Off Road Hybrid Buggy

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Are you considering some sort of diff locker or eventually a selective rear-wheel braking to emulate manually the effect of a limited-slip diff?

[CFECO]

Yes, I have been thinking about that some, from the start of this project. The brakes are independent, so having them selectable would be pretty easy. I have heard talk of a Posi-Locker for GC diffs, but that is not a priority right now, and I'm not real sure I'll need it, on the kinds of roads I envision we'll be on. But, Thanks for the input!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by CFECO

The brakes are independent, so having them selectable would be pretty easy.

Assuming that you're going to use a regular pedal control for all 4 brakes, when I mentioned the selective braking for the rear wheels I was thinking about the setup used in some dune-buggies and other Volkswagen-based off-road vehicles, which had 2 small levers parallel to the parking brake lever, each one attached to one of the parking brake cables. However, since you're using hydraulic brakes with calipers that don't seem to have a provision for parking brake, you might work around the hydraulic lines...

[CFECO]

Yes, cutting brakes, I remember them well! The plan for brake hook up was to mount the two rear master cyclinders next to each other, with Pull cables connecting the MC pedals to the front main brake pedal. It would not take much to add a couple of handles to those cables, id think. This is sort of how our '13 Tundra's limited slip rear axle works, using the anti-skid and anti-lock brake computer to prevent rear wheel spinning. If a wheel starts to spin, it applies some braking to that wheel. Not a Detroit Locker by any means, but very smooth and discreet.

[freebeard]

An hydraulic cutting brake uses one push/pull lever for control.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

An hydraulic cutting brake uses one push/pull lever for control.

But this project has an individual master-cylinder for each wheel, while it doesn't seem to be the case in most of the vehicles fitted with a single-lever hydraulic cutting brake.

[CFECO]

True! I could use a mechanical linkage to hook up to the two rear brake cables, using two levers. Being that the "GC drive axle" is parallel with the rear wheels, there "should" be no torque bias at the drive wheels, as is caused in a std differential, having the driveshaft perpendicular to the axel... so hopefully both rear wheels will drive equally! I'll probably have a harder time balancing the four individual brake systems, so it stops straight!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Just a remind: the J40-series Toyota Land Cruiser had its parking brake at the transmission, with an independent drum at the output shaft of the transfer case. Maybe you could keep the stock brakes of the golf cart axle and use them as parking brakes and also to emulate a diff lock without increasing the load on the service brakes. And it would also become effective as an emergency brake.

[CFECO]

That is a good idea, if I was not trying to cut all the weight possible!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by CFECO

trying to cut all the weight possible

There are always some compromises, and concessions to be made...