My First Build "WK Manta"

[chunk421]

ok so i decided to convert mt WK into an all out crawler no more monster truck had good fun bashing it though so i found this place (RCCrawler.com) and got all my ideas from here so im givin a lil back thanks for all the great info in this forum but due to lack of funds and lack of power tools made me used what i had around the house but to get things going I started with a stock WK and I found the manta from offroader5 (here is the pdf http://offroader5.freeservers.com/Te...%20chassis.pdf ) in the forum here but i did a lil mod to it to make it work with the stock WK tranny and motor mount so i made it a lil taller and cut it out of a no parking street sign and my servo mount is from the free servo mount thread

no power tools soo no cut outs for now



hacksaw and hand-file where my friends in this build:-(
open to coments and suggestions thanks
more pics to come

ps: if pics are too big i will down size them

[gearmonkey23]

great to see there are people out there that will still use good ol hand tools, many are just way to lazy. so far, looks great! any ideas how ur gunna do the cut outs?? sugestion, take the stock wk motor, and esc out side, grab a 5 gallon bucket, fill it with gasoline, and put all of it in. stand about 15 feet back and flick matches at it. then go to ur lhs and grab a 55t for 20 bucks, and a v16 bravo esc for 30 shipped on the vendors section. HAVE FUN!!
oh, are you gunna stick with the same tires?

[gearmonkey23]

oh, and you might wanna think about making a cut out for the motor on one side so you can lay the motor/tranny horizontil. lower the cg ALOT.

[chunk421]

things i plan to get are some new tires and beadlocks, novak crawler system and a good servo and as far as lowering the CG im gunna wait to see how it works on the rocks. every part on it is a stock WK part only parts i made are the few i could cut out of my no parking sign and the post that hold the chassis together there will be more pics up real soon i hope on the rocks thanks for the coments and suggestions

[chunk421]

ok so i got the rig on some rocks but i still have the stock motor and ESC so it dont go too slow but it works like a charm just about every thing worked as planed. i streached the stock WK driveshafts with copper piping and hacked away at 1 of the stock shock mounts for the front body mount posts i just need to mount the back body mount and its good to go. i also made a plate for the ESC. i used a servo from a diff car cause the stock wire was too short for my setup. i also had a driveshaft pop out so im tryin to think of a way to make the travel limeted but not the articulation and there was a lil glitching/twitching, i may have to move some wires and find a new place for the antenna. the wheels are narrowed with black tape lol i didnt want to chop up my rims they are the only ones i have. other then what has been listed above in my first post and in this post all parts are stock. i will even be using the stock screws for the chassis suports i just need to ge a lil bit biger drill bit. pics tomarow or later please comment or make sugestions, any input will help as im still new to the crawler side of things but far from new to the rc world thanks for taking the time to read my post

[friscokidd]

Looking goood, but need more pics :-P

[chunk421]

[SeanD]

Just wondering why you went with the Manta-style chassis and then mounted the stock WK body? Isn't the whole idea of the Manta to be a "tubeless" tuber, i.e., looks like a tuber but is not made from tubes.

[chunk421]

i dont realy know i just like to have a body on my RCs. even if i built a tuber i would use a body unless it is a buggy style tuber, even then i would put body panels on it.

[chunk421]

I also want to make longer custom links anyone have any sugestion on what rod ends and balls i should get i dont have a lhs it would cost me more in gas then if i was to get them shiped but i want a good rod end that will hold up to a beating but i dont have the money to get all metal rod ends so im lookin for cheap and will hold up or is there any rod ends i should not get thanks

[chunk421]

a few pics on it on some rocks

[chunk421]

ok so i got some money together to get some parts this is what i ordered spur(96t), pinion(12t and 14t), lathe motor(85t), shock oil(80w and 90w), beadlocks and tires(stock form that ax-10) i will update as soon as the parts come in

[flybynighter]

dude that thing is gonna be real slow... i run a 65t integy and a 15/96 combo and its top speed is a little over walk.. and i dont walk fast.nice job on the chassis tho

[chunk421]

thanks flybynighter, i plan on getting the novak rooster crawler and 55t combo but i was thinkin that the 85t would be ok for the stock esc for now. and as for the 15t pinion it was out of stock. any way tires and rims just came in!!!

[chunk421]

ok so i got all my parts in and got them all on the truck

i also lowered the rear a lil bit i had some 4-40 nuts on the table and drilled them out to be used as a spacer

BEFORE

AFTER

havent tryed it with the rear lower yet im sure it will help tho
few extra body off pics


next mod will be to stretch the wheel base its still under 11.5" im thinkin 1/4" stretch in the front and 3/4" stretch in the rear for now
i also got some oil for my shocks i put 90W in the front and 80W in the rear and wow what a difference
o and no foams in the tires but there is just enough air to not leave an indent in the tire when there is no weight on the tire

[demonoid369]

I'm alittle confused but how did you mount those shocks on the axles? they look weird!!! some close up shot??

[chunk421]

they are just small pieces of my "no parking" sign. when you turn the stock mounts 90* the mounts can slide so i was tryin to find a way to stop it and had noticed that there was a lil gap because the axal is not squre so i made these pieces. bent, drilled and notched the pieces of the sign to hold every thing in place. hope this helped

[ruinx]

verry nicely done bud at first i used MGT rod ends and 8-32 rod to make my links they are strong as heck but then i got some thick walled al tubing and tapped them and used traxxas ends you get a bag of them with balls for $7 there are like 18 ends

[chunk421]

ok, so i streched it like i said 1/4 in the front and 3/4 in the rear i used 8-32 allthread and 3/16 tube it was a tight fit over the allthread not to tight tho and revo rod ends, came in a pack of 12. i also got some 1/16 steel cable and reduced my travel but not my articulation seems to work good. its about 12 1/4 wheel base now

[chunk421]

ok so i removed the cables from the rear as they where kinda acting like a spring and was gettin a lot of roll but is great now with the cable just on the front