SXS home built with FWD powertrain

a_kelley

a_kelley

mechanical fixer
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Location
Rutherfordton
I saw a SXS buggy years back in TV that was powered by a Honda inline 4 with automatic trans, situated inline opposed to transverse.. top speed was 55 I think. Wondering just how many people have taken a wrecked FWD car and built a SXS tube buggy around it? I recently acquired a 92 dodge spirit (i changed a timing chain set for it) and thought instead of fixing it up to sell to create a buggy out of it. (Yeah, heads warped, $170 for gaskets and a shave, and it's non interference timing belt motor, plus I had one in my first car) that coupled with a pair of Cherokee axles, some steering, tube and other stuff, and turn it into a toy... What y'all think? (Cost is not a factor in creating it, I have ability to make custom drive shafts, fab frames, wiring, etc -- 13 yr mechanic talking here)
 
I toyed with the idea for a while, but planned on using a knockdown "Warrior" sandrail chassis for the basis of it. Easier than trying to reinvent a chassis and it already had the shape I wanted. Plan was to use Suzuki Samurai axles since they already had their inputs inline (Cherokee axles are driver's drop and "centered" rear differential). For weight savings, I thought about a Geo Metro powertrain. You would need to weld up the differential in the transmission to lock them together as a "transfer case".

An auto transmission would be the way to go as I have not seen many manual transmissions with a cable shifter that would work rotating it 90°
 
ManglerYJ said:
An auto transmission would be the way to go as I have not seen many manual transmissions with a cable shifter that would work rotating it 90°
Click to expand...

There are easy ways to get around that. A bellcrank with a linkage or heavier duty push/pull cable (with a stiffer housing) with large enough bend radius can both get around that objection.

Also keep in mind that turning an engine 90 degrees will change the direction of acceleration of the oil volume in the engine and transmission, and can lead to oil starvation. Something to be addressed as part of the integration considerations.
 
You'll also have to consider what way the transaxle spins the driveshafts you put in, or you'll end up with three reverse gears and one forward....
 
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