ClubWagon
Observer
Haha! I seen an old vanagon today that had "SLOW" painted in 6" block letters on the back. I always thought they were kind of cool. If I were ever to get a small van that's probably what I would go with.
Bruce Vanner! Long, Slow Vanagon Transformation
- Thread starter vwhammer
- Start date
Haha! I seen an old vanagon today that had "SLOW" painted in 6" block letters on the back. I always thought they were kind of cool. If I were ever to get a small van that's probably what I would go with.
Haf-E
Expedition Leader
Since the Vanagon has a 97 inch wheelbase - the turning radius should be pretty good with just about any axle. The Land Cruiser 80 has around 11" longer wheelbase. The steering box and geometry will be the trickiest part of this build. The particular choice of axles and transfer case looks like a great start.
vwhammer
Adventurer
Yeah I have been checking out a lot info on steering boxes lately.
I have a limited supply of vertical space so the box can't be very tall.
I also need to take into account that the box will be flipped front to back and the steering shaft will be coming in from the front of the vehicle.
I will likely need to modify the steering arm so it can be flipped front to back so the steering is not reversed.
The steering arms on the knuckles will aslo need modified slightly to correct the Ackerman angle.
There is a lot of geometry to think about.
I have a limited supply of vertical space so the box can't be very tall.
I also need to take into account that the box will be flipped front to back and the steering shaft will be coming in from the front of the vehicle.
I will likely need to modify the steering arm so it can be flipped front to back so the steering is not reversed.
The steering arms on the knuckles will aslo need modified slightly to correct the Ackerman angle.
There is a lot of geometry to think about.
Haf-E
Expedition Leader
There is a John Deere power steering box that is popular for retrofitting into Unimog 404's - it seems like they would have a lot of the same issues you'll have. I don't know much about it... Other thought is a Pinzgauer steering box - but its not power and it has a flat position - although there is a kit to add electric power steering to it now.
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vwhammer
Adventurer
Yeah I am not ruling anything out at the moment.
I have even seem some pretty crazy linkage set ups and even a typical saginaw type that was mounted vertically.
Then the main steering column simply ran in to what is now the top of the box.
I may be able to work something like this with an FJ80 box or any of the others that have longer sector shafts.
The box would mount up front then the sector shaft would run back to where I need it.
Sorta like this.
There are a few main points here.
I don't want it to be complicated, no crazy linkage or bell cranks.
The box needs to be readily available worldwide, fairly cheap and, most importantly, durable.
I am sure I can come up with something.
I have even seem some pretty crazy linkage set ups and even a typical saginaw type that was mounted vertically.
Then the main steering column simply ran in to what is now the top of the box.
I may be able to work something like this with an FJ80 box or any of the others that have longer sector shafts.
The box would mount up front then the sector shaft would run back to where I need it.
Sorta like this.
There are a few main points here.
I don't want it to be complicated, no crazy linkage or bell cranks.
The box needs to be readily available worldwide, fairly cheap and, most importantly, durable.
I am sure I can come up with something.
vwhammer
Adventurer
Man.
I am starting to think I maybe should have spent a little extra cash an purchased some cleaner axles.
Of course I would still have had to remove all the factory brackets but cleaning up the housing itself would not have been as time consuming.
Either way I am making a little progress.
Tore off some of the bolt on bits from the front axle.
Got the diff out
Cleaned it up a bit.
The front diff actuator is beyond repair.
There is good news and bad news here.
The good news is that I am not actually using this particular front diff.
However, I did plan on selling it so I could get the diff I need and it would have been worth a bit more if it had a functional actuator.
I am on the lookout for a 3rd gen (96-2000 I think) 4Runner locking rear diff.
It is a low pinion set up and once it is flipped for my use it will be a high pinion and hopefully I can still use my stock land cruiser rear mounted tie rod.
I will then fab up an air actuator for both axles once I get them all mounted under the van.
I then put the plasma cutter to work blasting off all the factory brackets.
When it was all said and done it turned out like this.
Obviously I still have to tear the knuckles apart.
Then I can run over the whole thing with my flap disks and clean it up for some paint.
I still need to order the knuckle and spindle service parts but I did get most of the brake parts that I needed.
Today I will probably start the same process on the rear axle.
Hope to have both axles cleaned up and assembled by next weekend so I can start the process of mocking them up under the van.
Then the real fun can begin.
Until next time...
I am starting to think I maybe should have spent a little extra cash an purchased some cleaner axles.
Of course I would still have had to remove all the factory brackets but cleaning up the housing itself would not have been as time consuming.
Either way I am making a little progress.
Tore off some of the bolt on bits from the front axle.
Got the diff out
Cleaned it up a bit.
The front diff actuator is beyond repair.
There is good news and bad news here.
The good news is that I am not actually using this particular front diff.
However, I did plan on selling it so I could get the diff I need and it would have been worth a bit more if it had a functional actuator.
I am on the lookout for a 3rd gen (96-2000 I think) 4Runner locking rear diff.
It is a low pinion set up and once it is flipped for my use it will be a high pinion and hopefully I can still use my stock land cruiser rear mounted tie rod.
I will then fab up an air actuator for both axles once I get them all mounted under the van.
I then put the plasma cutter to work blasting off all the factory brackets.
When it was all said and done it turned out like this.
Obviously I still have to tear the knuckles apart.
Then I can run over the whole thing with my flap disks and clean it up for some paint.
I still need to order the knuckle and spindle service parts but I did get most of the brake parts that I needed.
Today I will probably start the same process on the rear axle.
Hope to have both axles cleaned up and assembled by next weekend so I can start the process of mocking them up under the van.
Then the real fun can begin.
Until next time...
vwhammer
Adventurer
Not to much building to report yet but this update contains a lot of important info.
First off I have been racking my brain trying to sort out this axle thing.
I may have mentioned that, since my engine is in the rear, I would have to flip the diffs to make everything move the right direction.
With my original plan to use the 9.5" land cruiser rear axle in a rear engine configuration this would have meant I would be driving the ring gear on the much weaker coast side of the gear.
This is not a weak point I wanted to build into the design from the get go so I was trying to come up with something to overcome this.
The first thing that popped into my head is a simple gear on gear reverser box that would bolt onto the input of the transfer case.
The plan was to use some semi-readily available helical cut quick change gears popular in a lot of racing rear axle assemblies as well as boat and monster truck transfer cases and race boat transmissions.
I scoped out a couple of companies and talked with a few engineers.
While this could be done it was going to cost more than I want to spend at this time and was going to take way too long.
So I had to come up with a plan "B".
The front axle is relatively easy.
I simply get a locking rear diff from a 96-2002 4Runner and flip it over to mount up front.
with the rotation reversed but being run in the front I will now have a high pinion front that is running on the proper drive side of the ring gear.
Problem solved.
So now what to do with the rear?
I have a reverse cut (not reverse rotation) high pinion locking 8" diff that came from the front of the land cruiser I got the axles from.
And I have the whole rear axle from the same rig.
So I had a brilliant idea.
Build a hybrid rear that combines most of a land cruiser front housing and the revers cut locking 8" diff with the spindles, hubs and axles from the 9.5 inch Land Cruiser rear axle.
So I bought another front axle and started cutting up the front and rear that I have to build the hybrid.
So I started with these
Cut the balls off the front
Then take these off of both ends of the rear
I am then left with these bits that need cut to length and welded together with the diff housing flipped to make one axle.
After all that I will put the reverse cut Land Cruiser front diff in the rear and bolt on all the rear hubs and brakes and I will be good to go.
everything will spin as it should and be driven on the correct side.
Sure. I could have had a custom housing made for two or three times what I will have in this when it is all said and done but this is just a prototype and right now I am trying to be cheap.
Eventually it will be replaced with a fabricated piece that will accept the existing diff and outers.
Some might argue that the 9.5" diff even being run on the coast side of the ring gear could still be stronger than the 8" being run properly but the bottom line is it will introduce stress in the drive-train that will always leave me wondering when it will go pop and not move anymore.
I will not be rock crawling in this thing so I am sure the 8" is fine.
There are plenty of loaded down Toyota expo rigs out there running the same diff with zero issues.
I have an empty center section and some precision ground and polished rod coming that will be used as part of my alignment jig to line everything up for welding.
This axle thing is taking up a ton of time but once its finished (probably 1st week of August) things should start moving at a better pace.
Eventually we will get to the good stuff.
Until then....
First off I have been racking my brain trying to sort out this axle thing.
I may have mentioned that, since my engine is in the rear, I would have to flip the diffs to make everything move the right direction.
With my original plan to use the 9.5" land cruiser rear axle in a rear engine configuration this would have meant I would be driving the ring gear on the much weaker coast side of the gear.
This is not a weak point I wanted to build into the design from the get go so I was trying to come up with something to overcome this.
The first thing that popped into my head is a simple gear on gear reverser box that would bolt onto the input of the transfer case.
The plan was to use some semi-readily available helical cut quick change gears popular in a lot of racing rear axle assemblies as well as boat and monster truck transfer cases and race boat transmissions.
I scoped out a couple of companies and talked with a few engineers.
While this could be done it was going to cost more than I want to spend at this time and was going to take way too long.
So I had to come up with a plan "B".
The front axle is relatively easy.
I simply get a locking rear diff from a 96-2002 4Runner and flip it over to mount up front.
with the rotation reversed but being run in the front I will now have a high pinion front that is running on the proper drive side of the ring gear.
Problem solved.
So now what to do with the rear?
I have a reverse cut (not reverse rotation) high pinion locking 8" diff that came from the front of the land cruiser I got the axles from.
And I have the whole rear axle from the same rig.
So I had a brilliant idea.
Build a hybrid rear that combines most of a land cruiser front housing and the revers cut locking 8" diff with the spindles, hubs and axles from the 9.5 inch Land Cruiser rear axle.
So I bought another front axle and started cutting up the front and rear that I have to build the hybrid.
So I started with these
Cut the balls off the front
Then take these off of both ends of the rear
I am then left with these bits that need cut to length and welded together with the diff housing flipped to make one axle.
After all that I will put the reverse cut Land Cruiser front diff in the rear and bolt on all the rear hubs and brakes and I will be good to go.
everything will spin as it should and be driven on the correct side.
Sure. I could have had a custom housing made for two or three times what I will have in this when it is all said and done but this is just a prototype and right now I am trying to be cheap.
Eventually it will be replaced with a fabricated piece that will accept the existing diff and outers.
Some might argue that the 9.5" diff even being run on the coast side of the ring gear could still be stronger than the 8" being run properly but the bottom line is it will introduce stress in the drive-train that will always leave me wondering when it will go pop and not move anymore.
I will not be rock crawling in this thing so I am sure the 8" is fine.
There are plenty of loaded down Toyota expo rigs out there running the same diff with zero issues.
I have an empty center section and some precision ground and polished rod coming that will be used as part of my alignment jig to line everything up for welding.
This axle thing is taking up a ton of time but once its finished (probably 1st week of August) things should start moving at a better pace.
Eventually we will get to the good stuff.
Until then....
vwhammer
Adventurer
Anyone that was watching this build can check out the rest in my new thread.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/162055-Volkswagen-Vanagon-4x4-Conversion
I wanted a thread that more accurately described what was going on and cleared out all the non 4x4 upgrades.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/162055-Volkswagen-Vanagon-4x4-Conversion
I wanted a thread that more accurately described what was going on and cleared out all the non 4x4 upgrades.