Power Kite Forum

Building a Buggy

martinipro - 1-3-2012 at 02:50 PM

I´m planning on building a buggy and I think I have most of the design ironed out.
For now we are building a prototype on 316 stainless.

For tires I was planning on going with a set of 18 x 9.5 x 8 slicks. They look like a duro slick but a little smaller.

Now, I am having trouble finding 8"x8" or 8"x7"rims.
Anyone that builds buggys on this side of the pond that knows where I can find the rims I am looking for?

heliboy50 - 1-3-2012 at 03:38 PM

Just so happens I have several. Golf cart wheels, one set is even chrome, and six 4 on 4 hubs to fit them. U2U if you are interested.

g00fba11 - 1-3-2012 at 04:51 PM

@heliboy..... if martinipro doesn't pick up on that I would be interested...... I have an axle that tracks on 60 inches and is set for 1 inch ID bearings and 1.25 inch shoulder. These are pretty standard measurements on for a 4 on 4 hub.

Are the hubs you have sealed on both sides? Are they Ultra Pack style so you can pump grease in through the grease buds and push the old grease and dirt out?

I am not going as fancy as martinipro with stainless but am working on a bug design and am going to try to incorporate some blacksmithing into it......

Drews posts of the armor he is building got me motivated to dig out the old forges and stuff and start tinkering.......

I am looking to mount up something like a ribbed 18x850x8 tire and also be able to convert the bug for snow/ice riding in the winter.......

Thanks in advance.......

OT....@martinipro...... do you fly that method on handles or a turbo bar????

@martinipro..... had the same question on wheels/hubs and saw your thread so I hope you don't mind the piggy back...... didn't want to start another of the same topic.....

martinipro - 1-3-2012 at 05:24 PM

Mostly use the turbo bar. If the winds are a little light i rather use handles though.

No prob about the piggy back. I am not familiar on how you attach the golf cart wheels to the standard 20mm bolt on a rear axle/front fork. But i´m definetly interested if it works.

g00fba11 - 1-3-2012 at 05:42 PM

You need to use a different axle set up...... you can get the axle inserts from any trailer supplier and then pop them in either round or square tubing or you can get a prefab axle with the inserts already in. You can get stock lengths or lengths in odd increments..... 57 inches, 59, 61 etc.....

Then you can mount the 4 or 5 bolt hub assemble to the axle and wa la..... you have a 4 bolt rear axle system that takes tires/tubes/rims you can find at any trailer store or Tires R US......

I am working on a type of single sided front fork....(kinda like the single sided swing arm found on BMW motorcycles on the back side) so I can use the same tire and hub assembly up front which will then also make changing the front tire a snap.....

I have a couple of chicken scratch drawings for how to work out this type of fork and still have solid stability and solid foot peg placement..... what I am working out is the dimensions needed to center the tire/wheel/hub assembly so it tracks centered on the front single sided fork.

Total weight estimate for the bug is going to be around 90 pounds..... but I want a comfy cruiser..... I am not going for any speed records.....

heliboy50 - 1-3-2012 at 06:37 PM

@ g00fba11- 5/8" ID bearings but the same place sells 3/4" that will fit these hubs. Not sealed, but recessed into the hub with a large thin washer over the top. I placed another thicker one on top of that (helped prevent over tightening,) and bolted the whole thing to the axle with a gusseted drop plate. Lock nuts on the inside meant wheels wouldn't come unscrewed. These are zinc plated go kart hubs, btw. It was a bit of a pain getting the front wheel on with these, and the offset meant different sized spacers but not too bad really. I would also estimate the weight of each wheel/hub/tire at 15lbs or so. My old homebuild weighed in at 135lbs, worked well, just waaaayyyyy too wide so I got yanked out of it alot.

@ martinipro- U2U sent

I will check for sure what I have and post pics in a few. Oh and I can include whatever 5/8" bolts that I have that may be of assistance for anyone who might want them.

g00fba11 - 1-3-2012 at 07:03 PM

@heliboy50..... pics will be super!!! thanks..... I already have the axle with the dimensions listed..... I was just hoping on the chrome wheels....

I am interested in seeing your front fork set up.......

heliboy50 - 1-3-2012 at 07:32 PM

I actually went back to traditional 20mm bolts and plastics for various reasons, one bieng a BF suspension fork built by a good friend of mine. That reveal is coming in a few, lol.

g00fba11 - 1-3-2012 at 07:49 PM

I was going that route but found rims, other than plastic, hard to come by......

awindofchange - 1-3-2012 at 10:17 PM

I have some 8x8 20mm wheels in stock. Send me an e-mail and I can get you some pics.

heliboy50 - 1-3-2012 at 10:56 PM

Ok, so photobucket wasn't cooperating and I'm really tired so here is a link. The golf cart wheels are 8X7. I have three chrome with tires, and six white/off white or rattle can black with no tires. I also have 5 8X3.5 with the same lug pattern. These will fit anything from barrow size up to BF's. The other pics show my old buggy axle with the drop plate and an adapter/drop plate that I made to put BF's on these hubs and wheels on my old libre full race.

-Edit- Finally got photobucket to work. Sheesh.:puzzled:

g00fba11 - 2-3-2012 at 06:04 AM

@awindofchange - hey Kent..... I fired an email off to you for some pics.... thanks in advance.....

@heliboy50...... your link to the pics didn't work for me.......

martinipro - 2-3-2012 at 06:34 AM

Same here link didn't work.

Kent, email sent

heliboy50 - 2-3-2012 at 11:41 AM

Oops. Worked last night, I'll fix it after work. Sorry about that.:embarrased:

awindofchange - 2-3-2012 at 12:51 PM

Here's a picture of the aluminum wheel. Size is 20mm 8"x8". Price is $159.00 each, comes complete with 2 20mm bearings and spacer installed.

popeyethewelder - 2-3-2012 at 01:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by awindofchange
Here's a picture of the aluminum wheel. Size is 20mm 8"x8". Price is $159.00 each, comes complete with 2 20mm bearings and spacer installed.



I have three of those hubs and ran them on the Dominator 4.....lovely hubs

g00fba11 - 2-3-2012 at 02:36 PM

those are sweet........ and will those mount up an 18X850X8 tire??? Tube or tubeless???

might have to try to build another bug just to use those :lol:

awindofchange - 2-3-2012 at 03:41 PM

I have mounted up quite a few different tires to these babies. You can run them either tubeless or with a tube. Most of the time I just run them tubeless and not worry about the tube. If you are going to put bigfoot tires on them, you have to use a tube because the wheel is so wide that you can't get the beads to seat without a tube to push the wheel to the outside of the rim.

As far as the 18x850x8, can't say for sure unless I seen them myself, but they should mount up just fine.

I do have a set of these mounted up on some circle track slicks that just came off of my buggy (switching to some ultra skinny tires for speed). The tires/wheels are used and I would be willing to give a deal on the set. I will try to get some pictures of them and load them up on Kitebookie.com.

Loading pictures on this forum sucks..... sorry.

martinipro - 2-3-2012 at 04:13 PM

Man those look sweet!
That is a bit more than what I was looking to spend. I was really looking for some plastic rims if anyone had them.

g00fba11 - 2-3-2012 at 05:54 PM

Kent..... let me know when you get that used set up on kite bookie..... interested in taking a look......

WELDNGOD - 2-3-2012 at 07:47 PM

Bling Bling!:cool: I got 4x8s on my buggies. Real nice.....:D

popeyethewelder - 3-3-2012 at 02:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by awindofchange
you have to use a tube because the wheel is so wide that you can't get the beads to seat without a tube to push the wheel to the outside of the rim.



The 8X8 ally rims I have with Beach Racer tire on are tubless, I have also had Eurotrax on tubeless too

heliboy50 - 3-3-2012 at 05:48 PM

The link for the hubs and wheels should be working now, sorry for the dust on everything. These have been sitting in a corner for months. Will be cleaned before shipping if anyone wants them.

cheezycheese - 3-3-2012 at 05:59 PM

Still no pics... :dunno:

jellis - 3-3-2012 at 07:37 PM

Hey there is the 8x8 wheel sourse.
http://www.buggykiteshop.com/index.php/wheel-spares/rim/bugg...

BeamerBob - 3-3-2012 at 09:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jellis
Hey there is the 8x8 wheel sourse.
http://www.buggykiteshop.com/index.php/wheel-spares/rim/bugg...


Yeah there and at awindofchange as mentioned above that has them in stock here in the states.

I just bought a set of the 4X8s for the Apexx and can't wait to get them installed. Sold the plastic wheels and am trying to finish off the tires mounted before I switch over. Bling will be installed before NABX though.

I recommend professional tire installation and changing on these rims. I have changed tires on the plastic rims by hand with no tools and could not break the bead on my set from the PTW bug. I also could not get both beads on a new set of tires on the new wheels even with soap. The tire machine really put a stretch on the tire as it slipped on. Be very insistent to the tire store that these are expensive wheels with a machine finish that you don't want scratched. If they can't do that walk away before they tear up your wheels.

jellis - 3-3-2012 at 11:08 PM

Bobby, I was just thinking for $60.69 plus shipping for those 8" rims waiting a week or so might be thrifty.

BeamerBob - 4-3-2012 at 12:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jellis
Bobby, I was just thinking for $60.69 plus shipping for those 8" rims waiting a week or so might be thrifty.


Note that shipping on these from Europe isn't 10 bucks. Might be worth a bit to know you're dealing with a US business. But yes, with a bit more risk and wait, they are still cheaper from buggy kite shop.

WELDNGOD - 4-3-2012 at 09:16 AM

I bought a 1.7 sting from europe for $179 and almost 80 bucks for shipping:flaming:

jellis - 4-3-2012 at 12:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BeamerBob
Quote:
Originally posted by jellis
Bobby, I was just thinking for $60.69 plus shipping for those 8" rims waiting a week or so might be thrifty.


Note that shipping on these from Europe isn't 10 bucks. Might be worth a bit to know you're dealing with a US business. But yes, with a bit more risk and wait, they are still cheaper from buggy kite shop.



Jon at Buggy Kit Shop makes these wheels and has a great product. Three 8" rims with bearings and spacers shipped from Europe costs $315.61 insured.

heliboy50 - 4-3-2012 at 03:57 PM

van - 4-3-2012 at 11:08 PM

I use 8"x8" aluminum douglas atv rims on mine. I also mate it up to a gokart hub , 4 on 4 bolt spacing. about $40 on ebay for the rims and another $15 or so on the hub.


I use Azusa gokart aluminum for the front since they are 4"x8" ($50) to get a narrower track.



http://www.vantantech.com/Gallery/Stinger%20Buggy/slides/IMG...

g00fba11 - 5-3-2012 at 06:52 AM

Hey Van.... thanks for the post......

I have been looking around at options for the front. I have been looking at some black carbon fiber 4 bolt ATV rims for the back but those aluminum rims you use look real good.....

Looking at using the U-Bolt attachment method like the MG I believe for the side rails to rear axle connection. I have a square axle that is ready to go. I have the plates ready to weld up to the side rails for the U-bolt system. No hubs or wheels purchased yet.

Just getting started.

DAKITEZ - 5-3-2012 at 12:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by popeyethewelder
Quote:
Originally posted by awindofchange
Here's a picture of the aluminum wheel. Size is 20mm 8"x8". Price is $159.00 each, comes complete with 2 20mm bearings and spacer installed.



I have three of those hubs and ran them on the Dominator 4.....lovely hubs


Did you finish polishing them? I can't imagine you being happy with the finish on them.

Cheddarhead - 5-3-2012 at 02:47 PM

Van....thanks for the pic. Nice looking wheel setup! How are those go kart hubs actually mounted up to the axle? 20mm bolts? I see that some go kart hubs are for a live axle with a keyway in them and some are not, I would imagine that you have the later?

Take care,

Rob.

awindofchange - 5-3-2012 at 10:20 PM

Dino, the outside rim of the wheels are polished, the inside is matt finish. The wheels look pretty sweet. You could put on an extra shine if you wanted to spend the time to do so.

DAKITEZ - 5-3-2012 at 10:30 PM

I have seen these wheels in person and I have seen Pop's polish work on his buggies. Its like comparing apples to oranges. I think Pop polishes the inside of his tubing before he welds it together .. just incase anyone ever cut up one of his buggies it would be shinny on the inside too :)

van - 6-3-2012 at 08:02 AM

Rob,

the hubs are identical to the one in heliboy's post above. They look just like trailer hubs but have 3/4" ID bearings. They were design to go in the front wheel of a go kart so are not live. I am looking into making my own hubs out of aluminum so I can weld onto the douglas wheels. This will allow me to make the bearing cup 47mm ID which will let you use the same bearing peter lynn uses.

Cheddarhead - 6-3-2012 at 04:09 PM

Thanks Van!

The Douglas blue series atv rims that I've been eyeing up are a 4/100 metric bolt pattern, which is just a frog hair short of 4 inches. Hubs I want to mate them to are an american 4 on 4 inch bolt pattern so what I'm asking is; would the studs on the hub still fit the bolt pattern on the rims? 4/100 is equivalent to 3.937 inches of spacing so I figured it would still fit.

Rob.