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thinking of moving petrol tank in baja

noddys vws - June 28th, 2011 at 08:26 PM

i have recently added a baja to my collectoin and it has battery mounted under front bonnet???? and petrol tank looks like it needs to be cleaned or replaced? was thinking of putting a new tank in back seat! thinking of getting one made up or buying new one to mount in back seat

pickstock - June 29th, 2011 at 07:23 PM

and the question?

im going to be putting 2 tanks in my baja when i get it
both aliminium, one larger one sitting as low as possible about where the back seat was and one smaller about five or ten litres sitting on the parcel shelf for gravity feed if nessisary

waveman1500 - June 29th, 2011 at 08:01 PM

Why would you do either of these things? Bugs are light enough in the nose as it is. If I was moving fuel tanks around, I'd be putting a bigger one right at the very front to help add some weight on the front axle to help the steering turn in.

barls - June 29th, 2011 at 08:03 PM

you also have to think about the possibility of rupturing inside the cabin and how are you going to fill it.

pickstock - June 30th, 2011 at 05:02 PM

usually to filler cap goes where the rear window used to be

tank on the rear parcel shelf to allow for gravity feed of fuel if sh!t hits the fan and the pump dies
tank in the middle to get the weight lower and more central.
ive never had a problem with tanks rupturing at all

Bone - July 3rd, 2011 at 08:54 AM

Cant really agree with all replies! Just got back from a week on the beach and that is my next mod (kombi tank on parcel shelf)
Baja walked through soft sand easier with my brother and his two small kids in the back seat. Left rear tyres higher psi (12psi) this trip as beach was not as bad as I've seen it.

11CAB - July 3rd, 2011 at 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by waveman1500
Why would you do either of these things? Bugs are light enough in the nose as it is. If I was moving fuel tanks around, I'd be putting a bigger one right at the very front to help add some weight on the front axle to help the steering turn in.

Baja's go much better offroad with more weight in the rear......

matberry - July 3rd, 2011 at 09:23 AM

50/50 weight distribution is for the bitumen nancies.

The extra weight forward really compromises what you can do with the front end, ie. weight = strength......remove the weight and your frontend effectively becomes stronger :tu: :tu:

11CAB - July 3rd, 2011 at 09:24 AM

Here's a neat looking way to have the fuel tank in the rear. It uses a 70's Kombi fuel filler grafted into the body work behind the side window, and goes to the kombi tank behind the back seat area

waveman1500 - July 3rd, 2011 at 10:39 AM

Okay, fair enough. If all the experts agree that bajas go better in sand with more weight in the back, then by all means do it. The only off-road work I've ever used bugs for has been fast dirt roads and a little bit of mud. At high speeds on loose surfaces, turn-in really suffers with less weight on the front. The scrutineers at events often used to ask for the spare tyre to be taken out for safety reasons (no loose items), but I preferred to leave it in for handling.

pickstock - July 3rd, 2011 at 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by matberry
50/50 weight distribution is for the bitumen nancies.

The extra weight forward really compromises what you can do with the front end, ie. weight = strength......remove the weight and your frontend effectively becomes stronger :tu:

mat
i can see you have a well built buggy, but depending on how you use it you may not know the full dynamics of offroad racing.
the big boy jimcos and trophy trucks are set up at about 45/55 rear biased. This gives the best of both worlds, control when you need it, simply slamming on the brakes shifts the weight balance to the front wheels, but under power the weight is digging in the rear wheels and over jumps the rear wheels are the first to land.

Quote:

Originally posted by waveman1500
Okay, fair enough. If all the experts agree that bajas go better in sand with more weight in the back, then by all means do it. The only off-road work I've ever used bugs for has been fast dirt roads and a little bit of mud. At high speeds on loose surfaces, turn-in really suffers with less weight on the front. The scrutineers at events often used to ask for the spare tyre to be taken out for safety reasons (no loose items), but I preferred to leave it in for handling.

hence the 45/50 weight balance.
A note about scruitineering, if the parts are strapped in tight you are allowed it, but dont call it weight. We had a salon car with the wheel still in the rear, however it was filled with water to give it all the weight it could over the rear wheels.

another thing to think about
my plan of moving the tank to the middle of the car is based on weight balance, getting it low and getting it into the middle of the car.
by freeing up the boot end i will be able to use it for race jacks, at least one spare wheel (hopfully 2) water and spares. the weight of a full fuel tank will be replaced and it will be easier to get to rather than pulling out stuff from beteen the front seats

matberry - July 3rd, 2011 at 10:28 PM

Hey Pickstock, that is what I said dude, 50/50 is not for off road, steer with the loud pedal for me

pickstock - July 3rd, 2011 at 10:54 PM

sorry my thinking was a little off, i figured you were one of the many america offroaders who run close to 70/30 rear bias in there sand cars

nils - July 4th, 2011 at 05:41 PM

Move the spare it weighs alot too, I'm with the safety guys. Unless you plan on running a bladder, I don't like the idea of having fuel inside the cabin

11CAB - July 4th, 2011 at 05:49 PM

The idea is to build a new firewall around the fuel tank, so that its not inside the cabin.
Wes did something similar in his Baja when he put his radiator in that area

Bone - July 4th, 2011 at 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 11CAB
The idea is to build a new firewall around the fuel tank, so that its not inside the cabin.
Wes did something similar in his Baja when he put his radiator in that area

Yes I also will have a fire wall around the tank.

PHAT BUG - July 5th, 2011 at 07:11 PM

When mine was first built it had a 130lt tank in between the wheel wells in addition to the standard tank up front.
It still has the filler and vent fitted to the car (above the rear window).....................

Dad just took a tape measure into the local Truck wreckers and looked for a side tank that fitted, Once it's vented to the atmosphere it'll be fine.
It also had a 80lt water tank, dual battery's and an engle fridge in the back of it.

noddys vws - July 5th, 2011 at 07:25 PM

thanks guys,been a bit busy!! i should have mentioned that i will only be driving badja only on the sand dunes at Portland, Portland is Victorias equivalent to Stokton,
i will not be getting a rego?
cherrs justin

pickstock - July 6th, 2011 at 12:02 PM

sand dunes are usually national parks thus you need rego, i know a lot of people in SA who have been busted in the 4WD parks and beaches (gawler beach) on trail bikes and ATVs

The_Bronze. - August 17th, 2011 at 11:32 PM

I've just bought a Baja with a tank in the rear and I'm not a fan.

I have three sons and don't like the idea of 50litres of fuel sharing the cab. That's a lot of weight and in an accident (they just happen) I'd hate to imagine that weight moving around in the cab regardless of it rupturing.

My first mod is to return the tank to the front.

Yes the added weight is a pain but you can store it in Jerry cans and just run 1/4 tank upfront if need be.

I will be daily driving up and down a freeway. Weekends at Stockton so I need the best of both worlds.

Not a fan of going up like Goose in MadMax 1.

My 2 cents.