Altima powered sand rail

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krygods
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Altima powered sand rail

Post by krygods »

I just purchased a '94 Altima and I'm planning on removing the front end and dropping it into the back of the sand rail in a mid engine setup.

Any suggestions or comments are welcome. I'm trying to come up with a way to increase the suspension travel without too many modifications...
ak_slick
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Post by ak_slick »

You might have to define "Too Many Modifications"

There are two routes I see the sand rails take around here (Vegas)

One increase track width: suspension arms length, axles etc...

But the better option in my opinion is to get some high angle cv joint... They give you a lot of travel without increasing your track width, You would just have to figure out how to mount them on your current axles or make some custom ones/adapter or something.

See DesertKarts.com

Online Catalog>930 Driveline> 930 CV Joint At 59.00 a pop they really aren't that bad.

Porsche uses a splicer(RZEPPA???) cv which is superior to the u-joint for high angle use, this is probably the best option if you can make it work... figuring out the mounting is up to you though.

Hope this helps.

***Addendum*** It just occurred to me that we are talking about an Altima engine which is already front wheel drive and probably already has high angle cv's on the front axles... I don't know this for certain though. Again I hope my rambling helps.
ak_slick
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Post by ak_slick »

And off course depending on how much actual suspension travel you really want you might want to use a combination of the two techniques.

What kind of suspension setup are you thinking of using? (Trailing?)
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TinyT
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Post by TinyT »

here is my negative post for the day


if you have to ask about doing something like this, you shouldnt do it. progression is the key to understanding this world of auto/motorsports. this is the kind of project that if you are gonna do it, you know how to do it and dont need to ask the most general of questions. whats your experience with mechanics, physics, math, machining, fabricating, welding, etc. etc.
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AK-Z
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Post by AK-Z »

technically that wouldn't be a "mid-engine" layout. that would be a rear-engine layout.
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tegls1
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Post by tegls1 »

Physics is one thing but most of it has been done for him if he is chopping the front.
Krygods it all depends how much travel you want your suspention to have. You will have to fabricate something to lock the wheels from turning. Maybe some tirods welded to a plate attached to the frame. It will give you the ability to make toe adjustments. You could use stock suspension depending on how hard you plan on driving it. The front axels will flex enough for the job aslong as you doo not raise it too much.
If I spent half as much on me as I do my car I would feel special.
240drew
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Post by 240drew »

i don't think too much mod is a term i have ever heard used when building rails. I work on volks rails all the time and have build a few with my uncle and cousin. I would personally just use the volks suspension just because they have been used so manytimes and parts are so plentiful. I mean all that is needed is a mig welder tubing bender tubing and an old beetle. (roughly not includeing gauges, shifter stuff, fuel cell...ect) If you do the work yourself and have access to all the parts already then you are only in about 3k for a nice one.
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frankist
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Post by frankist »

its alot of modifications lol. a 930 trans will run you a couple grand. what kind of sand rail do you have?
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240drew
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Post by 240drew »

i have found some farily priced beatles. I mean I found one with a pretty trashed body for 700$ but engine was running needed a clutch but would move my uncle bought it. Then off that my uncle an I bent tubing and he taught me how to weld... I didn't do any of the actual welding just for safety... :oops: I know enough about rails to get me by but don't own one maybe when I am outta college. We do have three currently in the family. I drive a white one on a regular basis, its a pretty sick little build custom headers, compressions upped... to I dunno what. Lightened flywheel, cam'd, and headwork... As far as spesifics I dunno. What i do know is that with that lil engine going 35 and pinning it will breakloose, and dead stop dropping the clutch your looking at the sky.
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Cars
1996 240sx KAt28- Sold
1992 240sx RB20- Sold
1995 240sx RB25neo- Sold
1993 240sx 2jzgte- Sold
Current:
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TanManS14
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Post by TanManS14 »

I never understood this questions like this. Is it some quest to be super awesome jdm coolz and original? Why not start with a chassis built for it, like an mr2.. Why make it this hard on yourself, when the altima is not a special chassis at all.

If you say its because you already have an altima that's restarted, you're gonna spend way more time, money, and effort trying to get what you want out of that; which i bet my own poop (worth a lot, especially in worlds with mid engine altimas) that it will never get done, mainly because you're asking these questions. Or if you have a lot of money, its possible, but why you would want to do this to an altima is beyond me.
It's always broken.
240drew
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Post by 240drew »

Its not nessicarily restarted<haha but I would deffinatly choose a different platform. An old Fiero, MR2 can be had for next to nothing and a good suspension setup wouldn't be as hard to setup as fabricating the front end of an altima onto the ass-end of a sandrail.
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Cars
1996 240sx KAt28- Sold
1992 240sx RB20- Sold
1995 240sx RB25neo- Sold
1993 240sx 2jzgte- Sold
Current:
2006 Toyota Tundra
1995 240sx 2jzgte BWs366
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