RCCrawler Forums

Etype R · 12-28-2006, 10:28 PM

I ran the Torsion stick for most of the season and it worked great. But I wanted to try something that had some articulation again. So why not try a comp tube frame? I love how the comp tubers look and wanted one to call my own.

My comp truck was torn down as I was using the axles from it for mockup on my scale FJ40 project. I had no time frame for getting my comp truck going again. That is until the other week when I decided to head down to Iowa for a comp on the 7th... So I had 3 weeks to pull this off, build a full comp tuber. The first week was wasted, making zero progress on the truck.

Once the weekend started for Christmas, I started cutting and prepping parts for the frame on Friday night. I welded up the base of the frame on Saturday only to find out the center section was a inch to long. And after bolting up the axles to the frame, I was not happy with the link placement on the frame. Sunday I started all over again. But with it being the Holidays I called it a early day once the front half was finished. I bolted up the axles and bent up the rear section of the frame.

I did not get back to the truck again until Tuesday night. I really kicked it into gear on Tuesday though. I welded up the rear section, then designed the upper cage on the fly and welded it up. And last night I finished mounting the tranny and drive shafts. And tonight I made a temp electronics tray so I can do some test driving.

I still need to weld on rear shock mounts, they are zip tied to the frame as of right now. Then I need to add a door brace, and mounting tabs for all of the cover plates, side panels, hood, ect.

Here are some pictures I took of the truck tonight.

420ZIP · 12-28-2006, 10:36 PM

Good looking build

. What kind of tranny are you running?

Etype R · 12-28-2006, 10:42 PM

Thanks, its a RC4WD R2 tranny.

Nicklepimp · 12-29-2006, 03:59 AM

Looks good Mike.

I would never have thought it would flex that well with the front shocks angled forward like that. Leave it to Etype to prove me wrong.

xjwalt666 · 12-29-2006, 05:33 AM

what are you doing about springs? are they internal or you not running them?

Etype R · 12-29-2006, 11:55 AM

Thanks Kevin, I had around another inch of flex with the softer springs in the shocks. But it had way to much torque roll under stress. With the stiffer springs it still has most of the flex, but now almost no torque roll at all.

The springs are internal, picked them up from the hardware store. I bought a small selection as I had no idea what I would need for this setup to work. Some would not fit inside the shock bodies, others are too stiff. I ended up with 2 sets that work, one set is very soft and the other is a bit on the stiff side. A bit more limited with setup this way, but it looks cool

Highmark · 12-29-2006, 06:14 PM

Great job Mike!

I guess you made yourself into a tuber builder afterall eh?

Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to ditch the torsion?

clodstall · 12-29-2006, 06:55 PM

looks good i seen it some where before.lol

tjsky · 12-29-2006, 07:41 PM

Nice looking tuber!!!

All Out Racing · 12-29-2006, 07:44 PM

Sweet looking rig, keeping it low and simple. Looks like you might need to add a brace to the front loop, it's kinda out there length wise and it might cave if you bounce off a rock too hard. You might angle it up from the lower corner of the front of the cab to the underside of the loop, just to lessen the amount of leverage your front shocks can put on the joint at the cab.

Etype R · 12-29-2006, 10:07 PM

Highmark, I just felt the Torsion stick setup had to little flex for a 2.2 setup. It worked great, and if this tuber doesn't work out I can always go back to the torsion setup, doesn't take long to build one of those. Plus I have a soft spot for tubers :-P

Alloutracing, I have considered adding some bracing. any still might. If I do it will most likely be a set of bars about a half inch above the current ones, and set inside more. Then I will shape the hood panel around them.

Etype R · 12-29-2006, 11:37 PM

Added some more styrene panels, I think this is the layout and design I will go with. Going to test the truck out on the rocks tomorrow. So its ready to go. Then I need to tear it down and finish up the welding.

Cole82 · 12-29-2006, 11:40 PM

Looking good except the white out look. You are painting those right?

BTW mines lighter.

Etype R · 12-29-2006, 11:44 PM

They are just test panels, final ones will be Lexan.The styrene is nice for testing the layout, and I can photoshop over white much easier then clear ;)

Going to take the truck out to Taylors falls tomarrow for a test run, I'll get some pictures too.

Cole82 · 12-29-2006, 11:59 PM

Your right easy to photoshop.
I found your next paint job.

Etype R · 12-30-2006, 12:02 AM

That would a stripper pole chick on the hood would be pretty much complete

md99taco · 12-30-2006, 02:41 AM

Sweet rig.

Etype R · 12-30-2006, 12:39 PM

First test run went very well. Even with the wet moabs it was very capable. I'll be running mashers for the comp though.

Cole82 · 12-30-2006, 01:35 PM

I've seen those rocks before.

I'm glad it's up to par. It's looking good.

Nicklepimp · 12-30-2006, 01:36 PM

You went up there without me?!?!

:-(

minus the smile

12-28-2006, 10:28 PM	#1
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	TLT comp tuber I ran the Torsion stick for most of the season and it worked great. But I wanted to try something that had some articulation again. So why not try a comp tube frame? I love how the comp tubers look and wanted one to call my own. My comp truck was torn down as I was using the axles from it for mockup on my scale FJ40 project. I had no time frame for getting my comp truck going again. That is until the other week when I decided to head down to Iowa for a comp on the 7th... So I had 3 weeks to pull this off, build a full comp tuber. The first week was wasted, making zero progress on the truck. Once the weekend started for Christmas, I started cutting and prepping parts for the frame on Friday night. I welded up the base of the frame on Saturday only to find out the center section was a inch to long. And after bolting up the axles to the frame, I was not happy with the link placement on the frame. Sunday I started all over again. But with it being the Holidays I called it a early day once the front half was finished. I bolted up the axles and bent up the rear section of the frame. I did not get back to the truck again until Tuesday night. I really kicked it into gear on Tuesday though. I welded up the rear section, then designed the upper cage on the fly and welded it up. And last night I finished mounting the tranny and drive shafts. And tonight I made a temp electronics tray so I can do some test driving. I still need to weld on rear shock mounts, they are zip tied to the frame as of right now. Then I need to add a door brace, and mounting tabs for all of the cover plates, side panels, hood, ect. Here are some pictures I took of the truck tonight.

12-28-2006, 10:36 PM	#2
420ZIP Quarry Creeper Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: BND Posts: 197	Good looking build. What kind of tranny are you running?

12-29-2006, 11:59 PM	#15
Cole82 I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cedar Rapids Posts: 2,028	Your right easy to photoshop. I found your next paint job. Attached Images

12-28-2006, 10:42 PM	#3
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	Thanks, its a RC4WD R2 tranny.

12-29-2006, 03:59 AM	#4
Nicklepimp RCC Addict Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Minnehopeless Posts: 1,129	Looks good Mike. I would never have thought it would flex that well with the front shocks angled forward like that. Leave it to Etype to prove me wrong.

12-29-2006, 05:33 AM	#5
xjwalt666 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: colchester Posts: 496	what are you doing about springs? are they internal or you not running them?

12-29-2006, 11:55 AM	#6
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	Thanks Kevin, I had around another inch of flex with the softer springs in the shocks. But it had way to much torque roll under stress. With the stiffer springs it still has most of the flex, but now almost no torque roll at all. The springs are internal, picked them up from the hardware store. I bought a small selection as I had no idea what I would need for this setup to work. Some would not fit inside the shock bodies, others are too stiff. I ended up with 2 sets that work, one set is very soft and the other is a bit on the stiff side. A bit more limited with setup this way, but it looks cool

12-29-2006, 06:14 PM	#7
Highmark I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 3,866	Great job Mike! I guess you made yourself into a tuber builder afterall eh? Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to ditch the torsion?

12-29-2006, 06:55 PM	#8
clodstall I lost my vendor privileges Join Date: May 2006 Location: TOP OF THE HILL Posts: 3,014	looks good i seen it some where before.lol

12-29-2006, 07:41 PM	#9
tjsky Newbie Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Grand Portage Posts: 39	Nice looking tuber!!!

12-29-2006, 07:44 PM	#10
All Out Racing Pebble Pounder Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Suffolk Posts: 183	Sweet looking rig, keeping it low and simple. Looks like you might need to add a brace to the front loop, it's kinda out there length wise and it might cave if you bounce off a rock too hard. You might angle it up from the lower corner of the front of the cab to the underside of the loop, just to lessen the amount of leverage your front shocks can put on the joint at the cab.

12-29-2006, 10:07 PM	#11
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	Highmark, I just felt the Torsion stick setup had to little flex for a 2.2 setup. It worked great, and if this tuber doesn't work out I can always go back to the torsion setup, doesn't take long to build one of those. Plus I have a soft spot for tubers :-P Alloutracing, I have considered adding some bracing. any still might. If I do it will most likely be a set of bars about a half inch above the current ones, and set inside more. Then I will shape the hood panel around them.

12-29-2006, 11:37 PM	#12
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	Added some more styrene panels, I think this is the layout and design I will go with. Going to test the truck out on the rocks tomorrow. So its ready to go. Then I need to tear it down and finish up the welding.

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12-29-2006, 11:40 PM	#13
Cole82 I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cedar Rapids Posts: 2,028	Looking good except the white out look. You are painting those right? BTW mines lighter.

12-29-2006, 11:44 PM	#14
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	They are just test panels, final ones will be Lexan.The styrene is nice for testing the layout, and I can photoshop over white much easier then clear ;) Going to take the truck out to Taylors falls tomarrow for a test run, I'll get some pictures too.

12-30-2006, 12:02 AM	#16
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	That would a stripper pole chick on the hood would be pretty much complete

12-30-2006, 02:41 AM	#17
md99taco Newbie Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: HELL Posts: 32	Sweet rig.

12-30-2006, 12:39 PM	#18
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	First test run went very well. Even with the wet moabs it was very capable. I'll be running mashers for the comp though.

12-30-2006, 01:35 PM	#19
Cole82 I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cedar Rapids Posts: 2,028	I've seen those rocks before. I'm glad it's up to par. It's looking good.

12-30-2006, 01:36 PM	#20
Nicklepimp RCC Addict Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Minnehopeless Posts: 1,129	You went up there without me?!?! :-( minus the smile

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Thread: TLT comp tuber