Home Made Mini VW Baja Bug!! - Part 2 

Don't be sad from comments about "how horrible chain drive" is , i think thats easiest and cheapest way how to transfer power, it's easy to repair, and easy to edit gear ratio. You're doing amazing job and you do it better than other youtube channels about buggies which i watching. So, please continue making awesome beast :) Thx for content you make and greetings from Czech republic.

Chain drive is cool it's simple and provides endless gear possibilities

The suspension you used would be called a Semi-trailing arm design. A true trailing arm suspension has the two piviot points of both arms in line with each other. That doesn’t affect camber as it goes up and down. Because the piviots are perfectly horizontal to the chassis. Now a semi-trailing arm suspension is a mix of a trailing arm suspension and a double wishbone suspension. (Transverse) This is because the piviots are not parallel with the horizontal axis of the chassis. The piviots are angled and would create a shallow X pattern if you continue the pivot angle lines. (Hopefully this is making sense so far) The “Correct” angle is kind of a grey area for these suspensions as it depends what you’re trying to accomplish. And the biggest reason these suspensions are no longer used is the squat characteristic they have on acceleration. The squat changes the camber and toe. (This can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the setup and desired result) Typically most automakers used a 15-20 degree sweep angle. The “ideal” angle is dependent on the roll center of the chassis. If you take both trailing arms and pull them up like the suspension is fully loaded down. You will see the axis the wheels rotate on will intersect eachother in the middle of the chassis near the ground. If you know the roll center, then you can dial the sweep angle of the arms in to get the intersection point to be dead on to the roll center. There’s a lot of stuff I left out and a lot of stuff I over simplified but I hope that helped you or anyone else reading this. Good luck!

Chains are fine easy to replace and a lot easier to build with. I have never been so excited for a build. I cant wait to see it on the trails.

I swear he needs his own tv show! He builds the coolest rides we all wish we had as a child! I like the fact that as your followers grow your still building stuff where you started years ago! No over top fancy building with the latest, and greatest.

I know you've been doing this for years and years now, but I'm regularly shocked at how skilled you are with that tubing bender! Your skill is really exceptional! Also, *this* is how you do an ad for Arc Droid... I definitely wouldn't mind having one of those around!

"cutting brakes" and very cool to watch you work.

I like watching you construct your ideas into reality. I really don't care if they are chain drives or not. it is your project, build how you want it.

EVERY SINGLE TIME you start a new project, I can only think of how much I'd love to take it on a long drive, AMAZING work my friend 🤘🏽🔥🖤

The trailing arms turned out sweet. I really like the mini trophy truck. This Baja bug is going to be awesome. Can't wait to see you rip it. Thanks for another great video

Just build what you want to build and the loyal folk will still be here, cheers!

Your vw looks awesome Chris. You might want to put in a roll cage to protect your head though. Maybe a "shelby cobra style" roll cage. You could even hide it under a roof scoop, iconic amongst baja bugs. I can't wait to see this project come together. Be safe and have fun 🤘

Nice snapring spacer on the heim. Don’t worry about the chain haters, you do you. Cutting brakes are what you are looking for. Don’t ignore all the people telling you to put a roll bar in it. Maybe you plan on doing it later, I hope so. But I better not see you doing a wheely without one.

Right as I was about to saysomething about the driveshaft clearance, you realized the problem and made a beautiful solution. Nice.

I so enjoy every time you start a new build, if you want chain drive build it that way.

I know you have a lot of trust in chain drive. I truly love you for it. Really man. You are the only one pushing it.

Most Baja Bugs have their trunk/hood cut out and modified to fit the engine & pipes, you should remove a good portion of the back lid from the shell to make room for the engine

One of the best youtube channels there is brilliant look forward to every build 👌

You have my dream job, wish I could do what you do. Told my wife she thinks I crazy. Live the dream brother, for me and everyone who thinks in gears ratio’s and fabricating it out of your mind . And for those of us who spend their days at work and would rather be welding.

chris dont lisen to the keyboard warriors.everything you build is just a joy to watch.much love bro.t.from scotland.x

Chain drive, differential whichever you've proved you can build whatever and be successful, great skills 👌 ☮️

Not sure if anyone else agrees but an FSAE/Formula Student-style car would be extremely interesting with your amount of creativity and knowledge. I understand it would be a large project but would be well worth it in the end.

This is gonna be cool! And them people complaining about how you build things should get their own channel and build their own stuff. ✌️

You’re the builder, the keyboard warriors are going criticize regardless. Do things your way!!!

Just do what you enjoy doing. I enjoy watching the process regardless of how you do it.

Look up a Baja roof scoop.. that would be a cool way to get a real roll bar and still make it look legit. I wouldnt be thinking about wheelies, and brake turning without thinking of the likely case of you rolling it.. which will be deadly without a real rollbar.

Turn brakes will add another dimension of fun to the driving experience!

YES! Another win for team chain drive! Fun fact...skid-steers are chain drive.

My corn picker 1943 year has used the same chain and will work next year. We use it each year my grandpa bought new. In fact it has 7 chains operating it. Normal maintenance consisting of lubricator and adjustment if necessary. Lot of use. So yeah chains come differently sizes. Great show. Thanks.

I look forward to these videos every day and I wish I could do something like this myself but being on disability really limits my life..... Wish I had a neighbor like this. Keep up the great work.... 😁👍 Edit: I have no issues w/ a chain driven system as long as it's not 12 feet long.... 😂 Edit 2: You can always do a 2 lever "e-brake" system so you can steer when doing wheelies or make an e-brake lever that moves left and right instead of straight back to do the same thing.... Can't wait to see what this thing is capable of when it's done. 👍

You be you. It’s your project, who cares what anyone else thinks. I wish I had the skill (motivation) to do the things that you do. 😊

That top portion of the trailing arm looks SICK 👌🏻👌🏻

Everything Chris has ever built have been really cool hes one nan in a shed so personally i think hes a bad ass backyard mechanic

Chain drive is totally interesting! Imagine a CHAIN DRIVE long distance rally/Dakar buggy..... I have complete faith you could build, and be competitive in Dakar with a chain-driven buggy.....

So many years ago the starter died in a tiny garage way up in the alps on my gt550 . Me and a friend tried to bump start it down the side of a mountain while it was still nice and warm but of course no luck .. I would have loved me some chain drive back then😅. So you do what so ever makes you happy on your builds Chris & laugh at the chain drive haters.

I love that youre doing a chain drive and how much its bothering people. 😂

It's crazy how much tube work you have to do but your definitely proving chain drive technology. I aplod you bro. Wow

that is a cool build cant wait to see it finished

So many people are probably Auntie chain drive because the first 5 minutes of your test video, a chain popped off. Also to probably because these guys grew up pushing their dirt bikes and four-wheelers through the woods because they couldn't get the chains back on lol. I just get annoyed by the noise, lol. That being said, I liked all of your projects. Everybody is different. This particular project is going to be amazing! I can't wait for each episode to come! This is so cool.

You will have to cut open the back fenders on the sides and just keep a bit of it. The build looks great and can't wait to see it running.

No questions about the chain drive. They work great 👍 keep it coming!

I think it's looking great! Fabricators have the most common sence & imagination out of all people. To be able to create without plans or prints . It's just how we do it . I built my current house from thought in my head . I thought everyone has it , not true . Awsome watching & learning new shit all the time ! Between you & eithan at grind hard my mind is blown.

Dude this is a sick project it gonna be a rocket! Your attention to detail is on another level 👊

My electric ZTR mower (building V3 this winter) is chain drive. Basically 2 separate gokart setups, one for each rear wheel. Chain wears out? replace. Done. Easy / fairly cheap.

For all you who hate on chains, they are the most efficient when it comes to transmission loss. Like 1-4%. That’s why they are still king when it comes to bicycles, since it’s human powered, any loss of power would be dramatic. The only problem with chains is they are less durable and can potentially be dangerous if they get flung off. Chris can just pack some extra chain and make guards where needed. I think chains are perfect for his smaller scale projects. I also appreciate that he keeps the scale small. Even though he’s over half a million subscribers, he is still working in his little shop and makes stuff that a normal guy could contemplate putting together. The scope of his projects are not out of reach for the average person and that is why I think his channel resonates with a lot of us. Many of my favorite automotive RU-vidrs have grown too big for me to feel connected to. Their projects too big and expensive to be anything more than a novelty.

Nothing wrong with chain drive! Dirt bikes still have them! Chains get difficult when long distances are involved. The truck project/concept was awesome the only thing I’d recommend is nylon slipper rails to stop chain slap on the long runs. Excessive chain slap exerts excessive pressure on parts (brakes parts). Reference overhead cam setups, high speed chains with no slap. Seem to work there 😂 Keep it up, your channel is progressing nicely. And a awesome coffee watch in the morning for me 👍👍 Your format with explanations is very good! And your projects are useful and not “click bate” for “likes” 😮 I’ll shut up now 😊

The turning brake is where it’s at my man!

Sweet!! I love the bug build.

Killing it man! I’m not sure why people don’t like chains they are lighter than gearboxes full of oil..

Bro!!!! You are a true artist in your craft!!!! Wow!!!!!

you're always making one awesome toy after another, keep up the awesome work fam.

Ich liebe diese Musik..und alles was du machst. Seit 3 Jahren folge ich dir eifrig.🤩

I love the classic rock background instrumental 🎉🙌💯😎🙏👍

I think you will need to replace at least one heim joint with a straight bushing on each side otherwise there will be an axial load on the CV joints in the axle which they won't handle. you could potentially rework the position of the two heims, maybe have one further in front of the other, probably just a straight bushing though.

I'm not a fan of how LONG the chains were for the 4wd on the trophy truck. However, you made it work and it worked well! To heck with the haters, you're knocking these projects out of the park, who are they to tell you no?

The steering brakes you are referring to, are called Tractor Brakes where I grew up. I have seen this done with three pedals, two small pedals with a small gap between them (each attached to its own master cylinder) and one pedal that bridges the gap and allows you to press both of the other pedals at the same time. - I hope that makes sense. Another option is to use a dual acting master cylinder and separate calipers with a large lever to activate one side or the other at a time (much like a drift brake system except for the type of master cylinder). As for a differential, look at the Miata Gen 1 stuff, they are still easy to find, gears are still available and they aren’t too expensive.

A miata diff may be good for that space. I've seen vids where it's quite easy to remove the innards from the diff housing, drill it and attach a sprocket, to convert it into a chain-driven diff.

coolest project yet imho... I always had a thing for baja bugs

Coming from someone with a full sized tube frame long travel baja a cutting brake is quite literally the most fun thing you will ever use I would highly suggest looking into a diff for it I’ve got a cutting brake laying around if you want it as well

I love this build! Awesome job! Thank you for the videos!

You should make your own diff for this so you can put a locker in it. At the size we're talking here a locking diff would be pretty expensive, unless you make it. For the locking action, you could have either a pin system that locks the axle gears or a fixed small gear that drops in manually and locks the two axle gears.

With something like that, you'd want as much as an inch of toe in on the rear. It'll add a ton of straight line stability. Just make sure both sides are exactly the same or it'll be very tail happy in the corners.

Cutting brakes is the name you're looking for. Find a small clutch style posi carrier and make a sprocket bolt to it, that way you have enough posi to stay straight but enough slip to cut

Haters saying "Why chain drive!?" then having to replace Polaris diffs every 500 miles. (It's okay I unfortunately own a Polaris.) I think they forget it's a custom build. Chain drive is tried and tested for DECADES. Keep on keepin' on my man. Make it happen.

Chris… I HATE VW Bugs, yet this thing is AWESOME! Nice work! Chain Drive is FINE! Screw the haters!

24:41 as for the brakes for a wheelie. You can use a push pull lever. Push to activate the left rear brake and pull to activate the right rear brake. I’ve built a couple for a customer for his sand rail.

As much as it hurts, haters are still fans for giving you views and comments. Build stuff that makes you happy; audience will work itself out 😌

A lot of the old baja bugs had tall roof scoops, I think you should bend a hoop to protect your head in a rollover. It would visually "mimick" the look of the roof scoop, but keep you from losing your head when you roll it...

It looks sick so glad I was subscribed so I can witness the whole build

I've had cut breaks on my baja bugs, and they are great for doing some fun turns. You could definitely use them while in a wheelie, but I think it would just add a lot of unneeded stress. I think you should build it with the spindel set up, not a diff. Make sure it does wheelie before you get worried about trying to stear the wheelie. I Love the new project. I swear every video I watch of yours gets better and better. Keep up the great work.

Dude keep doing it how you want and ignore the haters. Can’t wait to see this one! Please tell me your painting the shell?! Candy orange would look unreal!

Very clever use of all-thread, I think i'll borrow that :)

Love all your builds!! You make some sick stuff!!!

Oh, and hey! In defense of chain drive you can always tell the haters, at least it's stronger than Polaris axles

Every mini sand rail have chain drive!!!!!!! It’s the best option 😊

You should build a 2X2 motorcycle. You've got the skills to make it happen.

Keep the chain drive you don’t need to steer doing wheelies you’re going to kill your self with your head sticking out of the top trying to steer with brakes awesome project this one hits home my dad and granddad where some of the best vw mechanics in Mississippi 👍👍👍

Chain operation is awesome! It shows that it can be an advanced project with simple methods. And as you said yourself, it is much easier to experiment with different ratios! As always, it's really fun to follow your projects. Every Sunday night I wait for a new episode from you to be released so you can watch it and enjoy! It's incredibly inspiring what you do and I myself do a bit of rebuilding motorcycles and old mopeds, tuning etc... Not on the same scale as you but what you do is really neat! Like I said, inspiring! Greetings Dennis from Sweden.

its gonna be an incredible mud flinger

I personally love the chain drive builds! Plan on attempting to duplicate the CBR buggy’s chain drive set up.

Need a roll hoop like pulling tractors have

Love the build! Good work!

Screw the haters and do what you want. I vote yes on the diff and lets see some wheelies with some turning action!!!!

I like your project this is very experimental and I hope you finish it in time

i love the chain drive, go for it and it's only one section.

Use like a polaris sportsman trans. They can be found pretty cheap and they are already set up to use a cvt clutch.

you could have used a BMW flat twin motorcycle engine. that way you could use a differential (since the BMW is shaft drive) you could flip the diff upside down so that you can have the engine facing the back of the bug and still have forward rotation of the axles. then you could incorporate differential steering like you want and REALLY have a bug looking baja. also, Bimmer flat twins are oil cooled with oil cooler radiators so no need for coolant....Get an R1100/R1150-R1200. use a shorty drive shaft to some type of limited slip diff that can run flipped over. you may have to add new breathers and plug the originals....but no biggie!!!!!

Awesome Build man I was thinking of building one myself can’t wait to see it run!!!!!😊

cutting brakes only work with open diffs sadly, but thats a sweet idea for a future module you can swap in or, maybe even doing an open diff with a means of locking it so you could have a locker for technical stuff, then have an open diff for when you are playing in the sand and need to use cutting brakes while doing a wheelie

excellent friend, you are a teacher I hope one day to be like you

just keep doing what your doing man

Always loved Baja beetles! You should just remove that small part of fiberglass that’s where your neck need to go and radius the bar so you have more room, I would also move the seat even lower to give more shoulder room.

Nice heater those work great !

Differential sounds cool! I'll have to check out that video.

How are you so fun? Love you brother. Don't stop.

That’s called a “story stick” when you measure like that 👍

Love your builds

A nice short chain drive is a efficient and strong way to go, It's the 5 ft long ones that get problematic. Something like this, chain drive is a great option.

Make your own cv box. I think you're talented enough to do so

This project is sweet!!! I used to have a rail buggy for the woods, it's the transmission in a buggy that has gears so u can stop each side indefinitely of one another. Look up pictures and videos of rail buggy transmissions and suspension. That at least will point u in the right direction hopefully!!! Again love the project