Transaxle buggy’s; the need-to-knows?

[STAG]

“Hypothetically” if my “friend” were to be interested in building a transaxle buggy, what would they need to know that’s not obvious to a layman?

Are the transaxles being opened up all the way to the differential to make the differential a locker? How difficult even is that? Or is it not necessary?

My “friend” has never been inside of a transaxle before but is reasonably mechanically inclined and likes a challenge.

CV axles for driveshafts or is that just blasphemous?

 

[Agility Customs]

“Hypothetically” if my “friend” were to be interested in building a transaxle buggy, what would they need to know that’s not obvious to a layman?

Are the transaxles being opened up all the way to the differential to make the differential a locker? How difficult even is that? Or is it not necessary?

My “friend” has never been inside of a transaxle before but is reasonably mechanically inclined and likes a challenge.

CV axles for driveshafts or is that just blasphemous?

First step don’t do it…. He would be better off building a low budget not transaxle buggy. It would be more capable, have better resale value and be more reliable.

 

[STAG]

First step don’t do it…. He would be better off building a low budget not transaxle buggy. It would be more capable, have better resale value and be more reliable.

drivetrain weight and overall dimension are design factors.

 

[Hickey]

drivetrain weight and overall dimension are design factors.

It was a fad for a while, but there’s a reason you don’t see people building these anymore. People pursued that avenue to its end and abandoned it.

 

[The_Lobbster]

If weight is a concern, you could build a zuki drivetrain based buggy. A 2.0 or 2.3 with sami transmission and transfercase is probably close to the same weight as most engine/transaxle combos. You can even get full billet sami t cases now.

 

[mbryson]

A Powerglide and an air cooled Beetle engine worked pretty well for weight?

 

[1969honda]

Flip a Honda 4/6 cylinder and run the CVs to sammy/toyota front and rear difs, weld or lock the center diff in the transmission? I've seen a few kids buggies built this way?

 

[Agility Customs]

Flip a Honda 4/6 cylinder and run the CVs to sammy/toyota front and rear difs, weld or lock the center diff in the transmission? I've seen a few kids buggies built this way?

Building them like this is cheap and easy, the problem is they arent capable, not enough gearing to really make them work well and toyota diffs arent even remotely strong enough to hold up to any kind of buggy wheeling.

 

[STAG]

My friend is pretty stubborn and hardheaded. On top of that, he already has the drivetrain on hand and has been bench-building this project for years. The transaxle is a sealed-deal for the time being. If he ends up hating/regretting it down the road, you can all say “told you so” 😁

This project actually has quite a few unorthodox build parameters. Some of them are experimental, some will be failures right off the get-go, most of you will say “that’s not gonna work”, some will be right, and some will be surprised.

It was a fad for a while, but there’s a reason you don’t see people building these anymore. People pursued that avenue to its end and abandoned it.

Building them like this is cheap and easy, the problem is they arent capable, not enough gearing to really make them work well and toyota diffs arent even remotely strong enough to hold up to any kind of buggy wheeling.

A Powerglide and an air cooled Beetle engine worked pretty well for weight?

Engine noise requirements eliminate the possibility of an aircooled VW engine. I.e. my friend does not want the final project to sound like that. 😂

Flip a Honda 4/6 cylinder and run the CVs to sammy/toyota front and rear difs, weld or lock the center diff in the transmission? I've seen a few kids buggies built this way?

This is close to what’s going on.

 

[RockChucker]

Building them like this is cheap and easy, the problem is they arent capable, not enough gearing to really make them work well and toyota diffs arent even remotely strong enough to hold up to any kind of buggy wheeling.

Says the guy running Toyota diffs in his buggy*....






*with portals so they survive

 

[Agility Customs]

Says the guy running Toyota diffs in his buggy*....






*with portals so they survive

Hey sir this isnt about me

 

[N-Smooth]

He His friend has some weird unconventional ideas I remember from a classic group chat. Is this still intended to be like an enclosed UTV replacement or is it going to be more buggy now? I’m also asking for a friend.

 

[STAG]

He His friend has some weird unconventional ideas I remember from a classic group chat. Is this still intended to be like an enclosed UTV replacement or is it going to be more buggy now? I’m also asking for a friend.

more a UTV replacement than a buggy, yeah, but on 37’s.

 

[Greg]

IMO, transaxle buggies are a series of several compromises that all add up to a less capable machine than a standard buggy build. It won't be able to do F or R digs either, which makes a world of difference in the rocks.

Like @The_Lobbster , I'd say use a Suzuki drivetrain, perhaps Toyota mini-truck t-cases for gearing and Toyota axles, if that's the desired axle.

You could build a buggy like Jeff Stevens @drtsqrl using Suzuki drivetrain and JK Dana 44's. It holds up to sticky tires, is light weight, small and very capable.

 

[STAG]

IMO, transaxle buggies are a series of several compromises that all add up to a less capable machine than a standard buggy build. It won't be able to do F or R digs either, which makes a world of difference in the rocks.

Like @The_Lobbster , I'd say use a Suzuki drivetrain, perhaps Toyota mini-truck t-cases for gearing and Toyota axles, if that's the desired axle.

You could build a buggy like Jeff Stevens @drtsqrl using Suzuki drivetrain and JK Dana 44's. It holds up to sticky tires, is light weight, small and very capable.

View attachment 172321

Totally legit and fair statements. However maybe calling what my ‘friend’ is building as a “buggy” is not what he should call it. It will be a tube chassis/cage but full bodied.

IFS/IRS. Portals. 37’s.

It’s not for crawling like the pic you posted, but backcountry exploration. Heat / A/C, radio, protection from elements etc.

The plan is register it as a street legal OHV

 

[Greg]

Totally legit and fair statements. However maybe calling what my ‘friend’ is building as a “buggy” is not what he should call it. It will be a tube chassis/cage but full bodied.

IFS/IRS. Portals. 37’s.

Ahhh, the portals will help with gearing and strength. I missed that part.

 

[Coco]

I loved my buggy with Toyota drivetrain and axles. You saw how that worked.

Totally legit and fair statements. However maybe calling what my ‘friend’ is building as a “buggy” is not what he should call it. It will be a tube chassis/cage but full bodied.

IFS/IRS. Portals. 37’s.

So, a SXS? I am kidding. I am excited to see what you got working!

 

[STAG]

I loved my buggy with Toyota drivetrain and axles. You saw how that worked.



So, a SXS? I am kidding. I am excited to see what you got working!

You mean when it wasn’t spewing some sort of oil all over the courses? 🤣 jk jk

And it’s a #dontcallitaSXS build, but yeah a SXS without the SXS things I hate.

 

[Coco]

You mean when it wasn’t spewing some sort of oil all over the courses? 🤣 jk jk

And it’s a #dontcallitaSXS build, but yeah a SXS without the SXS things I hate.

I chose not to run it that trip. It leaked more when I took all the Toyota stuff off of it.

 

[N-Smooth]

That was the worst. We towed it all the way to Farmington and then it was leaking so bad you didn’t run. Crazy.

Awesome times though