Matt's Single Seat Comp Rig

[Chris Geiger]

After an outstanding year in the Ftoy Class, Matt Messer will be steping up to the unlimited class for the 2008 Series with Hobie Smith serving as spotter. Matt has recently purchased a used unlimited rig for the job. A number of improvements will be performed on the rig to bring it current. The motor is a turbo charged Ecotech, Hughes transmission, Atlas Transfer Case, ARB equipped Ford 9"/Dana 60 axles.

Here is the new creeper fresh out of the trailer...

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/newbuggy.jpg

[bigBs84]

That is so sick can't wait to see some trail-gear colors on it. Good luck in 2008:flame: :rockon:

[Hooch]

Whats up with his Ftoy?? I'd take that thing to all the events. Hook a brotha up! :thumbs:

[tj40ounce]

sick!

[Gettintheretoy]

Very cool guys. Is Hobie still going to compete in the ftoy class. Who will be driving the TG Ftoy?

[Chris Geiger]

Not sure what will be happening with the Ftoy at this time. I am sure that someone will be driving it.

[locktup]

Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me!!!!!!!

[muddymav]

Send the formula toy over here for us to show it off:D:thumbs:.

Jason already has a bling truck.

[YELLOWHOBO]

Those tires are Gay!!! :haha: :p

[ColdRunner]

can we get some vids of it in action?

[Chris Geiger]

Currently the rig is undergoing a bit of prerace maintenance...

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/080207_0049-600.jpg

Eventually we will have some video.

[ColdRunner]

well i guess that make it a little hard to get good footage...

[YELLOWHOBO]

Those Jack stands are Gay!! :haha: :p

[subliminaltrips]

your geigh!!
:haha:

[Chris Geiger]

The buggy gets a fresh coat of paint...

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0253.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0254.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0255.jpg

[bigBs84]

lookin sweet.:thumbs: that thing is crazy it is a tube benders nightmare.:haha:

[Chris Geiger]

Front end installation....

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0259.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0260.jpg

[GeoTracker90]

Looks realy nice. Looks like the links are solid aluminum. What diameter and alloy?

Also do you have any pictures of the engine and transmission assembly? I've contemplated putting a stock Ecotech in my Geo Tracker and having a little fun with it.

Again, great looking buggy!!

[Chris Geiger]

The links are solid 7075 aluminum. The link sizes are 2" for the lower links, 1.75" for the uppers, and 1.25 for the parnhard bars.

I post some motor shots in this thread a little later.

[jackrista]

is that a ford 9" housing or a mod'ed toy housing??

[Chris Geiger]

is that a ford 9" housing or a mod'ed toy housing??

Currie 9" w/ARB's front and rear.

[Trail-Gear]

is that a ford 9" housing or a mod'ed toy housing??

Yes, it's a 9" flipped over.

Matt

[jackrista]

will you be running the 6 somthing gears or in the 5.29 range??

[Trail-Gear]

will you be running the 6 somthing gears or in the 5.29 range??

They are 5.83 ratio.

Matt

[YELLOWHOBO]

Those links are so polished, they look fake - Bling, Bling! :pirate: :rockon:

[murd0c]

whats with the chunk taken out of that one link it looks like?

[Jafa]

prolly a bit of clearance for the pinion flange I reakon:oops:

[Chris Geiger]

It is clearance for the front U-joint.

[bigBs84]

sick!!!!!!!!!! what upgrades are you doing to it from the way it was other than some trail-gear colors.:thumbs:

[Chris Geiger]

One of the items we will be installing is an oil accumulator. This will supply oil to the motor while operating for short times while inverted.

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0297.jpg

A few more planned upgrades:

The chromoly axles will be replaced with 300M units
A Lovell air shifter transfer case will replace the Atlas
The steering ram will receive a small bumper for protection
There has been talk about adding an innercooler to the turbo for more HP
New 40" sticky Krawler tires and Trail-Gear wheels.

[bigBs84]

sweet it sounds like a killer build. The parts you are pulling off are very respectfull has there been some catastrafic failures with some of these parts in compitetion on other rigs or are these just the cutting edge things to run.

[Chris Geiger]

The 35 spline axles shafts that came with the truck show signs of imminent failure. I don't think they would hold up to even one more competition, so they are being replaced before they fail. The front steering ram is positioned such that it has no protection from the rocks. Without a guard in place, a rock could wipe out the steering with a single hit. The guard will greatly reduce the chances of that happening. The atlas has been working normally but it is common for these cases to be hard to shift when in a bind. The air shifted Lovell cases shift much faster and can make the difference between hitting a cone or not.

Matt wants to win the we-rock unlimited class in 2008.

[bigBs84]

Oh I see Good luck Matt would love to see you win in 08

[Chris Geiger]

New brake master cylinders:

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0304.jpg

Rear Axle Installed:
http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0305.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0306.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0307.jpg

[YELLOWHOBO]

I saw the buggy today and it was almost ready to roll - new meats came in (but weren't attached yet). Can't wait to see it compete... can be proud with the Krawlers on that thing.

[freds40]

Just curious but why the immediate swap to Krawlers? I've heard good things about the CCs but haven't had the chance to run either.

[Trail-Gear]

Just curious but why the immediate swap to Krawlers? I've heard good things about the CCs but haven't had the chance to run either.

You just had to ask didn't you.....

Well, I have been studying tires for about 2 years now. I have watched many of my fellow competitors change to another tire brand only to return to using the BFG Krawlers.

The Krawlers that I will be running are a brand new version in which 1/2 of the tread has already been removed at the factory. They call them 1/2 cut tires. The research has proven that a 1/2 cut tire will stick better than a full treaded tire.

The other reason I like the Krawlers (call me wired), but more rock crawling championships have been won on Krawlers than on any other brand tire.

Another observations is that the Krawler has more side wall strength. This is very important when side hilling. I have witnessed other brand tires rolling the side wall resulting in the front of the car sliding down hill taking out a cone.

I could go on forever....so I will stop now.

Another reason is that's the tire Locktup runs.


Thanks,
Matt

[casey105]

Hey, that's why I run Krawler tire's. I LIKE LOCKTUP.............Nice rig Matt.

[YELLOWHOBO]

Krawlers are the best for going slow up big rocks!!!! But I only have 1.5 years experience.

I like LOCKTUP too!!

[jackrista]

will you be selling the old tires matt??

[Trail-Gear]

Most likely I will. I will send you a PM when I am ready to move them.

Thanks,
Matt

[freds40]

Thanks Matt.

Any more pics? When's the first shakedown run?

[Trail-Gear]

Thanks Matt.

Any more pics? When's the first shakedown run?

I will be taking the buggy out mid week for some testing. It drives now, but we tore the inner axle seal when installing the long side axle shaft in the front. Also we may have a problem with the front ARB, so either way the diff has to be pulled out. The list for this week is:

1. Repair front diff and inner axle seals.
2. Install TG Beadlocks with new Krawlers.
3. Install new side panels.
4. Install gages. This will require tig welding some trick new mounts for the gages.
5. Rage 2nd Gear around the building!

Matt

[The General]

Please,please,please... do the shake down at my house. i'll even have lunch for you. Iced tea on the back patio.
seriously you know your welcome any time.

[Trail-Gear]

Please,please,please... do the shake down at my house. i'll even have lunch for you. Iced tea on the back patio.
seriously you know your welcome any time.

Your On Buddy!

Matt

[bigBs84]

I want to come and watch I think you might be able to open up some new lines with that thing :haha:

[GeoTracker90]

Still waiting for pictures of the engine - transmission assembly. I can tell from the pictures that you've poosted that you've been busy.

You said that you are running a Hughes transmission but what make and model is it? Is it a Turbo 400 or 700R4 that has an adapter plate to bolt up to the Ecotech motor? Just interested in how this combination is put together.

Thanks!!

p.s. Can't wait for the Trail-Gear T.V. video that shows this buggy in action.

[Chris Geiger]

Sorry about that, I got distracted. Here are some motor shots....

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0351.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0353.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0354.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0355.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2007-0352.jpg

[85solid]

Thats What Im Talking About!!!!

[bigBs84]

you guys just have to much fun. If thats posable :D

[rockrash]

I beleive it is a power glide correct me if I am wrong Chris.:rockon2:

[Trail-Gear]

I beleive it is a power glide correct me if I am wrong Chris.:rockon2:

Your correct. It's a Hughes built glide.

Matt

[bigBs84]

Well Matt did you go test it out yet? And wheres my invite :haha: just messin with you

[Chris Geiger]

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/1.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/2.jpg

[Chris Geiger]

Normally the day before we go to an event we load up the truck and pack the trailer with tools and get everything ready to go. This time we thought Matt's buggy was all set to go. We just needed to drive around the parking lot and set the air pressure in the new 16" shocks we put on the truck. After a weeks worth of prep work we thought we were just about ready to go. When Nick started up the buggy we heard a funny noise like a rod knock. With a stethoscopes I check out the block, no noise at all. Then I check back further and found we had a ticking noise coming from the transmission. After pulling the pan and checking things out we desided to pull the tranny. This involved removing the rear suspension, axle and motor.

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/3.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/4.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/6.jpg

We found a broken pump gear inside the transmission. Fortunately we have a fully built Hughes Performance transmission standing by as a spare. It's now 9PM here at the shop and we are working as fast as we can to get the rig back together and on the road to get to the CalRoc event this weekend.

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/7.jpg

[Hooch]

What would cause a pump gear to do that? :(

[Trail-Gear]

What would cause a pump gear to do that? :(

BIG AIR and landing on the crossmember is what I think it was. The transmission that was in the buggy was almost 2 years old, so that does not help either.

Matt

[TOYOTAPARTS]

Thats amazing you guys put that thing back together in time...how many guys did it take?

[Chris Geiger]

Four guys worked on it till 2 am Thursday night, then from 8-noon on Friday. The whole process was much harder then it should be. The motor will be coming out again soon in order to rework the rear to allow faster replacing of the engine and trans. The process now is very difficult now, but can be made much easier with some reworking of the cage.

[TOYOTAPARTS]

like some bolt in mounts or cage pieces..still, hats off to you guys..:bow:

[88toyota]

wow, very nice, keep up the good work guys! :thumbs:

[jackrista]

how is the new rig doin??

[Chris Geiger]

The rig is working great. This week we are replacing the brake master cylinder pedal assembly and installing separate hand levers for each wheel.

[88toyota]

nice :thumbs:

[Chris Geiger]

A few pic from todays practice....

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/9.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/10.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/12.jpg

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/13.jpg

[Mattapo]

that has to be one of the coolest things I have seen. (build degisns flow through head, then reality kicks in)

[bigBs84]

:thumbs: thats sick Matt! love the twisted up shot that is insane :eek2:

[Loki]

Another reason is that's the tire Locktup runs.


Thanks,
Matt

:loser:OCKTUP That's all you had to say :cheer:

[Chris Geiger]

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/14.jpg

[Chris Geiger]

Time for some paint and adjustments to the motor mounts...

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/15.jpg

[Chris Geiger]

Matt's new "Spiderman" fire suit, check out those stripes!

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/race-suit.jpg

Ok the stripes are a bit too much. This one is going back.

[Mattapo]

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

thats cool, part from the stripes, they need to be pin stripes to be cool don't they???

[Napolian]

Matt's new "Spiderman" fire suit, check out those stripes!

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/race-suit.jpg

Ok the stripes are a bit too much. This one is going back.

Big Pimpin

[highlander]

What if any modifications have been done (or can be done)to help oil the pinion with the upside down 9" thirdmembers. We are in the middle of building a mog-9 rear that will see moderate street use. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Chris Geiger]

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/matts-buggy-600.jpg

[UKMyers]

Sweet pics Chris. I used that twisted up shot in an Informative Speech I had to do for school. My topic was Rockcrawlers and what it takes to make one that works well. One of my main topics was a Flexible suspension. That one of it crossed up worked perfectly for people who have no clue to picture what the hell I was talking about. I mentioned you by name in the speech since it was required to cite all sources. I got an A so I guess the teacher liked it.

BTW to you youngins go to school now because it sucks when your almost 30and you have to go to community college till 10pm at night to try and get your degree!!!!!

[propane]

Nice work. It never fails that there will be a last minute problem with the deepest in part.

[88toyota]

haha, thanks for the advice UKMyers, im planning on staying in school

[j81hatala]

Chris or Matt

i am getting ready to order my axles from curie, if it is passible can i get the measurement on you axles for this rig. i like how they work and the stance of the rig. and would you chand any thing in the setup of the axles

thanks and hope to compete with you in within 2 years

[Frankenyota]

I want an ecotec for my toyota! Where is the best place to get one, and how much will I have to pay? will I be able to bolt it up to a stock toy 5-speed tranny? :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

[92toy4130]

http://www.trail-gear.com/bbs/single/12.jpg

thats a pretty wild picture.

[Beamslow]

nice ride matt looks like your havin fun!! matt.

[tattoo]

Nice.

[gmoney]

sweet!!

[mtm]

just been having a gander at the pics and that is one cool ride:thumbs::thumbs:

[tattoo]

He sure enjoys his job. LOL

[MAPPcustom]

Good job, very clean......................J-S (Québec crawler boy)