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A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with big wheels and tires designed for use on sand dunes or beaches, especially a light vehicle with a modified engine mounted on an open chassis. Also called beach buggy or a sand rail.
Design
Axel Styles There are 3 styles of buggies to choose from; The Swing Arm has 2 axils with an inner CV joints. The inner CV joint moves up and down during travel while the outer part of the axils is fixed to the wheel drum. This causes the wheel not to sit perpendicular to the ground in long travel. This style however gives a smoother ride on rougher terrain and riprap. The IRS (independent rear suspension) has both inner and outer CV joints. Both inner and outer CV joints will allow movement up and down in travel. The outer CV joint allows the camber of the wheel to stay perpendicular to the ground. This gives a wide footprint that is better for traction. This style is also good for scrambling up bumpy hills because the wheels will fill the holes beneath them giving the tire better traction. The Bus Axils have a reduction gear attached to the wheel drums. It's described like an offset axel with a small gear inside the boxes that actually lifts the car up 3-4 inches under acceleration. The transaxles are typically lower geared and make for good hill climbers. These are all referred to as an Axle Style. They can all attach to the same type of Beetle transaxle (a transaxle is transmission with the axils attached.) Function Initially dune buggies were designed for navigating desert or beaches (hence the word "dune"). However, dune buggies have become more diversified in terms of the terrain they can handle. Dune buggies are being built for more generic off road tasks, such as CORR / SCORE indoor track racing. Some are even built for and used as on-road vehicles. Typically the function is determined before the buggy is created in order to maximize the comfort or abilities of the vehicle. Building a dune buggy Although dune buggies can just be bought (as a kit), most drivers make their own buggy. This is done by separately buying chassis, engine, tires, steering wheel, and axles. Some builders even make their own chassis, which creates a special, customized vehicle. A 1961 or later Volkswagen sedan is the preferred donor to create a Dune Buggy, although an earlier model can be used. The VW bus, truck, or Karmann-Ghia, do not make good donor cars, however the engine, transaxle, wheels, and instruments can be used from these models. A list of desirable parts (not all inclusive) can be salvaged from a donor VW for use in a Dune Buggy are: Engine, Transaxle, Front axle, Wheels, Frame, Pedal assembly, Shocks, Seats, The battery, Gas tank 1961 or later, Steering column, Brake reservoir, Speedometer, Light switch, 1958 or later windshield wiper, Windshield wiper switch, Gas gauge, Horn, Emergency flasher unit. Military buggies Because of the obvious advantages a buggy can afford on certain terrain, they are also used by the military. The buggies built for the US military are called Desert Patrol Vehicles (or DPV); they were previously called Fast Attack Vehicles or FAV. They are used by US Navy Seals. The DPVs are built by Chenowth Racing Products Inc., which is a San Diego based company. Like most military material, it is not sold to people outside the army. Tube Framed Buggies Over time Buggies have been altered to allow maximum recreational use. They are now available in varying sizes to compensate for lack of large amounts of land. The most common form of non-racing buggy consists of a 'tube frame'. This design is simple to construct and sturdy. If the frame bends or breaks then it is very simple to fix. Most Mechanics will have the equipment to fix the broken parts. Steel tubing is preferred to "pipe". The distinction is that pipe is rolled and welded, tubing is mandrel drawn, making it stronger and closer to consistent tolerences. The engine size varies depending on the suspension, frame strength, requirements and performance needs. Most buggies are equipped with a 4-stroke engine to allow large amounts of torque to propel the heavy frames. Very few are equipped with 2-stroke engines because they can not produce large amounts of torque. Dune buggies may be equipped with automatic or manual transmissions, but manual transmissions are the norm in the buggy world. Engine sizes vary anywhere between 50 cc for small light buggies to Large V8 engines designed to race professionaly.. Fiberglass Dune Buggies Fiberglass dune buggies come in many shapes and sizes. The most popular are those seen on TV like Wonderbug and Speed Buggy. These types of dune buggies are known as "clones". They are an attempt to copy the original fiberglass dune buggy the "Meyers Manx" built by Bruce Meyers. Many companies, worldwide, have copied the Manx, even the copiers copy each other. But some fiberglass dune buggies resemble production, modified or prototype cars. For instance: American Fiberglass Product’s “Humbug” has similar features to a Corvette, Berry’s “Mini-T” was a nod to the Ford Model T, or BMB Automotive’s “Surviver” is a scaled down version of the Lamborghini Cheetah. Dune buggies in fiction/movies See also | ||||||||||
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