Some work on my bronco

[Dennhop]

Huge thanks to user don_olsen for helping out a noob here on the forums. Did a little work on the bronco today. Still waiting on the light power supply, but all the wiring is in place and ready to go. Used the parts he told me about, and everything fits fine.

The led he used for headlights...
<a href="https://ibb.co/fgUa5H"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/fgUa5H/20180321_132129.jpg" alt="20180321_132129" border="0"></a>

Some wiring done on the front...
<a href="https://ibb.co/kZegec"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/kZegec/20180321_151655.jpg" alt="20180321_151655" border="0"></a>

How the headlights look fitted in between....no cutting or drilling required.
<a href="https://ibb.co/h0S1ec"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/h0S1ec/20180321_155100.jpg" alt="20180321_155100" border="0"></a>

Some more wiring...I used heatshrink to keep it all clean and together, and solder spliced everything together. This way I only have one junction to plug into the power supply. I just wanted running lights, not worried about brakes or backup lights.
<a href="https://ibb.co/nE3k5H"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/nE3k5H/20180321_160213.jpg" alt="20180321_160213" border="0"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/hfwSKc"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/hfwSKc/20180321_160216.jpg" alt="20180321_160216" border="0"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/cBjgec"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/cBjgec/20180321_160621.jpg" alt="20180321_160621" border="0"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/fJEgec"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/fJEgec/20180321_160619.jpg" alt="20180321_160619" border="0"></a>

Then, during all of this, these showed up....
<a href="https://ibb.co/ie7Osx"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/ie7Osx/20180321_135824.jpg" alt="20180321_135824" border="0"></a>

Soo, I paused between wiring the rear lights and assembled and installed them. I need to find center caps for them, but I really like how they look...
<a href="https://ibb.co/bFdPzc"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/bFdPzc/20180321_151705.jpg" alt="20180321_151705" border="0"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/kynHKc"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/kynHKc/20180321_151708.jpg" alt="20180321_151708" border="0"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/fS2v5H"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/fS2v5H/20180321_162513.jpg" alt="20180321_162513" border="0"></a>

Tires are a bit taller than stock, and they do rub when stuffed, but it's not bad.

Just need the light controller so I can hook up the wiring and turn it all on now!

 

[Don_Olsen]

Hey thanks for the props. I'm so glad I could help. It's looking great.
I got out today in the spring time NYC snow, the LED's have a great period correct yellow white color to them.

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[Dennhop]

Ran into a snag...I guess I can't wire the headlights and the running lights into the same circuit...not enough power to run them all. Had to cut into the harness and rewire the headlights separately to another channel on the controller. I'm on hold till I get the connector.

This is the part I've got...
<a href="https://ibb.co/hkPiAH"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/hkPiAH/TRA8028_2.jpg" alt="TRA8028_2" border="0"></a>

So the way I did it was I ran all my running lights in parallel, so front running lights, taillights and rear running lights and wired all together to one positive and one negative lead that plugs into one port on the led driver. The headlights will light up to full power when they're isolated on their own, without the running lights connected. My solution, and hopefully it works, will be to use the same driver, but the second port, when I get my connector, for the headlights. All my other wiring is still stock.

 

[Don_Olsen]

Hmm I'm sort of surprised. Unless you tried powering them without the Traxxas LED driver. The voltage directly off the RX is 5v. The rating of the LED's is 3v

I have the headlights 300ma each, 4 running lights 30ma each and the Traxxas rock crawling lights on the same circuit.
Not sure what the amp draw is on the Traxxas lights is but it must be over 100ma.

Now I don't have my servo. on that circuit. So I'm sorry if that's it. I have my servo. on a BEC.

Yes that's the power supply I'm using. I do have mine split on two different plugs.
One with the headlights and 4 running lights.
The other with the Traxxas rock crawling lights.
So maybe that is the difference.

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[Dennhop]

That's probably what it is then. I think the draw is too much on one leg on the driver, so when the second set of connectors comes in, I'll be able to run the headlights on their own separate leg. Should work fine.

Plus, I added the taillights as well, so I'd bet the draw of 4 running lights, 2 taillights and the headlights was just too much

So I got the second part in to get my headlights working, but killed my servo...soo, new snow today, but I can't run in...

 

[Don_Olsen]

Ugh. How did that happen?

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[Dennhop]

No idea. It was running fine last night, went to fire it up today, and the steering servo is shot. Switched channels, and tested to make sure it was the servo not anything else, and the transmitter and channel are good...but the servo is completely dead. No response at all when I turn the truck on.

I need to upgrade it, but for times sake, and the fact that the hobby shop near me don't have any servos, i just ordered a new stock one from Traxxas...

Just found out they do have one...so I got it and it's up and running. Not a lot of actual run pics, but you can see the aftermath...lol
<a href="https://ibb.co/f6qyx7"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/f6qyx7/20180324_161055.jpg" alt="20180324_161055" border="0"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/eN0LAS"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/eN0LAS/20180324_161601.jpg" alt="20180324_161601" border="0"></a> <a href="https://ibb.co/kueQc7"><img src="https://thumb.ibb.co/kueQc7/20180324_161540.jpg" alt="20180324_161540" border="0"></a>

Did a bit more tweaking and troubleshooting. Results are tbd. I'll get to that in a minute though.

Took my front and rear diffs and portals apart and packed them with grease. Used the wheel bearing grease I have, and it works fine. Everything was pretty dry, or just a bit of grease. Didn't take any after pics, but I packed them full.
<a href="https://ibb.co/jEUXAS"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/ceFiH7/20180326_004317.jpg" alt="20180326_004317" border="0"></a>

Then I redid the wiring on the lights. I used a 4 way Delphi weather pack connector to plug the body harness into the trx4 light connector...works great, easy to disconnect, and of course waterproof.
<a href="https://ibb.co/dSpw4n"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/mAnijn/20180326_111212.jpg" alt="20180326_111212" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/fcjM4n"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/dwRqx7/20180326_111231.jpg" alt="20180326_111231" border="0"></a>

Then of course, it was time to play. Even with the grease, the locking diffs worked fine. I do need to upgrade the steering servo, and at some point I'll buy a Bec and a new servo, but for now, the stock one will work...
<a href="https://ibb.co/hTk0x7"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/kHVB4n/20180326_111648.jpg" alt="20180326_111648" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/fLDg4n"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/htoEPn/20180326_112540.jpg" alt="20180326_112540" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/c8EDjn"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/kiU2c7/20180326_111738.jpg" alt="20180326_111738" border="0"></a>

And for the troubleshooting, results tbd. I saw a video online about fixing stock Traxxas steering servo. On the right side just below center (in my picture) there is a fuse that's soldered in. The video showed that the fuse was bad....I didn't bother testing mine. I just desoldered the fuse, and soldered in a solid strand of wire....took about 4 wires from an 18g strand, tinned them, and soldered them across the fuse junction. I haven't tested it yet, but if it does work, I've at least got an emergency spare.

Sidenote....mine went bad completely....I had no power to the servo, no noise, nothing. It was just dead. Gears we're good, but the servo wasn't responding at all to inputs from the controller.
<a href="https://ibb.co/muXSAS"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/nKQ3jn/20180326_110656.jpg" alt="20180326_110656" border="0"></a>

With the aftermarket wheels, didn't like the fact I couldn't put the center caps on...and it looked goofy with the wheelnut exposed. Got a set of Mickey Thompson classic center caps for the rears, and a rc4wd manual lockout for the front. Ran into a small snag with the lockouts, as I found out they were too short to thread on with the original wheel it's removed. I ended up just putting them on over top the original wheel nuts, and they worked fine that way and still look pretty original.

 

[m1009cucv]

any chance you have the part # that you used? thanks

 

[Dennhop]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DBZHOCW?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf


Here's the headlights don_olsen and I used...they sandwiched perfectly between the lense and the backing for me.

For the rest of them, he sent me these two links:

5mm
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AUI4VSI?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

3mm
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AUI4W5U?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

They will have to be plugged into a trx4 led controller
One big difference between my setup and Don's was that I ran the taillights, whereas he only had running lights with his headlights, and his steering servo is on a Bec. For my setup, to run headlights and all the other lights, I had to run the headlights on one plug of the led controller, and all my other lights on another plug. There was too much draw on one plug for me to get the headlights to work properly. So after much debate, I finally chose to go with a stock wheel, vs the bronco plastic cover...
So onto it....


img free


img free

And after talking with a few others here, and checking out the acme plate generator, I chose to go a different route. Wanted my custom design, didn't care so much about the actual numbers...so I copied the image, shrunk it down, laminated it and taped it on. Not nearly as professional as others, but I tend to lose patience when dealing with details like that. I did add some dates to the plate, so I'm actually running on expired tags. But unless I redid them every year, they'd be expired next year too!

Added a vanity plate up front, while I was at it.

These were the images I started with:



This is how it ended up



And since every one of my real vehicles has Marine Corps veteran tags, I felt it fitting that the bronco did too...




I ended up tapping the new LEDs into one of the existing leads, since the connectors I ordered were not the right size. Oh well. Figure something g out to do with them.

That being said, I realized that now that it's street legal albeit expired registration, that well, i could still get pulled over because Traxxas engineers forgot one very key thing- license plate lights! Since the local AutoZone, O'Reilly's, and advanced Auto parts were unable to locate a Ford bronco Traxxas model in their parts catalog, I decided again, I'd have to make my own.
I used two 3mm soft white LEDs, and after some grinding, some drilling, and a bit of soldering, it's now street legal!





Ok, last thing for a bit. Got these in and installed today.

 

[Don_Olsen]

As Dennhop stated. The power draw if done in series will over draw on the Traxxas LED power supply which is rated for 500mw.
If wired in parallel the amperage draw is divided between each of the LED's

https://www.ledsupply.com/blog/wiring-leds-correctly-series-parallel-circuits-explained/

At 300ma each in series they are pulling a bit more than it's rated for.

But as I have it in parallel I can the two headlights 2x300ma each on one leg.
And 4x20ma LED's and the Traxxas rock crawling well lights also which Im guessing are likely 120ma on another.

It's working fine, so far so good. But as with most things proceed at your own risk. [emoji3]

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[Dennhop]

First time out in the real, and I think I fried the motor, haha! I didn't have any good way to check it out there, but when I turn everything on, everything works except the throttle. All the servos actuate, the high/low transmission servo works, steering servo is good, but there is no response at all when I move the throttle forward or back. I need to take the motor connectors and plug them directly into a battery to verify that the motor is working correctly, then go from there...don't know if I'll upgrade, or replace. Probably upgrade. I need to find a motor that can handle water better than the stock one.

 

[93muskrat351w]

Anyway u could point out the fuse in a pic I got a dead servo as Well.did ur fix work

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[Dennhop]

My fix didn't work, but I think it's because of my solder work. The servo does turn a bit, but since I don't have a clean connection, it activates the front difflock also when I turn. With a clean solder connection, I'm pretty sure it would work fine; I just didn't get it right.

The circled part is where the fuse should be.