Ittybitty's DLux Ultra

[Calderwood]

Looks great Ryan! I am glad youre liking it and I cant wait to see your results with it.



They do, they are actually big as I personally dont like running on the edge of being legal, just to nick the panel and next thing you know, youre not legal.

They are well over 3.5sq in and have 2 measurements over 1".

FYI, panels dont need "1" vertical and 1" horizontal". They just need to measurements over 1" anywhere on the panel. Either way, these panels actually do have 1" vertical and 1" horizontal. "thumbsup"

▪ 2.1.5.4 - All panels (roof, hood, and sides) must have at least 2x measurements greater than 1", and a minimum of 3.5 square inches of exposed solid surface area.

Thanks for pointing this out. I feel like I have read the rules 100 times and some stuff still doesn't click for me. My side panels look queer with a 1" vertical measurement. I don't really see why the rule isn't just based on 3.5 square inches if the 1" measurements can be in any direction.

 

[ittybitty]

There's been a few changes made after the 2nd trip out to the rocks as well as 1 or 2 I will be making. Here's a quick run down:

• Removed 3mm spacers between front uppers and the axle mount. This seems to have settled down some tire lifting I was getting while turning uphill from a sidehill in front dig.
• Adjusted wheelbase to get the most out of it once I noticed it was shorter on one side than the other.
• 80wt shock oil made a noticeable difference in how it drove...a step in the right direction.
• Body panels are getting painted now.
• Heated and bent the tongues of the skid up and out of the way so they won't cause the rig to get hung up...like when the suspension is compressed while climbing a ledge for instance.
• Softened the rear MRC silver springs up a touch and may revisit that and soften them more as necessary.
• Removed approx. 2.5oz of knuckle weight per side to see how I liked it. So far I've only had a time or two where the weight would've been nice to settle the rig back down...other than that it's still pulling the same vertical climbs just as well as it was with the weight!

 

[Calderwood]

[*]Softened the rear MRC silver springs up a touch and may revisit that and soften them more as necessary.
[/LIST]

How?

 

[Crawllife]

I'm really glad your enjoying this chassis and to hear of another local guy back to his berg. I feel the same way in that this chassis ( once tuned to your driving style) pulls lines and side hills like no other chassis I've driven. I may have to try scx shocks in that they are a hair shorter than the modded big bores I've been running. I'm curious to see if the little bit of lower cog would bring even more out of the rig. Really looking good !!

 

[ittybitty]

How?

Removed them from the shocks...placed them between thumb and index finger...squished several times...reinstalled :ror:


No...really I got the idea from Erik while PM'ing back and forth today. He mentioned he had done something similar using a dremel bit to remove some material from the inside of the coil. Basically, by removing material you are softening the spring.

 

[ittybitty]

I may have to try scx shocks in that they are a hair shorter than the modded big bores I've been running. I'm curious to see if the little bit of lower cog would bring even more out of the rig. Really looking good !!

You should be able to set up the big bores the same as mine. Mine are VERY close to the same length eye to eye as Erik's big bores.

 

[Erik D_lux]

Thanks for pointing this out. I feel like I have read the rules 100 times and some stuff still doesn't click for me. My side panels look queer with a 1" vertical measurement. I don't really see why the rule isn't just based on 3.5 square inches if the 1" measurements can be in any direction.

Yeah, I am not sure I understand the wording either. I would think just 3.5 sq inches would be fine? I am not sure I understand how you could have 3.5sq in but not have 1" in 2 different directions.

[*]Heated and bent the tongues of the skid up and out of the way so they won't cause the rig to get hung up...like when the suspension is compressed while climbing a ledge for instance.

Not sure how much the heat helps but I dont use any when I bend my skids. I just slowly bend by hand and they have turned out good.

No...really I got the idea from Erik while PM'ing back and forth today. He mentioned he had done something similar using a dremel bit to remove some material from the inside of the coil. Basically, by removing material you are softening the spring.

And I got the idea from somebody else..... It would have worked great too if I didnt go so far. :roll:

 

[Calderwood]

Yeah, I am not sure I understand the wording either. I would think just 3.5 sq inches would be fine? I am not sure I understand how you could have 3.5sq in but not have 1" in 2 different directions.



Not sure how much the heat helps but I dont use any when I bend my skids. I just slowly bend by hand and they have turned out good.



And I got the idea from somebody else..... It would have worked great too if I didnt go so far. :roll:

Heat makes a big difference. My dad had one of these when I was a kid that he used for bending lexan. I keep meaning to ask him if he still has it and if he still uses it. :mrgreen:

 

[ittybitty]

I just didn't want to find out the hard way that I shouldve used heat. It speeds things up and makes it easier to bend it where I want and to the proper angle.

 

[Harvo]

Dropping 5 ounces is huge all at once :shock:

What does that make your rtr now? I'm curious how much knuckle weight you left on per side.

 

[M_ENERGY]

Yeah, I am not sure I understand the wording either. I would think just 3.5 sq inches would be fine? I am not sure I understand how you could have 3.5sq in but not have 1" in 2 different directions.

Not trying to thread jack, but this is what threw me off on understanding the 2x 1" measurements.


more examples of LEGAL shapes, and one that is NOT:evil:
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

The bottom is not legal b/c it doesn't have two 1" measurements in different directions is the way I take it?? DUNO
Which in this case doesn't apply to the original post I made, but just what made think that way to begin with "thumbsup"

 

[Erik D_lux]

Yeah, I thought of that example but I dont understand how the bottom one does not have it in two different directions? One corner to the other is well over 1" obviously.

 

[TSK]

Yeah, I thought of that example but I dont understand how the bottom one does not have it in two different directions? One corner to the other is well over 1" obviously.

I think they need an addendum stating that the 2x measurements are taken perpendicular to each other.

 

[ittybitty]

The changes made to the rear springs last night were what I was looking for yesterday. Today the rig was a lot more stable in the squirrely stuff.

Shot another quick video tonight after doing some work on the rock pile here at my house. Thanks Jon!

<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/74984954" width="500" height="889" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/74984954">DLux Ultra at home</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1346044">Ryan Bean</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

 

[ittybitty]

I was also able to paint the panels late last night and then mounted them today after work.

 

[ax10tn]

Panels look great Ryan .. I really like how the hood goes under the front brace .

 

[Calderwood]

Not trying to thread jack, but this is what threw me off on understanding the 2x 1" measurements.


more examples of LEGAL shapes, and one that is NOT:evil:
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

The bottom is not legal b/c it doesn't have two 1" measurements in different directions is the way I take it?? DUNO
Which in this case doesn't apply to the original post I made, but just what made think that way to begin with "thumbsup"

I see that this picture is in fishmaxx's photobucket buuuut, IMO the way the rules are currently written, as long as all of those are over 3.5 square inches everyone of those is legal. If you measure the "illegal" one diagonally from upper left to lower right it would be over 1" and from upper right to lower left would be over 1" in a different direction. Confusing rule is confusing...

 

[M_ENERGY]

I see that this picture is in fishmaxx's photobucket buuuut, IMO the way the rules are currently written, as long as all of those are over 3.5 square inches everyone of those is legal. If you measure the "illegal" one diagonally from upper left to lower right it would be over 1" and from upper right to lower left would be over 1" in a different direction. Confusing rule is confusing...

Yep that's the way I see it "thumbsup"

 

[TSK]

I see that this picture is in fishmaxx's photobucket buuuut, IMO the way the rules are currently written, as long as all of those are over 3.5 square inches everyone of those is legal. If you measure the "illegal" one diagonally from upper left to lower right it would be over 1" and from upper right to lower left would be over 1" in a different direction. Confusing rule is confusing...

That's why I'm saying if they want to call that illegal, they need to say the 2x measurements need to be perpendicular to each other.

 

[ittybitty]

Well we've got the season opener here in SC tomorrow so this rig will be put to the test. I also plan to run my DD XR right behind the berg to have a direct comparison. The berg will be the one that counts for my scores for the day. Looking forward to getting back on the rocks with some great guys and intense competition "thumbsup"