61 Volkswagen V8 Single Cab Street Rod

[Ben Modified]

That steering wheel you made is a nice touch. Can you share fabrication details

Sure. It is covered fairly well in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfpMvLPHCko

 

[Old Iron]

That is a neat wheel!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Burgerman]

Thanks for the video link... great stuff!

 

[soltz]

Very Nice [cl

 

[Ben Modified]

Making good progress on the wiring harness. I started at the rear lights and have made it to the rear wall of the cab.

So far:
Tali lights / blinkers/ running lights
Reverse lamp / back up camera / tag light
Gas tank sending unit
Trailer light plug
Radiator and Transcooler fans
All gauge leads
Distributer 12v / tach / electric choke
Starter / alternator
Rear cab wall bulkhead connectors

The diy multi pin plugs make things a lot easier

http://www.BenModified.com

 

[Ben Modified]

Took a break from the wiring today to work on frame work to support quick release rear body panels

http://www.BenModified.com

http://www.facebook.com/BenModified

 

[Ben Modified]

Finished up the cab wiring harness. Just have to install it.

 

[Torchie]

Nice job on the wiring.
Looks well done and clean.[cl[cl[cl
[P[P[P
Torchie

 

[Ben Modified]

Nice job on the wiring.
Looks well done and clean.[cl[cl[cl
[P[P[P
Torchie

Thanks!

Lots of progress on the wiring today.

http://www.BenModified.com

http://www.facebook.com/BenModified

 

[Ben Modified]

The wiring is 95% done. The dog has been helping!

 

[8literbeater]

So, your double cardan joint in post 16... You just gutted it and took the ball and socket out? What are you using to limit suspension travel to accommodate that little bugger?

 

[Ben Modified]

So, your double cardan joint in post 16... You just gutted it and took the ball and socket out? What are you using to limit suspension travel to accommodate that little bugger?

The cardan that I am using is typically found coming off the front of a transfer case to allow a more severe driveshaft angle. It only uses two u joints right off the shelf, so its a ready made very short driveshaft for my purposes.
In re: to the suspension travel, the engine/trans/rearend are all contained in a cradle and move as one unit or more accurately, they follow the road and the truck frame moves around them. Here is a photo from the V8 Daihatsu Hijet.

You can see the pivot at the front to allow the frame to lean side to side.

Here is the unfinished cradle within the frame.

And here with the engine in place

I used this arrangement on the Hijet due to its 66" wheelbase and major lack of space. I used it again on the VW due to the fact that the shorty Powerglide is really intended for use in a dragster hardtail setup as it will not accept a full length yoke to allow fore and aft movement. I also wanted to keep the truck a reasonable length and this accomplished that. The overall length of the truck is only 14' 8".

Here are some shots of the VW
You can see the cradle within the frame here:

The Build Videos are here:
http://www.BenModified.com

 

[8literbeater]

Ah yes. I see now. I am very familiar with double cardan joints and driveshafts in general. I've broken more of them than most people have owned. What threw me off, and what I can see now that I look at the picture closer, is that you're not using the full double cardan joint, you're only using the center H section, and standard yokes on the outside. Fun fact; the double cardan is not a means for a more severe angle, but simply an old fashioned method of making a constant velocity joint. It's used on the front of transfer cases because it's very impractical to match the angles of the front pinion and transfer case output shaft. Matching angles is the only way to eliminate rotational vibration, so they throw in a double cardan CV on one end instead, and run the pinion end u-joint near zero angle.
Sometimes the double cardan actually allows less of an angle than a single u-joint would.

See what I mean here: http://www.google.com/patents/US3159013

The construction of a double Cardan joint, having the usual H-shaped intermediate connecting member, requires a pair of yoke members having pilot means thereon extending inwardly into the H-shaped member. These inwardly extending pilot means are in pivotal engagement within the H-shaped member and act as a centering device to insure that the axes of the yoke members are in proper intersecting relationship whereby the double Cardan joint transmits torque at a constant rotational velocity.

Using the center section for a short driveshaft makes perfect sense the way you're doing it. I even looked at your Daihatsu build and still missed that you'd changed out the end yokes. If I know so dang much about driveshafts, I guess I should've spotted it right away.
That cradle/suspension setup you have is good engineering.

I'll sit back and shut up now, and watch you work. This will be fun to watch.

 

[Ben Modified]

See what I mean here: http://www.google.com/patents/US3159013



Using the center section for a short driveshaft makes perfect sense the way you're doing it. I even looked at your Daihatsu build and still missed that you'd changed out the end yokes. If I know so dang much about driveshafts, I guess I should've spotted it right away.
That cradle/suspension setup you have is good engineering.

I'll sit back and shut up now, and watch you work. This will be fun to watch.

Thanks, I appreciate the additional information!

 

[Burgerman]

The cradle is very cool. I'm a VW guy also. Thanks for the inspiring photos. Nice fab work.

 

[Dirtyrat]

[P[P[P

I'm tuned in, very interested in seeing more of the cradle itself and all the attachment areas. Definitely a cool build going on here!

 

[junkmagnet]

[the oddball builds are the best, makes me wanna build another one

 

[Ben Modified]

[P[P[P

I'm tuned in, very interested in seeing more of the cradle itself and all the attachment areas. Definitely a cool build going on here!

Thanks! Here are a few more photos

Not a great photo, but you can see that the rear connection is triangulated and connected to the rear axle via stout u bolts. The ford 8.8 rear has an extra set of spring pads already welded on which mount the sway bar. I retained the sway bar with the cradle mount sandwiched in between.

The cradle also serves as a ladder bar setup

 

[Ben Modified]

[the oddball builds are the best, makes me wanna build another one

There are a couple of other past and current oddball builds on my Youtube page. This link will redirect you there.

http://wwwBenModified.com

 

[Bamamav]

Only thing I see, and I may be over thinking this, is if you get any spring wrap, it will force the cradle forward, putting strain on the shackles on the single spring, and possibly binding the cradle against the frame. Does that make sense?

Digging the stretched Bug! Looks a lot like a Fiat Topolino!