Jkabee's "total noob" TJ build "this should be fun!"

[jkabee]

Originally Posted by klabeaume

Looking great, I love the idea of light weight aluminum cage!

Thanks. Folks, I gotta tell you, aluminum is THE way to go if weight up top is an issue/concern. I plan on weighing the roll cage to be exact, but I have to say that the plastic NB body is heavier than the whole cage AND maybe even the bumper combined. Now that I said that, I'll have to weigh them to see if I'm full o'chit or not

[jkabee]

Originally Posted by 05Fronty4x

Nice work with the ammullamum, hehe. Depending on how easy that aluminum bent, I'd maybe look to add some more support.

I like your suggestion, especially the front (windshield) pieces. I actually thought about adding one bar down the center there, but I didn't like the look. Perhaps adding two bars as you suggested would be a better visual appeal. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks to EVERYONE for the feedback!

[jkabee]

Hooray for ME!!!! Just snagged this deal on eBay today!
This was the last piece needed for the build. Now the only thing standing between me and Triple Falls is to finish the build!

$240 shipping included. Brand New overstock!

[buddamonk]

Originally Posted by jkabee

Hooray for ME!!!! Just snagged this deal on eBay today!
This was the last piece needed for the build. Now the only thing standing between me and Triple Falls is to finish the build!

$240 shipping included. Brand New overstock!

Do you by any chance know if i could use the DX4s for my XR10 in a dual esc setup also(channel mixing). I dont wanna buy a Futaba 4pl or 4pk coz else I gotta change all my receivers on numerous cars...

[Constant Threat]

Nice radio man, and the tube work looks great! Are we still going to go scout triple falls this weekend?

[mitchr97]

Looks sick bro! nice job!

[jkabee]

Originally Posted by buddamonk

Do you by any chance know if i could use the DX4s for my XR10 in a dual esc setup also(channel mixing). I dont wanna buy a Futaba 4pl or 4pk coz else I gotta change all my receivers on numerous cars...

From my understanding, YES. There is mixing already set up in this radio and user defined mixing of steering and/or Escs is completely possible. One of the reasons I bought this radio is for future expansion into a true MOA crawler with dual steering and dual escs. Check the manual online to be sure, but I think you are safe. Spektrum made this radio specifically for the scaler/crawler crowd.

[jkabee]

Originally Posted by Constant Threat

Nice radio man, and the tube work looks great! Are we still going to go scout triple falls this weekend?

Yes! I believe we are shooting for Saturday correct? PM me if we haven't exchanged #s yet. Should b a good weekend for it also.

[jkabee]

Originally Posted by FORDROX97

Looks sick bro! nice job!

Thank you! More to come asap!

[buddamonk]

On some forums they say yes it can and some ppl say it cant so dual mixing. I just finished building my XR10 and end of the month I m gonna run it with a single ESC for now until I have the money to buy a dual esc setup. By that time i ll need a tx with dual mixing capabilities. I know that the Futaba 4PL can do the job but all my cars have Spektrum rx and I really dont feel like spending another fortune on futaba rx.

[jkabee]

Originally Posted by buddamonk

On some forums they say yes it can and some ppl say it cant so dual mixing. I just finished building my XR10 and end of the month I m gonna run it with a single ESC for now until I have the money to buy a dual esc setup. By that time i ll need a tx with dual mixing capabilities. I know that the Futaba 4PL can do the job but all my cars have Spektrum rx and I really dont feel like spending another fortune on futaba rx.

I just gotmine in the mail, so I'll check the full manual and give you details. It comes with pre-programmed mixing built in though. I played with it for a little bit to check out the menu. I know for sure it has steering mixes built in. I'll check on the esc part for you today.

[jkabee]

Got my winch in, my radio, and two batteries. I need to get some connectors and then it will be ready to wire up. I hacked the stock dash a bit to make it fir over the transmission. I think I'll run that for now. Also got one of my boat sides done. Adds alot of room for electronics athat way, plus will help keep the rig from getting hung up on the sides of the body.

[jkabee]

Not true "boat sides" but whatever. They'll get the job done. Today I plan on doing the other side, 4-linking the front and rear, grindng the bumper and cage, painting both and rock sliders, mounting the winch, and fabbing a panel for batteries and electronics between the front shock hoops. Should be busy.

[buddamonk]

Originally Posted by jkabee

I just gotmine in the mail, so I'll check the full manual and give you details. It comes with pre-programmed mixing built in though. I played with it for a little bit to check out the menu. I know for sure it has steering mixes built in. I'll check on the esc part for you today.

Thank you!

[jkabee]

Got the other "boatside" done. I have these drying from 2 coats of paint currently (flat black). BTW, these are ALUMINUM, not steel. I used .064 sheet aluminum. Easy to work with & lightweight.

[jkabee]

4 Link Time!!! So I got a PM from a newb about what 4-linking was and how to do it. Well, here ya go:

The stock SCX-10 comes with a Y-shaped upper link on the front and rear. These are okay, and serve their purpose. This setup is commonly referred to as a 3-link. Why? Glad you asked. A "link" is obviously a connecting rod thatties your chassis to the axle for stability under flex. These Y-shape links act as one link, and combined with the two lower links, you have a 3-link system. What ae some shortfalls of a 3 link? Well you can read the forums for all the in-depth answers that I have seen over the years, but essentially, articulaton limitations are the key reason some people switch to a 4-link. Others find that they prefer the 3 -link for their purposes, so its a "eye of the boholder issue".

Anyway, enough talk. More pics. I decided to make my own links instead of getting screwed for the axial 4 link metal kit. I used aluminum tube (1/4") and all-thread rod. Since I was using the leftover rod ends from my scx-10 kit, I didn't use the 8-32 rod others have mentioned. Instead I used the thinner 6-32 rod. A 3 ft stick at lowes cost $2.69, and another 3 ft piece of aluminum tubing cost $5 at most. So, I made 4 links for less than $8.

Select the appropriate drillbit for your all-thread. Remember to leave the screw fins sticking out further than your bit.



Drill out your rod ends for a good fit. I inserted a thin screw driver into the eye so that I could hold onto this little sucker better!



Screw the all-thread into the rod end.



Make your measurement from eye to eye to get the appropriate rod length. Don't screw this part up! My pen shows where I'm actually going to cut the all-thread.



Test fit the all-thread with both rod ends attached to make sure you didn't screw up somewhere before cutting your aluminum or steel tubing.



If it fit right, make a measurement for the length of tubing you need.



Cut tube to length. The great thing about aluminum is that its soft enough to cut wih a standard tubing cutter like copper. I could have used my Dremel, but this cutter actually gives me a smoother, straighter cut.



Cut all your pieces now that you have your dimensions down.



Assemble and install! I assume you already have a 4 link truss. If not, you can buy them on eBay for cheap or build your own.



Its really that simple! And cheap!

[Constant Threat]

Great write up

[jkabee]

Originally Posted by buddamonk

Thank you!

There are mixed comments here, but some guys are using dual esc set ups on their DX4S. It comes with 3 preset mixes and two user-defined mixes. Everything is proportional also, so dual escs looks completely possible.

Spektrum DX4S Thread

[jkabee]

Got my rock sliders and front bumper painted. I removed the extra tubing from the bumper for now. It's just clean and simple. Also mounted my 3racing winch.

[Bad Apple]

Digging the build and write-ups man. Awesome job on a first time scaler, bravo