Comp tuber *Body pics with CARNAGE!*
 

Well after having my scorpion kit for a couple months I finally got to working on it. Of course me being me i couldn't build it just out of the box. The first thing I had to change was the gaudy green anodized parts so out came the oven cleaner and stripped them down.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211536933

The oven cleaner didn't get them completely to bare metal so the links were sanded down. First I chucked them in the drill with a piecs of foil to keep from marring the surface

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211537501

Then i used some some 220 grit paper to clean the face up.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538116
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538146

Eventually they will get painted

Then I moved on to the chassis. I never built a full tube chassis before, my other trucks were cages based on existing frames, so i figured this would be the best time to try it.

To keep things simple I kept all the factory geometry the same and started with 2 rails to mimic a 1:1 truck. Then I used about 16 gauge sheet metal for the skid and built everything from there. I had limited time so I pretty much winged the whole thing and didn't take the time to get pics along the way.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538494
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538529
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538559
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538591

Here is is as a rolling chassis

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538636
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538661

And the mandatory flex shots

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538727
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538753

The flex is not super crazy which is what i was shooting for. You can also see the color scheme i m going for with the rims.

one last shot of the ground clearance which i'm really happy about.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1211538888

I still need to clean all the welds and It will eventually have a body on it but that will be revealed later as i get more of it done.

I threw some electrics in it and tested it some and I must say i'm really impressed with how it drives. I'm able to climb things I couldn't touch with my other trucks. I'm hoping to have it done i a few weeks and maybe this year make it to some comps!

not bad looking, well done....are they solid rod or brake line.............bob

....

Nice Job "thumbsup"

Looks like a rugged design/build, it should withstand some abuse :)

Now thats how you build a Tuber....:) That thing is a TANK!

It's like brake line, it's 3/16 in dia and hollow but it's used in making industrial condensers so there is no coating at all. I got it from work but unfornutatly we don't use it any more so this is all i have. believe it or not there is all but 15 feet in this cage:shock:

That was the plan. I'm rough on my stuff and need it to hold up.

It's beefy but amazingly light. I tried to use tube only where needed for strength. I could have put more in for looks but this is a comp truck. It's defiantly not as light as most but a feather weight compared to my other beasts!"thumbsup"

A very well thought out and methodical build.




Looks great, Keep it up.

Lookin' sweet, great first effort! "thumbsup"

Sweet! How much

tube work looks amazing! It's awesome to see someone crank out a tuber that isn't like what everyone else is building"thumbsup"

LOL! Sorry it's not for sale.

Well i'm sick of seeing tubers that looks like a ball of wire with some axles hanging off them and wanted something more realistic


I took the truck the Scale Speed yesterday to play a bit. I really like how it runs. It's really predictable, stable on side hills and climbs well. I also compared to another guys full on comp rig and it's actually a tad bit lighter! ;-) I think I have a handle on what changes I'm doing.

1st i got a set of extra long stampede shocks. They will go on with 100 weight oil and soft springs up front with limited up travel, and put stiffer springs in the rear. then I'll be going to Moabs since the kit tires were lacking grip in the climbs. other than that i think it's ready to go and I'm very pleased with it

a couple guys at the shop drove it yesterday and were really impressed with how it worked. Heck I couldn't get it away from one of them!8)

That is some awesome tube work!!"thumbsup"

What are your plans for panels?

Well if you saw any of my other builds you'll at least have an idea what it will be made of8)

Yes this one will have an aluminum body but with boat sides out of heaver aluminum plate. The type of body is still top secret :-P;-)

Looks good"thumbsup"

Well I switched to the new shocks and it made a noticeable improvement. there is less torque twist and sits a little lower. I haven't switched tires yet. That'll happen when I get the new screws for the beadlocks.

I went on vacation last week and snapped some action shots

I was really surprised and how well it did on the big rocks. there was a lot of voids and with the sand it was extra challenging but i made it into and out of all the pics but the last.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1212969214
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1212969259
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1212969320
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1212969355
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...g?t=1212969386

I almost got the body done. I ain't divulging it yet just to be a pain:-P

man that looks sweet.

Man, lookin totally awesome. I hope to have something that sweet soon!

god damn! thats an awesome tube chassis man! cant wait to see what you do for a body.

kinda obvious its gonna be a jeep front end at least. the famous jeep hoop gives it away. :D

wow nice job... i like the scale sized trail rig.

Ding dong you're wrong! Nope not a jeep but it will be aluminum.