A few worthy upgrades
 

A few worthy upgrades
Had my AX-10 for about six weeks now. I love the crawlers since they are always a work in progress, at least mine has been. Still far from happy with it but the fun for me is in the tinkering.

I read in the Tech section about lengthening the upper links to help with torque twist. To be honset...I didn't think this would really help much. IT DOES!

I have a "test rock" in my workshop for testing climbing ability of tires and different setups. I had tested the crawler stock so I know what each new part or tweak does. It didn't climb very good stock, the tires even with cut foams were the weakest link. M3 Hammers on heavy Mayhem wheels improved the climbing ability a bunch.

I had the test rock at the point where the crawler would barely make it up. The right front tire would lift about an inch off of the rock giving me three wheel drive. Torque twist.

So I had a TSRC aluminum bottom plate setting there so I installed it to stiffen up the frame. I also had four STRC high clearance lower links and they were installed with the plate.

The plate helped some with the torque twist lifting the front right tire, but still it was off of the rock.

Thinking about what I read about making the uppers links longer I figured I would give it a try. I did it a little different, I used the stock lower links. I cut them to length and threaded the end I cut with a 3mm tap. I moved the frame mounting point toward the center of the frame in line with the old point.

This made a big difference. I had to make the test rock steeper and it still climbed up with all four tires on the rock.

Here's a few...well more than a few pics of my AX-10 showing where it is right now. Shocks and drive shafts are next on my list.

The test rock.
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug011.jpg

New STRC bottom plate and high clearance lower links. Shocks moved to outside.
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug015.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug014.jpg

Pics of the shortened lower links used to extend the upper links.
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug012.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug016.jpg

I also added a set of aluminum steering knuckles and hub carriers.
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug020.jpg

http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug025.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug027.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug028.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug030.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug032.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug036.jpg
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug039.jpg

Sweet!! I like the way you extended the upper link I'll try that myself"thumbsup" and get a better bottom plate.

Sweet ride there, and great write up!! I really love how you did the bug's engine compartment...that is so cool and so realistic!
Good Job!"thumbsup"

Thanks for the comments guys.

Nice job, Super clean look, I like it."thumbsup"

Nice looking rig. Someone is always figuring out something new! Nice work.

Looks good! Make some plates for your upper links and move your Rx and Esc to lower them and turn your shocks upside down. These mods will help with center of gravity quite a bit.

Please tell me you don't crawl with that body!!!! REALLY nice paint work there. Nice write up on the link mod too!

Chris

veddy nyce!! looks good.

Looks good, keep up the modding.

Thanks again for the comments...and compliments.


Going shopping for shocks tomorrow and whatever else I might find for it.

I've been into RC for a long time, but never enjoyed it like I do now. These crawlers are great fun. It does cause me to let other more important things to go undone, but I can't stop thinking of ways to improve it.

Thinking about building a "different" tube frame this winter. The plans are rattling around in my head right now.


Thanks again guys. "thumbsup"

Looks good. Especially love the BUG body "thumbsup" Great work on it!

Thanks Procraft. :)

Lots of positive feedback on the truck, so I will comment on the quality of the photographs! Picture 7 and 8 I like the best. Off camera spot light of some sort on #7..?

It is always refreshing to see someone that knows how to take good photos. It is just easier on the eyes then trying to decipher what that blurry mess is that someone just posted of their rig. Even better, some blurry mess saying " i need help with this part " ..:ror:

That clean lookin bug needs some scratches now.. and those Mayhems.
"thumbsup"

Nerve,

Thank you for noticing! I put a lot of time into taking those photos and wondered if my effort was worth the trouble. It's nice to hear that it was.

My wife looked at me sort of strange, she does that often, when I was carrying in a bunch of big flat rocks to my workshop/room in the house. I placed the rocks on my workbench and set up for some pictures.

I used a variety of lighting in the pics above. Some are just the lights in the room, some are small LED lights, some one big LED flashlight and a few taken the next morning when the sunlight flooded the room and a few with the camera flash.

Number 7 was lit with one LED flashlight rubberbanded to a tripod.

I like number 8 the best, it's now my wallpaper. Number 8 and the others using the same lighting sort of look as if they were taken in a cave to me. These were shot with just the room lighting and a few little LED's to fill in the dark places.

Here's one taken with 7 little LED lites and the LED flash lite over the top of the Bug. The little LED's give the lighting a different look.




http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug026.jpg

This one and the last one above are just the morning sun for lighting.
http://atvhugger.bizland.com/pics/crawlin/MyBug041.jpg

I said it once ... awesome pix man! "thumbsup". The first photo above I think is too harsh on the light use (right front tire/rim is blown and lost its colour). But the location of the leds work for the photo.

JIA was taking submissions of photos to be featured in Rcdriver for an upcoming crawler mag

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/general-crawlers/138015-want-your-rig-printed-mag.html

I would submit some if he is still taking images.

i love the paint job but that thing needs some scratches....clean stuff scares me:shock:

Nerve,

Thank you again.

But no thanks to magazines. I don't buy them, don't read them since I think they are ALL bias toward their advertizers. I had a Jeep in 4-Wheeler and a quad in Dirt Wheels once, that's back when I still read those rags.


Mud-dog,

Thanks, it will be scratched up soon enough. The wheels are getting scratched and the bottom of the crawler. I am getting real good at catching it when it does a backward flip. :ror:

Due to need of money right now I had no choice but to list this crawler and crawler related parts on ebay. The auction for this AX10 will end on 11/25/08 at 9PM EST.

I would like to thank everyone on this forum for all the information here.

I hope to return some day soon with another crawler.

Thanks everyone. This is a great forum! "thumbsup"