Week 1

NOTE: The dates on the post were changed to keep the pictures in chronological order

Last updated: April 10, 2006

Summary: We took the car and transfered it from Stryker, OH to Edgerton, OH. Once we got to edgerton we jack the car up and evalutated the situation under the car. We began by cutting out holes in the trunk to where we would mount the box steel sleeves for our hydraulic cylinders. We made brackets that would fit near the holes in the top of the trunk and the bottom of the unibody frame. We then used threaded steel rod to sandwich our brackets between the frame, giving us a solid mounting point for our box steel sleeve. This also reinforced the frame. By the end of the weekend we accomplished on both sides cutting two holes in the trunk, reinforcing the frame, and tack welded the outside box steel sleeve in place.

Moving the car from Stryker, OH to the Al's work garage(Edgerton).


On the trailer ready to go.


Parked in the ol' Toyota to get the project going.


Taking a look under the trunk to see what we have to work with.


Finally realizing this won't be as easy as planned.


Cutting the first hole.


Cutting brackets to length.


Finishing up the brackets.


Cutting some steel rod used to sandwich brackets together.


Brackets installed and mocking up the outside steel sleeve.


Bottom bracket sandwiched between the unibody frame.


Bracket installed and steel sleeve tack welded into place.


Al in uniform.


Our only foul up so far. A piece of metal that was rescently torched off a bracket was laying on the ground and then an extension cord happened to place itself on the hot scrap steel. POP!! It blew a breaker and we all had a chuckle. The cord is currently tied in a knot in a corner where it will probably never get fixed... ;)

Week 2

Summary: The bracket for the other hole was completed. Holes were then drilled in the outside steel sleeves. These holes will contain rods that will suspend the hydraulic cylinder in the steel sleeve. When the brackets were installed, they were not as square as we needed them to be. So a majority of the day was spent squaring up the brackets in preperation of welding the tower sleeves in place. Once that was taken care of we then welded the outside part of the steel sleeve into its final position. Then the next we notched out the "v shaped" cuts on the inside steel sleeve so the sleeve could slide all the way up without hitting the rod that will be installed.


Finishing the other cylinder towner


HI


Cutting some steel


Cylinder in the steel tower


Not a bad first step

Week 3

Summary: We put the ol' Toyota onto the trailer again, except to take it to one our main sponsors
FluidConcepts shop. Here we took suggestions from Randy Mann our man to turn to for professional advice. He suggested adding cross members between the two outside box steel sleeves. He also suggested that we changed how we were going to lift the rear of the car and also how to slide the rear sideways. Most of these revisions were because he was curious on the stability of the cylinders when lateral force is applied. We changed the design of the system used to move the car sideways from a 1 idle wheel and 1 driving wheel, to a 2 idle wheel and a center driving wheel. We also fabricated up a bracket to attach the hydraulic motor to the lifting crossmember.

Cylinder tower and crossmember welded in.


Rear lifting device crossmember.


Attaching Hydraulic motor to mounting bracket.


Centering the motor/bracket


Motor/bracket tacked into place.


Marking hole on the spare tire recess where motor will be stored when retracted


Lifting crossmember removed and hydraulic cylinders exposed.


Lifting crossmember partially completed, needs 2 casters and 1 driving wheel.


Rough cutting where the hydraulic motor will rest.


Fine cutting the hole.

Week 4

Summary: Well to start the weekend out when we went to start the car it didn't even turn over...no problem this has happend before to this car. So we connect the jumper cables and wait 5 minutes for the battery to charge. We try to turn the motor and nothing so we have to push the car around the building into the garage. First thing we do is sit down with Randy and draw up a wiring diagram. We also did a diagram of the hydraulic system. This weekend so far we installed the pump/reservoir, pump solonoid, the switches and part of the wiring. We also designed two drive shafts to be used on the idle wheels, and messed around with the sideways driving wheel.

Wiring up some switches.


More wiring.


Prepping the surfact to be welded.


Machining a bracket for the hydraulic pump.


Mounting the switch box.


Our buddy Steve lays down some welds.


Switch box in place.


Placing the pump solonoid.


Wiring the switch box.


More wiring.......


Hydraulic pump/reservoir and pump solonoid placement.


Tubbed out back seat.


Al and Randy designin shafts.

Week 5

Wiring the terminal strips


Terminal strips mounted


manifold/solonoid/terminal strips in place


Idle wheel axles


The lowering crossmember


Idle wheels and custom axles


The old bracket and hydraulic motor/wheel


New custom made bracket


Lowering crossmember pretty much done


Hydraulic motor on new bracket


Our $3.50 nut w/ set screw


Al working the nut...tee hee


Manifold w/ adaptors and switches

Week 6

Summary: We fastend the the hydraulic pump/reservoir into the car. Randy appointed one of the guys from Fluid Concepts to finish the plumbing for the hydraulic system. We ran our lines to the cylinders and hydraulic motor/wheel, then these connected to the hydraulic manifold. Additionaly we attached a pressure regulator to the left/right hydralic valve. The regulator would keep the sideways motion from starting and stopping jerky, to smooth and steady(in the video we are adjusting the pressure to find the best sideways motion). Next we greased up the box steel sleeves to make them slide up and down easier. Then we connected the battery and PRESTO! IT WORKS! Now we just need to do some finishing touches and we will be ready for the expo. More pics and vids coming soon....be patient because this thing rocks ^_^