nice work jeb looks really good "thumbsup"

Looks good, if you're tryng to match the link color, I used Tamia Paint "Candy Lime Green" It's almost a perfect match. I don't think you'll get any closer then that color.

for now i had another can of pactra rally green on hand and will be using that but i'm going to pick up some of the tamiya paint next time i run by the hobby store. i'm loving the flexibility of lexan panels on this chassis. all it costs to swap the look around is a couple zip ties! "thumbsup"

on the rocks today and she is running fine. two things i need to change (in this order and pending wife's approval of adding to my money pit hobby ;-)):
1. new tires & wheels. too many times were i could get the tires where i wanted them but the stock tires can't get enough grip. i know people have preferences but i'm curious if people have had good luck with the rovers on rubble like i run on. any better recommendations? also, the hexes in the stock wheels are starting to get a little rounded out and sloppy. gotta get some alloy wheels. tough choices: ckrc links, hr dark crystal, motoworx! wish i could get them all.
2. servo: funny enough there were times where the tires had too much traction for the servo to turn the wheels (not bound up). the htc 645 just doesn't have enough torque. i'm thinking htc 7950. anyone have issues with that servo? i'll probably use the 645 on the mini crawler i want to get my son (probaby exceed-rc maxstone 16) to upgrade from stock.

a couple pics:

I play in similar looks ares too you mate and love my rover's! I'm having the same dilema with getting new wheel's too! lol

As for the Servo's Got 2 7950's From Ebay for $280 (AUS) delivered too me, Brand new
http://www.hitecrcd.com/products/ser...hs-7950th.html
They are awesome! I Haven't changed the power input either.

thanks for the input. always good to get an endorsement from someone running in the same type of terrain. so, for the servo, you're still running them off the receiver? no bec mod?

by the way, i've been reading up on your build thread and you rig has come a long way. looking good.

All good. Hope it helps.

I have a Castle BEC mine was glitching with out the BEC. Been awesome since!

"thumbsup" Cheers Mate. Long way too go tho!

here's an issue. i still run the stock shocks on my creeper and they have been working fine, minus one shock. it seems to get some kind of hydraulic lock on occasion. if it is at rest for awhile it sticks in place but with just a little pressure it breaks the lock them moves fine until it is at rest again. i've pulled it apart multiple times and checked everything (rings, piston, shaft, etc) but can't seem to get rid of the problem. pretty annoying. i could see air in the shock or a leak causing this but that's not happening. suggestions?

Get some Losi Green Slime and lube the shock shafts and seals,,probably whats happening is the shaft is sticking in the seals.

cool. i'll pick some up this weekend and give it a shot.

looking for input from people that spend more time on the rocks than i do. how much steering angle do you get out of your rigs? i've been playing around with my steering and can't get much more than 35 degrees with my BTA mod before it starts to bind (shocks get in the way of drag link). i think i want more but can't without having to give up on my current BTA mod. i'm torn. i see where rmdm is getting 50+ and think the extra steering angle could be a good thing but i also like having all the steering tucked away behind the axle.
so, what is a fair amount of steering angle?

Jeff look at the last couple of pages in my build,,I specifically tell in there about the mods necessary to keep the 52* I get without wheel wideners,,its a matter of moving the links and shocks inboard with my BTA

Oh,,,lol and its RMDW

looking really good jebster , i run on everything from slickrock to dusty to really grippy rock and i love my rovers they work great . i too was starting to have issues with my hexes on the stock wheels starting to round out so i started looking in the for sale section and found my wheels for a really good price , just look at your options and pick one you like . we do have a local guy here that makes some very nice wheels he is in the vendor section under bad attitude machining

52* Steering angle suspension mod

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showp...&postcount=297

if you need more tech let me know.

rmdW (sorry about the earlier typo) i have been reading up on your thread and think i'll have to take my drag link over the shocks like you. i was hoping to thread it between the uppers, lowers, shocks and axle pumpkin like i had before but the extra swing needed to get up to 50deg means i can't get a drag link to fit that way. it was fine at 35deg but that's it.
i'm also thinking about an xr10 type BTA mod. i'll try to draft up a pic to post.

here is a pic of what i'm thinking. if i can find a way to mount the steering slider to the back of the axle i think the steering links would move right around the shock and give me the steering angle i want. now all i have to do is find the right pieces to do it!

I'm new to the creeper and haven't finished building mine yet, but had an idea. Would it be a terrible thing to move the front shocks to the original mounting oints on the axle? It seems like it would halp gain some much needed clearance both for the tires and the tierod. Though it may just be moving them into the draglink area.

That steering is a good idea, I've actualy worked a similar idea on my rig but found that without the ckrc high steer knuckled the shocks are in the way. I never finished working that idea due to a busy schedule. If you look at tha xr10 you will see that the steering on it Is built just like that, only exception is that the servo still mounts forwards and attaches to the front of the knuckle.

interesting steering idea jeb will be following your idea to see how it pans out

you are right in that having the shocks in the stock position would give a lot more room. the only problem i have with that is it would interfer with my servo plate, which covers them up. it might be something i change to get this idea working. i'll keep everyone posted.

i know others are trying out different steering setups also. that is the great thing about the creeper, lots of flexibility in how to set it up.

i was curious about the ckrc BTA kit. it seems like that kit would mimic the stock steering setup, just swap it to the back of the axle. it looks like if you pull the shocks inside the lower axle mounting tabs (where they would need to be to prevent the tire from rubbing them in order to maximize steering angle) the ckrc drag link would also hit the shocks. anyone out there running the ckrc BTA mod?
by adding spacers between the knuckles and the drag link on my i get the equivalent height to the high steer knuckles from ckrc but it doesn't help in the shock/links clearance.
you are correct that what i'm trying to do is very similar to the XR10. the only real difference would be i would keep the servo linkage BTA instead of connecting to the steering knuckle in the front.

up and over bro....

I thought of the plate thing later on after posting. I have straight upper links though, so not sure if I can run inboard shocks like that anyway. I'll be watching to see what you come up with. Seems like a lot of interest and great ideas coming out of the venom section lately."thumbsup"

Personaly, I think all the innovation going into the venom here are rooted from a desire to see the underdog rise.

Personaly, when I showed up at my first comp with a stock venom and got smirked at for it. I decided that I needed to do everything posable to show that a venom can compete and win next to the best most expensive rigs. I believe that it has been achieved with the help of everone in this forum. At this point, the only short comings my rig had it the servo( need$ for a good one) and the driver( need practice and to perfect my driving style).

The underdog will succeed :)

it's looking more and more like this is the only option, but i'm still hoping! :ror:

so, got my new 4VP short nose plates (thanks adam! "thumbsup") in the mail today and a length of derlin rod. install the plates and narrow the front to pull the shocks in close so i can increase my steering angle. all moving well with no binding and plenty of articulation. still playing around with the steering setup, which seems to be my latest challenge.
i also got a module (little board with blue pots in the pic below) that allows my tq2.4 4ch to get true three position function out of the 3 position switch. now i can use all three dig settings (4x4, free, dig).

a few pics of my rig on the workbench:

i am trying to figure out why the creeper is such an underdog. yeah its only 100 bucks. but it has no electronics. but u can buy an ax10 for about 240 with electronics. so isnt the total gonna be about the same with the creeper once u put electronics in it? plus the axial electronics arent the greatest so they will need upgraded. so there is more money. i just dont see why its an underdog. Now i have an rs10 and i can see why people say it is a cheapy rig. but the axles are pretty good and u wind up upgrading everything on it like u would on anything else out of the box but u save about 100 bucks in the beginning. sorry to jack ur thread dude. just needed to get that off my chest. hoping to have extra cash this week to buy me a creeper. really like what u guys are doing for it. thanks.

Perhaps I got the impression that it was the underdog based on all the initial comments that I got from some of the local clubs... then again these guies mostly run MOA and Axial based rigs but mostly MOA. Now it's a different story. I love my venom, wouldn't trade it for anything.

I suppose that when i run with the local club (not very often), they all see a fast back chassis, axial tranny and the axial wheels but completly miss the fact that it is venom based "oh...its just another axial" Not:flipoff:.
Im shure all of you creeper guys want one in worlds. I know i do

Hey,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,thats my line.

The Creeper is the underdog...very little after market support. A few minor and misconceived issues here and there and most comp guys dont like the tranny. To a comp guy the selectable lockers was a great idea but when it didnt pan out for the amount of abuse a Creeper goes through in a comp...then throw in some quality issues back in the day...you get bad press. Nevermind the fact that the Creeper will out crawl and AX out of the box,,,and performance wise from what Ive seen has less issues then Losi's out of the box.

Im here to make the Creeper more than a threat,,I want to make it a contender.

since this is my first crawler i can't compare it to others but i can saw i'm impressed with the durability and flexibility of the creeper. given the initial investment was low ($300 = $100 rig + $200 electronics) i've had room to do the upgrades i want. plus, a lot of upgrades are just the cost of some scrap metal/plastic and my time. it's a great platform to not only get started in crawling but to also create a competitive rig.

i want to say i appreciate all of you who participate in this forum sharing information. it is great floating ideas and looking for solutions with others who are dedicated to making the creeper the best it can be.

I say we show at WORLDS anyway.....just to be "in your face".

Does that make me an instagator?

ya know what Jeff...this could have just as easily gone the other way for me. But the Creeper platform IS that good. What Ive done is just bring out whats already there,,,thats what a lot of people dont understand about the Creeper. The ones who snicker at the Creeper at a comp cuz its a Creeper then cant believe it just out climbed thier $1000.00 fully mod'ed Axial. I dont have anywhere near a grand in mine as most people dont....but when it works it works like its a grand.

thats for sure i have seen some of the guys in my group that have been impressed with my creeper .

When is worlds... I'm game if I'm not in Iraq or Afganistan by then.

just remember to keep your head down

ditto. can't have one of us creeper supporters out of action!

i decided my xr-10'ish BTA concept needs a lot of work before it is a reality. materials and fabrication tools/skills are slowing me down so in the mean time i went with an up-and-over BTA link like everyone else. works fine except i need a longer servo arm to take full advantage of the available steering angle.

at this point i need to invest more money in wheels/tires and a stronger servo w/ BEC. until that time i want to beat the crap out of this on the rocks and see what it is really capable of. it's been a workbench baby most of this time so i need to push it. it also gives me an excuse to put together a course in the back yard!

I must say there are some great ideas on this thread, I own a CUSTOM built Super Calss CLODBUSTER that I was told would never work due to the size. I guess complete vertical on articulation just wasn't good enough,
http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/a...uperclass1.jpg
http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/a...superclass.jpg
I also own a Creeper that I have been doing some custom testing on moving the lower links to the outside of the chassis and also made them 5in eye to eye high clearance out of Brass tire valves from a road tractor.I have noticed that it allows for way more flex in the front and rear.
http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/a...1221/RC001.jpg
http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/a...1221/RC003.jpg
http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/a...1221/RC002.jpg
http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/a...1221/RC004.jpg

I also own a Berg
http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/a...n1221/Berg.jpg
, and I must say that my Creeper out performs my Berg.There is about $1000.00 in my Clod, Over a $1000.00 invested in the Berg and $275.00 in The Creeper........ Kind of makes you wonder. Don't get me wrong, I like the nice toys to but shit......If you can build a comp capable rig out of something who cares what it is:flipoff:, nevermind I was tring to some sence of the COMP WORLD.:lmao:

Mikejordan23, i'm curious about the lower link mods you made. would you mind creating your own build thread and putting some pictures in there? i try to avoid putting pics in other people's threads unless they ask me to. it can clutter things up. i haven't been in this forum for long but i can see a general etique people try to follow. thanks! ;-)

how many people have created and are running hi-clearance lower links for their crawlers? it seems like most people run the stock lower links (me too). i've had a couple cases on the rocks where it seems like i'm struggling with breakover angles. links to build threads or a pic would be appreciated.