RidgeBack TMC Build

[stroker613]

Originally Posted by Evilinside

If I can request something;

Some pre-made bent links that can be purchased at length categories, like 5" wheelbase links, 5.25", 4.75", etc.

I'm really having a hard time making my own links, I'm either totally oblivious to something I'm missing, or I just don't have the right tools.

I bought the make your own kit from your site, but failed...

check out the mini qlo links..... eggoz has a post on here somewhere that shows them..... works pretty sweet, i will look for the link

[Evilinside]

Originally Posted by stroker613

check out the mini qlo links..... eggoz has a post on here somewhere that shows them..... works pretty sweet, i will look for the link

That would be cool too. I would not mind trying two or three different variables!

[Evilinside]

Originally Posted by ChiefWigman

Link bending is quite easy if you have the available tools for it, rod, some pliers, a torch and a large rod to form the bend on. You dont even need to bend the tube housing, Check out Getbent's Eclipse links, he uses the joint cups and the rod is screwed in until before the apex of the bend, maybe way before the apex. then the straight tube housing covers the bend, presto "Freudian-straight-bent-links"

P.S. i believe you dont want to cook the rod you're heating up. You want to heat it to the point you notice the metal changing colors, you dont really want to glow it up cuz the rod may get brittle when it becomes cool

Ok, using how I interpreted your reply, (thank you btw!), I heated up two rods at the same time, place them against a table, then used a screwdriver shaft to apply equal pressure along the same point at the same time, bending both rods around the screwdriver shaft.







I'm not sure how well those will work out, I've asked Blade to hook me up with their genius and ingenuity, and I'll also look into the mini qlo links as recommend.

[Evilinside]

Wheelbase picture;

[Evilinside]

Because everything I have ordered has not arrived yet, I am still playing the the basic design of this chassis.

Here are some more attempts at building custom links on my own...




Just pushing a tad over 5" wheel base. I have a shorter rear than front, it is not equal distance...

[ChiefWigman]

Lookin' good, if you're having problems with a hard tubing.. Heat shrink tubes will work to cover the threads and you can have variety of colors for your links =p :thumbsup:

edit: just saw the recent pic, yeah the front does seem a tad longer than the rear o.O

[bouncingbabyboy]

Looks like the front links have as much bend as the back. If you flatten the front a little you will only loose a little ground clearance but it will keep the back tires in better contact when going over the top up or down a rock.

It's the best picture I could find on short notice. If you look, the front is slightly lower than the back.

[Evilinside]

Originally Posted by bouncingbabyboy

Looks like the front links have as much bend as the back. If you flatten the front a little you will only loose a little ground clearance but it will keep the back tires in better contact when going over the top up or down a rock.

It's the best picture I could find on short notice. If you look, the front is slightly lower than the back.

Gotcha, yeah the front is lower than the rear, just can't see it because I'm using my fingers to hold it up.

I am just messing around at this point as the rest of my stuff for this build have not arrived yet... so I'm REALLY bad at making links, so I've been messing around with those while I wait.
(also messing around with shock placement while I wait)

[Midlife Crisis]

Do those downturned upper rear links hit the lowers? Also, not sleeving the all thread will cause you to hang up on the ends of the ball link ends. Either that, or chamfer the ends some. I recently re-lengthened my junk and didn't get around to cutting new sleeves and now it hangs up constantly.

[Evilinside]

Originally Posted by Midlife Crisis

Do those downturned upper rear links hit the lowers? Also, not sleeving the all thread will cause you to hang up on the ends of the ball link ends. Either that, or chamfer the ends some. I recently re-lengthened my junk and didn't get around to cutting new sleeves and now it hangs up constantly.

No, the bent upper links help keep the wheelbase from expanding and contracting upon suspension collapse.

Also, I'm not keeping those links at all. I'm dorking around trying to get better at making them because I currently suck at making them. I've asked Blade to quote me some links, and I also ordered the links off the mini qlo... I will try both of them... when I get them. Until then, I'm just playing around.

[Midlife Crisis]

The axles will travel in an arc regardless of the shape of the links. Unless, if Im not mistaken, a panhard/ track bar/5th link is added. Good luck with the build, can't wait to see it completed.

[bouncingbabyboy]

The trekker wheel base doesn't change with susspension travel. With 4 link you can get near vertical travel. The trick is ballancing travel, articulation ground clearance and stiffness. The trekker has nice linear travel and is suppel. It could have better ground clearance and more travel. The bent lower links in the rear help maintain contact over obstacles. Bent front lower links do little to give you ground clearance where you need it for crawling. How is the wheel base with the susspension compressed?

[Evilinside]

@Midlife Crisis
If I leave all four upper links straight and I compress the suspension the crawler will push the wheelbase out in order to compress. If all four upper links are bent and I compress the suspension, the crawler merely tilts the wheels as they compress and the wheelbase does not change. I started testing this when my buddy got a Trail Trekker and I saw the upper bent links and I was curious as to why they were bent, was it for steering clearance or what... and when I swap bent upper links for straight ones, the result is the change in wheelbase when compressing down on the suspension. I have zero idea if that change in wheelbase is good or bad... my logic wants to say that it is an undesirable effect... so I've forever used bent upper links.


@bouncingbabyboy
Ok, so the bent front lower links do what then? Anything? The bent lower links are completely new to me and I'm still learning. Having the rear lowers bent makes sense, allows more the frame to be tucked away so it doesn't hang up before hitting the tires. Just in the other builds I've seen, people are bending both front and rear lower links... so when in rome...

[ChiefWigman]

I dunno why some go ahead with bent front lower links, i've tried it with my crawler using the bent trekker links, didn't like it and noticed that i got hung up few times too often for my liking, and imo with just bent links in the rear, the look seems to be bit agressive if not awesome.

then again, trekker bent links that are not 100% identical to the bent link on the other side are completely different from custom bent links due to the location of the bend.

[bouncingbabyboy]

You are correct about the bent upper links. They help keep the wheel base the same which is good.

The reasons for bending the front lower links are to gain ground clearance and level the body. If you like the look of it canted forward then straight is definitely better. If you want it level for say a scale project then you can raise the front by having the top longer than the bottom, but then you get other issues.

In the back the bent links may lead to some wheel base stretch, but you gain a lot bending the rear. In the front it just doesn't help with much so the negatives out weigh the gains.

[Evilinside]

Originally Posted by ChiefWigman

I dunno why some go ahead with bent front lower links, i've tried it with my crawler using the bent trekker links, didn't like it and noticed that i got hung up few times too often for my liking, and imo with just bent links in the rear, the look seems to be bit agressive if not awesome.

then again, trekker bent links that are not 100% identical to the bent link on the other side are completely different from custom bent links due to the location of the bend.

Well, that will free up a lot of issues I am having bending the front links... I will also experiment more on... maybe it's for backing or reversing situation... dunno, I'll look into it a little too.

While waiting for some stuff, I revisited my Blade TMC... had an idea with an interesting result, check out that thread...

[Evilinside]

Originally Posted by bouncingbabyboy

You are correct about the bent upper links. They help keep the wheel base the same which is good.

The reasons for bending the front lower links are to gain ground clearance and level the body. If you like the look of it canted forward then straight is definitely better. If you want it level for say a scale project then you can raise the front by having the top longer than the bottom, but then you get other issues.

In the back the bent links may lead to some wheel base stretch, but you gain a lot bending the rear. In the front it just doesn't help with much so the negatives out weigh the gains.

That being stated, in the having higher ground clearance from bending the front, that will also heighten the CoG too... right?

[ChiefWigman]

Originally Posted by Evilinside

That being stated, in the having higher ground clearance from bending the front, that will also heighten the CoG too... right?

Naw, ground clearance gains from bent links dont have anything to do with CoG unless the bent link was so messed up it affected how high the chassis was sitting from the ground, then yes.

[Midlife Crisis]

Originally Posted by Evilinside

@Midlife Crisis
If I leave all four upper links straight and I compress the suspension the crawler will push the wheelbase out in order to compress. If all four upper links are bent and I compress the suspension, the crawler merely tilts the wheels as they compress and the wheelbase does not change. I started testing this when my buddy got a Trail Trekker and I saw the upper bent links and I was curious as to why they were bent, was it for steering clearance or what... and when I swap bent upper links for straight ones, the result is the change in wheelbase when compressing down on the suspension. I have zero idea if that change in wheelbase is good or bad... my logic wants to say that it is an undesirable effect... so I've forever used bent upper links.


@bouncingbabyboy
Ok, so the bent front lower links do what then? Anything? The bent lower links are completely new to me and I'm still learning. Having the rear lowers bent makes sense, allows more the frame to be tucked away so it doesn't hang up before hitting the tires. Just in the other builds I've seen, people are bending both front and rear lower links... so when in rome...

Not meanin to beat a dead horse here, but, how the hell would bent links make a difference in wheelbase change? The links would be the same length bent or straight. It is only a clearance thing. Maybe its the vertical separation of the links at the chassis or even the axle mounts. Even leaf sprung rigs change wheelbase as the suspension cycles. IFS rigs stay the same WB throughout the suspension cycle, but the mounting points are perpendicular to the direction the vehicle travels , so that is cut and dry to me.

[Evilinside]

Originally Posted by Midlife Crisis

Not meanin to beat a dead horse here, but, how the hell would bent links make a difference in wheelbase change? The links would be the same length bent or straight. It is only a clearance thing. Maybe its the vertical separation of the links at the chassis or even the axle mounts. Even leaf sprung rigs change wheelbase as the suspension cycles. IFS rigs stay the same WB throughout the suspension cycle, but the mounting points are perpendicular to the direction the vehicle travels , so that is cut and dry to me.

All I can tell you is what I can observer... beyond that I'm no engineer.

It appears as if it has something to do with the bend pulling the stubs towards the chassis. So there is a rotate motion taking place because of the bend. With straight links there is no where near the amount of rotate motion. When you watch it, you see the tilt take place with bent links, with straight links you see the push... that's really the best I can describe it.

All I can say is give it a shot. Unless someone else knows a more technical explanation, or perhaps a better way to describe it...