Here is my story

[DickyT]

Nice practice spot Bogdan The rig is coming together nicely!

[shizzz]

Was training tonight and noticed the rig can't climb at all. It slips all the way down. Can't figure out what is it, but, think, there's not enough weight in front.
Each wheel is around 365 g. I put the metal hook, found in garage, which was around the same 350 g and put it to the front axle. After that mod the truck showed much more then in the begining, but does the front should be loaded so havy, like 450 g per wheel or even more?
Any ideas?
Thanks.

[DickyT]

I always ran mine around 355g (12.5oz). What is your tire and foam combo and the type of rock you are crawling on?

[shizzz]

I use rovers,
And i would say softer front and a bit firm rear. The usual rock, that can be found near the river. Probably granite, some pcs of asphalt and some concrete. The thing is, another rig did it, not with ease, but still. Have to say the other rig is with similar setup except the esc, which is stock ae-1. I understand, that it looks weird, but i really have no clue. The same way, same speed, same angle, same tires, same everything, damn it, and the bad traction is still.
Insane, i'm loosing the rest of my poor mind coz of that.
Any ideas?
What am i doing wrong? Or do i have to make the front heavier?

[DickyT]

Sometimes weight is the fronts is the answer depending on the grip level of the rock. High grip you can run less weight, low grip you need to weight up.

I just responded to your PM with more questions opposed to an answer...

Also keep weather in mind. You guys are not exactly in your warm season right now. You will not have the same traction in winter as summer.

Have you lowered your shock oil weight to compensate for cold? Do you have memory foams in the tires? if so take them out they do not work in the cold.

[GRIMGREG]

My AX is really front heavy now, and it hooks up really well with the Rovers. I actually had to add some weight to the rear because on down slopes my rear would want to fly up and over.

[shizzz]

Originally Posted by DickyT

Sometimes weight is the fronts is the answer depending on the grip level of the rock. High grip you can run less weight, low grip you need to weight up.

I just responded to your PM with more questions opposed to an answer...

Also keep weather in mind. You guys are not exactly in your warm season right now. You will not have the same traction in winter as summer.

Have you lowered your shock oil weight to compensate for cold? Do you have memory foams in the tires? if so take them out they do not work in the cold.

Thanks Richard, i always knew i could mess someone's brain up with so many stupid questions
The weather issue. Well, u'r totally right with that freezing stuff. The memory foam does work worse, but still working at around 5 degrees Celsius above 0 in my garage.
Shocks issue. As was mentioned, they are leaking, so they are self adjustable to the weather. Actually, i think the springs have the red mark, which means super soft. I will check later, once i am in the office. I just didn't know that they are super soft coz there was nothing to compare with.
All that things make me the only one way to think - the uppers location. I don't really think the front wheels weight should be over 700-730g. The way too much.
So, i will relocate links and check the result. Will drop the line here after.

[DickyT]

Originally Posted by shizzz

Thanks Richard, i always knew i could mess someone's brain up with so many stupid questions
The weather issue. Well, u'r totally right with that freezing stuff. The memory foam does work worse, but still working at around 5 degrees Celsius above 0 in my garage.
Shocks issue. As was mentioned, they are leaking, so they are self adjustable to the weather. Actually, i think the springs have the red mark, which means super soft. I will check later, once i am in the office. I just didn't know that they are super soft coz there was nothing to compare with.
All that things make me the only one way to think - the uppers location. I don't really think the front wheels weight should be over 700-730g. The way too much.
So, i will relocate links and check the result. Will drop the line here after.

That is way to cold for memory foam to be effective. Do you have any other foams that are non memory to try?

[shizzz]

Ok, another test run was done, after i've changed the links place. The result is 0.2
Here we go with the link setup and overall explanation

here u can see the links position, as i was told. It affected just a bit.

upside down

Here we have the rear shaft shaved. This is integy shaft which was and still too burly, as i previously said somewhere.

Front. The custom made servo plate. was made from cracked alu bike frame


Rear. The electronic plate was made of thick file - we can't find lexan sheets here, and the 4-link plate made of stock servo plate


A bit of articulation



Finally the tires foams. From left to right: Stock Rovers foam with some other thin home made foam, just to soften it a bit, the weighted rim and stock hammers memory foam a bit moded for more traction. That's how i run.


Overall setup
Fastback chassis
Custom made uppers
STRC rear lowers
Juan's tubes and rods as front lower links with traxxas rod ends
Stock tranny
Stock 55t motor, shaved
Custom made front plate
Chinese cheap servo instead of stock one. They claim it can handle 10kg, but i doubt
Rooster crawler esc. Probably have to install a separate BEC....
2S lipo.
Rovers with that customized inserts lol
Integy shaved shaft
Integy rear lockouts with spacers instead of bearings (still on the way)
Rear Underdrive
Golden Horizon (think integy is the same shit another brand) C-hubs
Axial BTA kit with high clearance knuckles
Stock shock with supersoft springs. 60w rear left, 40w the rest. Still leaking, so the viscosity is around 5 probably haha
Overall weight is 2.5kg
Each front wheel 367g
Each rear wheel 195 g

Comments are welcome

[shizzz]

Moved, the training camp from the garage to a warmer place now
What i did with the foams to run the rig better:
In front i did put the stock rover foam.
In rear i put the stock hammer memory foam and sealed the rims. It helped a lot!, but it is still loosing the air, so tmw i will seal it much better.
Thinking about the same in front. but not sure for now. Probably not the best idea.
Here is the pic.

Sorry for the weird cell quality :( I have managed to run from the bottom right to bottom left several times before all the screws got loose, haha

I was trying not to use backwards, as DickyT advise, but it was impossible due to the really small spot. Nevertheless, it was fun and had some consequences, like new front uppers and half dead integy shaft, yeah . I did it
It is full of joy and play now. I'm so glad i have one spare stock shaft and didn't give it to my friend. That stuff is a real crap. This is the only first serious run and it is already bouncing like an old local yahoo in his old damn van! Almost hate them
After that i see, how u, guys, are burning servos, speedos and crashing the rest of the stuff

Got the bearings for the rear lockouts. Will install them and post in integy thread.
And i would like to understand more how the uppers location affects the drive.

[shizzz]

Just a glance on the traxxas bearings and a disappointed eve is a must! Arrhh
The guy have sent me the wrong size. Two and a half weeks of waiting are thrown to the garbage

[bwm8142]

does the bta help alot?? and how much did u pick it up for??

[shizzz]

Originally Posted by bwm8142

does the bta help alot?? and how much did u pick it up for??

Well, in fact, u can live without. But that device does make ur life easier in many cases. The only thing u have to keep in mind is, that u need strong enough servo.
I paid around 37 bucks plus shipping for the kit including high clearance knuckles.

[shizzz]

A long time ago in a far far away galaxy......
So many parts of Star wars saga
and so many stuffings for those 2.2" rubber things, that i've decided to make unbeatable combination. Well, i am not sure how will it work, but some advantages i can already see after the mod.
like Gmade has his G-Air, i have my patented BV-air, as i call it
I can now control the tire by tire pressure on the go
Comments are welcome
Pics:



The tt appeared today so badly and not in time, but i think, that's because the rear shock is emty again, damn it. I need to get those big bores or else....
Will check tmw morn.

[DickyT]

Interesting work Bogdan.

I prefer just to have breather holes and not trap air in tires, but who knows, you may be on to something.

[shizzz]

Well, the today's exercises showed me the truth about tires and pressure and traction
With bigger wheels, like u guys have with the right foams, which are not available here, i can rollover from the roof, if the surface has a good traction.
With bigger wheels (with air inside, not foam) u need more weight to get more traction, but it is senseless, as far as the tire knobs are extremely small, so they can't grab better with more weight.
The pressure should be as low as possible just not to bind the tyre. This is for most of the cases.
You can run a bit bigger tires in front.
I have to find those Nova foams somewhere extremely cheap to try them out.
The air system proved to be useless. At least in this case and spot, where we have very dusty granite with a bit of a traction.

[shizzz]

Little update...
The tranny bearings were somehow disintegrated, so changed to new ones from LRP. Claimed to be ceramic. Dunno, but the only i could find anyways.
Relocated the rear shocks outside the mountings, and now the rig articulates better and there is no any bind.
Found the plastic needed for side panels No cost clear plastic dvd boxes are just perfect.
Did a kind of a d-mount - works good.
My new hitorque 200 oz chinese ultra evil servo is on the way, my beloved t-connectors are on the way as well, and, finally, foams , best available, are somewhere in the middle of North-Atlantic, i believe.
The shocks are still leaking, rooster is a great stuff, but too big, i wish i had tekin so far...
Waiting for the spring, having some fun in a corner, eating donuts...
Pics will follow

[shizzz]

Ok, here ahere we are right now.
New 200 oz servo, front delrin lowers, servo guard, kinda-d-mount, dean connectors everywhere, leaking shocks, new dual stage super foams, vented rims, weights under the plate waiting to be removed forever and replaced with new knuckle weights.
Leaking shocks were rebuilt recently using new and faster pistons. Work smother, spitting the oil out the same
Next nearest future upgrades: cheap delrin rear lowers + knuckle weights
Will trade rooster for fxr.

Total weight: 2250g w/o batt.


General view


Articulation. Don't you guys think its too low?


Servo Guard exclusively made of a plate from kitchen hardware dept.store


The exclusive same dept. store D-mount


Rear and front setups





And a one minute bad quality training in my corner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=tsb2kTOaH2Q

[DickyT]

Coming along very nicely Bogdan Glad to hear you are finally getting some decent foams, they will go a long way.

Your articulation looks fine. Mine articulated one Rover's height and ran great that way.

[Dasher]

Looks really good Shizzz. It's come a long way in a couple of months!. You were lucky to get one of the last FBs. I've just handed over the money to KC for some Frogger frames and x-members, so I get to keep the stock skid for now. Do you find there's a big benefit in the narrower body? I'm going to be running a dig in one Frogger and without it it the second, so in theory I could narrow the second one down.

Do you find the BTA works well or is it just a lot of constant reworking to get the angles right?

Good to see another bodyless AX10 in Europe though!!