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on the Creeper wagon,,,,
- Thread starter rmdesignworks
- Start date
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Ive decided to wait to install the HR C-hubs and knuckles until the stockers break or I just change them out of boredom. I did install the HR rear lockouts though, and ran into a snag. After removing the stock C's and knuckles and prepping for install I slid the axles in the lockouts, slid the lockout/axle assembly into the axle and installed the screws to hold them on. I then reinstalled the drive hex pins and hexes and reinstalled the wheel/tire combos and the whole rear axle was locked with the wheel nuts tight.
The supplied shims, in my case, were at least 1mm to thin. I installed the second shim on both sides and bolted the wheels back on,, same problem,, the wheel hex was bound against the lockout.
I know some of the VC owners have talked about shaving the ends of the lockouts down but I was not about to take everything back apart to fix what should not be a problem in the first place. So I came up with another solution. I made two rings from 3/64ths" brass rod to fit around the stub shafts and removed the outer shim on each side and then slid the ring waher in between the inner and outer shim and reinstalled the wheels,,,BINGO! Wheels turn freely,,all is good.
The supplied shims, in my case, were at least 1mm to thin. I installed the second shim on both sides and bolted the wheels back on,, same problem,, the wheel hex was bound against the lockout.
I know some of the VC owners have talked about shaving the ends of the lockouts down but I was not about to take everything back apart to fix what should not be a problem in the first place. So I came up with another solution. I made two rings from 3/64ths" brass rod to fit around the stub shafts and removed the outer shim on each side and then slid the ring waher in between the inner and outer shim and reinstalled the wheels,,,BINGO! Wheels turn freely,,all is good.
Can you post some more info on the rear lockouts you made...what parts you used, measurements, etc? Thanks!
Even though I'm turning my creeper into a scaler I'm really enjoying this thread...lots of good ideas here!
Even though I'm turning my creeper into a scaler I'm really enjoying this thread...lots of good ideas here!
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Hey Brian,,,Thanks Im glad it is helping you out.
The lock outs I made were made of White Nylon spacers,,basically just heavy nylon tubing the manufacturer cuts to length as spacers. You can do the same thing with 1/2" I.D. pvc tubing with no more than a 1/16th" wall thickness, which will just fit over the stock VC cvd between the knuckle and the C-hub. Now heres what you need to do to make it work and be slop free. Use a ruler or calipers and measure the opening at the knuckle/C-hub where you can see the cvd. The knuckle needs to be adjusted until it is perfectly sqaure to the end of the C-hub where the cvd exits the C-hub. Basically you need the knuckle and C-hub to be perfectly aligned. Once the knuckle is square with the end of the axle/C-hub the make a note of the measurement between them. This measurement will be how long you cut or sand or whatever,, the nylon or pvc tubing. The tubing will mate against the flat surfaces of the knuckle and the C-hub,,locking it.
Here is a starting point for ya,,the spacers I used are from ACE hardware. They are 0.5" ID(1/2"), 0.625" OD(5/8"), 0.0625"(1/16") wall thickness AND ----> JUST, a hair over 1/2" long by maybe 1mm so you can sand them to fit tight. They fit tightly into the C-hub, you press them firmly into place between the upper and lower C-hub ears. Now here is what you need to do to make them fit right. You will notice when you slide them into the end of the C-hub that they dont seat properly,,a very shallow notch top and bottom will fit around the C-hub ears.
Then install the axle and knuckle like normal,,the axle will be locked. The nylon can be dyed to whatever color you want with RIT dye. Do this after you get them fit.
The lock outs I made were made of White Nylon spacers,,basically just heavy nylon tubing the manufacturer cuts to length as spacers. You can do the same thing with 1/2" I.D. pvc tubing with no more than a 1/16th" wall thickness, which will just fit over the stock VC cvd between the knuckle and the C-hub. Now heres what you need to do to make it work and be slop free. Use a ruler or calipers and measure the opening at the knuckle/C-hub where you can see the cvd. The knuckle needs to be adjusted until it is perfectly sqaure to the end of the C-hub where the cvd exits the C-hub. Basically you need the knuckle and C-hub to be perfectly aligned. Once the knuckle is square with the end of the axle/C-hub the make a note of the measurement between them. This measurement will be how long you cut or sand or whatever,, the nylon or pvc tubing. The tubing will mate against the flat surfaces of the knuckle and the C-hub,,locking it.
Here is a starting point for ya,,the spacers I used are from ACE hardware. They are 0.5" ID(1/2"), 0.625" OD(5/8"), 0.0625"(1/16") wall thickness AND ----> JUST, a hair over 1/2" long by maybe 1mm so you can sand them to fit tight. They fit tightly into the C-hub, you press them firmly into place between the upper and lower C-hub ears. Now here is what you need to do to make them fit right. You will notice when you slide them into the end of the C-hub that they dont seat properly,,a very shallow notch top and bottom will fit around the C-hub ears.
Then install the axle and knuckle like normal,,the axle will be locked. The nylon can be dyed to whatever color you want with RIT dye. Do this after you get them fit.
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
I had my VC in our local comp today,,,,nothing broke,,first good news,,,climbed well,,more good news,,had some minor issues with torque twist.....DUH!
I am very pleased with how the VC did today for only being the second time Ive driven it in competition. Im back to liking 2.2....I didnt place up high in the pack or anything but for me it wasnt about that it was about seeing my build do what I asked it to do. It did,,within limitations. I have some tuning to do in the shocks and springs but for the most part the rig is gonna go unchanged until I get my new chassis done. The flex skid was flawless,,,even made from the Roof Membrane Vinyl material it worked exactly like I had hoped,,the VC slid over everything that the LCC's were climbing,,,NICE! I have a couple of ideas about the TT that Ill look at between now and the next comp in 2 weeks. I like the weight of the VC where it is now. I feel it is about 90% where I want it though. And,,,it actually made some climbs that others didnt,,like a long slick rock at about 45-48 degrees,,,I tried a couple of lines done by others and took my own line straight up and over. I was likin it,,,so were the onlookers.
All in all,,,,Im very happy with my decision to purchase the CREEPER! Good base,,,Better with mods,,,once I get it dialed in I think it will run with anyone.
BTW,,,the Novak Rooster Crawler esc and the CCBEC and other electronics (including the DX3E) worked flawlessly as well. The Rovers,,well they are Rovers,,they work. Eritex's wheels, what can I say Gerame makes good wheels. My decision to install Traxxas Steel Yokes and Shafts,,,,spot on,,,I had the rig bound up terribly bad in a hole and kept in the throttle burping the wheels and it wadded up the right rear tire in the hole until the tire was almost tight against the wheel. The Paradox Dual Disk foams unwrapped and the rig popped out after about 20-30 burps on the throttle. No clicking,,popping or any other bad noises. Daul set screws on the cvd pins are doing their jobs holding the shafts together,,nice. All the stock components of the VC are working well too without failure.
There were two other VC's there today,,they didnt do so well.
I am very pleased with how the VC did today for only being the second time Ive driven it in competition. Im back to liking 2.2....I didnt place up high in the pack or anything but for me it wasnt about that it was about seeing my build do what I asked it to do. It did,,within limitations. I have some tuning to do in the shocks and springs but for the most part the rig is gonna go unchanged until I get my new chassis done. The flex skid was flawless,,,even made from the Roof Membrane Vinyl material it worked exactly like I had hoped,,the VC slid over everything that the LCC's were climbing,,,NICE! I have a couple of ideas about the TT that Ill look at between now and the next comp in 2 weeks. I like the weight of the VC where it is now. I feel it is about 90% where I want it though. And,,,it actually made some climbs that others didnt,,like a long slick rock at about 45-48 degrees,,,I tried a couple of lines done by others and took my own line straight up and over. I was likin it,,,so were the onlookers.
All in all,,,,Im very happy with my decision to purchase the CREEPER! Good base,,,Better with mods,,,once I get it dialed in I think it will run with anyone.
BTW,,,the Novak Rooster Crawler esc and the CCBEC and other electronics (including the DX3E) worked flawlessly as well. The Rovers,,well they are Rovers,,they work. Eritex's wheels, what can I say Gerame makes good wheels. My decision to install Traxxas Steel Yokes and Shafts,,,,spot on,,,I had the rig bound up terribly bad in a hole and kept in the throttle burping the wheels and it wadded up the right rear tire in the hole until the tire was almost tight against the wheel. The Paradox Dual Disk foams unwrapped and the rig popped out after about 20-30 burps on the throttle. No clicking,,popping or any other bad noises. Daul set screws on the cvd pins are doing their jobs holding the shafts together,,nice. All the stock components of the VC are working well too without failure.
There were two other VC's there today,,they didnt do so well.
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rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Man,,I want one of those new Axial XR10 bodies,,,,,,,,,
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
I ordered one the Parma X-citer Comp Crawler bodies,,,should be here by Thursday of next week...workin on a nice custom paint job for it,,and Ive redone my logo as well the blinky,,eye crossing avatar will be gone soon.
I also made a new rear axle plate and re-angled my rear upper links to help with torque twist...heres some pics...
I also made a new rear axle plate and re-angled my rear upper links to help with torque twist...heres some pics...
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rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Ok,,i did a slight tweak on the rear axle plate and needed to see if my anti-torque twist link set up was working so I took a piece of plywood and applied some wire mesh to it,,gotta have some traction,,,and set the board at 60 degrees,,,the VC climbed it without any problem and the right front tire barely lifted at all.....IT'S ALIVE!!!!
Ill get some pics and maybe a short vid tomorrow...
Ill get some pics and maybe a short vid tomorrow...
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Sorry for the delay on the pics and vid,,ive been fighting off some kind of bug,,,its been killing me the last two days,,,Im hoping to get some pics and vid between now and Sunday,,,I have a comp on Saturday,,maybe then,,,
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Yota,,thanks,,the flex skid works really well and now that I have dialed out the torque twist it should be even better,,its freakin sick to watch the VC climb a 60 degree traction board and not lift the right front tire. We will see this weekend at the comp how it really does.
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
body in the works
New Parma X-Citer Comp Crawler body,,and the graphics I have wanted to do forever...
My way of saying thanks to the people who make the tools and equipment I use everyday that feeds my family and allows me to have a hobby like this....
New Parma X-Citer Comp Crawler body,,and the graphics I have wanted to do forever...
My way of saying thanks to the people who make the tools and equipment I use everyday that feeds my family and allows me to have a hobby like this....
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rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Thanks again Yota,,,doing the logo graphic by free hand with a brush didnt come out quite as clean and crisp as it would have with a stencil or whatever but I like that it looks like it does. I may a have a paint mask made later but for now I like this.
The flex skid is made from a very heavy duty vinyl material known as roof membrane,,if you watch the local construction site for commercial building you can usually find a scrap piece or contact a local roofer,,,this was the prototype so this material was cheap , easy to make and attach and would last long enough to see if it really worked without spending any money on materials. Now that I know it work well..Ill be getting some other materials to make them from.
The flex skid is made from a very heavy duty vinyl material known as roof membrane,,if you watch the local construction site for commercial building you can usually find a scrap piece or contact a local roofer,,,this was the prototype so this material was cheap , easy to make and attach and would last long enough to see if it really worked without spending any money on materials. Now that I know it work well..Ill be getting some other materials to make them from.
Ok I know what your talking about now I used to work at a lumber yard and we sold that stuff Its called feltex well at least that's the brand we sold iv thrown away countless 4'x4' pieces of that used for dividers on their pallets
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
yeah thats the stuff...the down side to it is that once it starts to get roughed up it starts getting tacky,,thats why im using different material for the actual production units...im hoping to get the new material in early this week
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Ive started working on a new front axle plate,,I had bent my servo horn on Thursday during some testing,,,and even though thats the first time since Ive had the VC i still want to make sure it cant happen again. Im relocating the servo and moving it back from the front of the axle. I may go bta or ota too. Pics when I have some progress.
sidewaystreak
Quarry Creeper
lookin good RM.... i broke down and bought some HR lockouts too... i read in your thread that it came with shims...mine didnt i wonder if its a redesigned on their part.... who knows! question... the bearings they go inside of the lockouts right???
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
Thanks man,,yeah one bearing goes in the outer end of the lock out and the other one has to be seated inside the lockout in the bottom,,dont be fooled,,you have to actually seat the bearing...im sure youll need shims too,,,make them out of brass wire or nylon washers(cut down to fir inside the end of the lockout)
rmdesignworks
I wanna be Dave
New VC front axle plate
here is some pics of the progress so far....
here is some pics of the progress so far....
