SEATS! I had a 1973 Datsun 620 that I loved. I’m 6’3” and didn’t fit on the stock bench. I used Porsche 914 seats and the were perfect and comfortable. I also considered SAAB Sonett 2 or 3 seats. Either would be a lot better than your Kirky setup.
THANK YOU! Dang I never thought of this! And a buddy of mine is a 914 fanatic! I'll see If he has some seats to try out. Thanks again. those Kirky seats are the worst haha.
Great video. It seems that EV related stuff is a bit foreign to regular ICE gearheads. I'd love to hear some thoughts/information about learning enough to feel comfortable taking on a project like this. Without having anyone around me doing this sort of thing, it's hard to know what options are available and what brands are worthwhile. For example, when can you use something stock from a Tesla and when can't you? If you choose a non-Tesla component, will it still be compatible? When it comes to the inverter board, should you run something like EVControls, an open source solution, AEM, etc.? If you want to run two motors, what systems would allow for this and which won't? What is the general cost of a DIY conversion? How do you source components? Is a salvage auction a good option? Just throwing out some relatively vague topics that I'm personally curious about. Pretty sweet truck though, keep up the good work!
Thank you! And thank you for all these questions. I will start covering these in upcoming videos. Shedding some light on how to do this stuff is my goal.
Thanks for making the video, what an awesome build! I would like to elaborate about whether 12v batteries are needed or not and no they are not. In my builds I run directly off of the DC-DC converter. For those of you wondering why a battery is still needed in this build? It is because some DC-DC converters need a 12v enable in order to turn it on thus this poses a chicken-egg issue. I am guessing that is the situation in this build. I solve this by using DC-DC converters that have a high voltage enable pin and thus I don't use 12v batteries on my builds. In my builds my key switch enables the DC-DC converter and controller.
That's really neat. An HV enable would definitely take the battery out of the question. I was told It was also needed for its capacitive abilities as well in case there was a voltage spike. But coming from building race drones we never needed anything like that on the 5v and 3.3v bus. we just used buck converters. Mine has it though because I do have a 12v enable on my DC-DC.
@@J5Jonny5 I have not needed it for the capacity ability. I guess it really comes down to design in that use a power supply that will handle the spikes. think of it like a circuit board design, we don't use little 12 volt batteries in them. An EV is no different than designing a circuit board in that power spikes have to be considered and thus design the power supply accordingly. I just added power steering to my SXS that does not have a 12V battery and I have no load issues. Those of you concerned about spikes just pop in one of those large capacitors commonly used on large stereo systems. You could do the math like with a circuit board design and make sure the capacitor is big enough for the size of the spike. IMO I don't think a 12V battery should ever be used in an EV. There are ways around it even if it has a 12V enable pin so those of you out there think about their EV wiring I suggest not using a 12V batter at all costs.
@@christopherspicer9341 it's not really a 12 volt design issue rather a power spike/ark issue. Most 12 volt ignition switches will work just fine for an enable line on a DC-DC converter. ... or if you are not comfortable with that idea then have the ignition switch control a high voltage relay that then switches the enable line
Great video and really cool truck, I've been following along for a while now. Did you have to change the accelerator pedal? It looks like there's not much weight over the front end, does it impact the steering at all?
Thank you! The throttle is from a Tesla. Its a double hall output pedal for redundancy. The steering is wonderful given there is no weight up front now lol.
How are you cooling the battery? You have the Charger,SDU and DC/DC on one circuit, and you said in the previous video you were most likely going to put the battery on the same circuit, but you didnt say what you did with the battery in the end
Sorry I missed that! It’s just air cooled for now. It honestly doesn’t need cooling unless I’m DC fast charging. Which I can’t right now. If anything I need a battery heater.
Does the i3 battery come with a BMS or did you have to add one? How did you get the CANbus addresses for the DU? What size tires are you running? They look great with those rims! Incredible build! Well done!
Thank you! The i3 battery did have a BMS but I opted for the Dilithium. Honestly... If I did it again I would have just used the stock BMS lol. I didn't think it through very well. CANBUS addresses are all handled through the EV Controls T2C. It also handles the main contactors and gives me all the data via the app. The tires are BFG 31-inch mudders. Thanks again!
Thanks for walkthrough video. I know that you do have the Dilithium Master Control Unit (MCU) and BMS Satellites, which you explained in an earlier video. Can you fast DC charge into your battery packs? I could not see if you have the DC plug from your walkthrough video of your truck. Do you have the EVCC with J1772 (Charge Controller) ? I personally want to build a 144Vdc/200A battery pack and would like have to ability fast-DC charge my future 3 wheel project. 😃 Thanks in advance.
@@J5Jonny5 just did my first test drive yesterday. Using EV controls. T2C Seems to be stuck at Peak Power 15. Not sure if it’s because in land rovers the LDU has to spin backwards to go forward 🤷
@@UndoneEV hmm. Are you actually having to run that LDU backwards? You might have to switch the phase leads around and flop the reluctor sensor wires around to spin it backwards. Just keep in mind that the oil pump needs to be reversed as well. And also your gear box in general is meant to spin the other way.
@@J5Jonny5 Yeah running backwards…. Felton or whatever sells a pump meant for spinning the motor primarily in reverse. It’s installed with a gearset meant for land rovers…LSD as well. There’s a bunch of conversions of this style running around the UK. I’ll have to dig around more and ask if they reversed phase leads.. That was a suggestion years ago from EV controls when I asked if they could swap the D/R buttons..Is reversing the phase leads easy? I’ve never been able to find an example of that being done although I’ve heard of such things…
@@UndoneEV Nice. Yeah it’s been done before for sure. I’ve done it but only on some highly modified motors. (Phase leads exposed) I’d suspect it would be tricky with the stock case. The sensor is no biggie though.
Great video, this build is so inspirational! I know your pain with the kirkey seats, they are not built for comfort. How is the weight distribution? How come you couldn't mount the battery up front?
Thank you! Yeah, these things are painful lol. The weight distribution is 55-45 rear-biased. The truck is 2700 pounds. didn't gain any weight amazingly. I did it in the rear because it's an entire factory BMW I3 pack that I didn't want to recreate. I love using as much factory stuff as I can since all the engineering and testing was done on it already to handle daily abuse.
This is GREAT Johnny5! I just discovered your series of videos on this Toy/Tesla. At my earliest opportunity I’m looking forward to EV converting a Volvo 240 wagon. I had wanted to go with Tesla power initially, but the complexity of grafting on IRS (BMW e30?) was daunting. Then I decided to go with Damien Maquire’s Lexus 450h trans/motors, but now your DeDion axle idea has me thinking Tesla rear-motor again. Hmmmm….
I'm curious to know how the interface on the iPad controls things (I noticed the P N R D style buttons on the screen). I may have to go back and watch the previous videos...
Could you have mounted the charger and dc/dc sideways to save space, or do they need to be "flat" like that in order to work properly? Also, how much power is the small/single tesla unit putting down? How much bigger is the dual motor high power unit?
having ran this for almost a year as a daily driver now, how is your experience with the lawn and garden battery? would a motorcycle lithium battery be able to handle the load of the 12v system in this or would that be too small? I know the starter and headlights tend to be the biggest amp draws on batteries in ICE cars, so curious about the 12v draw before the dc-dc starts doing its magic on converted cars
I actually have a video coming up about how the year has been for the truck. But that battery has been great! I’d just stick to the lead acid since most DC-DCs are meant for them. And since I’m using a Tesla DC-DC I have no issues keeping that thing charged.
Wow, I have a million questions. I watched your vids as you built it and the DeDion axle is genius. This got me thinking about my old Square Body and maybe a battery module like you have under the bed and another under the cab. More info on your interface would be nice, I know you started I think with Open Source and then went to AEM control, is the monitor and all the ino part of that system? I might have missed it but i didn't here about your mileage, like miles per KWH, I'm seeing 1.6-1.8 get reported for a Ford Lighting, I figure yours is better than that just due to the difference in size and weight, just an idea would be fine. Also, how well does it run? Like a comparison to some other car or truck it excells like or close to just to give and idea how well the SDU runs. I've driven the 1st Gen Model S and I was surprised by how hard it pulled. I know the SDU would not run that fast but I can imagine it running as good as a good V6. Great job on the build and many thinks for sharing it with us all.
i never thought of the i3 battery with less than 100 miles, and a 10kw charger being useful... if there were more it would almost, "ALMOST", be like visiting a gas station, it would just be as often as a truck with a small tank, which this kinda is. my main concern is the control arms which are frankensteined but i guess as long as you dont actually do off road stuff it's ok. but this being a toyota hilux i would really want it to do truck things. this arguably is better than the cybertruck, because steel frame, the only downside is it's only real wheel drive. i hope there is more after market support for making control arms that fit tesla motors and common subframe setups in the future, but one can only hope. idk how one would mount a tesla motor system to a 4-wheel/all-wheel drive train system but i hope to see one soon.
I love this truck. Could you talk about the costs and where to source conversion parts in an affordable way?
Thank you! I certainly will in some upcoming videos.
Hey, man. I finally found your channel and just binge watched all five episodes. Yes, tons of great ideas and yes, inspired!
SEATS! I had a 1973 Datsun 620 that I loved. I’m 6’3” and didn’t fit on the stock bench. I used Porsche 914 seats and the were perfect and comfortable. I also considered SAAB Sonett 2 or 3 seats. Either would be a lot better than your Kirky setup.
THANK YOU! Dang I never thought of this! And a buddy of mine is a 914 fanatic! I'll see If he has some seats to try out. Thanks again. those Kirky seats are the worst haha.
One of my favorite trucks!
Thanks!
Same
Great video.
It seems that EV related stuff is a bit foreign to regular ICE gearheads. I'd love to hear some thoughts/information about learning enough to feel comfortable taking on a project like this. Without having anyone around me doing this sort of thing, it's hard to know what options are available and what brands are worthwhile. For example, when can you use something stock from a Tesla and when can't you? If you choose a non-Tesla component, will it still be compatible? When it comes to the inverter board, should you run something like EVControls, an open source solution, AEM, etc.? If you want to run two motors, what systems would allow for this and which won't? What is the general cost of a DIY conversion? How do you source components? Is a salvage auction a good option?
Just throwing out some relatively vague topics that I'm personally curious about.
Pretty sweet truck though, keep up the good work!
Thank you! And thank you for all these questions. I will start covering these in upcoming videos. Shedding some light on how to do this stuff is my goal.
Thanks for making the video, what an awesome build!
I would like to elaborate about whether 12v batteries are needed or not and no they are not. In my builds I run directly off of the DC-DC converter. For those of you wondering why a battery is still needed in this build? It is because some DC-DC converters need a 12v enable in order to turn it on thus this poses a chicken-egg issue. I am guessing that is the situation in this build. I solve this by using DC-DC converters that have a high voltage enable pin and thus I don't use 12v batteries on my builds. In my builds my key switch enables the DC-DC converter and controller.
That's really neat. An HV enable would definitely take the battery out of the question. I was told It was also needed for its capacitive abilities as well in case there was a voltage spike. But coming from building race drones we never needed anything like that on the 5v and 3.3v bus. we just used buck converters. Mine has it though because I do have a 12v enable on my DC-DC.
Finding an ignition key that is rated above 12 vdc is difficult
@@J5Jonny5 I have not needed it for the capacity ability. I guess it really comes down to design in that use a power supply that will handle the spikes. think of it like a circuit board design, we don't use little 12 volt batteries in them. An EV is no different than designing a circuit board in that power spikes have to be considered and thus design the power supply accordingly.
I just added power steering to my SXS that does not have a 12V battery and I have no load issues. Those of you concerned about spikes just pop in one of those large capacitors commonly used on large stereo systems. You could do the math like with a circuit board design and make sure the capacitor is big enough for the size of the spike.
IMO I don't think a 12V battery should ever be used in an EV. There are ways around it even if it has a 12V enable pin so those of you out there think about their EV wiring I suggest not using a 12V batter at all costs.
@@christopherspicer9341 it's not really a 12 volt design issue rather a power spike/ark issue. Most 12 volt ignition switches will work just fine for an enable line on a DC-DC converter.
... or if you are not comfortable with that idea then have the ignition switch control a high voltage relay that then switches the enable line
That is so cool
Thanks!
Fiero seats are just a thought. Plus, you can hook up the speakers in the headrest. Also, they have a flat bolt down on the tracks.
Nice update!
Thanks!
Great video and really cool truck, I've been following along for a while now.
Did you have to change the accelerator pedal?
It looks like there's not much weight over the front end, does it impact the steering at all?
Thank you! The throttle is from a Tesla. Its a double hall output pedal for redundancy. The steering is wonderful given there is no weight up front now lol.
HELLO FRIEND VERY GOOD JOB, WHAT IS THE COST OF THE VCU THANKS
Thanks! 2700 bucks on EV Controls website.
Is the battery cooled as well?
How are you cooling the battery? You have the Charger,SDU and DC/DC on one circuit, and you said in the previous video you were most likely going to put the battery on the same circuit, but you didnt say what you did with the battery in the end
Sorry I missed that! It’s just air cooled for now. It honestly doesn’t need cooling unless I’m DC fast charging. Which I can’t right now. If anything I need a battery heater.
Wish I could do the same to my dodge dakota. Maybe in time. This is a super cool build.
Does the i3 battery come with a BMS or did you have to add one?
How did you get the CANbus addresses for the DU?
What size tires are you running? They look great with those rims!
Incredible build! Well done!
Thank you! The i3 battery did have a BMS but I opted for the Dilithium. Honestly... If I did it again I would have just used the stock BMS lol. I didn't think it through very well. CANBUS addresses are all handled through the EV Controls T2C. It also handles the main contactors and gives me all the data via the app. The tires are BFG 31-inch mudders. Thanks again!
Thanks for walkthrough video. I know that you do have the Dilithium Master Control Unit (MCU) and BMS Satellites, which you explained in an earlier video. Can you fast DC charge into your battery packs? I could not see if you have the DC plug from your walkthrough video of your truck. Do you have the EVCC with J1772 (Charge Controller) ? I personally want to build a 144Vdc/200A battery pack and would like have to ability fast-DC charge my future 3 wheel project. 😃 Thanks in advance.
Inspired. Why was the DU rebuilt and what was the hardest part to wire?
Thank you! The differential failed. Id say wiring the BMS is always a pain.
absolutely amazing work!
Consider an I booster for a brake upgrade. Pretty slick…
For sure! I’m always leaning on keep it simple. Less stuff to fail. I might just toss a vacuum pump on this thing though.
@@J5Jonny5 just did my first test drive yesterday. Using EV controls. T2C Seems to be stuck at Peak Power 15. Not sure if it’s because in land rovers the LDU has to spin backwards to go forward 🤷
@@UndoneEV hmm. Are you actually having to run that LDU backwards? You might have to switch the phase leads around and flop the reluctor sensor wires around to spin it backwards. Just keep in mind that the oil pump needs to be reversed as well. And also your gear box in general is meant to spin the other way.
@@J5Jonny5 Yeah running backwards…. Felton or whatever sells a pump meant for spinning the motor primarily in reverse. It’s installed with a gearset meant for land rovers…LSD as well. There’s a bunch of conversions of this style running around the UK. I’ll have to dig around more and ask if they reversed phase leads.. That was a suggestion years ago from EV controls when I asked if they could swap the D/R buttons..Is reversing the phase leads easy? I’ve never been able to find an example of that being done although I’ve heard of such things…
@@UndoneEV Nice. Yeah it’s been done before for sure. I’ve done it but only on some highly modified motors. (Phase leads exposed) I’d suspect it would be tricky with the stock case. The sensor is no biggie though.
Great video, this build is so inspirational! I know your pain with the kirkey seats, they are not built for comfort. How is the weight distribution? How come you couldn't mount the battery up front?
Thank you! Yeah, these things are painful lol. The weight distribution is 55-45 rear-biased. The truck is 2700 pounds. didn't gain any weight amazingly. I did it in the rear because it's an entire factory BMW I3 pack that I didn't want to recreate. I love using as much factory stuff as I can since all the engineering and testing was done on it already to handle daily abuse.
Cool
👍
This is GREAT Johnny5! I just discovered your series of videos on this Toy/Tesla. At my earliest opportunity I’m looking forward to EV converting a Volvo 240 wagon. I had wanted to go with Tesla power initially, but the complexity of grafting on IRS (BMW e30?) was daunting. Then I decided to go with Damien Maquire’s Lexus 450h trans/motors, but now your DeDion axle idea has me thinking Tesla rear-motor again. Hmmmm….
Does the cooling system use a thermostat valve? I'm thinking not.
Negative. It’s just open. The temperature range is to little to worry about maintaining temp.
I'm curious to know how the interface on the iPad controls things (I noticed the P N R D style buttons on the screen). I may have to go back and watch the previous videos...
Awesome build man! What app do you use on the iPad ? I assume it’s maybe an obd plug in that pairs with the app?
Thank you! I use the EV Controls dash app. It’s part of the T2C that runs the truck. Pretty simple setup!
Could you have mounted the charger and dc/dc sideways to save space, or do they need to be "flat" like that in order to work properly? Also, how much power is the small/single tesla unit putting down? How much bigger is the dual motor high power unit?
having ran this for almost a year as a daily driver now, how is your experience with the lawn and garden battery? would a motorcycle lithium battery be able to handle the load of the 12v system in this or would that be too small? I know the starter and headlights tend to be the biggest amp draws on batteries in ICE cars, so curious about the 12v draw before the dc-dc starts doing its magic on converted cars
I actually have a video coming up about how the year has been for the truck. But that battery has been great! I’d just stick to the lead acid since most DC-DCs are meant for them. And since I’m using a Tesla DC-DC I have no issues keeping that thing charged.
that's great info, thank you!
@@jasonmanness7941 of course!
Awesome truck!! Did you adjust the springs/shocks because of shifting the weight to the rear of the truck, since there is no motor up front?
That's my deam ride! :) How much range do you get with the 33kwh when it's not too hilly?
It’s a blast! About 70-90 miles. Those mudders don’t help at all haha.
Wow, I have a million questions. I watched your vids as you built it and the DeDion axle is genius. This got me thinking about my old Square Body and maybe a battery module like you have under the bed and another under the cab.
More info on your interface would be nice, I know you started I think with Open Source and then went to AEM control, is the monitor and all the ino part of that system? I might have missed it but i didn't here about your mileage, like miles per KWH, I'm seeing 1.6-1.8 get reported for a Ford Lighting, I figure yours is better than that just due to the difference in size and weight, just an idea would be fine. Also, how well does it run? Like a comparison to some other car or truck it excells like or close to just to give and idea how well the SDU runs. I've driven the 1st Gen Model S and I was surprised by how hard it pulled. I know the SDU would not run that fast but I can imagine it running as good as a good V6.
Great job on the build and many thinks for sharing it with us all.
Well after I made this post I happened on EV Controls site and saw your monitor so tha tpretty much answered that question.
i never thought of the i3 battery with less than 100 miles, and a 10kw charger being useful... if there were more it would almost, "ALMOST", be like visiting a gas station, it would just be as often as a truck with a small tank, which this kinda is. my main concern is the control arms which are frankensteined but i guess as long as you dont actually do off road stuff it's ok. but this being a toyota hilux i would really want it to do truck things. this arguably is better than the cybertruck, because steel frame, the only downside is it's only real wheel drive. i hope there is more after market support for making control arms that fit tesla motors and common subframe setups in the future, but one can only hope. idk how one would mount a tesla motor system to a 4-wheel/all-wheel drive train system but i hope to see one soon.
Sweet
😱 good thought you where 💀 lol😂jk man looking good!
Haha nah. Just bad at posting updates lol. Thank you!
Why did you rebuild the motor when only the differential failed? LOL!