Wraith based Rock Bouncer

[mewalsh100]

I’m not sure on the Spawn interior. I have not been able to get my hands on one. They’ve been sold out everywhere for months. The Deadbolt interior is kind of a temporary solution any way. I had it from one I trimmed the old body to fit my Wraith. I’ll figure something more permanent out eventually. Maybe something from Dinky RC.

[Brake Weight]

Best deal going right now. But you’ll need to score some seats, make some, or 3d print some.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F132157711217

[mewalsh100]

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

Best deal going right now. But you’ll need to score some seats, make some, or 3d print some.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F132157711217

I actually have an extra Wraith seat. May run it with passenger seat delete and stash the ESC there. I really wanted to run a Spawn interior, but I can make a standard Wraith interior work. Of course, I'll have to find a driver which is always a pain in the A.

[mewalsh100]

Got one of the side panels done up in aluminum. Definitely cleaner than the previous version. Still have to do the other side, and then the hood and front side panel. (Still trying to figure out a hinge system for the hood as well.)

[mewalsh100]

And the hood and roof! Starting to dig the way it's looking with the panels. That side nose area is ripe for some WWII Fighter style teeth!

[mewalsh100]

Got a few more scale goods installed on the Rock Bouncer. Mandatory fire extinguisher, and the nitrous bottle mounted and plumbed.

[durok]

NOW it's really starting to show some promise - I am seriously digging this...

I've been waiting out of what I thought might be morbid curiosity for someone to build up one of the cheap steel cages I've seen a few places - and what do you know, in your hands something WICKED this way comes!

[mewalsh100]

@durok - thanks buddy. I think it's starting to look pretty good. I will say the cage is better than I thought it would be. We'll see how it holds up to abuse and what should promise to be the insane power with the HH 4100kv set up.

Trying to decide if I wanna paint up the skins I made or leave them raw metal. I had a bit of a theme in mind with paint, but I do like me some raw aluminum. It just has an industrial, mechanical feel to it.

My eventual plan is to do a Spawn interior - when they become available again. Talking with Carmine on the forums here and he said he has one available, so I may grab it. Also toyed with doing a standard Wraith interior though. IDK - I''l figure something out, but I liked the idea of re-purposing the old Deadbolt interior and I think it turned out ok for the time being.

[mewalsh100]

So I wasn't liking the way the previous roof just stopped at the front/top of the roll cage, especially when I threw the lightbar up there to see how it would look. Scrapped the first version, made a new template, transferred to my material then cut and bent up the new one. I like this version much better with the "sun visor" up front - especially with the lightbar.

As I mentioned earlier, I was going to run the lightbar lower between those existing frame tabs. The damn thing fit perfectly between them - unfortunately, with the arch in the front end of this cage, it just looked weird / too low. So, roof mount it is. It's just sitting up there now and I haven't had a chance to route the leads neatly yet.

[mikemcE]

Issue will occur when you flip on the light bar and stinger, one will give, it won’t be the stinger. Yeah I know......
Before


After



Hang up and Drive

[mewalsh100]

@mikemce - yeah, i’m usially not down with roof mount for that very reason. I did the lighting on my Baja Rey just like yours to protect it. I’m just kinda screwed with mounting areas on the tube cage without getting in to welding a bracket. I also tried mounting it low, but with the arch of the cage / hood, it’s no bueno. I’m going to keep thinking on it.

[mikemcE]

Trouble is putting all the light out front. Hoops and a top bar will protect, and look like a scrap yard.


Hang up and Drive

[durok]

That's what I like about the DMG roof panel for the Bomber:

[mewalsh100]

I may score the DMG unit for Wraith. Looks like it comes with the roof, which I don't need for this rig, but could maybe use on the Wraith.

My other thought was to maybe do one of the GearHead RC lower profile roof racks. Measuring the one I have on the truggy, it would stick up just a tad hicher than the light bar flush mounted to the roof.

[mewalsh100]

OK - So, I think I can up with a pretty good solution to get the Light Bar off the roof. I pulled the roof off, placed the light inside and up to the roof of the cage then took some measurements. I trimmed back the sun visor a bit based on these measurements so the light would have a good reveal. I then made an aluminum bracket that sits inside the cage and under the roof. It's going to be a bit of a pain in the a-- whenever I have to remove the roof, but the light is now fully protected and I think it looks pretty RAD in there.

Next, I had these KOH rear lights from my old Wraith build when I had it all scaled out. Fortunately, this one was quite a bit easier as the GearHeadRC brackets that came with the GHRC light bar worked perfectly to mount to the underside of the roof. I did have to use some longer hardware to get through the roof and capture the brackets, but that's the great thing about keeping extra hardware around.

[mewalsh100]

Ok guys - I need to pick your brains and get some ideas. I need to get this hood mounted securely and I'd rather not get into welding brackets and creating stand offs at this point. I'm leaning towards using these rare earth magnets I found on Amazon. There long, rectangular units 3.94'' X 0.4'' X 0.12''. My thought was to glue them to the underside of the aluminum hood along the chassis line. Then, I simply plop the hood in place and allow the REM's to do their thing and lock on to the upper chassis rails. The hood is light, and I've heard rare earth mags are strong as hell - but, I have no experience mounting bodies with them. The attached pic shows the exact footprint in RED (Width and Length) of the magnets and where I was going to place them. At .12", I don't think they would adversely effect the "ride height" of the hood too much either. I could also in-board them a bit so they grab more of the side of the chassis rail and let the hood sit flush. IDK - a bit stumped.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Other ideas? I'm a bit stuck on a clean way to mount this thing.

Even if I were to get in to getting some brackets and stand offs welded in, I'm not crazy about them poking up through the hood and having body clips.

[Brake Weight]

What about wire clamps like these? I used a couple from the parts trees to hood mod my Wraith. You’d have bolt heads and holes on your hood.

[mewalsh100]

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

What about wire clamps like these? I used a couple from the parts trees to hood mod my Wraith. You’d have bolt heads and holes on your hood.

I thought about those, and I actually have some nice metal ones I could use. The problem is, they'll be a bit cumbersome for taking the battery in and out. They would look clean though!

[mewalsh100]

Picked up the Mamba-X today. Now I'm just waiting on the motor. Still have a few things to button up and sort, but getting close!

I also think I figured out a system for the hood. I'm going to make a T-Bar set up with a threaded stud and some flat stock. I think the fact that the cowl/hood is formed around the cage, and with the pressure of a cap nut on the threaded stud poking through, it won't go any where. I hope. I really didn't want to have anything poking through, but I think it's going to be the most secure way. If it does end up needing to be welded, so be it. (See my crude drawing)

[Brake Weight]

Use Velcro instead of a bolt. I hold down the hoods on both my Wraiths with it.