BrandO's scale Jeep trail rig

[badger]

Originally Posted by BrandO

For the simple reason that you used, "everyone else does". I like to be a little different. Plus I was going for more of a scale look. I don't like the looks of a big old servo hanging off the axle.

Ok, be different. But you are only hurting the performance of the rig.

When you are crawling and have the tires up against a rock or something, instead of the the tires moving when you go to steer out of it your suspension will flex which will make it seem like you have very little steering.

Also, with the extremely long servo horn you are decreasing the torqe the servo can provide to turn the tires.

So with both of those downfalls, you are looking at one bad *** straight line crawling machine.

[BrandO]

I was building this truck for fun. Not to be some super comp rig. As stated it is my first attempt. I venture to guess that you had all the answers when you built your first. And I am guessing that only your ideas are good ones. I guess your right maybe I should just smash it with a hammer. This thing just plain sucks.

Just doing it for fun.

[chafey]

Originally Posted by badger

Why are you even mounting it on the chassis? Make a new upper link mount and mount the servo right on top of the axle where everyone else does.

i think you answered your own question.

[badger]

Originally Posted by BrandO

I was building this truck for fun. Not to be some super comp rig. As stated it is my first attempt. I venture to guess that you had all the answers when you built your first. And I am guessing that only your ideas are good ones. I guess your right maybe I should just smash it with a hammer. This thing just plain sucks.

Just doing it for fun.

Dude, I was just giving you advise from what I learned on building my bruiser trying to save you time.

I never said you have to do it my way, build it however you want man.

Originally Posted by chafey

I think you answered your own question.

No ****! I was using that to make my point.

[1BadJeepBruiser]

this truck is coming out really really awesome, i like the fact that you are keeping it very scale, i undertand badgers point with the steering servo i have it that way on my hulk werks pre runner ( i compete with it in PA) but on my current 4runner project im actually using the stock set up and the servo is hidden all the way up inside the body and uses a mess of linkage and itll prolly steer like crap but hey its gonna be scale, its done for fun.

keep of the good work

-Mike

[BrandO]

After thinking about it badger is probably right. I did a little experiment last night with the truck. He is right, instead of the wheels turning the chassis just flops over. I don't know that there is any way to reduce the amount of flex. I really wanted to try something different. But it is really not worth building something that won't work. Because of the way the frame is designed I am not sure if I can change it. Mainly I am not sure if I can fit the servo on top of the axle without it hitting the frame. At this point I may just start over from scratch.

That was painful, but sometimes you need to admit when your wrong. Otherwise you end up learning nothing. Anyone want to buy a chassis?

[skid]

Maybe a bellcrank on the drivers side of the frame. Run the draglinks from your servo and steering knuckle to this. This could give you a longer draglink. Then a track bar from the frame to the axle?

[badger]

Originally Posted by BrandO

After thinking about it badger is probably right. I did a little experiment last night with the truck. He is right, instead of the wheels turning the chassis just flops over. I don't know that there is any way to reduce the amount of flex. I really wanted to try something different. But it is really not worth building something that won't work. Because of the way the frame is designed I am not sure if I can change it. Mainly I am not sure if I can fit the servo on top of the axle without it hitting the frame. At this point I may just start over from scratch.

That was painful, but sometimes you need to admit when your wrong. Otherwise you end up learning nothing. Anyone want to buy a chassis?

That was exactly my problem, I had the servo out of the was and it looked great with my bruiser axles but it was not very fun to drive when it didn't steer.

Does the servo hit when your articulating the suspension, or does it just hit when you compress the front end straight down?

[JakeTheAlligatorMan]

Originally Posted by BrandO

Mainly I am not sure if I can fit the servo on top of the axle without it hitting the frame. At this point I may just start over from scratch.

You could remove the plate that the Servo is sitting on............ that would give you some room. Or maybe you could mount the Servo closer to the center of the chassis and run "link steering" with a cantilever mounted on the axle "link plate"?

It really is good looking work you've done!

[BrandO]

Originally Posted by badger

That was exactly my problem, I had the servo out of the was and it looked great with my bruiser axles but it was not very fun to drive when it didn't steer.

Does the servo hit when your articulating the suspension, or does it just hit when you compress the front end straight down?

The servo won't hit if you compress the suspension straight down. It will hit when it articulates. I have sat a stared at this thing for hours. I think I can drop the transmission a bit in the chassis and raise the ride height of the truck. This should give me enough room for my servo. It will be some work but I think I can salvage the chassis. It will require some new spring perches and a servo mount.

My question is, do my top links need to be the same length front and rear? I will have to make a servo mount/link mount for the front. For clearance reasons I dont want to mount the links on top of the servo. I want to mount them on the back side of the servo. This would mean shorter top links.

[badger]

Your front and rear links do not have to be the same length. And the upper's do not have to be the same length as the lowers.

Trailer guy posted the "proper" way to design a 4 link somewhere. I will see if I can find it. Although I have never gone by the exact "proper" way and my rigs perform great.

Don't give up on that chassis, you done to nice of a job. But.... if you do get rid of it let me know and I will buy it. I am sure I can find a good use for it sitting on top of some bruiser axles.

[James Luce]

Badger, have you seen the internal-spring shocks on rc4wd? you might be able to get rid of that other stuff and put these in wile your changing the chassis. There around $50. I dont know how well they work but they look scale.

[James Luce]

Or are those what you have on there already????

[badger]

Originally Posted by James Luce

Or are those what you have on there already????

Yep I have seen them and no I am not running them. I don't need internal springs on my Bruiser because I have the leaf springs to hold the truck up.

I don't know that I would spend $50 bucks on those. I heard that all you need to do to make internal spring shocks was to put some mini-t springs in maxx sized shocks.

[James Luce]

o woops i meant Brando

[1BadJeepBruiser]

hey guys just a heads up, i have those shocks, they are ok if they are the out side spring ones, i have them my bennet clod and they work well, i also have them on my blue bruiser but im using jugg springs and the truck is more show then go, i did however have a set of internal spring ones on my mountaineer when it was 4 linked and they sucked, it was way to stiff, i think they did make a heavier and/or softer version...im not sure was i had but i was so happy with them. i think badgers losi mini t spring would prolly work best.



heres a much older pic, maybe if you got them and you swapped a softer spring into them?

-Mike

[ntwadumela]

What about moving the servo back in the chassis and turning it 90 degrees, then use a bellcrank attached to the axle. I'm at work so I can't draw you a picture (ok, the work thing is just an excuse, the real issue is I can't draw). The 4 links will stop the servo from moving the chassis, and having the bellcrank attached to the axle should isolate it further. You could keep the bellcrank small, so it wouldn't be obtrusive. DON"T GIVE UP ON THIS THING, IT IS WAY TOO COOL! It is exactly what I would build if I had any skill or talent.

[Brandon]

No need to draw it, its been done, here is a great example of it. Blackfoot ver. 2K5

Check it out brando, this may solve your problem? Worth a try!!

[BrandO]

Originally Posted by Nluvwithxlr8ing

No need to draw it, its been done, here is a great example of it. Blackfoot ver. 2K5

Check it out brando, this may solve your problem? Worth a try!!

That is pretty funny. I had come up with a setup almost identicle to that. I scrapped it thinking it wouldn't work. Goes to show how much I know. I wonder if that setup will eliminate the problem badger brought up?

Anyhow it is kind of late for that. I have cut off the parts I didn't need on my chassis. The servo mount and spring perches are all gone. I have already made a mount for my servo and top links for the front axle. Might have to try that bellcrank system on my next rig.

The shocks on the truck are GPM maxx shocks. I am pretty sure they are the same as the ones RC4WD is selling with internal springs. A mini-t spring fits perfect inside. I tried a yellow (not sure of the rate). I wanted to run the coils for the scale look. But if I am not happy with them the internal springs is my backup plan.

[brendan h]

imm loven it!