My Large Scale Clod Build

[Breaker 1-9]

I know this ain't a crawler but after I saw the Boyer tube Digger post I figured I share here as well.

This is a project that I've been workin on for quite sometime and have been slowly funding in-between other projects. It's a ThunderTechRacing Ripper Pro that has been enlarged or should I say re-designed to be longer in length than the original Ripper Pro and Also higher in height than the Ripper Pro, by Eric Krush. This chassis also differs from his by the type of material his is made from. This one is actually cut in carbon fiber vs fiberglass as his is done in, though I loved the chassis so much that I also had ThunderTechRacing produce and have cut a G10 fiberglass version for a later large scale project I may stumble upon at a later time.

With all of the above said and given a base idea of this project I'll start off by saying that from the get go I wanted this project not just to be a very large scale R/C but also special with a few different aspects mostly seen on the normal everyday Clod. So I started off with a full JPS outfit with JPS's dual motor gearcases and axle tubes, as well as JPS's newly designed suspension axle kit which is the crown like pieces you see the shocks connected to in the pics. The rims are also custom rims by JPS made with a very shallow offset at the back so the tires have enough clearance from the lower 4-links without rubbing or touching them, even during tire blow up.

As far as the lid goes well it's another custom. A Parma 1/8th scale Gravedigger body done in fiberglass and from the pics you will also see I have another lid at hand that’s also a Gravedigger type lid and yes it is indeed another Gravedigger lid pulled from a large scale Tyco R/C that I've owned some years back and saved the lid from and just pulled the decals off of. This lid is a lid I may look at selling off if I decide to go with the fiberglass lid. Both lids IMO look good on it, though the Parma lid has a much better and more scale looking front.

As far as the equipment goes, well it has TTR/MIP CVD's and TTR/MIP Ball Diff's. I may also look at selling off the CVD's due to me not being too hooked on the added width it gave the truck. Right now the truck stands with some ESP links and some Integy MSR8 Savage Shocks. The truck as it stands is believe it or not just a mock up stance as I have yet to get some beefier links made and also some have a few here and there pieces I'd like anodized for this project. This truck will also have a custom sway bar setup that utilizes ESP-Z4 sway bars, I already have the custom machined hangers done by Paul at JPS but it's not bolted up to the chassis so you don't see that in the pics.

Anywho my main goal was to get this project standing on it's feet for the first time in the long 5 months it's been undercovers so this is how it stands currently at mock up. My intentions for this build was to have 4 BL systems but of course that got put off aside for later due to funding so when the truck is done and completed it will run off of 4 hi-end mod motors and some 7 cell packs. Nough of the text and on to the pics.














I will update this thread as this build progresses and as funds allow for progress. Oh and as for as the thread title goes, whelp I had to think of a name for the extra large TTR Ripper Pro so the best name I could have come up with for the build and the chassis was Ripper Pro XL. lol. Oh and the body is just sitting on some wooden paint mixing sticks that I ran up in between the chassis plates so that’s what those wooden sticks is for those who were wonderin bout that. BTW I also wanted this thing to be bigger than those silly New Brights that New Bright has been producing lately that are like 16-17 inches tall and this thing barely meets the height and length of em. Also as far as the paint scheme goes for the lids I most likely won't do a Digger paint job or decal scheme.

[Breaker 1-9]

Here's a few pics of what the body looked like before a few passes with a Dremel and LOTS of hand sanding. IMO I still need to do a little bit more sanding but only small minor areas.

[fatbastard]

Four brushless systems and 7 cells, now you're just talkin crazy. You will need cvd's with that kind of boost. How about some close up pics of the cases? Looks great, good work

[SaVaGe MaN SS]

those cases are SAWEET

[Breaker 1-9]

Originally Posted by fatbastard

Four brushless systems and 7 cells, now you're just talkin crazy. You will need cvd's with that kind of boost. How about some close up pics of the cases? Looks great, good work

Sorry no up close pics of the cases but there is a bit of pics of it on JPS's website (jpspro.com). My original plans of 4 BL systems is a bit far fetched after doing a bit of thinking because it'd be 1 pack per BL system and the weight would be quite heavy even with the chassis weighing close to nothing when compared to the weight of the other parts on the truck. When Castle Creation's releases the Monster Max I will most likely just run 2 of those systems in the truck and tos out the mods and Super Duty's for other trucks.

Right now funding is a bit tight so maybe another month or so till I can have this thing actually moving. Oh also the truck as it stands in the pics does indeed have TTR CVD's with aluminum drive hex's but I recently sold them off cause I wanted the truck a small bit more narrow. So final build of it will have the regular stock Clod setup with metal internals and the TTR ball diff's thats already in there. Currently I'm awaiting a few parts being made and holding for enough funds to get some other odds & ends to complete things.

[Breaker 1-9]

Update. Did a bit of lite body work and primed, still not fully satisfied with the results but am still not fully done anyhow. The body weighs about the weight of 2 Clodbuster bodies without the grille, tailgate, etc etc, so yeah it’s a bit on the heavy side but then again it’s nice having such a lid in fiberglass or aka hard body. Since my post of this thread I’ve spent about a month total given whenever I’ve had free time to work on the body, alot of sanding and Dremel work and ALOT of hand sanding. It’s been a work in progress since. I’ve had a paint scheme in mind and will most likely do a bootleg version of it just to see and make sure it’s the look I’m after and then re-do the paint job after all the body work is final.

[Breaker 1-9]

Bootleg paint scheme to come soon. :-P

[Breaker 1-9]

Well this project has done taken long enough and still has alot more to be given to it before I would call it complete and with the amount of time in it so far and the amount of funding already in it I thought that I'd show just a quick few pix of where it currently stands. This update will most likely be last till maybe a month or so as I may be moving. Anywho pics below.

[STANG KILLA SS]

GREAT body work, fiberglass is the worst to work with finish wise.

chassis looks great. cooling fins?

[Breaker 1-9]

The amount of time behind the Dremel left me looking like I make surfboards for a living. But hey with the end result of the body I can't complain much, though I still don't call it fully finished yet. Pics doesn't show the tiny here and there inperfections I guess only I can see so few lite passes in some areas with the Dremel and some more hours of hand sanding and then I'd call it a wrap. Chassis wise the goal was to somewhat kind of give it a heatsink look.

[JeremyH]

Wow! Nice work. I really like the chassis.

[Vanman]

HOLY TIRES!!

[craigrobbo]

Hows this comming along it looks GREAT! any pics wiht the leccies in?

[Breaker 1-9]

Welp been a long time since my last update and I was hoping to have EVERY single part bolted up to my new machined plates but sadly fell short of some hardware here & there but I should be able to obtain the remaining screws, nuts, & bolts soon. The hardware used was just to kinda get a good look at these AWESOME milled plates.

[a69baldone]

Excellent workman ship so far.
Love the plates. I do know one thing. When its all finished its going to be a bullet proof tank. Id love to know what its weight is going to be with everything mounted.

[4thgenceli]

Originally Posted by a69baldone

Excellent workman ship so far.
Love the plates. I do know one thing. When its all finished its going to be a bullet proof tank. Id love to know what its weight is going to be with everything mounted.

Yeah agreed. Great build, but I'm curious about the weight/COG aspect of the build. From my experience clod axles don't like having a lot of weight above them.

[cruiserkb]

Where did you get the fiberglass body from? My son is a big Digger fan and I dont know how to build anything small. LOL!!

thanks