Going Offroad: making your bit withstand rough sufaces...

ph2t · Post by **ph2t** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 7:03 am

Well pimps, a new bug has bitten several ausmicro members. The monster bit bug! It all started with a local prolific member called betty.k showing off with his offroad suspension kit. This was a custom h-plate design made from clear plastic (common stuff found in blister packs) and it had lots of success. Then the monster wheels started appearing and tests showed that going offraod onto dirt, gravel & concrete was not only possible but now pretty much feasible!

This post is mostly to give you guys some exposure to what is happening down under at ausmicro.com and to help you out on the ideas side of things....

would you believe.......full suspension bit mod!? by betty.k
http://www.ausmicro.net/v3/topic.asp?TO ... +Technical

full suspension mod with a tomy bcg by betty.k
http://www.ausmicro.net/v3/topic.asp?TO ... +Technical

full suspension dual cell desert hummer by betty.k
http://www.ausmicro.net/v3/topic.asp?TO ... +Technical

my monster truck prototype by ph2t
http://www.ausmicro.net/v3/topic.asp?TO ... +Technical

another monster by brendan123
http://www.ausmicro.net/v3/topic.asp?TO ... +Technical

new suspension project by betty.k
http://www.ausmicro.net/v3/topic.asp?TO ... +Technical

cheers,

ph2t.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 8:07 am

I have been planning an off road bit since the beginning. I just never get around to it, because I've been planning a suspension/chassis lift, as opposed to a body lift.

In the back I'll replace the rear gear/wheels with a second idler, then glue another piece of chassis to the bottom to hold the rear axle. That will further reduce my gear ratio. I haven't calculated what ratio I'm going to use yet, but I'm aiming for a 16:1 like a real monster truck.

Then in the front I will glue a front piece of chassis on the bottom to hold the steering knuckles down low, then extend the shafts on the knuckles to reach the steering arm.

FET mod everything including the steering, dual cells, dual steering springs, and it should be almost ready to crawl over rocks.

I had the perfect monster truck tires that came off a little pullback, but my kid stole and lost them, and that pullback was a discontinued item that I got on clearance.

So now I'm planning to use Stomper wheels.

Now I've got to figure out if I want to use a stretched or standard sized bit chassis. I know stretched would be more practical, but a bit would be funnier with the big tires.

I think that's really cool that you Ausmicro guys are doing this, and it's cool the approaches you guy's have taken, but I have to admit I'm a little jealous I didn't get mine together first.

Looks like I'm gonna have to get off my ass.

ph2t · Post by **ph2t** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 8:22 am

thanks for the feedback man. Your idea about the front steering setup is an interesting one. The issue I've had is the return action once i've let go of the left/right buttons. If I put too many springs I get straight tracking but then no steering. If I don't have enough springs then I get steering but no return tracking..... oh well, back to the drawing board.....

ph2t.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 8:36 am

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. That why I'm looking for the lightest big wheels I can find. I'm afraid Stomper wheels are gonna be too much.

That's my big hang up, I won't start a project until I've worked out everything in my head, and this wheel issue is hanging me up. I had the perfect wheels but I hadn't had the front end worked out at that time, meanwhile, I lost my wheels. So now it's back to the drawing board.

I've been hanging out in the toy aisle squishing every tire to see if they're sticky, but all the ones that are about the right size are too hard.

ph2t · Post by **ph2t** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 8:47 am

the bugger is that the pro's of one is the con's of the other. Freestanding steering return is an ideal but in reality you may find that when the car is actually moving that the steering is more responsive.

I tried to glue 2 magnets side by side on the same steering arm in an attempt to increase the magnetic field attraction but I found that the magnets just would not have a bar of each other (lol, what a fucked up pun....) given that they repel each other on the sides when the adjacent faces are lined up.....

Doing a daul cell does help, hell maybee I'll try a tri cell just to see if the increased voltage across the steering coils helps, but I dunno. I'm a tad sceptical on that.

ph2t.

fook yu · Post by **fook yu** » Sat Dec 27, 2003 3:39 pm

I am in the planning stages of making a monster truck with a Zip Zap SE. I can't seem to find the right set of tires yet. I am thinking it may have to be a total custom chassis(been wearing out the chassis of my first fet modded SE), with SE electronics (fet modded of course). I would sure like some sort of differential set up, just haven't got it figured out yet. I would like to hear any ideas if you have some.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Sat Dec 27, 2003 4:14 pm

There's talk of differentials over here:
http://bitpimps.lixlink.com/pages/phpFo ... .php?t=928

betty.k · Post by **betty.k** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:56 am

well hello there pimps! looks like my reputation precedes me!

well i can only reiterate what ph2t said, get those little suckers outside. get 'em in the dirt, scratch up them shells and have a go at this addictive mod! i'm a big fan of off roading and as a result all my bits are outside toys. i've only got a couple left that are set up for smooth surfaces! this is what we're talking about

there's a gallery detailing the steps i took modding this one. i'm just waiting on some front springs in the mail, and when they arrive i'tll be as close to a 1/64 non propo monster mini z as i can get it. that's right, a steel sprung, adjustable rear shock and h plate pivot (actually looks more like a 'u' plate). don't believe me? check it out here

http://community.webshots.com/album/106374225qKMhHE

(damn, no 8 ball!)

Cheesehead · Post by **Cheesehead** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:11 pm

I think the links up above have stopped working.

pimpsmurf · Post by **pimpsmurf** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:26 pm

That's hot dude. mad props.

-JNY

ph2t · Post by **ph2t** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:35 pm

lol, way to bring up betty's first post

pimpsmurf · Post by **pimpsmurf** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 9:48 pm

I didn't see the date. lol. I think I must have confused a search window with a forum window. My bad.

I don't even remember what I was searching for now. Man I'm glad I stopped doing drugs.

*EDIT* Shit, it wasn't me. haha! I'm not the drug addict!

-JNY

Post by **CaboWabo** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:18 pm

Still yet - if you got a bitPimps gallery and haven't fixed your broken links - shame on you - you got busted.

I know I'm a bitch when it comes to broken links too so I can relate.

betty.k · Post by **betty.k** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 3:31 am

you're absolutely right cw, thanks for bringing it to my attention cheesehead

wow! whatta trip down memory lane! now i remember where i got the idea for the micro ball diff

anyways, i fixed the links. click ya brains out!

the reason for the problem was during the recent forum upgrade at ausmicro the url changed from:

www.ausmicro.com

to:

www.ausmicro.net/v3

most of my offroader tutorials live in the articles section here:
http://bitpimps.lixlink.com/pages/artic ... hp?catId=3

and believe it or not my old homepage is still up and running! (although i probably just exceeded a years bandwidth looking at the gallery!

geoshitties)
http://geocities.com/bettyk3332003/