Spy Shots

sykdevil · Post by **sykdevil** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 5:05 pm

two thumbs up for the awesome body!

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:35 pm

guerd87 wrote:how is it going to go with flex once the body's on? or is your mate going for a scale type of look and doesn't mind about too much flex?

I guess the body's somewhat scale but the tires definitely aren't. My buddy knows I'm building it but has no idea what it looks like. I like to keep them a suprise until I'm done. This is the first one I've tried to build a replica body for. My others were whatever I thought would look sweet. Makes it a lot more difficult when you're trying to copy something.

I wish I could find larger softer super swampers than the zz ones. They don't provide enough clearance or traction. It would be that much closer to his rig. I've found ones that are either too big or too small. Nothing quite right.

I'm still playing around with the suspension. It needs a little more flex but the body will limit the articulation some. I usually shoot for 2 mt tires under a tire with the rest touching. This seems to be my most stable set up. I enlarged the wheel wells for clearance but I still need to do some more testing and tweaking. I'm using a couple of springs in the rear with an adjustable mount but it needs more adjustability or softer springs.

I was meaning to ask you about yours. Are you using anything to limit the flex ie. springs limiting straps etc. From your video and pics that thing flexes out like crazy. I run into trouble with mine if there is too much travel. The front left tire lifts from the torque on steep climbs when the front unweights. I didn't notice yours doing it in the video.

This is the same crawler you had build pics of earlier correct? Or is it a new build?

guerd87 · Post by **guerd87** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:44 pm

since i have been away from the rest of my toys i couldnt handle it anymore so i chopped up the one i bought off talldude, this is a completly new idea of mine

the truck itself can flex around itself it i force it to, but it wont do it by itself as i have a thick (maybe 5-6mm wide) elastic band glued to the underside, along the tailshaft groove

it limits the flex on up hill climbs so there is no wheel lifts but once weight is applied it will travel freely

it doesnt sound much but that elastic band underneath helps out alot, i couldnt beleive i even tried it

ill take a pic sometime tomorrow and show you whats going on with it

John

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:56 am

Yeah, post some pics. Thanks.

I used one on one of my earlier crawlers but it was glued in the front. I need to do some experimenting with some rubber bands.

guerd87 · Post by **guerd87** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:22 pm

here you go mate, got some pics of the setup

John

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:53 pm

Right on. That shit works good.

Originally I thought you had extended the wheelbase but I can see now that it's stock. On mine I think a lot of the wheel lift comes from friction because I sleeved the driveshaft to extend it. I grease it up but it still doesn't turn as freely as and unsleeved d/s with the antenna articulation mod.

This is one I did a while back for my brother with the stock wheelbase. It had a shit ton of flex and almost no torque twist.

Thanks for posting up those pics bro. It's giving me some ideas.

Those treads you put on the tires are silicone right?

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 5:24 pm

Turned it into a submariner today.

steelwoolghandi · Post by **steelwoolghandi** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:20 pm

Well as you can tell from my work I am more into the bodies then the chassis. I have to say that’s one fine piece of work you have there! I have built some custom stuff out of plastic (used many types) but that there is a thing of beauty!!

I love the detail in the bends and the front it looks simple but speaks of lots of work! I am on pins and needles just to see this thing finished!!

Awesome work man!

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:56 pm

SWG - Thanks dude! Your wrecker is one of my favorites by far. It looks like you've done some bodies out of styrene? I've thought about using it but I was hesitant cuz I wasn't sure how it would hold up with the beating I put them through on the rocks.

My original plan was to Alumiweld the entire body together but it proved too difficult so I went with epoxy. What really started this whole aluminum body thing was the hood. I made a couple of tubed up Landcruiser bodied crawlers before ( see above photo ) but was dissatisfied with the look of the hoods which I bent out of a thin piece of sheetmetal. There are just too many curves in too many directions to replicate at this scale. The only way I could figure to get it to look right was to carve the hood out of a solid piece.

I'm at a bit of a crossroads now as I've got a couple of more pieces to add to the body before I need to either paint it or start tubing it. I want to paint the body and the bezel separately to avoid having to tape anything off or hand brush anything. This is how I normally would do it and then glue the cage together and onto the body with superglue which would be invisible and very clean looking when done but near impossible to do while replicating the cage design I'm copying. If I can't Alumiweld the cage together and then attach it I will have to epoxy it. It would hold better if I epoxied it on and built it before paint but it will make the painting a lot tougher. Part of me wants to cage it and spray it flat tan and be done with it.

Painting is not my strong point. I don't have a compressor for my airbrush so I'm a little worried that some of the detail will disappear when I spray bomb it. Any tips or ideas would be appreciated from you guys with more painting experience.

I've already got some ideas for my next one but I'd like to actually use it as a mold to vacuum form some lexan bodies off of it. Not sure if it will work with something this small tho.

guerd87 · Post by **guerd87** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:16 pm

does that liquid electrical tape protect the elctronics from water damge? i was thinking about using some dielectric grease (similar stuff that i use on my computer to stop condensation, phase change cooling

)

as for the extended wheelbase, mines stock yes, but it doesnt use the antenna tube method, the 2 x spur gears at either end hold the shaft in place and i have glued 2 lugs over the top of the tailshaft to keep it inside its groove

its not floppy or anything and gives heaps more flex because its not binding

John

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:49 pm

guerd87 wrote:does that liquid electrical tape protect the elctronics from water damge? i was thinking about using some dielectric grease (similar stuff that i use on my computer to stop condensation, phase change cooling )

Yes, the liquid tape is to waterproof it and prevent corrosion. I just hope heat buildup is not an issue. The dielectric grease seems like it might get messy but it would waterproof it well.

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:54 pm

Started tubing it up the other day. Some of the bends aren't what I would like them to be but it's coming along.

redrustbucket · Post by **redrustbucket** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:41 pm

Redid some of the tubing and made a mount for the front of the body. Still a lot of work to do but it's coming along.

I would be getting more done but I've been having to work on my fullsize cruiser. My clutch slave cylinder gave out in the next town today and I had to drive it home without the clutch. Lucky for me cruisers have mucho low end torque so I was able to start it in 4th gear ( 1:1 ratio ) and drive it home.

guerd87 · Post by **guerd87** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:58 pm

looking awesome buddy

loving this build

PS: sorry to hear about cruiser, i dont have that advantage, 4.2l 1HDT factory turbo diesel, low compression thanks to decomp plates

steelwoolghandi · Post by **steelwoolghandi** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:27 pm

That body is really looking good man I like the tubing that is lookin great! I know how hard it is to get the tubes to ben right where you want them and it looks lik you have got it spot on

When it comes to painting if you have questions let me know I use the rattle can a lot in my painting even though I have an airbrush.

I would definatly prime that puppy first or you will have a heck of a time getting the paint to stick! Aluminum can be a real bitch to take paint.

Styrene is great to work with and it will take some real beatings before it comes apart. My problems are that like with the wrecker if I dont glue the small details down they go everyware when I drive! I am in the middle of revamping my wrecker so the boom does not look so off its not quite to scale so its putting the whole thing off.