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09-09-2009, 06:35 PM | #1 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Marshalltown
Posts: 1,003
| Homemade leaf springs question
hey guys its been awhile but i got a 'mog project brewing and using a straight frame with leaf springs. A time ago i was reading how someone used lawn mower recoil spring as leaf springs and they worked well, now i cant find that article. can anyone give me some ideas advice or if this is still advisable. going to be using axial axles trans and custome straight frame.
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09-09-2009, 07:48 PM | #2 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Spanaway, Wa
Posts: 420
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Mine are made from the recoil spring. Cut 'em the length ya want, heat the end with a small torch to a dull red and "roll" the each eyelet with a pair of needlenose pliers. Then quickly dip the eye in water. That puts the temper back in the eye. Use a sharp drillbit to drill the holes for a centering pin. You may have to sharpen our bit a few times to drill all the leafs....that spring steel is hard stuff. The nice thing about makin' yer own is that you can make 'em longer than Tamiya/RC4WD/etc. springs for more flex. Last edited by HotRodJosh; 09-09-2009 at 07:51 PM. |
09-09-2009, 07:50 PM | #3 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Port Orange
Posts: 1,855
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x2 , but use a jig to make them all the same |
09-09-2009, 08:35 PM | #4 | |
RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Marshalltown
Posts: 1,003
| Quote:
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09-10-2009, 09:40 AM | #5 | |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Spanaway, Wa
Posts: 420
| Quote:
The lawnmower recoil spring is soft. But flexes better than any other leaf sprung rig I've seen. Works very well, although I did bend a rear spring, as a shackle got hung up in some rocks while backing up. Easily bent back. I'm also running 1/4 ellipticals on the rear, which most everyone says won't work on an R/C....they're wrong.... Last edited by HotRodJosh; 09-10-2009 at 09:43 AM. | |
09-11-2009, 02:57 PM | #6 | |
Newbie Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The Burg
Posts: 28
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This is a link to 1/4 elliptical spring examples. http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthrea...ight=eliptical BTW Pirate is the gateway to all things hardcore rock crawling. Neil426 | |
09-11-2009, 04:27 PM | #7 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Duncan, BC, Canada
Posts: 750
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NICE! funny, I know guy who owns an almost identical 1:1 rig just the rear cage differs slightly and it doesn'y run on batteries FYI - I can't see why a 1/4 eliptical wouldn't work ... you would just need to use about 4-5 leaves instead just the one or two. Definitely going to have to make a scaler now! |
09-12-2009, 08:02 AM | #8 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2008 Location: Baltimore
Posts: 4,442
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09-12-2009, 10:25 AM | #9 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Spanaway, Wa
Posts: 420
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The u-bolts in the pic were made out of 1/8" aluminum rod. But I wasn't comfortable with them, as it felt like the threads would strip easily if taken apart a few times. So the final ones were made from 1/8 brass rod. Both rod can be had at the hardware store. Easily threads with a M3 die. You can also use 1/8 7018 welding rod and strip off the coating, it threads ok too, it's just harder to bend. |
10-04-2009, 05:28 PM | #10 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lynnwood
Posts: 385
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what'd you use for shackles josh? im thinking of doing some leafs on one of my rigs. and where did you get your coil from to cut em? i checked home depot and they didnt have any.
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10-05-2009, 09:10 AM | #11 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Spanaway, Wa
Posts: 420
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I had an old lawnmower I robbed the spring out of. Find a small lawnmower/landscaping equipment repair shop...they'll have the spring. McClendon's or ACE/True Value may too. The rear shakles are E-Flight battery bars someone gave me, but when I needed more, couldn't find a place that carried 'em. So the fronts are made from brass flat stock, which can be bought at the hobby shop and you can make a BUNCH of 'em outta one stick. |
04-30-2012, 07:15 PM | #12 |
Newbie Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Helena
Posts: 21
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