Mini buggy front diff

[K-fab]

Welcome to the site cjdave.

Great first post. It's nice to see someone post good info like you've done - especially with the experience you have.

Take your drive train knowledge and adapt it to one of the plan builds (like a Rorty car). That would be really killer to see.

[cjdave]

I have been looking at what differential would work good for a front application and handle the Hp of a big MC engine. The smallest I can think of that has good aftermarket support is the dana 30. There are smaller and lighter differentials out there, but there are little to no posi's lockers or gear ratio choices.
Unfortunetley the only Ifs dana 30 axles have a long tube on one side. That being said, I think I am going to start with a straight axle, and pull the tubes out of it, and machine some new tubes with bearing bores in the ends, just the width of the housing. Gear ratios are avalable from 3.08 - 5.38. Lockers in all brands (automatic, air, cable, electric), and many posi units, Several different yokes available, and upgradable to 30 spline axles.
My next big problem is what to use for a transfer case... and a reverse? but that is a whole different situation.

Take your drive train knowledge and adapt it to one of the plan builds (like a Rorty car). That would be really killer to see.

I am going to do my own chassis design, I build tube chassis for a living, and am pretty proficient with solidworks and have bendtech se. I also have lots of suspension designs under my belt that are in use on winning rock crawlers. I am trying to build a vehicle that is light and bridges the gap between the standard mini buggy and a small rock crawler. It needs to go fast and go slow we will see....
-Dave

[nutz4sand]

Maybe not for the front but here are two diffs I have and hope to use one day.

The first ones a Ford IRS I think out of a Thunder Bird. I have some info on it but I am not sure where its at at this time. Its aluminum and not to heavy. Its 16 inches long. If I were building a balls out 4x4 mini-ish buggy I would consider finding another of these and do what I mentioned before. Face them both forward and have a motor spun side shaft drive them via chains.

The second is out of the tail end of an Audi Quattro. Its 36 inches long!

BUT! If you look at the green circle I made on the pic you can see a switch. This allows you to lock or open the diff. This swithc is a vaccum diaphram. Older ones were cable. The diaphram just connects to a lever and you could operate it with any lever.

NOT ALL Audi Quattros had the locking diff option. I have been told it can be locked while driving as long as you are going in a straight line but need to confirm that. Its long but not all that heavy.

These diffs are for larger-ish midi buggies I wish to plan for.

[nutz4sand]

I will also add that there is a means to take that super long snout off the Audi diff and then its basically a ball. You can see the four bolts where the snout bolts on. It unbolts and the unit is then kinda small. The shaft in there is splined. But I have seen before where some have lost the snout and use the diff without it.

[Greg@desertkarts]

I guy in GA that built one of my cars just used a quad.

[nutz4sand]

Originally Posted by Greg@desertkarts

I guy in GA that built one of my cars just used a quad.

Do you know what quad diff he used and what engine?? Was it for a 4x4 buggy or for the rear??

[nutz4sand]

We also need to find pics of Tinmans setup. He used the front diff out of a Grizzely quad or something In the rear of his buggy and feeds a twin sled motor through it. His buggy is a work of art AND its DAM fast.

You JUST gotta see it.

[cjdave]

Originally Posted by nutz4sand

Maybe not for the front but here are two diffs I have and hope to use one day.

The first ones a Ford IRS I think out of a Thunder Bird. I have some info on it but I am not sure where its at at this time. Its aluminum and not to heavy. Its 16 inches long. If I were building a balls out 4x4 mini-ish buggy I would consider finding another of these and do what I mentioned before. Face them both forward and have a motor spun side shaft drive them via chains.

The second is out of the tail end of an Audi Quattro. Its 36 inches long!

BUT! If you look at the green circle I made on the pic you can see a switch. This allows you to lock or open the diff. This swithc is a vaccum diaphram. Older ones were cable. The diaphram just connects to a lever and you could operate it with any lever.

NOT ALL Audi Quattros had the locking diff option. I have been told it can be locked while driving as long as you are going in a straight line but need to confirm that. Its long but not all that heavy.

These diffs are for larger-ish midi buggies I wish to plan for.

The ford rear is probably a 7.5 , I know they used the 8.8 in the SC models (supercharged) The one you have pictured there looks like a 7.5. Any chance you could get me the numbers off the tag on the cover? I thought about using the 8.8 but I think it is heavier and I know it's much bigger than the Dana 30. I was staying away from rears like the Audi because parts and different gear ratios are not easy to find if available at all.
Can you get a weight on that ford rear you have? as soon as I get a chance I am going to pull the tubes out of a dana 30 I have here and get a weight on it.
And if you use one in the front and one in the rear you don't point them both front, you point the pinions at each other just like any 4wd.
-Dave

[FugginZukin]

^^ Suzuki Samurai rear axles would make good candidates for what you are looking for. Good aftermarket support as well. Gear choices of 3.73, 4.57, 5.29, and 5.38. Lunchbox, spool, LSD, and ARB available. Just ditch the brake assembly and run SJ410 backing plates which serve as bearing retainers. This replaces the hunky drum backing plate which served as the stock bearing retainer. This axle would be extremely simple to narrow as well as weld 930 flanges on the ends. Pretty light and strong for its size.

Below is what I am referring to. You can rid the OEM brake backing plate and utilize the setup on the left. It would be very easy to put a Suzuki diff in IFS/IRS trim. The OEM bearing cups can be separated from the housing and re-welded to your shortened one. Shorten and re-spline your axles and you are done.

[standfast]

I was looking at a 2002ish AWD turbo Porsche drivetrain that was removed at a shop the other day and it looked like a perfect 4wd buggy drivetrain. Would be cool if one could find a deal on that drivetrain. Limited slips front and rear etc. The whole drivetrain coupled together like a spine in the car.