Semi independent rear end
1 Attachment(s)
Hello everyone, I recently bought a hammerhead gts to ride around with my son, he is 3, I did a few performance mods already, uni intake, exhaust, adjustable cdi, coil, plug and main jet, it ran great, but one one occasion I took my wife and son for a small ride out in this trail close to home where many jeeps and atvs go, it was great until I encountered some mud (with me in it only it was no problem)'with my wife and son it bogged down (I am 205lbs, wife is 125lbs and son is 32lbs) and wouldn't want to go, so I reversed and went on some dry stuff, I installed a winch on the front and went by myself to see what it could do, it's ok with me only but on some mud trails I noticed that it felt like a tank, the rear and chassis stays like one unit and the front suspension is doing all the work, it feels somewhat like a boat. I also noticed in the rear there is a support bar under the sprockets that limits your ground clearence to about 5.5 inches... I saw in a forum this guy said to just take it off after the sproket because over time it will get hit by rocks and actually bend in pulling the rear arms outers in and causing unwanted force on the bearings, I felt that in the mud that bar dug in and wanted to ankor the buggy in place, also the brake caliper was down under, bad design... I didn't want to just hack it off as I believe it's there for a reason besides holding the brake caliper, I don't know how to weld so was going to have aguy do it ($30 bucks a weld!) no thanks so I decided to buy a Lincoln century 88 and through youtube videos taught myself. Welder sucked! Splatter everywhere! What a mess!
|
Modded welder
1 Attachment(s)
I modded my welder to make it electrode negative, added a capacitor + resistor and a bridge rectifier. It is night and day, about a week of pratice ,hours of youtube videos I felt confident. Took the bar off and cleaned it up, mocked up and welded on. I cut about 2-3 inches off and placed it infront of the sprocket and brake disck
|
I began rear semi-independent suspension
1 Attachment(s)
Since that relocation seemed like a not somdifficult of a job i decided to mod the rear. I love rock crawlers so I began I cut the main support of rear arm off an will be scooting it back a few inches, I didnt think about the 1/16th the cut off wheel took off plus the grinding to level off so in one side out of 1/8 flat bar I had ro frankenstein weld it, at least I got more welding time out of it!.... Lol
I am going for a four link design with a panhar bar. |
Ordered parts
1 Attachment(s)
Some parts are in and going with 1/2 inch rod ends on the bottoms, mocked up the holes and began to cut and grind
|
Rod ends for links.
1 Attachment(s)
With the rod ends in the bottom they will probaby give me about 2-3 inches of travel, which is what the shock allows anyways so perfect. However with one rear giving me 2-3 plus the front I shoukd have a good 6+ inches total, plus a better feel on these trails, my design will change from performance to a trail design, much more unsprung weight but who cares in my trails max speed I can go is about 21-25 max, anyways at that speed my son is like wtf is going on:crying: lol i do not need the 46mph this thing offers, I rather have the climbing ability for some of them hills.
|
Got the rear bottom done
1 Attachment(s)
Got the rear bottom almost there. I just need the battery holder and cap the ends and done.
|
More mocking up
1 Attachment(s)
It is a pain in the back literaly to keep mocking this up over and over again but i am making progress
|
Battery tray on
1 Attachment(s)
Battery tray is on and ends on!
|
Another angle
1 Attachment(s)
Imcapped the ends for support and so rust wont get in there
|
This part is done
1 Attachment(s)
Supported the battery with a 1/8 2 inch wide steel flat bar
|
Top links
1 Attachment(s)
The top links will be attached with 5/8" inch rod end where the dog bone links hang the motor upper cage, and 3/8" on the other end attaching where the shock top bolts goes.
|
Another view
1 Attachment(s)
The bottom capped ends again
|
Engine top cage + bottom
1 Attachment(s)
Welded the top cage with bottom using some nice and thick (almost 1/8" walls) tube to meet the top and bottom another mock up!
|
New tires
1 Attachment(s)
Ordered some new 23x10-10 itp mud lites oppose to the 22x10-10 far east that came on. I more inch clearence but in all honestly the far east where barely over 21" they where about 21.3" where the itp where true 23"
|
Side by side
1 Attachment(s)
View of it mounted
|
More clearence
1 Attachment(s)
Love the look of the itp mud lites, also they weight about the same, and they are not the flat performance type they are rounded which I think will give me a more confortable ride. Will be changing the rear 32T sprocket for a 42T as well
|
Flex shot
1 Attachment(s)
Flex shot of the rear
|
Don't know why my pics are loading sideways, they look right on my screen then I postnand it's sideways...
|
Cage work
1 Attachment(s)
Working on the cage, making it possible to open up
|
It fits
1 Attachment(s)
Got the flanges done almost
|
Adding supports
1 Attachment(s)
since the tabs where the shocks bolt up where thinner then i'd hopped I added some 1/8" inch support.
|
More welding!
1 Attachment(s)
More welding on the tabs
|
A little paint
1 Attachment(s)
Tabs finished, did the bottom arm outer and top inners
|
Got a problem...
1 Attachment(s)
Got the back on for another mock up and straps for panhar bar it is not flexing smooth i think because the top links are longer... Damn...
|
Panhar bar tabs
1 Attachment(s)
Went with 3/16" tab on the panhar tabs. I think my welding is getting a bit better, considering i barely just learned, and i can only adjust the settings from low to high, with the rectifier mod I did I noticed way better penetration, and little to no splatter
|
I'm confused. Are you trying to make it so the swing arm pivots?
|
Looks ok
1 Attachment(s)
Mocked it up and did some measurements, the thing articulates ok, but like i mentioned the links bind a bit so i will be removing the top links and making a 5/8 rod end thick single link in the middle so now i guess it will be a 3 link with a panhar bar, i got on top and jumped on it a couple times, i can see it flex a bit independently of the other side! :) i will also adjust the shocks a bit as with out the motore and upper cage weight feel a bit too firm... Getting started on the top link and brake caliper mount points, caliper will be on top now rather then under and next to sproket and brake disk
|
Quote:
|
Wow. That's alot of welding. Good thing you own your welder.
I have so many questions that your pictures are provoking. This looks to be a four link suspension. 1. Are your shocks causing the binding you are referring to ? 2. Was your electrical system modified for increased length ? 3. Is your chain tension adjustment affected by the new setup ? Can't wait for the trail testing. Thanks for sharing. |
I don't see how the shocks and the top dog bone things will let it do anything other than shift side to side.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Top link tabs
1 Attachment(s)
The top link will attach on a pipe i cut and force fit inbetween the two tubes on the upper part behind the seats
|
Top link tab
1 Attachment(s)
almost done
|
Tab done
1 Attachment(s)
Tab is done cleaned and painted!
|
1 Attachment(s)
Wish i knew how to add more them one pic!
|
links!
1 Attachment(s)
Links done time for mock up
|
It works!
1 Attachment(s)
I got my wife to climb on top of it with me and we jumpped on the right side and left side it flexes nicely, the shocks are not tight at all in there with out the polyurethane bushing they will move abou 10-15 degrees to each side top and bottom, way more then i will ever need.
|
Shocks
1 Attachment(s)
Got the hemispherical bushings in, I ordered one from china to see if it fit, it fits like a glove, when i ordered one it took like 3 weeks to come in, then i ordered 3 and it cam in in about 10 days... Go figure...
|
Shock bearings
1 Attachment(s)
This is the bearing at work the shock on the left has them in the one on the right is stock, i have a brass shim around the bearing and it' s pressed on there with a bit of epoxy, i will also have a small spacers on either side to keep the bearing somewhat centered at all times. Now on to the brake caliper mount point.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Rear caliper
1 Attachment(s)
Made the rear mount point, I used some pipe from the pipe for the links and used some 1/8" to make a mount point for the caliper, I used one stock mount point and basically swung the caliper around. The caliper had this steel arm that had a spring on it to pull the cable back out after releasing the parking break. I cut that off and welded tha on the rear to use as the new spring mount tab here is a pic
|
Caliper on
1 Attachment(s)
Caliper on
|
well thought out, well done. probably the nicest and best executed improvement on the swingarm design i've seen. getting some semi-independant travel out of the swingarm rear has been long and thoroughly discussed, i think you're the first to pull it off. :cheers:
|
Quote:
|
sprocket guard
1 Attachment(s)
I cutt, welded and drilled up a new proket guard bolt up location, the stock one was thinner so i used some of that 3/4" wide 1/8" thick flat steel bar I had laying around, mocked it up and will accomodate the new 42t sprocket guard the new sprocket is exactly the same size as the disck brake now.
|
Prep for paint
1 Attachment(s)
Got the parts nice and washed I will be hitting it up with a scuff pad, leaving most of the powder coating that is on already on, was going to get it powder coated but since not sure if it's completley done, pkus the guy locay wanted almos $200 for it...
|
Painting
1 Attachment(s)
Got the links done
|
Rear
1 Attachment(s)
Got some adhesion promoter and a couple cans of this bed liner stuff, this is not the rubberized one. It is tough and should do fine, two cans a little more then $20... :)
|
Top painted
1 Attachment(s)
Top is done it took about two days
|
Bottom
1 Attachment(s)
Bottom was done and installed with it's corresponding steel cone spacers for the heim joints for centering, the bolts are 8.8 grade and will be cut to correct lenght later closer to finishing.
|
The top link looks to be horizontal? Wont that stop the swingarm from moving up and down? The original links were vertical so they could swing back and forth.
Forgive me if I'm seeing this wrong, sometimes it's difficult to tell whats really going on in pictures. Edit!! I guess it will still go up and down just not in the same way it did before. As stock it pivoted forward and back at the top. |
It is a bit horizontal to clear the engine but checked it and swings up and down ok. It only needs to move about 3 inches max and even then the bottom arms can come up as the shock compress, wish i woulded recorded when i had it all together but with no engine and shocks moving it around, it is quite heavy though!
|
Can't wait to see the video of it working. I love modified buggies..lol
|
Quote:
|
1 Attachment(s)
Here it is motor installed, and links painted, doing all the wiring and electrical.
|
1 Attachment(s)
Another view of the rear, my 3 year old was in the garage with me , I took the 4wd part of the barne's 4wd accesories decal but my son decided he wanted it on, o well i' ll get ir off later on. He just wanted to help.
|
Looks awesome.
The more I look at that top link, the more I think you may have changed the geometry. The rear tires used to go up and down in sort of an arc, now I think it will be less of an arc and more like a single swingarm. I have no idea what the effect will be. I would be curious to compare it with the top link more vertical. |
It should travel in a steeper m ore vertical arc at the start that then curves in forward more near the top of the travel. one thing that will occur if this functions as i think it will, is that in corners, as the chassis gets into roll, the outside wheelbase will shorten, improving turning radius via some rear steer/oversteer. gotta be careful with that change until you're used to it.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Finished!
1 Attachment(s)
Hey guys finally finished it! It drives and handles great, have not noticed a big difference really but i feel that is because the rear shocks are still a bit stiff, i might loosen them a bit. My top speed droped a bit 46mph on the 32t rear stock sprocket with the after market 42t my top speed now is 42mph... Still not bad. I still need to install a 26mm flat d slide oko carb i ordered... next month i will be starting a new thread on a turbo i will be installing
|
1 Attachment(s)
Rear view, the sprocket and brake disck still have some protection, the rear caliper is on top now and that rear bottom guard bar is no longer under the spocket but rather at the same height of the rear axle (in front of it) have way more clearence now, also the 23" rears help out.
|
1 Attachment(s)
View of the brake caliper and it's new placement, had to change a few things around and add a L shape mounting point, it works great
|
I would love to see it working from the rear. Got anyone that could follow you with a camera? lol
|
I'll set up a long stick of some sort to record the rear moving soon!
|
Quote:
|
quick update, changed the rear shocks to some 15.75" (stock ones are 13") had to re-fab the upper link, today the weather is real ****ty but will try to make a video here hopefully tomorrow if not real soon! was mostly testing it ect, I love the rear of this buggy now, it has exactly what I wanted, some independent rear articulation with out any negative side effects, have taken it out a couple times and feels great! my brother who was on his 250 dirtbike said it was flexing real nice. Ill put a video up of the rear work and another of the upgrades to it.
|
Thought you gave up on this..lol
|
Quote:
no man it's completed and well tested, I was like blahhh with the outcome on those stock shocks but now with these longer ones and a few tweaks on the rear links, it feels like it's on air on the rear. |
Sounds nice.
|
Was there ever a video? Looks like a nice mod.
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:29 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.