How to build a function follows form crawler?

[outfitter540]

I have been surfing here looking for ideas to build a crawler. This is what i have come up with. I NEED to run a HPI bronco body. i have loved them for years and my dad ownes one, wouldnt appreciate me wheeling it though. This has to look scale (except the track width), using 2.2 tires and wheels. I really like CSR's "rockmonkey" as seen here. "RockMonkey" gets a makeover
There was also a scale 2.2 clod i found, but alas the thread has lost itself. Until this point i realized i havent asked a question yet. To build the most capable 2.2 crawler what base would i use (TLT,TXT, Clod) or others? Which would be easyest?, Least expencive? If anyone owns or has built one please feel free to post a pic or two and a spec/part list. Thanks all This forum is a wealth of knowledge that the rest of the rc community is missing out on.

[microgoat]

The body's by HPI, not Pro-line. If you want it to look scale, use TLT axles. Then use a Pede or Stealth tranny, etc etc etc, all the good stuff can be found in the 2.2 forum, but if you stick with it and spend way too much money, after a year or so, your fourth crawler can look like this:

[outfitter540]

Good call on the body - brain fart lol. I know a lot of people use the TLT axles, there is one part i dont like about the scale, The width. I would need to run wideners and they dont seem like good practice. i dont know as to their durability.

[oIIIIIo]

Originally Posted by outfitter540

I know a lot of people use the TLT axles, there is one part i dont like about the scale, The width. I would need to run wideners and they dont seem like good practice. i dont know as to their durability.

The real Early Bronco has a wheelbase of 92" and a track width of approx. 60" (center of tire). The HPI body has a wheelbase of approx. 11.5" so the scale is actually about 1:8. Based on this, the true to scale track width for an HPI body is 7.5". The TLT axle with 2.2 tires & wheels is approx. 8.5" depending on which wheels, so it is actually a bit wider than it should be for a true scale model.

[outfitter540]

You are right on the scale part, i totaly agree. the problem is that i also want it to crawl well. i would like to keep a somewhat scale wb (11.5-12.5), but not track width. for the look i am going for it will hopefully be a suzuki samuri with full size axels underneath. lol. I was thinking that txt axles would eliminate the wideners, or even clod axles. I think that a custom chassis would be the way to go. The problem is that i am a mechanical engineering student with too many ideas and to little money, lol. I have a vast wealth of tools avalable to me to use. (rapid prototyper, mills, lathes) I just have to get my plans down.

[Magic]

Originally Posted by outfitter540

You are right on the scale part, i totaly agree. the problem is that i also want it to crawl well. i would like to keep a somewhat scale wb (11.5-12.5), but not track width. for the look i am going for it will hopefully be a suzuki samuri with full size axels underneath. lol. I was thinking that txt axles would eliminate the wideners, or even clod axles. I think that a custom chassis would be the way to go. The problem is that i am a mechanical engineering student with too many ideas and to little money, lol. I have a vast wealth of tools avalable to me to use. (rapid prototyper, mills, lathes) I just have to get my plans down.

TLT axles make great Crawlers, AND from my experiance, they are very durable, i run mine at least an hour a day every day, and only break one axle shaft a month, maybe.

[WRXronald]

Originally Posted by microgoat

The body's by HPI, not Pro-line. If you want it to look scale, use TLT axles. Then use a Pede or Stealth tranny, etc etc etc, all the good stuff can be found in the 2.2 forum, but if you stick with it and spend way too much money, after a year or so, your fourth crawler can look like this:

I like the look of that body--- i'm going to try it on my PTI 2.2 rig for a scale look. and i think it looks just right with the wheels where you have them in comparison to body width--- BUT-- how do you crawl with that thing and keep the wheels from catching up in the body? there's no room for articulation from what i can see?

[Grizzly4x4]

Clod or TXT axles will be way stronger than TLT axles so if you are looking for reliability then I would suggest them. Since you said you are looking for the "sami' w/ full width axles" look I would again recommend clod or TXT axles.

Here is my old 2.2 Clod crawler:
Scale 2.2 Clod crawler

Here is a look at the width of the axles with different tires/wheels:
The Duke 2.2: Semi-scale Clod Crawler

I would say use clod or TXT axles and just decide if you want driveshafts or not.

Here is a killer rig done by kingcobra that uses twin force axles, that would be another option for good strength. I think the two tubes are different lengths and kingcobra used short tubes on both sides to build his but maybe you coud use long tubes on both sides for a wider stance.
goodbye landrover, hello jeep...

[outfitter540]

those xact trucks are the ones im going for. are the chassis custom on those?

[Cake Eater]

TLT axles are a good choice for something that you want to crawl but still want to look scale. I started mine as a basic crawler, not really competitive, but crawlable. And I tried to keep it looking close to scale, I wanted to look good. I started with a TSC-10 chassis and now have an SW2 on order. I'm still messing with it, hence the name "Never Done". I'm in the process of making it more of a comp crawler and still want to be able to put the Bronco body on it for the "looks" factor.
Here are a couple pics: (more can be seen with the "click me" in my sig.)

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by outfitter540

those xact trucks are the ones im going for. are the chassis custom on those?

All of my chassis' are custom, I build them myself.

Specs on the old 2.2 clod:
The Rock-Clod Gallery: A place to post u'r clod in action!

specs on The Duke 2.2:
The Duke 2.2: Semi-scale Clod Crawler


I'm pretty sure kingcobra's was custom too. You'd have to read through his thread to be sure though.

Depending on how you build them any of the axles can look scale but I have seen several TLT axles break shafts and strip gears but I have NEVER boken anything on my 2.2 clod (I'm sure the TXT axles would be just as strong). The TLT axles have a little more ground clearance (less than 1/8") and are lighter but I still like the strength of the bigger axles.

Plus you can run All-T's on the big axles for more clearance. The All-T's are not as sticky as the Proline tires but they are not bad for a trail rig. I really love mine.

Here you can see my 2.2 comp clod with different tires, the All-T's look much better.

[Texrok]

I agree with Grizz. Here is my Clod 2.2



http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/7418/rb15ds.jpg
http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/3695/rb26tr.jpg
http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/3823/rb31bu.jpg
http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/92/rb43uq.jpg
http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/8945/rb50rt.jpg
http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/458/rb60us.jpg

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by Texrok

Here is my Clod 2.2

Another great 2.2 Clod.

[fatrat496]

2.2 Clods are awesome. But I'm about to start a TLT shafty. Here's pics of my 2.2 Clod.......

Naked




With body

[Brandon]

Ahh what the hell, another scale bronco

[fatrat496]

(Nluvwithxlr8ing) I love the TSL cut on those tires. Looks good.

[microgoat]

Originally Posted by WRXronald

I like the look of that body--- i'm going to try it on my PTI 2.2 rig for a scale look. and i think it looks just right with the wheels where you have them in comparison to body width--- BUT-- how do you crawl with that thing and keep the wheels from catching up in the body? there's no room for articulation from what i can see?

Find out on the 22nd It crawls very well for a scaler, almost comp-worthy. The front, with its vertical shock layout, doesn't have that much travel to begin with, and what there is, is 70% droop. At the back, I installed limiting straps to keep the wheels off the body, and these helped in unexpected ways by keeping the chassis level.

Articulation is like horsepower. Talk about it all you want, but what it comes down to is, how much can you really use? (Think carefully before you answer. There were a lot of Camaros stuck in the snow last winter.)

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by microgoat

Articulation is like horsepower. Talk about it all you want, but what it comes down to is, how much can you really use?

About 650 at sea level.

[fatrat496]

I use about 520 hp.

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by fatrat496

I use about 520 hp.

Sweeeeet.