Made Front Skid....Pics. Few Questions Also.

[RCALLOYS]

Hello All.
Had some time today to whip up a front skid, didn't have time to do the rear. However it turned out quite well and should do the trick. Did a brushed finish on it first and didn't like it. Sooooooo it got pitched in the tumbler for a few hours to give it a better look, I like it. My question concerns moving the lower links and ditching the rear sway bar. I did all this the other nite and it produced radical changes in my opinion. Truck has even more articulation than the previous set up which is cool. However, with removing the rear sway bar it is quite the pain to crawl with. Keeps wanting to stuff the right rear tire into the body and roll over (torque twist/roll, I know). Seems all the shocks/springs are weaker since moving the lower links up too. Spent couple of hours searching the board for fixes for this and did nothing but confuse myself. Soooooo, if anyone can suggest anything or point me in the right direction that would be great. Few pics of my skid and the new articulation :P

[rc4x4nut]

Great looking skids 8O now I am going to want one for my truck

[TXTreme]

it looks like u still have the stock tamiya shocks on there. if so, i swapped mine out with traxxas shocks and now my rig doesnt want to try and flip or roll over.

[rckjeep]

It's great, now you're right back to a stock TXT. What's the benefit? I spent a lot of time getting rid of the stock, silly looking steering skids and converting to more traditional steering. Don't get me wrong you are one hell of a craftsmen, but us crawlers like to ditch parts that hang low and don't help us crawl.

[rocpede]

nice truck man. Q. will that skid plate fit the jugg2 axles.

[RCALLOYS]

RCKjeep............. how do you figure I am right back to a stock TXT? I know you've seen my thread over in the TXT forum of the mods I've done but have included a pic for you. Ground clearence at the center skid is 4.500, I think that is pretty decent. I've ditched as many stock pieces on the truck as I could. You sure seem to have some comments for me lately. My truck crawls fine for me, I wanted a front skid so I made one. To each his own my friend..........

[badger]

I think rckjeep means the clearance under the axels. You still have the lower bumper mount (plastic piece) and your now you installed a skid which kills some of your approach angle.

It seems you are on the fence with building a shelf queen and a hardcore cralwer.

If you look at most of the non shelf queen crawlers you will see the parts you are adding are the first ones we take off.

[RCALLOYS]

The front skid is on the list to be redesigned as it will be staying. Plan to remove the "blocks" that the skid attaches to on the lower part of the axle. Doing so will gain another .312 of clearance Far as being on the fence of building a shelf queen and a real world crawler.........dunno. Like my sig says, there isn't much time to play. Don't worry, it will get scratched up soon as I can hit the rocks with it. Approach angle is quite fair as I can take approach obstacles dead on without running into the skid, the tires hit it first.

[badger]

Yeah, I actually thought about making a skid similar but found that I just don't need it. As much as my truck gets beat up (ask the nor-cal guys ) I have not broke anything in the front or rear of the truck and I have as much approach angle as I can. It is cool looking though.

As far as you being on the fence, I hope you do not stop making these "bling" parts, as I cannot and am living my "bling" life through you!

But if you stopped making parts for one day and threw your truck into some rocks you would not be sorry. I am sure if you ask your truck (not when people are around) you will find that he/she wants to be crawled.

[RCALLOYS]

Hee hee, thanks Badger I appreciate the comments. One of these days I will get to the rocks with the truck. I played a bit Sunday on my "rock pile" but ended up coming back in to tune on the shocks/springs and shock oil. I'll never stop making neat little trinkets, don't worry. Been doing this for many many years. Little pieces and parts for RC trucks is just a hobby. We are a full machine shop and stay busy with other stuff too. The RC parts is a fill in type deal when other things are slow.
Far as asking my truck if it wants to go crawling............ I talk to me RC's all the time. Wife thinks I am a little odd but what does she know.

[rckjeep]

Ya, especially when you post in my thread about beadlocks and then attach a link to your thread selling them. It rubbed me the wrong way. You are one hell of a machinist I'll give you that.

No time to play huh? Well quit making silly parts a crawl that thing.

[old_dog]

Regarding the problem with the TXT Torque Twist I was successful by using 60w oil in the right rear shock, 30w in the right front and stock oil in the other two. Also moved the cantilevers to the outside of the frame. This reduced the leverage the frame had on the axles and did not reduce the articulation. Truck also seemed more stable on side hills after just these two mods.

Old_Dog

[1beatjeep]

to solve the problem like that get emaxx shocks and put 80wt oil in them and that would do it.any more help just ask.