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Thread: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

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Old 11-12-2018, 09:19 AM   #1
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Default Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Ok - I'm playing catch up with this thread sober with me and this first post.


A while back I scored a bargain basement priced, new in the box TRX-4 Bronco.
Anyone that's followed my other builds will know that pretty much everything else has been axial based but this was too good a deal to pass up - so it's been sat in my office for a good few months waiting its turn.

the traxxas body is simply gorgeous imho with a crazy amount of detail for an RTR truck.

But.....
I couldn't leave it alone.

chucked on some Team DC Wheels with ProLine Hyrax tyres on that I had (after fitting some of my fake Method race wheels hub decals :biggthumpup





The main thing that lets the body down in my eyes is the fully blacked out windows on the hardtop - you know - the bit that should be removable on the 1:1 trucks.


So - broke out the sharp thing



chopped off the roof

then chopped off a bit of my finger too.







The plan is to do away with the integrated rear inner arches and shock hoops, kick the shock mounts forwards a bit, then do a full size drop bed and make it into a pickup.

I recently purchased a Tevo Tornado 3D printer at the suggestion of Harley Designs on youtube, so have been slowly teaching myself 3D design using Fusion360.

I carefully took a pile of measurements from the now roofless body and set to drawing this up.



The idea being that the bed drops down into the aperture and is secured to the body by screwing through from the inside of the drop bed, into the mounting holes that are built into the trx-4 body chrome trim strips - so - no need for glue.


Fired up the printer, pressed "print" and 26 hours later had a TRX-4 drop bed ::2thumbs





I'd saved the bi of the roof that I cut off, and that's now been trimmed down and the very back bit of it fitted to the remaining cab roof as a rear screen.
Also added a bit of rubber edging strip to finish off nicely the cut lines on the body.

All in all, this has resulted in a super stiff lexan shell.



For body mounts, I filled in the exiting body pin holes in the front hood and fitted some neodymium magnets GCM Racing style - the rear will be secured with a screw through the bed floor into the chassis cross member, that will be disguised with some scale accessories.





I've also done away with the original front bumper and made up a very simple tube bumper from some solid stainless steel rod






Next up was paint

gave the exterior of the shell a quick blast with some Tamiya PS silver paint kind of acting as a primer.

Followed by top coats in a variety of colours using Tamiya TS paints with various washes applied and dustings of Vallejo weathering pigments too.







Painted in a very similar style to my Chevy truck as you will tell.


details of which can be found here (sorry it's on another forum)

http://scalebuildersguild.com/forum/...10ii-Chevy-C10

partly because I had paint left over :laugh: but mainly as I just love that colour scheme and the weathered finish.

Printed up some custom decals for the tailgate and rear end to make it just a little bit more different






and made a reg plate






Gave the drop bed a quick blast with some textured paint





Fitted an eBay special full light kit (awesome quality for the price!!!)









drew on some panel lines using ink, smudged it around a bit then sealed in with some clear coat




made a cover for the drop bed box thingy (the box is there to give a bit of room for the custom shock hoops I'd made) that kind of makes it into a bit of a tool box thingy


designed this scale power tank CO2 bottle on my lunch break - I've got a powers hit DMS of this style on one of my other trucks but seeing as I won't be using a dis on this truck, thought I'd have a go at making my own bottle


then sorted out a sand ladder on the 3d printer to act as the rear body "hold down"






so this is where I'm at at the moment




Next up is to sort out the boring stuff like servo, esc placement, custom battery tray, interior, and see if I can squeeze in some kind of servo winch too.
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Old 11-12-2018, 09:33 AM   #2
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

I'm speechless! Great job! Wow, what a transformation. Can't wait to see more!
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Old 11-12-2018, 09:35 AM   #3
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

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Originally Posted by B-MOW71 View Post
I'm speechless! Great job! Wow, what a transformation. Can't wait to see more!
thanks - few more photos on my instagram too which is @scalebuilt
https://www.instagram.com/scalebuilt/
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Old 11-12-2018, 11:37 AM   #4
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Whoa!
That's really good looking!

One question: How do you fix the body on the car? I see the original posts are gone...
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Old 11-12-2018, 12:48 PM   #5
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

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Originally Posted by amigaman View Post
Whoa!
That's really good looking!

One question: How do you fix the body on the car? I see the original posts are gone...
Magnets on the front - google GCM RAcing magnets, for a YouTube video on magnet mounts and that’s how I did it - they are rock solid!

On the rear there is a scre that goes through the sand ladder and drop bed and bolts into the chassis rear cross member
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Old 11-12-2018, 01:16 PM   #6
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Beautiful!!!!!! Wish i had the paitence to do that kind of work. Awesome job, keep up the great work. Subscribed!!!!!

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Old 11-12-2018, 01:43 PM   #7
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Awesome look, love the colours
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Old 11-12-2018, 01:50 PM   #8
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Ah, nice, ring magnets, thats a trick i did not come up with.
Thanks!
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Old 11-12-2018, 02:19 PM   #9
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Awesome build!! Well done.
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Old 11-12-2018, 02:28 PM   #10
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Thanks all
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Old 11-12-2018, 06:03 PM   #11
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Looks great! Wish I had the time to learn how to do that, I'll be watching this build!
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Old 11-12-2018, 07:57 PM   #12
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Awesome job! I’m doing basically the same thing with my Vaterra blazer. Very nice work and the weathering is spot on.

Ben
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Old 11-13-2018, 11:09 PM   #13
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

What the others all said, you did a good job on it. Hats off to the 3d printing good idea.
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Old 11-14-2018, 12:14 AM   #14
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Unreal... absolutely fantastic detail and ingenuity. I'll bet you could sell a few of those beds too.
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Old 11-14-2018, 03:34 AM   #15
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Thank You everyone for the support! I'm really pleased with how it's turning out. but it really is an awesome body shell from the factory which helps loads!

For those interested the bed was designed by me in Fusion360 which is free to download software and all it took to get the basics was a watching a few hours of tutorials on it that are on YouTube. I found the ones by this guy the most useful

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo2...ziFUZGZ50VKvWA

And the printer I used was a Tevo Tornado that I bought on eBay after Harley Designs recommended it on his 3d printing video series.



Anyway - I've sorted out an interior - nothing too fancy as you can't see that much of it anyway, especially since I've scuffed up the screens (deliberately)

So I got one of those cheapo ebay china universal lexan interiors, worked out how to mount it, painted it, and printed out some vinyl stickers with a plaid pattern on it, glued in a cheap DC comics "Boomerang" figure and hey presto.








I'll fade down the "plaid" a bit to make it look a bit worn in too.


Next, needed a winch.

I had 2 x NEW Power HD23Kg servos turn up and not work properly out of the box, so hacked up one of them which was originally going to be made into an internal spool servo winch, but ended up working better for this application as an external spool one. So made a sheet steel mounting plate for it and made a spool using an alloy round servo horn, UK 2 pence pieces and a bit of brass tubing. Holds around 4m of line and when the body is on you can't see anything other then the line coming out of the fairlead.



I've also been continuing my 3D printing learning curve and have drawn up a mini PowerTank CO2 tank for the load bed, along with a base for it to sit on





I've also fitted (but not got pics of yet) a new Holmes 550 can motor, 6 channel radio system, Hobbywing 1080esc, so all that's left now is to sort out the servos etc... and it should be good for a test run pretty soon

Last edited by 55ovalcharlie; 11-14-2018 at 03:37 AM.
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Old 11-14-2018, 06:27 AM   #16
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Holy cow this is amazing! The truck looked great with the stock body and the black Roost wheels, but you really stepped it up 1,000 notches! Incredible work!
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Old 11-14-2018, 07:53 AM   #17
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

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Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper View Post
Holy cow this is amazing! The truck looked great with the stock body and the black Roost wheels, but you really stepped it up 1,000 notches! Incredible work!

Thanks man, glad you like it
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Old 11-14-2018, 09:15 AM   #18
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Love it!

One of the best bumperstickers, ever.
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Old 11-15-2018, 01:18 AM   #19
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Fitted up a winch line to my home brewed servo winch




Wired it all up to discover one of the diff servos was broken out the box!

So a quick trip to my local rc helicopter shop resulted in a savox SH0262MG which can be made to work with a little fettling (NB. You MUST have a radio system where u can adjust the end points to use this!)



Then, hooked everything up, threw in a battery and just time for a quick test before bed!









So far so good!

Spec wise it’s running quite a few upgrades

SSD portal cover / weights at the front
Samix portal covers rear
GRC Ackerman steering knuckles
Traxxas overdrive gears front
Traxxas underdrive gears rear
Holmes torquemaster expert 550 27T
JX Servo 12V 46kg brushless servo (oh so quiet!)
eBay China light kit which I am sooooooo impressed with
Predator Compound Hyrax with CI foams
Team DC roost wheels (bargain of the century)
3D printed lcg battery tray
1080 esc
Hacked flysky gt3c 6 channel radio system


Still a few more little bits to sort out, but will try and get some decent photos and video once all that’s sorted out
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Old 11-15-2018, 03:58 AM   #20
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Default Re: Full Drop Bed TRX-4 Bronco Project Build

Awesome job!!!!! Love the look of it. Ive gotta learn to do the petina lol

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