compunerd

As any driver of a monster truck knows (who likes bashing at least), the truck spends a lot of time flipped over. As a result you the driver spend a lot of time running around just to flip it back over onto its wheels. So I started thinking about adding a small device inside the frame of my truck that could flip it back over. I’ve looked around here and elsewhere and never found any reference to anyone else even talking about doing this, but it seems like a no brainer to me!

As I see it, I’d need an extra channel available on my radio (either dial or a switch), and obviously a corresponding channel on my receiver, and a servo to actuate it. I imagine a small linkage that will kick out of both sides of the truck body simultaneously as the truck is very unlikely to meet resistance on both sides at once. Also I’m keeping in mind that this solution will have to be very durable.

Also I’ve already done some preliminary measurements of the forces and distances required to get my truck (Savage X 4.6) to the point where it will fall back right-side-up. It’s about 30 degrees past vertical, and my self-righting linkage would need to be about 12in long from the center of the Savage to reach the ground at this point. (Ok I appear to have misplaced my fish scale acquired force measurement, guess I’ll have to redo that later).

Anyways, in the not too distant future I’d like to get onto building (I have access to a basic machine shop) but figured if anyone else had done anything similar or just wanted to weigh in I’d love to hear/see what others think about this idea or have already done. I’ve obviously considered several different linkage possibilities, but could always use more ideas. Anyways, thanks in advance for the help! [8D]

Jgaff2

I would think you would have to put some type of servo on a mount to get it high enough, and then put a metal tube extending from the servo arm? It would have to be very powerful though.

The_Shark

how bout just a hoop around the body, it would look goofey but would work much like a weeble.

compunerd

Haha, I actually had thought of the hoop idea already. However as a mechanical engineer I have to find a more expensive and complex solution than that!

As far as the arms sticking out idea, the other thing to keep in mind is that I have nowhere in the body to hold a 12in long arm member (without it sticking out of the body at least). So to achieve my 12in arm distance I will have to have at least a 2-bar linkage that pivots about some midpoint. Again though, wondering if anyone else has ideas about creative ways to keep the solution small and then scissor out to be wide only when necessary.

Shabbernigdo

Multiple gold plated hoops?

doug702

My Feedback: (1)

what if it lands directly on the roof

sloppyG

how about something spring loaded (like a jack in the box) that when you're on your lid, releases and springs the thing up into the air and hopefully back onto it's wheels

The_Shark

keep it simple stupid (kiss theroy) how bout something like scizzer jacks, make two out of metal, and a servo applies preassure to one side of the X arm while two points(other arm and center pivot) are fixed making it streach out, then have a return spring or use servo movement to bring it back.


i still like the hoop idea.

Argess

Why not mount one of those helicopter yaw rate gyros at 90 degrees to measure Roll, and conect it to your steering servo so if the MT starts to tip over from hard, the steering automatically steers out of the corner and brings it back on 4 wheels vs tipping up on two. Might cure 90% of roll-overs.

hmmm...........I wonder if that would work.................

378

My Feedback: (4)

I've seen gadgets like this on battle robots. The most popular one used there is an arm with a wheel on it. Arm turns, bot flips over, no problem.


For a monster truck, though, I would rather go with a couple of pneumatic pistons that slam a plate into the ground and basically throw the truck back onto it's wheels. Or maybe a couple of linear actuators that do the same thing only slower and less violently.
Dbox > mount on side > Done.


Though you'd have to tune the gain so it doesn't over correct and flip it in the other direction, and so it doesn't go off during hard but otherwise stable cornering on pavement. I've seen MTs heel over 30-35 degrees on pavement, yet never once think about actually traction rolling.

The_Shark

mmm it might work if the person behind the wheels is a crappy driver, i can usually feel when its about to flip.

378

My Feedback: (4)

So you can correct when you're blasting across a grassy field at 35-40MPH, the truck hits a tree root, rut, bump or misc object you can't see, causing it to change from right way up to pointing at the ISS in a few milliseconds?


Because a correctly mounted gyro can.

Argess

Hey....it's the OP wanting something....not me....LOL. And I think you mean "see" vs "feel" But then again, I'm not the best of drivers.....

jrwizbang

I'm thinking a couple acme rocket engines actuated by a third radio channel.  Although that damned road runner would just find a way to sabotage it.

Shenanigans

My Feedback: (12)

How bout a MT that doesn't need to be flipped over?  Can operate upside down, or right side up?  I think some toy grade models had this function.....be cool to see a truck hummin at 40mph, hit a curb, flip on its lid, and keep on going

378

My Feedback: (4)

Would work okay with electric but nitro is going to need some fuel tank wizardry. Also you'd have no suspension so it wouldn't be jumpable.

jrwizbang

aerobatic airplane tank, engine mounted sideways

378

My Feedback: (4)

Five second pitstop is also required. Airplane fuel tanks take quite a while to fill since you need to either disconnnect one of the lines and fill from there or fill through a third line.

The_Shark

its kinda wierd but i can feel the car, as if it has weight, but i also imagine sound with any given image or color.

i mean the gyro deal is a good idea, and might work to some extent, but steering servos are slow under load and monster trucks suspension are slow and soggy. if you ever try it let us know.

jrwizbang

I don't think the added wieght of a metal arm is something racers are going to be willing to add to their truck anyway.

Breakstuff

I thought that was what kids were for. Daddies truck flipped over. Go fix it.

nitrosportsandrunner

running over to right one of my trucks that flipped is my version of excersize!

supertib

that may work.... I have used a gyro to help stabilize the steering of my DM-1 when we run on the cold pavement....