Build The Dirt Squirrel 3.0

[DirtSquirrel]

I figured i would start a build thread on the new buggy, mainly to ask questions to those with more experience, and to document parts, dimensions, thought process, etc. for the build. I just sold version 2.0 which was also a tube buggy, but built around a 79-83 first gen toyota cab. It had 2x3 frame rails and was built to be beat on. Consequently when i built it 6 years ago, weight wasnt much of a factor and building buggies smaller/lighter and with portals wasnt a thing. Now my goal is to be around 4k lbs with water in the front tires which is about 1k lbs lighter than the old one.

Here is the old one in all its glory wheeling in AZ last year. It was converted to rear steer last summer and was by far the best change i made to the rig.

Enough with the past. The new buggy will be built as follows (at least for now). I am in the part ordering and collecting phase now. DOM tubing order to be placed this week to start on the chassis.

• 50" wide tube chassis of my own design (based off all the buggies i love and wheel with) Im not re-inventing the wheel here. A mix of .188 wall (sliders/lower subframe), 1.75/1.5/1.25" x. 120 DOM. Going for minimal and strong.
• 110"114" wheelbase
• Fab 10" Axle housings from TTR Axle and Fab with 05+ SD outers. (Housings w/ Cs and knuckles ordered)
  • Gearworks 5.43 5.83 thirds high pinion, spool front, locker spool rear.
  • 70-72 74" WMS
  • Drivers drop front and rear (to use the same shafts)
  • 40-spline 300m shafts (Branik or Big Bell RCV or Ouverson)
  • 14" brakes (i finally want to be able to stop this time)
  • 3x9 PSC rams
• Late model GM 4.3l LT LV3 v6 engine from a 2015 silverado (Facebook purchase)
  • Will have a shaved oil pan
  • Radial Dynamics CBR-X pump (these engines didnt come with a PS pump)
  • LV1 water pump
  • BTR Truck Norris Jr. Cam to delete the DOD/AFM
  • Stand alone harness from howell
  • Hoping for ~350hp
• 700r4 Trans with reverse manual valve body
  • Winters Shifter
  • Proper torque converter to keep from driving through brakes
• Atlas 4.3
• PRP low back seats
• Ruffstuff Heims
  • 1.25" lowers with 2.25" Busted knuckle aluminum lowers
  • 7/8" uppers with 1.75"x.120 DOM uppers
  • 7/8"x3/4" for steering with aluminum tie rods
• 43" SX on 20" Trailready Beadlocks (5.5" BS)
• Misc
  • Minimal gauges (oil pressure, water temp, trans temp)
  • Maybe a digital display of some kind to check/clear codes
  • Entire rig to run off a Switch Pros panel
  • Radial Dynamics Electric solenoid valve for the rear steer
  • 2.5" Fox Accutune Radflo Air Shocks
  • Manual or hydroboost brakes (not sure yet)
  • Some speaker pods for the 90s rap tunes
  • Baja Design Pods for headlights
  • Rock lights of some sort
  • Front or rear Radiator (Hopefully front so i can keep room open in the back)
  • Be able to fit a cooler not on top of other stuff so it sits lower in the chassis
  • Warn Runva knockoff warn 9500lb winch
  • 1410 driveshafts

Current design on the chassis. Red is 1.75".188, Grey is 1.75X.120, blue is 1.5"x.120. I will be changing out some of the blue for 1.25" tube as well.

Drove to Austin yesterday to pick up the LV3 in the shit box beater.

Axle Housings from TTR (Not mine, but will be similar)

Seats. Im going with an 80s theme paint job on this one, so Teal and black camo should do the trick for the seats. Oh and gator.

Potential paint theme (colorwise)

Thats all for now. Please feel free to throw a wrench in to my plans. Im always up for advice. My typical stomping ground is at Katemcy Rocks (K2) offroad park in Mason, so it will see a lot of the unforgiving pink granite.

Alex

 

[Blitz]

Cant wait to see this one. Loved the 2.0 and this one should be just as well built.

 

[woody]

protip: You can't play 90's rap tunes with an 80's color theme....

Looks like a killer parts list! What's your intended outside of tire? I've got 70WMS and 20x10's with 5"BS on 42's and top of tire is 85" - switching to 20x9's and 5.5" BS to narrow it up a shade with the new tires

 

[DirtSquirrel]

protip: You can't play 90's rap tunes with an 80's color theme....

Looks like a killer parts list! What's your intended outside of tire? I've got 70WMS and 20x10's with 5"BS on 42's and top of tire is 85" - switching to 20x9's and 5.5" BS to narrow it up a shade with the new tires

Not sure yet. The 43s add some width compared to the other tires out there. My wheels with have a 4.5" backspacing more than likely. The trail readys are 9.5" wide and have backspcing options from 4.5-6". I havent orderd the wheels yet.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

Made some changes in bend tech to make it actually 50" outside of tube to the A/B pillars at the rockers and belt line. Added some 1.25" (green) to the chassis. I also got rid of the double bent A-pillar and added a solid engine crossover tube to build to and off of. Easier to build and doesnt look that much different. I also raised that one tube a few inches to accommodate the ~31" height of the LV3 (unmodified). I then raised the roofline to get me a little more room to crawl over the door bar and for more head room. Im fat and out of shape, so easy in/out is ideal.

Chassis weight is 375lbs as it sits. Not sure if thats high or not.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

I decided on wheels and a WMS-WMS for the axles. 72" wide with 5.5" BS TrailReady 20s. This would net me the same overall width as a 70 WMS with a 4.5" BS wheel. The thought process is that the additional BS reduces the scrub some.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

For those about to order air shocks, these are the lead times i was quoted on Friday from Accutune. 6-12 months for Fox and 10-12 months for kings. I ordered a set of 2.5" x 18" Foxs and hope they come in sooner rather than later.

 

[Blitz]

For those about to order air shocks, these are the kead times i was quoted on Friday from Accutune. 6-12 months for Fox and 10-12 months for kings. I ordered a set of 2.5" x 18" Foxs and hope they come in sooner rather than later.

Dang that is crazy. Wonder what radflo is. Ive got some 16" 2.5 ones im thinking about selling or trying to trade for some 14" 2.5's. I think the 16's are going to be a tad to long.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

Picked up a couple more parts for the build.

700r4 4wd to use for mockup then have it rebuilt.

Going with a Coleworx driveline brake on the back of the Atlas. im thinking two pedals one for front and one rear. I have a few friends that have used them in the past with success and amazing brakes.

 

[woody]

I've love my K-case 700r....be sure you do ALL the upgrades....5 pinion planetary, corvette sun gear, etc. Mine has had zero issues since I had it built in 2005ish. I did a standard pattern manual valve body with a SHO shifter.

 

[woody]

Dang that is crazy. Wonder what radflo is. Ive got some 16" 2.5 ones im thinking about selling or trying to trade for some 14" 2.5's. I think the 16's are going to be a tad to long.

I haven't had King's, but my Radflo 16's were far better set up from the factory than my old Fox's. You need 700-710ml of oil, Fox will ship with 550ish, Radflo shipped with 700. Either way, if you run water in front, they'll need some major rebound valving changes. (see my napkin sketches in my build...lol)

Also check ADS for availability, a few locals run them and like 'em. I'm partial to my Radflo's.

 

[Blitz]

I haven't had King's, but my Radflo 16's were far better set up from the factory than my old Fox's. You need 700-710ml of oil, Fox will ship with 550ish, Radflo shipped with 700. Either way, if you run water in front, they'll need some major rebound valving changes. (see my napkin sketches in my build...lol)

Also check ADS for availability, a few locals run them and like 'em. I'm partial to my Radflo's.

what kind of psi are you running in yours? I like running about 100cc or so more oil than stock amount and almost no psi. But that was when I was running 16 2.0 fox shocks. I haven’t had any experience with 2.5’s yet but heard they are a little easier to set up.

 

[woody]

what kind of psi are you running in yours? I like running about 100cc or so more oil than stock amount and almost no psi. But that was when I was running 16 2.0 fox shocks. I haven’t had any experience with 2.5’s yet but heard they are a little easier to set up.

80 front, 60 rear....or so. 3-4" of shaft showing.

 

[Blitz]

80 front, 60 rear....or so. 3-4" of shaft showing.

ok good deal. I want about 2-3” of shaft showing on mine. So that gives a good starting point.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

Some assembly required.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

Started to swap over accessories from the silverado 4.3 LV3 to 2018+ express van accessories from an LV1 4.3l. The LV1 stuff keeps things much more centered and high up on the heads. Since the LV3 doesnt use a power steering pump and the LV1 does, i bought a GM brackets to use. It will aloow me to bolt up a CBR pump in its place. I would have loved to start with an LV1 to begin with. It has everything i need for a crawler (ie PS pump, centered water pump, etc), and all that i do not want and have to delete, (ie active fuel management, DOD, vacuum pump, etc.)

LV3 accessories

Currently how it looks wth LV1 stuff bolted on

I plan on using this belt routing with a 6.6l duramax tensioner and idler pulley bolted to the water pump. I could delete the tensioner and idler if i use one of the new stretch belts. Not a huge fan of them though. Hopefully i can reuse the tensioner i have.

Also picked up one of these little guys to shine up the tube before i weld it.

 

[woody]

be curious how you like that tube sander, keep eyeing them up and deciding I don't need one....

 

[mac33]

be curious how you like that tube sander, keep eyeing them up and deciding I don't need one....

For what it’s worth, a friend of mine convinced me to buy one and they’re great. So easy to blend in tubes and welds seamlessly.

 

[chaplinfj60]

Started to swap over accessories from the silverado 4.3 LV3 to 2018+ express van accessories from an LV1 4.3l. The LV1 stuff keeps things much more centered and high up on the heads. Since the LV3 doesnt use a power steering pump and the LV1 does, i bought a GM brackets to use. It will aloow me to bolt up a CBR pump in its place. I would have loved to start with an LV1 to begin with. It has everything i need for a crawler (ie PS pump, centered water pump, etc), and all that i do not want and have to delete, (ie active fuel management, DOD, vacuum pump, etc.)

LV3 accessories

Currently how it looks wth LV1 stuff bolted on

I plan on using this belt routing with a 6.6l duramax tensioner and idler pulley bolted to the water pump. I could delete the tensioner and idler if i use one of the new stretch belts. Not a huge fan of them though. Hopefully i can reuse the tensioner i have.

Also picked up one of these little guys to shine up the tube beore i weld it.

Started to swap over accessories from the silverado 4.3 LV3 to 2018+ express van accessories from an LV1 4.3l. The LV1 stuff keeps things much more centered and high up on the heads. Since the LV3 doesnt use a power steering pump and the LV1 does, i bought a GM brackets to use. It will aloow me to bolt up a CBR pump in its place. I would have loved to start with an LV1 to begin with. It has everything i need for a crawler (ie PS pump, centered water pump, etc), and all that i do not want and have to delete, (ie active fuel management, DOD, vacuum pump, etc.)

LV3 accessories

Currently how it looks wth LV1 stuff bolted on

I plan on using this belt routing with a 6.6l duramax tensioner and idler pulley bolted to the water pump. I could delete the tensioner and idler if i use one of the new stretch belts. Not a huge fan of them though. Hopefully i can reuse the tensioner i have.

Also picked up one of these little guys to shine up the tube beore i weld it.

i love these sanders

 

[DirtSquirrel]

Some light progress this weekend.

Picked up a set of 20" trailready beadlocks 5.5" BS to use. These will get powdercoated some fancy color, undecided.

Bolted the 700r4 to the 4.3. The top bolt for the trans isnt there on these new engines, but 4 of them line up fine. Dowel pins too. Here you can see how it looks with the stock uncut pan. Way too high.

Did a little oil pan slicing, which for some reason looks a little like texas. Chopped off 3". Ill have to modify the oil pickup and run a remote filter but overall mo better.

My mockup atlas im borrowing from a buddy.

Based on the placement of things, i lengthened the belly a couple of inches to end about the midpoint if the atlas tailhousing or about 28" long from front to rear crossmember. Hope to start bending tube after christmas.

 

[woody]

that slammed pan is awesome, nicely done!

Perfect solution for a mockup case....hhmmm....not that I need one now, but might be time for some CAD and plasma work...

 

[DirtSquirrel]

that slammed pan is awesome, nicely done!

Perfect solution for a mockup case....hhmmm....not that I need one now, but might be time for some CAD and plasma work...

Its crude but to scale. We pulled measurements off my Atlas in the old buggy. Once i get my trans adapter in, i should be able to bolt it up and use it until my new one comes in one day.

 

[Blitz]

Love the truck. Once my new buggy is done I’ve already told the wife I’m building a F100, D100 or C10.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

Love the truck. Once my new buggy is done I’ve already told the wife I’m building a F100, D100 or C10.

Thanks. Its one of my favorite builds. It really makes the old timers angry. Especially with the 2JZ under the hood.

 

[whiterhino]

Nice work

 

[Blitz]

Thanks. Its one of my favorite builds. It really makes the old timers angry. Especially with the 2JZ under the hood.

Oh i bet. My goal is to put the truck body on a 5.0, Caddy CTS chassis or something like that.

 

[DirtSquirrel]

Oh i bet. My goal is to put the truck body on a 5.0, Caddy CTS chassis or something like that.

That would be badass. CHeck out the S550 mustangs (2016+). I used their IRS dropout for the F100. the width is perfect.

 

[Blitz]

That would be badass. CHeck out the S550 mustangs (2016+). I used their IRS dropout for the F100. the width is perfect.

did you do a build thread anywhere on it or just what you would posted on FB and IG?

 

[DirtSquirrel]

did you do a build thread anywhere on it or just what you would posted on FB and IG?

No build thread. Just what i posted on IG mostly. I have all kinds of pics i took during the buid process if you need anything specific.

 

[Blitz]

No build thread. Just what i posted on IG mostly. I have all kinds of pics i took during the buid process if you need anything specific.

Ya when I really get serious I may bug the hell out of ya.