Hot Rod Waggy, Wisky Tango Foxtrot?

Really??


I am unsure of where to even start.
Don't try this at home kids.  

I've seen a lot of "Hot Rods" and a lot of them don't need to drive or ever really get driven. They're just for show. So, at least they got the name right.

Other than a little axle wrap when braking, you don't think that's a pretty good farmer technique?  

I bet there is hardly any axle wrap! I'd be more worried about those welds on the cast inner knuckle!  

All inner knuckles are welded on. The strength comes from the fit over the axle tube. The weld just keeps the knuckle from spinning. It's no easy task to remove the knuckle from the axle tube, so I'd guess the axle tube was cut and a hole cut into the drop arm, and then the tube, not the knuckle, was welded in place. Similar to the way the drop arm is mounted to the axle beam. If you look close, you can see the tube and the weld next to the drop arm.

As far as the axle wrap, that's a pretty long drop arm creating a big ol lever. Look how much axle warp is created by moving the springs in a SOA conversion. That's moving the center line 4 times that far. If the axle wrapped at all it would cause a caster change to the negative which would make the steering feel lighter and lighter the harder the brakes were applied.

The more I look at the picture, I like the lack of u-bolts even better! I guess you go with what you've got lying around.  

The lack of u-bolts was my 1st "Oh My *** Then as you look at the materials used and the welds that hold them together, wow.
I like the idea of the truck and especially like a cheap build. The junkyard is full of solid axles that could have been swapped into this project.
This picture could have been left out of the photoshoot and we would have never known.

When looking at my preview since when is God a word that needs to be censored???  

Rustoleum is cheap, if he would have just put a nice coat of Hammered Black on it you guys probably would have never even noticed. On that note, yea, it's a little sketch, but we've all seen worse.

"When looking at my preview since when is God a word that needs to be censored???"

That's a good question... the better question is why did it do it once and not the second  time? This system does stuff that boggles all of our minds some times, like when it censors do but not crap.  
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So it's not a Jeep... sue me... it's still faster!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? PM Me!

how about the fact that there are no gussets to keep the pos from folding inward on itself? wtf, are the "spring bolt" sleeves welded to the boat trailer axle? there is so much wrong here i do not know where to start. i cannot believe jp put a watermark on that pic! that looks like something out of a remedial text book for retarded booty fab 101!    

as far as axle wrap goes i was under the impression the SOA causes the axle wrap from moving the spring further from the ground (which is where the leverage is coming from), so in theory the closer to the ground the better right (or to an extent)?

but in any manner it works, and when it fails the truck don't have far to fall!  

It is the thickness of the spring pack that creates a lever in an SOA conversion. Moving the spindle further from the main leaf creates a longer lever that has more mechanical advantage over the spring. This lever is further lengthened by the radius of the wheel and tire combination. Larger diameter tires have more axle wrap potential. A spring and perch that is intended to be mounted SOA, take these increased forces into account. An SUA usually allows you to run a softer spring because the spring pack thickness lever doesn't exist. A firmer rate spring obviously would resist axle wrap better.  

Hey guys, I am the owner/builder of the Hot Rod Waggy.  I was wondering how many of you would get your undies in a bunch over this.  First thing I would like to say is I put over 12,000 miles on this in one year.  I drove it all year round in South Dakota, -10 degree weather and 100 degree weather.  After driving for a year there were zero handling or braking issues.  While building it several very competent vehicle builders had zero doubt in this setup.

I could have easily bought a hot rod style drop beam, and bolted it on similar to most of you have done with your TJ suspensions, but that takes zero skill or talent to to do.  Some of you may not like it, but the fact is that it worked perfectly and safely for many miles, and I would still be driving it today if it hadn't been t-boned.  

Next time I build another Jeep I guess I will just find a red TJ and toss on an ill handling short arm 4" kit, and some 35's on stock axles just so I can fit in with most of you whole think you are hard core wheelers.  Then I won't be looked down on for trying to build something a little different that hasn't been done before.

Have a nice day, and feel free to post some pics of your "one off" or never been done before creations that actually get used.  

We just got told... lol  
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So it's not a Jeep... sue me... it's still faster!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? PM Me!

Well you must be the first person who has ever built a one-off prototype that works "perfect". And as far as "safely", have you ever seen what happens when a heim joint goes bad? Why do you think they're not DOT approved for steering!

A lot of what we do to our Jeeps have pros and cons. None of them are perfect. That's why they are only finished when we sell them. Don't take it personal. We're really just jealous that our junk didn't get in the mag.  

man this is great. usually it is the big dumb mud truck builders with the "i built it and it works fine so it must be good" reasoning. plain and simple, you are an idoit! you "fabbed" up a "one off" front end. big deal. i hope your first grader failed the scince fair project that ya'll built it for. that looks about the engineering skill that was pressent during the build... and i know, you are a sientist or a super engineer so you do not have to throw that in there in your responce. do you know why those builders sell the "hot rod style drop beam" they sell them because some people, like you and your first grader, do not have the skills to fabricate one. that rusted junk is booty fab in so many ways, hell you did not even have the skill to squirt some damn paint on that thing! no one is bitching because it is diffrent. it is because that is a disater waiting to happen. had you not been to arrogant, or ignorant, and not ignored your limitations and bought the corect piece than it might have been ok. your pride, or ignorance, might kill someone else and that is what is wrong with it and you. lol, it is your shitpile do as you wish but i hope you do not kill someone else when that crap comes appart.  

I freaking love the hot rod waggy!!!!!!!!!!! I think it's the coolest this ever, I can honestly say that I hope my daily driver is near that cool.

I also think that if some of the doubters saw the wagon in person and got a chance to ride in it there worries would be disposed of! I bet it's just one of those things that look more sketchy than they really are!

in any manner it's supper badass and if you ever need to get rid of it let me know! lol  

What a great discussion, you all made my night.
One asking if the drop bracket is safe, then everyone jumps in and cries foul. When the builder steps up, and defends his position, his work is called *** Great job on every bodies part.
Sure that front end looked butch without paint, but who hasn't made something that wasn't prett?  I'm sorry the Hot Rod Waggy got wrecked - and that whoever offered to buy it didn't read that it was wrecked before making his offer. This whole thing was railroaded into a great attack on the design rather than a reasonable discussion about alternative ideas.