JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

Lately, I've been thinking I want to bring back 2009. It's been half a decade, so why not.

Back in 2009, I made the original Karnage Bodiless Comp Crawler:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/S5002324.jpg

It was a great rig, and I had some good times with it. I ended up selling off the chassis, and used the axles to build a scale rig, and haven't thought much about comp crawlers pretty much since then.

Out of nowhere, I get the itch to build one again, and I decided I wanted to bring the Karnage 2.0 design back to life and get a rig together for local small comps and just fun on the rocks.

So, I got it most of the way together, and figured I'd start a build thread on it to show it off... so here it is:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psc6cd02b3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps2157b624.jpg

A lot of the same techniques that went into the original build went into this, with some more modern additions. Everything is a really tight fit, but was designed to be tight.

I've still got more to do, but this is where I am after a couple hours of messing around with it.

I'll post some more pics and more info on it very soon. Thanks for checking the build out, please feel free to leave any comments below.

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

This post will serve as a little history lesson. If you are not interested in history, just scroll on by. This post is really more for me to remember what I did to this, and how it evolved than for any other reason.

In 2008, I bought an AX10, and started to look into competing with it at local comps. It very quickly became apparent that it needed upgrades, and one thing I wanted to do was design a bodiless chassis for it. So, 5 years ago... I designed the first version.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/JCADMRRC.png

Initially codenamed the MRRC (monkeyracer Rock Crawler) the design went through many changes until I ended up with this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/S5001791.jpg

This was the first design to actually be expressed in a physical form, and was named Chameleon because of its ability to change the look by changing the rear panel pieces.

After uncovering some weaknesses in the design (namely some thin parts of the design that couldn't hold the abuse) I went back to the drawing board, and had an initial rendering:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...Front3-43D.png

This is what I am claiming to be the first QVP bodiless chassis. I wanted the chassis between the shocks to be narrow, but the huge transmission needed clearance, so the side plates extended to meet minimum width and allow clearance for everything...
That design became the Karnage Crawler:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/S5002327.jpg

With that design, I learned even more about what I would change, and revised the design, yet again, to have a more narrow, but longer skid, and just barely pass the minimum dimensions for bodiless chassis (now, with the rules being smaller dimensions, this will easily pass...) and after some "clarification" about the rules, the new design you see above was decided on.

Then, I got out of comp crawling because it stopped being fun. I got into scale rigs, and most of the parts from the comp rig were donated to those vehicles.

Karma has a way of giving back though, and many of the parts in this rig are from some of my trail rigs that have evolved, been parted out or in hibernation.

The TallIrons (5.75" Flat Irons) are from my Dodge Ram build. The wheels, transmission, drive shafts, dig, C-Hubs and Knuckles are from my Project BBAMFT build. The axles are from my Project Wringo build. The shocks are from the Project Rampage build.

There are some new parts on it as well though... The axle trusses are some products I sell in the vendors section, although the front truss is modified specifically for this rig. The Chassis, Chassis side braces, hood (not shown) and skid plate are all pieces I printed on my 3D printer. I may end up having these cut from delrin or CF, but I'll wait and see how the ABS holds up first... All the links are delrin that I cut and tapped, and either use axial or revo rod ends. The XR10 mod was done with the help of RC Bros Burly Tubes (These are awesome by the way, if you haven't yet, you need to check them out.)


This build has been going for 5 years, and hopefully I'll have some fun with it before I part it out for something else...

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

Looking good, man. You're bordering professional. lol.

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

Thanks! (I think??) "thumbsup"

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

Sweet. That's gotta weight what, 5 or 6 lbs? :flipoff:

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

Haven't weighed it, but I'm guessing over 7... lol

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

Damn, duu...ude was right, 5lbs 14oz rtr.

The chassis with everything on it, but no wheels/tires is only 3lbs 5oz though, so it's not a heavyweight, just not a featherweight either.

I like a little weight on the crawler though, I think its more predictable and gets the tires into the rocks better...

Any suggestions on a servo around $60 that will do the job better than my current placeholder?

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

You know...it takes just as much effort to type "duuuuuuuude" as it does to type "duuu...uude".



Servo.

Value Hobby R/C Hobby Store (Addison, Illinois): Power HD 1218TH Digital HV Titanium Gear Servo

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

I do in fact know that :flipoff:
:twisted:

I bought my Power HD 1501MG that is currently on there from them... The 1218 isn't much more torque really...
I was looking at this one:

Savox SA-1230SG and it looks pretty good for a little over the $60 range...

Looking at RPP... I can get a set of 4 sedonas, the Savox servo with horn, metal trans gears and a wheel nut tool for $151 shipped... hmmmmmmmmmm...

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

Savox haters inbound....


This reminds me of my old ax10 when everything had to have weight in it or your rig was sh!t. Can't wait to see what ya do.

Re: JCAD - Karnage Resurrection - Bringing back 2009
 

More pics... getting it ready for it's first comp. Messing around with the new photo studio I made... (BTW, I don't have an "infinity" background... just some photo editing to remove the corners...)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps437de1c1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps9fd3d9ea.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psb377d731.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps4b19503e.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps9bfff3bb.jpg



I actually did fairly well considering it was the first drive (as in ever, only tested it on the carpet, no more than 3 feet to make sure the motor direction was correct...) and that I haven't been to a comp since 2009 (other than scale comps, but those are different...) Was leading the class after the first two courses, and after the last course was 2nd place, but since the judge on the 3rd course forgot to count my progress, I ended up tying for 2nd, but was bumped to 3rd because of overall time left on the courses.

I've got pics from the aftermath of the comp, but haven't processed them yet...

The sedonas did well, but they are way too wide, I'll cut them up soon and get some different offset wheels eventually. I need to replace the motor as well, it's a machine wound Novak 45 that's from the original Karnage. I've got some 45T motors that should do the trick on this.
Obviously the dig is gone. It was more there because it came off the C3 rig, and I didn't feel like taking it off the trans... Now its gone.

Working on a new chassis for it, and may have something available for sporty's pretty soon depending on the feeler thread. (I know bodiless is not allowed in sporty, locally, they don't care, so I run it, but the 'production' chassis will be body/bodiless capable, just like everything else out there.)

I also need a new steering link. This one is too flexy. Looking at stainless maybe (since I can bend that here with what I've already got...)

Lots of work to do, but no time to do it. Slow updates will come... stay tuned.