Nickpequignot mrc build

[Nickpequignot]

i picked up my first rc crawler on friday.. and lets just say this thing is addicting as heck. iv ran it 100% stock for two charges of the stock battery. then i took the little spring spacers out and already noticed a big difference in the stability of the rig. im going to mount the battery to the front servo tomorrow. im not going to add any weight to the factory wheel/tire combo because i plan on getting some real bead locks and different tires. havnt decided yet. im also going to go with bent lower control arms and go to a 4 link front and rear to help with tq twist. im going to get the alumnium c hubs and knuckles. might also switch to a full size steering servo and alumnium tie rod/draglink. i know i have alot more reading to do on theses little things. and i dont plan on doing any comps with this. just having some fun with buddies that have some other rc crawlers. thanks guys. let me know what else i should do to this little rig.

Thanks, Nick

[Nickpequignot]

I'll also end up with metal lockers front center and rear for sure

[MRCrackhead]

Originally Posted by Nickpequignot

1. stock battery
2. real bead locks and different tires. havnt decided yet.
3. bent lower control arms
4. four-link front and rear to help with tq twist.
5. aluminum c hubs and knuckles
6. full size steering servo and alumnium tie rod/draglink
7. i dont plan on doing any comps with this. just having some fun

Thanks, Nick

::Edited your post so I could keep it all straight in my head::

1. Ditch the stock battery. It's huge and takes forever to charge.
2. Rovers are not really optional.....get them before anything else (except lockers...haha)
3. control arms are cool, don't buy Integy....anything!
4. get rid of that 3-link and limit your travel to around 1 tire height, you'll be surprised how much better it handles
5. don't spend money on c-hubs and knuckles until you research LCC steering or XR steering upgrade (stronger parts, better steering, knuckle weights).
6. If you think ahead, your new full size servo mount will also have 4-link mounts...
7. Already done!

That covers your post. Here's a couple more thoughts:

Get a Losi Insane motor and you'll wonder how you enjoyed driving it at all with the stock motor. It's really pathetic once you've upgraded.

Better driveshafts may be in your future with some of these upgrades.....

Traxxas #7079 for overdrive in the front. It makes a big difference all around.

[Nickpequignot]

Battery is on the front servo now. Tons more stable in off camber and flexed situations. Going to make some bump stops to limit the travel to about one tire height like you said. Lipo batteries seem to be about the best from what I have been reading so I'll get a couple of those in the next couple weeks. Then tires and wheels. I'll grow from there but the next upgrade after that will probably be 4 link. Thanks for your input

[Nickpequignot]

Oh and yes I will get the full size servo plate with 4 link mounts

[MRCrackhead]

Here's a cheap idea you can use to get you some weight out on the corners.

I picked up some washers at the hardware store and used my beadlock rings as a template to drill the holes.

I can't remember what size they were.

Just take a wheel, or a ring, with you to the store.

Couple of bucks, and a drill/countersink.



Here's my mini "fully pimped out" in mostly stock form.......ahhh the good old days....

[Nickpequignot]

That's a d*** good idea gonna have to do that. What's the specs of that in the second picture?

[MRCrackhead]

I'm not exactly sure what I had going on in that photo.

It feels like two lifetimes ago, though it was only months.

I've hand built this rig and done fairly well competing with the local club.

It's made some form of podium finish every time it's been out.

Nothing in those photos remains beyond the transmission and rear housing.

If you've not seen it, my build thread is here:

Mary Shelley's MRC

This was my first crawler and it's been a very long road filled with stupid mistakes mixed in with some cool ideas.

Hopefully all that's left are the cool ideas.......lol.

[Nickpequignot]

Going to the hard ware store to get washers for wheel weights. I think I can get one,maybe two on the outside of the front wheels. I'm not sure if the little bolts that hold the "lock ring" on will be long enough for two. We will see. Then I'll probably throw one on the outside and one on the inside of the back. Depending on if I can get two on the front. If not I'll probably get a few oz of bbs to put in the wheels.

But that is a sweet little rig. I just checked out your build.

[Nickpequignot]

What is a good full size servo to go with? This stock servo just isn't doing it. It can hardly turn the front tires with no weight on flat ground lol

[MRCrackhead]

Thanks.

The bolts on the stock wheels might be too short for two washers.

Consider putting a smaller diameter washer on the backside of the large one. Maybe two if there's room.

Often thought about it, just never did it.

Make sure the center hole is large enough for your wheel nut driver....lol.

You could weld it, or glue it, or whatever.

Or, you could possibly custom cut some lead weights and stick em on. They'll be hidden by the big washer and still look "cool"!

That will keep your main washer tucked inside the tire better than two washers stacked up.

You want tires on the rocks, not steel!

[Nickpequignot]

I will play around with it. I think I'm going to strip it down to the bare chassis. Get the HiTec HS-645MG servo and build a servo plate/w 4 link mounts and build my own 4 link front and rear

[MRCrackhead]

Originally Posted by Nickpequignot

What is a good full size servo to go with? This stock servo just isn't doing it. It can hardly turn the front tires with no weight on flat ground lol

I personally like the BLS172HV by Futaba, but it's really expensive.

500 plus oz of torque and lightening fast.

The speed is the best part. When you wiggle the tires, it shakes the whole car. Really handy when you need to weasel out of a bad spot at a comp and you don't want to reverse.

Most guys run Hitec 7950, but my friend has one and it seems slow compared to mine. He doesn't like it as much as his other 7945 which has less torque but more speed.

My mini has a JR Z9000T which has plenty of torque, but I do wish it was as fast as my sportsman's Futaba.

They're all good choices especially when your talking mini (because they're all expensive!).

I bought into the 645MG bull that I read all over this site....don't fall for it.

It's a $30 servo and that's where the good part stops....it's not much better than the stock mini servo in my experience. Save your money and buy once.

Get something that's got some torque, but with a mini, don't sacrifice speed.

Even though you're not competing, you'll love it when you want to "wiggle" your way down a steep face in the backwoods....

[Nickpequignot]

Originally Posted by MRCrackhead

I personally like the BLS172HV by Futaba, but it's really expensive.

500 plus oz of torque and lightening fast.

The speed is the best part. When you wiggle the tires, it shakes the whole car. Really handy when you need to weasel out of a bad spot at a comp and you don't want to reverse.

Most guys run Hitec 7950, but my friend has one and it seems slow compared to mine. He doesn't like it as much as his other 7945 which has less torque but more speed.

My mini has a JR Z9000T which has plenty of torque, but I do wish it was as fast as my sportsman's Futaba.

They're all good choices especially when your talking mini (because they're all expensive!).

I bought into the 645MG bull that I read all over this site....don't fall for it.

It's a $30 servo and that's where the good part stops....it's not much better than the stock mini servo in my experience. Save your money and buy once.

Get something that's got some torque, but with a mini, don't sacrifice speed.

Even though you're not competing, you'll love it when you want to "wiggle" your way down a steep face in the backwoods....

I will keep this in mind. Need to go to my hobby shop and get some rod ends to do 4 link and get some all thread. I have all the links,shocks,axels,and electronics out of my chassis. I guess I should get a servo to build around in the front first. So I'll start with the rear.

[89redranger]

X2 on the 645MGs. I've been through about 5 of them in 2 years. Always bearing failure leads to a ton of slop and eventual gear wear. Now running a Turnigy TGY-1501MG. Over 200oz. for less than a 645MG. Enough torque to flex the servo mount on the axle housing on my Pro if I stuff a tire in a crack. M3 knuckle and steering hardware is almost a must at this point. Aluminum chubs and knuckles help getting rid of flex from the plastic stuff. I'm pretty hard on my rigs and put them in stupid places though.

Sent from my SCH-I535

[89redranger]

I believe the pivot for the rear suspension will be based on a modified version of the pass through axle mod. Basically, there will be two bearings in the chassis, both ends of the worn will be extended, then it will pass through the bearings in the chassis. The trans output will be axactly in line with the axis the rear axle will rotate on, allowing a driveshaft with no slip section. In the end I will be using the driveshaft yokes coupled directly together, minus the male female slider sections. The finished driveshaft for the rear is only around 14mm long.

Sent from my SCH-I535

[89redranger]

BTW, the same company that makes the Taigawolf 442 also makes an 8x8 amd 6x6 version. Their pivot points are based around the drive shaft as well. The axles they use are two halves of a TLT axle with the rear output hole functioning as a pivot on 4x4 models, and the driveshafts functioning as the pivots in the multi axle models. Following their simple recipe, and mixing in a little micro magic, this design would lend itself well to multi axle builds. It takes a lot of the confusion of multi axle setups out of the equation.

Sent from my SCH-I535

[89redranger]

Sorry, wasn't paying attention to what thread I was in, just spewing ideas for another build I have going. If a mod can delete these please do. Once again, I'm sorry.

Sent from my SCH-I535

[daver18qc]

I beg to differ, my 645MG has been everything but trouble, it's way faster and stronger than my stock mini-servo was, which burnt in 20 seconds following me adding 3oz of weight in each front wheel.
I'm running it since June and didnt have a single problem with it.

But i must say i dont comp and only bash/have fun so maybe i'm not the most demanding of servo users...

For me, it was the best buy i've made, along with the Ripsaws R35.

@89redranger: Click the blue "EDIT" button at the bottom of your posts, then click the black "Delete" button.

[MRCrackhead]

I've got a 645 here that works just fine (as in functionally).

I never had any mechanical issues with it.

I just expected more with all the hype here on RCC about it.

It's "better" than the stock mini servo, but it won't push my mini out of a corner (2.8 pounds rtr).

I feel like that's a fairly light weight rig. The 645 is all but useless on it.

That's including a BEC giving it the full 6.0 volts.

Also it's slow.....really slow.....but perhaps I expect too much for $30.