4 linked mantis front and rear.

[norcrawler]

let me just say that i wish i did this the second i got the chassis. and i thought about doing it before i even had a mantis! im sure others have done it and i know junkie kinda did something similar but not a true 4 link i would say. its 100% better in every way compared to having it torsion. the stability and control are 10x better. not trying to put down bwd's design but it just wasnt my thing. having the abilty to get the rear to squad down with front dig on hill climbs is very nice. the torsion was just very unpredictable imo. i simply hacked off the rear part of the chassis and ran my shocks to where the 2nd to last chassis brace would be. for the links i used the rear lowers from the wedge kit. it was a shot in the dark on the links but they actually work very well. i plan to make some aluminum or delrin links later on. by doing this i lost a bit of rear clerance but not enough for me to care about one bit. i was also thinking about plating the last square hole in the chassis with delrin and drilling it for different shock mounting positions. that last flex shot is with the rear shocks limited and the front only use about half the travel. plenty of articulation for me

[new2it]

Looks pretty bad *ss! Would love to see a vid of it in action.

[Highlucks]

The wedge lowers make for some pretty cool uppers.

How many packs did you get though it before you decided to remove the torsion.

[norcrawler]

Originally Posted by new2it

Looks pretty bad *ss! Would love to see a vid of it in action.

yea i thought so to. with it upside down on flat ground the the tires are just barely touching the ground. super chop top!lol
ill work on a video

Originally Posted by highlucks

The wedge lowers make for some pretty cool uppers.

How many packs did you get though it before you decided to remove the torsion.

yea its such a wild looking link setup.
and quite a bit. probably about 20 mabey? just cause i really wanted to get the feel of it before i did it. and i literally wanted to do it ever since i saw the chassis.finally said screw it and took a pair of dikes to it. i really think they should have been made like this from the start.

[63comet]

I always liked this chassis and i think this is very interesting. Nice work!

[Highlucks]

Originally Posted by norcrawler

yea its such a wild looking link setup.
and quite a bit. probably about 20 mabey? just cause i really wanted to get the feel of it before i did it. and i literally wanted to do it ever since i saw the chassis.finally said screw it and took a pair of dikes to it. i really think they should have been made like this from the start.

Good to see you got a few packs through it before you decided to change. I really like the way that the Wedge links have allowed you to follow the original lines of the chassis.
I have one of the XR mantis prototypes and am still very happy with it. Few people actually run them enough for the chassis to break in before they chop it up. Mine can do things with it that I have never been able to do with other rigs.

The "Mantis" has always been and always will be a torsion rig there are plenty of four shock options around so it is nice to also have something a little different that can still compete when given the right tuning and time.

Like the other guy said I would really like to see some video of yours in action.

[Postclanker]

X2 !!! The chassis works pretty good right out of the box..it's taken some time..and a lot of tuning...but I wouldn't trade my Mantis for anything ....

[TSK]

That does look pretty bad ass. Makes me want to buy one just to chop it up.

[norcrawler]

Originally Posted by highlucks

Good to see you got a few packs through it before you decided to change. I really like the way that the Wedge links have allowed you to follow the original lines of the chassis.
I have one of the XR mantis prototypes and am still very happy with it. Few people actually run them enough for the chassis to break in before they chop it up. Mine can do things with it that I have never been able to do with other rigs.

The "Mantis" has always been and always will be a torsion rig there are plenty of four shock options around so it is nice to also have something a little different that can still compete when given the right tuning and time.

Like the other guy said I would really like to see some video of yours in action.

yea i wanted to atleast run it for a bit even when i knew it was gonna happen sooner or later. and the wedge links look even better when they are flipped the other way but they didnt perform as well. you can tell in some photos that the link bottoms out on the rear portion of the chassis/shock to where it keeps the rear end nice and low. im still gonna play with it a bit and make a nice shock mount location mabey. i honestly dont think its a matter of the chassis breaking in. i hear some people say that the delrin will loosen up after awhile. im sure it does a little, but not nearly as much as people think. its the very rear of the chassis where it mounts to the upper link mount. those holes eventually wallow out to the point where the chassis will barely even flex anymore but it still has alot of axle movement because theres so much play in the upper link mount(and made it feel really unpredictable) if that makes any sense. i remember messing with it a bit and stacked 3 small washers on each end to where i could get a tight squeeze on it. that gave it 100% true torsion. and the difference was insane, that made it ALOT stiffer.
i can see why alot of people threw these on the for sale section.. you can pull of crazy lines around the house or out at the lake or whatever, but when your actually comping with it, the course your on is setup for a 4 shock truck(most the time). so its not like you have any crazy advantages over other drivers, just disadvantages. unless its a gnar bonus line mabey. with the torsion rear, the mantis always wanted to flip over. it couldnt hill climb for shit. or side hill. it would always wanna go rubber side up! way to springy/unpredictable. period.
my wedge was so much more controllable before i hacked it. and i agree. there are so many 4 shock chassis's out there but nobody go's crazy with the design and gets loads of clearence with em. its all the same stuff pretty much. 4 linked mantis you get the best of both worlds

Originally Posted by TheSCorpionKing

That does look pretty bad ass. Makes me want to buy one just to chop it up.

id do it without a doubt. before i even put it together and tried it out

[Krawler23]

I think don might have to change something (hint hint) haha, no i am jk it's actually really cool the way it is since it's so unique. I really want one, but maybe in time.

[EverettY]

I think Like Camo said there are plenty of 4 link chassis out there no need to make another out of a chassis that was made to be a torsion chassis. The Mantis is very unique and in my opinion is should stay the way it is. The cool thing is though looks like you didn't lose much clearence at all. I really want to see a running vid of it.

[billet works]

I mentioned in Junky's thread that I had been workin on a full 4 link version of the Mantis...not because it was needed...but because I can

All that said, it is incredible how close you got to what my personal prototype looks like No need to add a delrin plate out back...all you need are some sides like I've already cut. I'll try to shoot some pics this weekend.

Eleventy-Seven Cool Factor points awarded by BWD for your custom hack of the Mantis!

In fact, email me your addy so I can send you some shiney new motor sav'rs to keep the bottom nice and slick on this beast.

Don

[norcrawler]

Originally Posted by billet works

I mentioned in Junky's thread that I had been workin on a full 4 link version of the Mantis...not because it was needed...but because I can
yea i did notice that. so its actually in the works? i thought it was just kinda a prototype you did and didnt plan to make them. thats pretty legit though. like others said, theres ALOT of 4 shock chassis's out there. it just seems like its the same ol stuff though. nobody designs off the wall stuff like this chassis. its got crazy clearence all while being linked in the rear still.

All that said, it is incredible how close you got to what my personal prototype looks like No need to add a delrin plate out back...all you need are some sides like I've already cut. I'll try to shoot some pics this weekend.

haha, thanks. i think it turned out pretty good. its got a sweet fastback look to it. so you actually made some new sides for this? id like to check those out. how do you like it compared to the torsion rear?

Eleventy-Seven Cool Factor points awarded by BWD for your custom hack of the Mantis!

In fact, email me your addy so I can send you some shiney new motor sav'rs to keep the bottom nice and slick on this beast.

that would be awesome, bwd's the chit!
Don

...

[norcrawler]

Originally Posted by EverettY

I think Like Camo said there are plenty of 4 link chassis out there no need to make another out of a chassis that was made to be a torsion chassis. The Mantis is very unique and in my opinion is should stay the way it is. The cool thing is though looks like you didn't lose much clearence at all. I really want to see a running vid of it.

right. it was made to be a torsion chassis. i guy i comp with had a bully that was 4 link all the way around and he had a crazy looking chassis setup. there was a block of delrin holding the front axle on. so it would just barely flex. the rear would do all the work,kinda like a berg v2. and he said he did way better with that comapred to the normal setup. that chassis was designed and made to be a 4 shock chassis..
the mantis stock is deffinately unique and its a blast to drive, it all changes when your comping though imo. i think thats why you dont see many at comps.
and yea doesnt seem like i lost much clearence but it did drop it down quite a bit.

[EverettY]

Originally Posted by billet works

I mentioned in Junky's thread that I had been workin on a full 4 link version of the Mantis...not because it was needed...but because I can

All that said, it is incredible how close you got to what my personal prototype looks like No need to add a delrin plate out back...all you need are some sides like I've already cut. I'll try to shoot some pics this weekend.

Eleventy-Seven Cool Factor points awarded by BWD for your custom hack of the Mantis!

In fact, email me your addy so I can send you some shiney new motor sav'rs to keep the bottom nice and slick on this beast.

Don

You are really making a four link one! Could you send me some pics please? If I can earn eleventy-seven-hundred Cool Factor points then do I get a Thing chassis?

[EverettY]

Hey do you have a vid of this yet?

[norcrawler]

negative. kinda hard to unless i have a tripod with a camera or somethin. ill try and get my friend to record the next comp

[Chaotic Crawlers]

Very nice man!

I love it.
The way the rear lower,upper, and shocks cycle around each other looks crazy

I would love to see this rig in person... Or a video works too

[norcrawler]

thanks. yea the rear links/shocks are a very tight fit. little better now that i did they rod end mod on the shocks but theres nowhere else to put the shocks.
ive been slackin on the video. next time i got out ill bring my gopro with me

[norcrawler]

ok guys. got a video finally. nothing fancy though.
watch in 1080!