Another Jeep JK unlimited build / bruiser hybrid

[gpwpat]

I have been collecting parts for quite a while and finally it was time to piece them together.
here are the specs
Newbrite 1/8 Jeep Unlimited body
Tamiya Bruiser frame
TLT axles
TLT turned down shocks
Custom coil spring mounts
Axial tranny
Traxxas U joints and drive shafts
Integy aluminum wheels
RC4WD Mud Thrashers (because they look like BFG mud terrains)
weighted front tires
LED lights
Integy 55T lathe motor
On the way
Novak Rooster crawler
Stainless Axel C's
Aluminum knuckles
To be built or bought
Steel bumpers
Steel rock sliders
aluminum links to replace mockup threaded rods
Steel external cage roofrack
expedition gear
working scale winch
1/8 scale 1/4 ton military trailer with Roof top tent. ( That only when this is finished)
Paint it jeep green and detail the interior.
The purpose of this build is to build a scale rig of my 1:1 and what I would like it to look like. and equiped with. Plus it will give me something too play with while camping and while dreaming of the next trip.


So here is the start. I wanted it to sit as close to stock as I could get while still giving enough suspension travel to play and look good. Alot of the builds on here with this body are a bit taller than I wanted and they were on different frames so I thought this post would still be something new even if the body wasn't.



here you can see the articulation I was able to get while still maintaining stock ride height


Here it is compared to a stock Tamiya Bruiser


Here is the Body off. You can see, since I turned down my TLT shocks to make them look more scale. I then had to find a way to attach springs. The great thing with this set up is that I can pull out the springs and put in stiffer springs with no tools if I want to change the ride height and performance. Right now I am running springs from the hardware store that have the same dimensions as standard shock springs. but they were only a buck a piece and the perfect amount of spring rate. as I get about 1/2" of droop. I have other springs that will give me 1/8" of droop. but the soft springs look so stock and so far great performance. As you can see I just finished the mock up. the build has only just started and after some pillow and box crawling I had to take it outside so it got a little muddy.

[darkstar06109]

I have to say this truck looks absolutly amazing, I am building the jk body too and I seriously concidered startin over after looking at yours. I was wondering what you were using for shocks, I agree that the stance of your rig looks alot more scale than most I have seen and that is the look i am goin for on mine too

[gpwpat]

The shocks are TLT shocks turned down on a lathe. I do have to say it gets caught up on some stuff but mostly the steps on the side of the body. My 1:1 does not have these steps so my next mods this weekend are to buld steel bumpers and rock rails.

The TLT shocks paired with the super soft springs from the hardware store give the jeep super soft scale looking suspension. When I put in stiffer springs to raise the ride height it starts to get bouncy and toy like.

[darkstar06109]

Ok, I am kind of a noob that hasn't had any experience with tamiya kits. Do you know what the shocks measure fully extended? I built a custom frame and I was lookin at the rc4wd scale shocks, I just need to know what approxamite size to get. Unfortunatly I cant get a spring and a shock in there (that looks awsome), so I am just going to try running the internal spring. The first thing I did to the body was to hack off the bumpers and I was also thinking about chopping the running boards. I was in home depot yesterday looking at drawer handles that looked perfect for rock rails (just a thought). I am also workin on aluminum front bumper and an aluminum rear bumper with a swing out tire carrier.

[4x4crawler]

That is nice. Im doing a JK build too and was wondering, have you used wheel wideners? Mine will be on hi-lift axles .