CEN F450 KG1 - ROCK CRAWLER MOD - 1/8 EMO X4 Chassis?

[WRXronald]

Here's a running and driving version of the BADASS '79 BRONCO build on the EMO X4 chassis!!!

Quick short walk-around. All I can say is I found my own EPIC Creek to Beat today while walking the dog and some epic mud holes too ---- so the next vid with this rig should be a THRASER ----- as its actually pretty darn quick for a crawler, even just on 4s, and having some speed is kinda nice!!!

I do plan not to be afraid to jump it as well --- maybe a foot or so, not too crazy of course!! As Gula so aptly pointed out, i'm not very hard on trucks lol!!!

The recovery tracks on the back wall of the cab look a bit odd -- but are functional in that they just easily "clip" in between the M3 studs and are an quick, easy removal/replacement for actual use on the trail --- lets see if these things can even do anything already in a recovery situation!

 

[Gula]

Ya, I'm going to stop wasting my time with you, you're a joke from the past!

 

[WRXronald]

Ya, I'm going to stop wasting my time with you, you're a joke from the past!

Looks like my mic drop worked wonders again eh?

Sorry Gula -- I guess some old jokes just don't age that well....

Well I hope I at least made you chuckle!!

 

[WRXronald]

Ok so check these out --- Look absolutely SICK if you ask me. They don't look much bigger than the Fling Kings on the pics but are noticeably bigger in hand in person. Also much stickier.

Big bummer as they are absolutely crap as beadlocks tires --- any 2.6 beadlock I've ever seen has up to a 2mm gap for the tire bead, and most tires have a large thick bead that then steps down to about 1 or 2mm.... yeah well theres no step down on the Genius Ignorante's whatsoever. And the bead is MASSIVE at 3mm thick ---- there's zero chance it can fit in a standard 2.6 beadlock. So far i've tried two alloy sets and a lot of time and effort even just identifying why the beads won't seat in either sets of wheels. I started comparing to the Fling Kings and it became clear. The Kings have a standard step-down at the bead from the thick 3mm portion to a thin 1mm making it easy (enough anyways) to get the bead to seat.

I tried soaping them as well but then the bead just shoots right out the moment you start tightening down and before getting anywhere near where it needs to be, Its a waste.

I ended up CA'ing these --- It was easy enough to keep 100% of the glue inside the bead so no biggie - this is meant as perm setup for me anyways so I can get over it, still wasn't happy!! But have to have these wheels they just look so good with the center caps and scale hex-lugs (got them on Ali for $65 and comes with both 12mm and 17mm alloy hex adapters -- the scale hex lugs are functional they hold the hex adapters in place!)

def slapping a cell phone on it with gps tomorrow for a speed test -- with the 6.1inch tall Ignorantes I won't be surprised if its hitting near or even over 15mph!!!

I will be extremely surprised if its not getting at least 10mph --- i'm telling ya she's quick now! I upped to 60 weight in the shocks for koosh jump landings!

 

[WRXronald]

Well, I put it on the cell phone GPS today --- I guess not as fast as I thought -- its always deceving in RC's...

Topped out at 11mph, but I'm thinking its closer to 10mph and change -- was a bit of an down incline when it hit 11 and got 10mph on the way up same route. Its got excellent torque at speed once its moving in High gear, just can't start slow or it will COG a bit; as long as you hit it good on start up it goes fine with no cog at all.

Low gear top speed is 4mph --- and it crawls on the Genius Ignorantes very impressively --- super planted --- great low speed control and torque going slow is no issue and I get the sense 11mph top speed in 2nd gear will be awesome for wheelspeed in thick mud and/or snow. Seems to have the perfect balance of super slow / fast (its not quite FOC slow of course) - without a sensored motor/Esc you have to give up a lot of top gear ratio and get super low gearing to get the same kind of extreme slow crawler performance as an FOC setup, just the price of entry is SO much less. The motor and Esc in this rig puts down up to 1000watts and combined cost was $45 motor+ESC, up to 6s capable.

I think the Ignorantes are going to be SO good on the rocks and decent in the mud that I will not want to run the Fling Kings much at all -- they don't look/feel nearly as sticky and soft, I could be wrong I suppose but the Kings come in "blue" compound they don't make the 2.6 size in Green unforutnately like they do with the 1.9's and 1.0's, kinda weird not sure why -- Green is JConcepts SuperSticky. Blue is their Soft compound. I did paint the lettering on the Kings white -- looks kinda cool if you like painted side wall lettering on big truck tires -- will try to get some pics up soon, its a fairly sloppy job as per my usual work product.

 

[WRXronald]

oh snap! Its getting a little weird now but I cant help but love how it looks!! Pre-runner-ish rock crawler mudder extradoinairre!!!

Its pretty much just sittin' on there for right now as I take it all in -- but how good does that look!? Ok if you think its weird it is but somehow I can't stop loving it. Its the pre-runner spare tire bar/cage off the New Bright 1/6th Ford F-150 Raptor.... kinda a perfect fit!

Sure the plastic is kinda cheap and junkie but I don't care it weighs just about nothing which is a win for me --- scale aesthetics at the back of this rig will have to be form only and not detract much from function ---- I purposely don't want to add weight like a legit metal cage or rack, wood or metal flat bed or headache rack, real spare tire, wrecker arm, crane, etc --- would all look great and gets me going --- but want this one to perform crazy good on the inclines, climbs, crawls, snow trashes, etc.

On 6s it should go 14mph ---- saw a guy today on the tube running a 4250 in a 38inch V-hull on 6s making 50mph --- 1300kv!!! Kinda crazy but I guess these Outrunners can be over-rpm'd a bit --- i'm only at 600kv thinking 4s is pushing it lol. half the rpm by Kv and not even considering the lower voltage I run. So there's prolly some room there especially in sonw when its cold and things get help staying cool.......

In person it looks pretty much like the spare tire case is perfect size for a big 6inch 2.6 tire even.... And i'll use some straws painted black probably to finish off the incomplete portions of cage tubes and make it look more proper......

 

[WRXronald]

Also I picked up some stuff just before the tarriff annoyances....

Going to do all steel 4-links/3-liinks beefed up by 2mm from 6mm thick to 8mm thickness and add M4 Steel heim joints to get rid of slop from the plastic ball links.

Also ordered the steel skid-plate set which I think comes with center skid, front/rear pumpkin skids and some kind of front or maybe its the rear shift servo skid idk.

Also ordered the alloy axle upgrade front and rear that comes with brass pumpkins --- should look cool so far the axles are holding up to some thrashing so hoping they are longer term keepers!!! Love being able to shift to open diff and not fear jump landings so much when going fast!

Do want to keep the weight down overall but still beef it up a bit -- right now 11.25lbs I don't think all the adders will go much over 12-13lbs max which is pretty reasonable still to thrash with hopefully!

Pics when its all on the table before install...... looking to add about 1/2 inch to rear wheelbase as well --- then will be just shy of 18in wheelbase.