~~ Storm's 'Pinched" Losi Micro ~~

[olblueyez]

Originally Posted by Stormin2u

I stripped them down cut some Losi rod ends to the appropriate lengths did the standard cap mod and reassembled them using standard [b]Mini T springs[b] and heavy silicone oil.

If they are the Mini Rod Ends do they fit the ball mounts on the Micros?

Mini-T Rod Ends?
Mini or Micro-T Springs?

Does it matter if the shock springs are fronts or rears?

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5...1251552825.jpg
?????

Great Thread!

Thanks,

Brooke

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900

[MGCrawler]

Really nice rig you get there Norm! Nice job on the shock mod too, great job bud

[Stormin2u]

Originally Posted by olblueyez

If they are the Mini Rod Ends do they fit the ball mounts on the Micros?

Mini-T Rod Ends?
Mini or Micro-T Springs?

Does it matter if the shock springs are fronts or rears?

http://img846.imageshack.us/img84, 6...1251552825.jpg
?????

Great Thread!

Thanks,

Brooke

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900

Brooke I apologize the rod ends and springs are all Micro products, I'm using the using the white springs front reds rear.

Originally Posted by MGCrawler

Really nice rig you get there Norm! Nice job on the shock mod too, great job bud

Thanks Adam, the shock mod was fun inexpensive and finally gives much needed dampening to the Losi Micro.

[olblueyez]

Please, no apologies, I just wanted to clear up my confusion in the thread so other newbs like myself would catch on.

Man I wish the Pinch chassis were still available. If so I would go that way. Right now I'm on the fence between a Ridgeback or an SMC 4.5. I was thinking a crawler like the Ridgeback with the Sumo axles would be cool since the axles are wider and would make 4ws a breeze. I also like the simplicity of the SMC.

I have all the stuff, I just need to pick a chassis and go with it.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900

[Stormin2u]

Brooke, I was almost in your situation a few weeks ago my Pinch Micro had a bad accident and needed a new chassis side plate. I got lucky and was able to pick one up from MGCrawler I was very happy to find one, Thanks Adam. I'm not sure which chassis I would have picked out of the ones you mentioned good luck.


Here's a few photos taken with a iphone, not the best but you can see the shocks. This mod has really smoothed this little rig out, it's just what the doctor orderd imo.

[Stormin2u]

Here's a few more pictures of my current Micro 4.5" wheelbase the oil filled shocks. I'm working on some wheel weights thanks to my good friend Getbent who helped me with the bullet casings, thanks GB. I'm also going to play with tire foams for the Mini Qlos that fold over a little to much for my liking.










I stripped the ecoli roll cage and gave it a polishing and a coat of clear sealer it looks much better with the chrome details of the Rocktrasher paint. It's getting to be a very nice little crawler handles like a dream.

[Stormin2u]

So the improvements continue. I wanted to add tire foams and ditch the bird shot I had rolling around in my tires, I also had a rather high sitting piece of lead on the steering servo that I wanted lower in the chassis. The shell casings were cut down to 14mm and filled with Tungsten putty.







The Tungsten putty never dries so I capped the shells with a little epoxy. One ounce of Tungsten putty was enough for 10 shell casings.










The casings filled with Tungsten weighed in at 1.2 ounces.

[olblueyez]

I don't have a very good memory mind you but that looks like the most capable micro crawler I have seen to date.

I think I would go for a Beetle/Baja body in Black or Red with Green and Red Flames though!

I gotta ask, are those the BWD wheel wideners? He is killing me with that barrel nut crap.

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[Stormin2u]

They sure are blueyez, I've had them since the first run. The barrel nuts are tiny I'm very careful with them. I use blue loctite on the threads so I can back them out from fully tight or the wheels won't turn. Changing tires on the fly isn't going to happen the loctite has to set first.

Thanks for the comments, it is actually a pretty capable crawler. It's my only Micro and it's been improving over the three years I had it. It's got a ton of stock parts on it that have serviced it well and it gets used a bunch.

[Midlife Crisis]

Again...so awesome Storm! I bet that guy doesn't know it's the lil guy it is. Looks uber capable.

[Stormin2u]

Originally Posted by Midlife Crisis

Again...so awesome Storm! I bet that guy doesn't know it's the lil guy it is. Looks uber capable.

Thanks man, I finished the wheel weights and tire foam today and took a little test drive and it's a nice improvement it's not my Sporty or XR but for it's size it gets some respect.



In order to get that chunk of lead of the top of my steering servo I needed get it lower and the Tungsten slugs wasn't enough weight by it's self so I did a couple pf raps of solder.







I like the balance of the truck front to back so getting the weight right was important and with the solder and slugs it's now only .2 ounces lighter. I fine wit that.






The wheels came out very nice.










I had to shave my BWD wheel spacera tad to fit in the backside of the wheel.







It worked out well the spacer is held by the slugs and it makes putting the wheels on easier.

[Stormin2u]

Took a few shots outside before and all out assault on my back yard test course. The performance is improved by a lower CG the balance of the truck is better.











The tire foams keep those Mini Qlos from folding over in many situations.

[olblueyez]

That Rocks!

The Hornaday shell casings are kool too. Did you yank the slugs instead of using spent shells? I don't see any firing pin marks.

Dam, 50 Balloons for QLo tires! I think a Ridgeback and some of those tires will finish me off before I go to a Ridgecrest or an XR-10.

Anyway, good work on that Micro!

Brooke

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900

[Stormin2u]

Originally Posted by olblueyez

That Rocks!

The Hornaday shell casings are kool too. Did you yank the slugs instead of using spent shells? I don't see any firing pin marks.

Dam, 50 Balloons for QLo tires! I think a Ridgeback and some of those tires will finish me off before I go to a Ridgecrest or an XR-10.

Anyway, good work on that Micro!

Brooke

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900

Thanks Brooke it's a work in progress and I didn't invest in a lot of other aftermarket hardware like C's and knuckles, skid etc.

Qlo's are $50 now wow I didn't pay that for mine. I don't think the Qlo is the ultimate tire just the best right now. the Qlo is a little to large IMO I'm thinking about a Qlo mod right now to better fit the Micro.

I like the Big Block idea but it probably won't fit my Pinch I've been thinking about hand cutting a chassis just for the Big Block set-up, but time is limited right now with a active club comp season.

My good friend getbent supplied me with those unfired casings with the primes removed.

I'm pretty happy with the performance but I'm always looking for improvement. I find the Micro a challenge due to it's size it's much harder to effect performance in such a small scale.

[Stormin2u]

Thanks to you my friend.

I finally got them done and I'm real pleased with the out come. I have the same weight bias overall and foams in my tires were I had bird shot before, it was a great trade off.

Hey, you keeping a lid on those wild fires this year? This is that time of year isn't it?

[BerticusPryme]

Stormin2U I have to say that thing is a work of art. Looks beyond capable. I have read all over and did'nt see which foams you went with. I am having similar problems on mine. They tend to fold over some on hard off camber areas. I have some of the RC4WD foams from the boggers in mine now. standard in the rear and star cut in the front. They are helping but not like I want.

[Stormin2u]

Originally Posted by BerticusPryme

Stormin2U I have to say that thing is a work of art. Looks beyond capable. I have read all over and didn't see which foams you went with. I am having similar problems on mine. They tend to fold over some on hard off camber areas. I have some of the RC4WD foams from the boggers in mine now. standard in the rear and star cut in the front. They are helping but not like I want.

You can see my problem in this picture.







I used the Qlo stock foams, I picked them up when I bought the tires. They are the same front and rear they are wider than than tall. They work well and leave a little contact patch flex but nothing like I had before.

I've been thinking about a hybrid using a combination of foams when time allows. But for now it has made a huge difference preformance.

[BerticusPryme]

ok yeah I was having a similar problem like that when i first got the tires installed. I woudl have gotten the qlo foams but they were out of stock when I ordered my tires. I thought about getting some memory foam and playing around with it or cutting down some foams for a 1.9 tire.

[Stormin2u]

I'd like to try a harder foam than the stock Qlo foam with a soft or even a memory foam as a outer wrap. It wouldn't be hard at all but even the stock foam was 100% better than nothing at all.

[BerticusPryme]

yeah that is why i like the rc4wd foams. they are good enough for vertical support and helped out quite a bit but I still get some sidewall layover if i am sitting hard or trying to do some bad sidehill. I will play around with some foam from walmart and I think I have some memory foam left over from where we bought a large peice for our matress. any thing I come up with I will be sure to let you know.