BWD mini wedge build finally!!

[RickM]

I did a little work tonight to my mini and noticed by the way that all my pics have somehow dissappeared. I mush have screwed up my photobucket account.




I was using this body which then became a "herbie" replica.


Now I am going with this. I really want a BWD body cap but I am pumping all my fun money into getting my berg into managable shape. So until I can make this work up the cash I figured I would burn up the bit of delrin I had floating around. Now it needs a name. I was thinking "the Don", "The Guido", low rider, or even "the Sitch"

[hoyt]

Looks good, not bad for making one on your own. I would take it.

As far as the pictures did you move them at all to another album or something cause that will screw up the direct link #'s or html crap.

[RickM]

Yep. It's my own and yes I did move the pics around. They were old anyway. I need to do a full update soon.

[RickM]

Well here is my update. I did a topper until I can afford to pick one up from BWD. I have really not done to much crazy to this truck other than get my upper links longer in the back. This rig climbs pretty well even with some pretty big tires on it.

The topper.

Steering/knuckle weights.

Close up of knuckle

Side shot. Better focus.

Rear links and mount.

[RickM]

I took my little bugger out tonight and did something I have not done for a long time. I drove the crap out of it. I built this rock pile in the back of the house mainly to challenge my 2.2 and then I went MOA and now my pile is a little to simple for my 2.2. I have been spending a lot of time wrenching and finally just cut it loose. I had also time to drive my recut cutnshut rovers dropped down to 4 inches. I will post some pics soon. My rock pile is on the deck of my garage and when trying to make a climb I almost bounced my truck through the deck railing and off the garage. That would have been about a 14 foot drop. The truck is really running great.

[RickM]

Alright kids. Time for an update. I will have to post pics soon. I am now running a BWD topper that I had to do a slight bit of modding to work with my goofy setup. I will post pics soon.

I need some help though. I went with a 7.4 volt servo and until Pauls new motors come in, I am running a 17t contraband that came used off Erik's insane build. I am also now running everything back on 2s. Here is my issue. I clocked my axles, and went to lower my cog and dropped my servo plate down some by grinding off a fair bit of the servo tray tabs on the axle. I also wanted to try some zero ack. steering. So while I was at it I tried to drill out the HR knuckles I was running. That in turn resulted in the need to order some new knuckles so I have some RC bros on the way. I also ordered the steering link with hopes I might still have a little room. I had a modded servo tray also so I ordered the RC bros servo tray. My point is this. With a clocked axle and the servo tray lowered and angled do I have any steering setup options other than a BTA setup or out front and low? I will get pics up tonight to show my dillema.

[RickM]

I am a little slow to update like I said I would but here goes. I installed a BWD topper. I also went back to 2s and went to run no BEC. I am running a used but new to me 17t contraband motor thanks to Dlux. Recently I went to do a self made zero ack but I broke my knuckles. I had to order some parts from the good folks at RC bros. With all that said here is where I am at. I blended together two different mods. I had dropped my front end down to the axle to get better COG but in doing so I was no longer able to run a over the axle steering. Now running high steer knuckles I had a new problem getting a link to mount which was also being worstened by a recent axle clock that was not holding up. I did a little customizationing! Here are the promised pics.

[neiloid1]

Hey Rick,

PayPal sent for the motor but I've not heard back from you as yet, I assume eveything OK? Killed my stock motor over the weekend so I'm making do with an old Mini -T motor runs ok but does get hot !

Body panels looking good on your Dub topper

[RickM]

Got a few things in the works for this little parts goblin.
1. I am gonna do the underdrive rear end right. I will post pics but I am using a rhino steel pinion.
2. I sure like the performance of this toper but to be honest getting the side panels right is just a bear. That being the case I got to thinking and came up with something good. I am going to take some lexan and heat shrink it around a motor and use that to make the sides panels. I already did a test run and it just did not look like I wanted so I will try try again tonight! Again pics coming.

[RickM]

Here she blows. I did the motor/skin work last night. Waiting on the rhino stuff to show up for the underdrive.

This is what I did. Took the stock losi motor/paper weight. Took a 2x6 board and a chisel. Bored out a spot for the motor to recess down into a bit. I then took a plumbers torch and some lexan. Put the lexan on the board and hit it with some heat. I then pressed it into the motor/board to get it to really take shape. Then I painted and cut it to fit the side of the rig. The lexan looks slightly deformed, and imperfect but I like it the most to get this rig set up right. One thing I have to remember is the fact that this chassis was not set up to start as a bodyless so something has to give to get it there.

[RickM]

I think I got the under drive right finally. Wound up using a 13t rhino pinion. Worked out pretty good I think. I did this all during the Mavs game so I was a little scattered and did not take pics but Pauls pics are about as good as they get anyway.

I have expressed reservations about the topper from BWD and it has mostly had everything to do with the side panel mounting etc. Well this new way of mounting the panels has really helped me get pumped about this top. All that to say I am now super happy with this rig.

[RickM]

I finally decided I am missing it on the underdrive and decided to put it on hold. This is partially due to the fact that my kiddo drives this truck a bunch and he is hard on it in the wrong kindof way.

I did do something tonight that was a pretty easy mod. I took the egressor rear axle mod to my rig. These are definitely thicker and beefier. I ordered some straight axles, got some 5x8x2.5 bearings, and some .5mil washers. I cut the axles, took my dremel to the to grind off a square, and then put everything together. Very cool trick, and allows you to run a larger axle, larger hex pin, and normal sized hex.

[RickM]

New things in the works.
1. Front end overhaul. D-Lux stuff in the works!
2. Rear D-Link upper link mount.

Picks on the way.

[RickM]

This has been a big mail week for me! Nothing like coming home from work in this economy to fun rc stuff in the box.

For starters I put a lot of thought and work into this rear link mount and then realized it was bascially just like the pro mount, which came along after I had to much in this truck. Anyway this is essentially a tribute to the AX10 Dlink.

Now this is the knuckle weight and axle/C/Knuckle I had. Worked great but lets get this one to go to eleven.

So here is what came today. The simple, small, yet awesome collars from Dlux.

Here is the process. Strip off everything but the diff and axle housing. Grind off the back side of the c'hub like Jeremyh did. You want it flat or flush with the collar.
I took the cone style 4-40 screws like Jeremy did and bored out a bevel in the chub like jeremy did as well. I then mounted them on the collars. Which is about what you see above.
Then I simply slipped them on the axle housings.

This is where I stopped tonight. Enclosed is the picture of what is going on next. I will get more details as I get wrapped up.

[Erik D_lux]

Awesome! Looking good Rick!

So you did have to drill the top and bottom for screws? Knuckle screws didnt hold it tight?

[RickM]

I really probably did not need to drill it but I did just because I had tweaked some on my axles to clock my axles a long time ago. As a result I was worried I might have something slip as a result.

[RickM]

Well guys, You all are really going to get a kick out of some of the stuff I have done to get this all lined up. I am still working on it but this is what I came up with tonight.

First, here are a couple things I really believe in for the front of the MRC.
1. I like to run all my junk down as low as possible for COG. (I grind off the servo mounting tray posts up front to drop the tray some.)
2. I like to run my battery up front with my servo.
3. I really/really like the BWD wheels and wish they had adjustable hubs.
4. I just really don't have much faith in the inner shaft strength of the MRC CVD's

With that in mind here is how today is starting to shape up.
1. LCC CVD's
2. My steering is going to use the knuckle weight as the attachment for the drag link.
3. I had fun making my drag link.
4. I need some wider hexes. Anyone have any ideas other than the Junfacs and the RCP (which will probably be the route I run.)

With that I will promise pics to come.
EDIT.
1. I take back everything I posted last night after I spent a great deal of time stewing over this.

The front tray and battery setup is gone. CVD's are good. Drag link is sweet. Full BTA now and steering is a bit tricked out but here goes. I still need wider hex's

[RickM]

I completely forgot to say this. D-Lux is not my sponsor, nor am I looking for a sponsor. I am going to give him a huge and heartly thank you. I think it is important to notice his innovation and ideas are making this hobby much more fun for us. Many of us are just innovative enough to think about things that would be better but to be honest when we try our hand at it they never come out right. I have always looked at D'lux as a guy who knows how to find problems, find why they are problems, and then come up with solutions. I have always been frustrated with the durability of the MRC as they are really fun to drive. These ideas Dlux has really do impove performance and most importantly put us all in a possition of keeping all 4 running. These chub collars are so simply it is almost insulting that non of us thought of it before, but man they are cool. You do need to be a bit handy to install this type of stuff so be slightly warned.

Thanks D-Lux

[Erik D_lux]

Youre welcome. Thank you Rick!

[RickM]

Alright. I did some driving today and tonight and noticed some stuff. First of all I was using a stock MRC RTR radio on this rig for my son. The adjustability being what it was stunk. Soo. Bought a GT3B with the losikid hack. Very cool for sure. Check it out if you are itching for a top level radio.

Now on to the updates in case you are planning to follow my lead on my build (if so bless you). I did noticed my ti steering link was dragging a bit so I had to bend it around some to get it up and out of the way as much as I could. Now something else I noticed. My knuckles are the plastic ones. If you did not notice I have this big contraption coming off the knucle for my steering servo arm mount. I am getting a ton of flex on that for two reasons. I bent my servo arm link to much and it is twisting my rod end instead of pushing. Two I also noticed the plastic knucle is just not equiped to hand that steering setup. This is going to change when Amain comes through the mail as I am going aluminum on the knuckles.