Axial thread

[motomadd]

i'm starting to get interested in this phenom called "crawlers"... i don't yet have one but from what i have read Axial crawlers are setting the bar for performance and "mod" options so i thought this thread could be used for everything Axial to keep all the info in one place

let's see what you got people, the more i know about these things the more likely i will get into it.........
share your pics, thoughts and hop-ups and of course questions

moto

[Slider516]

Hey bud, well heres a couple pics of my rig. It started life as an Axial Ax-10 Scorpion kit, which was my first rock crawler. I built it about 7 mos ago and have been modding and upgradeing as needed or i have wanted. I wouldnt trade this truck for anything,i love crawling with my friends and the comp side of it is just alot of fun..Anyway i would say get the kit and your choice of electronics and get it on the rocks, you wont be sorry :cool:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/Slider5161/IMG_0130.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/Slider5161/IMG_0128.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/Slider5161/IMG_0125.jpg

[Seebot]

Hey Slider, nice to see ya over here!


I've been meaning to post in here, I guess better late than never :)

I've had the AX10 ARTR for about 4 months I think. Not modified very much, it does have a HR dig and a Novak Goat brushless system. It's gotten me a couple of comp wins so I'm quite happy with it.

I just built the SCX10 last week, bone stock with waterproof electronics. Had it in some water already but I'm looking forward to hitting some really deep water and mud holes! I did test it completely under water in the bathtub for about 10 minutes.

[motomadd]

sweet rigs guys, the crawler bug might just bite me yet,.....

however with the economy the way it is and the wife getting laid off, funds are a little tight so i was thinking the RTR strictly for money's sake ....

anything i should know about the RTR? good?, bad?, descent?

moto

[chessmaster]

their are a lot of plastic peices in the rtr version where the artr has most metal and already built.

[Seebot]

I agree, the RTR needs a lot of work before it could be called a rock crawler. Out of the box, it's nothing more than a bashing rig. The very least you could do to it to make crawl-worthy would be to replace the motor, ESC, and the plastic chassis and steering links.

If you already have a radio, then you could outfit the ARTR version for about the same money, and it has a better body, tires, and even more aluminum.

[evolone38]

I think you end up throwing money away buying the ALL plastic version vs. the metal counterpart.If you get into this and decide you love it,you will be way ahead of the minimal starting point.Here is pics of my current Axial. http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s294/evolone38/Axial%20Scorpion/ Enjoy......

[motomadd]

well i just took a look at my fav online store here in Canada and the ARTR is 2$ cheaper than the RTR..... and digging around in my immense bins of parts i found an old electric motor that i'm sure will do till i can get something better..

i have piles of radios and servos (a couple of hitec 645's also) so i guess all i would need would be a good ESC and batt.

just for curiosity sake, say i was to pick up a 3600Mah batt, what length of runtime could i expect out of it? what do you guys that aren't using lipo's get on what Mah batt.?

maybe i'll start saving my pennies or sell off one of my nitros to get it by mid summer or sooner

man, i'm liking the look of these crawlers more and more, i'm actually getting a little stoked thinking about getting one

moto

[evolone38]

Depends on the motor for runtime but, if you have a 1500mah 2/3a 8cell pack on a 45 turn lathe motor you would expect about an hour.Remember if you get a sub c sized pack there is weight and size to deal with but you would get hours of runtime on that motor.I run a 2cell 4400mah lipo with a Quark 80 esc and Hacker c40 12t motor in my 10lbs tuber scaler Jeep and it runs almost an hour.That is pretty cool

[Shane #SAC Racing#]

Crawling is a serious addiction once you start. The Axial is a great crawler right out of the box the ARTR and kit are the best way to go as they are ready to rock the rocks right off the bat. The Novak roster crawler combo that includes a 55t motor is great for starters and for the money, its a reliable system and backed by novaks great Customer Service. Make sure to get a servo with or above 150oz of torque so that you can turn the wheels no matter what situation your in. If you need any help let me know rc crawling is my industry.;)

BTW heres my pepsi rig
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm141/krawlerfreak/Picture013copy.jpghttp://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm141/krawlerfreak/Picture014copy.jpghttp://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm141/krawlerfreak/Picture018copy.jpg

[motomadd]

funny you should mention the Novak combo pack, i just checked it out on e-bay and it looks pretty cool, that may be the way to go...hmm, the hitec 645mg i have falls a little short of the 150oz mark, maybe have to bump that up too

roughly an hour on a charge, man that is cool, there is a totally rock spillway down by the river about a block from my house meant to route flooding and that would be a place to spend all day crawling..... i'll snap some pics and post-em up this weekend

BTW, sweet pepsi rig!

moto

[Shane #SAC Racing#]

The 645 is a good starting servo everyone and there brother that crawls has a few. It will eventually burn out though as they tend to give after LOTS of hard crawling (probably wasnt what it was first designed for), but hitec has awesome warranty service so it really isn't much of a worry.

Also thanks for the compliments on the crawler.

[motomadd]

they tend to give after LOTS of hard crawling

i wonder if you can just change the gear ratio in the servo with a kit or something, it might be a little slower but lower gearing would be easier on the motor...it would be a lot cheaper than buying a new one....... hmmmm, i think i might look around to see if such a kit exists

anybody ever done that?

moto

[chessmaster]

i dont think that you can switch gears in servos, but i could be wrong.

[motomadd]

hmmm, ya, i was in the hitec site and i think you are right, oh well.... i'll use the old 645mg that i have till it burns up

it's been sitting around for quite a while anyways

hmmm, i wonder if i can trade one of my nitros somewhere for a crawler, maybe i'll hit a few classifieds and see what happens (i just got a temporary lay-off at work so money will be tight for a few months, ughhh)

i'm not giving up though.... i want one bad!

moto

[chessmaster]

good luck trying to find servos

[motomadd]

good luck trying to find servos

huh? i don't follow?

moto

[chessmaster]

the gears in the servo?

[motomadd]

oh ok, i get ya,lol i thought there was a servo shortage or something,lol

moto

[motomadd]

well me and the wife went for a wlk today and i snapped a few pics of one of the places i found to run a crawler...

this one is abou 400' from my house
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3150099.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3150098.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3150097.jpg

there is another area about 3 blocks from here and i will snap some more pics as soon as i can get over there

i think it would be awesome messing around in there for a few hours

moto

[chessmaster]

nice place

[motomadd]

i thought so, the one on the other side of town is bigger and i think the rocks are a little larger too... looks like a lot of fun

moto

[Shane #SAC Racing#]

Looks like you got a nice place to crawl there moto.

[motomadd]

yep, now i just gotta find somebody in Canada to trade a couple of nitros for a good crawler,lol

i'll get one, i'm on a mission now!

moto

[CRISPYSQRL]

Man I wish I had a place like that. I have a crawler and no place to run it really only made up terrain.

[motomadd]

ya, i know i'm pretty lucky up here..... any wonder i want to get into crawling?,lol
just a little farther north there is MAJOR rock deposits, a lot of slate broken up and some huge boulders , not even a 40 minute drive from here,.....man i love Canada!

moto

[motomadd]

GOT ONE!!!!!!

it's used, but it is an Axial, it started as an RTR but has been upgraded a bit, a 75T motor, 645mg Hitec steering servo, the links aren't plastic, but (believe it or not) they are Traxxas tie rods!!..... it works so i'll keep them on for now,...i bought a venom 4200mAh pack for it.....stick for now, it will be a saddle pack for the front axle as soon as i buy another soldering iron

this thing was a mess when i bought it, the setup was all wrong and there was some wierd stuff i've never seen on ANY RC done to mickey mouse this thing together, BUT...... i have spent the last 2 days tearing it down to nuts and bolts and re-working, lubing and re-arranging things and basically re-building it from scratch, messing with shock settings and trying to distribute the weight in all the right places to get a half descent crawl till i tear apart the stick pack

i'll post up some pics when i'm done the first wave of re-building...... this is going to be a BLAST!

moto

[motomadd]

NOW i see what all the hype is about, these things are f*@kin' COOL!!.... as the pics will show, i have ample crawling spots here in Durham and this is only one of them
at this point she has..
4200mAh venom pack
75T integy motor
645MG hitec steering
(made by me) 4-link plate
Ford F-250 body... wells cut out
Traxxas turnbuckles for links
DX2 radio
Tamiya ESC
custom mounted battery and elecs. (pack is sideways and lowered down almost to trans)

on to the pics

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3220130.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3220131.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3220132.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3220135.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3220136.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3220137.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P3220129.jpg

in the works is....
cut open the venom pack and make saddle packs out of it
softer springs and heavier oil
possibly a light kit for night running
Traxxas shafts and yoke (after these ones twist)
different treads

i'm gonna love this bad obsession.....

moto

[Shane #SAC Racing#]

DUDE thats sick now you can crawl your arse off. It really is an addiction before you know it you'll have many many crawlers :)

I reorganized the list to how id mod the crawler

different treads (the tread that comes stock on the RTR and kit is terrible the ARTR has proline off the bat)
softer springs and heavier oil
possibly a light kit for night running
Traxxas shafts and yoke (after these ones twist) (surprisingly stock ones will hold up to one hell of a beating i personally think the axials are stronger than the traxxas)

[motomadd]

DUDE thats sick now you can crawl your arse off. It really is an addiction before you know it you'll have many many crawlers

thanks brah, i'm digging it THOROUGHLY..... and as for the having multiple crawlers, yep, i can see it happening.......but the wife ain't gonna like it,lol, i already have multiple nitros and a couple helis
dam she's a good woman,lol

i agree with your order of mods too,
- the stockers grab ok, but i can see they could be better.... they need to be changed soon
-as for the shocks, i'm gonna mess with some of the different shocks/springs i already have (tons), if not i hear HPI purples work well, as for oils...... i have more than the alberta oil fields,lol
-lights,.....looking around different sites
-ya, i haven't experienced it yet and i don't even know if it's true about the stock shafts twisting, but if they do, i have DOZENS of Traxxas shafts here, just need a metal yoke........IF they twist, if not, i'll leave it for sure

moto

[liquid1]

Hey bud, well heres a couple pics of my rig. It started life as an Axial Ax-10 Scorpion kit, which was my first rock crawler. I built it about 7 mos ago and have been modding and upgradeing as needed or i have wanted. I wouldnt trade this truck for anything,i love crawling with my friends and the comp side of it is just alot of fun..Anyway i would say get the kit and your choice of electronics and get it on the rocks, you wont be sorry :cool:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/Slider5161/IMG_0130.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/Slider5161/IMG_0128.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/Slider5161/IMG_0125.jpg
WOW Nice rides..Sweeeeet..

[motomadd]

Glad you showed up liquid!!!!.....that is a sweet rig eh? it's been a long time brah, we'll slowly get the old crew back together,lol ......... doubtfull,lol

moto

[liquid1]

Glad you showed up liquid!!!!.....that is a sweet rig eh? it's been a long time brah, we'll slowly get the old crew back together,lol ......... doubtfull,lol

moto Yep Its cool to catch up with ya..Theres No Doubt you will Learn alot and Be one Helluva Crawler soon..Nice looking ride Plus its a Ford..he eh:D..Great looking Place up there to crawl..I need to get a Vid up of my Dads Place it has a Killer Hill Climb ..Of course I dont have a Crawler But give the 3.3 Tmaxx Hell..I;ll be in and out checking this Place out..Lots of cool stuff.The crawlers Look cool I might Build One from Scratch..Have fun Moto keep posting up them Pic..liquid1

[motomadd]

right on man, let's see some vids of the Maxx climbing!

Theres No Doubt you will Learn alot and Be one Helluva Crawler soon

well, you know me brah, once i sink my teeth into something i don't let go,lol....crawling seems like the place to learn LOTS

moto

[liquid1]

Yea I will need to get that vid together..I always tought it would be cool to watch a Nitro Or Rock crawler hit a 60 Degree hill
Thats 200 Feet High Wide oped..Its my Dads old Motocyles Hill Climb..I;ll Post it up in the New Traxxax Tread I started...
WOW guys I never woulda tought the Crawlers could run for over 50 minutes theres some Great technology Developing in ESC,Batts and controls...cool info..

[motomadd]

hell, liquid.... with my 4200mAh pack and 75T motor i am running out of controller batt before the truck (1 1/2 hours) and the truck still has juice left,lol

i thought i would throw together a little vid to show off some of Durham's prime crawling spots, in this vid i am at the Durham dam, which in a month or so will be waterfall also once they open up the next dam upstream...... so i thought i better take advantage now while i can (the vid doesn't do justice to how steep some of the climbs are, i'm guessing some of them are around 60 degrees)

it's nothing spectacular but i had a blast out there in the warm spring breeze (till my controller crapped out) for about an hour and a half

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E52tyYT3HEs

it's hard to shoot vid and drive at the same time..... and my teeny tripod only catches so much.... but i think it's ok

oh ya, i discovered that the stock Traxxas shocks that come on the big bores work really well, they are mushy as pudding on the Maxx but they work nicely on something that is supposed to be soft sprung (i made up the difference in length with shims), i'll post some pics of my new suspension setup soon

moto

[liquid1]

WOW great vid..Cool stuff moto..This looks like lots of fun..Great looking truck..Its amazing how it sucks up the terain..awesome..

[motomadd]

thanks buddy, i didn't think that the stock Traxxas big bore springs would be soft enough but it seems they work pretty well, i also switched out for 50W oil in all 4 shocks and shimmed the springs just so the spacers would touch the spring at full stroke in the front and put about 3/16" of preload spacing at the back at full stroke

which gives me about 1/4" of droop in the front and just a hair in the back which seems to work pretty well

i messed with my links too and now i'm getting about 40 degrees articulation per axle...... next thing to fix

torque twist, it's not terrible, but kind of a hinderance in certain situations......... man this is addicting

moto

[motomadd]

well it's been raining here all day so i thought it would be a good chance to work on controlling the new crawler, i'm trying to learn the balance points and every maneuver it will pull off

i got messing with it tonight and discovered that the body would rub if it was at full articulation and turned, so i trimmed and trimmed until the headlights were gone but it looked extremely goofy with just a grill hanging down so i decided to just chop the whole thing off...... it doesn't look too bad i think

either way, i discovered the finer points of "self righting" and worked on controlling the rig on it's side.....obviously if you are on your lid and no rubber touching ground, you're done for, but in a competition touching your truck will cost you so if you can right it by itself you'll save the penalty

also i was playing with some inverted wheelies, i can't imagine where i would use this in a comp, but it is teaching me finesse with the throttle trigger (remember i'm a nitro guy,..wide open or no throttle are the only 2 speeds)

anyways, here's what i was doing tonight.....i'm finally getting the feel for the rig i think
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZC-_BE5kiY

moto

p.s.
i can't be the only guy here with an Axial crawler....post 'em up guys!

[liquid1]

Cool Stuff especially the crawling wheelie..I wish I had a Axial Been looking at all of them, 40 derees twist is sicko..WOW

[motomadd]

for sure liquid, although i would try to get the ARTR or the kit.... mine started life as a RTR but with the upgrades the guy that used to own it put on, (motor, ESC, links, steering servo) it comes out to more than an ARAR or the kit

you have to buy this stuff anyways (minus links) but in the long run it will save you money, and the ARTR comes with way better tires

i just skimmed the local classifieds and offered a trade for my Maxx straight up and got the whole package in return...sweet deal

moto

[Slider516]

Glad to see you got one bud, welcome to the sickness:cool:

[motomadd]

welcome to the sickness

you said it brah, and i'm not looking for a cure

moto

[motomadd]

so what do we think about tire selection people?....the stock Axials are ok, but i know there has to be better out there, i hear losi has some nice rubber, as well as proline

also what kind and how much weight are you guys running.....and what kind of front/rear balance 60/40,? 70/30? 80/20?

opinions and experiences?

moto

[Slider516]

The Proline G8 Chisels are a really good tire, i think the best this season so far. Im running 8 oz's in each front tire and 2 oz's in each rear, this combo works good for me, you will just have to mess with it some and see what works best for you.:cool:

[motomadd]

my latest vid is up in the video section
http://www.rccars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3211

i love this spot ..... it's right in front of the biggest dam in town (there are 3) the only thing is that you have to wait till it's been dry for a while or this whole area floods and people swim here in the rapids

i wonder if i could talk the town council into keeping it dry permanently...........LMAO, YA RIGHT

i even threw in a little promo for this site at the end

hope you like

moto

[motomadd]

http://www.rccars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3211

got bored today too,lol

moto

[fordmanmike73]

Alright motomadd and others. You all have convinced me to go with the Axial ARTR. I want to go with the Novak Goat kit but I want to waterproof it. Is that possible? I saw a video where a guy drove his through water but he may have bought the waterproof powertrain. What do you guys think?

[motomadd]

You all have convinced me to go with the Axial ARTR

cool, welcome to the dark side,lol..... i can't believe how addicting going SLOW actually is
the ARTR is an awesome choice, it comes with proline tires which in itself is an awesome bonus

as far as waterproofing, there are literally dozens of ways...... ballooning the ESC and Rx, some buy small tupperware dishes and put them in there, siliconing the hole that the wires run out through......google waterproofing a crawler and start reading,lol....... oh ya, if you're worried about the motor, don't.... they will take water just fine, it's the mud you have to worry about, it will ruin bearings and just generally ruin the inside of a motor as if you threw a handfull of sand in it

i still haven't waterproofed ANYTHING on mine and i run near water a lot as you can tell from the vids.... but when i finally do i'll throw up a pic filled documentary on how i did it

once again, good choice on the Axial, you will find there is a million tons of mods and there is virtually no end to the possibilities of where you can take your customizing

moto

[fordmanmike73]

I GOT ONE!!!! I found an Axial already upgraded with all wheel steering! Great radio, too. Here's some pics, videos to come!

[motomadd]

that is sweet fordman!...now get out on those rocks and get to know the beast, i'm glad i did before i started modding (which you will, without a single doubt,lol) so i know for sure the stuff i modded made a difference

very cool bro, and welcome to the sickness,lol

moto

[motomadd]

i've got mine torn down into itty bitty pieces right now, i'm in the middle of re-vamping a lot of things......
-mirror the trans to reduce torque twist (if it does, most say yes, some say no, i'll find out for myself)
-move the pack to the front axle
-weight the rims with solder wire wrapped around under the foams (which are star cut already)
-flip my shocks upside down (may go with internal springs and run a "droop" setup, not sure yet.....and i think i'll run baby oil in them
-put all the electronics inside a sealed container for absolute waterproofing
-maybe work on my scaler Jeep body to dress it up a bit

i'll post up pics of everything i did when i'm done,.... sorta before/after thing and tell what a difference things make

moto

[motomadd]

well i have been busy the last couple of days, with yard work and running after my kids but i found time to do a little modding on my Axial.....

I didn't get everything done that i would have liked, but i got close as the pics will tell

about the only thing i didn't get done was the total waterproofing of the electronics (i need a silicate pack to keep electronics from sweating) and i didn't go with the internal droop setup .......yet

BUT, i did get some stuff done that i am going to test out tomorrow, time permitting

this is how it sat before i started.... not a bad setup but i wanted more weight on the front, i couldn't get the nose over about 50 degrees without it flipping backwards and even before that, more weight on the front would have helped traction (yes, i know tires are THE best thing you can do for traction, but i'm still on temporary lay-off and can't swing the new rubber yet)
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4090040.jpg

it had the ESC on the front servo which i didn't like ever since i bought it (used), it just seemed too vulnerable there
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4090041.jpg

the battery was lower than stock, but it didn't do much for weight distribution.... and i don't know what the h*ll those brown rods were made of, the dude before me did some wierd things
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4090042.jpg

so, off come the front axle
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4090043.jpg

down to the stock servo plate
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4090045.jpg

i was playing with ideas of how to put the pack up front, since i still had the battery plate i thought maybe something like this
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4090046.jpg

i used some old burned up cells to do a little mock-up
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4090047.jpg

but when i tried to fit it between the tires the cells would rub...... so i went with over the steering servo as you will see later on, i chopped up a new Venom 4200mAh pack to do it
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4110048.jpg


so, next on to the trans...... i have read on a few different forums that "mirror" transmissions reduce torque twist, the idea being that the monster heavy motor is on the side that wants to lift, thereby reducing it.... we'll see if it works or not
mirroring a trans is as easy as it gets, there is a little plug on the other side of the spur shaft that pops out, all you do is disassemble the transmission cases and move the spur and motor mount to the other side..... "mirroring" the trans and of course you have to spin the skid/mounting plate 180 degrees too

before
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4110052.jpg

after
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4120053.jpg

mounted back up, motor on the other side now
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4120054.jpg

i intended to run a droop setup as i said before but one of the reasons i didn't do it right away is that i wanted to test it after these few mods to see how it worked, and THEN change to a droop setup.... basically so i could see if it had any effect at all rather than totally change everything around and end up making some things worse, yunno?

so anyways, since that was about all i had set out to do so far with the chassis, i started assembling what i had done so far
i had built the pack before so it was time to mount it up...... i know it's a little bit ghetto looking right now, and i intend on getting some real shrink-wrap ASAP, but for now the high voltage rubber tape i had will work, (both to insulate the cells from each other and to cover the whole unit
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4130055.jpg

now, on to the electronics.....
i happened to have an old hitec box laying around when i got the high torque servo for my Muggy, and i got to looking at it and thinking.... "hmmm, why not?",lol

so this is the creation that i ended up with..... an electronics box that is made from.....well..... an electronics box,lol
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4130056.jpg

i used some Traxxas upper shock mounts that i had laying around to bridge the gap between the box and the chassis plates and it worked out perfectly... so i drilled some holes in the box to take the reduced end into the box and leave the bigger end outside to space it, then ran longer hex-head bolts through it and the chassis plates , out to the body mounts
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4130057.jpg

then i stuck in my electronics, cut a hole in the side for the on/off switch and cut a groove to run the wires out of
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4130058.jpg

hooked everything back up... powered up and everything worked like it had before so.......

DONE (for now)
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4130059.jpg

once i can get my hands on a silicate pack to keep the inside dry when it's sealed, i think this unit will be sealed with RTV and the hole where the switch is will be filled....turning it on and off just by plugging it in to the pack

then it should be completely waterproof!.....*should!*,lol

so this is where it stands now.
-pack over the front axle
-mirrored trans
-semi waterproofed electonics

after testing i'll see what happens but here it is done for now and the schrapnel that made it happen all around it,lol
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4130060.jpg

as soon as i can get out i'll report on what happened

moto

[motomadd]

well, that was disappointing to say the least, lol....... i just went out in my newly built "rock garden" (that's what i told the wife it was anyways,lol) and i know for 100% certain that there is TOO MUCH weight on the front now, it wallowed and plowed the front tires like a pregnant yak mucking through a swamp

well i have to do some thinking as to how to reduce the weight on the front and balance things out more..... maybe 2 of the 6 cells on the back axle?...hmm who knows (yes, i know, sub C's are the way to go but i have no coin right now so i gotta work with what i got)

i'll tell the noobs that are starting in this crawling thing that one thing's for sure .....LEARN TO SOLDER!!... it opens up doors for modding that is absolutely necessary, and it's easy to learn

phase 2 coming up

moto

[chessmaster]

Cant wait to see what you come up with this week.

Chessmaster

[Slider516]

Im sure you'll get it lined out bud:cool:

[motomadd]

thanks Slider, i haven't had much time this week but by the weekend i want to get something figured out so i can get back on the rocks!
i'm not guaranteeing what i come up with will work right but half the fun is trying right?,lol
moto

[motomadd]

well things have been busy as usual lately, but i have had a little time to tinker with my crawler and i came to a realisation..... i have a somewhat scale body, why not use it?

the body itself is off an old Radio Shack truck but it does fit on the Axial (relatively, the wheelbase is off a little but i can fix that if need be by shortening the links)

it's not painted at all, just the way it came from the store......like this (interior removed)

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4140064.jpg

and also i think it's a pretty well detailed body and interior and could look pretty cool done up to as scale as possible
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4220104.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4220105.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4220106.jpg

it doesn't even look too bad mounted where the guy before me drilled it to fit
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4160066-1.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4160068-1.jpg

so now on top of re-locating the pack i'm gonna do some painting and possibly put some lights on this rig at my first attempt at a somewhat scaler

updates to come

moto

[liquid1]

Sweeeeet Moto..Looking good..Yep get some Nice heavy guage wire, or Copper and split them Batts up across the Chasis to even out the weight and you'll Be good to Go..Solder and seal it up good..No worrys....The jeep body looks cool..

[motomadd]

thanks buddy, i got a little farther on it today, the interior is painted, the body is ready for the unwanted holes to be filled and also to be painted (RED), i got the wire to build the pack and the LED's are planned out (maybe not installed for a while though)

i'll post some pics of what i have done tomorrow

moto

[motomadd]

actually i snapped some pics of the interior just to show what is taking so long..... i'm a terrible painter but i took my sweet time with this and i think the interior turned out pretty good
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4280135.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4280136.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4280137.jpg

more to come

moto

[liquid1]

Nice job moto...Nothing wrong with a Hott red...

[racinghenry]

Heres on the the pics of those great crwalers that i have got
http://claysmodelshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/capture%20selection-20081119-180614-2.jpg

[racinghenry]

heres another one......
im just mesmerized by these things....
how the crawl above stone....
get out of mud n all....
truely an excellent specimen
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/105413968/Redcat_Racing_Rockslide_Super_Crawler_toy.jpg

[motomadd]

nice rigs Henry!

moto

[motomadd]

well i have a little update on where i'm at with my "scale" Axial

i'll get the pics out of the way and then run down what i did so far
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4300138.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4300139.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4300140.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4300141.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P4300142.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5010143.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5010144.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5010145.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5010146.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5010147.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5010148.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5010149.jpg


so, starting from the top...

i finally got the holes filled in the body, sanded it down and got it painted,..... this was my first "hard" body project so there are small imperfections here and there but i'm happy with my first go at it....... hell, 2 weeks after i get it on the rocks it will look like it's been through a sandblast war anyways,lol

i decided to detail the door handles, latches, rivets and all the other stuff as i said before.... i also outlined the doors to make them "pop" to the eye, i dunno if it was the right decision but i think it looks ok

next i put the already painted grille back in, and before i got to the roll bars i thought to myself..."hey, why not carpet the cargo area?, that should add some realism!"..... and i think it looks really cool

so after the swearing and twisting, turning and pushing to get the "carpet" down in the back, i stuck the rool bars back on, jammed the cracked windshield in and ended up with something i'm pretty satisfied with.......FOR NOW

i've been reading like an RC scholar and found easy ways to make a cooler, gas can, axe, and strap extra drive shafts onto the rig for extra authentic looks

now i also still have to re-route my battery pack on the chassis, i think i'll go 4-link on the front now that i have it apart (and also a template printed off the net for the new location of the batts)......AND , i believe that this rig will look WORLDS better running full droop, possibly with my Maxx's big bores attached....... just to lower it down to realistic levels

WHEW!, still lots more work to do, but i'm at the point where at least i can see results, you gotta love that part of a build

more to come as ASAP

moto

[motomadd]

oh ya, i will be running a piece of black tubing across the top of the windshield where the original frame is missing, and the LED's in both the headlights and fog lights are coming too

my camera is playing tricks on the body colour, it is actually a blood red, hmmmm wierd

moto

[Slider516]

Very cool man, those bodies are really popular right now, but its a Jeep so no wonder lol:D

[motomadd]

thanks Slider, i think it's pretty authentic looking...

by request from another bunch of guys at another forum, i filled in the lines around the doors and hood, i wasn't sure about it anyways so here's what it looks like now,... better i think
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5020153.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5020152.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5020151.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5020150.jpg

i'm just digging this scale thing (maybe too much), so i asked around and was able to get a printout for a scaler chassis, it is a "SKALA V2" chassis and i think it might be an interesting build since the stock chassis kinda looks goofy with the wheelbase being off, and if i shorten the links to get it in line with the wheel wells it will still be incredibly high...

so this chassis is a definite possibility
(it does line up well, it's just a camera trick that makes it look like it doesn't)
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5040019.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5040021.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5040020.jpg

MORE work,lol
oh ya, i have the LED's, i just have to figure out routing and power source, then it will be lit up like a X-mas tree)
moto

[motomadd]

well i finally got a few hours to myself today and decided to mess around with the lighting,..... i think it works dam well!!

these LED's are bright as hell (maybe it's because i have 7 of them on there,lol)

no tail lights yet, but in the near future

trying out the fog lights
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5090065.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5090066.jpg

the full setup

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5100067.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5100069.jpg

in the dark

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5100073.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5100074.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/P5100075.jpg

now if i could just get hold of some aluminum for my scale chassis, things would be well on their way to completion.........

moto

[liquid1]

Nice looking job....WOW very nice moto..

[motomadd]

thanks liquid, it's coming along..... i gotta find some material and start on my scaler chassis as soon as i can

i wanna get this rig running, it's been a while!

moto

[fordmanmike73]

Sorry I've been away for a "hot minute"! For some reason I can't view your pix here at work, moto, but I can't wait to get home and see what I've been missing. Sounds like you've come a long way. I haven't done anything with mine. I did get a set of lights, though. I will post some new pix and videos as soon as I get off work!

[motomadd]

excellent fordman, let's see the pics and vids!

ya, i love the lights... they add mega realism, but i still have lots of work to do......

moto

[motomadd]

i might as well put up an update as to where i'm at with my little project here
last night i got a chunk of 1/8" aluminum and proceeded to trace the pattern out
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture019.jpg
it took some doing to cut them out but i got it done, because my scroll saw crapped out so i had to do it all by hand (hacksaw,lol)
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture020.jpg
took the template and punched the centers
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture001.jpg
drilled the holes in one
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture002.jpg
then clamped the other underneath to transfer the holes exactly the same
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture003.jpg
then slapped a little paint on them, (first coat anyways)
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture004.jpg
so now i'm almost ready to bolt the skid plate and trans in, then cut a couple of cutting board platforms to set my elecs and batteries on, somewhere around here.....(red)
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture004-1.jpg
then it's on to mounting the servo in the frame, and making some new links to fit the shorter wheelbase..... (threaded rod and brake line is easiest i'm guessing)

there is still a ways to go but i will get there

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE NEXT DAY


well this is incredible, but again today the crawler gods have given me some free time so i got quite a bit done..... and i'm pretty pleased with what i'm seeing

here's what i did today

first i got my cutting board chassis plates cut out and slapped some quick drying paint on them to black them out from the original white board
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture007.jpg
then i got them set in place, drilled and mounted, it really made the chassis solid and twist proof..... it was a concern going through my head before i even started this build but this really did the trick
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture009.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture010.jpg
next up was getting the rear axle mounted and making new links, so i measured out from the center of the chassis 5 3/8" to the center of the axle , then set the Axle in place and measured for my links to get me the 10 3/4" i needed for the axle centers

got the links made and everything mounted up
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture011.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture014.jpg
i was pretty happy with the articulation too, it reached full travel just before the shock body hit the tire........ nice!
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture012.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture013.jpg
THEN came the front axle.... and to my horror i found that i was out of ball ends!!!!, so i had to improvise to keep the project moving (i'll 4-link later on)

so i came up with just shortening the stock upper link to work for now.... i had to take 3/8" off to get it down to my size needed
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture016.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture017.jpg
after buttoning up everything and getting everything in place.......FINALLY!!!, after countless weeks of waiting i finally had a rolling chassis again
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture018.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture019-1.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture021.jpg

i need to shut it down for tonight, i have been at this thing WAY too long today but hopefully tomorrow i can get my elecs planned out and installed.... and possibly by sunday get the rest of the body done (mostly soldering connections for the lights and a few odds and ends)

and with any luck at all, sunday afternoon i'll be sitting under my gazebo roof in the shade crawling in the wifes ROCK surrounded flowerbeds...... sipping a wobbly-pop and admiring my work

maybe,lol

vids to come when the test drive comes

[motomadd]

FINAL UPDATE........well, for now anyways,lol

well, it's alive and it moves well, i'm pretty happy with the overall finish on it ......of course there are still little odds and ends to add like red covers for the tail lights and maybe a cooler in the back and a shovel or something in the roof rack

but here's what took place in the final leg of this (my first) somewhat scaler build
---------------------------------------

i got all the elecs placed and buttoned down
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture023.jpg
ready for my homemade 4700mAh pack made out of a venom stick pack
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture024.jpg
got it zip-tied down and took it for a little spin around the basement
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture025.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture026.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture027.jpg

next up came a custom mount for the body....screwed it down and ...... VICTORY!!

my new scaler

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture028.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture029.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture030.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture031.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture032.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture033.jpg

and even a little crappy vid of the test drive in the back yard (it's hard to drive and shoot at the same time)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onPzKApJ8WU


moto

[chessmaster]

nice job motomadd. I will have to post my crawler up when i get some parts in.:cool:

[motomadd]

for sure man, let's see it!

moto

[motomadd]

went out for a run today at a sub-division in progress and had a blast, so i thought i would just post up a few little pics i took
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture227.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture228.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/motomadd/RC%20pics/Picture229.jpg

moto

[Mr. Burpsalot]

Nice job Moto! Are there any other scale R/c people in your area? Scale comps are a blast!

[motomadd]

not in my immediate area, but about an hour drive away there is a club,.... i'm on their forum but i have yet to make it out to a comp this year, it does seem like a load of fun

this winter i'm gonna build a comp crawler (prob Axial based, or losi if i'm sure they have the drive shaft issue fixed, and somebody finds the right motor/gearing to use,lol)) for the 2.2 class..... no bells, whistles or anything like that, just for crawlin'

then next year i'll head out to some of the comps that these guys hold for sure.... the pics and vids on their site always have guys laughing and grinning happily, so i'm assuming they're a lot of fun,lol

moto