Dravpnir tries to build something micro, again...

[Dravpnir]

Last year I bought a clone of the Redcat Sumo Micro crawler and played around a bit with it. I never got really carried away with it but it was fun.

Then I saw the new micro crawler that Hobbyking sells, the Basher RockSta 1/24 Mini Rock Crawler. 4WS and MOA axles... for $66 I couldn't resist ordering one.

I choose delivery by DHL and I got it a little while ago








The steering is nothing to be proud of, but with 4WS it is livable and nothing worse than the Sumo.




The main part of the chassis is occupied of the battery box with build in ESC and RX. I plan to exchange the stock electronics for 2 esc and a RX to really take advantage of the MOA axles.




I got one of these cheep esc with break ($10 Banggood) and I have ordered another one. I hope it will arrive soon.




The battery is placed in the battery box from the bottom of the chassis. The hatch is removed but taking away the 4 small clips. There is a rubber sealing between the box and the lib giving some protecting from water and dust.






The axles looks rather good and are more compact than I had thought. I will take the axle a part later on to see how they look inside.




There seem to be possible to change the caster, like the Axial XR10/Wraith.




The hex is 7 mm like the Sumo. However, the axel stub is 3 mm instead of 2.5 mm on the Sumo




The hex also have two slots for the pin.




Unfortunately, the upper links are 3-links not 4-links
Something to fix later on...




The shocks are a bit odd, atleast to me. It is more or less just a rod that goes through a spacer that is fasten to the chassis.




The TX is a standard cheap plastic one. However it is lighter and feels better in my hands than the Sumo one. It also has a short antenna which is nice. There is however two bad things about this TX... no adjustment of the rear steering. My rear tires are a bit off center at neutral... But the main annoying thing is that the button to control the 4WS mode is a small press button under the plastic lid! So stupid. On the Sumo TX the mode button is placed nicely at the thumb... Perhaps I will modify it and move the button so I can reach it easier.






Here is some comparison pictures to my Sumo. The Sumo got some Miclaws on it with some DravTech Micro wheels that makes it a wider than stock.








Here is the RockSta with the DravTech Micro wheels and Miclaws. Looks much better than stock




After driving around with the RockSta on my couch I really like it. It behaves more like a bigger crawler than the Sumo does and the MOA axles opens up some much bigger possibilities.

The issues I have noticed (in stock form) are:

- The front or rear motor easily stalls if it is in a bind and the other motor is free.
- It flexes to much.
- It needs weight in the front.
- Rear servo are not centered.
- The tires are to small and to wide for my taste.

[Dravpnir]

I found a nice youtube video by GamyRC that explained how to make some nice looking wheels for the micro.

Luckily Hobbyking had those tires and wheels, so I ordered a set with the RockSta.




I modified the wheels like GamyRC and glued on the tires. The glueing was a bit tricky and I am not happy at all how my glueing turned out. I think I will remove the glue and try again later on.




Here is a size comparison picture of the GamyRC tires, Miclaws, stock RockSta tires and the stock Sumo tires.




And here is the wheels on the RockSta. It gets a bit wider with this combo but the large diameter wheels really opens the possibility to use larger knuckles and perhaps even knuckles weights

I will compare how they work compared to the Miclaws.






This is the ride height I think I will aim for.

[spoo76]

Sweet. I've been curious about this one and was waiting for someone to post pictures.

[MikeChino]

Looks interesting, might have to pick one up. here is a link if anyone want to take a look.

Basher RockSta 1/24 4WS Mini Rock Crawler (Kit)

[Dravpnir]

Originally Posted by MikeChino

Looks interesting, might have to pick one up. here is a link if anyone want to take a look.

Basher RockSta 1/24 4WS Mini Rock Crawler (Kit)

I got the RTR package but it seems to be on back order now.

Basher RockSta 1/24 4WS Mini Rock Crawler (RTR)


These are the wheels and tires I got from Hobbyking btw.

[MikeChino]

Really like the direction your going with this, i did something similar a way back and used a few different types of rims. it isn't a MOA but it was allot of fun. looking foward to see what you come up with

what Chassi is this>??

[Dravpnir]

Originally Posted by MikeChino

Really like the direction your going with this, i did something similar a way back and used a few different types of rims. it isn't a MOA but it was allot of fun. looking foward to see what you come up with

what Chassi is this>??

Your pictures with the same the modded GamyRC 1/18 buggy wheels has been a lot of inspiration to me. Your old build looks fantastic


Atm I am tinkering with a few ideas:

First of some new chubs to the RockSta that allow you to mount the shocks and lower links closer to the axle centrum than stock.

Perhaps also some similar chubs but that are designed to be used with MRC knuckles so one can use MRC drive shafts for improved steering. Or parhaps design new chubs and knuckles to get an easy way to mount some knuckle weights down low and use MRC drive shafts.

Of course a new chassis, I think it will be called SuDu SubZero.

Then lastly (for now atleast) some CF or printed wheels with a similar size as the buggy wheels. I really like the size of the wheels but I think the RockSta gets to wide with the modded plastic wheels.

[mwe-maxxowner]

Oooh I like! I have two stock losi mrc escs and motors. I wonder if at least the escs could be used.

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[professorcake]

hey Drav is the front overdriven on yours like i noticed on mine? actually if I only give it minimal throttle the front starts to pull but the rear does not acting sort of like a dig, this can be good/bad depending. I dont think the overdrive is mechanical so maybe my escs are just not calibrated properly or something? Hard for me to tell if this is intentional which is why I am asking.

[Inthablood]

Wanna sell those rocksta stock wheels and tires?

[getbent]

Originally Posted by professorcake

hey Drav is the front overdriven on yours like i noticed on mine? actually if I only give it minimal throttle the front starts to pull but the rear does not acting sort of like a dig, this can be good/bad depending. I dont think the overdrive is mechanical so maybe my escs are just not calibrated properly or something? Hard for me to tell if this is intentional which is why I am asking.

Mine is the opposite. I doubt it's anything programmed in, more likely just one axle/motor working a little more efficient than the other. I swapped my motor plugs to see if it was in the esc and it still acted the same. I am going to swap the entire axles next and see if the overdrive moves with the axle. It sucks having the rear turn before the front. Overall, a nice little rig, I'm impressed so far.

[Inthablood]

WLtoys A959 1 18 RC Car Tire A959 01 Part for WLtoys RC Car Part 55F2 | eBay

Are these the same wheels your using?

[karajabola]

I was looking for a thread like this for this rig. Even better by someone that makes and sells chassis

Thanks!

[Dravpnir]

Originally Posted by mwe-maxxowner

Oooh I like! I have two stock losi mrc escs and motors. I wonder if at least the escs could be used.

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

Perhaps, but do not the Losi esc come with a build in rx?

Originally Posted by professorcake

hey Drav is the front overdriven on yours like i noticed on mine? actually if I only give it minimal throttle the front starts to pull but the rear does not acting sort of like a dig, this can be good/bad depending. I dont think the overdrive is mechanical so maybe my escs are just not calibrated properly or something? Hard for me to tell if this is intentional which is why I am asking.

Originally Posted by getbent

Mine is the opposite. I doubt it's anything programmed in, more likely just one axle/motor working a little more efficient than the other. I swapped my motor plugs to see if it was in the esc and it still acted the same. I am going to swap the entire axles next and see if the overdrive moves with the axle. It sucks having the rear turn before the front. Overall, a nice little rig, I'm impressed so far.

I haven't seen nothing like you describe. I bet it is like getbent says.

Originally Posted by Inthablood

Wanna sell those rocksta stock wheels and tires?

Sure, but just the shipping will be $15 or so as I live in Sweden.

Originally Posted by Inthablood

WLtoys A959 1 18 RC Car Tire A959 01 Part for WLtoys RC Car Part 55F2 | eBay

Are these the same wheels your using?

Yes, I think so, but those comes glued so then you have to remove the glue first before you can mod the wheels.

Originally Posted by karajabola

I was looking for a thread like this for this rig. Even better by someone that makes and sells chassis

Thanks!

Thanks "thumbs"


I played around a little today and I am almost done with some chubs and knuckles (with build in weight holder) to be able to use the MRC Pro CVD's on the RockSta micro crawler.

The knuckles has a steering stop at 43 degrees to protect the CVD's. The weights are brass hardware.

I also made a wheel in the same size as the GamyRC modded 1/18 buggy wheels. Mine makes the width a bit more narrow though.

[mwe-maxxowner]

Originally Posted by Dravpnir

Perhaps, but do not the Losi esc come with a build in rx?






I haven't seen nothing like you describe. I bet it is like getbent says.




Sure, but just the shipping will be $15 or so as I live in Sweden.




Yes, I think so, but those comes glued so then you have to remove the glue first before you can mod the wheels.




Thanks "thumbs"


I played around a little today and I am almost done with some chubs and knuckles (with build in weight holder) to be able to use the MRC Pro CVD's on the RockSta micro crawler.

The knuckles has a steering stop at 43 degrees to protect the CVD's. The weights are brass hardware.

I also made a wheel in the same size as the GamyRC modded 1/18 buggy wheels. Mine makes the width a bit more narrow though.

I don't think so, because I used a Traxxas rx on mine. I think the micro did, but not the mini.

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[Dravpnir]

Originally Posted by Inthablood

WLtoys A959 1 18 RC Car Tire A959 01 Part for WLtoys RC Car Part 55F2 | eBay

Are these the same wheels your using?

I got my second esc from Banggood yesterday and I also got a few sets of those WLtoys wheels.

The WLtoys wheels/tires comes glued, but the glue is pretty brittle so it was easy to remove the tire from the wheel by just using your hands. One thing that was different though, was that there were no foam inside the tire. The HSP tires I got from Hobbyking were sold with a foam insert.

Originally Posted by mwe-maxxowner

I don't think so, because I used a Traxxas rx on mine. I think the micro did, but not the mini.

Ah, sorry I missed that is was the mini esc you talked about. Yes, that could work then if you can fit 2 of them inside the chassis.

[mwe-maxxowner]

Originally Posted by Dravpnir

I got my second esc from Banggood yesterday and I also got a few sets of those WLtoys wheels.

The WLtoys wheels/tires comes glued, but the glue is pretty brittle so it was easy to remove the tire from the wheel by just using your hands. One thing that was different though, was that there were no foam inside the tire. The HSP tires I got from Hobbyking were sold with a foam insert.




Ah, sorry I missed that is was the mini esc you talked about. Yes, that could work then if you can fit 2 of them inside the chassis.

I don't know squat about what it takes to run and control separate escs though. Lol

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[Dravpnir]

Oh oh!!!

[cjalas]

Hi all, I'm a bit new to R/C stuff and crawlers in general; came across this post through intensive Google searching, since I just recently bought kit version of the 1:24 Basher Rocksta Crawler which I am trying to heavily mod (for my own purposes; building an autonomous rover).

I'm trying to do some mods on it, and really love the look of the larger 1:18 wheels -- question though, are you using any different hex adapters for those 1:18 wheels? If so, where can I find the right ones? If not, do you know if it's possible to adapt the standard 12mm hex hubs to a 3mm axle/shaft? I've been looking for hours online and I can't find anything useful.

Also trying to source some good looking beadlocking wheels that fit the basher rocksta is proving to be extremely difficult; the only ones that I could find that (supposedly) work are some expensive $50 losi rock crawler aluminum ones from RC4WD. Does anyone have any recommendations on modding this cheapo crawler's wheels to something better than stock?

Basically I'm having a PITA time finding good info online for wheels that fit a 3mm shaft.

Thanks everyone! Hope to post here more often once I have something to show .

[Mudman]

I'm going to have to pick one of these up! Been wanting something cheap to play with while I save up for my 1/10 build.