[Corvelle]

I have realized since trail running is what I am doing with the Beeest, he needs to be more "trail ready".

So...I am in the process of adding a few things and need some advise.

I will post pics of all this here as I go.

I bought a winch and am making a mount for it. This mount will also have a tow hook for simple strap pulling. My question is winch size. I estimate the vehicle weight at 1000 lbs so I got a 3000 lb winch. Too big, too small? I don't know the force needed if I was to be stuck in a sticky situation. (deep mud, sand, steep incline, etc)

I am solving my lack of storage space with a cargo rack on the rear for tools, gas can, cooler, etc. My question here is what to carry as far as "special equipment". For instance, with such a light vehicle, is a high lift jack really necessary?

That brings me to the issue of a spare tire. A, where to mount one, and 2, with such a big difference in front and back tires, what size should the spare be? What kind of patch/puncture kit should I carry.

I will also be adding a full skid plate and an engine cage to protect the heart of the Beeest!

I am doing all this to possibly try the June Rubicon run. I would like to try it but I don't want to be the guy who has to be constantly pulled up, over, and out of the big stuff.

So...could the Beeest make it?

Any and all comments and ideas to improve the Beeest are welcome.

[fister13]

Well you can get a pulley block to double your winch pulling power, but I think with a lite rig and 3000 you should be fine.. I would say mount the tire on top over your head. I usually carry extra axle shafts,u joints, belts, upper& lower hoses, duct tape,clamps,fuses,fuilds for motor, tranny, radiator, a hub, grease to re pack bearins, and steering compents,when wheeling a heavy rig. But your packing list will be a little different, because you don't have all those parts on your rig.

[DanosYJ]

Heck, with a winch on that thing, you could take it just about anywhere. You could probably pull it up a tree.

[bzmarsh]

When mounting your extras watch your center of gravity (I know I don't have to tell you this, but I can't stop!). Your light rig could easily be toppled given enough weight up on the cage.

I wheeled with a guy who has a Samurai with 35s on it. He carried an extra tire (no wheel) and tools to remove/replace tires. I thought it was a good idea at the time, 'specially since he obviously knew how to field-dress a tire.

I know you have great approach and departure angles, but what's your breakover? I seem to remember the Beeest being kind of low to the ground. I'm curious to see how it'd do without the transaxle being locked up. Will you be installing steering brakes?

[Billy D.]

A 3000lb wench is plenty for the buggy and as mentioned fister a block and tackle will make sure of it. as for a spare I used to run 31" tires on the rear of my buggy and 7.00-15's in the front with a front as a spare but get a plug kit and a veriety of patch sizes and glue also something to buff the tire on the inside so the patch will stick.
as for spare parts I would keep a left and right hand thread tie rod end if your still running pioints and extra would be a good idea and a condencer extra fuel pump and fuel filter push rods and tube's and gaskets. as for tools everthing you would need to fit every nut, screw and bolt and a good set of feeler gauges.

[radardog]

Corvelle, on Feb 12 2009, 10:38 AM, said:

That brings me to the issue of a spare tire. A, where to mount one, and 2, with such a big difference in front and back tires, what size should the spare be? What kind of patch/puncture kit should I carry.

all i can say in the puncture department is GET THE "TRAIL GEAR" tire plug kit, you get like 30 plugs two T=handles, a spare set of tips for the T-handles, and a big tub of plug goo all for 18 bones... cant beat it.

[Corvelle]

bzmarsh, on Feb 14 2009, 09:16 AM, said:

When mounting your extras watch your center of gravity (I know I don't have to tell you this, but I can't stop!). Your light rig could easily be toppled given enough weight up on the cage.

I know you have great approach and departure angles, but what's your breakover? I seem to remember the Beeest being kind of low to the ground. I'm curious to see how it'd do without the transaxle being locked up. Will you be installing steering brakes?

I thought about COG but unfortunately, my only option for a rack is behind the seats and above the gas tank . But with the low profile of the vehicle I should still be able to achieve more side angle than a 4X4. My biggest concern with weight is front to back. I am already very light on the front. When climbing steep hills, the front wheels spend allot of time in the air! Maybe I should try to use a front sized spare and find a way to mount it in the front??

And yes...I have steering brakes to install so if I get one wheel spinning I will be able to stop that wheel and power the other.

[Corvelle]

Billy D., on Feb 14 2009, 06:29 PM, said:

As for spare parts I would keep a left and right hand thread tie rod end if your still running pioints and extra would be a good idea and a condencer extra fuel pump and fuel filter push rods and tube's and gaskets. as for tools everthing you would need to fit every nut, screw and bolt and a good set of feeler gauges.

Good info thanks. I would not have thought of extra tie rod ends.

As far as push rod tubes, I just did them because of trail rocks and have guards in place now. As well as the skid plates that will be on soon. I think if I bent one of those on a run I would be done anyways. Not a fan of pulling heads on the trail.

[Corvelle]

Good stuff guys!! Keep in coming.

I have the winch mount done and will be installing that soon.

[FJ40Rob]

Mount the spare over the winch??

[Corvelle]

I had the afternoon off today so I worked on the winch plate. Here are some pics.

Plate and winch...




Front end before plate...




Test fit...lookin good!!




Lining up the winch and marking for holes...




Hole cut for receiver tube...(2 hours with a jig saw)...




Lines up just right...




Test with winch and tow hook receiver insert in place...




Tomorrow the receiver tube gets welded in. Then its ready to be painted and bolted up!!

I should be starting on the storage rack tomorrow afternoon.

[Corvelle]

OK...went over to the dad-in-law's yesterday and got the receiver tube welded in.




With very little room behind the plate, he thought it would be best to gusset the back side. I know its not pretty, but I could bolt this to a truck and tow a boat!!




Primed and painted...






Done!!!!




Now I have a question on the wiring. The winch came with equal length power and ground wires. Can I just ground it at the winch or does the ground need to go to the battery?

[Corvelle]

I also got to work on the storage rack this weekend.

I found the perfect rack at Harbor Freight. Its aluminum so its light weight and it was only 69.95 on sale!!




Test fit...way to high up...




Its a receiver hitch rack so most of the tube on the bottom had to be cut out...




Also...the existing supports over the tank had to be cut down and tilted toward the rear so the rack sits just 1/4 inch above the tank...






So all I have left is to wire the winch and load up the rack with tools and stuff!!

[tfpets]

You can run the ground to the mount or anywhere else on the body/frame BUT make sure you have an equal or larger sized ground from the battery to the body/frame...that is a really cool setup with that winch/hitch setup! Now the beeest has a stinger!! Likin that storage rack also...what an upgrade!

[Corvelle]

Ground cable size is no problem, the winch wires are only 12 gauge. Also there is no fuse in the power wire and I would feel better if there was. What size and what type of fuse should I use with the 12 gauge power wire?

[tfpets]

Im not sure how much that thing draws but generally you dont run a fuse for a winch because it becomes a bottle-neck and can seriously drop the pulling ability...but if you really want to, a maxi fuse holder ( http://store.summitr...mp;autoview=sku ) has pretty large leads on it and can handle a pretty big fuse...there are also these that might be less of a bottle-neck and you can get much higher rated fuses... http://www.vteworld....ga/megafuse.php

[Corvelle]

Thanks Frank.

I did some research, and it seems that a 12 gauge wire 6 feet long running 12 volts will only carry 30 amps. So I figure I will start with a 30 amp fuse and see what happens.

I would run it direct if I didn't have to go so far and through the center tube of the car. If the wire gets shorted somewhere I would rather blow a fuse than the battery!!



Stay Tuned...still to come for the Beeest...skid plates, engine cage, and more!!!

[Storm]

that beest is lookin sweet, nice job on the rack and winch/receiver plate.

[fister13]

Yea I'm with storm. That rig looks sweet and has to be alot of fun to drive. Cheap on gas too..

[Corvelle]

After a recent snow trip, I realized the Beeest desperately needed some more rear ground clearance.

Being a VW, there is nothing to buy, you just adjust the torsion bars. The design of the rear bars is cool. The bars have a different spline count on the inner and outer end. Inner is 40 and outer is 41 so by moving one forward and one back, the ride height can be adjusted in increments as little as 3/16". I decided to take the advise of a site for dune buggies and leave the inner and go one spline on the outer to get an estimated 2" of lift.

Before pics



Note the 9" clearance at the engine (lowest point of the car)



Rear axle and spring plate



Axle removed from spring plate



With the retainer and spring plate removed, the torsion bar is exposed



Before re-tensioning the spring plates to the stops, you can see the difference from stock to one outer spline





Re-tensioned to suspension stop and ready to reassemble



And now...



12+" at the engine




Also, the axle mounting holes on the spring plate are slotted to allow the toe adjustment of the rear. Again taking the advise of the buggy site, I decided to slide the axles all the way forward for full tow in. With the Beeest being lighter than an actual dune buggy, this causes the rear to ride at full height as the wheels are rolling toward each other. So when I change the tow to even it should settle down and ride just right.

Until then, with the rear as stiff as it is, I get no "squat" when accelerating. This allows the Beeest to pull the front wheels up about 4 feet from a standing start!

Now I get to clean the winter muck from all the nooks and crannies to be ready for Kool April Nights.

Look for me having a wheelie good time in the cruise!!