New trail trekker!

[mathcanbefun]

Hey guys,
Just bought a trail trekker today and wondering what are some mods I should do. I have a micro rock crawler and put bbs in the tires with weight in the rims. I moved the esc and battery. Should I do these for the Trail Trekker too? especially the bb's they work good in the rock crawler but I feel like they make the vehicle move jerky like it rocks back and forth almost.

thanks for the input guys!

[RcLee]

#1 should be lipo battery.

That back & forth rock you want, thats your truck wanting to climb even after u stop because of the momentum from the BB's thats a good thing. Just stay on the throttle & rip up it.

But yea same things will work for you. your right the more weight you can add to the wheels the better, more agressive tread is the difference too.

Flip your motor, bolt in process, forward so weight is up front. You shouldnt have to remove driveshafts just lower trans mount & links. I used pine car derby weights on my steering servo.
Plastic dip your esc to get rid of the big bulky case.

For $:

(member)
A Lavacapcrawling weight/widener kit will make your truck twist about half an inch more which is the difference on a Bic lighter flex picture.

(member) danally predator motor after you really weight it down. My trekker is almost 300 grams.

Aftermarket beadlock wheels & more agressive tires. Check out the sticky at top of page labeled wheel/tire list.

Aluminum spur for slower torqy climbs & decends. Better traction.

Metal gear servo, expensive Hi-tech, cheap T-pro or turnigy. Throw stock servo saver in garbage.

Soften your shock springs. No spring is a lil too crazy.


Free mods:
Trim stock tires to be agressive.

Cut foams in tires so bb's roll easy.

BB's in wheels

Metal Washer beadlock rings

Trans/motor flip

Remove body mount & front bumper & velcro trekker body to frame ends. Easy removal & LCG.

Shave nut off on bottom of axle pig, you will see why when u start crawling & see the the wear there cuz it gets hung up so much.

[RcLee]

Stock frame,stock links, stock frame, & a lot of $. Achieved selling lots of my rc stuff on ebay. But this is bolt on stuff. With some drilling for servo. Dremel for axle shave.







^^^ mine pictured crawled this big field stone. Buddys stocker not pictured couldnt get on it w just the trans/motor flip. But after I gave him some washer beadlock rings, BB's & servo weight it got on the rock but didnt crawl it. He needed just some more tread w grippy sidewalls.

[mathcanbefun]

RcLee,
Thank you so much this awesome info! Im planning on doing pretty much all of these cause those pictures are crazy! So i may need some help.

First off: How do i trim the stock tires? I heard every other lug but what did you do to get up that big rock in the last picture? (I was thinking about Rock locks (roc loxs?) would those be better that trimmed stock?

2nd: I mentioned my micro rock crawler do you recommend the trans/motor flip for both the rock crawler and trail trekker?

3rd: are the metal washer beadlock rings just weighted beadlocks that replace whatever beadlock comes with whichever wheel you are using? and how much weight do you have on each tire?

4th:....WHERE DID YOU GET THAT SWEET BODY!!!!!!?????!?!?!?!!?!?!?!

[MGCrawler]

You can get creative with the tire cutting but i'd start small. For the actual cutting try out a set of fingernail clippers.. They have a curve to the blade that pretty well matches the tire

[RcLee]

Nail clippers, body scissors....best bet of cutting but dont cut into the tire & ruin it.

I Did climb the rock. Started where pictured came back towards camera man & angled around that side. Almost changing direction facing opposite way when reached the top. So i tried the gap between the two big rocks on the top. Didnt make it. Tire couldnt fill the gap.

My tires are rc4wd interco super swamper boggers, they work awesome. Friend of mine just got the hot racing bead locks with these tires yeaterday. Ran them & loved them his yruck is totally different now & climbs 75% more stuff. He is stupid picky too. Send stuff back in mail & request refunds all the time not this time though.

Each of my wheels wieghed 15 grams before i got beadlocks. Never weighed them after cuz I know there heavy.

Yea flip trans for both.

[RcLee]

Bealock rings - Yea metal ones are heavier cuz stock are fake plastic & hot racings bealocks have aluminum rings. I just take the stock ring from whatever wheel set it on a 1 inch washer mark the holes w a marker. Punch them & drill them on out a piece of wood. Walla metal beadlock rings. I only had patients to make 4 not 8.

[mathcanbefun]

You are a gift from the trail trekking gods my friend. Thank you!

So they weight/widener kit from lavacapcrawling will fit on the hot racing beadlocks correct? Or do you use a different wheel set? And have you tried out mi claws or rock loxs? Or are those more for the micro rock crawler.
I love the look of your wheel tire combo and I freaking would kill for that body

[RcLee]

The body is on ebay. Its off an old radio shack truck my brother had because it looks exactly like his old 1999 chevy.Stock. Then made a tonneau cover & angel eye l.e.d.s. Its more of a trail body but it does climb better than other bodys. Like me 77 chevy wrecker w lighter leash boom. The trekker body works awesome if you remove the front bumper & body posts & just put velcro on the frame brace ends. Lowers your cog.

Miclaws are the best tires ppl say. Bigger & better traction then all. But no scale look.
The TSL's work awesome will change your truck, sidewalls grip so much sometimes the 1 tire with the traction will flip whole truck backwards.

Never used any other beadlock, but beware lots of different wheels will be in the market by this summer I bet. but not aluminum wheels. A lot of the aluminum wheels are already made.

The lavacapcrawling spacers will work w the hotracing beadlocks. But I'd recommend getting the wheels first, my friends trekker w just the same wheel combo crawls just as good as mine. If you run Miclaws I think you need the spacers though. Reason why I havent got mine crawling the best is I been messing w springs. Seems stock cut springs work the best. I have micro T's just lil too stiff so i cut & stretched them. Still not better than stockers cut tho. The weight from lavacapcrawlings kit makes the truck more controlable & doesnt flip as easy, makes it like a paper weight lol. I still can add metal beadlock rings for more weight but my 90t predator already struggles when the sidewalls all grip good on a full turn. Dunno if it my mesh or if it all shes got.

[mathcanbefun]

How much do you cut off the stock springs? And how do you make it flush with the shock cap/ends? Wouldn't it be angled instead of having that flat ring?

[RcLee]

Yea it wouldnt be flush. Seen some ppl use shrink tubing. I'd say wait till you see how it go's. Its a fine line between good spring rate/groundclearance/articulation.

[mathcanbefun]

Ok that sounds good. I ordered wideners/weight kit cause I'm gonna go with the miclaws. And the hot racing beadlock wheels.

You should think about getting a big block 180 if that is its name from danally. It sounds like you dialed in your truck so well that more torque would really maximize your truck potential!

[RcLee]

The Miclaws would be my next upgrade if ever want any more. Might start messing w return springs to stop the torque twist from making the truck do wheelies. Also if anyone comes out w a stock spec carbon fiber chassis i'd go for that cuz it seems like the stock aluminum chassis now is top heavy & the bottom catches on stuff by the trans. Also been waitibg for bent rear lower links.

No more mods other than those. If I want change i'm going to do a redcat sumo crawler I'd like to try rear steer. I'd like to stay micro too. I have my trekker in a carry case.

[mathcanbefun]

Let me know if you find a good return spring solution! And bent up rear lower links? could you use the bent upper front or rear links or are they smaller than the rear lower links?

[RcLee]

Think the links are shorter. A lot of ppl make their own. I like bolt on. Lavacapcrawlin has a return spring setup w some custob brackets but he used small engine throttle/govener springs.

[LavaCapCrawling]

Originally Posted by RcLee

Think the links are shorter. A lot of ppl make their own. I like bolt on. Lavacapcrawlin has a return spring setup w some custob brackets but he used small engine throttle/govener springs.

I drew a quick and ugly sketch of a simple way to simulate my return spring system. In the drawing the red line represents a rubber band that that is routed around the frame of the trekker. Start by choosing a larger diameter but thin band. Double the band over and work it to be around the center of the trekker, the top should be over the stock receiver position and the bottom should be between the lower link balls. The twist should on top the the receiver. Then grab one of the loops and hook it around the upper link balls on the frame, then go over the lower link balls on the axle, then hook the band on the screw post on the worm cover. repeat with the other side. It might take a while to find a rubber band that fits right. The shocks should compress most of the way down when sitting and extend most of the way, but not all the out when picked up. When articulated the extended shock should limit.

I found the springs on mcmaster.com I bought every .093 diameter in .625 length they had. The black oxide are the strongest and the stainless are the weakest.

I sent drawing of my brass spring hooks to a metal stamper to get numbers for a production run.

[mathcanbefun]

Originally Posted by LavaCapCrawling

I drew a quick and ugly sketch of a simple way to simulate my return spring system. In the drawing the red line represents a rubber band that that is routed around the frame of the trekker. Start by choosing a larger diameter but thin band. Double the band over and work it to be around the center of the trekker, the top should be over the stock receiver position and the bottom should be between the lower link balls. The twist should on top the the receiver. Then grab one of the loops and hook it around the upper link balls on the frame, then go over the lower link balls on the axle, then hook the band on the screw post on the worm cover. repeat with the other side. It might take a while to find a rubber band that fits right. The shocks should compress most of the way down when sitting and extend most of the way, but not all the out when picked up. When articulated the extended shock should limit.

I found the springs on mcmaster.com I bought every .093 diameter in .625 length they had. The black oxide are the strongest and the stainless are the weakest.

I sent drawing of my brass spring hooks to a metal stamper to get numbers for a production run.

I think I get it but maybe you could make a video of the full installation process? I am very interested in a return spring system and it sounds like this one could be easily concealed within the body (the twist on the stock reciever unit is what i'm referring to) unless the picture in my head is wrong.

Are these available now or still a working process? Im sure you have a thread for them already so ill check for one!