggy over the pits with the 75mm x 50mm fitted and they had no problems with it at all.

Based on teh above I say it is FULLY LEGAL in QLD.

If you read the Meyers Manx Instructions which were supplied with the Buggies it clearly states that a Body Stiffner should be fitted between the pan and the body. Now mod papers say you are to assemble the kit in accordance with manufacturers instructions .... SO ... it would be illegal not to fit a lift kit :kiss


daz67 - May 3rd, 2004 at 04:35 PM

Quote Brad: "Now mod papers say you are to assemble the kit in accordance with manufacturers instructions .... SO ... it would be illegal not to fit a lift kit "


Don't you meen a Body Stiffner, Brad?


Brad - May 3rd, 2004 at 04:46 PM

yeah bodt stifner ... then again it depends what version of papers you have :>


daz67 - May 3rd, 2004 at 05:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Buggy Brad
yeah bodt stifner ... then again it depends what version of papers you have :>



Hmmm, Version 1 , Anything goes......:cool:


Brad - May 3rd, 2004 at 05:03 PM

hehe I have version 1, 2 , 3 and soon version Mega Manx .. who would of guessed they did kit instructions for a V6 version Manx :rudolf