Buggy Electrics
Not a definitive guide to electrics, just a few basic pointers. Always disconnect the (-) negative battery cable before working on the buggy’s electrics. Use only a sealed battery; for safety’s sake you shouldn’t use a refillable battery. Keep it simple. Where possible, extend wires with the same colour/trace as the original, or replace the…
Balancing Your Buggy Without Scales
Unless you also race in some high-end track events, or you have a friend who does, you’re unlikely to have a set of levelling pads and electronic scales. Perhaps you’ve tried the four short planks and four bathroom scales approach, with varying results? Fear not! The following method of balancing a buggy is so simple…
The Hydraulic Handbrake
A “fly brake”, or hydraulic handbrake’s purpose is to lock up, or at least brake loose, the rear wheels of an off-road car to assist in turning hard when there’s not enough wheel lock (or space) to manage it with the steering wheel alone.A hydraulic handbrake is not for stopping a car and shouldn’t be…
MYO Brake Bias Valve
A DIY brake bias valve that you can maek for virtually nothing if you have access to a good scrap yard. What you will need Austin/Morris Mini brake limiting valve. Metal or plastic machine knob with either 10mm or 3/8″ thread. Matching jam nut. Small washer. 3/8″ UNF bleed screw. The main component of the…
MYO Wire Mesh Stone Guards
If you’ve never raced off-road before, you’re in for a rude shock! The first time someone passes you, and you cop a face and chest full of wet mud, it will make you take your foot off the pedal for an instant! Your race kit should include a pair of well fitting motocross type goggles(with…
Tube Work
Want to know a little more about tubes and how to work with them? This is the place to start. Why would you choose to work with round tube? Well, for a start, round tube is stronger both in torsion and deflection than square tube of the same weight. Admittedly, butt-welding square tube is simplicity itself,…
Aluminium Wheel Guide
Aluminium racing wheels are designed to be both light and strong. Light enough to optimise steering and suspension response, and strong enough to withstand the rigours of off-road racing. Here’s some tips and tricks for looking after and working with them. Fitting Tyres Aluminium wheels are expensive and relatively soft, so use a square of…
Successful Clutchless Shifting
Defined as fast and non dog-damaging, and can be achieved by fully moving the dog ring as rapidly as possible from one gear to the next, preferably with the engine’s driving load removed until the shift is completed. It should be remembered that it is not possible to damage the dogs when fully engaged (in…
MYO Exhaust System
There are several different schools of thought on exhaust design, but, because we employ high-revving road bike engines, we require an increase in mid range, and overall torque output, so we can discard some of the formulae that are used to produce maximum horsepower. As bikes are relatively light, the engines don’t need to put…
Removing Stubborn Bearings From Engine Cases
In most instances, bearings will virtually fall out of a case if it is through-heated to around 175°-200°C [350°-400°F] in an oven (or carefully with an oxy torch). Inevitably, you’ll come across one that refuses to budge and it’s usually the one that’s in a blind hole and can’t be pressed out! An implausible but…
Turning Polyurethane Suspension Bushes
Polyurethane can be tricky to turn in a lathe because it resists cutting and deforms away from the tooling. Turning it at a 2:1 diameter to length ratio (Ø50mm rod protruding 100mm out of the chuck) helps it retain its shape. PU will melt at approximately 228°C (550°F), so well maintained sharp points of 90° to 110°…
Engine Buying Guide
Sourcing a second hand motor for your Rorty buggy should be a fairly straightforward task, but there can be a few pit falls for the unwary. The object of this guide is to ensure you end up with all the necessary, and correct parts.The simplest method of obtaining a second hand motor for your buggy is to buy…