Frame Suggestions for 1,2 and 4 seaters

[newbie]

[smilie=banghead.gif] Hello all,

I have been in here before but for a different project. The project I have now in front of me is a dream come true. I have an aquaintance that wants to get into the fabrication of sand rails. He is looking to have a single seat, 2 seater, and 4 seater model, and would like to have VW powerplants. We have looked at off the shelf frames and such to get our feet wet, but we are not too keen on the stock VW IRS (tortion type) suspension, that most of these frames use. 6" of rear travel doesn't really get me too excited. We are looking for frames or frame plans that we could use for our cars. Next step is to get an engineer to design something for us. I am at my whits end trying to figure this project out. Any help that can be provided would be benificial. *Thanks!

[renegadespec1]

So Newbie...
Your going into production...how about you introduce yourself...welcome mat is a good place for that...
Thats about half the guys here...My suggestion would be do your homework...buy some tools...and start bending tubes...

[yoshi]

Originally Posted by renegadespec1\";p=\&quot

So Newbie...
Your going into production...how about you introduce yourself...welcome mat is a good place for that...
Thats about half the guys here...My suggestion would be do your homework...buy some tools...and start bending tubes...

lmao,..he joined 7 months before you...!

[yoshi]

holly cow, i'm a jack who, I didn't even catch that this guy's name was newbie, I thought renegade was calling him a newb, lmao.....

[newbie]

I logged my name in as Newbie as Yoshi pointed out several months ago. I still am quite new to this type of designing as our shop emphasis has been classic car restoration and kit car production. I am new to a total frame production and that is why I thought I would come back to this site because I found it quite informative before. Please, by all means keep your comments on the positive side.

[newbie]

i have taken the advice from Yoshi that he gave me months agoe to change my user name. Hope this makes it better. Newbie will noe be known as Utah Guy.

[renegadespec1]

Originally Posted by newbie\";p=\&quot

i have taken the advice from Yoshi that he gave me months agoe to change my user name. Hope this makes it better. Newbie will noe be known as Utah Guy.

That was your 1st mistake *Just kidding
I get a kick out of messing with Yoshi...There is lots of info here...We have a couple of VW guru's I guess what I wasn't asking was this how about you fill us in on the details of what your looking to build...Most of the builders here started out with the same dream you are only they didn't have this site as a reference source...and had to learn most stuff the hard way...I for one am always out over the edge on stuff with woods cars...I found that typing in the info I wanted to know and looking over old posts, to be the best way to find the info then ask for some opinions...to see if something had changed...That way you have a better perspective of what is going on...and don't have to wait for posts to get your info...
Now for staying positive...there is a half a glass of water...it is not half full or half empty...simply half a glass of water

[masterfabr]

Positive????? What's that other than how you see it as spec pointed out.

[boilermaker]

Positive, i'm sure if you stick your finger in a light socket, you'l see lights.
( even if your eyes are closed)
Negetive, you' never do that again. ( but thats good)
We can never have to many buggy's can we.

[wingnut]

Originally Posted by newbie\";p=\&quot

[smilie=banghead.gif] Hello all,

We have looked at off the shelf frames and such to get our feet wet, but we are not too keen on the stock VW IRS (tortion type) suspension, that most of these frames use. 6" of rear travel doesn't really get me too excited.

Most of the serious long travel cars out there use this design style. They do away with the tortion bars and run dual pivot arms with dual rate coil overs and bypass shocks. They get the travel by runing longer and wider arms with a wider "tortion" tube. I think a stock tortion tube is somewhere around 36" or so, and alot of these cars are running 50" or so. It really depends on what you want to design your cars to do. Desert / sand / dual sport. So you really only have 3 design styles to choose from. Trailing arm (tortion style), A-Arm or 5 link. *If you want to run dual sport or desert, you may not want to run a 5 link. If you have never set up a 5 link, you may also want to shy away from that style as they can be finiky to set up and dial the trackin in correctly.

If your starting out, you may want to go with this style as the parts are available and you can get some decent travel out of the components. You can buy a 9 inch wider housing, run a coil conversion kit and 3x3 arms with micro stubs and get a great ride with close to 18" of travel if set up correctly.

A-Arm would be another choice, but you have to custom fabricate everything. Also with the longer the travel on the A-Arm rear, you have to design the hub correctly so you dont gain alot of camber durring the wheel travel. Too much positive or negitive camber can make the rear end squirly. This was one of the problems with the old VW Swing axle in the dirt, and why they had camber limiters to prevent swapping out in the rough.