Mantis Hybrid

[Del Monte]

This truck started as a prototype Mattzilla Mantis build for Axialfest and U4 racing in 2014. The original build handled great but never quite as well as it should have.

Here's a pic of the original truck right after it went up in flames at Axialfest.



The original truck was torn down to build an S-Class rig for Worlds. Since then I've missed having a fast solid axle truck, so I decided to rebuild this one.

Here's the direction it's going now

[Del Monte]

The original mantis rear end wasn't going to work with the huge Yeti rear shocks and VP Yeti trailing arms. The rear tubes had to go to make way for sway bars mounts and more travel on compression.



I hand cut the first rear plates in ABS, then scanned them and traced them in Corel draw.



From Corel, I imported the drawing into Mastercam to create a toolpath. Then things started to get interesting...

[Del Monte]

I have a few more details to add, but the Hybrid is almost ready for KOH.





The current specs are:

VP TH trailing (leading?) arms for the front lowers
VP Yeti rear trailing arms
Yeti rear shocks
Losi front shocks (for now)
Futaba BLS177HV servo
Tekin Rx8
Holmes Hobbies 3300kv 4-pole 540
Holmes Hobbies spools
Voodoo U4's Gold compound



The stock wraith skid needed to be massaged to get a lot of up travel with the big VP links, but everything just clears on compression now. I was actually breaking revo rod ends pretty frequently on the last version of this truck, so hopefully the VP's hold up to more abuse.



I was tired of always having to pull the side panel off to change a battery during a G6 or long trail run, so I made added a hinge to the battery side panel.

[Szczerba]

Nothing but performance updates right there. Great looking all-business rig.

[Ballistic17]

Very nice looking rig. Pretty cool changes for sure.

[COwraith]

Interesting using trailing arms up front, how's it perform? If you don't mind, where did you get your interior/drivers? Thanks!

[Del Monte]

Originally Posted by COwraith

Interesting using trailing arms up front, how's it perform? If you don't mind, where did you get your interior/drivers? Thanks!

The front arms speed up the reaction of the front suspension, but add more body roll. I'm running a big .093" sway bar in the rear to combat the body roll. It could use a soft front sway bar too. Overall it eats up bumps and choppy climbs though

The interior is from an Hpi Apache.

[sally1800]

Is that front servo bracket something you made?

[gunder463]

this is cool as ****k, i want it!

[hotwheels000]

Nice rig, sure would like to see more of the servo bracket.

[COwraith]

Thanks, oh and x3 on the servo mount. That looks like it is tucked away nicely.

[Del Monte]

Here's my servo mount. 7075 plate mounted to a milled down VP truss. The plate is tapped for 3mm screws to hold the servo on from underneath. It would be easier to put the servo on top, but then it would be sticking up pretty high.



This is a pic with the old housing, but you can see how much I had to cut out of the truss and axle. The bottom of the servo is still about .100" above the bottom of the axle tube.

In that pic you can also see one of the coolest parts of the truck... My SMW/Rob_B angled link mounts

[COwraith]

Haha wow that's a bit of trimming! Looks good though, you notice any weakening in the axle or does the mount and truss make up for it.

Those link mounts are sick.

[crawl-o-matic]

Looking forward to seeing this in person at KOH!

[tedo]

As always with your rigs... True performer. Great idea on the servo. Looks very protected for U4.

What's the overall weight on this ripper?

[TheAxialNut]

Nice work Jake...completely missed this thread...lol

Can't wait to run with you again, will be a first for me in trophy, be easy....go slow!

Hope to see you tomorrow at the U4 race.

[Del Monte]

Originally Posted by tedo

As always with your rigs... True performer. Great idea on the servo. Looks very protected for U4.

What's the overall weight on this ripper?

Thanks! I must have missed your post before. The truck is about 6.5lbs right now. It's a handful to drive on a track, but its very stable going over rough stuff at speed.

Originally Posted by TheAxialNut

Nice work Jake...completely missed this thread...lol

Can't wait to run with you again, will be a first for me in trophy, be easy....go slow!

Hope to see you tomorrow at the U4 race.

Thanks Derek! I was bummed to hear your trophy rig grind to a stop on Saturday. I guess a T8 might be too much motor

Also, no trophy class racing for this truck for now. It's too light and illegal on a few dimensions. It was fun racing it against all the Yeti's though. Next time I'll be racing a Yeti of my own

[TheAxialNut]

Originally Posted by Del Monte

Thanks Derek! I was bummed to hear your trophy rig grind to a stop on Saturday. I guess a T8 might be too much motor

HeHEEE!

Don't listen to those foul mouths... a T8 is a solid base from which to run a Ultra Trophy Rig. No grinding here buddy, my shock top snapped off, along with the upper link, stupid revo end, still took 4th. Weren't you in fifth with Jerrys rig? That grinding you heard was the first, second, and third spur gear, thanks Jason and Rich, that the piggy Wraith went through. 48P is really too small for that type racing. I gotta get rid of that thing and join you guys in the Yeti class.....










.

[Del Monte]

Originally Posted by TheAxialNut

HeHEEE!

Don't listen to those foul mouths... a T8 is a solid base from which to run a Ultra Trophy Rig. No grinding here buddy, my shock top snapped off, along with the upper link, stupid revo end, still took 4th. Weren't you in fifth with Jerrys rig? That grinding you heard was the first, second, and third spur gear, thanks Jason and Rich, that the piggy Wraith went through. 48P is really too small for that type racing. I gotta get rid of that thing and join you guys in the Yeti class.....

.

My mistake. I still have motor envy

On Joel's recommendation I switched to a 54t Revo spur gear for my new trans and it has survived so far.