Dune buggy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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. They are also called beach buggies or sand rails.
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[edit] Design
Dune buggies are usually created using one of two different methods.
The first involves alteration of an existing vehicle, most notable the older Volkswagen Type One (Beetle, or Bug). The VW Bug was preferred for a variety of reasons. Most notable are: the rear mounted engine which with removal of bodywork transfers a high proportion of the weight to the rear drive wheels for extra traction; the engine is air cooled simplifying engine modification along with the absence of the radiator removing a source of engine failure; the low price; and the sizable quantity of spare parts from other VW Bugs and buses. This is a possible candidate for the origin of the term "buggy".
The second method involves construction of a vehicle frame from steel tubing bent and welded together. The advantage of this method is the fabricator can change various fundamental parts of the vehicle (usually the suspension and fit a built-in roll cage). Buggies of this type are called sandrails because of the rail frame. Rails, as with the VW Bug, often have the engine located behind the driver. Sizes can vary from a one seat All-terrain vehicle (ATV) sized go-cart to a 4 seat, 8+ cylinder sized vehicle. Sandrails can have panels or custom shaped body coverings over the rails and tubing that compose the vehicle, though many are left bare.
Some dune buggies represent mixes of the above two design philosophies typically after a converted vehicle sustains damage from age, hard use, or accidents and spare parts are not available or affordable.
[edit] Axle Styles
There are 3 styles of buggies to choose from:-
Swing Arms have axles with inner Constant-velocity joints. The CV joint allows up and down movement of the axle during motion while the outer ends of the axles are fixed to the wheel drums. This causes the wheel not to sit perpendicular to the ground at the extremes of travel but does give a smoother ride on rougher terrain and riprap.
IRS (independent rear suspension) has both inner and outer CV joints on each axle. 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 and is also good for scrambling up bumpy hills because the wheels will fill the holes beneath them giving the tire better traction.
Bus Axles have a reduction gear attached to the wheel drums. They act like an offset axle 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.
All these Axle Styles and can be attached to the Beetle transaxle (a transaxle is transmission with the axles attached.)
[edit] 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 and 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.
[edit] Building a dune buggy
Although dune buggies can be bought (as a kit), many drivers make their own. This is done by separately buying chassis, engine, tires, steering wheel, and axles. Some builders 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. 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.
Other parts that can be salvaged from a donor VW for use in a Dune Buggy include the front axle and suspension, frame, pedal assembly, shock absorbers, seats, battery, fuel tank (1961 or later), steering column, brakes, instruments and switches, windshield wiper, horn and emergency flasher unit.
[edit] 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 and are used by US Navy Seals. The DPVs are built by Chenowth Racing Products Inc., a San Diego based company. Like most military material, it is not sold to people outside the army.
[edit] Tube Framed Buggies
Over time Buggies have been altered to allow maximum recreational use. They are now available in varying sizes.
The most common form of non-racing buggy consists of a 'tube frame' which is simple to construct and sturdy. If the frame bends or breaks then it is very simple to fix. Steel tubing is preferred to "pipe" as 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 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 . Dune buggies may be equipped with automatic or manual transmissions, but manual transmissions are the norm.
Engine sizes vary anywhere between 50 cc for small light buggies to large V8 engines designed to race professionaly.
[edit] 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.
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.
[edit] Dune buggies in fiction/movies
- In Half-Life 2, the protagonist Gordon Freeman was able to drive a dune buggy.
- Dune buggies were especially made popular by movies such as Mad Max.
- A buggy is used on the animated Lilo and Stitch: The Series.
- For a brief time in the mid-1970s, Spider-Man used a modified dune buggy as his "Spider-Mobile".
- The 1973 cartoon series Speed Buggy featured an anthopomorphic dune buggy, voiced by Mel Blanc.
- In the lego Dino Attack series the urban avenger is an appearance of a dune buggy.
- In the The Thomas Crown Affair (1968 film), Steve McQueen's character drives a dune buggy along the beach.
[edit] See also
- Meyers Manx - Fiberglass bodywork is added to a shortened VW pan to create a popular roadster
- EMPI Imp
- Baja Bug
- All-terrain vehicle
