Homemade Electric Buggy, Ep 1: Steel Tube Chassis

Homemade Electric Buggy, Ep 1: Steel Tube Chassis
In this video I begin building my homemade electric buggy/crosskart. Crosskarts are basically large, powerful go karts that are typically raced on dirt and ice rally tracks, sometimes also called ralley karts. I'm not a pro racer, so mine will be designed with a bit more ground clearance for ripping up the off road trails around my home instead, and will sport a 55 kW (74 hp peak) electric powertrain consisting of a liquid cooled ME1616 IPM motor from Motenergy, a KLS96601-8080IPS controller from Kelly Controller, and a custom built 102V/14kW LiFePO4 battery.
A breakdown of how I made the chassis and with what materials can be found at my blog:
renewablesystemstechnology.co...
Crosskart specs:
Motor - 55 kW (74 hp) liquid cooled Motenergy 1616
Battery - 96V, 9.6 kWh LiFePo4
Controller - Kelly KLS96601-8080I/IPS sinusoidal wave
Transmission - Chain drive w/ Honda CR-V limited slip differential, CV axles
Wheelbase - 77" (196 cm)
Track - 60"
Suspension - front & rear independent double wishbone w/ coil over shocks, 8" (200 mm) travel
Ground clearance - 10" (280 mm)
Wheels & tires - 22x7-10 front, 22x10-9 rear, Wanda sport tires
Tube notcher build video: • Making A Tube Notcher ...
Electric motorbike build:
• Build An Electric Moto...
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[@hippie-io7225]

Your frame building is in the best tradition of the AA Fuel dragsters back in the Don Garlits's era!

[@benroper294]

That looks strong, great start

[@lomoDaniel]

Been enjoying your channel for years, keep up the great content!

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

Excellent design and execution! With so many cross-members and reinforcing, I bet you are planning to make jumps with it :-) Can't wait to see how it evolves in the coming videos!

[@segoetnico]

Nice, this will have the strength of a tank with all these cross-members !

[@ravinloon7106]

The cross members are nice but he didn't sleave the frame where he butt welded it. Thats a major weak spot.

[@LukeTheJoker]

That looks like a nicely designed and very strong chassis, looking forward to the next video!

[@ismailaricioglu]

Beklenen şey geldi. Ellerine sağlık usta. Tarzın çok hoş. Video için tekrar teşekkürler.

[@RebelGoatFPV]

That's a beefy chassis! Nice work!

[@jarekmace1536]

I enjoyed this style of build video. I like that you showed the process for bending, cutting and fitting for a few parts, just to show how its done, then went ahead and built. I never really liked the ones where they show the process for every individual piece. Thank you.

[@LincesaMiko]

Looks amazing!

[@kristoufe]

Ce châssis de malade,ça risque pas de bouger ,bon boulot 👌👍

[@RoninXiC]

This .. is just amazing!

[@wesflack992]

This vehicle looks fun. Subscribed! You are doing some sweet electric builds. Keep it up.

[@azizkalmar9971]

Exquisites und ausgefeiltes Arbeitsprinzip

[@grizzly9274]

I love your videos and what you do! Good luck) I always watch your videos!

[@adenamsekian5279]

You are a talented machanic. Good luck forever.

[@Mrbooboo1972]

James my northern neighbor... Well done my friend. As usual .... can always expect something amazing and wonderful coming from your mind into a life if its own and being just Tesla level stuff and beyond. Great job my friend. Thanks so much for sharing this with us all.

[@Xstreamaudio]

Awsome job..you inspired me to get going on my build

[@cinarsinan]

The new awesomeness on the way

[@Nemey97]

very nice!

[@user-gq2pt3fz8o]

Hey James what a amazing work! But good luck welding all these acute angles!

[@AltarastLD]

Отличная идея сборочного стапеля. Кабина шикарная) Грамотно собранная, и НЕ выглядит как убогое г*вно, жду продолжения)

[@miguelpagansr6128]

Looks so good, can’t wait to see the end result. Do you know what electronics are going in it?

[@shossain2407]

Fantastic

[@yeetzachild2585]

this frame thoe strong looks straight outa my dream car builder

[@user-je1mq8xc7u]

nice project

[@lkhalemon1468]

Genius man

[@chrisdoucs]

Perfectly. Beautiful. ;- )

[@HUZAIFAKhan-kb1mz]

That amazing 😍

Nice 👍👍👍👍

[@danielalushaj7919]

Hey James i was wondering if there is going to be an update video on the electric street fighter bike?

[@JamesBiggar]

When I don't have to worry about ice, gravel, or newly formed craters in the roads - I live in Canada, spring is just getting started so DOT has a few weeks of work to get the winter damage cleaned and fixed up before I'm ready to take a street bike out onto these crap roads again.

[@danielalushaj7919]

@@JamesBiggar Understandable, Thank you.

[@GingerPiston]

@@JamesBiggar loving this new build, but with regards to the electric bike - do you have to jump through any hoops to register it as street legal in Canada? I’m in the UK and I know there’s quite the stringent set of rules to register a vehicle as street legal here. Cheers and keep up the great work!

[@deadsoul496]

Bro what an epic bike was that

[@nozboy3920]

Brother your grateful man & I help this beld mack next part 2 Wait now

[@sonicroshan7899]

Nice

[@meramtvhd]

Perfect

[@lucasramos410]

Parece ser tão fácil ❤

[@valiany]

id like it.

[@muscleman4799]

Holy crap where you get that tube bender tool. That’s ideal for build project I can’t wait to see this build. Sub and liked

[@MewMewMaw]

Nice!!!!!

[@hector6k]

NICE

[@iwankurniawan1081]

Mantap 👍👍👍

[@pxl666]

James is the guy one wants to get stuck on the island after plane crashed

[@brunogamesbr1]

I'm not lol, i would just realize how useless i am compared to him and die of depression or something

[@user-bx7rb8nu4e]

He won't has all this equipment

[@railfanbikana7820]

Which adhesive did you using for harden the glass fiber. Please answer me . Your bike's look was great.

[@morkovija]

Also that tube bender looks amazing. Did i miss a video about its creation? So much better than hydraulic powered ones

[@JamesBiggar]

I didn't make this one. I almost tried, but decided to buy instead. The dies are precise cut with a slight gothic arch profile (not a standard semi-circle) that helps the inside of the tube compress without kinking as it's drawn by the follower bar. No way I could replicate it and get results worth sharing without a working lathe. These rotary draw benders can also use hydraulics, but I assume you mean a 'pipe' bender (where the hydraulic cylinder is vertical and the die sits on top). Like a lot of others, I made the mistake of buying a hydraulic pipe bender a couple of years ago, thinking that I could bend DOM tubing with it. The listing said "Pipe/tube Bender". But it was bs. They're meant for thick walled pipe only. They kink thin wall tubing. There are a few tricks people use to limit the kinking, but they're a pita to do.

[@morkovija]

@@JamesBiggar thank you for sharing. hopefully would help others!

[@D-factory]

전기 버기를 만들 생각을 하다니 매우 대단한 일을 하고 계십니다.

[@x1101126]

Good job! Which software do you use?

[@franekreturned]

Oh thanks! I was thinking making one of these not long ago!

[@dreco8112]

Already loving this build! Your skills are amazing good sir! Will these plans also be made available in the future?

[@JamesBiggar]

For sure, once I've had a chance to play guinea pig and make sure everything works properly.

[@dreco8112]

@@JamesBiggar You are amazing! much love from South Africa.

[@zaidoke6646]

@@JamesBiggar waiting anxiously for those plans

[@EnergySeeker]

you are a master of welding , is that a tig machine what model please and hemlet

[@benyahiamohamed9230]

Hey James. That is a nice work. Please can you give me the The name of iron or the metal reference.

[@sorengurney2058]

Hey I’ve got a quick question, I’m working on an electrical motorcycle myself and I’m not sure whether or not that qs motor and rim you used in your e moto vid can support a tubeless tire? Did you make that rim airtight yourself or did you use a tube? Thank you so much if you see this, if not, no worries! Amazing build!

[@JamesBiggar]

The rim is designed for tubeless tires.

[@azertaieb442]

I don't found the right words to make a commente ...good job ...did you make second part ???

[@michealholden1552]

Could I get you plans and measurements would like to use them for a similar project

[@MartinRodriguez-px3rw]

hi nice video bro, where i can buy the plans of it. Regrads from Uruguay i wait for you answer.

[@ismicr0238]

how much steel tubing did you use?

[@MuratTYlmaz]

Hi, good job! I have a question about. which steel did you made of frame? like St37, St44 or St52, CroMo? I want to a project of bike. But, I don't know that what kind of steel to use? thanks.

[@Motoch3]

Did you design the buggy or did it come from plans?

[@Skiridr22]

Wow

[@Kira-reus]

Hi, where to buy the thing from 1:00, your "buggy" is so cool

[@fareed006]

how did you build the chase where can we find it ?

[@franciscowashington2155]

Beleza 👍👍😎

[@volcgaming8293]

Hey Bro how much it costs you to build this up till now

[@jac6255]

What kind of welder do you use?

[@BENZO_RSK]

😲🔥🚀

[@kamalrachid4273]

metre 😁! 👍

[@DoyleneFamily]

Is the tubing material DOM or ERW and why? I have a similar project, but my buddies say ERW will save cost but to me DOM will be better and stronger and I think commonly used for off-road standards like chomoly. I could be wrong but just want to know your thoughts. I would appreciate your advice thanks!

[@JamesBiggar]

DOM is slightly stronger and often a requirement for professional racing/competition machines, but most (edit: backyard) buggy and rock crawler builders do use HREW to save cost and it will work fine. The only difference between hot rolled electric welded tubing and 'drawn over mandrel' tubing is that the latter starts as HREW and then it's worked over a mandrel to remove the welded bead inside the tube (basically by pressing it out slowly) and further ground and polished to make the OD and ID measurements as precise as possible so that it can be used for purposes other than chassis building, like making bushings or bearing housings, for ex. The extra work on the mandrel ends up folding the welded bead over onto itself and that's how DOM becomes stronger, but like I said it's not enough to justify the cost for a backyard build. Literal crash test comparisons don't show much of a difference, realistically. If you were racing professionally and had sponsors investing in you and regulations to deal with, that would be a different story. DOM adds a bit of extra security to keep everyone's lawyers happy.

[@DoyleneFamily]

@@JamesBiggar hey James thank you for the advice. I guess I don't want to deal with lawyers lol. So I will go for DOM. Keep making more of these machines, your videos helps engineers and DIYr's who wants to build similar projects. More power!

[@abdeljalilpr2033]

Please can you do a video about how to build a similar pipe bender in the 3:07

[@RainaPCB]

This is the guy who builds the vehicles in post-apocalyptic movies.

[@JamesBiggar]

I wish lol

[@adamfoster5334]

looks like the way to get into The Running Man

[@pedrotoledo9070]

how hard was it to design the chassis?

[@astridforster8735]

Wich cad Programm you used?

[@JamesMD03]

Are plans going to be available to buy once the project is finished? Just read your blog and if you need additional info regarding converting a diff to a chain drive one, you can check out "What's going on in Doug's Shed?"

[@JohnWilliams-bq7om]

I'd love to get the plans for this.

[@lluis_toro]

Where can I get the chassis plans?

[@aliusta2020]

Hi James These is very good project that I want to do. Would you share or sell these chassis project?

[@manvir_moron]

Can you make a halecapter ?

[@brandongasper573]

How many feet of metal did you use total?

[@tylertatman925]

I was wondering where you got that piping and how much it was, I’m looking into doing a motorcycle build and that looks like the right type of material.

[@JamesBiggar]

Use DOM or HREW steel tubing, not pipe. I'll take a min to explain so you know the difference and the right stuff to use for future projects. Pipe is either extruded or cold drawn and is made for carrying fluids (liquids and gases). The nominal size is based on the pipe's fluid capacity, determined by its ID (inner diameter) which isn't precise. A 1" schedule 40 pipe, for ex, will have a ~1.32" OD and 0.133" thick wall for a 1.05" ID. A 1" Schedule 80 pipe has the same OD but thicker wall to handle higher pressure and produce a 0.96" ID. Steel tubing is either hot or cold rolled and welded, and is made for structural work only, so the nominal size is based on the tube's OD and the dimensions are more precise. The outside diameter of a 1" tube will be exactly or very, very close to 1". They're made with various wall thicknesses for different structural loads and applications. There are two types, HREW (or CREW) and DOM. H(C)REW tubing is hot or cold rolled tubing with the seams joined by an electric weld. As a result, there's a weld bead that protrudes on the inside surface of the tube wall and the dimensions are not as precise as DOM, but is very close to spec and is plenty strong enough for backyard chassis building. It's also cheaper than DOM. DOM is drawn over mandrel tubing. It starts out as CREW, but after welding it's drawn through a die and over a mandrel to shape both the ID and OD to an exact size. It's more precise than HREW, is more versatile because both the inside and outside of the tube can be used for various purposes without having to remove a weld bead. But it's really expensive. DOM is usually overkill unless a person is building a race car to regulation spec - DOM is usually required for racing for stronger roll cages to withstand high speed crashes. But for your project, I recommend HREW. Check with a local metal supplier or scrapyard. You might luck out and find it for cheap close to home. If not, you can order what you need at the link below. I recommend using no smaller than 1" OD x 11 gauge (0.12" thick wall) for the main tubes in a bike chassis. www.metalsdepot.com/steel-products/steel-round-tube-welded

[@tylertatman925]

Oh wow thanks for taking your time to do this! This helps A LOT! Looking forward to the new video!

[@JamesBiggar]

No problem!

[@dcbrumley]

Any suggestions on where to buy tubing, I live in a rural area of KY and it's no Pickens on steel shop s?

[@JamesBiggar]

I'm in rural Canada lol. I get mine from metalsdepot.com. DOM or HREW (welded tube). DOM is pretty expensive, but welded is affordable and contrary to popular belief it will work fine. DOM is a little stronger but it's just welded pipe worked over a mandrel to get precise ID/OD dimensions, that's the only real difference. Useful if its used to fit bearings or something, but not necessary for a chassis like this.

[@sandhyam854]

It is agreat designe

[@SandyWalsh]

You might get to the moon in that before SpaceX

[@Arch_idr]

Hwy what modeling system used

[@gajulagopinath5471]

Hi! I wonder why you are not using square tube instead of round tube? pls answer

[@JamesBiggar]

Round tube is stronger if I run into something, the walls are less likely to collapse. An arc can withstand more force than a flat surface, that's why ancient stone buildings used arches in wall openings, and why bridges and flat bed tractor trailers are designed with a slight arc pointing upwards to counter the loads they have to support. It's also why we look down the edges of lumber to determine bow direction (also called crown) and point the bow toward the load when framing a structure. The arc profile allows the load to be transferred to supporting ends or distributed equally throughout the member instead of being directed in the center of a flat surface. It's the same reason why a triangle is stronger than a square, and why all the bracing in this chassis is triangulated.

[@ricardovergara6404]

hi james, i would like to ask if you sell the buggy plans or if you can share them, greetings from chile

[@JamesBiggar]

Not until after the test drives bud. Got to make sure it works and is safe, first.

[@bobweiram6321]

It's Biggar and baddar!

[@sleepmoon30]

Is there any info on the specs of your buildings

[@JamesBiggar]

Check out the blog, link in the video description.

[@roldanbaltazar1482]

Surprise me James!!

[@JamesBiggar]

That's Kinder's job

[@stanislav0803]

add another Russian comment, крутой проект!

[@sulavshrestha8687]

Can i get the solidworks file of the chasis

[@JamesBiggar]

There is no solidworks file.

[@xannyanthonymoisesaraujofi2835]

Hello friend, I wanted to know if you have the exact measurements of the buggy and if you can pass them to me since I want to build mine from scratch or could you tell me the page from where you got the measurements of each part of the buggy as well as you did in the video, it would be very useful for me

[@JamesBiggar]

Plans will be available when the buggy is finished and tested.

[@xannyanthonymoisesaraujofi2835]

@@JamesBiggar Thank you very much friend I hope you finish and that it goes well

[@JohnWilliams-bq7om]

@@JamesBiggar any update on the availability of the plans?

[@mmmxxxdddxxx9627]

but king! check James I've observed that you do not really reinforced your welded joint point ??? even though I must admit there are considerable crosses point still a few reinforcement will do better to the structure during a significant confrontation moment

[@JamesBiggar]

When welding, ALL components should be tack welded first. When fitment is verified good, only then are all components fully welded. Welding 101. If you weld everything up in the chassis before you've fit the suspension, you could end up wasting a lot of time if something doesn't fit properly. Always think ahead when building.

[@mmmxxxdddxxx9627]

@@JamesBiggar how about that bending tool...did you designed it or you bought it???...I am quite interested on it, I would say I am seriously interested on it

[@JohnWilliams-bq7om]

@@mmmxxxdddxxx9627 it looks like a JD2 bender you can buy.

[@bluflame4594]

you should make pdf plans for this so other ppl can build them to

[@JamesBiggar]

That's the plan. But still testing; I want to change to stiffer suspension in the rear and longer all the way around for a bit more ground clearance before I'm confident that others will be happy if they decide to follow my plans. I never share plans for any of my projects until I'm sure of this.

[@vvvalid]

Next project Leaning quad lik a wesll :)

[@JamesBiggar]

Wesll quads are a bit top heavy imo, but I'd give my own version a try sometime. Similar to the trike I built last year, but with a mid drive.

[@aidenphaneufn3046]

Can I get the cad files

[@wallahiiii5364]

do u have an expected cost ?

[@JamesBiggar]

Everything's paid for, the only expectation I have is for it to work. Website has more info if you want to price it out for yourself.

[@wallahiiii5364]

@@JamesBiggar thank you and might i just say how impressive your work is look forawrd to see it running

[@renecorrea8769]

have the plans of the cage

[@JamesBiggar]

Plans will be available once I test and prove it won't kill me lol

[@renecorrea8769]

@@JamesBiggar hahahaha rest assured that nothing will happen is a very good project congratulations I hope to buy the plans

[@renecorrea8769]

Hello again, how are you? You asked me if you would sell me only the plans of the cage, since your design and construction are very good, please, I need to do a project.

[@samsung-zz8cq]

Dimensions pdf😉

[@samiryahiko5968]

Part 2 🤔?

[@JamesBiggar]

Patience? This is an ongoing build. Part 2 will come when part 2 has been filmed.

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

@@JamesBiggar :-)

[@SPitBullK]

Kann ich bitte die Pläne haben?

[@ronitsaroha9179]

Are you a mechanical engineer ? I am also doing diploma in mechanical engineering and I think I should take training from you

[@JamesBiggar]

I'm just a carpenter, IE: a blue collar worker that everyone assumes is stupid because he does labour work.

[@ronitsaroha9179]

@@JamesBiggar No bro you are not stupid at all you have lots of skills even a engineer don't have this knowledge keep it up brother doing nice job

[@peeraphon1998]

Bike trol.

[@peeraphon1998]

3990-