Knoja's Mantis
 

I have been eyeing this for a while now and every time i look for a bodiless setup i keep coming back to this. I just really like how it looks.

And with my current driving style, HAMMER DOWN!!!, i think that it will slow my ass down and make me more patient. Besides, its not like im in the top 10 in the points standings!! :lmao:

What i got:
- XR10 Axles
- VP Chubs and Knuckles
- Chaotic Crawlers straight steering rod
- BWD Mantis
- Traxxas Big Bores with cap mod
- Rowdy Racing axle battery mount

Electronics
- Hitec 7950 with Robotronic 1" servo horn
- Dual FXR
- CC BEC set at 7.4v
- Futaba 4PL
- Just picked up 3 MaxAmps 430mah 100C batteries

As for the wheels:
- DH II with Rovers and DD foam up front
- Stock wheels with Sedona's and DD foam in the rear
(Plan to get DH II and swap the Sedona's and foam for the Rovers and
stock foam that comes with the Rovers.)

A couple of shots i took while putting it together:

The chassis laid out all nice

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30097.jpg


The chassis put together with electronics

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30098.jpg


http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30099.jpg


A shot of it completely assembled and moving under its own power

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30100.jpg

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30101.jpg


Im hoping to get panels cut for this tonight.




I know i have a lot of tuning to do to. I am going to try and get out this weekend with it just to see what i need to do.

I have decided that i will run this for the rest of this season and next. I just hope that it will help me slow down and learn a few things! :awsome:

Let me know what ya think.

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Looks very nice! The mantis is definetly a very fun chassis.

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Yeah, I love the look of this chassis. Can't wait to get it on the rocks!!

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

post up your finding's im looking to get one, but im not quite sure just yet. what weight are you going to run and with what foam's.

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Looks great. All ya need to do now is throw some weight on it and get a few packs through it to break the chassis in. Then you'll start being able to fine tune it. "thumbsup"

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

I will. As of right now i like how it looks. A little concerned about the bent upper links. They seem to be flexing the cab front when compressed. Might have to switch to different links. Other than that, I really enjoyed assembling this last nigh. Pretty easy instructions to follow.

As far as weights go, i am going to run VP slugs for now.

Eventually i will get knuckle weights for the front. I did find this last night
http://www.cutthroat4x4.com/catalog/Axial_XR-10/knuckle_weights

I just need to do some research on these. They seem to be a pretty good deal.

For foams im going to stick with the Crawler Innovations Double Deuce.
In the front i have the Medium inner and soft outer.
In the rear i have the firm inner and soft outer.

The rear might change since im going to the rovers. I might throw the stock foam that came with the rovers. Just to get a little more grip in the rear. Keep in mind, im new to this and just starting out. :ror:


Im gonna try and get out this weekend and run as much as i can. Provided the weather holds out. but this is Washington! :roll:

Great chassis! I really could not stay away from it. "thumbsup"
The bent links that come with the chassis, are they suppose to touch the cab front on full compression?
I dont have the stock upper link mount installed. I have the VP mount. would that make a difference?


Now if only a vendor sold driving skill!! I would be set!!! :mrgreen:

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Yeah, it's not an issue as you can still articulate fully.

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Now if only a vendor sold driving skill!! I would be set!!! :mrgreen:


ive been looking for quite a while and still havent found anyone that does. im sure if they did they'd make a killing.

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Looks killer bro! Cant what to see it im person!

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

That makes 2 of us hahaha

So I took it out last night. Nothing major. I decided to throw 4 vo slugs up front & 3 in the rear. I really liked how it was acting. And it did slow me down! :D

Going out again today to where or next comp is going to be.

Sent from My Touch 2

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

So this past weekend I got to get out on the rocks with it, and I have to say, damn I love this chassis!

It is definitely slowed me down and making me think about what I am doing or about to do. This thing pretty much took every line I put at it! There was one line that just ate my lunch. It was the sedonas in the rear. They kept hoping on me where as the rovers hooked up.

Ran three slugs in each rear and four in each front. Did this thinking it would help break it in. It seems that this setup is working for.

Going to get out this week or weekend as long as the weather hold up.

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Finally got some panels made. Decided to go murdered out!!
Planning to get something else done but just wanted to get something done.

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30471.jpg

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30472.jpg

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...2446-30473.jpg

Thanks Don for a badass chassis to work with!! "thumbsup"

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

that look's good. keep up the good work.

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Meant to as this question earlier.

The first time i put the chassis together i didn't notice it. But this time i did.
I put the chassis together and was about to mount the shocks when i noticed the two spacers where different sizes. So i stopped what i was doing and searched for floor thinking i dropped one.

Went back to the cab spacers and was so unsure about what i had done, i pulled the cab off of the chassis to make sure that i had done it right.

What i had was 5 3/16" spacers and 1 1/8" spacer. not sure if i got an extra 3/16" spacer and lost the other 1/8" spacer or if that is what i got in the package. So i put a lock nut in place of the spacers. I was just wondering if i jacked something up. :lmao:

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Sounds like a mistake by my hardware sorted. Shoot me an email and I'll get a spacer shipped out.

Build is looking very nice!

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Been running the Mantis as much as i can. I think i finally got it to a place that i like and the stinkin' front upper bearing gave out.

Got some new motors for it, Brood Apocalypse S-HHK 35T!! Holy chit!! these are the nicest motors ive ever had!! so much wheel speed but the low end is so smooth!! Thanks Eddie!
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...1923-31893.jpg

Have been playing around with the weight and the foam setups.
Got D_Lux knuckle weights with the steel rings. Had to make a spacer for the front so that i could run the knuckle weights with the 585 hub without any extra brass rings (that is why i got the steel rings).
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...1923-31892.jpg

The spacer basically allowed me to run only the knuckle weights with the steel rings. In the rear i had 3 VP slugs in the wheels.

Decided to change it up a little this past weekend.
Put the 710 hub that i had in the rear up to the front with the neat little spacer and the 585 in the rear. This puts my track width at 11 5/8" up front and 10 3/4" in the rear.
It seems to be a pretty good setup so far.

As for the foams, i originally had the Crawler Innovations older firm inners with soft outers in the front and firm inner, medium outers in the rear. Decided to buy the new closed cell inners. I have installed and ran them but i was not a fan. Nothing against them, just not my flavor! "thumbsup"

Ended up using the older firm inners with medium outers and a soft tuning ring in the front and went with the older firm inners with medium outers and a medium tuning ring. I am really liking this set up right now.

It is starting to feel alot more balanced and predictable.

Haven't really got to run this current setup due to the upper link mount bearing blowing out on me.:roll: But the time that i did run it, i really liked what i was seeing.

Will try to get some pictures of the setup tonig.. oh wait, can't. the front axle is completely torn apart waiting on new parts!!!:shock: :lmao::lmao:

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

Sounds like your having fun and she is working well. you seem to be running a lot of weight, what is your total?

Re: Knoja's Mantis
 

RTR is 5lbs 4.15oz's. My stock xr was at 6.5+ lbs!! I like the weight right now. might try to shave some more later down the road.

Re: Knoja's Mantis... Now with RC4WD gear issues
 

Anyone got some RC4WD gears that haven't been installed yet?!!

I pulled my front case apart last night and found that one of the gears had been milled down on the edge.
This idle gear was on the transfer gear
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...1923-31946.jpg
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...1923-31945.jpg

And this idle gear what on the drive gear shaft.
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/membe...1923-31947.jpg

The third image looks like it has a milled edge on it already.

I think that the idle gear that has the nice shiny edge did not have a milled edge. Wanted to know if both idle gears do have a milled edge.

If not, I found the reason my chit has been screaming at me!!! :lmao:

if one of those idle gears does not have a milled edge, then that one would go on the drive gear shaft and the other (with the milled edge) would go on the transfer gear. That milled edge is so that the bearings that sit in the case do not rub. (I think).

Sombody please let me know!! "thumbsup"