[wheatfield]

Well with KOH 09 about 11 weeks or so away we figured we had better get started.
We are taking our Stock Mod Tracker to run in the KOH LCQ and we will do our best to make the BIG show as well.

Our plans are a new body, cage, minor suspension tweeks (I know it needs major tweeks), Grand Vitara 2.0l to replace the 1.6l, three speed auto to replace the 5spd(should be leaving for Jimmy's 4x4 this week), and custom 2500 rpm conv. Thats the main stuff. Here are a few pics, it has been put aside for the week while I get my rec rig ready for Wheeling for Toys and Kansas Rocks Park this weekend so new pics will be another week out or so.

Jake (Crawling driver KOH co-driver) on the left, Adam (crew member on the right)


Dubler to 300 and 3speed auto


Old harness


I think something is missing.


What a mess


Looking better

 

[wheatfield]

David, wheel base will still be 89".

Bones, Thanks, you are going correct?

513, 1/2" taller ride height and bump stops is all it is getting.

 

[wheatfield]

Got some more done.





Old engine, trans, harness, and radiator. Guy is coming to pick it up later today.


Old body


Old cage


Scott

 

[wheatfield]

Thanks for the kind words guys. We plan to be on the lake bed by Sunday (2-22) around noon and plan to spend a good bit of time trying to figure out how to get up the big climb with out using the winch (which we will do if we have to). We do have alot to do, I guess it was a good time for me to lose my job so I can spend more time on the build.

Pat it will be good to see you Guys and Gals again.

Erin along with the body swap, we are going to a 2.0L Grand Vitara motor (from 97hp to 134hp), Tracker 3 speed auto, a 2500 rpm converter, and less gearing in the t-case. The new body will be cut at the pillars right at the tub and the new cage will be built and skined to look like a Tracker. This is all above the tub, the new tub will be just like the old one.

 

[wheatfield]

XjRanger, Nope we are sticking with the 35" Coopers.

Thanks Jon, you going to make RROCK this year? I hope so.

Rob, You are safe in the engine area we are stepping up to a "big block" 2.0L Grand Vitara motor even if we would have kept the old one it was a 16V so you were still safe. As for the rig in general we way have you beat when it comes to under built, your rig is sick ours is a Tracker with very little down travel and even less up travel. We are however going to put bump stops in and raise it up 1/2". Dude if we could make the #10 LCQ spot and start next to you that would be sweet, just think 8 little chipmunks screaming off of the line at once. Thanks for the offer and the same to you anything we have that you would need just let us know.

Rubberbelly, you stay home, well wait a minute your riding out with me and I need you to help with expences so say what you want you are going.

 

[wheatfield]

Ask Scott to Explain it to you. Something about a 40% increase in horse power.

Adam

As far as Zuk 4 cyl go it is big,calling it a big block was a joke.

Scott

 

[wheatfield]

The engine, trans, doubler, t-case are in, body is on, and cage is started. The cage still needs door bars, X brace, corner gussets, and seat bars. It will all come back apart for finish welding and paint. The space between the two B-pillars will be skinned to have the look of one wide B-pillar like a stock Tracker.

 

[wheatfield]

Jake, why do you always have to remind people you have a little "stick" I mean come on little "knife" sounds way cooler.:flipoff2:

 

[wheatfield]

I'll try and get some pictures up tomm. of the building of the cage. Scott that looks way better than when I left on Sunday.

Adam

Thats funny Adam, I don't remember you being here at all on Sunday, I think it was Jeremy and I while you and Jake were out playing and what was wrong with it when you left on Saturday that it looks so much better know.

For all things good and holy in this world rotate the pictures and repost them.

 

[wheatfield]

A couple more pictures, we have been working on making and mounting the shifters, door bars, seat mounts, rockers, and some other little stuff. Our harness is in the works at Trail Tough and the trans is at Jimmy's, we have some parts showing up in the next day or two so we should be getting the shifters, sheet metal, bump stops, radiator mounts and brakes done pretty soon. We are hoping to have it tore down and painted and starting to
re-assemble by the end of the month so when the trans shows up we can put it in and shake the car down before we leave.

Scott

 

[wheatfield]

Jon,
Thanks, a good bit of time was spent designing a cage that looks like a factory Tracker top. The space between the two b-pillars will be skined to look like the large single b-pillar from a Tracker. As for window nets, they will be custom made to fit the window openings. We are going to skin the lower portion of the door opening with Lexan.

 

[wheatfield]

Not too much stuff that makes the car look different just lots of little things have been getting done. It is torn down for paint right now, we are shooting it this weekend. We are hoping to do a shake down run the 7th and 8th.

Scott

 

[wheatfield]

Paint is done other than the cage it still has some fab work to be done. We are waitng on some parts to finish it. It is a little farther together than the pictures show but not by much.

Scott





The body panels sitting on my 68 Commando

 

[wheatfield]

so hows that 2.0 feel? Were in the middle of the process of putting it in our buggy(s) with a 4spd auto instead. Can't wait to try it:smokin:

Feels pretty good, with the 16v 1.6, 5 spd, and 11:1 in the cases the car would leave good but not really go any where. Now with the 2.0, 3spd auto and 4.71 in the cases it leaves good and keeps going.

Scott

 

[wheatfield]

No new pictures, sorry.

The Tracker needs a horn, oil change, GPS mount, and stickers then onto the trailer. The truck and trailer are done and ready. We should be finished with the rig by Tuesday night. We are taking a break from working on things today. We will gets some pics of the finished car before we leave.

Scott

 

[wheatfield]

bump so Jerome can find this

So if Jerome is on the computer I should pack skis for my trip to hell.

 

[wheatfield]

You guys kick ass. Wish I was going to be there to cheer you guys on but saving money for the new rig.

Thanks Kurt I wish you could be there also. See you at East #2.

Scott

 

[wheatfield]

I liked it for the most part, we need to put lower gears in the axles to help light the motor quicker out of the hole. With the 1.8 Tracker case, 2.62 in the 300, and 5.42s in the axles it seemed to run the best in 1.8 low range. This is where I ran it in the desert section of the LCQ race. With it in 2.62 it was not fast enough but in 1.8 3rd gear was too fast for the suspension so I ran in 1.8 in second gear and let the rev limiter keep my speed down but allowed me more by going to third if I felt the need (which I did to keep the back end from passing the front at one point and time). The converter stalls pretty high already, we don't want it any higher so we are going to try something like a 6.60 ring and pinion or somewhere around there.

 

[wheatfield]

I didnt know you guys were doing KOH.Cool.

If you are talking about Rubber Belly Racing we are not running in KOH this year, If we get the car done I am thinking about taking it out to KOH just to watch and wheel. We ran in the LCQ last year, PUjeeper is running in the LCQ this year.

 

[wheatfield]

Yeah let me see if adam can help me out with some climbing videos. It really doesn't act bad at all when it climbs. The car is very stable, I really expected the AS to be much lower than what the calculator says. Correct me if I am wrong but I really expect the car to hop with a high AS value and low traction.

Is the COG messurement just a guess (top of the trans)?

I don't ever seem to have a good view of what the back of the car does on big climbs as I am in front most of the time. From what I see the front gets up the climb pretty good but when the rear hits the front gets light and as Jon said the car seems to pitch to the passenger side.

We had talked about building a "J" arm for the rear lowers to go up and over the axle so we could get more lenght out of it. Which at the same time we could raise the axle side mount to lower the AS and move the IC foward.

We could remove the added in non stock crossmember that the arms attach to now and run the lowers farther foward to a stock location crossmember and build mounts off of the frame for the uppers. Both ideas would give us a longer lower arm and the ability to change AS and IC.

Scott