Project Gremlin King

[JavelinSST390]

Well, I finally started modding my wk. I've decided to call it "RockCrusher" since it'll serve double-duty as rock crawler/trail rig and Monster truck (By swapping out gears/body/wheels and tires, and moving the battery from the back to the front for whatever I'm doing at the time).

This will be a "budget" build, to see what kind of WK can be built for minimal investment other than time. (Which I have plenty of.) The plan is to keep the truck MOSTLY stock, since I really like the overall concept and package of the Wheely king as it comes.


I've decided to start one thread for the whole build, and update as I go, rather than many stupid little posts that annoy even me.

I'm quite impressed with this thing as it is now. The articulation right out of the box and off-road capability are incredible, especially for a RTR unit, but it could def. use a few things.

Can your stock Clod do this? I think not.

I already have a set of RcGuy lockers ordered, along with a set of HPI hardened diff gears. I was going to replace the stock axles with stainless units, but I'm just going to get some stockers for now, so I can spend my money on other up-grades instead.

Today I did my first real mod to it, installing a pair of custom rear steering lock-outs to get rid of the horrible wimpy stock piece.

here's the pics:

These were made using some Traxxas rod ends I had lying around and some 6-32 allthread, and I turned the knuckles around so I could put the lock-outs up front and clean up the rear end of the truck.

Time invested: about 45 mins, start to finish.
Cost: 75 cents, not counting the rod ends, since I already had those, and I forgot what I paid for them (got them years ago)

I realize that when I rotate the link mounts to stretch the wheelbase these won't work anymore (they'll hit the link mounts) so I'll have to figure out something else. I'll probably mount them both to the upper screw, maybe that'll get me the clearance I need?

At any rate, it made the view from the rear much nicer.

Tomorrow I'm going to the LHS and I'm going to get some Revo rod ends, maxx shafts, some washers, etc. that I need to do the wheelbase stretch. I'm also going to pick up some aluminum sheet to make a new OTA servo mount, so I can get rid of the sloppy steering system. (Who the designed this, Rube Goldberg? Were they high?)

 

[constantmotion]

Keep up the good work......moddin' things never ends

 

[JavelinSST390]

Today I went and got the stuff to do the wheelbase stretch, and some real thick aluminum sheet to make an OTA servo mount, using the template found here. Hoping to get that done tonight. I'm also going to make a nice aluminum skidplate to go under the tranny an act as a brace between the lower rod ends, since I want to get rid of those plastic pieces. (I'm tired of the bottom the tranny hanging up on stuff.)

Then I just need to trim the body up, and she's good to go!

 

[JavelinSST390]

Well, i got the rear stretch and the body cutting done last night. Hopefully I'll be able to start on the servo mount and stuff sometime this week. It's amazing what just stretching the rear will do for the off-road ability of this thing. Sorry, no action or flex shots yet, but hopefully soon.

I stretched the upper Y-link with some sections of aluminum tube and some 4-40 allthread as HPI did in their tutorial, but I'm really not happy with it that way. IT has too much flex to the whole assembly, and I'm afraid the 4-40 allthread might pull out. But, Until I can find some Tamiya stays or something It'll just have to be this way.

Btw, the stock WK wheelbase is 9.5 inches, right? Well, the stock links measure 4 1/4", center to center, so I made mine 5 1/2", and the tube to stretch the upper link is 1 1/4" long. But somehow, I ended up with an 11" wheelbase at this point? Umm, did I miss something? Shouldn't I have 10 3/4"? I'm shoting for an Even 12" once the front is done, then I may shorten it from there to fit the wheelbase of an HPI Rubi body. (What is the WB of the Rubi body?)

At this point I haven't rotated the link mounts yet, so I'll have to shorten the links once I do that, but I want to make some pieces to attach the shocks at about the same height as stock, to keep the driveline angles in check and provide plenty of tire clearance with the new body on. (besides, I prefer the look of them up a little higher.)

Let me know what you think!

Later,
Chris

 

[jonass]

this is going to be a nice little rig

 

[openeagle]

I have done the same thing. I made my lower links 5 inch from center to center on both the front and the rear. with this wheel base it is almost unstopable.

 

[wkcrawler4me]

If you run outa clearence on your lockouts do what I did.

Works really good and is tuff. 4-40 threadall, brakeline, and rod ends. Nice clean lock out.

 

[JavelinSST390]

Well, I finally got it finished. I shortened the rear up by 1/4" and made the front to the same length. I also swapped out the motor for a Multiplex 600. I have yet to change the gears but MAN what a blast this thing is! The multiplex makes it WAY faster for bashing.

OOPS, I think a few more details are in order.

Final results of the mods:
Wheelbase: 12"

Multiplex 600 18t motor.

Lower links made with Revo Rod ends, 8-32 allthread rod, and three different sizes of K&S Tubing that all fit one-inside-the-other. The smallest one fits the 8-32 allthread just tight enough that you have to thread it on. The final outside diameter is 1/4". I tried to bend one of them... I can't do it by hand, and I'm no weakling. So I think they'll hold up."thumbsup"

This thing is nearly unstoppable now. Hit a Mudhole by my house earlier today. Sorry, no action shots (my camera phone is waaaaay too slow for that. Hopefully soon I can get the scratch to get a good digi cam.) But I have some cool posed pics and after-math mud-covered pics to show. Suffice to say, Me and the kid had to back up to keep from getting muddy. :mrgreen:

Debating on going to the OTA axle servo mount or keeping the steering servo in the stock location and getting either the Hot Racing or Integy aluminum bellcranks and such along with a better servo, in order to keep a more scale appearance. One thing's for sure... the stock steering set-up has WAAY too much slop in it.

More updates later.

 

[JavelinSST390]

Here's the pics, as promised...

As I stated before, these were all posed, for two reasons:
1. I only have a Camera phone to use for pics right now, and it's too slow to get good action shots.

2. I was having too much fun and forgot about pics until the batt's were drained.:mrgreen:

Anyway, here's a pic of it as it sat before this morning's run, with my RS4 Sport 2

And here's the pics of the mud-coated aftermath.

Lemme know what you think of it.

 

[sharpe351]

NICE! love the mud pics. That's my definition of a good time!"thumbsup"

 

[Troublemaker]

wk

Mud Is your BESTFRIEND ahahahaah MINE TO!!!!!!

 

[JavelinSST390]

I've been running the snot out of this thing, and just havingt a blast with it. Haven't found any really good rock spots to try yet, but I have run it quite a bit, (okay, I've beat on it mercilessly:twisted and I took it on a really good trail run, (about 1/2 mile, in and back) and I've kept working on it.

But mostly I've been just bashing it around my yard, and out on the gravel roads in front of my house. (this thing is a BLAST on gravel!) I've been having gearing issues (which I finally got sorted out, after I changed my gear-mesh setup technique) I now have three different spur/pinion sets for this truck. One is the crawler/trail gears, a 16t pinion and a 96t spur, the second is the stock gearing, 20t pinion 90t spur, and the third setup ishigh-speed, a 28t pinion and 87t spur. With this setup, it'll do dang near 40. And with the Multiplex and my 3000mah NiMh Venom pack, still produces more than enough power to spin all four baloneys.

I've managed to break a few things. "thumbsup"

here's the list so far:
Three stock lower shock/link mounts (two are all loose and wobbly on the axle, the other one straight broke one of the rod mount ears off.)

Broke off a piece of 4-40 allthread in the upper y-link arm, this prompted the switch to true four-link, which I'll get into in a minute.

Snapped a traxxas shaft (got bound up when the upper link let go... after a HUGE jump!)

Bent one axle shaft

Killed the stock ESC

The pivot-ball holes in the upper link mounts are all wallowed out.

Two stripped spur gears

And I've nearly lost every shock spring spacer that came with the truck, plus all the ones for my RS4.

And the steering servo has seen better days.

SO here's the specs as she sits now.

HPI Wheely King 4x4
Stretched to 12" WB with custom links.
Four-link conversion using custom brackets
Maxx Shafts (with HPI stickers, LOL!)
Reversed Chassis
Multiplex 600 motor
Moped V16R Bravo ESC (thanks, Curve!)
Locked rear diff (front still open)
Custom rear lock-outs.


Here's some pics of how she sits right now, but don;t dwell on 'em, it's going to change a LOT very soon.

Pics of the four-link setup. Right now it's only in the front, just need to go to the LHS and get some more Revo Rod ends to do the rear. Might also make some different brackets. This one I whipped up from flat aluminum sheet and while it does the job, it's fugly. I still need to sleeve the links, these are just for testing.

Now, pretty soon, it'll be getting these: (thanks to looneybin)

And THIS will be the Body!!!!

Eventually, I will be either making my own chassis or buying a nice scaler chassis, and add either an interior or exo-cage to the body, tube doors, interior, spare, roof rack, etc. etc. But that's all down the road.


GOinjg to take this thing out one last time in this form here this afternoon (if the weather holds out) so hopefully I'll get some action shots.

 

[BillnAZ]

Good job on your descriptions and pictures, I am in the process of coverting my WK, you have opened more ideas for me, to thing about...

Thanks
Bill

 

[JavelinSST390]

Tell you what, the 4-link set-up is the single best thing I've done to this truck. It makes a night-and-day difference in the suspension. If you just extend the stock upper links they tend to get a lot of flex in them, that allows the axles to kind of move as they please. You waste power moving the suspension around before the truck climbs the obstacle.

With the four-link, there is ZERO side-to-side axle movement.

After that comes the new ESC, and then the new battery.

 

[JavelinSST390]

Finally got my body, and after some cutting, hacking, and Bodywork, plus some tires and wheels (thanks to LooneyBin and 4RunnerKid"thumbsup")

I now have THIS!!!!

Siiiiiiiiick!!!!!:twisted:

And of course, the mandatory articulation shot:

Oh, and I made custom License plates:

Still waiting on some more stuff to really finish 'er off. I have Savage Bumpers coming (hope they fit) and I'm working on finding a new chassis to go under her (or making one, but making two matching parts has never been easy for me. I usually get one good one and one compromised one) because the stock Chassis just doesn't look right under this body, somehow... (gee, I wonder why?:lol::roll

Some things need to be addressed. With the new lid, which is far heavier than the stocker, the stock springs are WAAAAAY too soft, and body roll when cornering is HORRIBLE, even at crawler speeds. But I'll probably wait to do something about it until I get my new chassis, at which point I'll probably have to change shocks, anyway.

here's a list of stuff I still need to get for it:
Integy middle steering lever and Upper link mounts, (to take all the slop out of the steering system yet still be able to keep the servo out-of-sight)

Lots of LED's, 13 in all, for what I have planned

a tamiya high-lift lightbar and lenses

A towerpro 995 servo

Some kind of roof rack (would like to just get a torch and make one, but...)

Some of those cell-phone holder Recaro seats, and some kind of steering-wheel. (going to have to make the dash from styrene)

Tow straps, railroad jack, cooler, and other little scaler bits.

let me know what you think!

 

[openeagle]

Nice job so far mine is coming along good to.

 

[SalManilla]

Cool"thumbsup". Great choice on the body.:lol: Ya gotta love it.

 

[4RunnerKid]

love it chris. that body is perfect. you going to keep the rings orange? i kinda like it... it fits somehow.

 

[JavelinSST390]

I was thinking I should start a new thread on this in the 2.2 scalers section, since this is slowly morphing far and away from my original plan. This thing has taken on a life of it's own. What do you guys think?

Anyway, The body is now WELL mounted, but still needs bodywork/wheelwell tweaking. I took it out for it's second Run in this configuration Today, and took some good pictures.

I added a couple of my patented zip-tie spring-spacers to all the shocks. (Ghetto Fab!"thumbsup") I added one extra on the front left and right rear. This killed the torque twist, and helped conering and other things significantly. I really need to springs that are one or two steps stiffer. With the Hardbody, this thing is a PIG, and it's only going to get heavier. I also think I could stand to limit the articulation just a bit, because it has a tendency to drop the tires into holes at just the wrong time, when a little less articulation and a slower drop speed on the tire (heavier shock oil, What do WK's come with stock, anyway?) I could avoid some hang-ups.

I am now SO STOKED with the performance of this rig. And I only have the the rear diffy locked (Until i can afford CVD's and a high-torque servo) the tires aren't glued, and THE TIRES HAVE NO FOAMS IN THEM! And, I'm still running the stock chassis! I'm not even sure there's still any OIL left in the shocks!:roll:


we interrupt this thread for:
If anyone out there reading this has a spare set of foams that will fit Imex Swampers please let me know. I am in desperate need.
thank you.

I can't wait to see what this thing can do once I get a decent low-COG scaler chassis under it, really get the shocks and springs dialed, weight the wheels, get some foams, get a new servo, and get the slop out of the steering. Oh, yes, I really, desperately need different shock/link mounts. The stockers are now a constant source of hang-ups. And rotating them doesn't appeal to me because they're still almost as big that way, and there's really no good way to mount the shocks with them like that, and, they're just UGLY! I want some of the new TCS mounts or some of the Kreepy LOCKJAW mounts. Those look trick!

I've decided the color will stay close to the molded green, to help hide scratches, but I'll be using Tamiya Candy Lime Green Pearl. It's a SICK color that is close to HOK Pagan Green.

I first painted the rockrings red, hated that (made it look like Santa-clause built a rock-crawler All it needed was a big sack of toys in the roofrack and some Red headlights.:lol then tried painting one of them the Green color. That, combined with the chrome HPI Spike Rims, was just a little Too "Bling Bling" for an AMC Gremlin.

So right after I finished taking the pictures I took the rings off and painted them black. It's perfect. The wheel/tire combo looks absolutely Brutal.


Anyway, here's the pics. None of these are posed, Drove it in, drove it out.

let me know what you think!

 

[JavelinSST390]

More updates.

First off, I would just like to thank you guys a LOT. :crazy: Now I have a new disease. I set out to build a decent, low-budget scaler, that could serve double-duty as a basher, and now I have these urges go whole-hog on it and get all the best parts and all this stuff I can't afford, and now it's mutating into a full-on scale crawler.

You guys suck.:nice:

After extensive testing, I came to the following conclusions, and decided to do something about them.

1: With the Swamp Dawgs, the lower shock/link mounts, in the stock configuration, became a constant source of hang-ups.
2: The COG is too high.
3: It sits too high.
4: I Definitely need to limit the articulation some, it likes to drop tires into holes at the wrong time.
5: I need more clearance under the links, and at the belly of the beast.
6: The Link geometry is waaaay beyond stupid.


So after pondering for a bit, wondering what to do, and not having the $$$ for the TCS mounts I want, I decided to go the low-buck route.
I rotated the stock lower link mounts 90 Degrees, and shortened the lower links the appropriate amount. This did two things. It moved the lower link mount point nearly to the centerline of the axle, thus creating a lot more clearance under the links, and the axle itself, But it also made it so the upper and lower links are paralell.

Then I wondered what to do with the shocks. Where do I mount them now?

Part of one of my lower link mounts is broken, so I couldn't mount the shock there. Then i thought of something. Moving the axle end of the shocks out towards the wheels will make them stiffer. (shorter lever) So, I decided to mount them right to the back screw on the Axle C's. Just got four longer screws and BANG!

Dropped the ride height about 1/2 inch, didn't really affect the articulation any, AND it helped the higher-speed handling immensely!
While I had the shocks off, I slipped a 1/4" piece of oxygen hose tubing over the shock shaft before I re-installed the lower ball links, to act as bump stops. These might get adjusted as time goes on.

All of this helped a LOT! It's now almost un-stoppable!

I still need to find or make a different chassis, that has more center clearance. I've been wanting a 12" WB Double-J trail beater, but with funds so tight right now It'll be a while before I can get one, unless I can find one used, or something. so it'll have to be a belly-dragger for now.
it won't RTI quite as good as before, due to the slightly-limited suspension travel, but it's MUCH harder to roll now and doesn't get hung up as much. (unless I high center it,) It also climbs much better. And besides, it would easily drive right over the top without lifting a tire before and it was un-stable as heck so I'm really not too worried.^_^

I'll have pics of all what I did tomorrow.

Oh, and I just scored a couple of high-lift lightbars with LED's for them. Night rides, here I come!:chug: