Got Wratchet to the OHV park, but it was cut short by SNOW Storm!

Hello all,
Well I got out to the OHV park again, but it was cut short by a snow storm, which was not in the forecast!
But I did get some video footage, and here it is. Although I'm hoping to get back out there again to push Wratchet a little harder.

[@Bajahaha70]

Well I’m jealous!! A bad day in the bug is better than a good day at work 😂 I really appreciate what you are sharing you are definitely helping me out with my plans and your quality of fabrication is amazing I wish I could afford to have you build my Baja

[@DougBugBuilder]

Good point, definitely better than being at work. 😉 Good luck with your Baja build, I'll give you all the moral support I can.

[@davidmays3333]

That place looks awesome!! Your Baja looks like it was smooth over the jumps. Great one

[@DougBugBuilder]

Thanks 👍 It needs some tweaks, but so far it actually lands really well over the bigger jumps.

[@DesertRatFabrication]

Hey Mike glad to see the trailering went good, you have a sweet setup, you we’re getting some air brother, wow, Wratchet performed awesome, catch you soon 😀😀

[@DougBugBuilder]

Thanks Mike, she pulls great, you barely even know the trailer is back there. The RV is a slow fat pig, pulling the trailer just makes it a slower fatter pig. 😉

[@DesertRatFabrication]

@@DougBugBuilder 😀😀👍👍

[@ciobanuvalentinmail]

Finaly i can see you using the big toy, superb, awesome car, congrat, suuuper. 😅😊

[@DougBugBuilder]

Thanks!

[@bajarunner1128]

Good to see Ratchet progressing! Great test day when zero tools are needed, those are the best!. The throttle can be dealt with in the ECU but I think what I'm seeing is a hanging pedal (coming from above) without a footrest and an input ratio of 1:1 foot to pedal. The input is amplified the higher the driver is seated from the floorboard and the more incline there is foot to hip. The more level your leg is to the floor pan the easier it is to control. I would start by installing a footrest for your heel and see how you like it. Then look at slowing the input down mechanically by running a small rod connected with a pair of heim joints from a floor mounted throttle pedal to the FBW pedal. This ratio can be changed by changing the location of the rod in relationship to the pivot location on the throttle pedal mounted to the floorboard. I dont like the idea of softening the input electronically because personally I want my throttle response to be quick and accurate just like a cable or mechanical connection. The slight change in the mechanical ratio will still give you that one-on-one response but slow the movement down just a hair. You could also experiment with a bell crank between pedal and FBW, those are cool! Look up Tilton throttle pedal. Last comment, man that's a ton of steering feedback, even with a manual steering setup, check out an electric power steering system, very popular in Baja Bugs. Now go make some dust!

[@DougBugBuilder]

You're spot on with the pedal, it hangs, and hangs high. There is no foot rest either, so when my foot starts bouncing that all goes into the pedal. For starters I'm going to try to make some sort of foot rest that will really stabilize my foot, and give me something to pivot on. If I need more than that I will get creative with linkage. Thanks for all the ideas. 👍

[@billybike57]

Good to see Ratchet kickin it!

[@DougBugBuilder]

Couldn't agree more. ✌

[@brandongresham9278]

A heel stop under the pedal would help alot with throttle management. If it is drive by wire you could extend the early linearity of the trottle to slow down bounce inputs. If it is cable driven, putting a heavier spring could help. Really enjoy the content. I like the rethink to traditional baja bugs.

[@DougBugBuilder]

I need something like that, right now there's nothing, and my foot bounces all over the place. Thanks for the ideas. 👍

[@lastfanstanding999]

Looks like it is balanced pretty well ! 😯😏

[@DougBugBuilder]

It's pretty neutral, if I'm accelerating off the jump the nose stays up a little, if you are decelerating over the jump in noses down. But either one isn't to extreme.

[@thebinderbuilder]

Looking real good!

[@DougBugBuilder]

Thanks!

[@iboostbuilt5694]

Looking so good!!

[@DougBugBuilder]

Thank you!!

[@kshepthedrummer]

You should be able to adjust/tune the ramp of the throttle so that something like the first 25% of pedal travel equates to 10% of throttle, and then ramps in harder. And play with it until you get it where you're happy. That way the first bit of pedal travel won't be as touchy on the throttle.

[@DougBugBuilder]

I was playing with that some when initially setting up the AEM, I need to visit that again and see what I can do with it. Thanks for the reminder.

[@cringram1003]

Asome looks really good wish me luck, had shock .

[@DougBugBuilder]

Good luck... But what am I wishing you good luck for?

[@Johnny-tc6tz]

Great video,, I really liked the suspension views, Dam you really launch that car. That suspension works great. I don't remember if you installed electric or hydraulic steering in Wratchet , looks like a lot of feedback in the steering wheel ?. Could be just the video.

[@DougBugBuilder]

There's no steering assist or dampening right now, I need to address that, it bounces all over the place.

[@LS_FAB]

Build yourself a pedal with a toe hook! You can make the electric pedal work with a billet pedal or something you build. I believe kibbetech has a picture on his website showing how he did it on his billet pedal.

[@DougBugBuilder]

I'll look that up and see if I can see what you're talking about. I could do something like that if I needed to. Thanks for the tip. 👍

[@jasonlind6790]

I have the same foot and throttle problem in my side by side on the dunes. I found that if I push my heel into the floorboard a little bit my foot will stay planted better.

[@DougBugBuilder]

Yeah, that could be part of the problem, I don't really have anything to rest my foot on. It's just hanging out there, so any foot bouncing is transferred right into the pedal.

[@MiahsBug]

Thanks for sharing. Too bad the drone didn’t work out. Next time maybe. Do you plan on traveling south to get some dessert runs in once you and the wife hit the road?

[@DougBugBuilder]

It was so windy, and then the snow. Mother nature was definitely against me yesterday. 😉 I am planning some trips, so far looking East and West, but open to anything. Although we are starting with shorter trips to get into our groove.

[@Paul_VanGo]

Along with the suggestions here, try to add an extra pull-spring on rhe gas pedal. It will dampen your foot movements.

[@DougBugBuilder]

Yeah, I agree with that. The factory DBW pedal offers little resistance, it doesn't stop my bouncing foot at all.

[@philsulzberger7018]

appears to be giving extra feedback thru the steering wheel ??, especially when landing a jump. Do the new steer tyres have a squarer shoulder on them ? Did not notice as much on last "in car "test day.

[@DougBugBuilder]

The feedback seems about the same. My steering is actually a ticking time bomb for me. Meaning with no power steering and no stabilizer the feedback can be dangerously aggressive. These tires are softer, but bigger than the previous tires. So that might be adding to it too.

[@ataxpayer723]

Don't forget to keep your thumbs outside the steering wheel!

[@DougBugBuilder]

Yes, I'm working on that. 👍

[@thebinderbuilder]

What RPM do you target? It sounds like your under 3k. Which sounds like lugging it. I wonder if you take some sensitivity out of the pedal, and use higher RPM (which naturally is more responsive), if that will help solve your throttle issue. Im super sensitive to RPM cau😢se when I built Porsches, if you were under 3k RPM, you ran a real risk of tanking the motor - as they are built for high RPM. Its a different kind of driving, just cause your higher RPM, doesnt mean your floored...just let the motor sing. Porsches really LOVE it, and they perform best and are healthier in the higher RPM. I think youll find your buggy may (likewise) perform better higher in the RPMs and you can dial out that sensitivity in the pedal.

[@DougBugBuilder]

Usually I'm between 2,000-4,800rpm, but even at 2,000 if I come around a turn and I've slowed down a lot it lugs a little before coming back up. It get's peppy above 3,000, I'm just not always up there.

[@thebinderbuilder]

@@DougBugBuilder Okay, that makes sense and sounds very familiar. May I suggest then, that you give it a try...meaning try to keep it higher in the RPMs via down-shifting or simply not up-shifting. This is not to say you have to floor it, in my old Porsches I wasn't 'gunning it' but rather for regular driving, I simply let the engine Rev to 4k before upshifting in order to keep the RPMs constantly over 3k. That is, of course until you get to cruising speed, then you shift up and drop RPMs. My family still lives in the Springs, and my cousin has a Lotus Elise. That thing LOVES being over 6k. Which is uncomfortable to me, but when you get it between 6 and 9k, it is a completely different animal all together. My point and suggestion is that you try it and see. I think once you get used to the higher RPM, you'll find Wratchet a completely new machine. Your torque-y little motor makes it possible to lug it around, but as you get comfortable I think you'll enjoy the motor higher in the RPMs... and frankly, the motor is in much less stress and load up there. For those reading this and thinking I'm crazy. Consider for a moment where these motors make thier power and where the real power comes on. I'm not suggesting that you 'race' your motors, like some teenage knuckle head. I'm simply advocating that we allow our motors to operate where they naturally make thier power and then use LESS throttle, keeping the load on the motor DOWN. I know it's a foreign idea and many folks in the offroad scene likes to crawl, but does high reving hurt a motorbike? Or a two-stroke? Of course not, and higher RPMqs is where you see the most performance.

[@DougBugBuilder]

@@thebinderbuilder I'll give it a go, thanks for the tips. ✌

[@thebinderbuilder]

@@DougBugBuilder sorry for being so long winded. I realize that the parts of RAM in your videos seem to be 'short course' and don't lend to higher RPM...but when your travel and get out in the open...let her sing! Anyway, love the videos, I can't wait to see the drone shots when that happens.

[@DJ-yp4kc]

future Race with NTD? just wondering

[@DougBugBuilder]

Anything is possible. 🏆😁