New Guy starting a tuber build (pics within)

First off, I would like to say Hello..
I'm from Wilmington NC, and wouldlike to thank Clodstall for directing me over here..

I also 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


and some tube



and next to my small F-toy test

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..

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)

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 ?

And the all important flex shot

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

looks good man. nice tube work.
and your welcome.glad to see you over here. are yougoing to try to come up for the next comp? it is at the Haw River in Pittsboro. near Jordan lake.

name it THE BLUE BUGGY

the tube work looks great. anyway to rotate the motor/tranny so the weight is lower in the chassis?

Wow, my builds take months. This one looks good but thats alot of blue. I am interested in how the axles work for you, I am looking at a set of WK axles for my next project.

Oh yeah, how about The Blue Beast for the name.

I think your truck looks Kick Ass Cool.

I look forward to seeing it go.

I am in Huntersville and have a small crawler course in my backyard, if you want to see how well the truck works, give me a call 484 888 2362.

Rene

Thanks guys.

I had thoughts about building a new motor plate to clock it to the side of the transmission and laying the transmission on it's side, but this is only my first try at making one

I wanted to use the tried and true method of making a "crawler" that they used on HPIs website, so to copy that I had to keep the transmission/link mounts in the same spot.. If I put the transmission on it's side that would have widened the chassis and changed my links..

I think there will be more chassis in the future for me

I would love to make it out some time this summer and watch a comp!!

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

looks capable.

clodstall wrote:

looks capable.

I think it might be OK..
I need some better tires, and to weight them..
I would also like to change the placement of the battery to get
the weight down lower, but I would like to run them down low
under the side pannels.. so I would have to get a 2nd battery
to even it off...
I am happy with the first run though