NGC Night Crawler sportsman shafty build thread

[ngc]

Here it is, my first build thread...

I have been in RC cars for about 6 years (all my life if you count Niko RC cars in :ror, about 6 years in Crawlers with an Axial AX10 (loved that thing), then a coumple of years in nitro (Revo 3.3, sold), then electric (a Slash 4x4, sold) and now back to Crawlers with a Night Crawler.

I now my way arround with mods, tinkering with the suspension, making my own parts, etc, but this NC is a different beast.

Heres my parts lists:
- Night Crawler chassis
- Night Crawler shocks with pen springs and Losi 37.5wt all around
- Comp Crawler shock Mounts and Braces
- Stock Night Crawler ESC
- Traxxas Titan 21t motor with 20t pinion
- Hitec HS-645mg servo with aluminum servo horn
- Homemade lower links with all thread, brakeline and Traxxas rodends
- Proline Titus 2.2" wheels
- HB Sedonas white dots
- Zippy 2s 2200mah 20c lipo
- Futaba 3PRKA radio

Tweaks/Mods:
- Outboarded rear shocks
- Pen springs below the shock body
- High temp grease in front and rear axles
- Front top links in top hole
- Rear top links in middle hole
- Front shock location hole 3
- Rear shock location hole 5
- Wheels with 8oz weights in each front, 3oz weights on the rear
- Removed ESC from rear axle, sits on top of transmission
- Homemade topper with brake line, weighs only 2oz (my stock Grappler body weighs 2.7oz)

The Traxxas Titan 21t was a tight fit, I had to put the nut holding the top link outside the chassis for it to fit but I didnt have to modify the can of the motor. So far it's been great, lots of torque, great wheel speed with a 20t pinion, I'll be trying a 18t pinion I have liyng around to see if it affects wheel speed that bad becasue the 20t is getting the motor kinda hot when I run it for more then 40 minutes.

I'm wating for a BEC to be delivered, (I'm from Venezuela and finding one is not that easy) to help my little servo 645mg, but I I have used that servo on other cars including my late AX10 an I can assure you it's an awesome servo. It can handle abuse really well.

Front shock mount location

Rear shock mount location

Suspension resting

Suspension fully extended

Suspension fully compressed

Coming soon:
- Castle Craetions 10amp BEC
- Deans conector

Not installed
- Gold Losi Comp Crawler springs, I'm waiting to see if the pen springs meet my needs before I install them.

Hope you like it and I hope I can help anyone here!!

I have a comp this sunday, I'll be testing it this week in my home course to see if this setup works for me, so far it has, it handles extremely well.

Here you have some pics... I'll be updating this thread with more mods...

 

[ngc]

Here you have a couple of action shots before some of the upgrades, It was in this year's first comp, I ended up in 4th

And here it is after the second comp of the year, I got 1st place!!! I beat 3 XR10s, 7 Losi Comp Crawler, and a bunch of Night Crawlers...

 

[pajey]

Congrats on the win"thumbsup". It's looking like a comp worthy rig isn't it.:mrgreen:

 

[Hardline]

Just out of curiosity, how do you get parts down there? Can you just jump on EBAY or maybe Amazon and order them like we in the US do? Or do you have to go thru local sources?

And on a car note, I see your initial photos were of pen springs over the shafts, but your trophy picture shows conventional springs (the golds I presume). So the pen springs didn't work out?

 

[ngc]

Just out of curiosity, how do you get parts down there? Can you just jump on EBAY or maybe Amazon and order them like we in the US do? Or do you have to go thru local sources?

And on a car note, I see your initial photos were of pen springs over the shafts, but your trophy picture shows conventional springs (the golds I presume). So the pen springs didn't work out?

It's hard to find parts here, sometimes I ordered them on one of mi LHS that carrys Losi's buggys so they buy directly from Losi, but that's somewhat expensive cuase of their prices, also we have (my family) a house in Orlando FL, so when somebody goes to the US I order the parts I need from Amazon or Ebay and I send them there and they bring it here to Venzuela. Nor Amazon nor Ebay ship tha parts here.

My initial photos are the recent mods I did to the car (this weekend watching the Oscars), the ones below are one of my runs on the first comp with that car (december) and the one with the trophy is late january (my second comp with this car and first comp this year). I'll be comping for the first time the pen springs this weekend (second comp this year). I'll let you know how it goes...

EDIT: the springs on those pics are the stock ones (silver). I havent even open the gold ones because I want to try first the pen srpings...

 

[Hardline]

I buy mostly from EBAY, and one EBAY store that keeps popping up for Losi parts is Phil's Hobby Shop. So I checked if they ship internationally and found this:

----------------------------------------------------------------
International shipping
We gladly accept orders to countries outside the United States. International shipments are sent by USPS Air Mail (International First Class or Global Priority). Please inquire for pricing before placing your order. International Shipping Quotes are estimated at $5.99 plus $8.97 per pound ($19.78 per kg). If the estimate is too low, you will receive an invoice to cover the actual postage at the time of shipping. We do not ship hazardous consumer commodities (ORM-D) outside the United States.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Their website is Welcome - Phil's Hobby Shop and you can buy from their EBAY store or direct from the website. Hope this helps. (I'm in no way connected with them -- just a customer)

 

[ngc]

I buy mostly from EBAY, and one EBAY store that keeps popping up for Losi parts is Phil's Hobby Shop. So I checked if they ship internationally and found this:

----------------------------------------------------------------
International shipping
We gladly accept orders to countries outside the United States. International shipments are sent by USPS Air Mail (International First Class or Global Priority). Please inquire for pricing before placing your order. International Shipping Quotes are estimated at $5.99 plus $8.97 per pound ($19.78 per kg). If the estimate is too low, you will receive an invoice to cover the actual postage at the time of shipping. We do not ship hazardous consumer commodities (ORM-D) outside the United States.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Their website is Welcome - Phil's Hobby Shop and you can buy from their EBAY store or direct from the website. Hope this helps. (I'm in no way connected with them -- just a customer)

WOW! Thanks for the tip!! I'll be checking it out once I need parts!! "thumbsup"

 

[ngc]

Ok, some new mods:
- New homemade lower links, straight in the front, bent in the rear. Made with 8/32 all threaded and brake line. This things are STRONG!

It's pretty tricky to get the right bent angle for the lowers not to touch the uppers, In mine they touch but just as the shock tops out...

- Arrange the electronics lower in the chassis.

New panels are coming and I know I have to pack the wires better

Here you have some pics:

This thing is really stable