Ooooh...a Tf2 Mojave 2 by Roo (and new2...rocks)

[new2rocks]

Roo got back to work this morning and made excellent progress.


Of course, we had to run the Helios RC high clearance skid:


Because that lifts the transfer case, it took a bit of sorting to figure out how I wanted to mount the battery tray in the forward position to allow the full cab back and have enough room for the interior. I ended up using 5mm spacers under the tray and then whipped up a shift servo link out of piano wire that allows the servo horn and link to run below the shifter (instead of above as shown in the instructions).




The tray just barely clears the transfer case, but that's all we'll need:




A few other small build notes. Front axle shims to fix pinion angle required a spacer on the drag link for proper clearance between the link and leafs:


I'm running the cr00zah-inspared leaf setup with reds on top of full-length black helpers on top of medium helpers.


I'm not planning on going overboard with this one. Maybe the Chino mod, but that's probably about as far as I'll go. 100mm Superlift shocks needed a 2mm spacer in the rear to clear the cross member:


Eventually, we came to this:


But that's no different from the last TF2. So here are a couple of teasers with the body mocked up:






Note the bumpers. The new CCHand push bar front bumper and steel tube rear bumper look the business. They are a bit spendy, but I really like the look.

[sb4pro]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

They haven't officially announced the RTR yet, but my understanding is that it will use the new Mojave 2 body set. I don't know if they plan any other changes vs. the previous RTR. For the body alone it will be worth the wait.

I was actually thinking about changing the body to the Tamiya F-350 but maybe now I'll have to go with the RICE BURNER LOL

[new2rocks]

Originally Posted by sb4pro

I was actually thinking about changing the body to the Tamiya F-350 but maybe now I'll have to go with the RICE BURNER LOL

It would be a shame to pass on this body, especially for an Edsel, lol.

[new2rocks]

A few more build notes for those that are curious:
- 90mm Superlifts in front (with Gelande hoops) and 100m in the rear, springs removed from all 4 and 70wt oil added. Added green slime between the O-rings at the base of the shocks to help keep the oil where it belongs.

- Holmes Puller Pro Stubby 3300 kv with Holmes BLE ESC. In driveway testing this afternoon, I really like this combo. Super smooth low end (esp. in low gear), and plenty of kick without going overboard in high gear.

- Learned a valuable lesson about Junfac drive shafts. The "D" profile in the female end does not run full-length. Tried to trim about a half inch from the female end of one and was left with nothing for the male end to bite. Had a spare sitting around (fortunately).

- I really like how my "accident" Gear Head 12-holes came out (tried to make them look like ENKs and made them look like distressed wheels that spent their lives at the ocean), but the offset bothers me. Even with thinner hexes, I still think they'll stick out too much with this body. Maybe they'll look better on a body with Big Boss flares (which I'm planning to try at some point on one of my other TF2 shells).

- Knuckle screws were in very tight from the factory and seem to be thread locked, so I didn't bother to pull them just to add thread lock. I'll end up pulling them as soon as the XVDs are back in stock.

- Electronics placement is temporary. I've been playing around with platforms to mount ESCs under the hood on other rigs and really like what that opens up. I may try that here to make more room for a full depth floor on the driver's side. All TBD, since I need to get started on the body before I get there.

- Traxxas shift servo is tacky, but it's cheap, waterproof, and it works. If I get really motivated, I may switch to a micro or sub-micro. Otherwise, I'll hide it with a scale "box" in the interior.

- Roo wasn't just posing for pictures. He assembled over half of the chassis, mounted the leafs to the axles, attached the axles to the chassis, and installed the dampers. It won't be long before he tries one on his own. In the meantime, it's super cool to have such a motivated helper.

[sb4pro]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

It would be a shame to pass on this body, especially for an Edsel, lol.

Ford born Ford bred and when I die I'll be Ford dead

[sb4pro]

Love those wheels but tire choice looks a lil soft lol

[new2rocks]

Originally Posted by sb4pro

Love those wheels but tire choice looks a lil soft lol

It's the foams much more so than the tires. If I keep them, I will probably throw in some CIs to stiffen them up.


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[sb4pro]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

It's the foams much more so than the tires. If I keep them, I will probably throw in some CIs to stiffen them up.


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I've got RC4WD Mud Thrasher on my HPI Mini Trophy and a buddy of mine told me a trick to do with really soft tires , I used 2.2 buggy foams and they hold up great .

[new2rocks]

Got started on some body work today. A few things jump out right away.

Fit with the new full cab back and bed is excellent. When I test fit with the bed attached to the cab using all 4 screws locked all the way down, the fit between the back of the cab and the cab back around the rear window was actually a bit too snug. A couple of passes with a file on each side took care of it. Some Plastruct Bondene and clothespins helped glue everything together:


After a few hours, the gaps look excellent and should be pretty easy to hide with some putty and sanding:


Inside looks equally good and, with a little creativity (relocating ESC/BEC and possibly switching to a smaller servo) should provide enough room for a nice, full-depth (or nearly full-depth) interior.




And the view from underneath:


The added material around the cab back window makes a big difference. Already, this feels much stronger with one round of Bondene only than the half cab back in my Mojave 1 body did after several passes with Bondene and CA.

One other small build note. The molded-in support in the middle of the windshield is very thick. I don't recommend trying to clip it. A hobby saw or Dremel is a safer way to go.


Next up will be puttying and sanding around the back window, filling the holes in the bed, and sorting out how I want to mount the body without clips, visible screws, or Velcro. I have a couple of ideas that I want to test. Progress will be slower from here, but I'll update as there's news to report.

[new2rocks]

The cab back looks pretty good after some puttying, sanding, priming, puttying, sanding, priming, puttying, sanding, priming. I've come to like the Squadron putty for the first pass followed by Citadel Green Stuff to take care of the finer details. Here's how it looks after the last coat of primer:


So it was on to making a platform for the ESC and BEC under the hood. Here's where I ended up:






Plenty of room for the HH BLE to clear:


Next big item on the list is to figure out a body mounting system that hides all of the screws, doesn't use clips, and doesn't use Velcro.

[fr8cture]

Always liked the Mojave can back. Good idea with the esc mount. I might do something similar on a project of mine.

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[Natedog]

Roo builds are always enjoyable, great to involve the kids. Why did you shim the front axle for less caster, just for the driveshaft angle? Can't wait to see this out in its's natural environment.

[new2rocks]

Originally Posted by Natedog

Roo builds are always enjoyable, great to involve the kids. Why did you shim the front axle for less caster, just for the driveshaft angle? Can't wait to see this out in its's natural environment.

Thanks! I'll let him know that he has a fan. As far as the shim is concerned, with the Yota axles, you kinda have to choose between better pinion angle/less caster, or worse pinion angle/more caster. I'm not going to try to max out the steering on this rig in part because I think the leafs would limit how far I could go (and I don't mind a similar setup on my other TF2). That being the case, I'm okay taking the better pinion angle for now. If I were aiming for max steering, I'd probably try either the Wraith knuckle mod that Winnerone23 and Szczerba have done (Szczerba just won a comp with his rig, though I think that had more to do with the fancy skid than the Wraith-like steering) or I'd try a different set of axles (maybe the D44s).

[desertdude]

Great body work buddy. I'm Gonna try to do as nice/clean of a job as you did.
What is your opinion on paint that already has primmer in it?

[new2rocks]

Originally Posted by desertdude

Great body work buddy. I'm Gonna try to do as nice/clean of a job as you did.

What is your opinion on paint that already has primmer in it?

Thanks! Saying that paint has primer in it is just marketing hooey. A good primer can do several things better than paint (or so-called paint with primer), including adhering to different surfaces such as slick plastic or metal, filling pores or fine surface imperfections, and allowing for sanding. That's why I try to get all of my prep work done while I'm still working with the primer, then at least one final coat of primer before starting with the finish coats and clear coats.


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[2-shot]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

A few more build notes for those that are curious:
- 90mm Superlifts in front (with Gelande hoops) and 100m in the rear, springs removed from all 4 and 70wt oil added. Added green slime between the O-rings at the base of the shocks to help keep the oil where it belongs.

- Holmes Puller Pro Stubby 3300 kv with Holmes BLE ESC. In driveway testing this afternoon, I really like this combo. Super smooth low end (esp. in low gear), and plenty of kick without going overboard in high gear.

- Learned a valuable lesson about Junfac drive shafts. The "D" profile in the female end does not run full-length. Tried to trim about a half inch from the female end of one and was left with nothing for the male end to bite. Had a spare sitting around (fortunately).

- I really like how my "accident" Gear Head 12-holes came out (tried to make them look like ENKs and made them look like distressed wheels that spent their lives at the ocean), but the offset bothers me. Even with thinner hexes, I still think they'll stick out too much with this body. Maybe they'll look better on a body with Big Boss flares (which I'm planning to try at some point on one of my other TF2 shells).

- Knuckle screws were in very tight from the factory and seem to be thread locked, so I didn't bother to pull them just to add thread lock. I'll end up pulling them as soon as the XVDs are back in stock.

- Electronics placement is temporary. I've been playing around with platforms to mount ESCs under the hood on other rigs and really like what that opens up. I may try that here to make more room for a full depth floor on the driver's side. All TBD, since I need to get started on the body before I get there.

- Traxxas shift servo is tacky, but it's cheap, waterproof, and it works. If I get really motivated, I may switch to a micro or sub-micro. Otherwise, I'll hide it with a scale "box" in the interior.

- Roo wasn't just posing for pictures. He assembled over half of the chassis, mounted the leafs to the axles, attached the axles to the chassis, and installed the dampers. It won't be long before he tries one on his own. In the meantime, it's super cool to have such a motivated helper.

It's cool to have a kid focused and patient enough to help build, at that age!!

I have the same Superlift shocks on my rig, and I want do away with the internal springs and fill with oil.
Obviously, your rig hasn't been ran yet. Are the Superlifts holding oil so far?
I don't want to have to fill them with oil before every run. I'm surprised RC4WD hasn't came out with an oil filled shock that's more scale, like the Superlifts, and Emu's.....


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[new2rocks]

Originally Posted by 2-shot

It's cool to have a kid focused and patient enough to help build, at that age!!



I have the same Superlift shocks on my rig, and I want do away with the internal springs and fill with oil.

Obviously, your rig hasn't been ran yet. Are the Superlifts holding oil so far?

I don't want to have to fill them with oil before every run. I'm surprised RC4WD hasn't came out with an oil filled shock that's more scale, like the Superlifts, and Emu's.....





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Thanks! It's really been fun watching him take to the build process and seeing the progression as he is able to understand and do more and more. I'm guessing that he'll be ready to do his first start to finish (save for the bodywork) within a couple of months, and that's going to be very cool.



As far as the shocks are concerned, I'm not sure what you mean about not coming out with an oil-filled shock like the Superlifts. The Superlifts and Emus are designed to hold oil...you just need to add it yourself (as is the case with most shocks). Most shocks are packaged without being filled with oil even if they are designed to hold oil. I'm also not sure why there's so much noise out there about various shocks not holding oil. The only shocks I've tried that couldn't hold oil for a run were the stock Wraith kit shocks. I've run Icons, Kings, RRD Emulsions, Ultimate Scalers (stock TF2 shocks), Dual Springs (stock Gelande shocks), Proline Scalers, Gmade XDs, and many others. At various times, I've read complaints about just about all of them. Some may lose a bit of oil over time, but nowhere near to the point of requiring weekly or even monthly oil checks. A bit of shock oil on the shafts and some green slime around the lower o-rings helps keep everything in check. I'll certainly give an update on the Superlifts once I've gotten this out for a few runs, but I don't anticipate any problems with them. I hope that helps!

[2-shot]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

Thanks! It's really been fun watching him take to the build process and seeing the progression as he is able to understand and do more and more. I'm guessing that he'll be ready to do his first start to finish (save for the bodywork) within a couple of months, and that's going to be very cool.



As far as the shocks are concerned, I'm not sure what you mean about not coming out with an oil-filled shock like the Superlifts. The Superlifts and Emus are designed to hold oil...you just need to add it yourself (as is the case with most shocks). Most shocks are packaged without being filled with oil even if they are designed to hold oil. I'm also not sure why there's so much noise out there about various shocks not holding oil. The only shocks I've tried that couldn't hold oil for a run were the stock Wraith kit shocks. I've run Icons, Kings, RRD Emulsions, Ultimate Scalers (stock TF2 shocks), Dual Springs (stock Gelande shocks), Proline Scalers, Gmade XDs, and many others. At various times, I've read complaints about just about all of them. Some may lose a bit of oil over time, but nowhere near to the point of requiring weekly or even monthly oil checks. A bit of shock oil on the shafts and some green slime around the lower o-rings helps keep everything in check. I'll certainly give an update on the Superlifts once I've gotten this out for a few runs, but I don't anticipate any problems with them. I hope that helps!

Ok... Maybe I'm misunderstanding the idea of the "scale" shocks (Superlifts, Emu's, etc.). I was under the impression that the internal spring was used for dampening, and the "scale" shocks aren't really designed to be an oil filled dampening shock.
Like I said, I could be totally misunderstanding the "scale" shocks. I'm still a noob when it comes to the TF2, and everything that goes with them. I'm going to certainly yank the internal springs out, coat the O-rings in green slime, and fill them with oil!! LOL!!
And.... + 1 on the stock wraith shocks leaking!!! LOL!!

Thanks for your help!!


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[new2rocks]

Originally Posted by 2-shot

Ok... Maybe I'm misunderstanding the idea of the "scale" shocks (Superlifts, Emu's, etc.). I was under the impression that the internal spring was used for dampening, and the "scale" shocks aren't really designed to be an oil filled dampening shock.
Like I said, I could be totally misunderstanding the "scale" shocks. I'm still a noob when it comes to the TF2, and everything that goes with them. I'm going to certainly yank the internal springs out, coat the O-rings in green slime, and fill them with oil!! LOL!!
And.... + 1 on the stock wraith shocks leaking!!! LOL!!

Thanks for your help!!

Yes...you're definitely getting a few terms mixed up. The marketing term "scale" used for certain shocks usually reflects a narrower shock body than a typical RC shock for a more scale appearance. The clearest example are the RC4WD kings, which are sold in a "scale" version with a 10mm shock body OD vs and a medium OD version with a 12.6mm OD:
King Off-Road Dual Spring Shocks (90mm Medium OD)
King Off-Road Scale Dual Spring Shocks (90mm)

Both shocks are coil-overs and designed to hold oil. The SuperLifts and Emus are internally sprung (instead of coil-over), as are GMade G-Transitions and a few others. The springs were placed inside the shock body to provide a scale-looking alternative to the coilovers, but the internal springs serve the same purpose as the external springs on coil-over shocks. The fact they are internally sprung has nothing to do with holding oil. All three of those have O-rings and seals to hold oil, and the oil serves the same purpose in an internally-sprung shock as it does in a coil-over (i.e., to slow down or dampen compression and rebound).

On a leaf-sprung truck, if the leafs are set up properly, the leafs can actually support the weight of the truck (in addition to locating the axles through their range of motion) without needing the shocks to have springs outside (coil-over) or inside (internally sprung). My first TF2 runs great that way, and we're going to use a similar setup on the Mojave 2.

[2-shot]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

Yes...you're definitely getting a few terms mixed up. The marketing term "scale" used for certain shocks usually reflects a narrower shock body than a typical RC shock for a more scale appearance. The clearest example are the RC4WD kings, which are sold in a "scale" version with a 10mm shock body OD vs and a medium OD version with a 12.6mm OD:

King Off-Road Dual Spring Shocks (90mm Medium OD)

King Off-Road Scale Dual Spring Shocks (90mm)



Both shocks are coil-overs and designed to hold oil. The SuperLifts and Emus are internally sprung (instead of coil-over), as are GMade G-Transitions and a few others. The springs were placed inside the shock body to provide a scale-looking alternative to the coilovers, but the internal springs serve the same purpose as the external springs on coil-over shocks. The fact they are internally sprung has nothing to do with holding oil. All three of those have O-rings and seals to hold oil, and the oil serves the same purpose in an internally-sprung shock as it does in a coil-over (i.e., to slow down or dampen compression and rebound).



On a leaf-sprung truck, if the leafs are set up properly, the leafs can actually support the weight of the truck (in addition to locating the axles through their range of motion) without needing the shocks to have springs outside (coil-over) or inside (internally sprung). My first TF2 runs great that way, and we're going to use a similar setup on the Mojave 2.

Ok! Thank you for getting me straightened out on this!

With that being said, I think I'm going to experiment with the O-rings in my Superlifts. I had a 1/10 Serpent 2wd buggy that I used to race, a couple years ago. The stock shocks were super smooth, but leaked! If you soaked the O-rings in shock oil overnight before you built them, they wouldn't leak. Soaking them caused the O-rings to "pre-swell" and it sealed them up.
Green slime will help keep the O-rings from swelling, due to the silicone shock oil.

So it might be the fact that the O-rings swell in the shocks (if no green slime is used), and that causes them to leak???

Either way, I'm pulling out the springs and adding oil!! . LOL!!!




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