Project Rampage - Class 3 Custom Tube Frame TTC Build

[monkeyracer]

I was taking a good long look at the Hummer Buggy I acquired from a trade originally built by eron, and realized there are a lot of things I didn't like about it. It needed a lot of work, so much so that I decided to just start from scratch.



(The XJ body is my friend's "Mini Me XJ" for size reference.)
After a few bends and some fishmouth filing I had the beginnings of a new chassis.



All the joints are just taped together to mock it up and plan out the bends before getting to the torch (and I need to get more flux...)

I wanted something a little longer with a little different shape, so after a few more bends I came up with this:







After this point, I wanted to see what it would look like with wheels and axles under it, so I put it on the hummer buggy flipped upside down:









This is a pretty close approximation of the wheelbase and height, give or take 1/2" here or there. I want the COG low, and the wheelbase around 13".

This is my first attempt at brazing so it will be a learning experience for sure. There will be a few more vertical pieces going in but this is where I got to for today. I think I've got the bending part down, but will practice on some scrap to get the brazing technique down.

As far as specs, when they are finished, I am going to put a set of these axles I am designing with/for GCM under it:



I'll be making all the body panels and interior pieces either by hacking up existing hard bodies or ABS sheet.

More progress when I get some flux from the welding supply store this week.

[monkeyracer]

Full spec list:


Front end:
- HPI Heavy Duty 36/14 ring and pinion (Not yet installed, stock Wheely King R/P installed for now)
- HPI 6mm Axle input shaft
- HPI Locker (not the round aluminum one, but soon to be replaced with a no-slop locker)
- 3Racing CVDs with Gunnar pin
- Venom Aluminum C-Hub
- Dynamite Aluminum Knuckles
- Power HD 1501-MG servo w/aluminum horn

Rear end:
- HPI Heavy Duty 36/14 R/P (Not yet installed, stock AX10 R/P installed for now)
- HPI 6mm Axle input shaft (Not yet installed, stock AX10 shaft installed for now)
- AX10 Locker
- Axial Dogbones
- Axial Axle stubs
- Axial plastic C-Hub (soon to be replaced)
- STRC Aluminum Knuckles (Also soon to be replaced)
- EXI D226F Servo with rear steer lockout

Drivetrain:
- Integy V11 45T motor w 14T pinion
- Castle Creations Sidewinder (V1)
- Custom gear reduction divorced from Axial transmission (used as a transfer case)
- DNA Dig with steel internals
- EXI D226F Dig servo
- Beefy Revo Driveshafts with 5mm - 6mm adapters for transmission
- Sky Lipo 1300mAh 3S 40C LiPo
- 2x CCBECs (One for front servo and dig, the other for the winch and rear servo) both set for 7.2v


Suspension/Misc:
- Custom Laser cut/etched Delrin lower links w/Revo ends
- Custom Delrin upper links w/Revo ends
- Custom triangulated skid plate
- Axial Shocks with Dynamite aluminum shock bodies, droop w/internal springs
- Head Lights, Tail Lights, and Rock Lights switchable from the custom 6ch radio (Not yet installed)
- Power HD 1501-MG winch servo running on an AE-1 ESC
- Custom narrowed Axial 2.2 beadlocks with custom Fubar Crawlers Laser cut/etched Rock rings
- Custom 5.7" Tall Irons with custom foams

[boosted4lyf]

I diggin the floating hexes, those axle cases are gonna be sick when they get done.

[70duncan]

I am liking the new chassis

Has a nice look to it.

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by boosted4lyf

I diggin the floating hexes, those axle cases are gonna be sick when they get done.

It's funny you are the first to say anything about the floating hexes. In the poll thread, no one mentioned it. I was just too eager to get the rendering done, I didn't model any axle shafts.

Originally Posted by 70duncan

I am liking the new chassis

Has a nice look to it.

Thanks! I like it a lot, and you'll enjoy the reason it's called "rampage"... *cough* *cough* mopar *cough*

I think it's damn good for a first try at brazing.

Here's a small update - Got the initial tubes brazed up:



It went pretty well overall, and was definitely a learning experience on how to set up the pieces so they line up straight and stay put while you are heating, and learning how and when to apply the solder, etc.

I had one small joint that I got a little bold enough to try to re-do, and it took me quite a while to fix it. Really, it's not even fixed, but i'm going to wait to redo it again until I get a few more braces in.

There are some cross braces that need to go in to strengthen everything up, but the general shape is there. I need to figure out upper link mounts front servo mount, dig mount, and shock mounts, but really this is pretty close to being ready to start mounting everything up.


I'll get a little better pictures posted up by this weekend, with hopefully more updates.

[TSK]

This is gonna turn out sick. Love the lines of the tube work and those axles look bomb proof.

[Rogue]

Looks good, I really like the overall look of it.

Think you'll have it running by the 20th?

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by TheSCorpionKing

This is gonna turn out sick. Love the lines of the tube work and those axles look bomb proof.

Thanks, I appreciate the positive feedback!

I can't wait till the axles are done, really this whole rig should be mostly bomb proof, which is necessary for TTC events. My weakest link will be cheap and easy to replace spur gears.

Originally Posted by Rogue

Looks good, I really like the overall look of it.



Think you'll have it running by the 20th?

Thanks, I'm hoping to have it running by the 13th Red Rocks GTG, but probably without an interior. We'll see though. Gotta get more Silv56, and figure out the servo and link mounts.

[R2j]

Tube work looks good Jens! Nice work!

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by R2j

Tube work looks good Jens! Nice work!

Thanks Shon! Can't wait to see everyone's rigs all together, there are quite a few awesome builds going on around this state.

[bonks]

reminds me of the roof line of this "ColeWorx Cadillac XRC"

looks a bit like a rat rod rock racer, i like it.

[Agama]

Looking good, I can't wait for those axles to be released. I'm going to have my rig running for red rocks this Sunday too, with no interior.

[zeko]

looks good

[irockid86]

another great tube chassis scaler! I love these builds!

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by bonks

reminds me of the roof line of this "ColeWorx Cadillac XRC"

looks a bit like a rat rod rock racer, i like it.

Roof is somewhat similar, but not too close. Not sure what is rat rod about it, but I'll take it as a compliment anyways, thanks!

Originally Posted by Agama

Looking good, I can't wait for those axles to be released. I'm going to have my rig running for red rocks this Sunday too, with no interior.

Sunday will be fun for sure! I can't wait... oh, crap still so much to do...

Originally Posted by zeko

looks good

Thanks!

Originally Posted by irockid86

another great tube chassis scaler! I love these builds!

Thanks! I appreciate it!


So, I am going to try and get a little more tube burned in, and try to figure out the skid plate and how/where to mount everything today... Hope to have some pics this evening maybe.

[TSK]

I must have missed the spec list earlier.

I like the thought of droop. The Pirate is so top heavy i should probably consider trying that since I have some losi's already setup for droop.

Also, you are gonna run dig & rear steer? Is that comp legal? I thought you can legally only run one or the other?

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by TheSCorpionKing

I must have missed the spec list earlier.

I like the thought of droop. The Pirate is so top heavy i should probably consider trying that since I have some losi's already setup for droop.

Also, you are gonna run dig & rear steer? Is that comp legal? I thought you can legally only run one or the other?

A lot of guys are afraid of droop, but that's pretty much all I run now.

Dig and Rear steer are legal, but not at the same time. I have the lockout option for the rear steer if I know a course will need dig but I don't want a penalty if the rear wheels accidentally turn. (Will probably do the same for dig so that if I know the course will be 4WS, I don't have to worry about dig accidentally engaging, although less likely to happen if I don't lock it out.)

The rules say that if you use one, and then the other, you are penalized for points.

[TSK]

I ran droop on my eclipse and thought it performed well. Just wondering if the big bumps of a TTC course will come to haunt you since the droop wouldn't provide any cushioning, and could throw you off course though?

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by TheSCorpionKing

I ran droop on my eclipse and thought it performed well. Just wondering if the big bumps of a TTC course will come to haunt you since the droop wouldn't provide any cushioning, and could throw you off course though?

I've considered that, and the foams in the tires pretty much are the suspension in that sitution. I might play with a 75/25 droop/sprung set-up, but initially it will be droop.

[monkeyracer]

Ok, so saturday night at 9pm this is how project rampage looked:





It was in roller status, and very close to being ready for Sunday's GTG...

Until I was having issues with the front axle. I needed to get the input shaft switched out to one with a hole in it to work best with the BEEFY revo shafts. Somehow I did something with the locker and it caused some binding in the ring and pinion when I turned the wheels. After quite some time trying to get it to work, I ended up giving up for the day, and went to the GTG without Rampage. Very disappointing.

Fast forward to today... I figured out what was up with the front axle, and got it moving under it's own power. Here's some updated pictures:












So, there's a lot of white delrin on this thing that will get dyed black soon, but for now, this is what it is. All the electronics were a tight fit, and the winch ESC and main ESC are sitting next to the "Transfer Case" (which is an axial transmission mounted on it's side with a DNA dig attached.)
I still need to clean up the wiring a little bit more before getting the interior going, but I think everything works where it is.

Still to do:

Mount the dig servo
Mount the battery
Finish brazing detail pieces (grille, some support pieces)
Fabricate Front "bumper" with fairlead
Add an additional BEC for the rear servo/dig and wire the first BEC in with the winch
Make an Interior
Paint cage work
Make Body Panels
Figure out what to do for lights

There's a comp this coming sunday, so at a minimum, I need to get rear steer and/or dig working (meaning BEC), and get the bumper in for the winch fairlead.


Anyone have suggestions for colors for this thing? Cage and body panels?

I was leaning towards black cage, deep metallic blue for the body panels with a flat black accent on the hood.