MadManAndrew

OK, I'm thinking up a 1/4 scale Trophy Truck design and would like some advice/ideas...

So far, I'm thinking Aluminum Angle Stock Chassis, with CNC machined motor mounts,etc...
Maybe the [link=http://rc4wdstore.com/product_info.php?cPath=60&products_id=885]RC4WD.com 1/5 scale yota[/link] for an axle...
CNCed A-Arms using knuckles/carriers from another 1/5 or 1/4 scale RC
4 wheels drive
Conley Stinger 609 engine

I did some research and found that Trophy trucks use Swing Arms on the rear axle, like a racing 4-wheeler or something, instead of traditional leafsprings. I like this, but it'll be a little more complicated...Not hard though, easy to design...just needs a whole different chassis than what I came up with...So, got ideas for somethings I can do?Know a good part to use?Please post them...

Whats a good vehicle to use knuckles/carriers from? What about driveshafts?I heard there was a site that made custom dog bones, anyone know the url?

da mad maori

cool looks like homemades are making an impact
your best friend will be a "motion" shop... (bearing shop)

you'll find bearings, ball-end joints, uni joints, sliding axles, and a whole bunch of other stuff...
lawn mower and small tractor shops also have supprises

cant wait to see your build
do you have pics/designs to show??

Cheers

MadManAndrew

I have the original design on a big engineer drawing pad...but it's to big to scan in, and the pictures look crappy...plus, the original drawing was a pan chassis, while the my new design is a tube chassis...and whats the names of some motion shops? I could yellowpage them and find some nearby...

da mad maori

im in oz so names wont help but most bearing shops are also deal in "motion".. by motion i mean bearings, bevel gears, belts, pulleys,etc anywhere that sells them should have it all

there are online shops but they're quite expensive
http://www.smallparts.com.au/

ill see if i can track down more

MadManAndrew

thanks

da mad maori

other parts you could use are a socket swivel off a rachet set for uni joints...
or the steering colum knuckle on a car for a uni joint

bentley marshalls build uses a self powered lawn mower diff for his diff

ball ends are very usefull, the front suspension/hub on my build is moving on ballends as well as the steering arms

using the "wipermotor servo" is a very cheap easy alternative to the tone050 servo

da mad maori

this chap has alot of goodies

http://www.vardhmanbearings.com/index.htm

46u

My Feedback: (3)

Just wondering why you would want a solid rear axle over independent?

MadManAndrew

Because I'm building a realistic, scale trophy truck...Real trophy trucks use solid rear axles...

bentley marshall

cool another build to watch and help out with

retrorcman

Use a skellenger or New Era rear end.

MadManAndrew

hows this look for swing arms?

It was done in MS paint, so its not very good. But the actual designing will be done in Solidworks 2008.

bentley marshall

that looks like how it should be but you will need another one going from say the right hand side od the diff to the left hand side of the chassis to sotp the diff going side to side

or the two top arms could go from the out side of the chassis to the center of the diff that will stop it allso

motionmachine

Thats a traditional straight 4 link set up with panhard bar, awesome for street cars but not so good for serious offroad. For max travel and articulation, Id suggest a triangulated 4 link, simular to what monster trucks run.

For max strength with minimum amount of wieght, check out the selection of 4130 chrome moly steel tube at Onlinemetals.com. Stuff makes excellent link bars and a-arms to. [link=http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=15328&step=4&showunits=inches&id=250&top_cat=197]Heres[/link] what I use, but its not exactly cheap at nearly $6.00 a foot.

MadManAndrew

Are ya'll saying like left bottom link to top right, or left top to right top?and either way, wouldn't they rub and get in each others way?

bentley marshall

the bottom links are fine leave them where you have them but bring the diff ends of top arms to the center of the diff and mount them there on top of the diff

MadManAndrew

Like this?

That makes no difference to how I had it...

bentley marshall

like this

bentley marshall

yep ya beat me to it

MadManAndrew

OK... I don't see why that would make such a big difference...Somebody please explain cuz I'm lost...

bentley marshall

and mount ya shocks to the end of the diff

bentley marshall

it stops the diff from going side ways if you dont had bars on the angle the diff will just flop from side to side

MadManAndrew

To the end of the diff[sm=confused.gif]?I don't see why you would do that. I was planning on mounting them on the shock mounts a couple of inches in from the hub. I was also planning on mounting the swing arms where the leaf spring mounts are...I don't see why you would use this setup unless you're using ball ends which I'm not.

I'm not using ball ends so I don't need to keep the diff from goin side to side, It already doesn't...

bentley marshall

ok i thought you were using ball ends and just round tube as links .... sorry to confuze you [8D]

MadManAndrew

so all this was just if I was using ball ends? WOW, glad I'm not...Thanks for trying to help.