Jeff as you know I rebent the lower stock links on mine and turned them into high clearance links...works mcuh better especially in the rear

i was trying to remember who had done that. thanks for the reminder. i'll go back and review your build thread.

anyone using other manufacture hi-clearance links, like axial? i'm probably going to bend my stock links but i'm always afraid of weakening aluminum by doing so. the machined hi-clearance links from axial look sweet but are a little pricey.

The links I made cost me around $15.00- $1.15 8/32 allthread,$9.50 Revo rod ends, $3.00 Brass Valve stems, You can also use 3/8 brake line and its works just as good. I used valve stems because they won't break (EVER)

I have beat on my links since I straightened them out and no ill affects

got my links bent and added plastic pipe skids under the axles. my creeper is handling breakovers better and with the skids it's getting snagged on sharp edges less. got some rovers in the mail so i'm looking forward to the increased traction. had some pics but deleted them accidentally. have to get some more next time out.

not having used derlin much does anyone know how it handles cold weather? i'm thinking about running my creeper in the winter and making some spiked tires to crawl on a homemade ice course (covering the rock pile with water). i'm worried about the derlin getting a little too brittle.

so, heard an occasion click from the rear axles the last night or two. it seems kind of random, but it is when i have it under load. i searched the forum and i've seen everything from bad large outer hub bearing to missing teeth on a spider gear. given it is kind of random what do people think is the most likely culprit? if it was a missing tooth would it be a random click or more regular?

Its most likely a bad inner hub bearing (the larger of the two)... If you pull the hub and shaft out of the axle housing as an assembly you should be able to feel some roughness in the bearing as you turn it by hand... I had the exact same problem as you did, and since I replaced the large hub bearings the click hasn't come back (this was after I JB'd the diffs)...

If your spider gears packed it in it would make noise mostly when turning but could also click when driving straight ahead under load... Hold the driveshaft from turning while you turn one tire (with the diff unlocked)... If it's a diff you'll know right away (it will be chunky)... To check the ring and pinion just disconnect the driveshaft from the tranny and turn it by hand... should be fairly smooth (a little coggy because of the straight cut gear teeth)...

thanks speedyg. i'll look into some of these things. the click has been pretty rare so i'm waiting for it to get more consistent before i tear things apart.

on another note i got my creeper out on the rocks (sorry, didn't have a camera on me so no action pics) and the new rovers are awesome! compared to the stock tires traction is incredible. the axle skids also helped get over some of the sharper rocks.

i did get a couple pics from the workbench.

for bent lower links just bend them i did that and no breeaks or bends i did not want i know i laubched it off a 4 foot log pile and i only broke the mounting ears on the front axle and did it again today and broke the rear ears off but it was pretty cold but i had to new cases so all good

Jeff,,,Delrin temp range, -40° to +185° F

Now,,that being said plastic is plastic,,the colder it gets the more brittle it will get. This is one of the very reasons I made my chassis from Aluminum and use Aluminum links. Except for maybe Teflon and UHMW I think just about all plastics are be prone to breakage at freezing temps.

i appreciate the info. i know that aluminum has better cold weather performance but i was curious at what point derlin will start having issues. i'm thinking about how i could use the creeper during the winter but when it comes right down to it if i just want to play in the snow that is what my kyosho nitro blizzard or traxxas summit is for.

ive got the same click in the rear axle
 

it get worse if i tighten the right rear tires down
and disapears if i loosen it just enuff to run

Thats bearings,,,too much side load. These arent top of the line, ceramic, high side load bearings. These are probably rated at about 20-30lbs. Doesnt take much to pop them.

i'll give it a try. i still have the stock plastic wheels and have noticed some slop in the hexes so i've been cranking down the locknut to help that. trying to fix that might be the source of the clicking.

if it is the bearings do you recommend upgrading to ceramic bearings? i was looking at the price of acer racing ceramic bearings and they are pretty expensive. i can get 8 stock venom bearings for about $16.

and the winner is ... bad inner hub bearing! you called it speedy! "thumbsup"

now, just need to get some new ones. recommendations? as i mentioned in my last post ceramic bearing are pretty expensive. are they worth it?

oh yeah, and i ordered some flm lockers. might as well upgrade while i have things apart.

Cool... Glad I could help... Did you look into the set from CKRC? $15 a set... The ones I received from them had blue seals instead of black, which probably (hopefully) means they're not actual Venom-brand like the junky ones in the kit...

P.S. They put the same size ones on the diff carrier too, so keep an eye on your pinion backlash (if they fail the carrier/ring gear will move away from the pinion creating more in/out pinion movement)...

You can also try Avid Bearing too,,,google 'em

picked up some traxxas revo bearings that were the right size for pretty cheap. fixed the problem. now i'm just waiting on my flm locker.

hey jebster how do u build one of those degree testing boerds that u have in the picture

i had a 2x4 sheet of 3/4" plywood laying around. i also had some 18"x18" carpet squares (the kind they use in office buildings). so, i just stapled the carpet squares onto the plywood. went to the local hardware store and picked up the angle gauge (about $10). it has a magnetic base so i put a small metal angle bracket on the wood. took all of 15 minutes to put it together but i did have most of the stuff already.

some people build fancy frames to hold their traction boards up. i use the nearest wall! "thumbsup"

ok but do u have to use carpet or can u use like 60 grite sandpaper or something like that

you can use sandpaper,,I used chicken wire on mine. Getting ready to do another traction board and Ill use a Lightweight concrete for realistic traction...similar to sandstone

whats chicken wire and if i do use sandpaper what is the ideal stuff to use

google chicken wire,,you already said you were asking about 60 grit paper...its fine.

i had considered some coarse grit sandpaper but the carpet was laying around. you could also pick up some traction strip (used on stairs, semi steps, ladders, etc). it has an adhesive back on it.

rmdesignworks, the concrete surface is a good idea. i was also thinking about some old ceramic ties glued upside down.

got a few things in the mail today. decided to put an flm locker in the rear axle (still using lockable diff on the front axle), put in a new large inner hub bearing to replace the blown one and best of all a hitec 7950. that servo is awesome!!! its pouring rain outside right now so i just ran it around the basement. hard to believe how quick the servo responds and the power it has. i held a front wheel on the ground with my foot and the servo was able to slide the rest of the rig around.

a couple pics.

I'm not trying to threadjack, but while we're on the traction board topic, I can offer another medium.
I have used a traction paint on a practice rock climbing wall in my garage. It is Quikrete Anti-Skid Textured Coating. It comes in a base that you have tinted to one of their colors. It has resin and silica in it, and is very weather resistant. This stuff is used on a lot of wheelchair ramps. You can also just buy their additive (3 oz. pouch) and mix it in your own paint.
At least I know what to do with leftover 1/2 gallon that I have....

All I did was go down to Canadian Tire and buy some cheap 60 grit and a bottle of Elmer's... Glued the sheets to a scrap of chipboard I had lying around... Works like it should...

Now all you gotta do is get an anglefinder and post some pics of your rig as your suspension improves... "thumbsup"

We could start a new thread, sort of a friendly "Max Climb Angle" comp just for us Creeper folks, with pics and a brief description of mods...

how much are other people's creepers weighing in at?
 

i'm just curious. mine is currently at 6lb 9oz. i'm betting that is pretty heavy. i have the large saddle pack on the rear axle (~9oz), the front diff lock servo, 5.25oz in each front wheel, dig, etc.

Mine weighs 6lb 2oz , with 2 2s lipos, 4WS, 12 oz comes from my chassis alone.

looks like i need to put mine on a diet! i've been keeping an eye on your build thread (nice rig) and if yours is lighter than mine given your chassis i need to think about trimming things down. eliminating the front diff lock setup would drop some. i also have extra weight from a wantAsummit 2-3 position adaptor and a servo stretcher.

dont feel too bad jebster... mine weighs about the same as yours and im using a 7.4 1300 lipo. i have 8oz on both front tires and 4oz on both rear, venom dig, stock chassis and FLM aluminum lockers.

good to hear mine isn't all that bad. by the way, what is your clearance at the center of the belly?

my clearance fully compressed(i run a full droop setup) is at 2 1/4 inches.

Not trying to hijack (I know I'm not the first to say that here....very sorry :oops:), but that's not a bad idea. The only thing is everyone needs to get on the same page as far as what they are using.

My board is a simple piece of pine with 80 grit stapled to it. Since I use it to test just my setups, it works great....I just needed a starting point and I go from there just like everyone else does. To do a thread like Speedy says would require everyone to use a similar board. Carpet and sandpaper both work differently.

.

it would be an interesting thread to see what setups get the most inclines, assuming everyone was using the same traction board. i know the carpet gives pretty good traction but at very steep angles (>60deg) my creeper starts loosing a little traction.
on a related note i've lost a little on how steep i can get. i was getting around 62deg but i've raised the belly clearance and now i'm barely at 55deg. i don't do a lot of steep inclines, more open terrain with lots of small boulders. i guess you can't have it all (super low COG for steep climbs and lots of clearance) unless you have a winching system.

maybe a side hilling comp to go with it too...it would be very interesting what setup works on incline and side hilling.