filthy boy

As Will said I ran a hinged arm. First a bought one and then redesigned and fabricated to improve a number of things. For mucking around on playdays, driving down flat boulder filled rivers and, most importantly, parking on big ramps at shows, it is a bolt on way to get loads more front end articulation. I have some great pics to illustrate this and liked it for some time. The unpinned handling on road you can just get used to but tight windy mountain roads on the Cevenol were interesting! The real problem, and why I gave up with it, is when you get the front end up a big step and try to accelerate to bring up the rear (ie unweighted front end) it torque steers like mad to the unhinged side. Scary when climbing steps with a big drop / cliff on 1 side! Same whatever you put the hinge. So there you go, the opinion of a man who did it. Not too bad if you stay on the flat. FB PS When redesigning the arm we did a FEA of the standard arm. It is a great piece of design. The fabricated I beam from plate type is nowhere near as good strength wide. We machined from solid billet steel of some stupidly expensive and strong type.

Just get an Ashcroft underdrive. Great kit and a lovely blue colour. FB

Outback Import is stepping up its activity in the UK so it should become much easier to get the Maxi Drive stuff. Devon have stock, Cheviot have stock. Outback bring the stuff in to France once a week by airfreight. Outback UK representative is Chris Armelin. pm me if you want his number. FB PS I don't work for them! I run JacMac!!

Must agree with Moglite. Seems classes really matter if you are a pot hunter. You don't really need that to have a good day or learn about your own talent or lack of it. FB

Why not just enter whatever you have and have a good day out? Compete against yourself and the terrain? My first event was the JBS Summer Challenge in a 90 with 255/85 BFG MTs, a front XD 9000, 2" lift and NO lockers. Had a great time. Enjoyed ourselves. Did the Inch by Winch with the same spec. (BUt then I got Jac MAc hypoids, chipped, new exhaust cage, more suspension, buckets, harness, on board computer, underdrive and loads more and now I have a tube buggy. ) Interestingly, they had similar debates over on PBB a couple of years ago. FB

As I said, no need for an MOT so that will be no popping over to the Cobra guys then. And resolved as in policy decision by DfT / VOSA / DVLA. FB

You do not need an MOT after the SVA. This issue has now been resolved, before it was unclear. FB

The answer is NO. If the lights are e-marked then they are definitely passable. If they are not e-marked then they must be of equivalent brightness etc. So if you have non e-marked lights you will have to prove to the examiner that they are equivalent. FB

Will Dead easy to get Toy R&P's anywhere between the UK and Afghanistan! Although not sure about haggling the price in Kabul. FB

Have to agree with this. very little will survive being attacked by a crown wheel trying to get away from a pinion as the latter mounts the former. I run Jac Mac hypoids, first ones brought into the UK so a few years old now. They look like new. The problem is LR R&P are as said above not too good. That's why I run the hypoid, Toy R&P much stronger plus hypoids I understand are less likely to climb on top of each other and push against the carrier. FB

I heard that if DH wins the championship they will have to build a bigger podium to fit him, his co-driver. his brother who drives the other "team" car and his brothers girlfriend who drives the 4x4 ground anchor. Then again it could all just be a rumour. Shame that people want to destry the efforts of people like NAJW. FB

"Load ratings apply only to rod ends without grease fittings. For load ratings with fittings, please consult our engineering department" The above from the Aurora catalogue (not a cheap poor quality company) "Rod end load ratings based on no lubrication fitting. For load ratings of rod ends with lubricator, please contact FK engineering department" FK catalogue. If you drill a hole through it it cannot be as strong. Big rebuildables as on PIrate (Evolution et al) are strong because they are enormous. FB

If greasables are not weaker then why do the manufacturers quote lower ultimate radial loads for ones with grease nipples? And I am talking about quality ones. FB

In those pics above it looks like the upper links are not triangulated. To get sufficient lateral control you need to have sufficient triangulation in both uppers and lowers. It is worth noting that a double triangulated suspension setup is acceptable under the construction and use regs as providing adequate control. If done properly. The buggy has 4 link front and rear, both triangulated and we have done loads of modeling so they will hopefully work. But driving it will be the test. The main problems are packaging the upper links round the engine and having the correct mounting points (position and strength) on the frame. The bump steer issue is real but can be reduced so it is no worse than on a 2" lifted Defender. FB

Daan I don't think the bearing pack in the axle tube would be too difficult. Alternatively throw everything out, move the engine and build a 4 link! FB

Another alternative is to split the axle casing and put in a bearing pack so the axle housing can twist. It has been done on touring cars with a rear beam axle (not live) and some 4x4 in the US. You could even put a clutch pack into it so you could lock it out at times. Just a different way to do it. Tried hinged radius arms, great for mucking about on axle twisters but not a good idea climbing up big steps with a cliff to the drivers side. With the front up in the air and unweighted, give it some gas to bring the back up and it torque steers too much. The Bronco guys run a mount for the radius arm that can slide along the axle tube. All these are just trying to get another degree of freedom into the front axle location so will all affect handling. FB

They protect the bodywork And offer a bit of protection to occupants FB

Someone has a job. He / she makes some money. Chooses to spend it on a toy (all these trucks are toys). Why does this eem to annoy some people so much? It's their money, they didn't mug your granny for it. Always seems to be the same people going on about "cheque book offroaders". Can someone explain their problem? Just live and let live FB

Dremel with a cutting disc gives a beautiful edge. But it does throw off lovely fumes and whiskers of hot molten wheel arch. So don't get your face to close! FB

Jez I am doing a bit of scheming at the moment to try and speed things up a bit with the buggy development and this might make the whole Portal Tek thing more imminent. FB

lovely work, but I think Filthyboy's aiming it for the comp people in the UK and they still think portals are one step away from satan worship (all praise his magnificance) Jez Thanks for the lovely work comment. The buggy is on LR axles for a few reasons. 1) I had them 2) They are already seriously built up with JacMac hypoids, shafts, Ashcroft CVs etc and are surviving well 3) A major design principle with this was to keep it light, we only kept the basic casings with all brackets removed and the casings are not the problem. Anyway we can truss those. 4) It was also to be a LR based product. Having said that I think LRs are pretty poor and there are many better axles. If the buggy works I am already planning for Portal Tek axles and 4 wheel steer. With sweet hi-pinion diffs. A major problem is that the loads and forces on the links will be very different with a portal axle. As I only want to do it if it is done properly that will need a fair bit of re-design for the links and mounts. So start with an easy known beam axle and go from there. Damn that devil sitting on my shoulder. Get thee behind me Satan! But I would really like to have 2 sets of axles, 1 straight and 1 portal. Although on Portal Teks can keep the weight down and overall dimensions so maybe no need?? FB PS £40,000 cost quoted above,

To which there is no good answer. Except in a Land Rover you get waved at by other like minded folk as you drive around. Driving round in a C303 you would wait a long time to pass a fellow "enthusiast" so you might feel lonely and like Billy no-mates. Is that a good reason to drive a Land Rover? FB

Or do this With tubework FB

Nadim Probably not your main priority right now, what with your family and friends out there. But if your Disco should get wrecked and you really want a trayback we will give you a set of our body panels if you want them. All the panels and inner bits to make it look like the pics in the disco in this thread http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=6353 Just a small contribution to world peace ( and support for the normal people who get caught between idiot politicians). FB

Jimbo Giggleboy A couple more pics for you. pics removed by moderator I'll see you in the shade of my awning, drinking a cold cold beer. FB PS you can't galvanise 40mm floplast plastic drainpipe.