all hand tool frankenUTV build

[thehandtool]

my project......started as a Polaris Ranger, rolled/cartwheeled down a moutain side 200yrds, drove it home....started tearing it apart a few days later. enjoy!

 

[thehandtool]

after getting it all apart, i came to realize the entire front end had sheared off and was twisted, so i cut from the frame and tossed everything. the rear was fine but needed some major repairs, so i cut from the upper arm mounts up off. the two side frame rails and lower section of the rear suspension were spared. so i started building my version of a UTV.

 

[VBosch02]

wow, what happened? The start of the build is looking good man! keep the pictures flowing!

Edit- just read the other post! Everyone ok?

 

[thehandtool]

decided to get crazy on a mountain side trail, berm blew out....off we went!!

 

[drew schultz 320]

Berm Blew out?? You know u were in a ranger right? haha love it I used to get all rowdy in my ranger too. Those things are a blast

 

[VBosch02]

Has everyone recovered from this crash? Sounds like some pretty bad injuries.

 

[thehandtool]

a couple fractures, one compound fracture, some head injuries and your standard bruising/scrathes. everyone survived. my friend was driving....lol, that would be the last time...

 

[thehandtool]

progress

 

[thehandtool]

a bit custom....

 

[JaYpEeYoOeSsAy]

nice work man! welcome to the site...

 

[Familyman]

Cool looking a arms. Wondering how that's going to work with the steering rack up so high? Seems like it would give you some serious bump steer set up like that.

 

[JaYpEeYoOeSsAy]

Cool looking a arms. Wondering how that's going to work with the steering rack up so high? Seems like it would give you some serious bump steer set up like that.

Good point, I didn't notice that... Maybe he's doing something diferent with the steering arms...

 

[thehandtool]

thanks guys! the cool part about this build is all of the different parts working together. the spindles are kawasaki teryx, the rack is a yamaha rhino, polaris powerplant.... i designed the entire front system off of the rack and spindles, i knew exactly that would work together. i managed to get all of my geometry correct, with built in caster and camber gain, less than 1/4" bump steer....all from hand tools.so at full bump it gains caster and camber as well as a "toe in" feature that literally sets your steering straight in hard bottom outs, allows your camber to set the tire in 8 degrees compared to 2 degrees at ride hight in turns and bottom outs to keep the outside edge of the tire off the ground so it does not catch and go into a barrel roll, its TT suspension technology basically.... on a utv.

 

[thehandtool]

fun stuff

 

[thehandtool]

pretty cool

 

[thehandtool]

more to come....

 

[Big Guy]

Nice work. Did you go with the terex front spindles so you could eliminate the front wheel drive??

 

[tatum]

Are you going to run a stock rack and how much ground clearance will you have a bottom out?

 

[thehandtool]

yea...the rack is remaining stock till i blow it out... it was designed with 3" total clearance including tire smash, but since im running a larger tire than expected, i get 4".

 

[thehandtool]

Nice work. Did you go with the terex front spindles so you could eliminate the front wheel drive??

i just knew these were the strongest OEM spindle compared to others, the stock polaris upright was useless to me.