Volkswagen Vanagon 4x4 Conversion.

[Metcalf]

The FJ80 biff 24 spline section is a bit of an odd size, it isn't as small as you would think 24 spline would be....kinda a large coarse spline.
They also make full 30 spline birf kits for 80 series stuff now.

Looking forward. I think the big limiting factor with the FJ80 axle is the outer knuckles. There are not a lot of steering arm options.
With the mini-truck balls you will have a LOT more choices.
There are aftermarket fj80 outer knuckles now, but only one company, and the steering arm options are still limited.

 

[vwhammer]

Still no physical progress so to speak but I did obtain a couple more physical parts.

I managed to wrangle up a crusty pair of spindles and knuckles for the switch to the toyota truck parts.

I will clean these up an be running them with a set of IFS hubs so I can run some 05+ Tacoma rotors and calipers.
The Tacoma rotors are a little more than 1/8 of an inch thinner than the 80 series land cruiser rotors but they are about a 1/4 inch bigger in diameter.
This brings my braking back up to par with what it would have been with the land cruiser parts so that's one problem solved.

Of course none of this would be possible without some time in the machine shop or simply making a call to Brian at Front Range Off-Road Fab (Diamond Axles).

I have been in contact with Brian several times over the last week and sorted out my brakes as well as ironing out all the specs on my new front axle housing.

I was excited to find out that they have some new parts that are about 2 weeks out that made the whole new axle choice a simple one.
Once those parts arrive they will be able to build my 100% brand new axle housing.

I may have even sorted out (with Brian's help) some changes in my axle specs that may make it possible to run some stock axle shafts in a pinch.
I will be upgrading to 30 spline chromoly shafts and birfs from the start so they are at least as strong (probably stronger) as the stock FJ80 shafts and birfs.

Of course none of this axle stuff means anything if I can't bolt them under the van.
I got some drawings sent out to the laser cutter and picked up part one or, more precisely, part 1,2,3 and 4 of the suspension puzzle yesterday.

I have been slowly feeding drawings to the cutters and parts should start trickling in over the next week.
Hope to pick up my crossmember/skidplate/transfer case mount parts Monday.
Then the sub-frame will really start to take shape.

My radius arm parts should also be done by mid week.

It sucks to have been twiddling my thumbs for the last week or two and now that I am getting some of the important parts there is a couple of weeks worth of work piled up.

However, once some of the secondary processes are complete on these parts I should be able to start bolting this whole thing together.

I may have to get a couple more tools also.
I have been eyeballing a shop press so that I might be able to bend up a couple of parts rather than welding parts together to make a "bend".

Anywho the next 2-4 weeks should be pretty exciting.

 

[Jsweezy]

I am assuming that your vanagon is a manual because I didn't see anything that said otherwise but I only read the first and last page. Will the kit your putting together work for an automatic vanagon?

Thanks and I really like what your doing!

 

[vwhammer]

The kit will rely on an engine AND transmission swap.
Essentially you take the engine and transmission of your choosing and sort out how to put it in the van.
I happen to be using a 2.2 subaru and the auto trans that is atrached to it.
I will be using one of the available subaru-to-vanagon engine crossmember/engine mounts and building the trans mount so I will at least have the parts to do the subaru swap.

More or less this will not work with the stock van transmission.
Once I look into it more I will likely make a kit for the syncro but if you have a 2wd van you will have to swap engine and trans.

 

[Jsweezy]

Ok cool, thanks for clarifying that for me. Sounds like a win win!

 

[Haf-E]

Seems like starting with a 2WD van would make more sense since they are cheaper and easier to source. You also won't upset the Syncro fans that way either...

Looking forward to what you develop

 

[vwhammer]

Some update action.
I have most of the laser cut parts in house.
Now I just have to start putting them together.
I have planned on working on it all week but I always get wrangled into something else.
I got the basic parts of my sub-frame so I thought I would do a little mock up to see how it all works.

I actually just realized as I posted the pics that my transfer case is backwards putting the outputs on the wrong side but, not to worry, I will fix all that before I make anything permanent.
That's what I get for working on things later after I have been drinking instead of before.:beer: Geesh.

I had a basic plate cut for the bottom (the piece under the transfer case, wood and rusty bit) but it will have more material added to better protect the transfer case and function as another cross member.
This will eventually be a single piece cut and bent to the final shape.

This piece will also have the transfer case mounts built into it.



I need to weld on a couple of little brackets.
Then the whole thing will bolt together and I can get it under the van.
The rough assembly gave me some idea of how the new gas tank is going to shape up.
I still feel like I can get at least 25 gallons and if I add a second tank or really fill the space available then I could get 30.
If I can get 20mpg (fingers crossed) that will put me between 500 and 600 miles on a tank.
I have other plans for the back of the van so if I don't have to carry jerry cans for extra gas that would be a bonus.
However I am working on a modular set up so jerry cans could be added if need be.

The pieces at the back of the table and these parts on the bench will eventually make up the main part of my radius arms.

I ordered some parts today that will make up the link that will form the second mount on the axle.

I also got all the parts for my axle alignment jig.

This gives you an idea as to how it all works if you have never seen the set up before.

Some tight tolerances and a precision ground rod should help get the whole thing together accurately.

I will be passing the rear axle spindle ends off to my trusty machinist to be cut to length.
Then I can put all the parts together and hopefully have a complete rear axle.

My front axle housing is probably 3 or 4 weeks out but since my rear suspension is a mirror image of the front I should be able to get the rear housing together, locate it under the van, build mounts and duplicate it for the front.
I will need to do some running around to get my mock up engine and trans and order my engine mount and put all that in place to make sure it clears the axle.
If it does not... Well that opens up a whole new can of worms or at least means a new housing, which I intended anyway, and some more custom axle shafts to offset the diff enough to clear the trans.
So much for running a bunch of stock stuff that can be found anywhere in the world.
However with chromoly axle shafts it will be unlikely that you break them doing any normal overlanding
If you do then full floating axles, 3 locking differentials and a winch will make it possible to carry on in 3 wheel drive.

Anyway, I have the rest of the week (after work) and the weekend free so I hope to really make some headway over the next 4 days.

Since my goal of driving this to Overland Expo East is never going to happen (this year anyway) I want to be driving this by the end of the year.

 

[snwbrdr435]

Keep refreshing this page for updates. I am up in MA, wish i was closer to see this build first hand. I am currently sitting on a parts donor syncro for my 2wd westy but have always thought a toyota based front end would be bomber.

 

[vwhammer]

Well if you're excited about a toyota front axle then you might be super pumped to know that there will be a matching toyota rear axle as well.

 

[Haf-E]

I wonder how much higher this will end up being over a stock Vanagon? Seem like the Tcase will below the floor and with the mounts you show, it will hang down at least 6 inches from the bottom of the stock frame rails?

Hoping it doesn't end up like one of these:

I think you will get great approach and departure angles - just concerned about the breakover angle with the tcase and suspension arms hanging down in the middle.

 

[vwhammer]

Yeah once I sorted how tall the transfer case was I was concerned about how low it was going to hang.
This is why I shaved the case some and rotated it to get it as short as possible.
I even went so far as to install some button head bolts in a couple strategic locations to shorten it up by another 1/4 inch.
It had crossed my mind to put a false floor in the van so I could put some bumps to raise the case up some more.
However, I decided that was a lot of custom work if I wanted to make these available as a kit.
Anyway, it does hang down considerably.
I would have to look at my measurements but I think its is in the neighborhood of 7 inches from the bottom of the frame rail.

Not sure what the stock vanagon breakover angle/underbody clearance is but I compared it to a stock landcruiser which is about 11 inches of clearance.
I will have around 13 inches of clearance at the lowest point on the chassis.
I can live with this.
I should have the subframe bolted under the van soon and be able to better gauge how it will all work out.

 

[Haf-E]

Don't mean any disrespect - hope I didn't offend you. The breakover angle only matters in certain situations and with the lift you are including I am sure it will be acceptable. The short wheel base of the Vanagon will help significantly. Also - lifting the vans body will reduce issues with the side rocker panels between the wheels which is often a bigger problem in serious off road situations as a wheel drops off a rock or drops into a hole.

Here is the best drawing I could find - it is for a stock 2wd vanagon but could be adjusted to include the tcase and lift easily.

I think with the amount of lift that will be required for the rear axle to clear the engine/tranny unit - you will have a pretty uniform clearance off the front/rear diff housing and the tcase - the breakover angle will be about the same as stock and the approach and departure angles will be considerably better than stock. Should work well for overlanding and mild rock crawling.

 

[vwhammer]

Nope you didn't hurt my feelings any.
It is a legit concern and I wish I had a better solution.
However, as is always the case when starting with an existing vehicle, compromises have to be made and this is one of those cases.
I'm not going to dwell on it too much though.
It's at least as good and in most cases better than most of the stock rigs that people do some serious overlanding and off roading in.
I also have the advantage in the fact that I will have an air assist suspension.
If a situation gets a little sticky I will actually be able to raise the van up another 4 inches with the push of a button.

 

[vwhammer]

Oh ok.
I guess I can put up a couple of things.
To be honest I have been trying to wait to post until I had the sub-frame and transfer case under the van but, as expected, everything is taking a lot longer than I wanted.
Mock this up. Design that. Have parts cut. order material. Twiddle thumbs. It's killing me.

I've also had to improvise a little bit and do a couple of mid-build-redesign-add-ons.

But I have done a couple things.

For starters I started welding the radius arm parts together.
Had a friend whip up a bunch of these.

They fit into some of my previously acquired radius arm bits thusly.

Then box it all in.

Weld it up solid.

Then grind it all down.

This takes a very long time.
I probably spent 5 hours finishing up the first one.
After the second one I realized that there is no way this would work in a production situation and I don't know that I was super happy with the outcome.
So one of those mid-build-design-change things came into play.
I ordered up some 1.5x3 rectangle tube and will simply put some big ol' holes in it and weld in my bushing sleeves.
I will also be wrapping the extra material around the ends of the sleeves just for fun.

I will try building one of these first and if it works I will build the four I need.
Or to save time I may just run the two I made of the other design and two of the new design.
All the bushings are in the same location and I just need to get this thing together so I can test the whole system.
The manufacturing design details can wait.
I also need to resize the ID of my bushing sleeves because I feel they are not quite tight enough.
The real issue is the difference in the OD of all the bushings that I purchased.
To be safe on the first arms I built I put a couple tack welds per side.

I also worked out the design of my "Y" link that makes up the rest of my radius arm and ordered some parts and had some stuff laser cut.
I got these double adjusters for a little adjustment in case I go a little bigger in the future.

Here's the other bits.

There are a few pieces I need to whip up and I need to cut my threaded parts and do a few mods to the adjusters themselves.
Anyway it lays out to look a little like this.

One end goes over the radius arm like so.

Then the other end has a bushing and goes to the axle mount.

I managed to wrap up the drivers side transfer case mount.
Started with a few small tubes and some leaf spring shackle bushings.

Used the old cardboard trick to work out a shape.

Then I drew it up and sent it off to the laser cutter.
Had a pair cut and they fit good enough for the prototype.

One more brace and some paint and I called it done.

I have been putting off the passenger side because it is going to be a real puzzle but I will get to it eventually.

Finally just tonight I started adding a little dimension to my skidplate/transfer case mount/cross member thingy
I've just been calling it the cross plate.
It needed a little dimension to stiffen it up a bit

I need to duplicate this for the front side and add a couple u joint protectors.
There also needs to be a little skid plate made that mounts to the cross plate to protect the transfer case mounted parking brake that I will be adding.

The plan is to iron out the design using the piece by piece approach.
Then I will redraw it and have it cut and bent as one piece.
There will be holes to access everything that needs accessed and a few extra to aid in drainage after water crossings.
My laser cutter guy just received a big new press brake so he should be able to do the whole thing here in a couple weeks.

I just keep grinding away at it (no pun intended) one part at a time.
Slowly but surely it's coming together.

I also managed to order my front axle housing and axle shafts so that will be a big day when it gets here.
I have the mounts already designed for it and will be sending them off to the laser cutters along with some other stuff I have been working on.

well that's all I got for now.
until next time...

 

[Vandit]

Well worth the wait! It's inspiring to see all of the innovation going on here. I'm eager to see how it's all going to come together. Keep up the good work and thanks for taking the time to document and share with us!