codepunk

Long story short, the chassis on my Team Losi XXX-T RTR2 broke in half. It's the only thing that broke. I have the part on order but won't be here for a week. I just bought the car so it's a little disheartening and I really want to drive.

My question: In the time until I receive the new chassis and get it put on, can I use some plastic welding compound to fix the broken chassis? I won't be doing any serious offroading, just putting around in the parking lot. Would this work?

-Mark

aliens8mycow

If you have a clean break, you can probably CA glue the joint. It may not last too long, but maybe it'll get you through a week.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

I don't think CA is very heat-friendly.
a good friend of mine has a saying:
If you can't afford to do it right, you can't afford to do it wrong. in other words, just get a new chassis plate.

smokingcrater

don't use CA, it won't hold it.. your best bet is to get some automotive fiberglass cloth and epoxy. put at least 3 layers of cloth on each side, compress it with waxpaper on each side followed by a brick on the top on bottom. (make a chassis sandwich, starting from the bottom, brick->waxpaper->3 layers of cloth/epoxy->chassis>epoxy->waxpaper->bricks) The end result will be MUCH stronger then the original chassis, with very little weight gain.

kwong2001

My Feedback: (2)

You could do the poor man's welding and just solder it together.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

I don't see that being any stronger...you still have that stress riser in the middle.
again, just get the new chassis.

kwong2001

My Feedback: (2)

He already has a new chassis on order. He just wants a temporary fix in the meantime.

powder_king

wouldnt jb weld work?

aliens8mycow

I think codepunk had the new chassis part figured out before he ever wrote this post -- stated plainly at the beginning...

He's looking for a quick fix to last a week - nothing more. CA, JB Weld, Epoxy, whatever - quick, cheap & easy - throw it in the trash next week.

nitroracer20

I was thinking JB weld also.

Keezy

In my years a panel beater using plastic welding through chemical welds, sitch welds, stapled welds, ultrasonic, heat and modified solder tips... I would say it is possible if you genuinely cannot find the parts definitely worth a go if you can swallow the risk of it costing you more money If you do it wrong..

Personally I'd be using chemweld for your internals of the weld..... Then using brass staples or stainless "brass is all i had on hand most of the time as copper and brass love to pull in heat for panel beating! Also brass has a little stretch all be it not for long term use flex-wise".. now using those staples I'd get them recessed and flush and as deep and anchored as possible then I would stitch the weld as deep as I can for example push down and in then back out down and in like stitching.. or side by side pushing the material into each opposing side then doing the stitch then smoothing it out whilst melting the 3 welds into a flush look and you shouldn't need to remove any material it will go where it needs to be and should really join each side and the Chem well will help the inside . If you want to strengthen a break that's like 25% attached like a white stretch fold do all I said prior but once done hit it with heat but make sure it's very localised just over either side of the crack... The you could put a chassis brace over that the ones I've seen from m2c are perfect for my truck for example... The other thing you can do it if it's a straight break and has the room is take out some material and join it with joints like dove tails or over lapping plates either side of the crack and bolt them together maybe using plates either side to reinforce the break. Or maybe the chassis snapped on and angle like > / that would work especially well if you did that but ran the plates counter to the cracks direction to help the flex forces spread evenly for example my outcast v2 right now I'm about to do most of the same as I said but I'll just be doing the recessed staples the Chem weld and a chassis brace. I was sent the wrong chassis and I suspect they new this as it's magically on pre order since my order. .. someone didn't update the stock numbers I think 🤔 buuut they've been great otherwise so Im not going to call them on that they'll likely pay for my postage just bad luck Ill be waiting longer .. guess it's a reallllly good excuse to use my tax payment for a kraton or something... Maybe a 12s speed build. As I don't have a track car just mental or crawler 😆😆👍👍 good luck everytime happy hobbies!

kilo2018

You can repair it however I would Epoxy material on both sides (top and bottom) of that break.

Big Alice

I think I'd just go buy some beer and wait till the new chassis came in.