Bringing back the 1972-74 Muskin Dune Cat ... suspension ideas welcome!

[fowler]

Looking dam good

To answer your questions

Firstly roll bar and belt
Well neither would hurt
A belt isn't really required they are pretty well struck in there once sitting down
A simple roll bar would be a good idea, just behind the drivers head
A simple safety precaution to stop Brocken necks

For suspension

You are immediately going to run into travel issues due to the body
U would have to thereby lift it, by how much? Depends on the type of suspension

Obviously these are no motorcross machines
For cruising around the back yard or in the bush u would want a few inches of travel
The back would be very simple to turn into a swing arm

But by the looks of it the rear body mounts would need a rethink

For the front
Some single a arms would suffice and u should b able to fit shock towers in the font wheel wells

To get serious and make it double a arm front and rear would lead to a mayor redesign and likely leave something that's only loosely based on the dune cat

Of course for now the old low tyre pressure helps soak up a few bumps

 

[2S Keisler]

Thanks Fowler. I am looking at making the rear body mount arms attach the lower section of the roll bar. The roll bar upper section would be a bolt on to the lower so that only 2 holes would need to be cut in the body to drop it in from the top.

The small 3inch travel would be great ... I just want to absorb some of the shock so that the frame welds do not fracture. This appears to be a failure mode in the original frames I have.

Ideally, a rider should be able to ride this buggy on the beach, and not get their fillings rattled out.

I considered making the two main frame rails from mono leaf springs that bridge the rear axle assembly to the front axle assembly. This would require some experimentation to get it right, and the spring rate would not be right for adults.

Any recommendations on coil-over shocks of decent quality is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Interesting idea with the semi-elliptical leaves.

In examining your suspension options, I am left with a question... Target pricing? Sure enough you could build something capable of a lunar landing, but will the "average enthusiast" have it in his budget?

 

[2S Keisler]

Interesting idea with the semi-elliptical leaves.

In examining your suspension options, I am left with a question... Target pricing? Sure enough you could build something capable of a lunar landing, but will the "average enthusiast" have it in his budget?

Hi Chris,

Yes, this is a key point. I am looking to get the fully equipped frame, less engine, in the $700-900 range retail. IF I can include a coil-over shock front suspension, that would be great. The Peerless differential alone costs $119 thru Northern.

Here is a short Bill of Materials that covers the major items in the pricing above:
1. steel dom tube frame, painted or powder coated
2. pedals, pads, spring returns
3. drum front brakes w/ ball bearing spindles and heavy duty pull cables
4. steering shaft w/ pitmans
5. tie rod ends/ball joints (shielded type)
6. alum tube tie rods
7. engine/diff/jackshaft cage
8. differential with axles
9. flanged bearings w/zerks
10. spherical bearings
11. jackshaft with ball bearings and adjusters
12. #41 sprockets and #40 chain for jack shaft and diff
13. throttle cable
14. basic wheel/tire package, 4 on 4inch pattern, 1/2inch fine thread stud
15. instructional video for assembly

For reference, here is pricing on the Body for those that want to build their own frame:

Body in White or Black, $600
Body in solid Red or Blue or Purple, $650
Body in Metallic Big Flake, $750


I am looking forward to comments, suggestions, etc.

 

[2S Keisler]

Some wheel choices ... which do you like??

Choice #1 ... Multi-Spoke in Black with Machined face

 

[2S Keisler]

Some wheel choices ... which do you like??

Choice #2 ... Aluminum Slots! old school, yes

 

[2S Keisler]

Some wheel choices ... which do you like??

Choice #3 ... modern looking with the 2-piece rim style

check out the vintage Carter Bros Monster Jeep I upgraded with these

 

[2S Keisler]

Some wheel choices ... which do you like??

Choice #4 ... Stamped Steel D
cheap yet stylish. reminds me of the 1970 Dodge/Plymouth Rallye wheel that came on the muscle cars

 

[2S Keisler]

Did I say something wrong.... everything went quiet?

 

[fowler]

There's not really anything to say

 

[machinist@large]

Did I say something wrong.... everything went quiet?

Sometimes a thread will just get quiet; it's the flame wars that you should look out for.(I don't think you'll have to worry about that, though). Personally, I like what I'm seeing. If hole-in-wallet syndrome didn't have Me by the throat, I'd be looking for at least a body shell, if not the whole kit to use as a starting point for something.

Pat

 

[2S Keisler]

Thanks, Pat!

 

[landuse]

Personally I have never liked flashy mags/rims on a kart or mower. It just looks wrong to me. The stamped steel one would look good IMO

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Nah- The old school style aluminum slots fit the bill perfectly. They look period correct, and put the cherry on the cake.

 

[2S Keisler]

Cool, thanks guys! This feedback is helpful because beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The aluminum wheel is my #2 favorite. Need to get a set on a kart to see how they look on the vehicle.

Does anyone know where the baby moons are available? That is what was used on The Dune Cat originally.

 

[landuse]

Does anyone know where the baby moons are available? That is what was used on The Dune Cat originally.

Sorry, I can't help yu with that one.

Edit: Is THIS what you are looking for?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Those are them! Now, to locate a scaled-down version for a kart...

 

[2S Keisler]

Good try, Landuse! The baby moons used back in the day were probably around 4inch. Here are some for golf carts.

LINK

But these might be big. I will check with my supplier.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

From a mechanical perspective-

Those Baby Moons (once you source them) do look great on the right vehicle, and on the right rim. Some thought might have to go into how to attach them to a rim that was not made to accept them. Perhaps you could fab up some sort of spring clip affair that bolts to the rim, and the cap snaps on to that.

 

[2S Keisler]

From a mechanical perspective-

Those Baby Moons (once you source them) do look great on the right vehicle, and on the right rim. Some thought might have to go into how to attach them to a rim that was not made to accept them. Perhaps you could fab up some sort of spring clip affair that bolts to the rim, and the cap snaps on to that.

The stamped steel rims (Carlisle, ITP, Douglas) would need to be able to accept them direct, or I don't think I would mess with it.

My cost on those polished aluminum slots is around $30/rim, and they are super light weight. The baby moons w/steel rim would have to be in the $20/rim all in at cost to even fool with it.

I will see what they run and perhaps get a pair for mockup.