Joined the cool kids club!

[MAXXMASHER]

Got the tranny mounted in the chassis and a few more doo dads installed on it, as well. Off to work!




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[MAXXMASHER]

Got home around 8:30 this morning; of course, several more inches of wet, heavy snow had fallen. Had to take care of that mess before diving back into Ascender assembly. Still no MIP drivelines, so back to more jumping around. Put a few more things on the chassis, including the receiver box. I like how it looks like a fuel cell. I don't like how the antenna wire exits the box, though. Would like to see a waterproof gasket around the enclosure as well. Nothing a bit of waterproof grease and RTV silicone won't solve. I then figured I'd tackle the shocks. Didn't complete them, but got them most of the way. Left them in my building stand full of shock oil to get the air them. I also took another member's advice and broke out my pin vise to make those holes a little bigger for easier shock action. Finished my morning build session by putting together a few links and getting all that part of the build organized. I like to break down all the hardware of each step into compartmentalized boxes to make it easier to know what I have and need before turning wrenches. Keeps me from losing crap, too!



Can't even get the stock hole to show up on my phone. The one on the left has been drilled. If you don't have a pin vise, get one!



Just two links built. Feels like an upgraded kit with all the aluminum!



How my workbench now sits....





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[MAXXMASHER]

Nothing too exciting to report. Not a whole lotta build time right now. Just doing a bit before and after work. I pretty much got as far as I could without having my MIP shafts. I got all the links (except for the steering) built. I also got my shocks all together. Went with 35 wt. I think with the enlarged holes they should be pretty responsive. I usually run all my trucks with a droop setup to lower the body more, but we'll give the springs a try in the traditional setup. Not too difficult to change that up if I don't like it.
Checked my tracking, and both my MIP's and a set of beadlock rings I want to use for this truck are out for delivery today. Might paint some old Pro-Line 8-shooter beadlock wheels white, and paint my new rings orange to go with my paint job. Not sure which tires I'll go with. Possibly the stockers, RC4WD rock busters, or possibly 1.9 steelies with Pro-Line Flat Irons.

Today's work....



Lots to choose from.




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[jeepgeek2002]

the stock swampers do pretty damm good.. i cut the sides off the foams and they grip great on rocks..

[MAXXMASHER]

Got the rest of my goodies, too! MIP's and a lil' aluminum. (more to come when the pieces are in stock!)




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[MAXXMASHER]

Being on vacation is slowing down my build right now, but not my ordering. Had to check out RPP to see if some of the things I want for my truck were back in stock yet. As luck would have it, EVERYTHING else I wanted was in stock! I also found a few more things for it while I was getting the essentials....

Front spindles in aluminum will go nicely with the chubs I already have!


I also wanted to round out the truck and get the rear carriers.



Nothing in my manual said anything about the diff pinions being the HD ones, so to be on the safe side, I got a set of those. Can't hurt, and they're pretty inexpensive.



I have also been trying for awhile to catch these SSD wheels in stock. People seem to like them and the price is pretty good! Despite having six sets of bead-lock wheels or so, these will be my first aluminum ones.



I also picked up some jerry cans and a set of mirrors to add to the scale look.





All these goodies will be waiting for me when I get home and continue my build!


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[MAXXMASHER]

As luck would have it, ALL my goods are in! Just got home from Florida! Pulled out of Orlando around ten am this morning, and my stuff was all delivered today. Even though I drove from North Carolina to home, I am still wide awake. Had to open my stuff up and take a few pics! Might even tinker around a bit before going to bed. Hafta get back on my 3rd shift routine anyways....

Even my winch I ordered back in January finally got here!



These wheels look sweet!



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[MAXXMASHER]

Had to throw one of the tires on my new wheels. So nice!!



I also have my build really on its way, too! No work tonight, so I will get a lot done. Got the MIP's put together and the front axle built so far. Lookin' good!





Nice, solid feel to it.



I also have a little help!




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[MAXXMASHER]

Finally going to bed now after a pretty productive night. No electronics yet; just a roller at this point. I found it hard to give it the stance I wanted, so I took off the springs and have it set up droop-style. Two ball ends were missing, but not a big deal, I guess. I also could have made it a lot easier on myself by not skipping steps and back tracking so much, but I'm pretty satisfied with the build so far. I think I may also ditch the sliders, too. The way I have the body sitting, there is too much of a gap on the sides. I can't wait to get this thing running. I won't bore everyone with every step involved, as others have done that already.

Roller!



I even had time to trim out the body and get that mounted.



Wheels line up pretty good under full flex.





I was also pleased that my RC4WD fairlead fit. Had to force it just a bit, and I was required to use longer screws, but now you all know it works.




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[MAXXMASHER]

Just re-read the build sticky, and I thought I knew about all the problems I might encounter but I missed the one about the hole not all the way through the skid plate. This was definitely a toughie for me! I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't lime up and push through! Finally got it with a small hammer and a nail tap. Also my missing ball ends are probably somewhere on my work bench now that I see they were in a different pack, not with all the others. I just used some (gasp!) Axial ones that were the same length....

[RABIDFOX]

I ordered a K5 last night from AMain. Should be here Tuesday (UPS next Day). Way back in 1993, I purchased this beasty;

[IMG][/IMG]

I restored it with a Crate small block V8, rebuilt trans, 33x12.5 meats, lifted the body and suspension and a bunch of little details and tweaks. The wife nd I moved to SW Florida in 1995 and THIS happened;

[IMG][/IMG]

It was a drunk driver. My poor K5 saved my life. I actually cried when my wife showed me the pictures when I woke up in the Med Center (I was out for two hours and had a broken wrist). I hadn't had the chance to purchase another 1:1 project K5 so this is going to be a labor of love.

[MAXXMASHER]

Sounds good, man! Sorry about your 1:1. I found a little time before work tonight, and I decided to get my new wheels built and my Ascender tires mounted up. Went pretty well. Less than an hours work. Came out pretty good!



I decided to ditch the giant foams that came with them and opted to use some thinner, smaller ones I had laying around.



Got them mounted up. Gonna have to mess with the ride height a little more.





Also, while cleaning up my work space, I found the two rod ends I was missing! Always happens during a build.....


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[MAXXMASHER]

Just got home from work a little bit ago and I have a meeting in about an hour. What to do? Get out the dremel and drill and do some modifications/fabrications! I don't really own any suitable shorty packs, and I have plenty of regular lipos, so I knew I would be modding the battery plate to suit my needs. I trimmed down the sides to put the battery across the chassis just in front of the tranny. I also cut a bit out of the center to use the supplied strap in the same manner. The rest of the plate is mounted as designed, so the weight is still resting on the front axle. I also want to utilize my fairlead and have the winch hidden under the body. I cut a piece of aluminum plate, using the holes in the crossmember behind the servo to attach it. Seems pretty solid. Gonna put a rod end in one of the holes in front cross member to guide it to the fairlead. Should work pretty well. Next up will be wiring everything. Just bought a DX4R Pro to run everything. I think this truck is going to be a blast! My best bro is coming for a weekend of crawling over Easter weekend, so I gotta have it ready. I may have to use an existing body because I'm not sure if I'll have time to paint the K5 before then. We'll see! Pics!!

Hate to cut on brand new parts, but it's gotta be done.



Sat it back far enough so the tires don't rub at full lock.



My ugly, but effective winch plate.



Mounted up and ready for installation.



Those tiny screws were a pain in the ass! Needed three hands, but I finally got it secured.



Mounted in its home.



Not too shabby!



A bit of a wider view.



From the front.




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[tgh117]

Looking good. I may have also taken the plunge

[MAXXMASHER]

Alright, TGH!! I knew you'd take the plunge soon!! Keep sipping that Kool-Aid!! I made leaps and bounds this morning! Why are these damn things sooo addictive?!? I should have been asleep two hours ago! Got home from work at 8:15am, dog duties, breakfast, and then saw your sister in law off to work. Hmmm, maybe I'll just tinker for a little bit in the basement. Maybe I'll just tin a few wire ends to prep for my night off...two hours later, I have the servo hooked up, bec wired in, leads ran for the winch, motor wires attached, esc calibrated, and the reciever bound. Of course then I had to play with the setting in the radio. After that, I set everything up with the Castle field card. Everything is working as it should. Just have to tidy it all up and we have a runner!! Need to put the servo arm on and finish the wiring for the winch. Still have to put in the guides for that, too. Not bad for about two hours. Must sleep now, gonna be a busy night at work!!

Isn't she pretty?? LOL!! (when I say I need to tidy up that wiring, I mean it!!)




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[MAXXMASHER]

Finally, my night off! Got a LOT done tonight! I decided to use the stock receiver box, being large enough to house both my receiver and Castle bec. I had enough room to also put my winch controller in there, but opted against that. Mainly, with wires coming out of either end of it, it would make it that much more difficult to seal up the box against moisture. I put the controller in a balloon with a hole cut in the end. I zip tied it once on each end after coating the wires first with RTV sealant. Then after cinching them tight, I added another glob of RTV, and finally, another zip tie.



I mounted a plastic box to the top of the tranny in the unused holes and secured the controller with a zip tie.



I got all the wires in the proper channel, using double ended leads for every slot. I did this so if I need to change a component, I can do so without disturbing my waterproofing efforts to the receiver box.



Going to seal the screw holes and lid with waterproof grease.



Got the esc mounted on a homemade plate I used. I needed to get the esc farther away from the box to allow room for the wires.



I also got everything tidied up and secure.



The steering is set up and I got the winch working. Need to play a bit more with the radio settings to fine tune it, though.



Love how the winch hook looks!



Took her for the first basement test drive. Everything seems to be working. Need to put some larger bump stops on the shock shafts. The steering rubs a bit when it is fully compressed.



I also got the body (barely) started. I used a torch and added some dents here and there. Gonna add some rust with a brush before painting it with my airbrush. Can't wait to really run it!!


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[MAXXMASHER]

I was looking through an album of old pics and came across the actual truck that is going to be the blueprint for my paint job! My Dad's old "Orange Crush" as we used to call it. Dad taught me how to drive in that beast on the back roads around that time. That's me looking dorky at about 14 back in about 1986, I believe. Boy, did I beat that XR to death!!




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[tgh117]

Looking good. Mine supposed to arrive Thursday, but the signature will likely hamper that from happening.

Keep up the good work. I am just hoping its in one piece to make the trip easter weekend. I got a lot of stuff that needs to get on it though...

[MAXXMASHER]

Yeah! Can't wait for you to come out here Tim! Gonna be fun! Just a couple quick updates before I head out the door for work. Painted the top of the receiver case and added some rust to the dents I put on the truck body. Gonna be spraying some paint real soon. Did you get the kit or RTR, Tim?






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[MAXXMASHER]

Only got a little bit of time tonight. Cleaned up the workbench in between coats of Fasmask. I also added a little detail to the receiver cover. Does anyone else HATE the supplied masks? About as cheap as it gets. Once you touch the lexan with any part of the supplied masking it is hard to get off and it immediately curls up. I know I'm using the liquid mask, but I like to use the supplied window masks to have an easier time putting trim around the windows. The only other time I've seen these type of cheap masks is with Axial kits. Just a small gripe, but it's nice to be able to reposition the windows because I can't always tell if it is just right till it is almost completely applied. Maybe I'm just OCD about my painting?

Drying in front of my mini fan..






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