Baja Build
Baja Build
Well.....i cut out the the floor pans last night, gotta love a saws-all with a new blade, and ordered a new front beam for my baja set up. Really trying to do a Meyers Manx Baja build here but im totally stupid. This is my first build and im not sure where to go or whats i need in what order. As far as the welding, fabricating, roll cage, frame stuff, thats not a problem. Te main problem is that i open up a magazine and see all these cool parts, but im not sure wheich ones i need or not..........so i call the place and get a hold of people who are never ever enthusiastic about what im doing, which in turns means that they are no thelpful at all. So here i am stuck. What i want is the same set up as in the baja manx that Bruce and others build. Hopefully someone here can help, youve always answered questions in the past for a dumb newbie like me. Thanks in advance.
All of the suspension parts for the Baja Manxter were from McKenzie's (http://www.mckenzies.com) in Anaheim, CA. They sell quality parts and have helpful people working there. The basics for the baja car suspension was a stock width beam, 8" towers, 2 1/2" longer and 4" wider trailing arms up front and 3x3 microstub trailing arms with 27mm torsion bars in the rear.
lots of money and a lot of time.....but thats fine, im enjoying all of the knowledge i gain along the way. Just watched a whole bunch of SCORE videos and now im really pumped up.. Thanks for the help. I just oredered the front beam, should be in today.....and afterwards from talking to Steve Johnson @ Johnson's Bug Machine, i found out the front beam should match the trailing arms so that the shock mounts align........things i wouldve liked to have known before ordering the beam. But again, im learning and mistakes are bound to happen. I know im going to spend a great deal of money here, and that i could just buy one already done cheaper. But i want the whole experience here and you guys here amke that happen........Ive been to SAMBA, just didnt knwo they had a forum section, will have to check that out as well. Also the beam i was told i needed, and ordered is 6" wider with 10" shock mounts. A lil different then waht bruce ran, is this a good thing or a bad thing?
that's beam will work fine. How much travel are you aiming for? This is a big question for me at least. I'm planning on building one in the near future that has about 15 inches in the front and 18 in the rear. But i'm going to have a double a-arm set up in the fron instead of a beam. my first sugestions would be to ask lots of questions before you buy more parts. Even if you have as much money as you want to through at the thing it's still a waist of time and effort to buy the worng stuff.
Obviously the wider beam you have the more the front tires will stick out. This look may or may not appeal to you. For a really good offroad car wider is usually better. Longer front and rear trailing arms will get you the much coveted travel. Then nice $$ shocks are in order etc. etc. Good luck and keep asking questions. Here's a little inspiration... 
I called McKenzies yesterday before i left work and spoke to a gentleman named Jeff. Now i know you guys said they were helpful, but this guy blew me away. he actually was motivating to talk to and had lots of knowledge...and shared the world with me. He spoke about what to buy, and explained to me the difference in my choices. Basically he educated me to a whole nother degree. Even went as far as to give me his personal email address and yahoo messenger screen name so that if i had any questions after hours to contact him. Seriously, i was on the phoen with him for 45 mins to an hour and i didnt buy anything. Not that im not going to, from here on out this is the place that i'll order from. I plan on buying parts every month and now that ive got an inside guy to help me, the process will actually have meaning. Thanks for all the help.
I'll post this here also, since it fits the topic. New wide body Manx Clone Prerunner 
[QUOTE="signtekguy"]Nother question......looks like bruce extended his bulkhead forward by cutting two different heads and welding them together for a longer distance. Im assummn this is for the longer trailing arms...am i correct or is there a trick to this that someone here can enlighten me too?[/QUOTE] The bulkhead was changed to adapt a link-pin front end to a ball-joint pan and to gain 2" in wheel base to make up for the longer trailing arms