thinking of a tlt for first scale truck
 

so im liking the idea of a scale looking crawler,

and the kit i would start with is the tlt1 maxx climber right?

lets say i have all my electronics already, how much of the tlt kit gets used besides the axles in a scale type build?

Will i be able to use the stock chassis? what size body's fit well to create that scale look my understanding is the kit is an 1/18th scale monster truck so a 1/10th body to cover most of the tire width?

on the subject of tires, I'm guessing the stock ones a garbage, i like the looks of some of the imex tires that i see and read about,


i've never stepped out of the kit mold before on an rc. I have had several buggies and trucks along the way, but now long for something more real and i think these type trucks are it. and i've been tempted by the Nylint stuff, but am fearful of its durability

i feel like i have some skills at making stuff and making things work right and i enjoy tinkering about but need some guidance to get started

Here is a great truck that is being sold by a member here.
Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/TLT-Jeep-Willys-...QQcmdZViewItem
Scale trucks are really expensive but when they are done they look awsome. If you got to www.scale4x4rc.us you will find awsome scale trucks.

you can use the stock chassis, but do yourself a favor and drop in a Pede tranny. that belt drive is garbage. a Bulu or similar custom-fab chassis will help your CG and general performance, but if you're gonna load up the body with heavy scale bits, it's gonna roll over anyway so the stock side plates will be okay.

i guess i need to rephrase what i want a little bit,

im not going for a completely scale look,

i just want something that has good proportions.......

in other words, i detest the huge stretched out tiny bodied comp style crawlers im sure they are very capable, however i just want something that has decent capability yet retains a look that could be a real 1-1 vehicle

Ya... I hear ya man. I just completed my first TLT. I suppose realistically the axles are about the only thing that you will use from the original kit. Maybe possibly the servo mounts attatched to them. I am still running the standard tranny and a "stock type" carbon fiber chassis. But I am waiting on my Pede tranny as I type. It is amazing how many parts and how little performance the original stock kit has, they could choke a horse. Then when you look at a real capable crawler they consist of 1/3 the parts and the performance difference is out of this world. Here is what I have so far (pic)... But take a look around at some of the fabulous rigs these guy's have crafted. You will be amazed. They have helprd me, but I still have more to do. Good luck and keep us posted.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...Picture076.jpg

i cheated, i have a couple of bodies, one for display at the LHS with nice scale details that weighs a ton, and one bare-bones chopped up lightweight that sees rock duty. a lightweight body is the way to go for performance, but the more good-lookin stuff you tack on, the heavier and tippier it gets. if you're going to sink a lot of time and love into a scale body, the last thing you want to do is beat it to death on the rocks (unless you're Badger) so just use two bodies. then you can have a very capable comp-style rig that also looks good (sometimes).

I recomend for a quick view of other peoples stuff is this thread http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/tamiya-tlt-crawlers/6756-tlt-crawler-picture-archive.html
this should get you to how scale you want. Some people go as far as to rn old bruiser ladder frame with leafs! Any chassis can be used it depends how scale you want. If you wanna get super scale Id look at maybe getting one of those toureg kits indi front solid axle in back like most trucks made today. There are some awsome looking scale tlts though.

I would definelty go with a frame stlye chassis. If your wanting to go to any serious lengths. As for a replacement tranny a pede will work but you cna use a AE or losi tranny too. It getting the uni shafts to fit on those, that poses the biggest argument. Losis you just cut up some pede male shafts and shove em inside the losi yokes ( please guys no sex jokes)

gonna inventory mile box of junk tonight i thinks, i believe i have an old losi trans somewhere with in fact a set of slider axles out of a stadium truck might be a buggy

i also have a set of losi truck shocks somewhere if memory serves which outta do nicely

now if i had some money................