killbucket

Aw, don't hate the promise of EPIC-ness?

I've drawn up a Tamiya BlackFoot Xtreme with a stretched wheelbase.
Not really sure what "stock wheelbase" for a Tamiya BlackFoot is (I haven't mike'd the front arms that came with it yet), but I have a pair of freshly CNC'd chassis sides for the BlackFoot truck here.
The added length is exactly 5.3 inches, making for a 16+" space from front to rear axles.


I made up a set of rock rings for a Tamiya BlackFoot/Wild Dagger/Wild Willy2/Etc... on my ShopBot.


They snap onto the outer rim nice and snug, as if Tamiya made them (sorry, not for sale, the price I'd quote will stop your heart).


I also made wheel centers to help change the look to a custom wheel for the Tamiya BlackFoot Xtreme.
These will be hit with adhesion promoter spray, and them wrinkle-blacked forever.


Each rock ring is permanently boned to the outer rim flange. This will hold, regardless of the rim material. If the glue doesn't bond to the miracle plastic in the rims, the full-wrap of the ABS cement will keep them on.

Body? A Big Rat, starting with a hacked-off Tamiya Clod Buster or BlackFoot truck cab. Using .063" plastics, I'll create a whole rear body for the truck. Next, Frame rails.[img][/img]

killbucket

The stretched Tamiya Blackfoot rc truck is coming along. My extended wheelbase takes the original out to a silly-long 16 inches. While this will be no RC crawler, it should nonetheless get over curbs well.


Many years of familiarity with Tamiya's wares have me emulating their part architectures. Triangulated, but simplistically so. Each side rail is three parts ("If it has more 'n 3 parts, it's JUNK!").


Stealing an idea or two from my old Traxxas Sledgehammer RC truck, I jacked up the center of the chassis, leaving the axles where they were.


The stock friction shocks that came in the box are mounted up for mockup purposes, I'm putting on a set of HPI shocks.


The inside of the frame rails has been milled away to reduce weight, and to add some detail.


Rails are 12mm thick, bonded up flat in a clamp. The lower frame section can be removed, or the whole upper swapped out to make a different vehicle.


Notches at frame front are where the shock towers will go. Actually, have gone, I've got to take those pics yet.


My take on Quickie Custom Rims. these have been since de-burred, smoothed , and painted satin black.


Large triangulated plates have also been added to the frame middle, boxing it in complete.


For now, a stock servo serves mockup duty; a burly metal gear solid type is on the way, with gobs of torque.
A brace for the servo will be drawn up, this model range (Wild willy2, Wild Dagger, Blackfoot Xtreme, Blackfoot III, and Twin Detonator) all suffer from BAD steering flex, and it's all in the flimsy servo mounts.
MORE to come!

killbucket

Completed, home made custom RC truck wheels.


Rather than purchase "custom" rims for my new Tamiya truck, I designed a clever set of wheel covers and rock rings, and made them myself.


The wheels were pre-coated with Bulldog adhesion promoter spray, prior to painting with Krylon satin black spray paint.


The full set of home made RC truck wheels I made for this project. My Tamiya BlackFoot RC truck has a 16.5" wheelbase, 5.3 inches longer than stock.


The HPI Savage shock absorbers will completely transform the Tamiya toy truck. Make my own shocks? I just may someday!


Here's another peek at my shock mounts. The heavy glue molding will be ground smooth in the next few days, and then wet-sanded. The finished parts will look like part of the Tamiya BlackFoot RC truck kit, not added on.


These RC truck wheels were a lot of fun to make.

redfisher1974

Nice work Kill.

killbucket

I'd made a custom set of upper arms for my Blackfoot RC truck, but now I've got the itch to convert it to straight axle...I know, the rear is independent, and that's a wonky combo.
I have a plan...


The axle main beam, with a toy gun part I'm making. More to follow, this is already assembled.

killbucket

Now installing a Clod Buster rear axle assembly.