A Secret Agent in Boston

[BC-Brian]

I started my new Secret Agent build a little while ago. Thought I would post some of the stuff from the build to get some feedback and share some ideas for others. There isn't a ton of earth shattering stuff but I am doing what I can to shave weight without compromising performance to much..

Got the chassis built and started taking weight measurements (borrowing a nice scale helps).

Stock weight chassis with traxxas aluminum hollow balls.


Feel like there is some room to loose a few grams in this skid. But that was for another time.


Just in case people don't realize how much lighter the aluminum balls are.



"De-Cased" castle micros and repackaged together.


Previous steering turnbuckle, solid steel, OYE.


New one. Using 1/8" OD SS tubing 0.029" wall thickness, much lighter.


Also got some Carbon tube for my upper links. I was going to try to run 1/8" OD Carbon tube but the stuff was a little too flimsy. Got some 5/32" OD carbon tube and this is closer to what I wanted, still a little flex but we will see how it goes.

I drilled the Revo rod ends out to accept the Carbon Tube


Added a Dot of Gorilla Glue


And then press fit the Carbon tube into the drilled revo end. Vwhalla, a 3g upper link.


I liked how others were turning down the shock housings. I dropped the wall thickness from 1.25mm to .75mm. Which shaved off 2.2g per shock.

Before


After


I bolted everything together and had something like this, and is weighing in at 645g, sans electronics, the cab, and wheels.

[Wicked Monkey]

That's turning out nicely. Great work! It's funny how much some of the little things you do can save weight, like those aluminum balls.

[jebster]

brian, looking good. working on lightening up my rig. i think the aluminum balls is a good move and will try that on mine.

for your steering link did you thread the outside of the tubing or just insert a set screw? i'm curious because i'd like to eliminate my solid rod too but i need to run a bent link and i'm not sure a bent tube link would be strong enough.

[BC-Brian]

Thanks messiah.

Jeb, I just roughed up the rod surface and inside surface of the rod ends then used glue to hold it (gorilla super glue). It seems to be holding well, if the glue fails I Will pin it in place.

[Jakerz]

hmm, great idea on the carbon upper links! I like it!. also I didn't realize the aluminum balls saved that much weight either, and the hard ano is probably smoother than the chrome as well.

Thanks for the info

Jake

[opek]

Originally Posted by Jakerz

The hard ano is probably smoother than the chrome as well.

Nope! Some people even run the steel just because it's smoother.

[redrokin00XJ]

Originally Posted by opek

Nope! Some people even run the steel just because it's smoother.

I'm calling bullshit on this one..... The tolerances in a rodend are no where near tight enough to make a damn bit of difference between the 2.

I run Ali balls through out my rig and it all feels the same to me. If that were the case then people would be greasing or 3-1 oil on them too.

[laxjj14]

Nice build. I didnt realize the aluminum balls saved that much weight either its good to know. I live in nh its good to see someone an hour away building and moa most people in my area build scalers or shaft driven i brought my bully to my lhs and the people out on the rock pile have never even heard or it. Do you comp?

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[BC-Brian]

Originally Posted by laxjj14

Nice build. I didnt realize the aluminum balls saved that much weight either its good to know. I live in nh its good to see someone an hour away building and moa most people in my area build scalers or shaft driven i brought my bully to my lhs and the people out on the rock pile have never even heard or it. Do you comp?

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

I run Boston Crawlers down here. You should come down and check us out in the spring time.

I have not had any problems with the aluminum balls (ran them all last season on the old rig). I'll take the weight savings over the high polish of the steel balls.

[RICrawler]

If those uppers work out good for ya' I'd like try some out, got any stock left? I'll get you some measurements and I'll pick em up at the next comp!

[laxjj14]

Good to know I will definitely try to make it down this spring. I tried to go on the bc website but couldn't find the place to register so I could look at the forums

[sidehill]

Originally Posted by redrokin00XJ

I'm calling bullshit on this one..... The tolerances in a rodend are no where near tight enough to make a damn bit of difference between the 2.

I run Ali balls through out my rig and it all feels the same to me. If that were the case then people would be greasing or 3-1 oil on them too.

Try it and you'll be surprised! I use tri flow !!

[BC-Brian]

Lax, Sent you a PM.

Got working on some new hubs for the rig. These let me ditch the metal hexes that I had on the rig and have a straight pickup on the pin. Each of the hexes weighed 1.8g, a total of 7.2g for all 4 corners. I made plastic spacers to adjust the offset as needed. The hubs with the spacers are a little lighter, .8g, for a total of 10.4g savings.






The weight of a vanquish hub


Equivalent custom hub with spacers.


More to come soon.

[laxjj14]

Ok thanks I like the new hubs you made

[RICrawler]

I'll take a set of those too! Nice work Brian. You coming to the next Conn event? My band's playing the night before in Manhattan, and we'll be driving back the same night, hopefully I'll be up for the drive to Madness in the morning. You usually come to comps on an hour or two of sleep anyway it seems!

[BC-Brian]

You just want everything.

I should be there. Should also have some new stuff to post soon. Been working on a new upper chassis portion and should have it wrapped up soon.

[BC-Brian]

Been working on the rig some more but haven't posted up in a little while.

Since my last "Cab" was deemed questionable I made a new one up based on my last chassis, the Sabre. The roof is vac formed to give some extra height and help with roll overs.


I got my turned down shocks and custom wheel hubs Sexy'fied.


They look something like this when mounted


And with everything bolted together something like this.







Going to see how it runs on Sunday.

[laxjj14]

I really like the wheel hubs you made and wouldn't mind a set for myself. How did you dye them? Was it rit dye?

[BC-Brian]

Thanks, they seem to work good, so far. It isn't dye though, a friend annodized them for me.

[EverettY]

Looks awesome with those shocks and hubs done like that