#MEGARAMRUNNER - Diesel Sellerz 6-door mega cab 2012 Ram 3500 - tow rig

[SuperDrty]

I've been wanting to build a tow rig for some time now. My original plan was a crew cab long box 2008 F-250, but that would have been too easy, and I've messed with and modded a number of those Proline lexan bodies, I needed a challenge.

Chassis - Aluminum rails, designed and cut (with a band saw) by me

Axles - AR60s narrowed 28mm (already had them, off my mud truck before it's makeover), diff up front with 2.5 million weight "fluid" locked out back, stock pot metal gears

Suspension - 4-link front and rear, front: 4 Powerstroke scaler shocks, rear: quad coils (Losi Mini-T rear springs with 10-32 x 1/2" well nuts to secure, and act as bump stops)

Driveline - not sure on a tranny, but probably an old SCX tranny, mounted up front. Centered, and drop down 2:1 transfer case meant for a 1/14 semi, WB8-HD (tranny to tc) and classic Maxx shafts to the axles.

Electronics - BR-XL waterproofed (already have laying around), not sure on motor or servo yet.

Wheels - planning to make my own 2.2s to best mimic the ones on the real truck (RC4WD Militants don't have the look of the right offsets used on the 1:1)

Tires - 1.9 Proline Baja KR2's with the bead trimmed to mount on 2.2s. These have a similar tread pattern to a few of the tires ran on the 1:1, and in scale, are a closer match to those height-wise

Body - x2 Axial Ram Power Wagon bodies, cut and shut to a 6-door, long box with drw flares and full drop bed, FiberWerx front fenders. Clay modelling all the fenders and hood scoop, then casting those parts out of polyurethane resin to fit to the stretched body (may use that later as a master to vac-form the body pieces

I will also be making a flatbed gooseneck trailer to pull behind this thing, using a 1/14 Tamiya semi 5th wheel hitch, front super single wheels, and RC4WD 1.55 Rock Crushers (already have 4)

The 1:1



The bodies are in, trimmed one out to start modelling the front fenders and hood. Have the fenders started. Wheels are place holders for now, some old RC4WD 2.2s




I'm just getting started, and have a long way to go. Should be a good one though, and long as he!!. rough measurements so far put the wheelbase around 17.25"

-Derek

[snapon boy]

I think jconcepts has some wheels out that are similar to those. Can't wait to see this build going up!

149 r/c worx team driver

[rerebuilder]

That is going to be one badass rig. The Diesel brothers build some wide rigs. Going to joy seeing this one play out.

[SuperDrty]

Not much of anything has gotten done on this, I got SUPER busy at work this past week, and have had zero free time.

But yesterday and today my 2:1 transfer case, scx trans, and classic maxx drive shafts came. I think I'm going to have to turn the maxx shafts into a floating male spline like the WB8-HDs are to reach the 17.75 estimated wheelbase.



not much room between the input and output, they are 14mm center to center




-Derek

[SuperDrty]

After catching back up on sleep, and a nice relaxing day out on a lake with some co-workers, I finally got some more time to work on the body.

I'm still working on the front fenders, balanced the passenger side over, but had some subtle differences I liked better, so back to balancing that over to the driver's side. Almost there, but not quite yet. A little more time on those, then on to the hood scoop, then I can cast those 3 parts and start cutting the cabs to make it a 6-door. Then there's the 8-foot dually fenders to sculpt






-Derek

[Ballistic17]

This is gonna be a awesome build. Subbed

[SuperDrty]

Got the fenders close enough and the scoop in. Then cut the lexan close to get them ready to cast. Now to extend the other other cab.




-Derek

[SuperDrty]

Extending the cab has started. Not just going 6-doors, the 1:1 is a Mega cab as well, so the cutoff from the front half here will get added to make it a Mega cab.

Going to be some work getting the window lines on the center doors correct as well.





Gonna be a long one!




It's looking like the wheelbase is going to be really close to 18"

-Derek

[SwampDawg]

Perhaps cut the center windows right out? Looking like they are down? Then you wouldnt have to deal with "lines" down the center afterwords?

Caution!! R/C is highly addictive!!

[SuperDrty]

The center window itself will be cut out, and a fresh piece of lexan glued in from behind.

I should have said window trim, my bad, as the Ram's windows are both angled up in the rear, and have a pretty good arch across the top, so the trim/edge of the window openings are a bit off, even though the lower body lines line up.

[Pizzaguy87]

I can't wait to see this thing progress. It's gonna be sweet.

[SuperDrty]

Started prepping for casting the front fenders and hood scoop, then got the first half of both molds poured. Might need more silicone to finish both though.






-Derek

[darkmanx]

Dam fine work sir!!

[SuperDrty]

First mold halves cured, pulled the lexan off the back of the clay pieces as planned, and a little clay stuck where I had double sided tape, no big deal as I was expecting that to happen.

Then as to no surprise, I only had enough silicone left to finish one of the molds, so I finished the fender mold.




The dowels are for pour and vent spouts

-Derek

[SuperDrty]

Got the back of the cab cut off, and extended with the second cabs back half to make it a Mega Cab. Then propped the body up over the axles. Wheels are not final, just using them for mockup as they're just laying around.




-Derek

[SwampDawg]

Holy crap batman
Thats awesome

Caution!! R/C is highly addictive!!

[SuperDrty]

Thanks man!

Fender mold done



Acquired some more silicone, and got the second half of the hood scoop mold poured. the tongue depressors are holding that dowel for a vent spout down, it came loose after I poured, hopefully I got it repositioned close enough



both fenders only 2 ounces



Fenders preliminarily mounted, facia taped up, grill trimmed and a piece of styrene cut to start the RMT grill




Fenders preliminarily mounted. They are going to need to filler to blend them in



Along with being screwed, they will get glued on as well



About 25.5" long right now



-Derek

[SuperDrty]

And I'm going to need a LOT of those Axial Rigid Dually lights (the 1:1 has 12 of them total), who has some they don't need/want?

[snapon boy]

Can you post a picture of the light buckets you need?

149 r/c worx team driver

[SuperDrty]

The little ones, single led. They came on the CRC SCX Wrangler Unlimited, and are at the base of the windshield.



It's the same lens and basic bucket that's also in the SCX10-2 bumpers, which I will be cutting and robbing mine for 4 of them (since I'm not using them)

-Derek