The Big Yellow Ford School Bus

[Mnster]

Last year I set out to create a rig that performed. I had enough of over the top scale rigs that looked the part but handled rocks like a boat out of water. So often I find myself getting carried away with heavy steel, scale suspension, this interior that and wind up with a 20 pound rig that by golly looks great but barely crawls and winds up being a disappointment at a event. Also wanted a huge wheelbase rig just because.

So the goal was to create a drivers truck with fast speed capabilities, decent suspension travel and capable offroad. But... scale enough to look like a full bodied truck scale rig.

This is what I came up with.

Custom aluminum chassis plates cut from 6061t6 aluminum 1/8 plate yes brainstormed with cardboard and traced with sharpie.





I ran it like that for a while but the T rex 60 axles were just not up to the task. So I swapped for axial axles which are obviously more durable and upgradable. Delrin 5/16 links because they are light and rarely fail.


Summit 2 speed shift on the fly. Allows me to mess around with the crawler guys and the rock racers with the flick of a switch. Yes that is a OG holmes hobbies Revolver motor kickin it old school.


Big shocks for high travel, low center of mass throughout. Absence of beadlocks to reduce rotational mass and allow it to quickly accelerate. Plus I'm cheap and old school.


Yeah body looks like crap I know sorry painted it with a few cans of Pactra I found at a garage sale. Didn't realize it would chip off and look like crap. Mistakes are just tools to learn from. Think I might just hit it with a air nozzle to blow the chunks off and spray it again because I'm cheap.



Last winter out for a blast in the snow 2 speed makes it fun.



Always room for tweaking adjusting. Rig is brand new to me.


Heavy steel washer glued to axle tube for additional ballast. Also doubles as fake rotors.




Yeah kinda rough.


Specs:
Custom chassis cut from a sheet of 1/8" aluminum
5/16 delrin links with revo ends
Gmade 120mm shocks
Axial SCX-10 axles
Tamiya Blitzer wheels
Proline Swampers
Traxxas Summit transmission
Revolver motor
995 Hextronics servo
Mamba Max
25c 3cell 4000mah zippy
Misc other stuff if you wanna know just ask.

[sally1800]

Rust out the spots where the paint is flaking

[Mnster]

Yeah its a work in progress. Gotta do a lot more in the realism department. I want to put a driver or something in the cab. Black the chassis out so it doesn't look so aluminum. Kinda feel half way about the body, don't really like the color yet it isn't cracked apart yet so I'll likely just patch it up and add a few scale touches. Need to give it a clean and get a half decent photo of it on here.

With the axles I'm sort of torn. I'm debating if I should go wider and run the XR shafts and new wheels or just toss a pair of aluminum knuckles and hubs at it. It sags inward in the front the plastic hubs just don't have a proper fit on the axle. I already have some beef tubes on the way. Maybe I'll run stock width till I break a few shafts.

[STANG KILLA SS]

I dig the battery mount in the custom chassis rails. nice.

[vwmopar]

I'm really diggin this build. Great proportion between tires and body, 2 speed trans and custom chassis what else do you need? Maybe a winch.

[Gula]

I dig it! Want to build a couple of these now.

[Mnster]

Originally Posted by vwmopar

I'm really diggin this build. Great proportion between tires and body, 2 speed trans and custom chassis what else do you need? Maybe a winch.

Thanks I'm looking at a winch as I'm looking to try my hand a scale comps in the future. I'm thinking I may just convert a servo and make a Delrin machined winch bumper. I don't really want to snag on it in the boulders.

Originally Posted by STANG KILLA SS

I dig the battery mount in the custom chassis rails. nice.

Thanks that was the most time consuming part. It's always a challenge keeping it low in the chassis. Wasn't sure about the mid mount but it seems to be pretty well balanced.

Added some beef to the front axle it was needing something badly. The stock hubs and knuckles were loosely sagging under the weight of the truck. Beef tubes because I crack housings and all the cool kids are doing it.


Vanquish makes some down right diamonds they have always been my favorite aftermarket parts maker. Just incredible machine work quality and fit.


Swapping knuckles meant I had to swap the Revo ends for Jato ends to get the link length right. If I get bored in the future I may make new links but this will work for now. Got more steering and it has the sweet scale Ford tire lean in turns.


The difference is absolutely stunning the axles have no movement rigid like the axles housings are made from solid steel.

I miss my washer disk brake weights they hid the back of the wheel. I tried to install them but since they are grade 8 washers I broke 2 drill bits drilling through one of them. The Vanquish parts are to nice to slather in glue. Might look at machining some fake rotors of a softer substance. Least she runs.

Tried to respray the body need to go grab a can of white to give it some solidness. I'll likely get a new body next summer and paint it a more vintage style. Hoping to hit the rocks this Saturday.

[Mnster]

It did pretty well, quite surprised with its capabilities.

[Mnster]

This is the 1/10 3racing winch should I trade up for the 1/8 and keep this winch for my 1.9? I'm planning to mount it in the frame behind the body deleting the front delrin rod crossbrace installing a winch plate in its place.

[Mnster]

After reviewing the TCScrawlers.com website I was able to finally determine that the 1/8 scale winch wouldn't fit between the frame rails like I would want, it's just to large with the motor being off center. I like the winch plate idea as it inhibits the approach angle minimally and keeps the added weight low. However, the front needs some protection I took a wicked smash into a tree once and wrinkled the front lexan a bit. I think I'll machine a bumper for it for safety reasons. Nothing to modern in style still want to keep the classic dated look.

[Mnster]

I've got a aluminum block though I'm thinking Delrin plastic might be a better material.


Made a wooden template to test cutting ideas got a little carried away with the depth of the upper lip But, gave me a pretty good idea of what it would look like and how it would cut.

[rcjeepbuilder]

I like the first aluminum bumper the best, but I guess the wooden one looks cool as well lol. I think the truck looks great and the vanquish bits are the berries.

[Mnster]

Partial to the aluminum myself I decided to rough cut that block into a bumper. I figured if I mill the back side of it way out it will be lighter and stronger then the Delrin. Still quite a few cuts to go but enough for tonight.



Lots of saw dust.

[Mnster]

Ran the mill bit over it and straightened some of the cuts.



Started to lighten the bumper by milling the back side of it out. It's just the first slot I plan to mill out the corners as well. The whole lower chunk will be milled away just keeping it for now to make it easier to clamp in my vise.


I'm planning to mount the winch behind the bumper possibly in the slot a lot like it would be in a 1:1 vehicle.


A lot more cutting before its even close to done.

[Mnster]

Finally got it to fit the frame right, also bolted the fairlead in place.


Milled more material off the backside. I'll likely mill the left as I did the right. The face of the bumper is still 3/16 thick so no worries of strength.

[Mnster]

Did the final milling on the bumper today. Created a plate to hold the winch as well.


The winch simply bolts in the back.


Through screws in the front that are concealed by the shackle mounts.


Its looking pretty good.


Still need to bolt it to the frame and hook up the winch otherwise very satisfied how has came out to this point. Didn't screw up that much and just kept with it.


Was so much cutting, But so much fun as well makes me want to make a rear bumper just because.

[vwmopar]

perfect!

[Gula]

That's a sweet ass bumper!

[vwmopar]

ass bumper?

[Bigmud]

Man u go some serious skills working a milling machine. Lol if I had access to one the possiblityies would b endless