SCREAMER's IFS Bomber "Qwiksilver"

[SCREAMER]

Moving right along. Here's another assembly tip. There's a nice little bracket Jerry designed that ties the rear of the chassis directly to the bulkhead for structural support. I would recommend attaching this the the front of the bulkhead before dropping the cage onto the chassis because it's much easier to get to these two little nuts with the cage out of the way. Drop the cage and spread those two "tubes" apart just enough to pop the cross bar in and install the screws from the sides. Also note that the rear skid/bumper plate goes on the inside of the rear Bomber cage.

[SCREAMER]

The cage attaches to the chassis plate in 4 places. 2 screws at the front shock tower and front chassis brace, 4 screws on the skid and side rails, 2 screws at the rear diff brace I showed above and 2 screws at the rear skid/bumper. Remove one screw from the bell crank link to the servo and Voilá, complete access to everything. Adding rear independent suspension made it no more difficult to disassemble than when it was just IFS. Hey Axial, you want to know how to build a proper independent suspension truck? Hire Jerry! This entire roller has such a simple yet incredibly stout design to it and is remarkably easy to assemble or tear down. I'm in awe.

We need to discuss the rear shocks. I was very happy to be able to mount the lower shock inside the arm itself with no interference even with my beefy DLux CVD shafts. I will add the appropriate spacers on the lower shock ball, this was just s test fit. If you decide to run Traxxas Slash rear shafts or MIPs you will need to move the lower shock mount to the front of the arm like Jerry did.

Now at the upper shock mount, you will need to remove the included ProLine upper shock balls and install fuel tubing to get enough angle on the upper eye of the shock. I tried mounting the upper shock in both places and also outside of the upper shock mount but it can only go inside to clear the cage while cycling. The included shock balls do not have enough misalignment in them to allow the shock to pull out far enough before binding so fuel tubing is the answer. I confirm with Jerry, and this is what he is using as well.

[SCREAMER]

And finally, the moment I'VE all been waiting for. Still plenty to do, mount the front bumper, mount the rear fuel cell, mount the ESC and receiver box, but we are finally to roller status and I had to share.

I can't begin to describe how plush this truck is. With all the tuning, testing, and adjusting of the solid rear axle setup, I could never get the rear to be compliant yet controlled or plush without being bouncy like the front. After getting everything assembled on the new setup and with zero testing or tuning, I did the 3 foot drop test and she landed like a cat on all fours. No bounce and no bottoming out. Simply awesome!

For some reason, the pics make it look like the tires are cartoonishly oversized but everything is much more proportional in person. I also want to draw your attention to how balanced the wheelbase is front to rear. I already love this truck and I haven't even driven it yet. Soon......soon

[Di_Spencer]

Looks awesome. I would back off the proload a little and lower the ride height for a lower, meaner, stance.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[SCREAMER]

I'm still a bit lighter than RTR weight with no battery, ESC, front and rear bumpers, fuel cell, receiver and box. It's all going to bring the static ride height down and I'll start adjusting from there. Lots of tuning and testing ahead of me.

[Di_Spencer]

Originally Posted by SCREAMER

I'm still a bit lighter than RTR weight with no battery, ESC, front and rear bumpers, fuel cell, receiver and box. It's all going to bring the static ride height down and I'll start adjusting from there. Lots of tuning and testing ahead of me.

Ok oh, I wasn't sure if everything was in it yet. Looks great. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[Lanky]

Congrats Bud! That thing looks amazing... if you get a chance I'd love to see the rear suspension at full bump. I'm also curious how much the track width grows and shrinks during suspension cycling....

I've been curious about running XT's as a triple rate using 100mm and 2 primary's... or double rate with 2 90mm springs.

[JatoTheRipper]

This thing is so awesome!

[*Old*]

This is looking awesome bro! Nice work!

From memory, I believe the B1B with the Wraith length T/As come in around 14.5" to 14.75" wheel base. So this is quite a bit shorter.

I'm wondering if you can post some close up pics of the rear shock mounts with the fuel tubing you mentioned.

thanks again and keep up the good work

[SCREAMER]

Originally Posted by Lanky

Congrats Bud! That thing looks amazing... if you get a chance I'd love to see the rear suspension at full bump. I'm also curious how much the track width grows and shrinks during suspension cycling....

I've been curious about running XT's as a triple rate using 100mm and 2 primary's... or double rate with 2 90mm springs.

Sorry for the late replies, I'm running a bit ragged lately trying to keep up with everything. Here's a pic at full compression. There's just under an inch of clearance from the skid to the floor and as I said before, this is due to contact of the drive cups hitting the inner arms. I'm happy with this amount of travel and low point of compression so I am going to limit the shocks at the point just before contact is made.

As for your question about how much the track width grows, it goes from 12 1/2 wide at full droop to 12 3/4 wide when the arms are parallel to the ground.

I'm tuning with a single spring to get things feeling right then I may add an initial "take up" spring to set static ride height. We'll see how testing goes.

[SCREAMER]

Originally Posted by *Old*

This is looking awesome bro! Nice work!

From memory, I believe the B1B with the Wraith length T/As come in around 14.5" to 14.75" wheel base. So this is quite a bit shorter.

I'm wondering if you can post some close up pics of the rear shock mounts with the fuel tubing you mentioned.

thanks again and keep up the good work

Thanks again for all the kind words guys and I'm glad to answer any questions anyone has or post pics you need to see.

Here's the upper shock mount installed with the fuel tubing. The measurements on the tubing are 5mm outer diameter, 2.5mm inner diameter and I used approximately 7mm of length in each upper shock mount. You want it to be just a bit wider than the inside of the upper chassis shock mount so that when installed, the tubing is just a bit compressed and will not allow the upper shock eye to "fall off" of the tubing. Start the screw and have just a thread or two showing inside the chassis shock mount then, with the tubing inside the top shock cap eye, press it into the mount until you feel the tubing pop over the screw threads. Wiggle the top of the shock around until the tubing looks straight and unkinked then thread the rest of the way in. Done!

[*Old*]

Originally Posted by SCREAMER

Thanks again for all the kind words guys and I'm glad to answer any questions anyone has or post pics you need to see.

Here's the upper shock mount installed with the fuel tubing. The measurements on the tubing are 5mm outer diameter, 2.5mm inner diameter and I used approximately 7mm of length in each upper shock mount. You want it to be just a bit wider than the inside of the upper chassis shock mount so that when installed, the tubing is just a bit compressed and will not allow the upper shock eye to "fall off" of the tubing. Start the screw and have just a thread or two showing inside the chassis shock mount then, with the tubing inside the top shock cap eye, press it into the mount until you feel the tubing pop over the screw threads. Wiggle the top of the shock around until the tubing looks straight and unkinked then thread the rest of the way in. Done!

That is interesting. Would've never thought to do something like this. Nice work! Can't wait to hear your first run report!!

[SCREAMER]

Alright fellas, she's all buttoned up and ready to go. Mounted the ESC and receiver box on the drivers side floor. Got the front bumper and rear plate installed. I discovered that the stock fuel cell will not go back in without cutting out part of the bottom to clear the DMG chassis braces so it's a good excuse to buy one of those nice aluminum fuel cells that are a bit smaller and should fit right in. With everything in (5200mah pack included) you can see the static ride height settled right in. Just a couple twists on the rear preload rings and I've got her sitting pretty perfect. Of course I had to run outside and do some quick shakedown laps around the front yard. The rear end is so much better with the new setup. So plush, so planted, no more bouncing anywhere! I know everything will change as soon as I get in the real environment but already, it's a major improvement in performance over the truck I took apart just a couple weeks ago. I'm very very excited to run this weekend. You know as soon as I leave the spot I'll be sprinting to the first computer I can find to post up my thoughts. Stay tuned.

[cmbscx10]

Screamer,
I'm sorry for this comment, hate to sound rude and don't know how to say it but I really don't like it at all. I mean really, just look at it, the stance, the parts, the time put into it, the write up, the photos?

I rarely swear as it is really not needed but FFAAWWWKKKK did that turn out awesome and Love it. 1000% look forward to your run vids and thoughts. Well done. Well done.

[shiftauto]

No other way to say it, I'm jealous! Sic build! Anxious for some footage

[SCREAMER]

Thanks guys. I'm going to try to figure out how to post vids of this one because she deserves it. I want to get slow motion of the truck going over the rough stuff at full speed so you can really see the suspension working. I played a little with it again today and it's just awesome how well it works. Can't wait for this weekend.

[the DMG]

Originally Posted by SCREAMER

I played a little with it again today and it's just awesome how well it works. Can't wait for this weekend.

told you - didn't I enjoy !

[vipers28]

Awesome build. How long did it take you build the front and rear IFS?

[SCREAMER]

Originally Posted by vipers28

Awesome build. How long did it take you build the front and rear IFS?

Not long at all, maybe 4-5 hours total. I spent a week working on it here and there when I could but assembly is very straightforward and there's no real difficulties or hurdles to figure out. Jerry built a very comprehensive and complete kit. I had fun building this truck.

[SCREAMER]

I don't really know where to start. This truck performs, it just simply performs. We got started about 11 this morning heading out to one of our most frequented areas. The perfect mix of hiking trails and faster sections mixed with some very steep and technical climbs. I brought two 3s batteries and a 4s. I started with the 3s because I really wanted to get a feel for how she handled at a slower pace. Right away, I was loving the tight turning ability with the open front diff and she was shredding the more open sections of the trail at wide open throttle. High speed handling and suspension performance were superb, and I haven't even messed with the rearend yet other than setting sag. This truck soaks up every bump in the trail from big to small and you never feel out of control while sending full power to the wheels. If you do find yourself airborne whether intentionally or because you didn't see that kicker, she flies flat and lands without any drama. Can she go fast? Oh yeah!

We got to the first section of obstacles. My first thought, that stock Yeti Score open front diff. "The fun's over", I told myself as I prepared for an abundance of wheel spin up front. Hmm, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The front did let go for a bit but as soon as the locked rear pushed forward enough, both fronts caught traction and we were on to the next set of rocks. Nice! Obstacle after obstacle, I started to regain confidence that was lost when I chose to run an open front. Some climbs would take a bit more momentum but anyone who has driven the B1B knows, these trucks like to be driven just a bit faster than a dedicated solid axle crawler. The B2B is no different and continues to redefine "Rock Racer". I will say that the stock Yeti front open diff is far too "open" with the 20k oil that comes from the factory and I will be swapping that unit out with my 20million weight setup shown earlier. There was just a bit more slip than I wanted even though the truck had no problems overcoming any of the days obstacles but I want a more limited slip and I think it will perform even better once I make the switch. Can she crawl? You better believe it!

The one major disappointment of the day was my Vanquish VVDs. With this completely open diff, I still had one of the pins in the drive cup working its way out, unbelievable! I'm not going to beat this dead horse anymore but I will be sending these back to Vanquish for the last time. Utterly useless parts. Luckily because of my own pessimism or maybe past experiences with these turds, I ordered Axial 92mm universals last week so they should be here before the next run.

All in all, I couldn't be happier with how the first run went. Everything from the ultra plush suspension feel to the new found ground clearance to the excellent control of the chassis at full speed, impressed is not nearly a strong enough word. There was also a sense of finally getting satisfaction from the rear becoming as good as the front. She did so well that I need more runtime before I can make any adjustments. I'm comparing Qwiksilver's performance to what it was before with a solid rear axle and because it's such a major improvement, I'll need more time to find out where I can tweak the rear suspension for better control. I just couldn't find anything wrong with it today. It's really that good.

I'm so looking forward to Bil, Old, Lanky, and the rest of you getting your kits because I know you are going to giggle the entire time during that first drive. If the B1B was my favorite before, we're in a whole other league now.