Ok so my "city park storm drain test course" run yielded some not surprising but definitely needs corrected, some unexpected, and some amazing results.
So I'll start with the bad:
Even with bed weight shocks push it up and it'll endo too easily. Rear axle only has the SSD diamond axle brass third member, no other added weight. Not suprised at all byt this, the shocks got switched to full stock element, no droop springs inside. Hopefully don't need added weight to get proper droop using the desert lizard springs.
My only concern is this also proved helpful on climbs as once front came over the suspension opened up. So there is an issue there. Need to take the hilux up the same lines and see how that suspension reacts.
Somewhat unexpected:
PETG AS I WAS AFRAID OF IS WAY TOO BRITTLE. Stronger than PLA MY HAIRY WHITE A$$!!! So I'll run this body shell, take my time printing a white Tough PLA body or the same green in PLA Pro+ (both Inland brand, duramecs version and slesuns version are as strong but seem a bit less consistent in print quality) repaint same color. All parts on the body are easily removed except the lights.
SIDE NOTE ON BREAKAGE THOUGH. The tumble down that cause of how jagged and far it is to the bottom has broken things on the other 2 rigs, but I can't stand up with the rigs to catch them.
My joint welds seem stronger than the solid printed areas. No cracks anywhere, this is where I expected failures besides the thin spots up front .
Thankfully I have multiples of every decal!!!
Now the good:
CLIMBS LIKE A MOUNTAIN GOAT. Need to bring get a tad more weight to the front which I have a solution for when it gets steep but the dead damp grass may have been more of the issue than the weight. All the Rock Beast Haters can be educated cause even with wet tires this thing has the same grip as my hilux on 4.75 hyrax on these climbs. Actually give a slight favor towards even these C1 rock beasts (1.7 stretched onto 1.9).
Side Hilling!!! OMFG!!!! I expected this thing to struggle with the heavy ass body. Even with all the weight on my knight runner at the axles and lighter body, 6mm wider stance (but stock ride height) it can't touch this thing. Knightrunner is getting a fox belly!!! BEST PART, torque twist comes into play only on climbs. On what I have pics of, can go either side about the same.
Couldn't find a line that put my skid plates, front or sides to the test. Unlike stock IFS or stock side plates, this thing doesn't hang up on everything. Knightrunner with the front skid fixed that, gotta do a modified version of these for it as well. As is the Hilux. Why brands make side plates the way they do (or element made the flat bs front skid stock) is beyond me.
REAR BUMPER DIDNT DIE, lol. You can see the distance it took for one tumble, dampened initial hit as it bent under the body and all was fine beyond that.
Now the to do list:
Body is whatever, got glue and "welding" to keep it together while I patiently do a new shell.
REAR SUSPENSION. Going to try to avoid adding weight, but I do have brass rotor looking injora weights on hand, also brass linkage brackets on hand. Not hard to shave them down if needed using a spare wheel hub, drill and hacksaw blade. This is ONLY if changing to semi droop on the shocks doesn't work due to lack of weight.
Semi droop (or in other fields we call it a negative spring) and see what that does to performance. Fixed issues without compromises on the Hilux but the hilux is solid axle, not IFS.
Go to dual foams in the tires, NEEEEED MMMMOOOORRRE sidewall support lol
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