This is powered by a 3cyl Geo Metro engine. I'm trying to determine if it's using a FWD transmission mounted sideways. There is a brief shot of the transmission at the 54 second mark in the video. I know it's a automatic but I can't tell if it's a FWD transmission.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/MI0AMsHdZLY
I've got the axles, tires, wheels, and most of the other bits. This could be happening soon.
Yes, you use a FWD trans sideways, extra reduction.
There is a rock crawler shop in Hygiene CO, that built or prepares a buggy with this configuration. Try this: http://www.spidertrax.com/ I am not sure if these are the guys that I talked to several years ago. But if they are not.....they will surely know the correct folks.
Rog
For a rock-crawler, it'll work great. The thing to remember is the double gear reduction due to one differential in the transmission, and another at each axle. As a result, top speed would be maybe 40 mph in 6th gear at 7000 rpm... great for a rock-crawler, and that's about it.
Reverse rotation Honda engine and transaxle along with Toyota axles in a mid engine frame are most common. If you Google Honda rock buggy you should find a few builds on ofn or pirate.
In reply to kb58:
I think if you one of the GM FWD autos with a planetary final drive you might be able to mod it for 1:1.
In reply to Ojala:
Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.
This is going to be fun.
Here is my rear engine Honda buggy. 1.6 DOHC ZC engine with an auto trans from an EF Civic. Built Toyota axles with front & rear steer on 37" Maxxis Trepador competition tires.
More pics
In reply to untchabl:
Very cool.
Google transaxle buggy, that's what these types of buggies are called. I love mine, it's a great crawler. Top speed for these are around 45mph, I've never actually checked the speed on mine but 45 is about it. All your gear reduction is in the axles, I run 5.29 gears in mine. Lightweight is the key to these working well. Mine weighs 2,940lbs without me in it but I run the front tires half full with water so that adds a fair amount of weight. With the water in the front tires my weight bias is 51% front 49% rear.
So what axle ratio would we need to get something like this to do 100 mph or so?
My Samurai weighed about 2,400 lbs and had a passenger seat and a back seat. I could (and always did) drive it to the trail, crawl over all the granite boulders, off ledges, over stumps, between trees and through all the mud I could find then drive it back home.
The first time I took my wife (girlfriend at the time) off road, we drove 45 min to the trail, rolled it onto its side off a ledge, got it back on its tires and drove it back home stopping for dinner and an ice cream on the way back.
This is NOT a knock on anyone building what they like, I just never saw the interest in these buggies that need to be towed to have fun (unless you live on a farm etc).
It would depend heavily on the tire diameter. If your hope is to use it for a autox type car you would need near 1:1 ratios. The transmission for a typical FWD is set up to run ~130MPH with a 20-24" tire. If you want to run similar size tires you will need an axle reduction of nothing. Typical axle reductions for basically everything other than a CRV rear end are 2.7+ numerical. Speed reduction with similar wheel diameters would put top end around 30mph. The larger diameter crawler tires (33-44") effectively lower your numerical ratio. This allows a low axle ratio (2.7-3.5 not like 3.8-4.10) to give a top speed in the ~50mph range. This is also what makes bike engines for cars difficult because you really want something in the 1.5-1.8 numerical range and there just aren't axles like that. The Honda Real time rear diff is apparently 1.7 ratio so it may be an option. You could run one upside down in the front and one in the rear. That coupled with a FWD drivetrain that was geared more for the 150mph top end may allow you to run ~100mph top end with car sized tires. If you just want a higher speed off road buggy you can run a higher speed FWD into 2.70 axles and probably hit 90-100 on 33-35" tires.
In reply to ebonyandivory:
My problem is my Samurai is damn near perfect and I don't want to beat the crap out of it on rocks and trees. Rolling it would piss me off.
So that means building something else. These look interesting, not to mention more durable. Lighter means less broken parts.
ebonyandivory wrote: My Samurai weighed about 2,400 lbs and had a passenger seat and a back seat. I could (and always did) drive it to the trail, crawl over all the granite boulders, off ledges, over stumps, between trees and through all the mud I could find then drive it back home. The first time I took my wife (girlfriend at the time) off road, we drove 45 min to the trail, rolled it onto its side off a ledge, got it back on its tires and drove it back home stopping for dinner and an ice cream on the way back. This is NOT a knock on anyone building what they like, I just never saw the interest in these buggies that need to be towed to have fun (unless you live on a farm etc).
What's the wheelbase on your Sami? What size tires were you running?
I've always trailered my rigs when we go wheeling. From my mild XJ's to my buggy, it's just so much easier to not have to worry about breaking something and then driving it home. Just drag it on the trailer and no problem.
My buddy has a awesome Sami that I have witnessed do some crazy obstacles but he has a v8 buggy on one ton axles & 43" Swamper SX tires for the hard stuff we wheel.
In reply to untchabl:
Stock 79.9" wheelbase with 33" TSL's. Spring-Over with RockLobster t-case. Was going to do a R&P swap but never needed it.
(I once got high-centered crawling over a rock wall with front and rear tires spinning about 30" off the ground. I left it in 1st and 4-Low, hopped out and shoved it off the wall. It slowly chugged away so I caught up to it and drove away.)
Taking the doors off, no tailgate, no top, fiberglass racing seats etc. made it even lighter.
I DO understand wanting to keep your Sammy nice though. Makes perfect sense.
I think if you one of the GM FWD autos with a planetary final drive you might be able to mod it for 1:1.
Smart man. That is the ticket. You could weld the final planetary, plus if you wanted a locked center diff (pretty important for crawling, i would think) you could lincoln locker the actual diff guts, too.
Yeah tire diameter has a lot of effect. I did some quick math, with 44s, 3.08s and a 97 Civic auto powertrain, you'd be looking at 62mph at 4000 rpm. Very streetable.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to kb58: I think if you one of the GM FWD autos with a planetary final drive you might be able to mod it for 1:1.
Yup. This is the plan for my GTI.
Hmm, there is a 2005 Cobalt on CL right now for $500. 
Cobalts have 4T40s. Would want a 4T60 or 4T65, I'd think, for the strength.
OTOH I'm also thinking of something in the 400hp range, which is just at the edge of 4T65 strength before replacing a lot of internals.
Yeah the 800+hp drag Cobalts used 4T65s but that was just the starting point, you know?
In reply to Knurled:
Samurai axles won't take that kind of HP. The Samurai engine makes less than 100. I bet if I can keep the weight under #1500, the small transmission will take the abuse.
Asymmetric single seat buggy with mid engine Supercharged 3800 (L67) engine & transaxle from a GTP, Toyota axles.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/1037210-3-8-supercharged-trans-axle.html
Pfft, when you said GTP, I thought you meant GTP!
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