4x4 Fun Buggy Build - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Every month I work on this buggy, and every month it's still not done! I feel like themythical Greek character, Sisyphus, who was destined to push a boulder up a hill for eternity only to watch it roll back down every time he gets it to the top.

In case you missed it, I'm building a buggy with the guys from Poly Performance. It's taking forever and a day, but that's because we only work on it during free weekends. We also always seem to choose the more difficult designs for each component.

In case you missed it, I'm building a buggy with the guys from Poly Performance. It's taki

This brings me to a problem many of us encounter, Giant Project Vehicle Burn Out (commonly referred to as GPVBO). This is when you take on an enormous buildup which is way beyond your skills, bank account, or patience only to get neck deep and begin wondering how in the heck you're ever going to pull it off. This condition can be compounded by significant others wondering if the pile of parts in the garage will ever leave, buddies constantly bugging you to go wheeling, neighbors harassing you that your junk is ruining their property values, and of course the stress that what you started building two or three years ago will no longer be state-of-the-art when it's finished.

Dear readers, do not fret. You'll get that 4x4 back on the trail some day by simply following these steps. First and foremost, set goals. I'm not saying set a final finish date, but rather set a weekend or evening goal for every time you work on it. Just base that goal on what you can realistically do, and this will give you a sense of accomplishment and keep the positive juices flowing. Next, remember that wrenching on your ride is fun and when you have a problem with it don't get mad, simply close the toolbox for a while and go do something different-mow the lawn, eat lunch, or read a magazine (this magazine).

Finally when the pressures of life, wife, family, and friends creep in, then maybe that truck is just what you need. Get these people to help out for an evening by handing you a wrench or pointing a flashlight. Or on the other hand, lock yourself in the garage away from it all for an hour or 10, just long enough to get your mind off your daily stress and have fun playing with your rig. This sport, whether wrenching or wheeling, is about having fun with your 4x4; don't let the slow buildup ruin the fun of it all.

In last month's issue, the front and rear suspension was pretty much dialed in, but we still needed to mount the shocks. Any normal fabricator would bend a tube and weld on a set of tabs to bolt the shocks onto, but we decided that some trick sheetmetal mounts would be cool. The 0.090-thickness chromoly sheet was used, and it was all TIG-welded to the mild-steel DOM tubing.
In last month's issue, the front and rear suspension was pretty much dialed in, but we sti
Each piece of sheetmetal is first made out of a piece of posterboard and bent to determine the best fit. Then it is cut out with the bandsaw and if need be bent with the press. In order to strengthen the pieces we also cut holes and used the Light Racing flared-hole kit to dimple some of the sheet.
Each piece of sheetmetal is first made out of a piece of posterboard and bent to determine
To strengthen the mounts we added a second triangular piece where the bolt goes through the plate. This helps spread the load and prevent buckling of the material.
To strengthen the mounts we added a second triangular piece where the bolt goes through th

With the front shock mounts done, we moved rearward and worked on the seat mounts for the Mastercraft suspension seats. First we bent up this plate that covers the Atlas transfer case and 700R4 automatic. Note where we had to clearance the plate around the shift rails and how the outer seat mounts bridge the gap from the boxed substructure and the rock rails.
With the front shock mounts done, we moved rearward and worked on the seat mounts for the
In order to get the centerpiece to attach to the tubes cleanly we needed a curve cut into the sheetmetal. Using a die grinder with a heavy-grit sanding drum, we quickly removed material and left a nice curve that matches the tube.
In order to get the centerpiece to attach to the tubes cleanly we needed a curve cut into
Since we are working with both thin mild steel and chromoly material, a lot of the welding is being done with a Miller Synchrowave 200 TIG. This is a great entry-level machine that can also serve well in a full-blown fab shop. Some exciting features are that it is also a stick welder, it has pulse control that helps lay clean strong weld beads, and you can adjust the AC balance to fine tune the weld-cleaning action and penetration on aluminum.
Since we are working with both thin mild steel and chromoly material, a lot of the welding

Drew Burroughs, who runs Poly Performance's fab shop, TIG-welds part of the center seat mount. Notice how his left hand feeds the weld bead more rod while his right hand holds the torch. The Synchrowave comes with an air-cooled Weld-craft torch, but if you are doing production work or welding a lot of thick material, you may want to upgrade to a water-cooled torch that comes with a pump and runs water through the torch handle.
Drew Burroughs, who runs Poly Performance's fab shop, TIG-welds part of the center seat mo
The TIG torch is usually controlled by a foot pedal, which can be tricky when trying to work up on top or underneath your truck or chassis. Check out this shot where Drew is welding and using his knee to control the foot pedal since he had to squat down under the chassis. As with anything, welding gets easier with practice, and TIG-which necessitates using both hands and one foot or knee-requires a lot of practice to master.
The TIG torch is usually controlled by a foot pedal, which can be tricky when trying to wo
Fully hydraulic steering can be very reliable off road, but when dealing with other unpredictable drivers on the street, a conventional box with ram assist offers what I feel is a larger safety margin. I decided to go with a ram assist from PSC Motorsports up front because I hope to drive the Fun Buggy on the street some day. (Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but I have a plan I'll reveal in a future issue.) The steering box is an Xtreme Duty Jeep CJ box, which in the unlikely event of a failure can be found at any parts yard in East Topeka to keep us moving.
Fully hydraulic steering can be very reliable off road, but when dealing with other unpred

This front steering is one of the most complex parts of the buggy build. In order to make the drag link and Panhard bar have near identical geometry, we needed to use a double crossover system. This uses two drag links and a swingset idler arm that is mounted on the passenger side of the frame.
This front steering is one of the most complex parts of the buggy build. In order to make
The swingset idler arm is made out of chromoly plate and uses bronze bushings at the pivot point. The orange spacers are put in the idler arm so that the spacing is set for the FK Rod Ends in the drag links and stays consistent while it is TIG-welded.
The swingset idler arm is made out of chromoly plate and uses bronze bushings at the pivot
The pitman arm is also custom made by welding the splined section of a factory arm into this fabricated unit. Note how the ram assist attaches to the end of the arm. This setup is not as helpful off road as having the ram directly mounted to the drag link; however, it does help reduce stress on the steering box and is protected since it is mounted up in the chassis with the steering box.
The pitman arm is also custom made by welding the splined section of a factory arm into th

The steering box requires a strong mount so this custom multiple-gusset piece was fabricated to the front of the chassis. In order to get the directions from the goofball in the driver seat down to the steering box, we ran a single long steering shaft which uses two Spicer U-joints and yokes from 4-Wheeler's Supply for their great angle, beefy size, and ease of repair. One yoke is splined to the box while the other can be bolted, keyed, or welded to the shaft.
The steering box requires a strong mount so this custom multiple-gusset piece was fabricat
In the cockpit we used a steering wheel and quick disconnect from Grant Steering Products. Grant has been in the automotive aftermarket since the 1920s and I chose a simple black wheel from its formula GT line with a 14-inch diameter and 3-inch dish. The quick release and the Poly Performance tilt-steering mount will make entering and exiting the buggy that much easier.
In the cockpit we used a steering wheel and quick disconnect from Grant Steering Products.
You may have noticed these headlights we mocked up on the front of the tube car. They are Nordic 500 snowplow lights made by Hamsar, and they feature high- and low-beam settings as well as turn signals and are DOT-approved. Eventually we'll build a small tubular guard around the lights to protect them during rockcrawling.
You may have noticed these headlights we mocked up on the front of the tube car. They are

Though the steering was the most complicated step so far, the rear shock mounts were the most time-consuming. We tossed around a few ideas, but Drew's design won out (go figure, he runs the Poly shop, and is head fabricator on this build). We concluded that a race-desert-styled rear mount would be great, with an added window for rearward visibility.
Though the steering was the most complicated step so far, the rear shock mounts were the m
The shock mounts were again made from cardboard first and then cut out of 0.090-thick chromoly sheetmetal. In order to get the nice curved corners in the window and the holes for the dimple die, I used various size hole saws. Then I cut the remaining piece out with the giant bandsaw.
The shock mounts were again made from cardboard first and then cut out of 0.090-thick chro
The final mount offers a sturdy point for the rear Fox 16-inch by 2.5 coilover shocks. Since I'm using shocks with the piggyback reservoir there is no need to find a mounting place for the reservoir on the chassis.
The final mount offers a sturdy point for the rear Fox 16-inch by 2.5 coilover shocks. Sin

The entire mount is made up of 10 separate pieces that all need to line up with each other as well as attach to the B and C pillars of the buggy. This required using many different size clamps and a little bit of heat and hammers to get all the panels to follow some of the curves.
The entire mount is made up of 10 separate pieces that all need to line up with each other
With the buggy sitting on some random coils and 42-inch Super Swamper Iroks on the black 17-inch Walker Evans racing bead locks, it stands at 72 inches tall with 22 inches under the belly. This height will be adjusted a bit once completed and final coils are chosen, but only within a few inches, as we want to keep a good balance between up and down travel in the suspension.
With the buggy sitting on some random coils and 42-inch Super Swamper Iroks on the black 1

SOURCES
Walker Evans Racing www.walkerevansracing.com	Interco Super Swamper www.intercotire.com
4-Wheeler's Supply www.4wheelers.com	Miller Electric 8-004-AMI-LLER www.millerwelds.com
FK Bearings www.fkrodends.com	Poly Performance N/A www.polyperformance.com
Advance Adapters 4320 Aerotech Center Way P.O. Box 247 Paso Robles CA 93446 805-238-7000	MasterCraft Racing Products www.mastercraftseats.com
Grant Steering Products www.grantproducts.com	Hamsar www.hamsar.com
Light Racing www.lightracing.com	Fox Racing Shox www.foxracingshox.com
PSC Motorsports www.pscmotorsports.com