RWD for caddy?

[heyisforhumans]

oh I saw smaller LIons somewhere, yes they were very expensive though, maybe $4000 for an okay amount of power if I remember. Good to hear about the Optimas though.  I'm sure they're more durable for bouncing around than anything else.  Then again I hear about forklift batteries working really well too...

[Rabbit TD]

Are you planning on using an inline transmission as well and what electric motor will you use.  I think with the extra weight off all this stuff plus the batteries the deisel itself will probably loose the mileage the hybrid part creates even if you can get it perfected and you will  have so many arms flying around in the cab shifting between modes you'll look like an octopuss driving but it will be interesting to see what you can come up with.  Experimenting is fun and we all learn from it here

first off, thanks to vanagoner for the info on the mk1.  that is probably what i'll look for.
as far as transmission goes, ill probably just use a reducer pulley on the forklift motor to a larger on the shaft.  that way I can put the motor in the truck bed and run a belt to the shaft.  I have an old harley belt and cog to use. probaby get some reduction on the diffs as well.  most of the electric cars only use one gear to operate in anyway and shifting is usually not done.  I only want the setup to go about 40 mph so I can use it in town.  due to the lightweight of the truck, i'm hoping to do it with 4 deep cycle batteries.  there are several 48 volt kits for light cars that push them to 40 mph.  4 optima 55 amp hour deepcycle yellowtop's weigh 160lbs plus a 75 lb forkift motor is not much different than hauling a fat girl around .  I think I can get 15 or so  miles out of it on the average trip into town, and look what i'll save on dinner. .

A forklift motor sounds interesting if your battery idea works and you wont need the transmisssion then either if you aren't  going to go to fast with it and can get the pulley ratios to work out and not have to haul any fat girls.  You might have to find one though to help hold the front end down with all the rest of the stuff going in the back.  Try to find one of those junk-yard porkers and maby she can get you some access to free parts too.  If there's no room left in the truck by the time you get done you can always get one of those little trailers and tie her down if you need more room in the cab for batteries instead.  This whole thing sounds like more fun the more I think about it especialy with her strapped down back there covered with diesel soot from the non-hybrid mode once the batteries quit.  Hell she'll already be greasy from the junk-yard job and might not even notice the extra soot anyway .

[2strokesmoke]

LMAO @ fat chick "tied down on trailer,covered in soot" (eyes watering)
I think me just wet myself !
Thanks, I needed that !
Funny s_it !

[vwjones]

Rabbit TD....you have put too much thought into this for me to be comfortable

[Rabbit TD]

Rabbit TD....you have put too much thought into this for me to be comfortable

No by all means try it if you have access to most of the parts and won't have to spend a fortune doing it.  Even if it doesn't actualy save you any money fuel wise  you and the rest of us as well will have learned a lot about things like this and you can enjoy the fact that you created something nobody else would even think about trying themselves and be able to say, "Look what I did". All new ideas start out pretty crude.  Les Paul, the inventor of the electric guitar died a couple weeks ago and I read an article that said that his first creation was actualy 6 strings and a pick-up he designed on just a 4 by four and then he kept refining it little by little.  You already have the pick-up .  Please don't think I'm putting your idea down, it just seems like a lot of fun and I get these crazy images in my head about stuff like this.  If people could get inside my head they'd have a lot of fun, it's just like Disney World in there sometimes.    P.S.  I'd like to go for a ride once you get it done just to watch people's expressions, I'll even ride on the trailer with the fat girl and I have my own tiedowns too

[Baron VonZeppelin]

that Fat Bicht riding on the trailer dusted with diesel soot is somebodies daughter, i just want you guys to have some sympathy and respect.

BWAAAA Haaaa Haaaa HHHHHAAAAAAA

damm that was a good one RTD 

i've got a 5x8 trailer and can just visualize that so easy

kodak moments

she'd throw up her arm and wave and we'd see the clean crevices from her fat rolls and the wrinkles in her clothes

Lmfao @ you crazy bastirds

[drrtybyl]

Aren't batteries the main thing preventing e-cars from being really viable?  I remember Honda offering to swap failed batteries free of charge when the Insight was released circa 2000.  You can bet they haven't extended the same policy to all of their current fleet electric hybrids. Dropping 2-4 Gs on a new battery setup every 5 years just doesn't seem that appealing or environmentally friendly...

[vwjones]

Aren't batteries the main thing preventing e-cars from being really viable?  I remember Honda offering to swap failed batteries free of charge when the Insight was released circa 2000.  You can bet they haven't extended the same policy to all of their current fleet electric hybrids. Dropping 2-4 Gs on a new battery setup every 5 years just doesn't seem that appealing or environmentally friendly...

you are absolutely correct.  that is why an electric car is not a viable option for most.  a hybrid on the other had is.  look at how successfull the prius is.  that is because the batteries are not running all the time and don't have to be replaced often.  I figure the batteries in my setup should last 5 years or so since they will only be running less than half the time.  and it will only cost about 700ish to replace them.  700 dollars is 200 gallons of diesel. that's a 9000 mile payback.  At the relatively low amp draw and speed that i'll be using, I should get nearly three times that out of the batteries.  and even if I only get twice that, how much is 18,000 miles less wear and tear on my turbo diesel worth? And electrical engines are notorious for running for years with almost no maintenence.   not to mention the coolness factor of pulling into work completely silently on battery power and recharging at work.  Plus, that is 200 gallons of diesel at todays prices, I could easily see that dropping to only being able to buy 100 gallons for 700 dollare, or even 50 

[vwjones]

Rabbit TD....you have put too much thought into this for me to be comfortable

No by all means try it if you have access to most of the parts and won't have to spend a fortune doing it.  Even if it doesn't actualy save you any money fuel wise  you and the rest of us as well will have learned a lot about things like this and you can enjoy the fact that you created something nobody else would even think about trying themselves and be able to say, "Look what I did". All new ideas start out pretty crude.  Les Paul, the inventor of the electric guitar died a couple weeks ago and I read an article that said that his first creation was actualy 6 strings and a pick-up he designed on just a 4 by four and then he kept refining it little by little.  You already have the pick-up .  Please don't think I'm putting your idea down, it just seems like a lot of fun and I get these crazy images in my head about stuff like this.  If people could get inside my head they'd have a lot of fun, it's just like Disney World in there sometimes.    P.S.  I'd like to go for a ride once you get it done just to watch people's expressions, I'll even ride on the trailer with the fat girl and I have my own tiedowns too

lol absolutely no offense taken at your comments.  I got a chuckle out of them too.  i'm an easy going guy and it is nearly impossible to rile or rattle me, that is why i'm able to drive a VW diesel    thanks for the encouragement.  I think i'm going to go through with it since it really won't cost me more than 1200.  I've been whatching EV equipment on Ebay and i'm sure I will have NO trouble unloading the electronics if I don't like the way it performs.  Geez, that stuff is snapped up like gold.  I'm just stuck now waiting around for a rear axle from an escort or vega  that is practically free, since that is the only way in which I buy things.  I found a sprague clutch last week that will keep the electric motor from running until the motor is actually turning faster than the shaft. I got it off a junked pto shaft.  That should keep the electric motor freewheeling the sprague cutch until I power it up.   Now i'm thinking about putting an alternator on the drive shaft too with a 12 volt field that is powered by a microswitch only when I put on the brake.  that way the alternator would freewheel when i'm driving with diesel and not cause any drag on my system, but would engage when the brake is pushed and the alternator would act as a brake and give me regen on my batteries at the same time.  god knows my caddy brakes need a hand stopping the GTD turbo diesel.  all for about a 10 lb increase in weight and and alternator which I already have.  think that would work?