Coil sprung FC

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Originally Posted by DasLandRoverMan

Hello chaps, I've not visited much recently, but I have noticed the FC section is a little quiet, so here's my contribution, a bit of a write up on one of the projects I'm currently working on.

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https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/12/256.jpg

The front legs bolt through the brackets that held the front wings, whilst the rear sits on top of the chassis rail/bulkhead outrigger and is supported/held down by the leg bolted down to the outrigger. I'm also going to add in a brace from the back of the rail to the bolt on the outrigger either side, and obviously a support up front. ...<snip>

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Hi Dan

I haven't been around the forum much this fortnight. A couple of comments.

How are you going to do the steering? I had been considering getting the steering bevel-box from a Mitsubishi L300 or Delica and then shafing back to the flange on the PAS steering box. The problem was going to be to get the rotation of the longitudinal shaft to correspond to the rotation of the PAS box in the chassis. My thoughts (in your arrangement) would be to fit a reversed P38 box where your Defender box currently is and if the rotation is wrong (turns left when you want to turn right) was to fit a LHD Defender box reversed in the RHS position.

Looking at your current upper chassis work, you may have a support bar in the same location as you may need to run the steering longitudinal shaft.

Also looking at your construction, Bill (Wagoo) on this forum worked on my SIIb some time ago when they removed the windscreen and the front of the body sagged under the cantilevered weight of the front of the body. The short length of your upper chassis work may risk the same or similar problem.

Have you thought about reinforcing the support at the rear of the upper chassis rails down to the two bolt holes that used to hold the front of the bulkhead (firewall in Oz) footwells?

In regards to the gear lever mechanism. If it were me I would try to avoid putting a gearbox relay through the top of the engine cover as it always introduces more noise into the cab and causes difficulties when you want to lift the engine cover to inspect the engine. Had you thought about doing a cable mechanism, using a cable salvaged from a forward control Isuzu or similar and fitting it through the front of the seat box, not dissimilar to the SIIa position? You would have to make the mechanism work at the gearbox selector mechanism end, but it would be no harder than the mechanism that "The Grub" has done here for the Isuzu MSA gearbox conversions.

Diana

Having just looked back through the photos I realise I haven't posted an update on here for a while, so, being as comprehensive as possible, here we go.

First up the steering setup:
I'm a little restricted as to how I can do it as the base vehicle has a galvanised bulkhead and I don't want to get into cutting and welding the thing, so I'm making the best I can of it with the standard Defender column setup, even though it makes things a little tight.
A double UJ will be at the bottom of the column with a block bearing supporting the top end of the shaft that'll run down onto this;

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/04/1505.jpg

A bevel gearbox out of the front of a Vauxhall (nee Holden) Frontera B which was found on eBay at a very reasonable price.
From there a longer shaft runs backwards to a LHD 4 Bolt box positioned thus;

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1311.jpg

The box needs to be positioned as shown and the chassis redrilled (which needs doing anyway) to suit. I'm going to have a 3mm plate either side to give it a bit more strength whilst I'm at it.
Positioning the bevel box to keep the angles on the UJ's on the top part of the column sensible also means the leg in front of the steering box won't be in the way.
The extra steering shafts have been made up to the standard Land Rover spline count/size with a pair of custom UJ's for the bevel box with the Vauxhall spline on one end, and Land Rover the other to keep as many standard parts as possible.
No good reason why it won't work.

Up front things now look like this (still to be fully welded obviously) with the old front bumper forming the basis of the support for the front of the cab.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1312.jpg

The front bumper is now a galvanised Series item, which completes the front end quite nicely.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1313.jpg

There's more bracketry holding the subframe down (including where the old bulkhead supports were) plus some additional bracing at the back where it bolts to the outriggers, with some nice big brackets for the rear of the cab also, sorry it's a fuzzy picture.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1314.jpg

If it weren't a galvy chassis I would have likely welded some more attachments on, but as is I'm confident it's strong enough.
The body is going to be a lightweight self supporting structure based on a commercial ambulance body the owner has designed and crash tested as part of his day job, so I just need the base vehicle to be right.

Gear linkage wise I'm planning an up and over rod linkage similar to the IIB setup, but coming up through the hole in the transmission tunnel as with a standard 110. I'm also going to adapt the transfer box lever to work remotely on a cable setup.

I'm hoping the steering components will arrive this week, so I'll be able to crack on and get the thing finished by the end of the month.

What more can you tell us about the 6x6?

Ken was using the Perentie 6X6 drive on the LT95 box and offset Range Rover diffs (although I counselled that the Salisbury would be a preferable type), The chassis was cut and lengthened to allow for the third diff with the rear radius arms placed in the trailing position so the axles could be spaced closer than with the Scottorn/Reynolds Boughton design.

I'm not aware if the radius arms were made stronger because of the trailing position.

The reason I don't like the gear linkage through the engine cover is because (at least on my South African built SIII/SIIB ) lifting the cover is a hassel because of the tight fitting rubber boot over the gear linkage. It woud not be the same problem with the leather gaiter of the UK built SIIBs, but that type lets in more noise and fumes.

Sounds like an interesting build Diana.

Anyways, an update!!!

Having progressed with fits and spurts for the past few weeks the parts required to do the steering arrived, and I've made some rapid progress.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/04/1517.jpg

2 UJ's (Land Rover spline one end and Frontera spline the other) along with 2 splined shafts in the Land Rover pattern.
Not what you'd call cheap compared to standard bits, but we're doing it right first time.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1198.jpg

Up top the UJ's from the old column are joined end to end with a piece from a scrap Range Rover column, with a bearing to support it, this allows the double UJ to turn without flopping around.
The joints have been 'adjusted' slightly to allow a wider arc of movement.
Down the bottom is fairly self explantory.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1199.jpg

A look back to the box (sorry it's a bit dark).

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1200.jpg

And it all fits behind the front panel with some room to spare.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1201.jpg

Splitting the radiator and Intercooler from their frame will make things a bit easier to position under the bonnet, the radiator fits nicely between the footwells (something like the factory IIA/IIB setup) whilst I'm putting a 300 Tdi Intercooler (the pipes are better positioned than a 200 one) on its side and in front of the radiator with the pipes going underneath.

Coming together nicely.

The first picture/paragraph are in response to a question on another board about how the rest of the steering setup was done.

To plaguerise a well known advert for a hair care product: Here comes the science bit!!!

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1041.jpg

Not the clearest of pictures, but that's the business end of the steering setup, a standard Land Rover part, from a left hand drive vehicle.
The chassis has been drilled to allow the box to fit (as the holes are offset anyway) and also to point it in the direction I want the input shaft to face.
The drop arm has been rotated 180 degrees and everything works nicely, whilst the power steering pipes also fit with a little rebending.

Anyways, progress has been made!!! For a start the sill channels have been cut down and fitted.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1042.jpg

The seat box has been trimmed to get the engine cover on.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1043.jpg

And I've tried the doors on to make sure they fit the body before everything gets fully welded.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1044.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1045.jpg

The wheels look a little small, but not as bad as they did before I cut the arch out of the bottom.
I'd suggest a set of 315/75r16's would sort that right out.

Doesn't look to be a million miles away from the original photochop.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1046.jpg

And a close up of the cab.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1047.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/01/1048.jpg

If the weather's decent on Monday I'll shove it outside and take some photos in daylight before it comes apart again.

What a fascinating thread this is!

You are a clever-cookie at working out how to make the steering work.

Thanks so much for posting on AULRO,

Cheers Charlie

Thanks for your kind words so far.

Anyways, a few faster moving jobs held up progress in the workshop a little the past couple weeks, but I have made some forward progress with the thing, and the basics have now finished the 'dry build' stage.

First off, this truck will be running both diesel and veg oil, the main tank at the back for veg, and this front tank (from a 90) for diesel.
It's also getting an erberspacher diesel preheater for the water system (this one liberated from a Saab) which will live down by the tank and under the camper body floor.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/02/480.jpg

Cardboard template for the steel shaping panel in the bottom of the door. I'll fill the rest in with box section steel.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/02/481.jpg

Brakes are going to have a remote servo, mounted under the transmission tunnel/drivers floor.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/02/482.jpg

Coming apart again, the battery tray being fairly obvious in the foreground.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/03/835.jpg

And the frame on the floor, nearly all welded up after which its being blasted and painted before the final build begins.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/02/483.jpg

an interesting project, i think i'll be watching this (but don't tell anyone :BigThumb: )

Yes indeed very interesting!!!
I'll be breaking out the popcorn:)

Dan

Had you thought about using the later shock absorber mounts/brackets outside the springs? The type like on the air suspension Range Rovers, which would give you more room to access the side of the engine and more clearance under the seatbox.

Diana