My Mongral truck, man is she ugly
09-16-2014, 10:18 AM
#1
Thread Starter
My Mongral truck, man is she ugly
Had a set of TLT axles and a rustler trans.
bought some Tamiya F350 leaf springs
had to make up my own hangers and shackles
Main chassis is a cutting board, front is just alloy metal.
No battery tray or ESC/rx mount yet, so they are just tapped on.
It is ugly, and nothing is straight or true. But, once topped with the land cruiser body it is fun to drive.
I will be adding wheel wells to the rear (maybe front to) and I may add a metal slab under the center chassis which would let me lower the tranny 1/3 of an inch.
Considering how rough the chassis is and how little flex there is, it actually crawls pretty well.
Pics and video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHG1nyzYf7Q
bought some Tamiya F350 leaf springs
had to make up my own hangers and shackles
Main chassis is a cutting board, front is just alloy metal.
No battery tray or ESC/rx mount yet, so they are just tapped on.
It is ugly, and nothing is straight or true. But, once topped with the land cruiser body it is fun to drive.
I will be adding wheel wells to the rear (maybe front to) and I may add a metal slab under the center chassis which would let me lower the tranny 1/3 of an inch.
Considering how rough the chassis is and how little flex there is, it actually crawls pretty well.
Pics and video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHG1nyzYf7Q
09-17-2014, 03:33 PM
#2
Thread Starter
added rear wheel wells, firewall and painted chassis black.
Tested it on some good rocks, and was impressed how well it did. There is hardly any flex (compared to my other crawlers) and yet it does well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvjqCnVl_r0&list=UUvwHY0wHFW3a5QFqQRkaKGQ
Tested it on some good rocks, and was impressed how well it did. There is hardly any flex (compared to my other crawlers) and yet it does well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvjqCnVl_r0&list=UUvwHY0wHFW3a5QFqQRkaKGQ
09-17-2014, 06:28 PM
#4
Thread Starter
true, but mine might flex less than normal. I didn't buy hangers or shackles...just used what I had.
on the front the shackles are servo mounts. on the back, I couldn't do the same as on the front. so it is a pair of camber links...one end threw the eye of the leaf. it allows movement up and down and back to front...but not side to side. works OK, but not as well as I had hoped.
But the truck is fun AS IS. so, maybe down the road I will buy some actual shackles, or maybe even some Tbox shackles.
Im not even using any shocks to dampen them. Truthfully, im surprised how well they are holding up. a single screw holes the leafs to the axle. on the front I added one link from chassis to servo tray to try and help axle flex. it helps enough to keep the driveshaft from popping out. But what it really needs to get ride of axle twisting is links mounted to the underside of the axle, but that would reduce ground clearance.
So, for now ill keep driving it and try not to give to much throttle if the wheels are bound up. If the leafs bend, a new set is only $10 and then I will worry about anti-twist bars.
on the front the shackles are servo mounts. on the back, I couldn't do the same as on the front. so it is a pair of camber links...one end threw the eye of the leaf. it allows movement up and down and back to front...but not side to side. works OK, but not as well as I had hoped.
But the truck is fun AS IS. so, maybe down the road I will buy some actual shackles, or maybe even some Tbox shackles.
Im not even using any shocks to dampen them. Truthfully, im surprised how well they are holding up. a single screw holes the leafs to the axle. on the front I added one link from chassis to servo tray to try and help axle flex. it helps enough to keep the driveshaft from popping out. But what it really needs to get ride of axle twisting is links mounted to the underside of the axle, but that would reduce ground clearance.
So, for now ill keep driving it and try not to give to much throttle if the wheels are bound up. If the leafs bend, a new set is only $10 and then I will worry about anti-twist bars.
09-18-2014, 06:09 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Wow, thanx nitro stan....that is the simplest and easiest anti-wrap bar ive seen. I will do that to mine.
So far, the springs have held up fine. Only issue thus far is the output yoke on the trans...the angle on the axle is steeper on the rear and the output yokes on the trans are plastic. For now I will have to replace with a new plastic one, but they should be upgraded to metal.
Otherwise it has taken some beating and worked well. Im actually starting to find its limitations and how to work around them. Granted, there are some times you simply need flex, but sometimes a bit of throttle does wonders.
Ill have a new video I shot today uploaded to youtube in a couple hours. Thanx again for the anti-wrap bar idea!
So far, the springs have held up fine. Only issue thus far is the output yoke on the trans...the angle on the axle is steeper on the rear and the output yokes on the trans are plastic. For now I will have to replace with a new plastic one, but they should be upgraded to metal.
Otherwise it has taken some beating and worked well. Im actually starting to find its limitations and how to work around them. Granted, there are some times you simply need flex, but sometimes a bit of throttle does wonders.
Ill have a new video I shot today uploaded to youtube in a couple hours. Thanx again for the anti-wrap bar idea!
09-18-2014, 06:20 PM
#8
Thread Starter
nitro stan...so you think shocks help your crawler? Mine has none right now. the fronts it might not be hard to add some, but cause of the full chassis rear it would be tricky. It does bounce around some at speed, but it is not that bad. and id think that shocks would only dampen the bouncing....they don't set ride height like on a 3 or 4 link. But if the bouncing isn't bad, then there is no reason I should bother (well, maybe scale looks, but I don't currently have shocks that would look scale.)
09-18-2014, 06:24 PM
#10
Thread Starter
also, those are TLT axles right? how did you mount the leaf to them? Im currently using 1 screw hole. Id prefer a method that used both. ive seen a few that made a block that uses both, then has sides to hold the leaf and a single screw bolting the leaf to the block. Im wondering if you have a simpler method than that or if like me you are just using one screw hole with the leaf bolted right to the axle.
09-18-2014, 08:26 PM
#11
Thread Starter
09-19-2014, 02:31 PM
#13
Thread Starter
just drilled threw the bottom holes....that doesn't end up too close to the 2 diagonal holes already on the top?
I drove the truck more today and have now noticed both rear leafs are bent ( a little on either side of the axle) and one front leaf is bent.
so, ill have to buy new ones. I may use 1 support leaf as well this time, while also mounting them like you did on yours and adding a anti-wrap bar.
still impressed what this leaf spring truck can do. The kyosho twin force motor works well, I wish I had the cash to get a outcry esc...so I could gear down the motor a bit more and then run it on 3s lipo.
I drove the truck more today and have now noticed both rear leafs are bent ( a little on either side of the axle) and one front leaf is bent.
so, ill have to buy new ones. I may use 1 support leaf as well this time, while also mounting them like you did on yours and adding a anti-wrap bar.
still impressed what this leaf spring truck can do. The kyosho twin force motor works well, I wish I had the cash to get a outcry esc...so I could gear down the motor a bit more and then run it on 3s lipo.
09-19-2014, 03:14 PM
#16
Thread Starter
fronts have homemade shackles which kinda work OK.
The rears use a camber link which goes threw the eye of the leaf spring. it can move up and down, back and forth....but not side to side.
The esc is a dynamite 15t. pretty basic 15turn capable esc with LVD. Sometimes it is hard to go into reverse smoothly. Id like to upgrade to a crawler type esc.
I have some styrene rods, im going to try to make a snorkel for it...maybe a rear bumper too.
The rears use a camber link which goes threw the eye of the leaf spring. it can move up and down, back and forth....but not side to side.
The esc is a dynamite 15t. pretty basic 15turn capable esc with LVD. Sometimes it is hard to go into reverse smoothly. Id like to upgrade to a crawler type esc.
I have some styrene rods, im going to try to make a snorkel for it...maybe a rear bumper too.
09-19-2014, 06:25 PM
#17
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I like castle escs,or castle based.
Ae2 is pretty good and can be found cheap.the outcry i had didnt last long.still got a first gen sidewinder esc thats still runnin strong
Ae2 is pretty good and can be found cheap.the outcry i had didnt last long.still got a first gen sidewinder esc thats still runnin strong
09-19-2014, 06:37 PM
#18
Thread Starter
for me its the opposite, ive had a few castle (castle based) esc that didn't last long. On the other hand, has some traxxas xl5, ezrun 35 and 60a brushless and even the AE system in my SC10 which lasted a long time.
I haven't had the single motor Outcy, but I had the Duel motor Outcry on a redcat Rs10. Ran it on 3s. Like the turbo bec...simple to install and easy to use.
But, there wont be many big changes for the Land cruiser as money is tight.
On the other hand, I have 3 redcat Rs10 axles and 3 pairs for 2.2 crawler wheels arriving tomorrow. I hope to build a nice 6x6, but with the wheels evenly spaced, and somewhat close together. My hope is that will make it ride ontop of snow. Gonna have 4ws as well.
Redcat rs10 motors draw soo few amps, a single tamiya esc can power all 3 running on a 2s lipo.
it would be great if you would post a bunch of pics of your tlt rig
I haven't had the single motor Outcy, but I had the Duel motor Outcry on a redcat Rs10. Ran it on 3s. Like the turbo bec...simple to install and easy to use.
But, there wont be many big changes for the Land cruiser as money is tight.
On the other hand, I have 3 redcat Rs10 axles and 3 pairs for 2.2 crawler wheels arriving tomorrow. I hope to build a nice 6x6, but with the wheels evenly spaced, and somewhat close together. My hope is that will make it ride ontop of snow. Gonna have 4ws as well.
Redcat rs10 motors draw soo few amps, a single tamiya esc can power all 3 running on a 2s lipo.
it would be great if you would post a bunch of pics of your tlt rig
09-19-2014, 07:18 PM
#19
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Here's my photo bucketphotobucket <iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s38.photobucket.com/user/stanmondz/embed/slideshow/"></iframe>
Last edited by nitro stan; 09-19-2014 at 07:21 PM.
09-26-2014, 04:14 PM
#23
Thread Starter
I got the new leaf springs today.
I put anti-twist bars just like you did. the axle can still twist, tho not as much as before.
I also drilled a second screw hole like you did.
Only time will tell if the anti twist bars are good enough.
The old leafs got looking pretty rough, especially in the rear.
I put anti-twist bars just like you did. the axle can still twist, tho not as much as before.
I also drilled a second screw hole like you did.
Only time will tell if the anti twist bars are good enough.
The old leafs got looking pretty rough, especially in the rear.
