another jeep tj build (and my first build thread)

[scorpion/king]

ok so i've been on here for awhile and i dont post much (as you can tell by my post count). i've done a few builds but never actually did a thread. so this time around im gonna do it.

im starting with a ton of parts from my ax-10's and building everything i can. the body im using is from the NEW BRIGHT JEEP ROCK CRAWLER from radio shack. the frame is all hand bent from 1/4"sq. aluminum. the center skid/lower links mount was machined out of 1/2"thick/2"x3.5" aluminum (i work for a brake manufacturing company and regularly have access to bridgeports,lathes, and an assortment of surface grinders, and a combined 100+++ years of experience and advice from fellow employee toolmakers). im doing a standard 4-link rear with a 3-link/panhard bar front with cms.

i got the jeep from radio shack last friday (BLACK FRIDAY) when i was dropping my girlfriend off at work in the mall. i strolled over to radio shack and knew as soon as i saw it i wanted it for another scale build. it was $60 and i had no cash so i sadly walked away. i left the mall and went across the street to target only to find the same body (with different stickers and different bolt in interior on another chassis, i guess NEW BRIGHT has the right idea using the same body for different rigs.) for $50. about 5 min later i get a call from my mother and says shes doin some x-mas shopping at the mall and asked if i needed a new blanket?! i told her meet me at radio shack and ill show you what i want...

so she said she'd buy it for me even after i offered to pay half back to her she said "no dont worry bout it, but its all your getting, your 23 and im still buying you toys" (laughing). so i went home and immediately dismounted the body.

saturday while the girlfriend was at work again started on the frame, took about 2hrs to figure it out and get both rails bent. couldnt really do anything else til i went into work the next day (yes sunday unfortunately).

so at work i finished what i had to do and clocked out and spent some time trimming the ends of the frame to even them out and drilling mounting holes and what not.

throughout the last week i machined the center skid/links mount, a panhard bracket for the frame, a servo mount, and was test fitting eveything. only a week has gone by and the build is about 85% done. all suspension/steering links are mounted and functioning amazingly. the front 3-link/panhard setup has no bumpsteer at all!!! (completely amazed but i spent about 3 hrs in my basement messing with link lengths and angles to get it to work perfectly. simple theory but easier said then done).

i need to trim the body to clear the tires (fender flares are going bye-bye and doing a comp cut rear). the wheelbase on the body is about 9.75" and the wheelbase i have built into the chassis and suspension is just around 10.5" so it will look like a 3.5" stretch on a full size jeep. the body has a 1/4" spacer between it and the frame (2.5" body lift, lol) and currently the shocks are traxxas slash fronts in droop setup until i can afford some more scale looking shocks. i get about 5"+ under one tire before another lifts off the ground.

i also need to make some bumpers and rock sliders and do away with the stock plastic roll cage for a nice tube cage. and it will have headlights/ taillights/ rock lights at each wheel/ full interior/ driver (NERO from the new star trek movie)/ and lots of other little odds and ends.

i know i know i type alot, and you may be wondering where the pics are? well my girlfriend dropped my camera (got ripped from her hand at a concert while i was dragged into a fight and getting kicked in the face while picking it up) so it doesnt work and shes at work and has her camera in her bag. i have some crappy cell phone pics i'll throw up in a bit and will update with pics tonight after she gets outta work and i can use her camera.

[scorpion/king]

sorry it took a lil longer then expected to post up, i ran to the basement and trimmed the fenders first and took the first 2 pics then the rest are from last night









and the flex shots

[Heinakin]

I like the frame rails, how do you like the droop set up?

[scorpion/king]

honestly i only got to run the truck for about 5min in my back yard (not a rock around, unless you count the patio) just to make sure there was no binding and from what i saw with it i think its gonna work pretty good.

gonna run kinda like half sprung though. i have some springs from work i snagged, nice and soft but firm enough to support some weight. they are about 2/3 the size of the springs for the traxxas shocks so im gonna run those with a small spacer just to give it a lil up-travel and so i dont pummel the shocks cuz i plan on wheeling this thing hard and it does catch a lil air on the lip of my driveway, lol.

[scorpion/king]

so, not a huge update but i actually got to drive this thing today finally on my lunch break for about 15 min (need a bigger battery, currently the only thing that'll fit is my custom made 14cell crawler pack (2 800Mah 7cell heli packs in parralel <--- spelling???)).

but even in the short amount of time i loved it. this thing is alot more capable then i thought it would be. the short w.b. isnt as much of a hinderance, it actually helps in some tight situations and having everything over the front gives it the lil extra help keeping the front wheels planted. the one thing i can say for sure though is, snow SUCKS!! couldnt get to my usual workplace test spot because it was burried from the plow behind/under a 7ft mound of snow from last wednesdays storm.

i will hopefully be starting on the bumpers and sliders (desperately needed) this weekend because i took a vaca day on fri so i have a long weekend.

i will finally post up the better pics from an actual camera and show how i did the battery mount and a lil better detail of the frame and suspension.

[scorpion/king]

i have a few short video clips but i cant get them to play on my computer at ALL!! when i try to open them an error message pops up and says "windows does not support this file" it happens with any video i try to put on the computer.

any help so i can get these up???