I think I'll call it Elvis

[Mriswith]

I got it out of the garage yesterday and got it dirty.





It doesn't side hill as well as my Scorpion but it's not far behind. I'm got home and started on a possible redesign. If it works out it may be slightly different here in a few days.

jaymoney86, I may have a different list for you in a couple days depending how this turns out.

[701 Technique]

Driving that beast is alot of fun, can't wait to have a crawler of my own. I looked over that list and everything looks good and easily attainable. let me know what you change and I'll start ordering up what I need.

One question, when you wrote those parts numbers are they for an internet site like towerhobbies or for hobbytown?

Thanx for the help.

[Mriswith]

Traxxas part numbers - I sent a PM to ya

[Mriswith]

Elvis has left the building ... but the aliens are bringing him back. I'm changing up the whole rig. Well technically jaymoney86 has it now and I'm building up another stock WK but I'm still calling it my Elvis project since it's an evolution of the first. We''l just say the aliens cloned Elvis and leave it at that.

As usual I don't have an overall plan, just plans for individual componants. I'll be keeping the same type of truss/link mounts but with different link positions with possible custom bent lower links. The trans gets a clocked motor plate and I'd like to use the stock shocks. So I'll be winging it like usual but it usually turns out pretty well.

First up is the clocked motor plate

I used 1/8 inch Alum for the plate and 1 inch angle alum for the mounting brackets and a lot of dremel work. Then I cut off most of the mount tubes. I left one to use the stock bellcrank for either steering or future dig linkage. I like to keep my options open so we'll see how that goes later



Here's assembled



I countersunk 2 of the screws for motor adjustment clearance



And now some comparison shots with a completeTtraxxas trans





I just eyeballed the motor position. I'm a couple degrees off and hit the upper case screw on the trans with the motor in the tightest position. I can't quite get a 21t pinion with the 90t spur but once I get a 96t spur for it I'll see if I neet to remake the motorplate

[Harley]

Shoot me an e-mail and I will forward you my clocked motor template. You can just use it to trace your hole positions.

Wheely King Clocked Motor Plate Template

Nice fab work man.

[Tuffone]

Nice build you have going there.

[701 Technique]

so far lookin good. im in the process of building a traxxas tranny with steel gears, then i need to solve the problem of a chassis. What kind of band saw do you have? and do you need a special blade to cut aluminum?

[Big Mike]

For "not having a plan" - the link mount plates, servo mount, and rear lockout all look very well thought out to me. Nice work...

[Mriswith]

Well Elvis is a little different now. It's barely a roller, more like a sprung chassis. The transmission is now undecided as is the steering setup. I was gonna use the stock trans with a clocked plate but the goal of the truck has changed. I may have to start a new thread in the 2.2 scale section rather than just updating this one. It's become an aluminum and tube TJ.

The trans is looking to be a 'pede. I'm looking to go with a stock WK type steering and put the servo up in the chassis but neither the trans or steering is finallized. Enough rambling, here's the rolling chassis...



Here's the front end





and here's the rear end.




This is kinda what it should end up like. It's gonna get All-T's or the new RC4WD 5 1/2 inch rubber thats coming. The stock WK wheels will be about the right size and are just for mock up





The suspesion works well enough that I'll be limiting the travel. If you haven't noticed, the shocks and springs are stock WK.

[CrawlinClodKiller]

Gee I wonder why I like that one so much heh heh.

[duleonar]

I like the Elvis #2 much better. It's really coming along

[Mriswith]

It's about time for another update. It's been really slow going but I have gotten some front end work done on the cage

Originally Posted by CrawlinClodKiller

Gee I wonder why I like that one so much heh heh.

Hah, if you liked that then I know you'll love this. Gotta get together this weekend and go over the rear part again. Like cutting the body for the rear cage or keeping the rear braces under the body.







I pulled out the top and rear brace, I didn't like the way things were lined up. After getting the front tweaked into position and braced, some things weren't lined up quite right so I pulled 'em. I've stiil got to pull the grill tube brace and get it trued up.

[CrawlinClodKiller]

I see what you meant about the hood. That is awesome. Apparently you are home now. When I come over I can give you some more ideas for the windshield and the back half. I got some good ones for that.

[Kranberry]

diggen the oh shit bar

[Mriswith]

Originally Posted by cjkranwinkle@cableone.net

diggen the oh shit bar

Me too, that was one of the first things I did

Well I got enough done to do a test run on my rock pile.



The truck was already stripped back down of the drive train and was in the shot just for scale. I was having issues with the stock WK electronics ( HPI's electronics designers aren't on my Christmas list anymore ) and had run run it full throttle. The only down side is that I still don't know how the suspension performs at normal crawl speed. It does however rock at stupid speeds. Oh the other down side to testing was this.



So I got together with my design commitee and selected my mini fridge as chairperson (I can be PC when it suits me ... or is really funny). We finally got down redesigning Elvis and worked on coming up with an actual plan for this thing. We threw out a bunch of corporate buzz words an promptly threw empty beer cans at them and ridiculed them mercilessly.



When the Chairperson started running low of ideas we figured it was time to make a conference call to Mr. Mapp Gas and implement of some of the design ideas. First up was the scrapping of the entire chassis that was tested and to incorporate a Stampede transmission in mix.





Then the efficiency expert (the one sober guy) had to suggest functioning doors. At least I think it was him. There were a lot of representatives from the Miller Brewing Co. at this point.





If this committee meeting doesn't wrap up soon I'm going to have to make a call to the Gatorade representative in the morning to resolve some issues.

[JasonInAugusta]

Cool so far.

Neat to see how the thing has evolved...no doubt to committee influence.

[CrawlinClodKiller]

Ya I suggested the doors. Also the tailgate eventually, heh heh. That body will be a hacked up pile before long. I see you got the rear tube and the front tunnel tube done after I left. They actually look pretty straight. Maybe you are normally crooked and bear makes you see straight.

[Mriswith]

Commitee influence gives me all kinds of great ideas. The headaches and remembering the ideas the next day is a bit of a problem though.

The body is now officially hacked up, well my old Misfit body anyway. The template body is getting a little roughed up too and about to go under the knife to make clearance for mocking up the rear tubes.

Got some work done on the chassis.



Enough to get the tailgate working.

[Natedog]

Lookin very good.

[Mriswith]

Got the time and motivation today to get a little work done on Elvis

Decided to do away with the divorced coils and run a standard shock setup. I'll do it again but not on this rig. I just don't feel like making the new coil buckets and integrating them into chassis. Since it's only slightly below freezing in my garage, I didn't get as much done as I wanted but I did get the link mounts roughed out and the rear shock mounts done. The original plan called for a 5 1/2 wheel but after mockup today it's gonna be a standard 5' and most like Rock Claws. Since I don't have them yet I threw on my stock Scorpion wheels that I had laying around. The links will get adjusted and the suspension lowered a bit for ride height once I get to running status with all the gear mounted, so it's sitting at full up travel.

Axles and wheel mounted



Track width





Doors open



Profile




Right now it's sitting with a good 3 inches of clearance under the belly. Now that the suspension mounts are brazed in I can finally get around the trans mount. The last design on the fly hurdle is the front shock mounts but I got an idea or two. That will have to wait until I feel like braving the cold. I would have to pick a tube chassis as my winter project