Finally Happy!!

[FL Knifemaker]

I think I'm finally happy with my Axial. Other than my Mayhem wheels, everything is installed and working great. My "experimental" battery/servo mount has proven to be rock solid. I wasn't happy with the shock travel or feel when I inverted them. This morning I got the idea of mounting the top of the shocks outside the frame. DAMN!! What an inprovement!! They work very smooth now that they are more inline with the axle mount. I made the new frame spacers from my old straght lower links. I got the idea from looking at the various Tube framed rigs with their shocks going much more straight down

While everything was apart I countersunk the front holes in the hub carriers and installed flathead screws. NOW it steers

The only thing I might do is make a 4 link plate for the rear end but I'm in no rush. Right now the thing is working so good, I just want to practice driving. My Mayhem Double Phatties should be here tomorroe, I have a new set of Panters waiting for them. Once they are on, I'm DONE!! And ready for the next Florida get together. If anyone sees anything I overlooked feel free to let me know!

[Georgerm]

if you say your done then your done but i would get a dig and a after market chassis.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Georgerm

if you say your done then your done but i would get a dig and a after market chassis.

I would like to see some other rigs in action before I take the next step. We almost have enough parts to put another one together. I could easily make a custom chassis. At this point, I'd rather have a second one so my Son and I can crawl together. I'd like to see in person what difference a custom chassis actually makes......Maybe get design ideas for my own. I understand what a DIG does but I've never even seen one of them in action either. I need to get out and socialize with other crawlers I have the extra channel on my radio so I'm readly in that respect.

[FL Knifemaker]

Here's a laugh.......

For about 5 minutes I couldn't figure out WTF I did when I reassembled the frame to make it so narrow. The body posts were about an inch too far in. I wondered HOW THE HELL could taking the frame apart, adding the new lower links and moving the shocks to the outside change everything??

Then I realized I grabbed the old Betty body instead of the little JConcepts one Getting old and senile is a bitch!!! :-P

[nuts5000]

if your stock axial wide, then 2 - 40mm spacers would have worked
and you wouldnt have had to cut any...
JM2cents
looks good..

[drilldeep]

what shocks you have? whats your gc at? looks great!!!! glad to see im not the only one still diggin the green!!!!

[HomerJ]

Does your servo horn not make contact with your tie rod? Looks like it does in the last pic there, Looking great though

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by HomerJ

Does your servo horn not make contact with your tie rod? Looks like it does in the last pic there, Looking great though

No, it's close but there is a clearance milled into the tie rod. The tie rod is titanium so it's still PLENTY strong. I cut things a little close when I tried to get the servo as low as possible.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by drilldeep

what shocks you have? whats your gc at? looks great!!!! glad to see im not the only one still diggin the green!!!!

The shocks are Losi's with 30wt oil. I hate to prove my NOOBness but whats a GC?? :-(

[drilldeep]

ground clearance.........i keep reading that the losis make it sit lower and i dont want mine to be any lower than it is now

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by drilldeep

ground clearance.........i keep reading that the losis make it sit lower and i dont want mine to be any lower than it is now

I don't know exactly what it measures now, I can look and post it later. It sits about 1/4" lower than stock but........the difference in handling and flex MORE than makes up for the lower gc. I also changed to the bent links at the same time so the skid plate is lower but there is more clearance towards the axles. The Losi's just seem to keep the tires in contact with the rocks a LOT better. I wasn't impressed at all with the stock shocks even after trying several softer springs.

[crawldad91]

actually the shock mounting on the outside looks like a darn good idea! ive been tryin to figure out how to lay my shocks down a bit and lower my GC by a little bit! and it never occured to my to just mount them outside of the chassis! then i can mount them more inward on the chassis without the shock hitting. will it work with the shocks in a normal configuration!

my origional idea for lowering my ride height was to slip a little nitro fuel tubing on the shafts along with the shock bumper which is already in there

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by crawldad91

actually the shock mounting on the outside looks like a darn good idea! ive been tryin to figure out how to lay my shocks down a bit and lower my GC by a little bit! and it never occured to my to just mount them outside of the chassis! then i can mount them more inward on the chassis without the shock hitting. will it work with the shocks in a normal configuration!

my origional idea for lowering my ride height was to slip a little nitro fuel tubing on the shafts along with the shock bumper which is already in there

The first thing I noticed is the shocks work much smoother when they're inline with the axle mounts instead of splayed out on an angle. My other concern was the shocks hitting the inside of the body but there's plenty of room. You could probably move the shocks back to the second hole without any problem. Between the aluminum spacers and top plate mounts the frame is rock solid, not twisting at all and everything is as low as possible. I dont like the idea of mounting the reciever/ESC on the moving suspension links. I'm really happy with the way it's working right now. Once I get the new wheels and tires on it, it should be REALLY good!!