Re: A couple of Q\'s
ARCA's tire size limit is 40, so I'll be close to that. I'll be happy if I can get under the 2000 lb mark (with the excessivly heavy tires), so it should be light. Hopefully that will stop it from doing that Hummer trick.
About the only thing that I like about the Hummer is the tire inflation trick, and it's an option that most don't have. I'd bet it would feel like driving a motorhome over the trails. I've had my MH in some stupid places I shouldn't have tried, not fun.
What I need is a transfer case that the front exits on the drivers side, so I can offset the engine to the right slightly to balance off driver's weight - as well as give a little driver's foot room from the set-back. Centered rear output is OK, as the front/rear shaft side angles can be "split".
Diff requirements are light in weight, narrow, matched ratios front/rear, and air lockerable.
The suspension is an outgrowth from one we came up with years ago when I owned part of a race car chassis shop. A customer wanted a trick front end on his heavy off road buggy - I think it was a mid engine'd 427 2WD. He wanted to take the Baja 1000 by storm.
We were greenlighting about why the VW front end works so well and the advantages of a single A frame - the Wampuskitty was the big thing then. I showed my techies a design I played with in College, but never built.
The customer wanted a suspension capable of 200 MPH over really rough stuff. Our specialty was keeping Formula squares on the ground, so it was interesting breaking new ground.
We ended up building a radio controlled car for testing - an RC-10 modified with our experimental on it. Wow!
We were able to keep it straight and level on stuff other's flipped. I couldn't keep up with it in my Willies Wagon on a dirt road even though I was doing almost 70. Since it was so small the tiny bumps were huge by scale comparison, and it went very well.
It never came to pass on the buggy though. By then the customer was out of money.
This will be a similar design but different, as speed is no longer a criteria, "getting there" is. Actually it's not really that far away from conventional design, just proportions and angles are different.
I'm not sure yet whether the rear will be IFS or not. The design of the frame is such that it will be possible to convert it if needed.
A friend left his front wheel drive Subaru at my ranch, the front's caved in. I've been looking at that thinking it may be a good place to fab a quick test on the design - for the front suspension - may be better than a model. I've already got the rocky hill behind the house to try it on - about 300 feet of boulders at about 40 degrees up.
When I tell folks I want to drive up there they laugh and tell me they'll call those guys with the pretty white coats - where the sleeves tie in back. They said I can even have my own rubber lined room.
So far my model testing and wooden mock-up are looking good.
But - as a guy said on a wine commercial "We'll make no wine until it's time."
I didn't know the S-10 had torsion bars, guess I never paid attention. As I understand it from the posts the S-10's front shaft is on the left - drivers side? I was amazed the other day when I was under a friend's Nissan, it had torsion bars too.
Sure would be nice to have inboard brakes, but that would be asking too much. Maybe something could be cobbled up though. I doubt ARB makes a set-up for Jags.
And, if at all possible I want it all to be American. OK, I know most stuff is imported even though it's considered American.
One of the reasons IFS has a little trouble sometimes as there's really no interaction between the wheels side for side. At times this is good, but other times you need some. Having a solid axle is akin to a sway bar - sort-of.
The chain drive idea tickles my imagination too. Is there a website that shows such a thing? Seems like it would be a great weight saver, simple, easy to fix too. Side benefit would be when you high center, the chain will just grind off the obstruction till you are free.
Thanks for all your comments, they are giving me good places to start.
98% is Understanding it
Just throwing parts at it doesn't solve anything.
