2009 Chevy Silverado IFS Ext Cab Short Bed

[79cutlas]

Thanks for the info on the IFS, I ended up finding 2 MT2's on fleabay pretty cheap to steal the IFS from for my never ending build. Apparently moving, having a baby, and working 50 hour weeks really cuts down on my building time. I really am enjoying this build though.

 

[monkeyracer]

Can you post more pics of the front end with the ifs setup?

Not sure if these help any. If there is a different angle you need, please let me know.

I'm not completely happy with the shocks just yet, and I may have to play around with the set-up once I have everything installed.

Thanks for the info on the IFS, I ended up finding 2 MT2's on fleabay pretty cheap to steal the IFS from for my never ending build. Apparently moving, having a baby, and working 50 hour weeks really cuts down on my building time. I really am enjoying this build though.

I see you are building a 1/6 scale truck, so the MT2 will be a good choice for something that big. I've got an MT2 based vehicle that is shelved right now while I wait for a custom length chassis to be cut, but I absolutely LOVE the HPI stuff.
Sounds like you have about as much build time as me; working full time, school full time, and trying to find a little time to hang out with the GF leaves very little build time.
I really started this build more than 2 years ago with the av body, but with the recent re-release of the Silverado bodies, lined up with a little extra cash in my pocket, I am hoping to have something running by the end of the year.

 

[XSRCdesign]

For those interested the hpi mini trophy front end works too, it's just harder to work around

 

[monkeyracer]

For those interested the hpi mini trophy front end works too, it's just harder to work around

True. I've seen a couple builds that tried, but, you are right; there's a lot more to get it to work compared to the RS4 stuff.

 

[monkeyracer]

Small update:
I tried to mess with a heat gun to get the two cabs' roof profiles lined up, and ended up melting more than I thought.

So, I cut the majority of the mistake out and added a piece of flat ABS to fill in the hole:

There's a lot of sanding ahead of me, but to be honest, even if the first plan would have worked, there would still have been a lot of sanding.

I still have some more body work to do with the window openings, and shaving the rear door handles, but I want to get the first few sanding runs done before that.

 

[Peli]

Keep at it mate,Chevs rule,and this with the IFS is very cool.

Would love to get my hands on one of these bodys

 

[UP2NOGOOD808]

Lookin good.

 

[monkeyracer]

Update time:

Got the servo mounted:

Just drilled a couple holes in the chassis, and in an AX10 Servo plate, Countersunk on the servo side, and screwed it all together. Servo is mounted strong, fits in there perfectly, servo horn is free to move lock to lock in each direction, and best of all, the drag link is short, and the servo horn rotates in a parallel axis to the steering bellcrank. This makes the connection strong, with no torque loss due to angle scaling.

Also got the battery tray mounted up:

This keeps it as low as possible and as far forward as possible. This sits right on top of the servo, and is exactly where I wanted it. The receiver and BEC will mount on the top of the steering rack upper brace, under the battery tray, nice and tucked away.

With all the weight up front, I might need to mess with the shocks some more, especially after I get the front skid plate and bumper made up.

More to come!

 

[XSRCdesign]

Ever since I built my first Indy silverado I've always wanted to do another one that was a little more durable. The mini trophy has its up sides, but is challenging to work around, always pondered the rs4 but never found parts cheep enough to take a chance on.

Thanks for doing the leg work on this one, looks like you got it mostly worked out. "Thumbsup"

 

[Szczerba]

Progress is lookin' good.
I just found a way to get the battery lower!
Check out my re-worked steering linkage that Rootar came up with. Pretty easy to do and gets it all out of the way.

 

[monkeyracer]

Ever since I built my first Indy silverado I've always wanted to do another one that was a little more durable. The mini trophy has its up sides, but is challenging to work around, always pondered the rs4 but never found parts cheep enough to take a chance on.

Thanks for doing the leg work on this one, looks like you got it mostly worked out. "Thumbsup"

I've had this all planned out since 2 years ago, but never found the time or motivation to get it together until recently. I've had plenty of RS4 based vehicles, and get most of my pieces from ebay, a little at a time. I ended up getting the front end pieces for about the same as what an ax10 axle would have been.

Progress is lookin' good.
I just found a way to get the battery lower!
Check out my re-worked steering linkage that Rootar came up with. Pretty easy to do and gets it all out of the way.

That is definitely better than the first try, and keeps it all contained inside the chassis rails and skid plate. You still have a little torque loss due to opposing rotation leading to angle-scaling loss. (Applying torque at an angle reduces the effective torque being applied, even if it is only a little)
I was trying to do this with as little fabrication as possible (so that it can be done by pretty much anyone that wants to try it.) The IFS skid plate could have been made from the stock RS4 chassis. The bumper will need fabrication, but that is going to depend on the build, and someone wanting to do an IFS swap to their SCX won't need to make a bumper, but can use a Short Course bumper or similar for the same effect.


I am getting a little frustrated with the roof of this body. I've done a few extended cabs before, with no problems, but with this one, the roof wants to sink in. I want to keep the crown of the roof, so I am going to try to mess with the heat gun again later tonight and see if I can get it a little closer to the right shape without melting it again.

 

[monkeyracer]

Tiny update:

Test fitted the receiver under the battery tray - looks like it will fit just fine there.

Also got a little headway in the roof situation. The heat gun seemed to work, but it didn't keep the shape that well once it cooled. I sanded it down to find the low spots, and added more material. Will add a little more later once this layer sets up and then sand it down.

So, there is a lot more work to do...

 

[monkeyracer]

Little update:
Got some new wheels and tires:

GCM 1.9" Switchback Wheels with RC4WD X2SS Mickey Thompson 4.19" Baja Claws. This is a great combo for this rig, and fits the style I was looking for, and with the .01" drop in tire height, it's now legal for C1 and adds scale points with the brake hub.

No other updates really for now. I had been messing with the roof some more, but it's not going the way I want it to, so I am just going to take the easy way out and cover it with a simple roof rack. I still need to finish the extended cab and shave the rear door handles, but that's going to be fairly easy.
I need to trim the wheel wells a tiny bit, but ride height is pretty close to what is in the pics.

 

[Desert Rc]

What is that liquidy black filler?

 

[monkeyracer]

What is that liquidy black filler?

Oatey ABS cement. Found at hardware stores in the plumbing dept. Originally designed for ABS pipe.
I like it because it is the same plastic as the body, so it ends up being chemically one piece when it cures.

 

[jh1985]

Looks sweet! Any updates on this truck?

 

[monkeyracer]

Looks sweet! Any updates on this truck?

There are some updates, but they are from a few months back. I didn't realize I never posted this, but...

Made a drop bed for it. This was back in May, and the truck has been sitting on the shelf since. I still need to get the roof figured out, and finish the body work on the extension. This is lower on my priorities since I've got some other projects, and of course the vendor stuff now too though.

 

[Spizo43]

This thing is sweet. Definitely following this one to see the outcome.

 

[sgtbham]

Thats a fine bed sir "thumbsup"

 

[jh1985]

lookin good