Ed's Baja Bug build.

[CentralWAbaja]

Make sure you have your real springs or a very close alternative at mock up. I had and kinda do still have some "Oh $h!&%" issues when the real springs that went with on my front shocks. When I stepped up to the real spring weights and lengths I ran into clearance issues where I thought I had lots of room. Especially on the top shock mount my spring retainer has clearance issues with the 10" spring in there where originally I had an 8" and then the heavier springs are a little thicker too.

BTW I really like the plywood mock up. I laid mine out in full scale on plywood but I like the way you took it a step farther.

[no1clyde]

Thanks Daron. I have the springs I will be using and they are what I used to mock up. I am using 10" springs top and bottom and have even had it setting on them now I may have this done pretty soon as I have now made the plywood parts in steel

Ed

[no1clyde]

Also I jumped it on one cattle guard farther than I have ever flown a car before

Ed

I'm glad Nate was the one to experience this. He tells the story well, and I didn't have to almost die.

Looks like an engineering marvel, Ed. You are just a hibachi away from awesomeness.

LMAO Tim, if you were driving you would have LOVED IT

Hibachi.....I guess I may have to look into that to reach awesomeness

Ed

[Ol'fogasaurus]

"... BTW...Panhead Harleys with crash bars never were offroad vehicles." Dusty

I guess I wasn't clear; I owned the '48 and another guy and I owned the '36 and were customizing it. A guy saw it just as it got finished and wanted it real bad so we sold it to him but he burned it to the ground trying to get it to start using starter fluid.

The borrowed bike was a 160 Honda, the smaller version of the "Super Hawk"(?) (that is what my memory says the name of the old Honda road bike was but after looking it up and I not sure as it was more swoopy, like a Harley of the time). Anyway, doing 70 in a 70 MPH area when I hit two large dogs chasing cars. I went down, they both were crossing from different sides of the road and they both went flying over the cliff.

I don't go as far back as you do Dusty. It was said, when I got into them in the early '90s, that you could build a rail back then by getting a frame and scrapping out a bug all for ~$3500. The term "drive it like you stole it" I don't think was around then but that is what the uninitiated did... that was their initiation I guess. Kind of expensive if they survived unharmed.

[CentralWAbaja]

Thanks Daron. I have the springs I will be using and they are what I used to mock up. I am using 10" springs top and bottom and have even had it setting on them now I may have this done pretty soon as I have now made the plywood parts in steel

Ed

Yeah I mocked up with an 8" upper and a 12" lower and switched to the 10" upper 12" lower and stiffer springs which moved the retainer to almost the top of the shock causing me some unexpected grief.

[Leatherneck]

Lee this is my mock up of what I am building.



In this pic I have 6 holes in the tower and 6 holes in the lower arm so I can work out the best position for the shock while cycling the shock. It is sort of like a 12" travel class 5 unlimited front suspension and kept under my finders. It would not fit under the finders with out the 3" body lift though. I am not changing my travel or ride height with this just the shock action.

Ed

Great idea, the foxes will be much more forgiving then the motorcycle shocks on your suspension parts too.

[no1clyde]

Great idea, the foxes will be much more forgiving then the motorcycle shocks on your suspension parts too.

Thanks Leather. I am looking forward to testing them. I will be messing with the valving if I have to, I know they are not mounted like normal for a Baja Bug. The motorcycle shocks worked real good if you didn't hit big ditches going way to fast

Ed

[Piledriver]

Curious, what were the specs on those MC shocks?
(bore/stroke etc, Google is letting me down)
All of the decent ones I saw are way too short.

I'm in the middle of building some shortened coil-over 36mm Bilstein SGs with a used set of KYBs converted to remote reservoirs (Needed shorter min length but keep the stroke) but more options are good.
I'm even considering adding base valves, trivial to integrate into a remote res, and adjustable small body PRO/AFCO base valves are $15.(the 46mm ones are about the same)

I ordered a pair of valve shim kits and the guy did awesome and got them to me overnight.
Sadly, he only shipped one set.

[no1clyde]

Pile these shocks are around 17" long and had around 4 1/2" of travel. They are rebuildable and revalveable, I have a shoe box of valve shims for them. In the pic below one is laying on the ground under the car.



I can measure them better tomorrow if you want.

BTW they are KYB's.

Ed

[TimS]

LMAO Tim, if you were driving you would have LOVED IT

Ed

If I were driving I would have been wearing a seatbelt

Keep the flow, Ed. The spirits are being good to you.

[no1clyde]

Tim I am putting in a set of seatbelts like yours while it is in the shop this time and getting rid of the unhandy ones I have in the car now. I am also adding some kind of handle for the passenger.

Ed

[JUSSUMGUY]

After riding over 1500 miles with you, now you put in seat belts and a oh poop handle

[Ol'fogasaurus]

.... and a oh poop handle

Never heard this term used before; "how appropriate the term"! (Author unknown)

[no1clyde]

After riding over 1500 miles with you, now you put in seat belts and a oh poop handle

Yes it is getting new seatbelts that work and a oh poop handle and..........rear view mirrors too

Ed

[no1clyde]

It still has a ways to go but this is where it is headed. This is on it's new shocks and sitting there but the towers are not welded yet.



I am testing finder fitment and spring settings for ride height, looks like both will pass.

Ed