prototype buggy

[Desertduler]

Do you have any desert areas around where you live that you can run that buggy? I used to race off road buggies (Full Size).

 

[tazmannusa]

Do you have any desert areas around where you live that you can run that buggy? I used to race off road buggies (Full Size).

As far as close California City would be about the closest, about a 3 hour drive. When the next one is done we plan to take a trip out there . For the most part we just drive around here, there is 1000's of open ground farming acres, ditches, pond basins plenty to have fun. The gran kids come out and ride too and just have a blast .
I was going to build another one about the same but we decided to build a 2 seater, small version of the ST4

 

[tazmannusa]

Next build

Hello all
Well I put together the main body part of the Badlands st4 to the plans and it was way to small and to hard climbing in and out so I scraped it. drew this one up and started building it, just a single seater and it will have swing arm mounted engine, little smaller than the last one but it should be a little better for trail riding with a narrower track and short wheel base

 

[landuse]

That looks nice!

 

[kgb_m3]

What a beautiful frame! Great work and good choice on the bender, I use the model 32 as well!!

 

[lostininglewood]

quality looking frame. very nice.

 

[tazmannusa]

Thanks
I put in all the diagonals and did a little adjusting and it is going together nicely. Had a couple options in mind for the engine swing arm setup but opted to mount engine above swing arm, the predator 420, CVT, and battery added up to a lot of unsprung weight.
Frame is built mostly from 1-1/4" .083" DOM and I can say that stuff is a lot nicer to work with than the cheap ESW stuff but it does cost twice as much.
I post up some more pictures this weekend
Tom

 

[tazmannusa]

Few more pictures
Time consuming doing the engine mount like this
Tom

 

[tazmannusa]

little more progress

Hello All
Got a good start on the front end, So far its working out ok, had to be a bit different on the A arms, it was the only way I could get the angles I wanted and still have shock clearance . Looks like I will get about 8" of travel which I did not think was to bad considering how short the arms are.

 

[Desertduler]

Looking good as always! Keep up the great work!

 

[tazmannusa]

Thanks
Just wish I had more time.
I had ordered a 72 watt LED light for it combo spot and flood that was supposed to come with both end mounts and bottom mounts, low and behold it only came with the end mounts and I need the bottom mounts to mount it on the top cross bar inline with the shocks. contacted the seller and they gave me a few options except for the one where they send me the bottom mounts, bummer I guess I will have to go with a partial refund and built the mounts myself.
I have the comet 780's for this one should give me a pretty wide gear range and with the wide belt climb hills better, that was one of the problems with the 40 series , poor the coals to it climbing a hill and it would slip the belt

 

[tazmannusa]

Swing Arm

Hello All
I had a few ideas on the swing arm, wanted to get some flex and it has some, it will twist a couple inches with me lifting on one side and the wife pushing down on the other side, Don't know hew well it will hold up but in theory it should. The rear sway bar is 3/4" solid flex proof 1144 and the front one is 3/4" .120 wall tube

 

[firemanjim]

Looking awesome!!

 

[Desertduler]

Why didn't you enter this buggy in the build off? You would clean house with this buggy as an entry!

 

[firemanjim]

No Schmidt!

 

[Desertduler]

I would have voted for you for sure! is it considered 50% done?

 

[tazmannusa]

Interesting didn't think about interring the contest.
50% done I can't say still a lot to do but it is all most a roller.
I am glad you guys like it, helps keep me motivated .
Looking at Vegas carts website they sell a 3mm longer stroke crank that will fit in the 420 and sense I was figuring to tear it down and remove governor and install the better rod maybe I will go that rout and add a little better cam . It would be nice to get 18 to 20 dependable HP out of it . ran the calks on it and with 20" tires, 6.25:1 ratio with the 780 CVT I will have a top speed of 60 mph at 4500 rpm's , I think it will need a little more HP to actually do that

 

[firemanjim]

You should end up with plenty of power with your set up! I love it. One of these days, when he kids are older, I'll be able to do something awesome like those buggies.....

 

[tazmannusa]

On the wheels

Hello All
Finally on wheel and on the ground . The lines came out pretty good considering how short it is . Swing arm seems to work as intended, so far anyway

 

[Desertduler]

Looks fantastic man! May I ask if you are going add any suspension bumper stops on the front A arms and the rear swing arm?