My First Axial........ EL CHEAPO!

[Super Fabrication]

Well, ever since I first saw a foff rig on here, I've been hooked. What really got me to "have to have" a foff rig was Stelerzman's Speed Demon. So I've been lurking in here and the classifieds until I found a pair of ax10 axles ("lightly used") for 55 bucks that I just had to have. So I bought them. I also had an old duratrax evader that I had been using for parts for anything so I robbed the tranny out of it, locked it, and made it have universal outputs using wk male shafts. I also just bought an strc 4-link plate which I'll use for the front and probably use as a template for the rear. Now with all that, I've been looking for a chassis (i can make one if I absolutely need too) and might have an old mayhem shafty chassis from joeyf.

Now I am planning on getting a used brushless setup, I have a hitec 645mg I can rob off a rig, and am looking for some paddles and drive shafts as well.

The axles are from an ax10 kit and the guy I bought them from bought them to make a foff. They are completely stock (plastic chubs, knuckles, and lockouts) and I don't really have money to put into them at the time being so I am going to see the limits of the stock stuff. I plan on making beef toob-like things to strengthen the axles and hope the chubs + knuckles hold up. This will try to be as cheap as I can build it but also strong so I'll see how it goes (I know that strong isn't usually cheap and cheap ain't strong). I don't even have pics right now because the axles are in the mail but I am just so excited, I had to get this out. Sorry if it sounds like i'm rambling but I'm just anxious. Hope you guys like the build and can give me some input. Happy Foffing

[Super Fabrication]

Well, I now have a chassis. Its an old mayhem one:



I'll see what I can do

[M1tch]

Cool!! a Bitsa foff.


stock stuff wont last, but it will be fun for a short, very short time

[Hunter711]

The last few months there has been volumes of info generated in this forum. Things tried and died, stuff that makes it. Any FoFF build is going to take the worst punishment a rig can get. If you are going on the cheap, remember that things are going to brake and brake very, very fast. That means you are going to have a lot of down time and performing a bunch of repairs and replacing things.
Do not get disgruntled and say F-it. Stick with it , experiment, and most off all, have fun.

The building part is as fun as the breaking part...almost.

[Super Fabrication]

I will keep lurking in the classifieds for chubs and knuckles though so I might be able to find a "quality" used set for less than new. I do plan on breaking stuff. Thats a given. I'm used to it though from when I raced stadium trucks. most every race day, You had to end a qualifier because something broke from say, landing on someone's truck and gliding into the wall at 25 mph

[Meatwad]

Cheap+strong=heavy, strong+lightweight=expensive. Depending on leverage/length but that's where ingenuity strolls in. Sounds like you're off to a budget friendly start

[stelerzman]

Thanks for the kind words & for my build lighting a fire for you.
I have a set of aluminum Knuckles if you want them. Lmk.

[stelerzman]

If you have any questions post up. It took a time to figure out the suspension geometry when usinga Crawler chassis.
Good luck.

[stelerzman]

They are on there way.

[Super Fabrication]

thanks! I'll hopefully have a sorta roller this weekend with the axles, chassis, and tranny. I'm thinking of using jato shafts, just need to buy some. Also, are beef toobs just some steel tubing with holes drilled and tapped? There are no bearing recesses or steps inside the tube? I have a pretty clear idea on how to do it but was just wondering

[M1tch]

the beef toobs are plain tube, not steps inside. i think the front are 51mm long. the rear i made longer to seat against the bearing in the outer housing. they were about 70mm long. you need to remove the bearing seat in the outer end of the axle case

[Super Fabrication]

Originally Posted by M1tch

the beef toobs are plain tube, not steps inside. i think the front are 51mm long. the rear i made longer to seat against the bearing in the outer housing. they were about 70mm long. you need to remove the bearing seat in the outer end of the axle case

Thanks, when my axles get here, I'll see what im dealing with then get on with making them. Shouldn't be hard

[stelerzman]

Any luck?

[Super Fabrication]

Originally Posted by stelerzman

Any luck?

yep, everything came in but My only trouble is my shocks. I need to do the rod end mod when I get home and then I will be good. My problem was that they weren't long enough so any compression would immediately be anti-squat but the little longer shock should help. Also, I lost one of the revo rod ends and one wasn't bored out to 8/32 so I'm down to 10. need another package now. my beef toobs were just brake line and fit perfect. I'm trying to build this and finish my bully at the same time but atm, my bully is priority. should have the links figured out by the end of tonight.

[stelerzman]

. Let see some pic's.

[Super Fabrication]

Originally Posted by stelerzman

. Let see some pic's.

tonight, don't worry

[Super Fabrication]

OK, here they are. There aren't many but that's because I was trying to rush to get it done.




Before I started





Man the guy who built these liked grease





Beef toobs installed. just 3/8" brakeline. If the screws in the chubs ever rip out, I'll make new ones the right way





It turns out to have about a 13 3/4" wheelbase.





rear 4-link plate. not the best but I will only use the middle holes (those ones are actually correct and even)






Was lacking rod ends and had a few clodbuster ones that will get the job done now. If they help up on a clod for so many years, they will hold up for at least the first run





Where I ended. Will do more next weekend but got a good start on everything.

[stelerzman]

Lookin good,