Type IV Baja Thing Project

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:48 am

Bob's right on this one.... biggest I'll ever go again is 31s... our 33s are clipping it way to close... they also look out of proportion... don't drive as well and required the spendy Beeline trailing arms.

T.

LB181 · Post by **LB181** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:34 pm

Hey guys, haven't been able to check out the post, 12 hour work days with overtime suck. This post is awesome, finally we got some offroad Things to look at! Well, I am really liking my Type IV swap, still just taking it on short trips and working out all the bugs. I decided I am going to turn the exhaust so we don't get all the rain gathering in the muffler. Other than that, the swap seems to have gone well. Jordan, those are some awesome pics. I have been checking out your offroading pics but I never saw a close up of your suspension, I like how you did the front, extended it and got rid of the ball joints, great idea. I am considering something like the Jeep guys do for front fenders, tubing with sheet metal like what you guys were discussing earlier. That could look pretty cool and give us somewhere to mount lights. Lots of great ideas on this post, Keep them coming.

Corey

suntour · Post by **suntour** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:25 am

OK, I gave up trying to find my pictures of tube fenders from the Moab Jeep Safari and just snagged some from Poison Spyder Customs website. I think something like this might give you guys a few ideas and help conform to that street legal thing the CHP is always harping about.

Personally I see a lot of development and ideas from the Rock Crawling crowd that would be greatly beneficial.

Jordan, I have heard that when you switch to disk brakes on all four wheels that some types/brands of master cylinders have problems. I can only assume that it might have something to do with the change in fluid displacement of disk caliper pistons vs. wheel cylinders and what is was originally designed to do. Have you had any such problems? Just wondering.

Bob Ingman · Post by **Bob Ingman** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:49 am

Those are some nice fenders. I think you are right about the rock crawler crowd. I watch them on TV and see more ideas there than anyplace else.
Personally I need fenders bad. Not for the law. Thats not a problem where I live. But when I drive I get mud coating my curtains so bad that I have zero lateral vision. Got to crack my door at intersections to judge if i can enter safely.The running boards I have, worked as mud flaps until I widened the beam and rear arms. Now its back to rooster tails up the sides again. Bob

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 7:38 am

Do Jeep fenders bolt on or weld on?

suntour · Post by **suntour** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:55 am

The fenders in the photos are bolt-on's but I have seen these welded to tube frame rigs too. They work great for non-stock tire and suspension clearance and they don?t crush when you drop your vehicle on its side or tag a tree or rock. If you where to build something like this for a Thing I would consider tying them into the front beam or some where super strong. I have a feeling the front quarter panels are not strong enough to take a lot of abuse.

I also have an idea for a pseudo-exoskeleton system that you would hide under the vehicle that would work with this type of fender set up and stiffen up the frame and engine mounts.

Has anyone seen bead lock rims on a VW? I wonder how those would work on Paddle tires....

LB181 · Post by **LB181** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:38 pm

Jordan,
How do you like the rack and pinion setup? Was it difficult to set up and worth the trouble? Your suspension setup looks great, I bet its a fun ride.
Corey

thingow181 · Post by **thingow181** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:36 pm

The rack and pinion works great for pitching the car in the sand. Only problem is that it is twitchy, even more so with a 12" wheel. The razorback front tires helped this as well. No bumpsteer thanks to a LOT of measuing and help from friends, but lots of feedback, prompting a stabilizer. It is a much more positive feeling experience. Only problem I have had is that the stock column was destroyed in the sand, so I have been forced to add a cross bar on my cage to mount a second pillowblock (column bearing) on and to go with a tube column rather than stock. This is still in progress.

As to the discs, I understand that's a common problem too. I havent even tried what I have, but when I get to the point I can afford rears too, I will buy a set of neal pedals or the like pre-setup for disc/disc.

I kinda like that look for the fenders. With a tubing bender one could get pretty creative up there. For now, it stays open.

As for beadlocks and paddles:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... c_id=78931

Fronts are steel beadlocks fron Jegs, weld on to your steel rim. I had a couple and thought I might try them. They work GREAT.

Rear paddles are on aluminum for now, will be going steel as my last good jump tweaked one of the rims.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... c_id=78930

They didn't come off in this one. Only problem was the steering column giving up... had to get into it.

Thanks again for the compliments.

Jordan

suntour · Post by **suntour** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:32 am

You know this might be another situation where rock crawling tech comes in. I have had some experience with hydraulic steering systems; we used the Char-Lynn steering units with great success. The steering unit is totally sealed, there is no way sand can hurt this thing and you can mount it anywhere, the hydraulic ram is about the same size as a rack and pinion unit. They only part that I could see as a pain to fab or install is the bracket to hold the pump and get the fan belt to turn the unit.
However I should mention this system is not even close to being D.O.T. approved and some steering units don?t have the ability to return to center by themselves which can lead to some unexpected ?excitement.? after a sharp turn. I guess this would only be a useful idea if your particular Thing was off-road only and your existing rack and pinion was completely crapped out.

Oh, I read an article about those weld-on bead lock systems the other day. They sound great and are affordable too. That?s great to see some one running those on VW?s. And the pictures look great! I am very jealous, that setup looks like too much fun!

Bob, I was flipping through the RoMTOC CD I just got in the mail and I saw some pictures of your Thing. Who made your exhaust? I really like how the 4 to 1 merge is located so high and out of the way. Would that work on a Thing with out a body lift?

Bob Ingman · Post by **Bob Ingman** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:50 am

Kindred My exhaust is not homemade. I`m not sure which exhaust was on the photos you saw. The first exhaust I used was 411/412 stubs with a bus header. Then I switched to a 914 header which brought the exhaust way up which I liked. That was on the DTM uprighted engine. Then I went to a stock 1800 bus engine and bolted the 914 header to that.
Soon to another 914 engine with stock cooling. The exhaust I have for that is 411/412 stubs and Bursch header. That seems to be the best T-4 combo outside of expensive or cheepo stuff available. Cheers. Bob Ingman

Mattt · Post by **Mattt** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:21 am

If anyone, Jordan, had any unanswered questions about the stretched, flamed Thing earlier in this thread, fire away. I ogled that car for a long time, and went over it multiple times. Oh, by the way....you can own it if you want........for the meager sum of $70k obo. I talked to the owner of it. He just built it, doesnt really want to sell, but anything is for sale for the right price.

suntour · Post by **suntour** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 9:30 am

For 70K I could buy and trail build that 69? Commando I have always wanted, plus the complete restoration of my Thing with every bell and whistle available, plus get my wife overpriced jewelry and then some. That?s way too much money. I did notice the ?for sale? sign on it too but I didn?t want to know the price tag. Hell that Maguire?s Thing from the GMW 2003 (?) that won best of show sold for 25K. That is starting to sound cheap.

Hey maybe you can tell me what was that weird transmission he was using is? It looked like a two speed auto? Never seen anything like that before.

Still have not started mocking up those tube fenders yet. Sorry still to busy to start that. Soon I hope.

Mattt · Post by **Mattt** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:06 am

Im thinking the trans was a Vanagon Auto. Those have come into favor with the off road crowd over the last few years. I know what you are saying about the price tag. The Meguiars guy's car isnt a fair comparison though. You are talking fixed up stocker vs. all out race car style. it can certainly be done for less than $70k, thats for sure. I might find out someday how much less. For that price I think I could build the Thing and my 69 Early Bronco that is wallowing in project status for too long.

suntour · Post by **suntour** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 9:16 am

Here is a picture of that transmission in the stretched flame Thing.

You are right; comparing the flamed race Thing to the stocker show Thing is like comparing apples to oranges. I was really just commenting on the expensive price tags that are found on really impressive and well built custom cars. I should have worded that better.

Mattt · Post by **Mattt** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 10:19 am

I agree with your point exactly. It is amazing the price tags being commanded by Things these days. Brent's Leopard Thing is another that sold in the mid $20k's. And to think I bought my first running driving Thing for $1500.