02-18-2010, 10:22 PM | #41 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
| Video!
Quick video of some "office crawling". I stacked up a few items from around the office and made up a hill. Still feeling out the strengths and limitations of this rig for sure but overall, not bad but I'm still going to make improvements. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zriMDiMj-08 Speaking of which here's what I invested in: 2 Sets of Proline 2.2 Eight Shooter Wheels $37.80 2 Sets of Proline 2.2 Chisel G8s with foams $40.10 Integy 85 Turn V11 Pro motor $34.99 Proline Progress Clear Lexan Body $24.39 HPI GRU for WK $19.99 Novak Rooster Crawler/55t Combo $109.99 Two Tower Coupons (-$25 and -$10) Two Hitec 5625s ~$85 (don't ask) No estimate on materials since I've had them all (scrap or large quantity purchases) Total chassis investment for this rig (ie what would have put towards a kit to build): $122.28 Total Electronics investment for this rig (stuff I would have bought if I had invested in a brand new Axial or Losi kit) $229.98 Knock the $35 bucks in coupons off and I've invested: $317.26 Was it worth it? Dunno yet but here's an apples to oranges comparison I was considering: 1) Losi 1/10 Comp Crawler Roller: $284.99 2) Single Hitec 5625 ~$43 3) (I have extra micro servos for the DIG shifter) $0.00 4) Xcelorin Brushless motor $79.99 5) Xcelorin Brushless ESC $129.99 Total for a brand new Losi comp crawler rig that is pretty well outfitted (for comparison to my investment): $537.97 So given the >$220 difference, I'm not sure I've made the best investment for performance but this was a fun learning experience and definitly has been interesting as a machining project. No real regrets.... Yet. Last edited by pbarsamian; 02-19-2010 at 01:29 PM. |
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02-19-2010, 01:37 PM | #42 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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Pulled the Axles last night: 1) Used Red loctite to lock the bearings to the shafts on the pinion shafts going into the axles 2) Used 5 min epoxy on all bearing seat surfaces to get the bearings seated and "locked" into the axle housings 3) Shimmed each gear/spool 4) Drilled through the rear axles case screw holes and used 3mm through bolts with steel standoffs to go through the case and ball links, with a 3mm Locknut on the end. Tightened down significantly. Result: A LOT better. No gear mesh probs now even on hard torque climbs, the axles seem much more locked in. Now I just need to play with suspension tuning. I'm not quite happy with it yet. Also considering doing some flat stock CNC cut lower link arms with a bend in them to allow better link clearance underneath. So question now is: "What is left of the original PTI kit?" 1) Axles Cases 2) Bearings 3) Axles Gears 4) Center Spool 5) Ball link ends 6) Steering Knuckles 7) Drive shafts, bones and out drives for wheels CVDs cut in half (but still from original kit) |
02-19-2010, 04:23 PM | #43 |
Rock Stacker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Huntsville
Posts: 77
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Nice Work!!!! I may have missed it, but how did you do the axle shafts?
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02-19-2010, 05:09 PM | #44 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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Thanks Warlock! For the shafts, I cut the old CVDs in half at the middle. I then lathed two 3.5" long 3/8" diameter steel rods bored out (using drills not actual boring bars) to within 2 thousandths of the CVD shaft diameter. I milled a flat on one side of the steel shaft, drilled double set screw holes on each end, and put a 10 degree taper on each end as well. Essentially this made it an adjustable length shaft extender. Since these are not high speed shafts, I didn't need to do the 120 degree set screw and balance routine but even then they spin pretty true. In one of the very early pics I posted there should be an under belly shot where you can see one of them completed... |
02-19-2010, 05:11 PM | #45 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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You can see one of the shafts in this picture on the left side of the pic on the bottom of the rig... http://www.photoshop.com/accounts/5e...37ded284dbc5d9 |
02-19-2010, 06:58 PM | #46 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: waterville
Posts: 525
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looking good, some bent lower links would def. help. that way you tires have a better chance of grabbing before it cases out on the links. as far as eliminating the tt. check out the axial ax10 forum. search for torque twist stuff in there.ill look around as well, if i find some good info for ya ill post it. if you could make a link mount for the axle and offset the links on it . like one link on bottom of plate and one on top that should eliminate it. you just got to tune your link geometry, it will take some time. but you will get it. axle link mounts w/ adjustments would be a nice mod. i never cared for those little extenders for them.
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02-20-2010, 04:33 AM | #47 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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Thanks Josh, I think I saw some suggestions similar to what you described and have a few ideas. frankly I think just having different sized stand offs would accomplish the same thing on the rear but that's never good enough for me, I might actually CNC an aluminum link mount with a few adjustment holes and see if that works any better, more to come...
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02-20-2010, 04:52 PM | #48 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: waterville
Posts: 525
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yeah that would work too. im sure you will come up with something good.
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02-21-2010, 01:12 PM | #49 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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Well I didn't get rid of it of it completely but between triangulating the rear lowers, offsetting the rear uppers (left lower, right higher) at the axle, and adding some of the spring ride height shimms to the left rear shock, it's a bit better. I have the harder Integy springs on order from the LHS and hope that will help as well. The biggest improvement I've seen was in adding 6oz of stick lead around each of the front wheels in addition to the 3 that were in each previously. It's a LOT easier to crawl really steep objects now. Getting better with each tuning.... |
02-21-2010, 03:45 PM | #50 |
Newbie Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3
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02-21-2010, 03:47 PM | #51 |
Newbie Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3
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i dont know how much articulation you are looking for but i went to a 8 shock setup with a pivot in between them, and either axle can go totally vertical. pretty simple mod to.
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02-21-2010, 08:12 PM | #52 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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02-25-2010, 09:37 PM | #53 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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Nearing completion (though true projects are never really done) Body pretty much complete I'm still considering doing lights on it but not sure. I might just do them on the Jeep Rubicon and switch between scale and comp as my mood hits. Had to trim away a good portion of the front grill and rear tail light area to make it work but still seems to fit and look ok. Pics of the comp body on the machine: http://www.photoshop.com/accounts/5e...25b9b6fac7e8cc I'll use a better camera to snap a glamour shot when I get a chance, phone pics are not always best at show true color. Next two upgrades on the list: 1) Finish alu bent links and fit them up (question is if they'll still fit with the rears being triangulated may try undoing triangulation to put them on) 2) I found a large sheet of 1/4" black delrin in the stock pile, going to work on a slippery skid plate for the bottom that includes rounded/angled edges to help avoid hangups 3) Waiting on stiffer shock springs from the LHS. |
02-25-2010, 09:42 PM | #54 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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I'm officially crawler crazy. I'm now looking at my second project, a full on super class MOA based on clod axles. I'm thinking no body, just a CNC alu and carbon tuber/alien style machine with custom micro controller based DIG system that will allow 4ws and 3 mode DIG operation on a 3 ch controller. I have some ideas I'm kicking around. Now I need convince the wife to allow me to use that pallete of stone in the back yard to build a crawler course instead of another garden! |
02-26-2010, 07:50 AM | #55 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
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03-01-2010, 02:00 PM | #56 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glenview
Posts: 129
| Bent Lower links
here's a first attempt at some bent lower links, I'm still looking at where adjustments may be needed, I think the angle is pretty close but I may have overshot it a bit. Also working on an upper link mount bracket to allow some adjustment up there and reduce flex in the mount point... http://www.photoshop.com/accounts/5e...83325e62ce9989 |
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