TRX 4 Body Bashing, The cutting has begun...

[sammyha]

Back to the scrap bin...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Semi scale hinges, black plastic to match the other 3D printed ones.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Used the screws from the 3D printed hinges.

Stand off scale hinges...as far as size and shape anyway.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's a close up look at them.

The latches are next, stay tuned...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

With a little shaping and cleaning up, this might work.

Mining more gold from the scrap bin...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

We are getting somewhere now...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Time to take this for a drive...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

This would be an awesome scale project...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sickpuppy]

What an amazing attention to details you got here, thanks for sharing your work with us!
I thought my pickup was kind of cool, but it's not.. not at all compared to your build!

And yeah, I think the 6x6 would've been cool, but at the end it's not _my_ cup of tea..
What I would really love was some Merc G-wagon that fit on stock wb.

Anyhow, keep up the good work, I'll be visiting regularly in the future! Cheers from Norway

[sammyha]

Originally Posted by sickpuppy

What an amazing attention to details you got here, thanks for sharing your work with us!
I thought my pickup was kind of cool, but it's not.. not at all compared to your build!

And yeah, I think the 6x6 would've been cool, but at the end it's not _my_ cup of tea..
What I would really love was some Merc G-wagon that fit on stock wb.

Anyhow, keep up the good work, I'll be visiting regularly in the future! Cheers from Norway

Thank you kindly. This one did get the juices flowing. It's been fun. I'm probably not as far north as you are but... salute! From as far north as you can go in Wisconsin, USA

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here I go again...Another crazy detail episode. This ties in with the body bash. At least part of the reason for cutting the body.

I think I visualize in sketches...and I learned a couple things as I was doing this sketch. Disclaimer tho, it's roughly as scale as I could draw it, but it works. Not splitting nickels here.

Point 1 was my original body CG. The amount I lowered it, Point 2, brought it to a neutral weight bias. Again, roughly speaking. That means it's not working against me, at least not at the 45 degrees or so that this truck can side hill on right now. It's also not working FOR me either.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Things I learned from this sketch...

High weight has a lot of leverage. Really? Yes, really. It's really bad. Think about your battery location, some where in the center of the truck, halfway up or so. Not working against you because it's not outside of the pivot point or neutral weight bias point. Lowering helps, but minimally.

It's the weight that's high enough to become negative weight bias that hurts side hill performance the most.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

So, where my body CG is now, any weight down low that I add will realize 100% gains. It doesn't have to first counter act against negative weight bias. At least not until I exceed 45 degrees, roughly.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

And... if you're going to purchase weight, buy weight that will be closer to Point 4 than Point 3 for the most gain. Lower and as far out from the center as possible. Point 3 would be brass diff covers, stainless steel links, steel axles and so on...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's the big one.

Tire roll.

I've heard a lot about it. Get better foams. Dual stage, so you minimize roll and maintain a big foot print. Get tires with inside ribbing on the side wall.

Why is that a big deal? Sticky tires that squish/flex for a better foot print is good enough, right?

I've watched my tires roll, and then still hold.

But, only until the truck tips over.

And that's the key. Less roll and you might make that side hill...



Tire roll shifts the entire weight bias of the truck in the negative direction!



Check out the small sketch in the corner...

Even Point 4 becomes closer to the pivot point. It therefore has less leverage. Any top weight goes even more negative.

Interesting? I think differently about tire roll now. If I'm right about this...

I bought Pit Bull tires with their matched foams. Is that the biggest reason that it's way more stable? A bigger deal than the Hot Racing brass weights?

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Anyway, long story short...Hey, it's way to late for that...

Anyway...I'm buying stainless links and brass steering knuckles and brass C-hubs. That's it. Should be all positive gains.

And I'm curious. What will the gains be? Are there diminishing returns?

It's much improved already and I go at it for as long as I'm having fun.

And I'm still having fun too

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

BTW, the scale stuff on top of the truck in the sketch? That was my truck...

Only thing going on my truck now is all for functional reasons. The easily accessible land anchor, snatch block and tow strap. That's it.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's another drift video...

https://youtu.be/AuZ73IOSRAw

I made another change, 14T pinion gear. Went from eleven to fifteen mph. My journey, doing it my way

Not recommended by Traxxas. But, using their final gear ratio calculations, it's slightly less than a ten percent increase.

Worst case, I still got the stock gear...

Oh, and for crawling, it's only a seven percent increase, still good throttle resolution and I have a touch more wheel speed on demand.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[bristowbike]

Great build!!!!

I may have missed it, but what did you use for the tonneau material?

[sammyha]

Originally Posted by bristowbike

Great build!!!!

I may have missed it, but what did you use for the tonneau material?

I found an old art portfolio, one that zips up. It's vinyl outside I think. Cut it from the side of that. Cut the cardboard backing off about 3/8" around the edges, but not thru the vinyl. Folded the vinyl ends over, used contact cement, stacked some books on it over night. Sealed the cardboard side with E6000.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk