RCCrawler Forums

badger · 07-06-2004, 07:39 PM

The new measurements are:
14.5" wheel base
4.5" center ground clearance
21.0" overall length
11.5" tall with stock shitty body

Here are some pictures, to see them all goto:

http://rc.badgerracing.com/modules.p...view_album.php

[/img]

DirkDigler · 07-07-2004, 08:23 AM

That thing looks awesome now Badger! The links look as if they worked out great, however, I don't understand the 14.5 inch wheel base. I measured them to make it a 15+ inch wheel base. I can't figure it out. Although, 14.5 is probably ideal for your set up anyway. I took mine back to about 14.5 as well because I got hung up a lot, even with chopping the chasis. Glad to hear it's working well......and go ahead and bang up those links.......I promise.....they won't break!!!!!!

DirkDigler · 07-07-2004, 08:27 AM

PS> Looks like you ended up having to put a slight bend in the links to clear the drive shafts. Bet it was fun bending them!!!! Nice work!!!!!

badger · 07-07-2004, 10:57 AM

Thanks again for all your help on this Dirk! I am really happy with it now.
Yeah I remember you saying that I should get somewhere around 15" wb, and I don't know what happened. You can see from this pic the upper and lower links. The upper links are using the longer 1/8 scale kyosho ball ends with 4/5 washers on each link. And the lower links are using a kyohso ball end (longer) on the chassis side and the stock ball end (shorter) on the axel side. If I were to put a kyosho ball end on the axel side of the lower link then that would push the lower part of the axel out more then the top, so to fix that I would have to add more washers to the upper links which IMO make them weaker. Right? It crawls really well right now so I might leave it at 14.5. You said you went back to 14.5? Does that mean that you are the happiest with 14.5? I always heard longer is better.

Does that not apply here also?

Yeah I did have to slightly bend two links to clear, man was I sweating bullets! I'm no Bob Villa so I have to use my vise and a hammer to do it. 8O

Also it looks to me like my shafts are twisting a little. Is that normal? It might have been my fault when I was trying to wheely!

DirkDigler · 07-07-2004, 11:36 AM

Well, I just found that the extra wheel base wasn't worth it because of getting hung up all the time. 14.5-15 inches seems to be the perfect length for a TXT with stock tires. I was at 15.5 at one point and I just high centered alot. There is always a compromise. Longer is better until you sacrifice something else that is working for you.

On a clod, that has nothing hanging down in the center, can get away with a much longer wheel base than we can with our TXT's.

As for the twisting shafts.....yes....it is normal that you will twist them and eventually break them as well. All that torque will break plastic sooner or later. Have fun.....the truck looks awesome!!!!

DirkDigler · 07-07-2004, 11:43 AM

Couple of other tips for you John.
Don't know if you've done this but you can lower your battery tray. Just mount the tray below the little mounting tabs that it sits on top of now. Then make a plate to cover your batteries and mount your electronics on that. That way, it's all lower and all up front.
When you lower the tray, you may need to remove some plastic from it so the upper link mounts to hit it and stop wheel travel.

Grizzly4x4 · 07-07-2004, 12:08 PM

Wow Badger, that thing is awesome 8O

I love it when people can make em look good and functional too, keep up the good werk.
On the wheelbase, imo 14.5" seems to be a real good length. It offers good vertical climbing ability while still maintaining some breakover, like Dirk said it is a give and take thing so happiness is in finding what WB werks for most of what you like to do and dealing with what it has trouble with.
Great job

rckjeep · 07-07-2004, 12:49 PM

Hey Badg, Man that thing looks sweet. Ya I finally got mine running good. I got the 3.8:1 crawl box in along with a 9t pinion I think my crawl ratio is 246:1 If I calculated it right. I still need to lengthen the wheelbase and raise the tranny. Then I think I'll be good. I've got some pics but I can't seem to get them on this site.
Lil help

badger · 07-07-2004, 02:28 PM

Dirk thanks, I was toying with the idea of lowering the battery, just wanted to get some needed run time in (been a few months) before I start hacking again. As far as running "everything" up front, I understand how that would help you on climbing but what about decents? What goes up must come down... so have you seen any steep decents to where you would want to have some weight towards the middle to rear of the truck?

Keep in mind I have never rock crawled 1:1 or RC before I got this TXT.

Griz, thanks man. I can't believe the truck is mine and I did the hacking on it. Did I mention that I did not measure ANYTHING at all when I was working on it. Dirk mentioned that he carefully measured when he cut his chassis and mounted his skid plate.... I read that and said OHH SHIT, I KNEW I FORGOT TO DO SOMETHING!

Rckjeep, thanks, just use the "img" button to add images to your post. And when are you conning up to San Carlos to mash?

DirkDigler · 07-07-2004, 02:37 PM

You make a good point and it would seem the same for descents, however, it is not. You have a completely different type of control when going down an obsticle. When going upward, you are really defying and fighting gravity and when going downward, you are controllably secumbing to gravity. You want weight up front because you tend to get on the throttle while climbing, which typically gets the truck a little out of control. Weight helps the front end down, providing traction and control.
As long as you don't "hit the brakes" hard on a steep descent, you can usually "engine break" down slow enough to not need as much weight out back.
Does any of that make sense at all?

badger · 07-07-2004, 02:44 PM

It does make perfect sence, thanks.

I have thought about how I can fab a new mount for the electronics but just can't come up with anything. You have any ideas or pics? Also how do you get the battery out when your electronics are mounted to it?

How do you guys deal with all the damn ROOKIE questions?

bustedcrawler · 07-08-2004, 12:47 AM

Try making the electronics tray removable. I am going a completely different route than what I have seen before in raising the tranny and moving the battery....And Dirk keep quite until I get my links :P

I will have pics up here sometime soon to post up on how I have done things. I just don't want to cut the chassis with out my new links on there.

badger · 07-08-2004, 11:38 AM

Yeah, I was looking at it last night brainstorming until my head hurt. I know where I want to mount the battery and my plan was to make the electronics tray sit on top of the batttery holder and have some type of hinge on the tranny side so I can still take out the battery.

badger · 07-08-2004, 05:14 PM

Dirk, I added the kyosho 1/8 scale ball ends to my lower links on the axel side then added two more washers to the upper links and I now have a 15" wheel base!

It actually works better for me because now the bends that I made in the upper links to clear the axel shaft do not hit at all, with the 14.5" they would slightly touch.

bustedcrawler · 07-09-2004, 01:05 AM

Lookin Good!

rckjeep · 07-09-2004, 12:02 PM

Well here's mine ( i hope the pic works)

I've made a few changes since this pic was taken I'll try and take some more recent maybe even real world shots.

Badg, I'll head up there pretty soon. I just had a baby yesterday so that takes precidence. [/img]

DirkDigler · 07-09-2004, 12:26 PM

John,
After moving the battery tray lower, the two aluminum front chasis cross braces will sit right in front of the tray. You can actually just cut off the front of the battery tray, remove one of the cross braces and slide the battery right in from the front. Replace the cross brace and it will hold the battery in. Make sense? It works great....especially if you come up with a quick release on the cross brace, rather than having to screw it back in every time.

07-06-2004, 07:39 PM	#21
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	Re: TXT mods The new measurements are: 14.5" wheel base 4.5" center ground clearance 21.0" overall length 11.5" tall with stock shitty body Here are some pictures, to see them all goto: http://rc.badgerracing.com/modules.p...view_album.php [/img]

07-07-2004, 08:23 AM	#22
DirkDigler I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 5,027	Re: TXT mods That thing looks awesome now Badger! The links look as if they worked out great, however, I don't understand the 14.5 inch wheel base. I measured them to make it a 15+ inch wheel base. I can't figure it out. Although, 14.5 is probably ideal for your set up anyway. I took mine back to about 14.5 as well because I got hung up a lot, even with chopping the chasis. Glad to hear it's working well......and go ahead and bang up those links.......I promise.....they won't break!!!!!!

07-07-2004, 08:27 AM	#23
DirkDigler I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 5,027	Re: TXT mods PS> Looks like you ended up having to put a slight bend in the links to clear the drive shafts. Bet it was fun bending them!!!! Nice work!!!!!

07-07-2004, 10:57 AM	#24
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	Re: TXT mods Thanks again for all your help on this Dirk! I am really happy with it now. Yeah I remember you saying that I should get somewhere around 15" wb, and I don't know what happened. You can see from this pic the upper and lower links. The upper links are using the longer 1/8 scale kyosho ball ends with 4/5 washers on each link. And the lower links are using a kyohso ball end (longer) on the chassis side and the stock ball end (shorter) on the axel side. If I were to put a kyosho ball end on the axel side of the lower link then that would push the lower part of the axel out more then the top, so to fix that I would have to add more washers to the upper links which IMO make them weaker. Right? It crawls really well right now so I might leave it at 14.5. You said you went back to 14.5? Does that mean that you are the happiest with 14.5? I always heard longer is better. Does that not apply here also? Yeah I did have to slightly bend two links to clear, man was I sweating bullets! I'm no Bob Villa so I have to use my vise and a hammer to do it. 8O Also it looks to me like my shafts are twisting a little. Is that normal? It might have been my fault when I was trying to wheely!

07-07-2004, 11:36 AM	#25
DirkDigler I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 5,027	Re: TXT mods Well, I just found that the extra wheel base wasn't worth it because of getting hung up all the time. 14.5-15 inches seems to be the perfect length for a TXT with stock tires. I was at 15.5 at one point and I just high centered alot. There is always a compromise. Longer is better until you sacrifice something else that is working for you. On a clod, that has nothing hanging down in the center, can get away with a much longer wheel base than we can with our TXT's. As for the twisting shafts.....yes....it is normal that you will twist them and eventually break them as well. All that torque will break plastic sooner or later. Have fun.....the truck looks awesome!!!!

07-07-2004, 11:43 AM	#26
DirkDigler I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 5,027	Re: TXT mods Couple of other tips for you John. Don't know if you've done this but you can lower your battery tray. Just mount the tray below the little mounting tabs that it sits on top of now. Then make a plate to cover your batteries and mount your electronics on that. That way, it's all lower and all up front. When you lower the tray, you may need to remove some plastic from it so the upper link mounts to hit it and stop wheel travel.

07-07-2004, 12:08 PM	#27
Grizzly4x4 PapaGriz Yo Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: In the garage building the wife a crawler Posts: 13,137	Re: TXT mods Wow Badger, that thing is awesome 8O I love it when people can make em look good and functional too, keep up the good werk. On the wheelbase, imo 14.5" seems to be a real good length. It offers good vertical climbing ability while still maintaining some breakover, like Dirk said it is a give and take thing so happiness is in finding what WB werks for most of what you like to do and dealing with what it has trouble with. Great job

07-07-2004, 12:49 PM	#28
rckjeep I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Jose Posts: 5,207	Re: TXT mods Hey Badg, Man that thing looks sweet. Ya I finally got mine running good. I got the 3.8:1 crawl box in along with a 9t pinion I think my crawl ratio is 246:1 If I calculated it right. I still need to lengthen the wheelbase and raise the tranny. Then I think I'll be good. I've got some pics but I can't seem to get them on this site. Lil help

07-07-2004, 02:28 PM	#29
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	Re: TXT mods Dirk thanks, I was toying with the idea of lowering the battery, just wanted to get some needed run time in (been a few months) before I start hacking again. As far as running "everything" up front, I understand how that would help you on climbing but what about decents? What goes up must come down... so have you seen any steep decents to where you would want to have some weight towards the middle to rear of the truck? Keep in mind I have never rock crawled 1:1 or RC before I got this TXT. Griz, thanks man. I can't believe the truck is mine and I did the hacking on it. Did I mention that I did not measure ANYTHING at all when I was working on it. Dirk mentioned that he carefully measured when he cut his chassis and mounted his skid plate.... I read that and said OHH SHIT, I KNEW I FORGOT TO DO SOMETHING! Rckjeep, thanks, just use the "img" button to add images to your post. And when are you conning up to San Carlos to mash?

07-07-2004, 02:37 PM	#30
DirkDigler I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 5,027	Re: TXT mods You make a good point and it would seem the same for descents, however, it is not. You have a completely different type of control when going down an obsticle. When going upward, you are really defying and fighting gravity and when going downward, you are controllably secumbing to gravity. You want weight up front because you tend to get on the throttle while climbing, which typically gets the truck a little out of control. Weight helps the front end down, providing traction and control. As long as you don't "hit the brakes" hard on a steep descent, you can usually "engine break" down slow enough to not need as much weight out back. Does any of that make sense at all?

07-07-2004, 02:44 PM	#31
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	Re: TXT mods It does make perfect sence, thanks. I have thought about how I can fab a new mount for the electronics but just can't come up with anything. You have any ideas or pics? Also how do you get the battery out when your electronics are mounted to it? How do you guys deal with all the damn ROOKIE questions?

07-08-2004, 12:47 AM	#32
bustedcrawler RCC Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 5280 Posts: 999	Re: TXT mods - with pics Try making the electronics tray removable. I am going a completely different route than what I have seen before in raising the tranny and moving the battery....And Dirk keep quite until I get my links :P I will have pics up here sometime soon to post up on how I have done things. I just don't want to cut the chassis with out my new links on there.

07-08-2004, 11:38 AM	#33
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	Re: TXT mods - with pics Yeah, I was looking at it last night brainstorming until my head hurt. I know where I want to mount the battery and my plan was to make the electronics tray sit on top of the batttery holder and have some type of hinge on the tranny side so I can still take out the battery.

07-08-2004, 05:14 PM	#34
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	Re: TXT mods - with pics Dirk, I added the kyosho 1/8 scale ball ends to my lower links on the axel side then added two more washers to the upper links and I now have a 15" wheel base! It actually works better for me because now the bends that I made in the upper links to clear the axel shaft do not hit at all, with the 14.5" they would slightly touch.

07-09-2004, 01:05 AM	#35
bustedcrawler RCC Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 5280 Posts: 999	Re: TXT mods - with pics Lookin Good!

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07-09-2004, 12:02 PM	#36
rckjeep I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Jose Posts: 5,207	Re: TXT mods - with pics Well here's mine ( i hope the pic works) I've made a few changes since this pic was taken I'll try and take some more recent maybe even real world shots. Badg, I'll head up there pretty soon. I just had a baby yesterday so that takes precidence. [/img]

07-09-2004, 12:26 PM	#37
DirkDigler I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 5,027	Re: TXT mods - with pics John, After moving the battery tray lower, the two aluminum front chasis cross braces will sit right in front of the tray. You can actually just cut off the front of the battery tray, remove one of the cross braces and slide the battery right in from the front. Replace the cross brace and it will hold the battery in. Make sense? It works great....especially if you come up with a quick release on the cross brace, rather than having to screw it back in every time.

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