Project Tide Me Over
 

Im new to the forum posting wise but have been lurking for a while, thought I would post up what I have been up to lately. I am an avid Jeeper and frankly am a bit obsessed, but recently married and moved into a one bedroom apartment 3 states away from my garage, so the real toy stayed behind, gathering dust...

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0192_zps78a4c5a2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0192_zps78a4c5a2.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0192_zps78a4c5a2.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

I also sold off all of my dirtbikes and other toys so the wife let me get my one toy to tide me over, I went to the local hobby shop and picked up one of the new Deadbolts, and went straight to my father in laws house for some crawling. He has a course he built in his back yard for his wraith.

This first thing I noticed out of the box, the links are terrible, the rear axle was able to work its way forward over and inch and touch the rock sliders within the first few minutes. Then came the steering, I could turn one wheel while the other stayed still, making picking lines lots of fun!

So I hit the garage and machined myself some rear links! Solid 1/4 inch aluminum

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0339_zps45c7149a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0339_zps45c7149a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0339_zps45c7149a.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

I love how it leaves dents and scratches like a 1:1. I also built them to give it a little stretch, simply because I cant leave things alone :ror: And yes I know I'm pushing the limits of that drive shaft, kleenex springs to hold it in place for the win!

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0340_zps53ed15c0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0340_zps53ed15c0.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0340_zps53ed15c0.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

Gotta love that departure angle!

Re: Project Tide Me Over
 

Next up was the steering, I went the easier route with this and decided to just use all thread and revo ends, but I forgot the tube on top before I bent it out :roll: Ill fix that at a later point.

These simple fixes made this truck 1000% better and more driveable, Its very stable and able to fairly easily keep up with the wraiths that I run with. I'm running it on a 3000 pack and can get over an hour of crawl time in fairly easily.

Next I did the usual mods, moved the electronics to the back, and the battery to the front/middle. I had the battery all the way in the front between the frame rails, but it got a bit front heavy, so I moved it to perpendicular to the frame rails. much better!

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0341_zpsdee9a3fe.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0341_zpsdee9a3fe.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0341_zpsdee9a3fe.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0342_zpsad544a62.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0342_zpsad544a62.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0342_zpsad544a62.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

I also added some extra lights to the bar and made it functional, I ended up using some small LED's that were for my 1:1's rock lights and putting them in the light rack, easy install for a big improvement.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0337_zps834acd07.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0337_zps834acd07.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0337_zps834acd07.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0352_zpsce4d28be.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0352_zpsce4d28be.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0352_zpsce4d28be.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0353_zpse20235c9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0353_zpse20235c9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0353_zpse20235c9.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

I also did a bit of trimming on the stock tires for just an added bit of traction, and man do the hook up for stock tires!

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0338_zps1913089c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0338_zps1913089c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0338_zps1913089c.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

Re: Project Tide Me Over
 

I did find a nice open field behind our apartments that nobody seems to know who it belongs too, sounds like an open invitation to me! There was also a huge pile of broken down concrete so that was perfect to start building a course.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0351_zpseb9605d7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0351_zpseb9605d7.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0351_zpseb9605d7.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0347_zps98e73677.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0347_zps98e73677.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0347_zps98e73677.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0348_zps9bb35333.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0348_zps9bb35333.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0348_zps9bb35333.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0349_zps02626933.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0349_zps02626933.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0349_zps02626933.jpg"/></a>

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0350_zps50a3cdec.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0350_zps50a3cdec.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0350_zps50a3cdec.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

I would also love to build it into a mini-me of my 1:1, but would have no idea where to start with that. Let me know if you guys see any flaws or suggestions.

Re: Project Tide Me Over
 

I would also love to build it into a mini-me of my 1:1, but would have no idea where to start with that. Let me know if you guys see any flaws or suggestions.[/QUOTE]

Gmade has a Cj 2?/3? Something like that. That might get you closer. Get a body, build from there.;-)

Re: Project Tide Me Over
 

Im personally looking into something more custom ;-) A custom tube chassis buggy of sorts, Ive actually been drawing it up and came up with something like this.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/front_zpsa28a617d.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/front_zpsa28a617d.png" border="0" alt=" photo front_zpsa28a617d.png"/></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/back_zps91d71689.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/back_zps91d71689.png" border="0" alt=" photo back_zps91d71689.png"/></a>[/IMG]

Thats with my stretch rear end and 2.2 tires. This would give me sort of a southern rock bouncer look mixed with the tube chassis crawler.

Im thinking that I would make this out of 1/4 styrene rod and just sheet styrene for the body pieces. I would normally build it out of steel but I dont have any of my welding equipment with me at college, and the wife doesnt want me spending money on buying any of it again.

I believe that if I put enough triangulation in the tubes and used a proper MEK glue It would be as strong if not stronger then the stock roll cage bars.

Let me know what you guys think, any comments are appreciated.

Re: Project Tide Me Over
 

Not sure if anybody is reading this but I will still post up any progress just in case. I decided to just jump in and try my hand at building a body out of styrene. Now I have 0 experience with this stuff so be easy on me ;-)

I started out still working off the drawing that I had made and printed out the lay out of the cage pieces.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0392_zps6d3364da.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0392_zps6d3364da.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0392_zps6d3364da.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

After a few days of trying to cut all the pieces and get the cage built, all I ended up with was a bunch of pieces and now way to connect them, I couldnt figure out how to get this plastruct to work on the tube... oh well Ill figure that out later.

I decided to move on to the body pieces because I knew I could get the body pieces to stick. I forgot to take pictures during the first parts of the build :roll: So ill just pick up where I started.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0401_zps7a473d1d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0401_zps7a473d1d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0401_zps7a473d1d.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0402_zps91f6d53b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0402_zps91f6d53b.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0402_zps91f6d53b.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

I decided to use the stock body pillar mounts just to make things a little easier on myself, In the long run I dont know if this will end up being a good idea since I have to drill holes in the hood, and If you are slightly dyslexic like me, youll be drilling a few times.
The hood will probably end up being remade in the future but for now I just wanna get it together and then I can do the finishing touches.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0403_zps5da89a8c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0403_zps5da89a8c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0403_zps5da89a8c.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

Just one big flat hood, just like the real deal! Notched out the hood for the highline fenders I had to do for tire clearence. Keep in mind I am trying to keep the low center of gravity look that my 1:1 has going on.

Here it is size comparison to the stock deadbolt body

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0407_zpsb9be9b99.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0407_zpsb9be9b99.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0407_zpsb9be9b99.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

I made a mock-up grill while I go about making the actual one, thats NOT going to be fun! a lot of slats in the old jeeps.

At this point I got restless and couldnt stop myself, I finished out the rear of the body. So much for the drawing that I made up.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/IMG_0410_zps19b2b73c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/IMG_0410_zps19b2b73c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0410_zps19b2b73c.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]

And the mandatory flex shot. Everything clears and I think its starting to look pretty decent.

[IMG]<a href="http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/nickerz121/media/e3fa59d0-0c6d-4956-a914-c507adc7a63f_zpsbfb1bb57.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t645/nickerz121/e3fa59d0-0c6d-4956-a914-c507adc7a63f_zpsbfb1bb57.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo e3fa59d0-0c6d-4956-a914-c507adc7a63f_zpsbfb1bb57.jpg"/></a>[/IMG]