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bilinvic's F250 Truggy Build Thread
- Thread starter bilinvic
- Start date
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
I received my box load of parts from RPP last week and have been getting these parts bolted up.
I have been using the RC4WD Interco Super Swamper IROC tires (2.2) on my Wraith and have been extremely impressed with them. They have since been mounted up on my Deadbolt and the Wraith got some new Pitbull Rock Beast II tires, which are also exhibit extremely good performance. I wanted the 1.9 Pitbull tires for this build, but couldn't find them in stock anywhere, so I decided on the Interco Super Swamper IROC tires for the VP Method Racing wheels. The size of these tires is perfect for the look I wanted. I also used Locked UP 4/40 Acorn Nuts (wheels studs) to mount the VP SLW 475 wheel hubs. I have to say, this wheel and tire combination looks perfect (IMHO). Now I just have to find some hubs that will fit these wheels to cover up the axle nut. Any ideas?
Since it seems everyone raves about the Crawler Innovations (CI) Lil' Nova 1.9 Dual Stage 4.50" Inner foams, I ordered those up as well. a pair of soft and a pair of mediums. I filled one front tire with them and mounted the tire on the VP wheel. My initial impression was these are way too hard and didn't allow for much tire flex. Luckily, the Interco wheels come with foams and I used them on the 2.2 IROC tires on the Wriath and have zero complaints with these foams. The CI foams go into the parts pile!!!! I did want a a little more tire flex on the fronts, so I vented the front VP wheels to allow for this flex. The rears are not vented to allow for less tire flex; as far as I'm concerned, this will be perfect.
Size comparison with the stock Ripsaw tires:
I've also decided to go back to the CMS idea now that I have the new HiTec HS-7955TG servo. I mounted the VP Panhard bar kit, but still need the VP 3 link conversion kit. Without this 3 link kit, the Panhard bar hits the upper front axle truss and severely limits suspension travel. I removed the VP link end on the drag bar and replaced it with a longer RPM link end because seeing the threads on the Ti links is a pet peeve!!!!
I added the Gearhead "lift kit" shocks mount to actually lower the chassis since I'm using 110mm shocks. The advantage with this kit is that you can tune the angle of the shocks as well, and personally, I prefer them angled back in the front and forward in the rear vice nearly vertical in the stock upper mount holes. All four shock hoops were replaced with STRC aluminum hoops.
The VP Currie axles received Locked Up FI Spools for no slop lockers and the front axles were replaced with Axial SCX10 Competition Universal Joint Drive Shaft Set. Junfac hardened universal driveshafts finish up the driveline upgrades. A CC BEC was added and programmed to 6 volts. I still have to convert the main battery plug to a Traxxas plug. Speaking of batteries, my plan was to mount the battery across the chassis behind the front shock hoops. That idea is out and I now have dual 3300 3S 30C LIPOs mounted on either side of the frame rails. This will technically give me 6600 Mah when I run them in parallel and should be good for a long run time. I purchased a pair of RC4WD Tough Armor Side Bars and these are perfect for fabricating battery plates on them. I used nylon 1/4" clamps with 3M automotive grade double sided tape to attach the battery plates I fabbed up. The batteries are held down with industrial strength Velcro. With this mounting system, I can keep the CG weight as low as possible and even from side to side.
...and a couple of poser shots with the body to give you an overall view of the proportions with the new rims and rubber.
Gotta get the wiring completed and cleaned up, the VP 3 link conversion kit bolted up and then it's almost time to get to work on the body. Also have to figure out which front bumper I am going to go with to see if the body will need trimming to accommodate it. Here I come again LHS and RPP!!!!"thumbsup"
It's getting there and I'm havin' a ball building this project.
I have been using the RC4WD Interco Super Swamper IROC tires (2.2) on my Wraith and have been extremely impressed with them. They have since been mounted up on my Deadbolt and the Wraith got some new Pitbull Rock Beast II tires, which are also exhibit extremely good performance. I wanted the 1.9 Pitbull tires for this build, but couldn't find them in stock anywhere, so I decided on the Interco Super Swamper IROC tires for the VP Method Racing wheels. The size of these tires is perfect for the look I wanted. I also used Locked UP 4/40 Acorn Nuts (wheels studs) to mount the VP SLW 475 wheel hubs. I have to say, this wheel and tire combination looks perfect (IMHO). Now I just have to find some hubs that will fit these wheels to cover up the axle nut. Any ideas?
Since it seems everyone raves about the Crawler Innovations (CI) Lil' Nova 1.9 Dual Stage 4.50" Inner foams, I ordered those up as well. a pair of soft and a pair of mediums. I filled one front tire with them and mounted the tire on the VP wheel. My initial impression was these are way too hard and didn't allow for much tire flex. Luckily, the Interco wheels come with foams and I used them on the 2.2 IROC tires on the Wriath and have zero complaints with these foams. The CI foams go into the parts pile!!!! I did want a a little more tire flex on the fronts, so I vented the front VP wheels to allow for this flex. The rears are not vented to allow for less tire flex; as far as I'm concerned, this will be perfect.
Size comparison with the stock Ripsaw tires:
I've also decided to go back to the CMS idea now that I have the new HiTec HS-7955TG servo. I mounted the VP Panhard bar kit, but still need the VP 3 link conversion kit. Without this 3 link kit, the Panhard bar hits the upper front axle truss and severely limits suspension travel. I removed the VP link end on the drag bar and replaced it with a longer RPM link end because seeing the threads on the Ti links is a pet peeve!!!!
I added the Gearhead "lift kit" shocks mount to actually lower the chassis since I'm using 110mm shocks. The advantage with this kit is that you can tune the angle of the shocks as well, and personally, I prefer them angled back in the front and forward in the rear vice nearly vertical in the stock upper mount holes. All four shock hoops were replaced with STRC aluminum hoops.
The VP Currie axles received Locked Up FI Spools for no slop lockers and the front axles were replaced with Axial SCX10 Competition Universal Joint Drive Shaft Set. Junfac hardened universal driveshafts finish up the driveline upgrades. A CC BEC was added and programmed to 6 volts. I still have to convert the main battery plug to a Traxxas plug. Speaking of batteries, my plan was to mount the battery across the chassis behind the front shock hoops. That idea is out and I now have dual 3300 3S 30C LIPOs mounted on either side of the frame rails. This will technically give me 6600 Mah when I run them in parallel and should be good for a long run time. I purchased a pair of RC4WD Tough Armor Side Bars and these are perfect for fabricating battery plates on them. I used nylon 1/4" clamps with 3M automotive grade double sided tape to attach the battery plates I fabbed up. The batteries are held down with industrial strength Velcro. With this mounting system, I can keep the CG weight as low as possible and even from side to side.
...and a couple of poser shots with the body to give you an overall view of the proportions with the new rims and rubber.
Gotta get the wiring completed and cleaned up, the VP 3 link conversion kit bolted up and then it's almost time to get to work on the body. Also have to figure out which front bumper I am going to go with to see if the body will need trimming to accommodate it. Here I come again LHS and RPP!!!!"thumbsup"
It's getting there and I'm havin' a ball building this project.
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Update....I have been searching high and low for the elusive RC4WD Jeep JK Rampage Recovery Bumper, and low and behold, it was under my nose at my local hobby shop. I love the look and it blends in nicely with the lines of the F250 body. I had to trim the front lower section of the body to fit over the bumper. I didn't want the bumper stuck way out in front. Essentially the front of the body rests on the bumper now. I'm going to attempt to fabricate some sort of body posts in the lower front body so that I don't have posts sticking out of the hood.
I love the look and the extra weight out front. Gotta get a couple of tow hooks to complete the bumper now. I also think a LED light bar needs to get mounted to the front bumper as well!
I got creative with regards to the wheels hubs to cover the mounting bolt and nut. I modified the stock Axial hubs so that they fit the circular channel of the Method wheels. They simply screw on. Didn't cost me a dime and look great.
I love the look and the extra weight out front. Gotta get a couple of tow hooks to complete the bumper now. I also think a LED light bar needs to get mounted to the front bumper as well!
I got creative with regards to the wheels hubs to cover the mounting bolt and nut. I modified the stock Axial hubs so that they fit the circular channel of the Method wheels. They simply screw on. Didn't cost me a dime and look great.
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Thank you. When I was down at the LHS today, I was looking thru all the PC Tamiya paints...the one that struck me most was Gunmetal, which would be somewhat close to OEM Sterling Grey Metallic (SGM). Plus my real truck is SGM. I have a feeling this is what it's going to be. I want a stock looking body.
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
While I wait for parts to get ordered and arrive, I will start on the body now that I have the bumper, suspension & chassis 95% completed . I like the overall look of the rear Honcho section....except for the goofy looking bottomless fuel cell. I cut that portion out and I'm using Proline's diamond plate bed box. It's only sitting in place for sizing; any gaps will be eliminated once it's secured to the bed. I will be using real diamond plate aluminum (1:10 scale) to cover portions of the bed for looks and structural integrity. I may end up covering the spare tire well because I won't be able to fit a Super Swamper IROC tire into this area....and having a mismatched spare tire and wheel doesn't work for me!
I've used that gunmetal paint before, it will look great on your truck.
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Another update....
I received the VP Currie Axle 3-Link Conversion Kit and have that all bolted up and tuned now. Full front end articulation with no binding. It sure cleans up the front end without the large axle truss.
Also got the body trimmed and fitting well around the front bumper. In order to avoid having the body pins protrude through the F250 hood, I fabbed up some mounts that will go through the lower front grill. I used some scrap roll cage plastic from my Wraith. I heated, bent and cut two pieces into 90 degree bends. The ends are drilled and threaded. The frame mounted section utilizes the VP front bumper / CMS mount. I will pick up another package of Traxxas battery mount pins and thread those into the ends that will go thru the grill. For now, I'm just using some self tapping screws.
I also received the Hot Racing aluminum diamond plate for the rear bed section. It was disappointing to see that this material is wafer thin....so I made two panels to fit over the plastic bed. The top layer is the diamond plate and the second layer is aluminum flashing that was cut to the same shape and sandwiched between the diamond plate and the plastic bed. This provided a huge structural improvement and at the same time, kept the weight down. The Proline bed/tool box was fit and mounted. I reversed the body mounts so I could get them to protrude higher.
Now it's time to get this body painted and detailed.
Still need to get a lightbar for the upper rear roll cage though (maybe another for the front bumper). I may also relocate the rear tail lights as well as figuring out where I will put the stock front lights that came on the Honcho front bumper. I was thinking I would also fab up some front fender liners too.
I received the VP Currie Axle 3-Link Conversion Kit and have that all bolted up and tuned now. Full front end articulation with no binding. It sure cleans up the front end without the large axle truss.
Also got the body trimmed and fitting well around the front bumper. In order to avoid having the body pins protrude through the F250 hood, I fabbed up some mounts that will go through the lower front grill. I used some scrap roll cage plastic from my Wraith. I heated, bent and cut two pieces into 90 degree bends. The ends are drilled and threaded. The frame mounted section utilizes the VP front bumper / CMS mount. I will pick up another package of Traxxas battery mount pins and thread those into the ends that will go thru the grill. For now, I'm just using some self tapping screws.
I also received the Hot Racing aluminum diamond plate for the rear bed section. It was disappointing to see that this material is wafer thin....so I made two panels to fit over the plastic bed. The top layer is the diamond plate and the second layer is aluminum flashing that was cut to the same shape and sandwiched between the diamond plate and the plastic bed. This provided a huge structural improvement and at the same time, kept the weight down. The Proline bed/tool box was fit and mounted. I reversed the body mounts so I could get them to protrude higher.
Now it's time to get this body painted and detailed.
Still need to get a lightbar for the upper rear roll cage though (maybe another for the front bumper). I may also relocate the rear tail lights as well as figuring out where I will put the stock front lights that came on the Honcho front bumper. I was thinking I would also fab up some front fender liners too.
joe122
RCC Addict
Man...looking forward to seeing the body in color...this is a great build thread. A blueprint for a pretty bullet proof build. Nice work!
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Thanxs. The body is now painted and I'll get the stickers applied when my son goes to bed. Pics to follow later this evening.
JonnnScott
Pebble Pounder
Love the look of the rear. Was thinking of doing something similar to mine.
BAJABILL
Rock Stacker
The diamond plate bed really looks great with those wheels can't wait to see it with paint. Great job!!
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Thanxs again guys.
Here's the pics with paint. I used Tamiya Gun Metal. I wanted to keep the look simple and relatively OEM appearing. I may add a few products decals on the rear window though.
Notice the passenger side windows are tinted? I used professional grade automotive tint film and I will wait until the morning once it's fully cured to see if I will do the remainder of the windows. I'm not using an interior, and from what I see with the tint that I did apply, the look is perfect for "dimming" the interior guts!
....and the obligatory flex shots!!!! "thumbsup"
Here's the pics with paint. I used Tamiya Gun Metal. I wanted to keep the look simple and relatively OEM appearing. I may add a few products decals on the rear window though.
Notice the passenger side windows are tinted? I used professional grade automotive tint film and I will wait until the morning once it's fully cured to see if I will do the remainder of the windows. I'm not using an interior, and from what I see with the tint that I did apply, the look is perfect for "dimming" the interior guts!
....and the obligatory flex shots!!!! "thumbsup"
Last edited:
TacoCrawler
I wanna be Dave
sweet bling...
but the static ride height looks too tall...
and the suspension too firm...
just my observation
but the static ride height looks too tall...
and the suspension too firm...
just my observation
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Definitely not a firm suspension, in fact I was thinking of getting different shocks to firm it up a bit. When the dual batteries are installed, the height goes down a bit. Once I run it a couple of times I will be able to determine if I need to lower it, which will be easy with the Gearhead shock mounts. There's so much articulation that I need a bit extra height and I didn't want to trim the wheel openings to spoil the OEM look.
Thanxs for the compliment and observations.
Thanxs for the compliment and observations.
Paint looks great. Nice and simple the way I like it. I agree with Taco, ride height does look a little high you may have to adjust after some testing on the rocks. Too much articulation can be a bad thing. Great truck!
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Thanxs. I don't disagree, I would like to get it down a bit. Testing will be required to figure it out. I was thinking of ordering up the Proline shocks to compare their performance and characteristics.
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
OK....I have been playing around with different shocks and I decided to remove the King 110mm shocks and go with the stock Axial shocks. With the Gear Head upper shocks mounts, there's plenty of options for tuning the ride height. I much prefer the lowered look now and the chassis is less "tippy". So the Kings found a new home on my son's AX10 Deadbolt, which are way better suited to that platform.
I'm curious though, will getting a couple pairs of the Proline shocks make a big difference over the stock Axial shocks? Never tried them before.
Whatcha think now?
Before:
After:
I'm curious though, will getting a couple pairs of the Proline shocks make a big difference over the stock Axial shocks? Never tried them before.
Whatcha think now?
Before:
After:
joe122
RCC Addict
Looks like about 1/4 to 3/8" reduction in overall ride height....IMO.....looks great with the slightly lowered height and reduced center of gravity, maybe it won't be so "tippy"?. I actually like the Axial shocks, running them on my Wraith and Truggy. Great build.
_________________________________
Axial, Wraith, Wrexo, Rubicon and Hilux Truggy......Yep....Axial Addict!
_________________________________
Axial, Wraith, Wrexo, Rubicon and Hilux Truggy......Yep....Axial Addict!
bilinvic
I wanna be Dave
Thanxs. I'll run the stock shocks for now and see how they do. Besides, gotta save some $$$$ for the Yeti upgrades now!!!!
