Hot-rodding the Toyota MGR

[freebeard]

My son's iPhone measures vibrations.

[Cyruscosmo]

Wow... Take a look at this "Tech Porn"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa5_...72B3D4415EC610

Cyruscosmo

[AlexanderB]

Wow, full circle, back to body-on-frame cars..

And it looks like they left a lot of unused space above the rear suspension.. (I think the charger(?) sits there, but the rest of the space looks wasted..)

[palmer_md]

There is space for the gasoline engine in the range extended version (REX). On the battery only version this space is just empty. Would have been nice to have an option to fill that space with batteries.

[freebeard]

Buckminster Fuller said that it's all about the machines that make the machines that make the machines. I'll bet those robots were made by robots.

I like the tattoo gun that puts serial numbers on the engine case.

[e*clipse]

I like all the carbon work. I think it's structural and works together with the aluminum frame.

Hmmmm - - - Maybe this would be a source of MGR substitutes.... People are going to start crashing them sometime I'll bet their numbers are a bit better than a sub-set of a sub-set of the SUV category.

I'm going to see what specs I can find on the I3.

- E*clipse

Freebeard: Thanks for the post on the other thread. I was just going to drop it so I don't get sucked into that negative energy.

[e*clipse]

I've been driving myself nuts trying to find some spline data for the driveshafts.

I have found a little more info on CV joints. There do seem to be some good options, with the Type-2 VW and the Porsche 930 CV's:
Classic VW Bug Beetle Sand Rail Dune Buggy IRS Axle Components

CV Joints 101

http://www.gknservice.com/fileadmin/..._Catalogue.pdf

The second link has all sorts of measurements, EXEPT the spline!

Anyway, the bolt circle diameter for the Type-2 VW (100mm OD) is 86mm. The bolt circle diameter for the Porsche 930 (108mm OD) is 94mm. See pg 5 of 3rd link.

So, what about the shaft splines? The standard Porsche 930 axle spline is 28 splines. However, you can find 30 spline and 33 spline versions (probably more)

They can be found here:
Inner CV Joints

So I e-mailed them to ask the dimensions on the 30 spline 930 hub, and to make a long story short, it's nowhere close to the Mitsubishi 30 spline axle. The pressure angle is different, and it's a LOT larger in diameter.

Here's a link for how ISO splines are defined:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...80185997,d.cGU

Does anyone have any info on VW mk4 tripod joints? This one looks pretty close (2nd drawing):
CV Joint Drawings

I'm trying to stay away from cutting splines on an existing axle for these reasons:
a) Shafts are hardened; they would need to softened, cut, then re-hardened.
b) OE shafts tend to use rolled splines with involute splines. These cannot match a straight tooth spline, which is what you'd have to cut.
c) I'd need an indexing head for my mill

- E*clipse

[freebeard]

Does anyone have any info on VW mk4 tripod joints? This one looks pretty close (2nd drawing):

You're looking for a FWD install aren't you. I've been watching a lot of EVTV and at one point they to GKN and said "They'll make whatever you want."

Where we operate - GKN Driveline

The link shows multiple locations in the Eastern US and Mexico.

In the morning I'm going to call about that subframe, and it it's still available, I'll cruise up and pick it up. It has pivots for a suspension strut, I'm wondering if it could be wrapped in a FWD MacPherson strut front end. All my reverse trike dreams have been upgraded to EV status.

I poked around a bit on thesamba. Here's a diagram that shows the VW Beetle axle.



If the miniadapter I was thinking of would replace part #37 but be thicker, the four nuts on the Toyota studs could be in counterbores and the VW bolts would insert from the outside. Here's a thread with pictures and build pitfalls:

TheSamba.com :: View topic - Porsche 944 axles and 944 CV's for Vanagons

Apparently, Vanagon and Porsche 944 axles are sort-of the same. Splines may change year to year?

[e*clipse]

Hee hee - -

Yup, you can find quite a few people who will make things like this so far I've found at least 5 companies that can do this. GKN certainly looks like a good option. Check out their catalog for the custom stuff in my 3rd link.

The problem I see with that solution is that it's the most expensive solutions and, if anything breaks or wears out, you're stuck with spending that money all over again, rather than getting a commercial off the shelf (COTS) replacement part.

The frustrating thing to me is that the automotive industry in general has a very common problem - getting torque from the differential to the wheels. When you look at it, even dimensions for halfshafts in Mitsubishis, Nissans, VW's, whatever are VERY SIMILAR in length. The have a narrow range of torques they need to transmit. There is even an ISO standard to make splines with.

All that common stuff, yet what do they do?? Make proprietary stuff that only fits a narrow range of their own stuff. Hell, even within a year of VW GOLFS, there will be different axles depending on the varient of GOLF it is. Do they really think they save that much money by making a weak axle for the Cabrio vs a strong one for the GTI?? What a bunch of idiots.

At the same time, folks like GKN and other aftermarket companies seem very capable of making standard parts...

// Rant off // ARG!!

- E*clipse

Originally Posted by freebeard

You're looking for a FWD install aren't you. I've been watching a lot of EVTV and at one point they to GKN and said "They'll make whatever you want."

Where we operate - GKN Driveline

The link shows multiple locations in the Eastern US and Mexico.

In the morning I'm going to call about that subframe, and it it's still available, I'll cruise up and pick it up. It has pivots for a suspension strut, I'm wondering if it could be wrapped in a FWD MacPherson strut front end. All my reverse trike dreams have been upgraded to EV status.

I poked around a bit on thesamba. Here's a diagram that shows the VW Beetle axle.



If the miniadapter I was thinking of would replace part #37 but be thicker, the four nuts on the Toyota studs could be in counterbores and the VW bolts would insert from the outside. Here's a thread with pictures and build pitfalls:

TheSamba.com :: View topic - Porsche 944 axles and 944 CV's for Vanagons

Apparently, Vanagon and Porsche 944 axles are sort-of the same. Splines may change year to year?

[P-hack]

Not interested in reading all your posts, probably never will be that bored, but I do wonder why you don't mate some shafts from the source vehicle: "The vehicles were available from 2006 to 2010, and the drives were also called "Q211" by Toyota, and can also be found by looking for "rear differential" and "rear differential carrier."

Splicing two kinds of shafts is very common and probably any driveshaft shop can do it if you find some yokes/shafts that fit your motor, and some shafts that fit your hubs.