Mini Green Machine Build

[Wild Snapper]

Gotta start somewhere. Using some new blue (sticky) rock bashers and a mini grappler body. I made some good progress from what you see here, just wanted to show the very beginning of this project. I'm finishing up mounting some beautiful "mini bling" TSS 1.9 limited edition beadlock wheels. I scored #2 of only 4 sets released. Thanks DwaneO
I can't believe how soft and sticky these new blue compound tires are. I'll post more pics up soon.

[Wild Snapper]

OK so I got the tires mounted on the new beadlocks and put this thing together. I took it for a quick test run out back on the pile and the tires are amazing, such a big improvement. I'll keep working and post some action shots.
Enjoy the bling

[emaxxjeremy]

whats the width of those tires vs the claws?

[TattooKenny]

I have #1 of that set of B-Locks Looking good so far

[Wild Snapper]

Originally Posted by emaxxjeremy

whats the width of those tires vs the claws?

I will measure when I get home. I can say that these bashers are wider than the claws and about the same height. I am using stock losi memory foam in the front and regular losi foam in the back. I'll measure and let you know. These tires seem to perform well, when I took it out back I crawled right up a 2.2 line on my first try that the stock tires wouldn't even touch, so they are worth upgrading. Good job Rich and the Losi crew.

[jpterbl1]

looking good. have a set of the tires too. have to agree on the fact that they are a upgrade from the originals.

[JOOTZ]

the wheels and tires look good, link ?

[Wild Snapper]

I measured the tires and they are actually about the same size. The bashers might be 1 mm wider than the claws, but when tires are that close, its all about how you set them up, what shape the foam is and how narrow the wheels are. So I believe they are about the same width and the same diameter. I need to do some more testing as I am interested in how well the diag //// tread pattern of the bashers work in comparison to the claws === straight pattern.

requested link to the wheels
~~TSS Limited Edition 1.9 Beadlocks!~~

[Trike Kid]

Have you had a chance to run the bashers in the wet at all? I'm still on the stock claws (waiting on a paycheck so I can afford to make a decision on tires) and they do ok in the damp (some lines they actually seem better when it's damp) but they pack up on the dirt between lines and lose a lot of their grip. The bashers look like they would clean better but I'd like to know first hand before I spend the money.

[JOOTZ]

Originally Posted by Up and over

I measured the tires and they are actually about the same size. The bashers might be 1 mm wider than the claws, but when tires are that close, its all about how you set them up, what shape the foam is and how narrow the wheels are. So I believe they are about the same width and the same diameter. I need to do some more testing as I am interested in how well the diag //// tread pattern of the bashers work in comparison to the claws === straight pattern.

requested link to the wheels
~~TSS Limited Edition 1.9 Beadlocks!~~

thanks

[cutlaSS]

Nice truck, I'm starting to want to run TVP and body instead of my k9popo LapDog.......nah not really. ButI still like your truck. BTW, killah paint job! Mini version of my comp truck.

[Jeepial]

Awesome build man..Love the green!!

[Wild Snapper]

OK so here are some updated pics. Don't know why I keep taking pictures in the kitchen, I guess the light is good, but my wife hates it.

First update for the Mini Green Machine are some new shocks. Picked up some 3Racing#MST-03/LB These are (66mm) and made of aluminium 6061. I filled them with 65 weight oil, put some Losi stiff springs in the back and light in the front. These shocks have not leaked so far and seem to be very well made. They limit the articulation and squat the rig just about right and produce what I was looking to achieve in my suspension setup. The testing I have done so far shows proves to me these were a good choice. They also bolted up to the crawler like they were made for this thing, really easy and no fitment problems. Even when the shock is fully compressed there is not tire rub and the front shock do not touch the battery although it is pretty close. Sweet

[Wild Snapper]

So since I put new shocks on, which lowered the suspension setup. The battery mounted in the front on the upper links dropped ever so much and was then resting on top of the front drive shaft. Rubbing = Bad

I came up with a simply fix that i thought I would share if anyone is having the same experience. This is by no means high tech, but it was cheap and works very well.
To do this I simply ran a rubber band underneath the back end of the battery, ran it through the side plates and locked them together with a zip-tie. Simple. It raises the battery up enough to be off the driveshaft and gives it a little independent suspension itself from the flex of the rubber band.
I also used another rubber band to keep the battery from sliding forward toward the servo, this allows room for the suspension to flex freely.

[Wild Snapper]

I can't work on the crawler and neglect the body, so here are some updated body shots. Currently I got the new DNA mini slingshot on its way, so my next update will feature the new chassis and I will get some action shots out on the rocks. For now it's back to the kitchen.

[Inclodneato]

so couple questions for ya, how do your tires perform on the rocks my stockers really only work well if im on the sidewalls like a bastard, and would they fit the stock wheels? one other one would be how well does the ounce of weight mounted on your servo work for keeping the front down? thanx

[Wild Snapper]

Originally Posted by Inclodneato

so couple questions for ya, how do your tires perform on the rocks my stockers really only work well if im on the sidewalls like a bastard, and would they fit the stock wheels? one other one would be how well does the ounce of weight mounted on your servo work for keeping the front down? thanx

The Losi bashers are very sticky and when the stock tires would just spin, these grip well, which is helpful and hurtful. Sometimes the traction is so strong that popping the wheel over a lip can take some extra work because the tires just want to hold on. Also, sometimes it is easy to get the wheels burried or caught under something, which is bad. But the flipside is that having great traction will get you up over stuff. I would say the stickier the tires the more skill it will take to drive them. The tires I'm using will fit directly onto you Losi stock rims, just have to glue them on. They also make the stock tires you have in a blue softer compound, the same rubber that is used in the tires I am running.
As for the weights on the servo, all of my weights are in my wheels, the ones on the servo are just for fine tuning and are unsprung weight to lighten the wear on the driveshaft.

[Inclodneato]

awesome thanks

[JatoTheRipper]

Can you give me the part number and length for those Axial links that you're using between the chassis plates? Thanks!

This thing looks awesome and it looks similar to what I want to do to mine.

[Wild Snapper]

I don't know what the part # is but they are from Axial and are 5.5 cm long or 55mm. I think they were from the upper links section on the stock AX-10. They tighten up the chassis quite a bit and work great to mount the shocks. Hope this is helpful.