Started new tuber build
 

Well I stipped down my clod and have started on a narrow chassis that hopefully will be build to get the maximum use out of the parts that I have. Hear is what I got don today, 1/4" tubing, I built it around a battery and the speed controlls are going one on each axle, the rx will be in the chassis.

looks good, cant wait to see it done or at least have the axles under it.

Day two is in the books, I buttoned up the front suspension and I was very suprised by how it brought the whole front end together. I made some better upper link mounts and I found some cool chain links today at work, that make great mounting brackets for suspension parts. Anyway after seeing the front end together it reminded me of a praying mantis the way the coilovers come down, so I am going with a green and black paint jod and I am calling this chassis the "Mantis"

looking good. Narrow and very light. should work great.

the only thing that worries me from the pics is that the shocks are very expossed to damage in a roll over.

i think i am really starting to like these clod crawlers may hav eto build one myself.:-P
Ryan out

Man thats going to be sweet when it's done.

great name, not really but it sounds cool. ah dont be p*ssy's the shocks will be fine:flipoff: and if not some more tube around them will be fine.

I don't know, everybody else comes up with cool names, I guess I'm just not very good at it.

no, im serious the name is great for this tuber, it look sort of like a praying mantis. it will look even more like one once its done and painted.

Day 3 I finished the rear suspension after work today. I think it will work very well. Set the wheel base at 16.5". I'm going to order moab xl's and rims tonight. It would be a shame to put those nylints back on there. Any way all of my other junk that is going in there are,
55 turn lathe with 9 tooth up front,
65 turn lathe with 9 tooth in back,
5.5" genisis coilovers,
(2) duratrax speed controlles,
hitec 645 w/ aluminum horns,
crawler store steering,
4 channel futaba,
7 cell batteries,
moab xl's with them beadlocks.

very nice... good build

A nice simple design, I definitely like it!

get some wheels and tires on there so we can have a look of it at ride hieght

Day 3, I got it running today, finished up all of the tube work, made my esc mounts, installed the steering, temporaraly wired it up so I can go wheeling monday. If I like everything I will take it apart, fab body panels, paint, get locknuts for all of the bolts, rip out all the wireing and make it all pretty, and build a battery hold and a mount for my rx.
Anyway I drove it after I got done this afternoon and I am thrilled!! The c/g is awsome and I'm not even running any weights in the tires. The biggest thing I noticed is when I would drive over something that would have slammed my old tuber on its lid this one just sticks to the ground and crawls. The rear suspension really makes the tires grab, it wants to squat really nice. Anyway ground clearance is right at 5" and w/b ended up at 16.5". Hears some picks, I'll have some action shots and some video in a couple of days. oh yeah dont mind all the wires, thats just temporary.

dude, that looks really realistic, thats the closest thing ive seen to an actual crawler.

real crawler with 40's:-P ..but i agree, that thing looks realy nice, especialy with those shocks and skinny nylint tires..know what color your painting it?

yeah, the tube will be light machine green, and for the panals I'm either going with osha green or I was going to try to solder some of this wire mesh that lookes like that stuff from a screen door that we have at work, you know, sticking with the whole praying mantis theme, bugs/screen. it probably will just burn up when I hit it with the torch anyway, so two tone green I imagine. Do yall think I realy need to get moab xl's for this thing, thats alot of coin but if it will make a great improvement I'd probably get some. The only other tire that I've run are k-rocks and the nylints blow them away in my opinion, but I've never run or seen a moab or a swamp dog so I have nothing to compare to.

That is one sweet tuber!!

so does this mean you're going to join Badd and myself Monday evening at the Yanahli wildlife area?
Hope so, like to get a closer look at it.

This is mine by the way:
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/xtm-crawler/36295-my-x-cursion-build.html

yeah, I just need directions to get there.