[CanadaLT28]

Right. I guess I should start posting a couple pictures. lol
This is the subframe for the project. It will bolt right up under the frame after I take out the existing axle and leaf spring system. I am making the halfshaft extensions now at the moment and just waiting for an air bag suspension system to show up.
I have the complete Leaf loom but there are a lot of inputs to the breaking system, hall sensors, steering sensor (I'm not sure I have that component), yaw sensor, and they all work to control the ABS system. Any insight into simplifying this mess would be appreciated.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Sorry for not getting back quickly. Anyway, yes, the arms are from a 2002 T4. The ones I originally had were from a 1992 but they were drums and I really wanted discs, and the Leaf needs ABS which is only on the disc brake models. The shafts are OEM T4 units which I cut (bloody hard stuff) and I have a thick wall DOM steel which I have bored out to lengthen them. The final length is not determined yet but they are "slightly" different in length but probably not by more than 25mm so I guess you could say the motor is mounted roughly in the middle.

Due to the differences in the mounting under the LT, I decided to make it a complete unit with all shock and spring mounts as part of the sub frame. I have just received air bags which will help a lot in figuring out the ride height.

Tony, I would be really interested in putting a Leaf drivetrain into a T3. There is a DOKA with a Tesla motor in the USA but I think it would be pretty easy to mount the complete Leaf system in there. The rear deck would come up a bit and one would have to make room for the batteries but the T3 is so great a vehicle, it would be worth doing. I assume you are in the UK.

 

[CanadaLT28]

I see that you've switched from the earlier plan of adapting the original LT rear suspension into a deDion, to using a trailing-arm or semi-trailing arm independent suspension (presumably from a T4 Syncro). As long as all of the bits have enough capacity for this heavier truck, this seems like a good plan to me.


The photos are great, but it's a little hard to judge dimensions from them.

Interesting thing about the T4, the rear hubs contain the same spline as the Syncro so all I had to do was pull out the blanking plate. It was a bit confusing at first because the ABS ring is not on the shaft but as part of a cup that fits into the hub (pics below). I machined the cup to allow the spline to go through to the hub, thereby keeping the ring.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Here is a pic of a T4 with the air bags from someone else motorhome. I will be doing the same thing. Although it is a drum, the blanking plate is the same on the disc model, except for the ABS ring.

 

[CanadaLT28]

So I'm very interested to see how this conversion goes. For instance the driveshafts. Apparently, they don't pose a big problem for the TS, but I'm very curious how he solved it, since they are clearly not from the donor cars.

I did get the Nissan shafts which I disassembled to give me only the, hard to copy, spline for the Leaf output. I then welded flanges onto it to make adapters that will take a standard VW T4 shaft. It wasn't as difficult as it may seem.

 

[CanadaLT28]

A little beginning for the air bag supports. The bottom clamp will have a 10deg or so bevel to take some stress out of the rubber.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Little bit at a time.

 

[CanadaLT28]

The bracket can be seen having a different angle to the support. The setup will have a much lesser angle when the weight is on it but it seems there is no way to eliminate it totally.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Yea, I thought about something like a "bag over shock" at one point and I will be putting them on the front as a spring replacement. I need a 2" lift as well.

I think it will work out well. Right now I am troubled by the lack of Leaf battery packs out there at the wreckers. If I can't find one, I will be forced to buy a couple Volt packs (or equivalent) and figure out how to make the Nissan controllers listen to some foreign sensors. That is a tall order for me. I am no good at that stuff. I need to build battery boxes which will be hard to do without the cells.

 

[CanadaLT28]

I'll post this somewhere else If I must. I can't remember if I asked this question before but, as I am having a hard time getting a Leaf battery pack, I am looking at getting 2+ Volt packs and using them but the issue is, how does the leaf BMS recognize a bespoke battery pack? What do I need to do to get it to communicate?

 

[CanadaLT28]

If I remember correctly, Wolf said he wasn't ready with his system yet so who knows how well it works.



Volt packs are generally around $1200-1500 and leaf packs are more than double.


I would expect that both packs have been hacked by now. Enough people have eluded to it over the last few years but I just can't keep track of all the goings on.

 

[CanadaLT28]

WooHoo, I can see my thread again.

 

[CanadaLT28]

OK folks. I now have both a leaf pack and one volt pack. I would like opinions on whether to leave the leaf pack in its case and put the volt pack in custom battery boxes that fit the truck better OR take them all apart and attempt to merge them in such a way as to have cells work in parallel. I will get another volt pack if needed to make it work.

I will also see what Wolf has up his sleeve. Damian appears to have also done some magic with the volt BMS, or so I am told.

I'm hoping toget this right the first time, lol (fat chance, but I can hope)

 

[CanadaLT28]

I'm not sure that I understand both alternatives.

Is the first option to parallel the entire Leaf pack (96S2P of 33 Ah cells) with the entire Volt pack? They have about the same nominal voltage, but different capacities and seem unlikely to load-share ideally. Or is the first option to use one at a time, switching between them?

Is the second option to reconfigure the Leaf pack to place modules in parallel and then series them into a 48S set, and reconfigure the Volt pack to put modules or more cells in parallel and then series them into another 48S set, then put all of that in series? With the different capacities this seems like a problematic configuration. Or, is the second option to parallel two Leaf cells with a set (3 if the earlier Volt pack, 2 if the later Volt pack) of Volt cells, then put those mixed-source groups in series?

Modules are easy to connect in parallel with other modules, but the Volt modules are big (lots of cells) so it doesn't get even close to cell level parallel connections. Reconfiguring Volt modules at the cell level requires cutting of welds and making some sort of clamped connections. The Leaf modules are only 2S, and because they have a "middle" terminal for the BMS they can be paralleled at the cell level with only bolted connections. But I'm guessing that you already know that...

I should not be speaking in terms of cell level. My mistake.


I do know that there is a "middle terminal" for the BMS on Leaf modules and the first thought I had (and I don't know how realistic this is) would be to take X number of leaf modules and combine them with X number of Volt modules to make one larger grouping which could allow me to use only the Leaf BMS, and then S and P the groups to get the proper output voltage.


The Leaf is a 2014 pack as is the current Volt pack. The second option would be to get another Volt pack and try to make 1 pack of equal capacity to the Leaf pack and put it parallel with the leaf pack. The ultimate goal is to be able to use just one charger.


If there is a 3rd option I am all ears.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Lots of thought on this. If using Volt packs, I can get 3 of them in 3 rows under the truck easily and they are a LOT easier to come by than the Leaf packs. All that is needed is some way to communicate with Leaf brain. Using the Volt pack also gives me more confidence in the SOH of the batteries as they have not generally been abused.



The leaf can become powerwall.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Sorry if I misspoke, I will not be using the Leaf batteries in truck at all, just the volt packs (3 if I can get them). I will use the Volt charger and BMS so that will be somewhat stand.
Obviously the Leaf control is fine for the motor and inputs but it will probably get confused with the batteries so what can I do there? I know people have done this before but I haven't found a "part that I can buy" to mesh the Leaf controller and Volt batteries/BMS

 

[CanadaLT28]

A few updates. I have sourced the complete front end for a T4 (Eurovan) and will be using it to put a second leaf motor (motor/inverter/charger/dc-dc etc) in the front as a front drive truck. I will still use the current motor and inverter on the back as is but only the motor and inverter.

This will give me a 4x4 capability. Oddly, the T4 suspension is rated as high as my LT suspension and with shock/bags, I can get a better capacity.

I have just bought Pauls board that allows me to configure the Leaf to be controlled as I wish. There is a lot about it that I don't know such as how I will interface with the Volt pack(s). There is currently no DC fast charge on this leaf and I want to put one on if possible.

Paul believes that I can just split the throttle signal between the two inverters as they are torque controlled motors. It remains to be seen if I can run the two inverters with one controller.



Any thoughts will be appreciated, of course.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Hi , new to this thread, we have put together a geo metro with a 2013 leaf drive train, using our vcu to control the CAN messages that run the inverter. I would like to get photos of builds that others are doing with these cheap leaf drives. we have plans to put one in a ski boat ,and a two motor 4wheel drive vehicle. up next will be my MAzda Miata. I am working on mating the motor to the transmission now. Clutch or no clutch is my question .thunderstruck motors
thanks Brian

Where are you Brian?

 

[CanadaLT28]

Ahh, I didn't see that link. In my case I am doing 4WD by using two complete Leaf drivetrains so I have no need for the clutch. Can't help you there.

 

[CanadaLT28]

Hi,

looking at using a leaf drive in my conversion. Any chance you can provide the dimensions on the motor case length? (and ideally the motor case diameter too)?

Also curious if you're integrating the Leaf's liquid cooling with the existing radiator, or doing something else entirely. I've subscribed to this thread, really excited to see how it turns out.

I don't have the dimensions off hand but they are available somewhere on the tinterweb. I wil be using a VW passat rad (because I already have it) to cool the motors/inverters and to provide cooling to the Volt batteries. I have a separate heater to heat the batteries if needed.