Freelander Project IV (Bertie)

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Alibro said:
It would surprise you how little a wind turbine produces unless you live in a very windy place. On a windy day mine would generate up to 1.5Kw but most of the time it was only a couple of hundred watts or less. Still it was a lot of fun building it and I learned a lot in the process, I built it from scratch winding the coils, setting them in resin and used brake disks with magnets attached and mounted on an old wheel hub. Once the batteries died on me I sold the turbine and shed etc to a guy who lives on an island with no electricity but I never heard from him again. The design was by a guy called Hugh Piggot.
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That is really cool :)
 
Alibro said:
It would surprise you how little a wind turbine produces unless you live in a very windy place. On a windy day mine would generate up to 1.5Kw but most of the time it was only a couple of hundred watts or less. Still it was a lot of fun building it and I learned a lot in the process, I built it from scratch winding the coils, setting them in resin and used brake disks with magnets attached and mounted on an old wheel hub. Once the batteries died on me I sold the turbine and shed etc to a guy who lives on an island with no electricity but I never heard from him again. The design was by a guy called Hugh Piggot.
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I live at the top of a hill in Cornwall Ali. It's windy all the time and very windy the rest of the time. There are now around 50 medium sized wind turbines visible from my house. There were 12 large turbines in the distance when I bought it 16 years ago. So I'd say it's windy enough here. I'd only want a 50 Watt turbine to power shed and summerhouse lighting at the bottom of the garden.
 
Nodge68 said:
I live at the top of a hill in Cornwall Ali. It's windy all the time and very windy the rest of the time. There are now around 50 medium sized wind turbines visible from my house. There were 12 large turbines in the distance when I bought it 16 years ago. So I'd say it's windy enough here. I'd only want a 50 Watt turbine to power shed and summerhouse lighting at the bottom of the garden.
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GrumpyGel said:
That is really cool :)
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If your interested I'll start a new thread in anything goes to post photos of how it was done. Mine was 10 feet but smaller turbines can easily be built using the same techniques. 50 watts is nothing really. To get that your blades would only need to be 6" or so long.
 
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Really? No didn't know that. I was thinking cranked defender ones that are reinforced with angle. What we need is an eggspurt
 
Diesel Do said:
Really? No didn't know that. I was thinking cranked defender ones that are reinforced with angle. What we need is an eggspurt
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Suspension component design is cleaver stuff. However it's pretty easy to make up something at home that is more than strong enough. You only need to look at vehicle in the carpark to see what big manufacturers do. Things like the Focus have just a few thin bits of steel holding the wheels on. They don't suffer suspension failure though, do they? There's nothing that can't be done, providing a methodological approach is taken. I've built multi linked rear suspension for MK1/2 Escorts back in the day. The rods we used were 25mm OD with 3mm wall thickness. The only thing was the rods were seamless, as opposed to welded. We welded on bush tubes and brackets to the body and axles. We never had anything brake. Considering some of the abuse those Escorts took, it was surprising, just how durable correctly made components are.
I'd have no issues making up tie bars or anything else for the Freelander. It would be done safely, methodically and correctly.
 
I just found the website where I got the instructions for building my wind turbine, this is a brilliant website for anyone even slightly interested in wind turbines. Mine was more or less an exact copy of these ten footers.
http://www.otherpower.com/trips1.html
For some reason the links to page two and three don't work unless you select the page number from the links down the left hand side. Unfortunately you need to be a Polish speaker to understand the words but the photo's should be enough.
 
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Nodge68 said:
You could probably weld in the adjuster section from the rear suspension lower arm. This would allow the adjustment to be set at what ever gives the perfect geometry ;)
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That's what I was thinking - threaded bar and a turnbuckle: then you have some adjustment if ever it is needed :)
 
Alibro said:
I just found the website where I got the instructions for building my wind turbine, this is a brilliant website for anyone even slightly interested in wind turbines. Mine was more or less an exact copy of these ten footers.
http://www.otherpower.com/Wind/trips1pl
For some reason the links to page two and three don't work unless you select the page number from the links down the left hand side. Unfortunately you need to be a Polish speaker to understand the words but the photo's should be enough.
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That would be a great project - sadly practically no draft in my neck of the woods...
 
Diesel Do said:
Thread it and put an adjustable joint in the end
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If I had a suitable tap and die I could have done that. As it turns out my local steel supplier couldn't give me pipe with an inside diameter of 32mm or OD of 24mm but they could supply solid bar with a diameter of 25mm so a length was purchased.
So tonight I spent a couple of hours with a flap wheel in my grinder very gradually bringing the bar down enough that a wee bit of heat allowed it to slip into the pipe fairly easily. Some fine adjustment and this is where I am.
20161019_225529_zpsbziha26o.jpg

20161019_225537_zpscasfktwy.jpg

20161019_225544_zpsybkrww0n.jpg


As you can see from the photos the one on the left got jammed a couple of times while trying to get the bar in until I decided to heat it on the gas stove.
What do you think guys, would 24mm solid bar be strong enough as far as bending is concerned without a collar? It occurred that the adjustable arms would be made of similar thickness steel with threads albeit probably higher quality steel.
And before anyone asks, yes I have new bushes ordered.
 
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Generally a bar isn't as resistant to bending as a thick wall tube. However it's it's more able to take extension and compression than a tube. As long as you can weld it in solidly. It should do what you need.
 
Nodge68 said:
Generally a bar isn't as resistant to bending as a thick wall tube. However it's it's more able to take extension and compression than a tube. As long as you can weld it in solidly. It should do what you need.
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Thanks mate, that is exactly what I thought too but wanted some reassurance. I have the bar pushed in around 3/4 of the way each side and holes drilled for puddle welds. I was considering drilling through the bar too and plugging the hole with a bolt or similar, cut to length and welded in as well as welding at the exposed ends.
I believe most of the stresses on these arms will be extension and compression rather than bending. So long as the driver keeps them away from big rocks that is. :p
 
After spending waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more time on the boot door issue than should have been the case I think I have it sorted.
Turns out the connection between the boot door handle and the loom was dodgy and by squeezing the terminals with pointy pliers to make them less smooth and straight, the connection is better and the boot door now opens every time. :D
So to celebrate I bolted all the external gubbins back on and took a couple of photos.

New number plate, new wiper, repaired boot handle, resprayed boot door, new tyre on recently acquired 16" rim, and loads of dirt from all the spraying and rubbing down.

20161027_201407_zps9f3ekehe.jpg


And the newly painted (with stone chip) brake light.
20161027_201453_zpsucgnqjfk.jpg


As you can see from this photo the interior isn't back together yet but I intend to remove the boot carpet as it stinks of dog, then see what I can replace it with.
 
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I haven't taken any photos of them yet but the trailing arms are welded up, painted, new bushes inserted and ready to fit. At first I was a bit concerned if they would be strong enough but then I took a look at the brackets they're bolted to and stopped worrying. The brackets are pretty flimsy looking so I think they would give way long before my adapted arms.
So that'll be a job for tomorrow. I also still have to fit the vac hoses, interior trim and replace all fluids in engine and gearbox along with a few other wee jobs but Bertie is almost ready for MOT and the road. :)
 
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For some reason I have not been having notifications of this thread.
You have been working hard.

I personally think the FL needs to be lifted because I like motors which are high. Not for off-road reasons though. Sometimes a body lift (where possible) would do for me. I don't know I can invest the time and cash in doing mine though. What you have had to do is more than I would want to do. Yours is sooooo much better lifted. However, I have to admit if I were to do anything I would work on my Paj Junior.

Love what you have done with the back door. I went on your link but it doesn't open to a new window so back to it later I think.

I used the spacers you mentioned from eBay on my Rav4 a few years back and they were fine. The Rav was irritating because I found it was very limited on the wheel sizes.
 
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