filthy boy

I am lucky enough to own a farm and a lot of land for which i have wanted to convert for years as a lot of it is not used.. I am addicted without been in it from teh day of watchung this on sky whebn we first got it years and years ago.. Feed your addiction, get yourself a birthday present, make use of all that land, cut out the first few years and just get a buggy! Just kidding. Just get out and play / compete. Tim PS easy to wash and no rust!

He is not my mate, never met him. Just the man in that area at DfT. But what's the point.

Lara It is written and the text was quoted to me. It was not "the man who knows", it was the head of the policy team who writes it. So with all due respect **** off! If you read what I posted it states you have to have a SOLID (in capitals to avoid you missing it) link. I doubt you will get your mercury to freeze, likewise hydraulic fluid. Anyway, as I said I don't really give a stuff what people build. Tim

Here we go again! I spoke with the man from DFT who writes Con and Use regs. Rightly or wrongly, you have to have a SOLID link of material, metal or similar properties (so carbon fibre is okay) from wheel to steering wheel. You can argue against this all you want and produce evidence of how your solution worked fine but that is the policy / regulation / law. Problem is that your insurance will be void and you can be prosecuted if you are in an accident. If you want to take the risk doesn't bother me (unless you drive into me! ) If you call DFT, ask for the Con and Use policy section and ask for a definitive answer on steering and they will tell you directly. Like having an agricultural reg. That only entitles you to go from your farm to your field (or forest). Not on overseas events!! So build whatever you want but this IS the rule. Tim PS Might be quite funny if a bored VOSA man turns up outside an event and starts impounding and crushing vehicles

Spent months looking into this, including axle mounted racks. Problem with separate servo and box is that without a lot of tuning and cleverness they will fight each other giving some nasty feedback through the steering. Discussed this with some US suppliers who had spent a lot of time and $ trying to make this work with no luck. Just get a proper steering box and a high flow pump! Tim

Any tyre size regulations? Please say no! After all, any advantages gained through tyre size will be lost because the axles will keep breaking. Sounds like an absolutely excellent idea. Tim

And to make Four Wheeler even better this months contents page features a double page picture of our car flying through the air! I am biased but worth buying just for that Tim

We will bring a buggy or very possibly 2. Will vehicles need to be road registered and / or road legal? i.e. road legal on the day of competition. Tim

Nige Thanks for doing this (same to everyone else involved). IVA is helpful. Working away all this week so some reading for those lonely hotel nights! Tim

Crawl, Dirt Sports. The second is biased towards desert and SCORE type racing but full of gorgeous fabrication. Tim

Daan Congratulations and well done. Glad to have been of any help, however small. Your all up weight is an even more amazing feat! Tim (Bentley actually)

http://www.featherwing.com Try these guys. Tim

Needs an SVA. Tim

For any of the type of vehicles we are running to be LEGALLY on the road there MUST be a mechanical steering link from steering wheel to steered wheels that is of metal or material with similar properties. This is the official policy line from DfT. This is what makes a vehicle legal to be on the road, NOT the MOT. C&U is the fundamental rule that always applies. I had this discussion with the policy lead at DfT who writes C&U. Not some MOT tester who knows my aunties cousins monkey handler. If you are in a vehicle that is modified to full hydraulic and you have an accident on the road then you are driving an illegal vehicle, does not matter a jot if you wave your MOT certificate about. Your insurance company will declare your insurance void, although will probably have to honour any third party claim. They will then pursue you to recover this cost. Meanwhile you will be having a serious talk with the police and facing some pretty stiff penalties depending how much harm your accident may have caused. The defence "my hydro is built really well Ossifer so it won't / shouldn't have broken" is not very robust! Having said that there is no problem running full hydro. Howe have been testing some in the desert well in excess of 100 mph. It is just not legal to run it on UK roads. MOT or not. FULL STOP Tim PS Chris, got an SVA for that portal conversion?

Will You should stop using a water based lube! Tim

Big rod long travel shock for a specific purpose. Not designed for high speed use. No bypasses, no blow-off. Doesn't mean its a bad shock, just means it is being used in the wrong application. Never built as a desert race / high speed shock. Can't really make a straight comparison between a long travel big rod shock and a more normal design. What about pistons, valving, seals? More to it than two bits sliding in and out of each other Tim PS last bit is good natured sarcasm and should be taken as such!! Don't want to get misunderstood

Yep! Just like every mention of Scorpion. Too easy. Not even fun to watch.

Oram are very good. Made in Italy. Use Ohlins internals. OME are yellow Monroes.

I think using a bathtub on portals with silly big tyres and digging up the course so nobody else can come after you should be considered cheating. Mind you as the last person through before you did it maybe I should be grateful?? Tim PS did you have a nice weekend in Sevenoaks (or wherever it is that Jim lives?)

SVA / IVA is a test of compliance with C&R regs.

Some people have had difficulties installing these so I thought I would share todays experience of mounting some 37 x 12.5 BFG Krawlers on 17 x 9 aluminium rims with Staun beadlocks. These are the latest version with the tyre valve on a separate air channel. Didn't have the correct length valve channel as they come in 3 lengths to suit different rim widths and we really need the longest, but these ones work and are just harder to fit as there is less to tuck under the tyre bead. Tools required: 1 patio rubber mat to protect rim blocks of wood, 2x2 in this case 2 tyre levers 2 "third hands" (the yellow things in the photos) bead lubricant compressor (little 12 volt one for me) Here is rim with inner bead on, on rubber mat with tyre supported about 6" so I can reach inside it Feed the inner bead of the Staun over the rim Drop the tyre down a couple of inches so the inner tyre bead drops away and gives more space to insert the inner tube. This is the valve flap. Fit this being careful to get the inner tube out from under it! Bit fiddly but no real problem. Now fit the outer bead with the levers, third hand tool is fantastic! Tyre lube helps the bead on but makes the levers slip off more easily. Using the great named Super Slick 'em. Probably has a multitude of uses and smells a bit citrusy! Being careful not to pick up the Staun liner with the tip of the lever. Finish at the valve and make sure the channel is lying properly (easier with the longer one!). Use the beadlock to seat the bead. Inflate to required pressure and away you go! First 1 took 45 minutes, second 1 just under 30. Tim

I think there is WAY more tech info in the Gigglepin intercom thread than some of the supposedly more serious threads!!!

Howe - US company doing steering stuff Different shaped box so no.

Saginaw 4 bolt inside frame LHD, running outside on RH side of frame, becomes RHD. Built up by Howe. Supposed to be very good but time will tell! Tim

He is now experimenting with the lightweight ally version sponsored by Stella. Did you get your pm? They are more like you need. 2 mile radius and a whole party! How's your wiring? I have Brassoed my axles ready for Bling! Tim