Go Back   RCCrawler Forums > RCCrawler Brand Specific Tech > Heritage Crawlers > Losi Mini-Rock Crawler
Loading

Notices

Thread: Project HeAvY MeTaL Complete

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-01-2010, 04:14 PM   #1
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: San DIego
Posts: 219
Default Project HeAvY MeTaL Complete

Hey everyone, well I think I finally finished the building this crawler named HeAvY MeTaL. Its taken about a 2 weeks of spare time to get everything completed.

Ive been out of the hobby for 6 years when I dug out a old nitro T Maxx and got it running, I was hooked again. Then the hobby store opened up my eyes to the newest technology and the crawlers. Never knew they existed so I bought the MRC as it was ready to go because I didnt have anything setup for electric.

I originally bought the truck right before thanksgiving. Also bought the tube chassis at the same time. When they came in I wasnt impressed with the looks of the tube chassis and set it aside. I did the usual mods to the stock chassis and had good luck with how it ran. Later I upgraded the servo and radio so I could set the servo endpoint and not fry another servo. I custom made the steering links because of the full size servo, and I was keeping the lipo in the front too.
Then I upgraded to a brushless motor and a mongoose esc as a combo pack from novak. The motor was super fast compared to the losi and I was glad to have the new radio to keep the motor slower so I dont destroy the gears. The brushless does have a different power then the losi motor and it really runs great.

Ive added alot of Hot Racing aluminum parts, mostly for looks. Also upgraded the shocks from losi, and losi beadlocks which was probably the best investment as its super easy to switch around tires. I have done the steering mod to get a few more inches less turning radius, and have coming the losi cvd axles to hopefully get a little more. With the full size servo and front mount lipo the tires barely hit them, and hopefully if the cvd's get me more steering that wont be an issue.

Last week I got a set of flat irons and love them. At the same time I decided to try the tube chassis again because I heard the flat irons would rub on the losi truck body and I didnt want to cut it all up. I hated the chrome look the tuber came with so I painted it black, which chipped like crazy and ended up looking worse. I media blasted the chrome hoping to take it off and spray truck bed liner paint over the chassis. But before I painted it I got out a bottle of gun blue and tried that first, with great success. It turned a nice shade of gun metal gray and since its chemically etched into the metal the scratches are berealy seen, and touch up could be done easily and quickly. Ive rolled and flipped it a ton and the scratches blend in and cant even bee seen. I also had to make all the body panels and heat bend some of them. I used some graphics and painted the inside of the panels black.

I just got the suspension and wheel weights figured out, also made the lower suspension rods because the bent ones I had interfered with the 3 link. Everything now runs great. Once the cvd's come in I can hopefully take a break from all the work and actually drive it more. Ive spent almost every night after work tinkering with every part of this. Ive made a backyard track for this, and even have a light mounted outside for night driving, seems I drive it at night more then the day. Its never been driven anywhere else, except inside houses so I have no idea how it would drive in the real world.

Here are some pics from oldest to newest.


First pic brand new with the tuber chassis installed, 1/2 hour later it was taken off.


Pic of the truck swapped back to stock


Body off


Beadlocks and changed suspension angle, seemed to work the best at that angle


Alot of new parts


Lowered body, another set of bent suspension rods. The best looking ive seen yet


Tube chassis after many coats of bluing. Even though its very dark I had to steel wool it to get the finish I ended up with, and the strength of the bluing wore out and I couldnt get any darker.



How it is now, and hopefully stay that way

















mikegigabyte is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Old 01-01-2010, 05:24 PM   #2
Rock Crawler
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Near Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 911
Default

Wow...where'd you get those black zip ties!?

Seriously though, it looks good.

You say that your tires don't hit? I used the CF plate with a full-size servo and the 600 lipo and I had to stick some wideners from my TLT axles on as they rubbed the Lipo.

I'm at about 5" from inner wheel to inner wheel. I did shave my dog bones for more steering so maybe that is why mine hit...was also hitting my bent links before adding the wideners.

One suggestion for you...take those new lowers you just made and use them as uppers and put the bent links back on. Then you will have a nice 4-link.

Just turn them in so they don't rub:
mascman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2010, 06:04 PM   #3
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: San DIego
Posts: 219
Default

Yeah maybe later I will experiment with the 4 link. I need to read up about the settings for it, I heard it can be complicated trying to get the correct angle or something like that. I do want to make them. I might practice on my dads mrc since I do all the work on it for him
mikegigabyte is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2010, 06:12 PM   #4
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Hot Springs
Posts: 301
Default

That thing looks good.
jeepinkid83 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2010, 06:24 PM   #5
Rock Crawler
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Near Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 911
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikegigabyte View Post
Yeah maybe later I will experiment with the 4 link. I need to read up about the settings for it, I heard it can be complicated trying to get the correct angle or something like that. I do want to make them. I might practice on my dads mrc since I do all the work on it for him
If you are using the stock 3-link holes, all you really need to worry about is the pinion angle which is determined by the length of the link or where it bolts up.. Tilt the pinion up in the rear for better clearance.

In the front, you want your steering knuckles to be parallel with the ground...basically they need to be level so you have full steering. So, if the pinion is angled up or down, you change the length of the link to make it level...or move your bolt location.
mascman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2010, 10:20 PM   #6
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: San DIego
Posts: 219
Default

Spent about 7 hours making a 4 link setup, all from scratch and all hand made parts. Never tried one before so it was pretty hard. I can really tell the difference on a board I have set up to see the angle it climbs at. Before the front tire would always be up in the air, now it doesnt move at all. I also have the crawler sitting on the shocks with 100w oil. No springs but limited inside. Only driven it on my test board, will try to get a angle finder so I can see exactly what angle it goes up at. I used the carbon fiber lipo plate for the front mount points, and made a rear plate, and also holds my switch too.





mikegigabyte is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:19 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO ©2011, Crawlability, Inc.
Copyright 2004-2014 RCCrawler.com