QT 80" Pro Trial

redvan · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:16 pm Post subject: QT 80" Pro Trial

I thought I'd share what me and a friend have been building for the last year.
I used to have an SJ but as time went on it started to get increasingly difficult to get hold of decent replacement parts, and i knew the time was coming when i'd have to 'upgrade' to a Landy. Only trouble was, landy's are a lot more expensive than an SJ to buy and modify.

So, in for a penny, in for a pound. This is what we've built......

I brought the spaceframe over a year ago from a guy who had it sitting in his shed, looked pretty sorry for itself...

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Rizla 1 · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:20 pm Post subject:

Looks nice mate Smile

interesting were the front shox is mounted any pics of that ??

big_patrol · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:25 pm Post subject:

that is cool, nicely finished. My only critism would be it looks a little under tyred.

redvan · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:49 pm Post subject:

Big_Patrol: This was also one of my concerns, but after looking at a few similar trucks and speaking to their owners ( they said that the 205/16r gave a good turning circle on ALRC trial events) at last year's ALRC nationals at Plymouth, i decided to take their word for it. But i think your right, my next purchase will be a set of 235/85's.

It only passed it's MOT on Saturday, so I haven't had chance to take it out yet and use it in anger, hopefully I'll get out next weekend.

Rizla 1: Here you go, I don't have any of the top mount though. Basically it's just two chassis tabs (from Off Road Amoury) welded to the wing brace hoop, and the same at the bottom welded to the axle casing.

big_patrol · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:55 pm Post subject:

yeah its always best to look at what others in the club your with use. See in out trials little tyres would really hinder you. But in a club where the sections are set out to suit smaller tyres im sure we would come unstuck.

235's would look Cool

edd4x4 · Winch Assistant Joined: 05 Nov 2009 Odometer: 54

if you want a a good turning circle with 235's get some wheels turned inside out (like disco steels as we have). at this years national it was very very tight.
Nice looking car though, are you planning on going to the national next year?

Ed

r085 · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:00 pm Post subject:

looks like you got a lot done and some good ideas. like the inside of the front arch with the metal inner skin. Smile

ScottieJ · Guest

I like that, very functional, clean and simple!

what shocks are they? Fox?

redvan · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:07 pm Post subject:

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all your comments, they're most welcome as in my experience, different people see different things such as shortcomings in design and other potential issues.

ScottieJ: yes, they're Fox 2.0 14" emulsion shocks on the front and 12" 2.0 remote's on the rear, we had to fabricate the shock turrets on the rear as I couldn't find any that were long enough.

r085: thanks, the inner arches were a pig to make, it took a few attempts to get right and lots of wasted aluminium. As the master cylinder and servo were pretty much in the wheel arch they had to be covered and protected.

edd4x4: yes I'd love to go to the 2012 nationals, but Grantham is a long way away from me:(

I'm slowly but surly uploading more photos......

r085 · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:50 pm Post subject:

man there is some space in that cab. i dont have any room in my defender.

edd4x4 · Winch Assistant Joined: 05 Nov 2009 Odometer: 54

i'll look out for you then if you go. hopefully my racer will be done by then as well so i will need to take two cars.

ed

OZYBOY · Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 10:47 am Post subject:

welcome to the 80 club

See you at the Nationals....

Oz

cynic-al · Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:55 am Post subject:

Love it, to the point and made for purpose Very Happy

Only question is does the front bumper not take away the advantage of the front wings sweeping inwards?

OZYBOY · Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:40 pm Post subject:

i know what you mean..... these are the rules you choose to follow if you play with the ALRC.

the main advantage comes not from the open front, but more from the tubular sides.... resting, turning, and pushing on trees and obsticles

These challenge boys think they have found something new, ALRC have been allowing tubular front wings for donkeys....

N.R.G97 · Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 3:09 pm Post subject:

i like it

personnally i prefer 88" to drive, but thats just an opinion.... and im not sure if thats another alrc rule, but im not into that, more extreem punch hunts and light challenge. i like it alot Cool

redvan · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:42 pm Post subject:

OZYBOY, I was thinking of putting reverse opening doors on, looks good and far more functional.

Quick update.....
We took it out for it's maiden voyage last sunday to a local pay & play site, i can't begin to say how happy i am with it!!!
Just before we were about to leave i was following a mate in his 90 up a very steep bank and heard a load and solid banging noise coming from the rear end, and before i could back off.......BANG.....smashed brand new GKN prop.....ballbags....

It turns out it was a bit of a design flaw and totally my own fault for not checking it through.
Basically we'd cut out the axle a-frame mount and moved it slightly forward and rewelded it, the idea was to point the nose of the diff up towards the gearbox slightly thus reducing the stress on the very short 16" prop, and then just welded on new spring saddles onto the axle to compensate for the change in geometry. But, and it's should be a big BUT, i neglected to check that there was enough clearance between the prop flange and the a-frame, which there wasn't. as i said....ballbags...

So, i did what any self respecting offroader should, i thought about it for a while and decided to through a heap of money at the problem so it would go away!!!
I actually went and brought a QT rose jointed a-frame joint, as i thought there'd be enough adjustment on the rose joint to reduce the effect of moving the a-frame mount, as it turns out, there's not. Again..ballbags...

So what we now have to do is change the axle casing to an unmolested one and incrementally adjust the rose joint to a happy medium of clearance and being kind to the prop.

On the up side, the articulation seems to have increased due to the new joint......

Apart from the above, the only other issue was a poorly mounted exhaust...which is now corrected.

BTW, I can't thank Gwyn Lewis enough for sourcing me a new prop flange and UJ from GKN...arrived the next day:)

It looks a damn site better with some mud on it, don't you think?

After fitting the rose joint..

OZYBOY · Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:54 am Post subject:

I like the suicide door, although its the only motor i have with them, so i constantly forget, and look at opening the door the convensional way....

my other trials motor has regular fitted doors, and that was a nightmare to operate the door latches with bucket seats in position.

My prop is 16 inches in normal ride height, and i am using a standard early RR prop, shortened. Its been OK so far, standard A frame, and rear arms, and i'm running +5 rear shockers....

although its not been out much to date, so next year will be the real test.

I have seen a tomcat 80 motor running the A frame backwards, i.e. 2 x mounts on the rear member. this in turn helps to push the diff nose up on articulation.

It does sound interesting, but i'd like to see it used in angar....

jon.g1 · Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 10:03 pm Post subject:

nice truck, out of interest what make are the seats?

hobo · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:33 am Post subject:

Whitbread off road sell them seats and sometimes some one on eBay sells them I paid £70 each new via eBay . They also come in black and White . I think whitbread offroad do a cover for them too..

redvan · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 11:52 am Post subject:

Yep, Whitbread off road seats. Dispite what they look like they are actually really comfy so i haven't bothered getting the liners.

The best thing about them is that you can just hose them down....

Start of the day....

End of the day....

r085 · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:20 pm Post subject:

b e a utiful. just how it should be all muddy. Very Happy

jon.g1 · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:59 pm Post subject:

lol, i was going to ask how comfy are they... would you say you could sit comfortably for a good few hours...

redvan · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:04 pm Post subject:

Yeah no probs.... When the 'muddy' photos were taken, we started out at 9:00ish then drove around 35 miles to the site, boobed around all day then drove home, back by around 6:00ish, no sore bits, bruises or bumps.....but then i have been eating a fair few cakes recently so i have got a bit of padding:)

The seats are made from a similar kind of plastic to school chairs, and because they're double skinned, there's actually a fair bit of give....more comfy than my old metal framed Cobra's thats for sure.

As mentioned previously, Whitbread do sell a liner for them if you're slightly delicate in the bottom department.

muddymesser · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 8:00 pm Post subject:

i want a go Laughing

p.s.
i think your missing a bolt on your front drivers side hub

wezbee · Just got MTs Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Odometer: 321

Nice work i agree on it being under tyred but all in all a real smart toy. Im just finishing a 100" challenge frame and am gathering parts for a 80" trials motor too

redvan · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:06 pm Post subject:

The 'under tyred issue' has now been resolved by means of fitting 235/85/16 special track's, they have made such a difference. I think I'll still keep the old tyres just in case I decide to enter a Comp Safari at any point.
I've still got some body mods to do to make them fit properly, but It's only sheet alloy so it shouldn't be to much of a ball ache.

MEGAJOLT next, just accumulated all the bits required so I'm well keen to see the difference it makes. I just need some time to fit it!!

Wezbee: How have you got away with having two vehicles?? My wife goes nuts on a regular basis about my toys already!!! I'm not really brave enough to bring home another Sad

wezbee · Just got MTs Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Odometer: 321

Lmao nice 1 mate i actually have 5 vehicles consisting of four landys and a daily runner in shape of vw SPAM. My mrs just lets me do wat i wana as long as i make a bita time for on the odd occasion lol. I run a bobtail disco shortened frnt and rear with high comp 3.9 v8, a 100" spaceframe (see custom builds) and ave twodiscos im building one as a 80" trialler and the other will be a 100" defender. Been gathering parts for them both for a bit now im starting them. Would b kool to see this in action. U should bring it along to walters spring break in may mate