Papabash's Team BWD 'Low-Pro' Wedge Build

[papabash]

Originally Posted by fallin apart

The one were Dave is rolling over a bunch.

It was a lot steeper and more off-camber than it appears in the video. Most guys tried it once or twice and just took the 20 points.

[EverettY]

Hey David can you give me the sizes of the screws that I need for the LCC conversion? The one's for hooking the c's the the shock/link mounts and for hooking the shock/link mounts to the axle, and the ones for hooking the c's to the knuckles.

Thanks!

[papabash]

Everything comes in the rear-steer kit except the ones I used to screw the adapters to the axle housings; they are M2 x 6mm. I used the coarse "self-tapping into plastic" screws for them.

[fallin apart]

Hey Dave Heres the video with no sound and no editing

[papabash]

LOL, I honestly didn't mind you having fun with the editing on the first one!

[fallin apart]

Originally Posted by papabash

LOL, I honestly didn't mind you having fun with the editing on the first one!

I just wanted to show everyone how boring it is not being edited

[papabash]

Originally Posted by fallin apart

I just wanted to show everyone how boring it is not being edited

Well, except for those 2 gates, it wasn't a very exciting course.

[papabash]

I get a lot of questions about my wheels, weights I'm running, etc. so I thought it was time I did a little segment on them. I did a bit on one of my other builds, but realized I really hadn't gone into much detail on this thread, so here goes:

As mentioned before, the particular Motoworx wheels I run are called UFO's. Jake no longer makes them, but he still had the files on hand and was kind enough to make me a few custom sets to my specs. Thanks Jake!
I honestly can't say enough good about the Motoworx line of wheels. They are top-notch quality, they take the tire beads easier than any other wheel I've tried, and although there is nothing wrong with the stock wheels, Jake is willing to work with you if you want to change a design somewhat. On top of that, they are extremely tough, and since I drive my rigs hard, that is a must!

For comparison, here is a stock UFO wheel:



The sets I am currently running are as follows:
The fronts are left solid around the hub, adding extra weight to the wheel so only a very small amount of lead is needed to get them to "running" weight:



As you can see, the "heavy" version of the wheel is just over 1 ounce heavier than stock. I then use 3/16" lead rope made for fishing weights and pound it out flat so that it's 1mm thick, then wrap it around the front wheels. One or two wraps is all that's needed to give the weights I usually run. With the weight so flat, there is virtually no interference with the action of the foam, giving it the ability to fully conform to the rocks. This is enough lead for one wrap:



It is nearly impossible to hammer it out in a straight line, but as long as it doesn't hang over the edges of the wheel, it doesn't matter. I simply tape it in place with electrician's tape when finished. Here is an overhead shot showing how close to the wheel the weight lies:



Wheel plus lead:



For the rear wheels, I had Jake cut a groove around the outer surface to reduce the overall weight, giving me a better front-to-back weight bias.



Weight of the "light" rear wheel. The groove removes about .4 ounce:



My current setup of wheels/tires/foams all mounted up and ready to run.
Front:



Rear:



Although this setup is working very well for me, everybody's driving styles and likes is different, so these weights may not work for some. I prefer a little heavier rig than seems to be popular these days. For me, the extra weight helps the rig to feel "planted" and stable.
Knuckle weights are another option that is popular now, and although I feel no real rush to try them, I'm constantly tinkering with this rig, looking for that little extra bit of performance, so I may give them a try someday. If I do decide to, I have a set or two of stock UFO wheels that should accept knuckle weights just fine.

[Manning]

I also had Jake make some custom wheels, and coincidentally, our all up wheel weights are nearly identical. My rears are a just a bit heavier.

My wheels are 0.6" wide, with a .08" deep hex, then the front side is just a conical dish. Pretty simple.

[papabash]

Originally Posted by Manning

I also had Jake make some custom wheels, and coincidentally, our all up wheel weights are nearly identical. My rears are a just a bit heavier.

My wheels are 0.6" wide, with a .08" deep hex, then the front side is just a conical dish. Pretty simple.

I guess great minds really DO think alike!
Mike, how do you like the narrow wheels? I was always afraid to try them for fear the reduced contact patch would result in a loss of traction. J.D. (HARDKNOX) pointed out that the smaller patch meant more lbs per sq inch of force, resulting in greater traction. I always thought the narrow wheels were just to make the tires taller...

[Manning]

I really like them. It does make the tire a bit taller than a 1.0" wide wheel. I saw some 0.5" wide wheels with rovers, and they were nice and tall, but it looked like the sidehilling might have suffered a bit. That's why I went with 0.6" wide.

[papabash]

Thanks, sounds like I might need to try some.

[papabash]

Originally Posted by Manning

My rears are a just a bit heavier.

The lighter rear wheels really seemed to help with steep climbs, but after yesterday's comp I'm thinking they may be a bit too light now. I've only had them on for the last couple of comps and at the last comp we had a really steep descent where my rear end flipped over a lot easier than I expected, and almost got me in trouble. At yesterday's comp it happened again, and my son (Captain of Crunch) darn near took the win (running a regular BWD Mini Wedge that I set up). On the last course he hit a gate and I managed to win again, but I think it's time to do some more testing with my weight bias (and particularly the rear weight).
BTW, Caleb, great driving yesterday... you always make me proud to be your father both on and off the course!

On a side note, my daughter came out to play with us yesterday as well, and actually enjoyed it! She did a great job too (and yes, I'm just as proud of her)!

[Manning]

Congrats on another win, and keep making that kid work for it!

Yeah, shaft rigs seem to need some weight on the back to keep the rear planted on decents. I've been pondering attacking my rear wheels with the drill press to get them a bit lighter. Do it, leave them alone, do it, leave them alone....... Just seems like 1.9's need a little weight.

[hammer29]

Originally Posted by hillbillyrc

nice little course you have there. gives me couple ideas from mine as well.

Im with Hillybillyrc. NICE TRACK!!!------Im in the prossses of building one in my basement in the hobby corner. i plan on using 3\4 plywood to bulid a coures and cover it with boulders and (stuff)

[papabash]

Originally Posted by Manning

Congrats on another win, and keep making that kid work for it!

Thanks Mike, and I will!

Yeah, shaft rigs seem to need some weight on the back to keep the rear planted on decents. I've been pondering attacking my rear wheels with the drill press to get them a bit lighter. Do it, leave them alone, do it, leave them alone....... Just seems like 1.9's need a little weight.

My rig seemed to be pretty well planted until I went with the light-weight wheels in back. Like I said before, it climbs easier, but tumbling through descending gates makes it hard to win! I'm going to put my standard rears back on and see how it does.
You need to come back up some time and give me some driving lessons!

[papabash]

Originally Posted by hammer29

Im with Hillybillyrc. NICE TRACK!!!------Im in the prossses of building one in my basement in the hobby corner. i plan on using 3\4 plywood to bulid a coures and cover it with boulders and (stuff)

Thanks! Even a small area will improve your driving in a huge way. It's especially useful for testing changes when building and tuning without having to drive back and forth from your work space to some rocks. It's also a whole lot easier for me to find time to go out to the garage and practice during the week than to drive 20 or 30 minutes one way.

[Captain of Crunch]

Originally Posted by papabash

At yesterday's comp it happened again, and my son (Captain of Crunch) darn near took the win (running a regular BWD Mini Wedge that I set up). On the last course he hit a gate and I managed to win again.
BTW, Caleb, great driving yesterday... you always make me proud to be your father both on and off the course!

Thanks, I'll get you next time. Stupid gate.

[fallin apart]

Good job Dave and Caleb.

[papabash]

Originally Posted by Captain of Crunch

Thanks, I'll get you next time. Stupid gate.

LOL! I'm looking forward to you beating me!