Bent links with sleeved delrin

[Donahue]

i tried searching but the keywords bring up everything i dont want.

the common way to make your own links is to use all thread and slip brake line or something similar over it, then bend right? has anyone used delrin tube or any other plastic tube instead of the steel brake line? i am thinking the plastic would have a lower COF. i wonder if delrin would crack when you tried to cold form it. any plastics that can be slipped on after the all thread it bent? i have seen nylon tube but i do not know how comparable that "nylon" is to say 6/6 as far as COF.

any thoughts?

 

[JeremyH]

ottsix.com
"thumbsup"

 

[Charlie-III]

I use either Delrin tubing or Nylon tubing over "pre-made" links. A lot of the time, I use various Traxxas links that are close in length, slide the tubing over it, then bend to shape.

It's fairly cheap and easy to do.

The tubing I get is typically from McMaster-Carr.

 

[lemonhead]

i tried searching but the keywords bring up everything i dont want.

the common way to make your own links is to use all thread and slip brake line or something similar over it, then bend right? has anyone used delrin



more like the lazy teenie way, not the common way. seen to many of them bend at comps. solid ALUM. or delrin works best , do it right the first time and be done.

 

[WAM]

I use exactly what you described --delrin tubing over all thread -- for initial links while I'm building. It works fine, a tad heavy, so I usually replace them with Ti once I'm happy. From my experience you can get away with 6-32 AT and small Revo rodends for uppers, but should use 8-32 or 4mm with big Revo ends for the lowers. Failure points are generally the bend you put in increases, or the link bends & breaks right at the back of the rod end. Haven't had those problems once I quit using 3mm AT.

 

[Donahue]

ok, thanks for the replies. i will probably stick with 8-32 AT with 1/8" ID 1/4 OD delrin slid over, then bent. its less than $10 in parts from McMaster (at least enough to do the lowers). i think i can reuse my stock LCC link parts for the uppers.

 

[WAM]

Two more things then. Mcmaster sells accurate delrin tube and oversize OD, undersize ID. I think the proper size stuff is only in white. They also have PTFE-filled which is what I like, but it's only available in the over/undersize, so you have to drill it.

And while 8-32 is a little bigger than 4mm AT, note from Mcmaster only the 4mm is available in medium strength steel (115ksi). Much stronger than the mild steel 8-32. Your call.

 

[Donahue]

Two more things then. Mcmaster sells accurate delrin tube and oversize OD, undersize ID. I think the proper size stuff is only in white. They also have PTFE-filled which is what I like, but it's only available in the over/undersize, so you have to drill it.

And while 8-32 is a little bigger than 4mm AT, note from Mcmaster only the 4mm is available in medium strength steel (115ksi). Much stronger than the mild steel 8-32. Your call.

I'd use stainless, its 70k psi. i have already replaced most of the fasteners with stainless ones, and it is pennies more than steel.

 

[Whiplashdjs]

Ice links from ottsix is the next step up for unbreakable for ya.

 

[Donahue]

i didnt want to spend $80 on links.

plus, this will much likely be stronger. ottsix does not list the ti alloy, but most commercial ti alloys have a yield strength only equal to low grade steel. wiki list the common yield strength at 63k psi, and the threaded rod mcmaster sells is only rated at 50k psi. i would be willing to put money on the fact that "ice links" would use the same ti threaded rod that mcmaster gets or is at least of the same quality. and in this case, since my stainless rod is 70k psi, i will be 40% stronger, while being 88% cheaper.

dont buy the hype, (most) ti is not stronger than regular steel, it is just lighter.

 

[Donahue]

what i ended up with was white acetal tubing, .17 ID and 1/4 OD. McMaster #9362T1 ($4.02 for 5 ft) which should just slip over the 8-32 threaded rod McMaster #98847A009 ($2.91 for 3 ft, i ordered two).

 

[JeremyH]

it is just lighter.

Bingo! "thumbsup"

 

[WAM]

dont buy the hype, (most) ti is not stronger than regular steel, it is just lighter.

That's clearly not true of grade 5 Ti which is what's typically used for RC. Do you know of any cases of vendors not using high-strength Ti?

Yield strength, grade 5 Ti = 128 ksi
Yield strength, mild steel = 36 ksi

But I would agree...if you're buying for strength, you gotta find out what alloy is being used.


.

 

[Donahue]

That's clearly not true of grade 5 Ti which is what's typically used for RC. Do you know of any cases of vendors not using high-strength Ti?

Yield strength, grade 5 Ti = 128 ksi
Yield strength, mild steel = 36 ksi

But I would agree...if you're buying for strength, you gotta find out what alloy is being used.


.

yeah, i could certainly be wrong about the alloy used. i didnt mean to sound like i was bashing the ice links, but they are just not for me. my logic says that if a higher grade alloy was used, then it would be advertised as such to help justify the cost in the buyers mind. my assumption is that it is the ti name that sells, and most buyers dont care about what alloy because they dont know the difference.

just like with steel alloys, there is steel then there is steel.

i would welcome anyone posting up the specific alloys used for typical ti parts on RC applications. my guess is the really strong ones are too expensive for 90% of the market and that the base alloy would be good enough.

also, i am comparing threaded rod to threaded rod. if you compared steel threaded rod against ti solid, then you might have a big difference but my thought is that it has more to do with section area.

 

[JeremyH]

my logic says that if a higher grade alloy was used, then it would be advertised as such to help justify the cost in the buyers mind.

I thought they were expensive at first as well. And I was curious as to why. So I looked up Ti threaded rod on McMaster and that stuff sells for $34/foot. :shock: The IceLinks come with 8 5" pieces of this stuff....that's 3.33'....that's about $115 in threaded rod before taxes and shipping. Which makes his prices seem quite good for the products you are buying. "thumbsup"

 

[Donahue]

I thought they were expensive at first as well. And I was curious as to why. So I looked up Ti threaded rod on McMaster and that stuff sells for $34/foot. :shock: The IceLinks come with 8 5" pieces of this stuff....that's 3.33'....that's about $115 in threaded rod before taxes and shipping. Which makes his prices seem quite good for the products you are buying. "thumbsup"

right, i saw the same thing. this also leads me to believe it would be of the same quality as the mcmaster stuff which was 50k psi

 

[JeremyH]

I am not sure what quality Ti threaded rod he uses, but if the lower grade rod is $34/foot, then I dont even want to know what higher grade stuff costs...:shock:

 

[Donahue]

I agree. i also want to specify that i do not think there is anything wrong with ti links or that they would be somehow inferior.

 

[JeremyH]

I agree. i also want to specify that i do not think there is anything wrong with ti links or that they would be somehow inferior.

It didnt seem like you did. I think everyone on this site can empathize with having to set a budget for some products. "thumbsup"

 

[Donahue]

It didnt seem like you did. I think everyone on this site can empathize with having to set a budget for some products. "thumbsup"

yeah, i figured you understood what i meant.

for me, this is just a hobby and is just starting to be something that i can share with my 2 and 3 year old. i just bought them one of the $30 maisto rock crawlers so they could "have their own" as my 3 year old likes to say. i have to balance spending money on this hobby vs buying more diapers. and let me tell you, $80 buys a lot of diapers :lmao: