STAG
On my grind
- Location
- Pleasant Grove
Rather than the transaxle-need-to-knows thread, I’ll just start a build thread. That way it can be directed to more of the processes than just the transaxleness.
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I’ve had an itch in me for about 5-6 years now to build a custom vehicle, it would be a mix of compromises and idealisms.
This will be a project that I work on often, but due to how much it has going on it won’t be a real fast build.
The whole purpose of this vehicle can be summed up as backcountry exploration. I just want to get into remote areas and see wildlife and views that would be difficult to get to in a fullsize vehicle. This won’t be a whoop-eatin SXS or an insanely-capable competition-crawler. It will be enclosed body to shield from elements and temperatures. A/C and heat, radio, and other creature comforts. Something you could take through an automatic car wash and stay dry. The plan is to register it as a street-legal OHV.
Parameter #1, lightweight. This has lead me to using a transaxle engine. Yes, I know it’s more compromise than idealism, especially in most of your opinions. For me, the weight savings and the compactness is much more pro than it is con. I even briefly considered electric, but due to what I want to do with it, I don’t want to be stranded in the backcountry and no way to charge up. Another aspect of being based off lightweightedness means I will have some design features that will appear to be too anemic in comparison to crawler buggies, but most parts will look like they belong on a SXS rather than a crawler. Parts will be designed to be minimalistic for just what’s necessary, and not overbuilt. Parts will be tested and strength increased when needed.
Parameter #2, compact. A relatively small overall build will benefit getting into tighter areas of backcountry. I am 5’6” tall so it will be built around my height and not much extra. 6’ friends would be uncomfortably fit in it. With that being said. A size requirement will be that I can lay down inside of it to sleep overnight.
Major size limiting factor is that I will be transporting this inside my stealth-RV enclosed trailer. ‘Garage’ dimensions inside the trailer are 6’10” wide and just over 11’ long, so this vehicle must fit inside that space. I want to run a decent sized tire, so I calculated that with 37” tires that would give me about a 93” wheelbase and still fit inside the trailer. Obviously 93” wheelbase is a bit of a compromise but I believe it will work out. Being that this only gives me about 56” in between the tires front-to-rear this will be a 2 door build. 2 seater with enough room for camp gear and storage is another build parameter.
Parameter #3 Ground clearance. Not wanting to get hung up on rocks and obstacles has me shooting for a generous amount of ground clearance. This means IFS/IRS and portals. We’ve already discussed the benefits of the gearing reduction with the portals that the transaxle can really benefit from so win-win.
With it being IFS/IRS and portals, it’s really not much more changes to make it 4-wheel-steering, so that’s the plan.
Again, as I build this you are going to see many design decisions that you won’t agree with. That’s highly likely because you may be comparing it to a crawler buggy, I know that for hardcore crawling and general hammer-downing it will be underbuilt. I know this, it won’t be built for extreme abuse.
_______
Anyways, finally going to consider this build as started instead of only an idea.
I picked up some marketplace 37’s on steel wheels. $300 for 5 tires was an acceptable deal for mock-up tires. These won’t be the final tires or wheels I run but they will be used for the build and then sold when I buy the actual tires I decide on.
And years ago I picked up a 1997 Honda Accord of marketplace. Price was “free if you come get it”. It had a busted lower balljoint and CV axle from what I assume is someone smacking a curb too hard. So I picked up this car with the full intention of using it just for this build. The car ended up sitting in my backyard for years not being touched. My niece ended up turning 16 three years ago so she was going to need a car to drive, I ended up fixing the lower ball joint and CV axle and brakes and gave the car to her to use on the agreement that when she was done with it, I’d get it back. She can’t sell it. Well then I moved to Hawaii and Connecticut and then this year she got a newer car of her own so this build came back on the table.
This weekend I pulled the drivetrain and got it set on a temporary enginestand/cart at around the height I think it will end up sitting at, and roughly placed the tires at their respective widths and wheelbases.
I weighed the drivetrain once it was pulled from the car. For reference this is an aluminum-block 2.2L i4 and a 4-spd auto trans. 524.5 lbs
And labeled the plugs for the wiring harnesses.
________________
I’ve had an itch in me for about 5-6 years now to build a custom vehicle, it would be a mix of compromises and idealisms.
This will be a project that I work on often, but due to how much it has going on it won’t be a real fast build.
The whole purpose of this vehicle can be summed up as backcountry exploration. I just want to get into remote areas and see wildlife and views that would be difficult to get to in a fullsize vehicle. This won’t be a whoop-eatin SXS or an insanely-capable competition-crawler. It will be enclosed body to shield from elements and temperatures. A/C and heat, radio, and other creature comforts. Something you could take through an automatic car wash and stay dry. The plan is to register it as a street-legal OHV.
Parameter #1, lightweight. This has lead me to using a transaxle engine. Yes, I know it’s more compromise than idealism, especially in most of your opinions. For me, the weight savings and the compactness is much more pro than it is con. I even briefly considered electric, but due to what I want to do with it, I don’t want to be stranded in the backcountry and no way to charge up. Another aspect of being based off lightweightedness means I will have some design features that will appear to be too anemic in comparison to crawler buggies, but most parts will look like they belong on a SXS rather than a crawler. Parts will be designed to be minimalistic for just what’s necessary, and not overbuilt. Parts will be tested and strength increased when needed.
Parameter #2, compact. A relatively small overall build will benefit getting into tighter areas of backcountry. I am 5’6” tall so it will be built around my height and not much extra. 6’ friends would be uncomfortably fit in it. With that being said. A size requirement will be that I can lay down inside of it to sleep overnight.
Major size limiting factor is that I will be transporting this inside my stealth-RV enclosed trailer. ‘Garage’ dimensions inside the trailer are 6’10” wide and just over 11’ long, so this vehicle must fit inside that space. I want to run a decent sized tire, so I calculated that with 37” tires that would give me about a 93” wheelbase and still fit inside the trailer. Obviously 93” wheelbase is a bit of a compromise but I believe it will work out. Being that this only gives me about 56” in between the tires front-to-rear this will be a 2 door build. 2 seater with enough room for camp gear and storage is another build parameter.
Parameter #3 Ground clearance. Not wanting to get hung up on rocks and obstacles has me shooting for a generous amount of ground clearance. This means IFS/IRS and portals. We’ve already discussed the benefits of the gearing reduction with the portals that the transaxle can really benefit from so win-win.
With it being IFS/IRS and portals, it’s really not much more changes to make it 4-wheel-steering, so that’s the plan.
Again, as I build this you are going to see many design decisions that you won’t agree with. That’s highly likely because you may be comparing it to a crawler buggy, I know that for hardcore crawling and general hammer-downing it will be underbuilt. I know this, it won’t be built for extreme abuse.
_______
Anyways, finally going to consider this build as started instead of only an idea.
I picked up some marketplace 37’s on steel wheels. $300 for 5 tires was an acceptable deal for mock-up tires. These won’t be the final tires or wheels I run but they will be used for the build and then sold when I buy the actual tires I decide on.
And years ago I picked up a 1997 Honda Accord of marketplace. Price was “free if you come get it”. It had a busted lower balljoint and CV axle from what I assume is someone smacking a curb too hard. So I picked up this car with the full intention of using it just for this build. The car ended up sitting in my backyard for years not being touched. My niece ended up turning 16 three years ago so she was going to need a car to drive, I ended up fixing the lower ball joint and CV axle and brakes and gave the car to her to use on the agreement that when she was done with it, I’d get it back. She can’t sell it. Well then I moved to Hawaii and Connecticut and then this year she got a newer car of her own so this build came back on the table.
This weekend I pulled the drivetrain and got it set on a temporary enginestand/cart at around the height I think it will end up sitting at, and roughly placed the tires at their respective widths and wheelbases.
I weighed the drivetrain once it was pulled from the car. For reference this is an aluminum-block 2.2L i4 and a 4-spd auto trans. 524.5 lbs
And labeled the plugs for the wiring harnesses.
