Not so budget 3-link build

[Dave Reed]

Originally Posted by Twisted Minis

I learned a lot from books. But most of what I know comes from real world experience, and people I know.

The 3 books I have are:

Chassis Engineering - Herb Adams
Tune To Win - Carroll Smith
Engineer To Win - Carroll Smith

I looked in my arsenal and I have all of those books. So you have finally inspired me to read them. I started on the Herb Adams book. Little dry so far, but I am excited to get to the later chapters.

[heidesign]

Believe me, I know what life has to offer for learning. Still doing that. I just have tons of questions I dont understand and figure this would be a good place to start.

Nice builds by the way, and thanks for the reply.

Bill

[Twisted Minis]

If you don't have a general understanding of suspension going in, I would start with Herb Adams book. It's very basic, and not a lot of detail, but it will get you started. Carroll Smith's books could be pretty intimidating for someone without a decent understanding of suspension to begin with. His books are more refining.

I think everyone should read the chapter in Engineer To Win about the proper use of bolts though.

[Twisted Minis]

Here are some random things I have been working on over the last couple weeks.

A little random for me, but I made and installed a custom wall mount for a flat screen TV. I fastened it with drywall anchors. I can hang off of it, so it should last.






I got some rings rolled from the local steel shop, and built a stripper cage. I first built a fixture to hold the uprights square in all directions, which took more time than building the cage itself. It worked really well though. I was able to tack all of the uprights in place, then sit the other ring on top, and tack in down.





The guy that owns it stuck it on his home made raft after getting it painted pink. He's actually a member on here.

[fixit-p]

Dam even your stripper cages have wishbones... nice work

[texastrendz]

hey twisted, i gotta question for ya. i am going to start building a sand rail frame. i was wondering what size tubing and thickness you recommend. it is going to be all vw parts with a tube type chassis. i ask because you seem real focused on using round tubing, any help would be great. some other people recommended 1.50 with a thickness of .090. do think that is thick enough. once again thanks for any input.

[Twisted Minis]

And a different kind of fab for me, wood.

[milehightoyz]

not sure if its been asked or not, but would you mind sharing what welding machines you are using, both mig and tig, make model etc. i would greatly appreciate any feedback you have on either as well. thanks in advanced and keep up the incredible work.

[Twisted Minis]

Working on some control arms today to ship tomorrow.

Every once in a while I get a good one.

[ShowSS12]

yo do some damn fine work.....its defiantly time for me to go back in the garage a start fabing something, hopefully this weekend. But in the mean time this thread has satisfied my need to create or watch other people do it. oh and by all mean please keep the pictures coming !!!!!!

[scotts62]

Twisted- nice work man!!!!

Where going to have to ask you to get out of the cage though...

[Twisted Minis]

I'm actually not sure who that is.

I'm working on some odd VW-Porsche swap stuff tomorrow. Rotating an aluminum intake, and I have to rotate the exhaust ports on one manifold. Should be interesting since they are welded on the inside of the tube about a 1/4" down, and the tubes are stainless and the flanges are cast steel or iron (have not tested yet). Going to be interesting. I started making a fixture for it today. I'm worried about the time adding up on it though. It sounds like a simple job, but there is a lot involved.

[Twisted Minis]

Got a minute in between projects and started my second spindle.

[SCOTI]

Brother.... That is nice stuff right there.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

nice fab work and nice attention to detail man!

[fixit-p]

Dammit A fly just flew in my mouth...I was wondering what was behind the spindle and all I can say is

[Twisted Minis]

The 71 Datsun came back in for a 5-speed swap. He bought a rebuilt short shaft 5-speed from a company that said it was a direct bolt in. So it went from an estimated 3-4 hour job, to about 30 hours. It was no where near bolt in. The bellhousing was too large to fit in the transmission tunnel, so it had to be cut out. I had to widen it about 2 inches at the bottom, and I had to raise it over 3 inches. The frame and the bellhousing had to be clearanced. The exhaust had to be rebuilt starting at the collector, because the stock exhaust did not clear the bell housing. The transmission mount was miles off, and the stock rubber pad would not even bolt to the transmission without modification, so a new one was made. And his stock drive line had a fixed 4-bolt flange, and the new one has a slip yoke, so it needed modifying as well. And I ended up having to make a new clutch push rod that was about an inch longer in order to engage the clutch.

Heres the tunnel and frame cut from the bottom, huge hole.


New transmission mount.





And heres the new transmission tunnel, still wet with seam sealer.

You can also see that I welded Jerome's shifter from the 4-speed onto the new 5-speed shifter.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by Twisted Minis

You can also see that I welded Jerome's shifter from the 4-speed onto the new 5-speed shifter.

Excellent shifter.

[Twisted Minis]

I can't give you a definitive answer. Too many variables. Depends on what kind of material you use, the way the chassis is designed, the way control arms and trailing arms will be mounted, what kind of power and abuse it will be seeing, etc.


I forgot, here is a picture of the truck I did the swap on.

[project 67 sub]

god dang that thing is sick, my dad used to have one of those trucks, but deffinatly not like that one. did you do all the frame work on it to? if so it came out looking freakin awesome.

[Twisted Minis]

Ya I did a lot to that one. I narrowed a Toyota frame and clipped it, and ran Toyota drop spindles, brakes, and custom control arms. Narrowed a Toyota axle for the back, and it's got stock 80s SR5 wheels on it. It's a pretty different style than the normal minitruck, but everyone seems to like it.

[Twisted Minis]

I'm not sure exactly what you are taking about, because there is a lot of stuff in this thread now. But I have done a little bit of long travel stuff in the past. I wish I got the chance to do more, as that is really what I like.

[Twisted Minis]

I would too, but I fear the same thing. I could see myself dumping $50K into something like that. That's my issue with any project though. Everything I do snowballs and I always want the best parts and I end up sinking countless thousands into a $500 truck.

[ShowSS12]

Originally Posted by Twisted Minis

I would too, but I fear the same thing. I could see myself dumping $50K into something like that. That's my issue with any project though. Everything I do snowballs and I always want the best parts and I end up sinking countless thousands into a $500 truck.

Ummm I think this applies to all of us

[Twisted Minis]

I wish more people in my area thought that way though. 90% of the people that come into the shop want everything for nothing.