Mike_d's Rock Force

[mike_d]

I thought i would share my Rock Force with you guys. I changed the steering rod in the front and so far i don't have any hang ups anymore. Also the 21.5 with HS gears is a great mix of wheel speed and slow crawling. I am using the stock spur with an 18 tooth pinion. I have no temp issues at all after about 20 minutes of crawling. I am also running 8oz of weights in the front wheels and nothing in the rear.

High speed gears
Dig system
Novak XBR ESC
Tekin 21.5 brushless motor (Sorry pics still show my Orion 13.5 motor)
Team Orion 1600 mini 7.2v battery pack
Hitec 5945 digital servo for steering
Hitec 645mg for dig system
Proline '72 Chevy truck body for a Wheely King
Proline Slash beadlock wheels
Proline Hammer 2.2 tires with memory foam

[EeePee]

Your first picture shows us exactly why you need to run the truck lower. The panhard bar is yanking the front axle to the passenger side. You can see it in the shocks.

I suppose you could put a washer or three in between the ball end and the link and move it back over, but the correct geometry is still not going to be there. As when the suspension cycles, the panhard bar will push the axle to the driver's side.

You really do want that panhard bar nearly flat.

What's the ground clearance like that?

[mike_d]

Sorry eepee i am new to crawling so i don't know exactly how to adjust this thing yet. Do i measure the ride height from the skid plate or somewhere else on the truck?

[EeePee]

Yeah typically the ride height is set so you have a certain distance under the skid plate. But on this truck, it should be set according to how the panhard bar relates to the axle and chassis. To set up a panhard properly, you want it to be ever so slightly tilted down towards the axle at rest. So when the suspension cycles, it passes through parallel to the axle, and ends up ever so slightly tilted upwards.

To properly run this truck at a higher ride height, a different axle mount for the panhard bar needs to be made, one that's longer. I suppose a lower chassis mount could be used too.

[JOOTZ]

measure height by distance between ground and bottom of skid. i think you could also adjust height through the zip tie system.

[dezmoon]

check your mounting points for the shocks,,,,they look to be lower on the chassis which would throw your geometry off by raising the ride height

[mike_d]

Okay i measured the ride height at it was at 3". I changed the position on the front shocks and it did lower it some. I also adjusted the shock collars and that also brought it down. So now the panhard bar is not quite level but not angled nearly as much as it was before. How is the rear suspension suposed to sit?

[JOOTZ]

Originally Posted by mike_d

Okay i measured the ride height at it was at 3". I changed the position on the front shocks and it did lower it some. I also adjusted the shock collars and that also brought it down. So now the panhard bar is not quite level but not angled nearly as much as it was before. How is the rear suspension suposed to sit?

do the DK free mod for the rear suspension...

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by mike_d

How is the rear suspension suposed to sit?

About even with the front. In the manual, check out page 21, it had two steps about setting the suspension up.

[littleWOJIN]

just a suggestion....if you flip your rear tires around so the solid lugs are curved forward (like your front tires), you will get more traction. i did a little expirimenting with my G3 hammers and decided that.