Manx Club

My Manxter Dual Sport #17 build started in July 2008 when I picked up the kit at Meyers Manx. It took until after Christmas of 2008 that I first got to drive it on the street. It has really never been finish as I keep changing things. The first engine I used was VW type IV 2056cc. Original transmission was a 091 Bus type II. Both engine and trans where something I already had from other projects. When I decided I really needed more power, originally I was going to build a larger type IV engine. Looking at what Bruce had done with the Silver Dual Sport using a Subaru engine and comparing what it would cost to build a large type IV engine. The Subaru made more sense with being more powerful and a lot more reliable in the long run. I already had the wing for the radiator, I had used it to mount a oil cooler in it for the air cooled type IV. Yes I had a few problems with the Subaru engine after realizing I was buying ones that were not in good shape. Solution was to rebuild one before installing it. The 2.5L 4cam engine is powerful even without a turbo. When I first build the Manxter I installed a Colman 1.5 to 1 steering reducer in the steering column in a reversed position. This was to slow down the rack the 1.5 to 1 rack & pinion steering box. From previous experience of trying to drive a buggy on the street at speed with just a 1.5 to 1 rack the reaction time was to quick, sneeze and you changed over two lanes of traffic. Slowing it down with the reducer reversed it now at approx. 2 3/4 turns lock to lock. This is a compromise as I really would like it quicker for the dirt, but since a lot of my driving is on the street. It worked great on the 7,000mile plus trip on the Sea to Sea trip in October 2013. I spent a month on the road in the buggy.
With the 12plus inches of wheel travel in the suspension it was a handful at freeway speeds. I looked at Mark Millers Dual Sport and his front sway bar he installed. With talking with Mark it sound like a good idea to install one. With my budget (yes I know building a Dual Sport is anything but cheap) I have had to think of ways to save. I am lucky I learn about fabricating your own parts
at a early age and have the skill set to do. I found a 3/4in sway bar and arms that would work from Speedway Engineering in Sylmar, CA and the links with 3/8" heim joints from Speedway Motors in Nebraska. Delrin bushings and tabs for mount are from KarTek in Corona, CA. I had the tubing already to make the cross tube. I did have to shorten arms and drill holes to bolt on links to them. I made it adjustable with drilling hole 1in apart.
WOW! What a differences in driving experience with the sway bar installed. The buggy was now stable at higher freeway speeds, no more healing over like a sailboat when going around corners or having to do evasive maneuvers.
At the first of 2014 I changed out the 091 transmission to a 091/1 (commonly referred to as a 094 4speed). The 091/1 shift on the side of the case, where the 091 is out the front nose cone. Weddle Engineering makes a shifter setup that with a couple of Ujoints and a short piece of 3/4 tubing you can attach it to shift rod inside of tunnel. This is what I did. The gearing and having a much stronger reverse gear has been a good upgrade for me.
In December of 2014 I started taking the Manxter down to a bare frame to inspect and work on a few things I wanted change.
I will add more picture soon.

More pictures

some more pictures (only allowed 3 pictures at a time for some reason)

Looks good, great to see what goes into a DualSport Manxter Build.

I noticed your rear cross support tube where you notch the frame horns fwd of the torsion housing, have you ever seen any issues with cracking by doing that ?

From memory the VW 181 has a support on the housing which is where I put the setup for the DualSport Baja Edition but I had never considered going fwd like that, interesting.

Keep the pics coming

The reason I sunk the tubing into the frame horns was when tying in the outer frame tubing it would be the same height as the stock pan height. No cracks. Also the outer ends of the round torsion housing are tied to the tubing with a 1/8in thick flat plate. I don't have pictures showing them yet. Once I get further in taking apart the chassis, I will post them.
Yes the type 181 (Thing) had a welded on channel on the bottom of torsion housing, It was the same thing done to the type III models. I have seen a few torsion housing break over the years (even on street buggies). This is in the area where frame horns are welded to round torsion housing.
The little bracket that at the ends of torsion housing (near spring plate covers) that ties into edge of pan, break. One was broken on my Kick Out before I rebuilt, you could hear it squeaking. I reinforce area with a couple of angle pieces welded between the housing and floor pans edge. I have to look for the pictures of them to show what I have done.

I like that idea of sinking in the tube. I didn't think of doing that when I built our manxter but bent the tube to go around. I never liked that it was the lowest part of the chassis. I will keep that in mind for the next build.

Thanks for posting the build. There is a lot of great ideas to "borrow"

Doran

manxter36 wrote: I will keep that in mind for the next build.

That is such a Buggy Guy thing to say ... it never ends lol

Thanks for posting Joseph! It has also given me so many ideas to use in future builds too.

And, it has given me a itch for a Manxster DS.

Here are a few pictures of the reinforcement to the torsion housing and frame horns. I use premade triangular gussets for tying in the outside edges of torsion housing to the 1 1/2in cross bar. And a piece of 1/8in plate about 4in long to tie the housing to cross bar on each side between frame horns and outer ends.
When I first build the chassis I was using a 10degree mount for the Bus (type II) 091 trans which set trans lower in frame horns. With it being this low, I want to make sure it had clearance between skid plate. Adding a piece of 1 1/2in tubing that was bent to fit to forward cross bar. The skid plate is made of 3/16in diamond plate aluminum that the front edge in formed to follow the tubing.
I cut the factory stops for spring plates to get more downward travel. The lower rear spring plate bolt is used a fail safe stop if something happens to the limit strap that I use to limit downward travel. Plans in the future is to use a Micro Stub set up which will allow for more downward travel. They make torsion caps that have one bolt hole that is further apart to allow for spring plate to travel further.

More picture of the torsion housing and trans mounts. The reinforcement tubing on frame horns butts up against the rear trans mount. With rear bumper cage attaching to rear trans mount inline with the tubes it makes for a stronger setup when hit in the rear.
The front trans mount on the chassis for the 10degree mount I was able to reuse with mounting of the 091/1 side shift trans. Trans is position as low as it can be placed. It did require removing most of inner seam on frame horns. With the 10 degree mount and a 002 or 091 trans you also have to remove sections of the seam for trans to fit.

To add more strength between the torsion housing and stock steel floor pans on the Kick Out, I bent a couple of pieces of 1/4in flat stock to weld in place. Why I did it this way was to be able to attach to the steel reinforcement in edge of the pans. As you can see in one picture of the stock cast steel bracket from torsion housing to pan on left side has been welded because of it breaking in half.

On the Dual Sport Manxter cage there are attachment points to the torsion housing. They bolt to torsion housing using 2 of the spring plate retainer (cap) an 2 bolts to a bracket on B pillar of cage. Tying the two together add strength to whole structure. I did have to grind on the outside of the body where brackets contact to make a flat surface for them to set. With the cage tying into the outer steel structure parts it makes it makes it very strong.