My new tube crawler build (LOTS of pictures)

Blue70

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Location
Wilmington NC
Thought some of you guys might get a kick out of what I have been building this week :)
For a few weeks now I've been toying with the idea of building a RC rock crawler..
I decided I wanted my first one to be a tuber, so a couple weeks ago I
bent up a tiny 8" long scale F-toy cage after taking drawings from the manufactures website and scaling them down..
With that under my belt I decided to step it up today and go larger..
I picked up a 2wd Wheely King at the local hobbie shop and the HPI 4x4 conversion for. I then hit Lowes and picked up some steel rod for the cage, and some 6-32 threaded rod, and some aluminum rod for my links..
I then went back to work and started bending up a cage for the crawler..
I got the top half pretty much set where I want it and tacked..
Now I need to take apart my new Wheely King and start on the sides and bottom half of the cage with my transmission and link mounts.. and then build some body panels..
I also would like a name, if anyone has any ideas...
here's what I've got so far..
The stock King
ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King1.jpg

and some tube
King5.jpg

King4.jpg

King3.jpg

and next to my small F-toy test
King2.jpg
 
OK

More tube

I also got my tranny plate/link mounts cut..

I just need to find out where I want it to sit in the chassis..


ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King6.jpg


ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King7.jpg


King8.jpg
 
Last night I got everything mocked up, built some tranny/link mounts
and built my links (all but 1.. I ran out of rod ends)

Today I hope to tack the tranny/link mount to the rest of the tube..
make some shock mounts, figure where the battery and radio equipment will sit.. and maybe get it ready for powdercoating.

Then I'll have to make some body panels
(And no.. that is not where the battery box will be going.. lol)

King9.jpg


King10.jpg


King11.jpg


King12.jpg


King13.jpg
 
Today I finished up the chassis, and added some shock mounts..
Powdercoated it Blue and kind of stuck it together
I still need an assortment of screws, some more end links,
and the parts I have on order before I can finish..
I might start on the body panels, and the steering servo mounts tomorrow...
What do you guys think so far ?
ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King14.jpg

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King15.jpg

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King16.jpg

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King17.jpg

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King18.jpg

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King19.jpg
 
I'll say it before anyone else does:
Needs more triangulation.:flipoff2: Someone will get killed in that thing if it flops.:lol:

That's one cool little crawler. Now make a fullsize one to scale and wheel the sh!t out of it.
 
I like the way it sits, ride height and all

here's another cool website with a few buggy/truggy/crawler builders
www.scale4x4rc.org
 
Built some side panels for it today and powdercoated them
I had a couple extra decals so I threw them on for now..

I will have some new decals made for it, but these break up the blue for now

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King22.jpg


ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King21.jpg


ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_King23.jpg
 
Cool lookin, whats the wheelbase?

I just drove my new crawler today, TXT-1 axles, 14.25" wheelbase. No springs, mine is a 'droop' style suspension. It handles SOOO much better than my old one, I had went over TONS more than my old one, without flipping over. I could even climb a stair step.

I wanna take it to DPG and go up some big rocks.
 
Tacoma747 said:
Cool lookin, whats the wheelbase?
I just drove my new crawler today, TXT-1 axles, 14.25" wheelbase. No springs, mine is a 'droop' style suspension. It handles SOOO much better than my old one, I had went over TONS more than my old one, without flipping over. I could even climb a stair step.
I wanna take it to DPG and go up some big rocks.
Click to expand...

Nice..
I might try a droop style for the next one.
I went with a 12.5" wheelbase for this one..
 
Dude that thing is frikin awsome and flexxxxxxxxx's like a mean krawler


Blue70 said:
Yup.. It'll get some beadlocks and new tires..
Click to expand...

I mean you're crazy, givin the option i would run 66" tall tractor tires no questions asked, i got the axles for em now ;) . . . . just in case anyone wants to donate some 66" ag tires to my Z71 jeep :driver:

but anyway that is pretty sweet man, havin an rc krawler with actual decent flex is gonna be cool, my little bro has one of those traxus (i think thats what its called) gas powered deals and its IFS but it flexs like crazy but not as much as yours, but still makes me wonder why noone can make IFS flex on real rigs but it works on his . . . . .
 
Well I got some parts in and got the crawler moving under it's own power...

I still have to add the new gears to give it more torque
(I have them, just ran out time tonight)

Anyway.. here's a quick video

ai5.photobucket.com_albums_y175_entrefal_RC_th_82f30551.jpg
 
man you got too much time on your hands cus i have been trying to build one for a while but havent had the time to start. i wanna build one using the actual model scale frame you can get and get leaf springs.

looks good so far
 
Lookin good. Here are some pics of mine, click the link to see more pics of my old R/C tube crawler too, it doesn't look as nice as yours though.

The new one is great, VERY stable. For what I paid for it, (ebay), it wasn't worth building another tuber. Got the chassis, axles, body, tires, and shocks (rolling chassis) for $250 shipped. I had the electronics, but bought a crawler tranny (these axles are geared alot higher than my last set)

http://www.rockdustfab.com/gallery/RC-Crawler
 
Neat toys, but I don't wanna hear any of you (Especially you, Michael :flipoff2: ) complaining about "I don't have enough money to do ____ the right way, isn't there a cheaper way to do it?"

:flipoff2:
 
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