The Rock Crusher
 

I have built a home made crawler. It uses axial axles so I figured i'd put it here.

Here is how it went together.


The chassis will be made out of aluminum plates.

Here are the axles I am going to use

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0850.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0849.jpg

Going to use traxxas links for it

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0898.jpg

Going to make the links out of some threaded rod

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0901.jpg

I decided to use a traxxas tranny and lock the differential.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0951.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0960.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0962.jpg

after filling it with JB weld bond and letting it set, I have a locked diff.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0964.jpg

Now to mock up and cut the chassis

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0965.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0968.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0971.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0976.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0982.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0986.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0988.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0984.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0990.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0994.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0995.jpg

And a quick mock up as it was at that point

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_0992.jpg

Then a little reinforcement

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1000.jpg

Now to mount the tranny to the chassis

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1013.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1014.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1015.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1016.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1017.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1019.jpg

Now for the links

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1020.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1021.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1022.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1025.jpg

Made the steering rods

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1030.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1031.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1032.jpg

Then the uppers

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1050.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1053.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1054.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1056.jpg

Then did a little work with some tubing to make everything pretty

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1070.jpg

I think it works pretty good

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/IMG_1078.jpg


Now I decided to give it a real low crawl ratio via this

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0166.jpg

The reduction box itself

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0168.jpg

Little trimming

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0171.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0172.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0173.jpg

I did a test fit with an old motor I had and its tight but fits

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0177.jpg

Shocks:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0319.jpg

Wheels/Tires:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0320.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0321.jpg

And The cherokee body:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0326.jpg

Without shocks:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0325.jpg

Now with:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0328.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0329.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0330.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0332.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0334.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0335.jpg

Next to its big brother:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0338.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0339.jpg



It sits a bit to high for my liking but it will work.

Now to cut the body up

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0343.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0340.jpg

Needs to be comp cut in the rear and major fender trimming up front

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0344.jpg

Still need more
V
V
V
Better

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0345.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0346.jpg

Now onto the rear

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0341.jpg

before
V
V
V
That's better

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0348.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0349.jpg



http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0350.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0351.jpg


Now I just need to go mount it up.

Mounting the body

It starts here:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0352.jpg

Then mounted these:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0353.jpg

like so:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0354.jpg

made holes in the body:

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0355.jpg

and there you go.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0356.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0357.jpg

Need to do more trimming, probably going to comp cut the front too

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0358.jpg

and need more cutting in the rear

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0359.jpg

Some shots of how it looked at this step.


http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0360.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0361.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0362.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0363.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0364.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0365.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0367.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0366.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0368.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0369.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0370.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0371.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0372.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0373.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0374.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0378.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0379.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0380.jpg

Homebrews kick ass "thumbsup"

I painted the body today

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0467.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0468.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0474.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0473.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0469.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0470.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0471.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/SAM_0472.jpg

Did some work

started by taking the tranny out

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0587.jpg

Did some trimming

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0588.jpg

But realized I trimmed the wrong area at first, so I trimmed the area I needed too.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0589.jpg

Then cut some aluminum

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0590.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0591.jpg

Drilled some holes

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0592.jpg

And here is how it looks now, just need the motor to fill it up.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0593.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0594.jpg

Here is a mock up with my "test motor"

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0595.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0596.jpg

Got most of the stuff together.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0616.jpg

I needed a spacer to mount the motor against, so I made one out of wood

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0617.jpg

Here is the motor with the pinion gear on

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0618.jpg

The gear reduction box

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0621.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0622.jpg

Then soldiered the motor to the ESC

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0623.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0624.jpg

Then went to getting the steering all set up

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0625.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0627.jpg

Then after doing some testing, I found the reduction box was way to much, the tires barley turned with the motor run at full blast.


So I just used the tiny pinion gear and it moves at a walking pace.



http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0628.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0629.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0630.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0631.jpg

I know, it's awesome.

These are some videos to go along with it.

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/videos/267571-my-crawler.html

A while ago I had dropped it and broke the upper link connector. Well I finally fixed it.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0729.jpg

new 3 link connectors to fix it.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0772.jpg

yup

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0773.jpg

And reinstalled

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0774.jpg

I had at some point changed to a servo horn instead of a servo saver, I never was able to use it though when I broke the first 3 link connector.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0776.jpg

Then took a couple minutes and cut the ends of the shock screws and the sharp corners of the chassis down

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0778.jpg

This is sweet. I love homebuilds and the drill idea for a reduction was a great idea.

It didn't work though.

I recently made a camera mount for on board video.

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0968.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...C/SAM_0969.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...0104011752.jpg

simple and it works.

here is a short test video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsysoxXmuUU

I put together an onboard video.

Here is a link to the thread.

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showt...74#post2873774