struhall
Quarry Creeper
Figured I have done enough to make it worth it to post up what I have done to my truck so far. Not going to be a spectacular or fast or expensive build, imagine a broke college kid and then take some of that money away...
Right now it is a 2.2 rig but I may be going back down to 1.9 or at least stretching some 1.9 Class 2 sized tires onto the 2.2 wheels. We don't do our runs by class other than by wheel size so class 2 or 3 doesn't matter to me as of right now.
Bought the truck from a friend and it was a mess. I started with a TCS X-Trail chassis, old AX-10 trans mount and axles, Tamiya 27t motor and Traxxas XL-5 ESC. MIP drive shaft (just one, had to buy the other), Hot Racing aluminum knuckles, STRC high clearance links, RC4WD scale shocks, 1.9 wagon wheels and Mud Thrasher tires and a Proline 1980 Chevy truck body that was cut too much.
Once I got her I got everything assembled and working but not great. Weight was too far backwards, shocks were (still are) too stiff. I just wanted to get her driving so I got everything mounted and going so I could learn what else to do. Right off the bat I mirrored the trans and put in an Axial 20t motor.
How she looked as I got her together the first time. Several runs in and the paint was flaking everywhere but she was the same for a while.
After a couple runs I learned that the tires were too small. They looked great as scale tires but were too small and our group always does G6 style events sorted by 1.9 and 2.2 classes so I bought a set of used 1.9 Rok Lox on plastic wheels. Ran them for one weekend and loved everything but the wheels. Spend a few hours (over a couple nights) weathering my steel wheels and then mounted the Rok Lox onto the steel wheels with new Crawler Innovation foams. First run out with the Rok Lox I broke my stock out drives and replaced it with a Robinson solid gear.
Rok Lox and plastic wheels.
Side by side difference.
Shot of the rusted wheels and Rok Lox. They continued rusting after this and looked better after the first run and letting the mud and funk sit on them a few days.
Stripped and painted the body again, did a crap job because I didn't have masking tape that would stick on the windows so they got blue tinted. Did some trading the next week and got myself into some new wheels, tires and a body. Traded my steel wheels, Mud Thrashers and Rok Lox (kept the C.I. foams) for one set of 2.2 Axial 8 hole wheels and another set of 2.2 wheels, which were weighted in the front, and Axial Rock Lizard tires, Proline Hammer tires and Losi Claws. Got the Axial wheels and Hammer tires mounted up (no foams for now but will probably try my 1.9 C.I. foams for this weekends event). Got the Claws tires on the other set of wheels.
Axial wheels and Hammers on the truck with the old body.
Other wheels and tires.
Also during the trade I got rid of a Traxxas 2.4 controller and busted receiver (told the guy they are cheap and would expect $20 on a good day on Ebay) and he offered up a Proline Bronco CGR body with some scale accessories already in it. I almost couldn't hide my excitement and made the trade.
Tested with the 2.2 tires and the motor got HOT. Got some new pinion gears and put them in. Couldn't stop my self from starting with the new body and I got to work. Reused my rear mount for the rear, just had to angle it. Used the old front mount right in front of the motor for the electronics and moved the battery between the shocks attached at the front of the chassis. To do this I had to remount my shocks outside the frame rails to make room. They were inside before because of how stiff they are but I am going to make due and learn to drive this way. With the new mounting my balance point front to rear is right in front of the trans mount AND it got my electronics all mounted together in a small spot.
New layout, looks like crap in this pic because this is mock up and not finalized at all.
Rear body mount.
Got some inner fenders built from a lunch meat container and painted them flat black, really stands out with the white shocks in front of them. The ridge gives it some contour and almost looks real.
Front on shot.
Somewhere along the way I made a DIY chassis mounted servo. I did not use a panhard bar and only have minor bump steer because of the way the suspension is set up. Since I did not need the mounts anymore I also shaved down the axle housing to look more scale.
Still need to build the bumpers and I am going simple as possible on this. Going to be modeled after the RC4WD Trail Finder rear bumper for front and rear with a stinger on the front. Also saw a pic today from a friend of a 1:1 Jeep with a Texas flag painted on the diff cover and I will be trying that the next time I get free time.
Right now it is a 2.2 rig but I may be going back down to 1.9 or at least stretching some 1.9 Class 2 sized tires onto the 2.2 wheels. We don't do our runs by class other than by wheel size so class 2 or 3 doesn't matter to me as of right now.
Bought the truck from a friend and it was a mess. I started with a TCS X-Trail chassis, old AX-10 trans mount and axles, Tamiya 27t motor and Traxxas XL-5 ESC. MIP drive shaft (just one, had to buy the other), Hot Racing aluminum knuckles, STRC high clearance links, RC4WD scale shocks, 1.9 wagon wheels and Mud Thrasher tires and a Proline 1980 Chevy truck body that was cut too much.
Once I got her I got everything assembled and working but not great. Weight was too far backwards, shocks were (still are) too stiff. I just wanted to get her driving so I got everything mounted and going so I could learn what else to do. Right off the bat I mirrored the trans and put in an Axial 20t motor.
How she looked as I got her together the first time. Several runs in and the paint was flaking everywhere but she was the same for a while.
After a couple runs I learned that the tires were too small. They looked great as scale tires but were too small and our group always does G6 style events sorted by 1.9 and 2.2 classes so I bought a set of used 1.9 Rok Lox on plastic wheels. Ran them for one weekend and loved everything but the wheels. Spend a few hours (over a couple nights) weathering my steel wheels and then mounted the Rok Lox onto the steel wheels with new Crawler Innovation foams. First run out with the Rok Lox I broke my stock out drives and replaced it with a Robinson solid gear.
Rok Lox and plastic wheels.
Side by side difference.
Shot of the rusted wheels and Rok Lox. They continued rusting after this and looked better after the first run and letting the mud and funk sit on them a few days.
Stripped and painted the body again, did a crap job because I didn't have masking tape that would stick on the windows so they got blue tinted. Did some trading the next week and got myself into some new wheels, tires and a body. Traded my steel wheels, Mud Thrashers and Rok Lox (kept the C.I. foams) for one set of 2.2 Axial 8 hole wheels and another set of 2.2 wheels, which were weighted in the front, and Axial Rock Lizard tires, Proline Hammer tires and Losi Claws. Got the Axial wheels and Hammer tires mounted up (no foams for now but will probably try my 1.9 C.I. foams for this weekends event). Got the Claws tires on the other set of wheels.
Axial wheels and Hammers on the truck with the old body.
Other wheels and tires.
Also during the trade I got rid of a Traxxas 2.4 controller and busted receiver (told the guy they are cheap and would expect $20 on a good day on Ebay) and he offered up a Proline Bronco CGR body with some scale accessories already in it. I almost couldn't hide my excitement and made the trade.
Tested with the 2.2 tires and the motor got HOT. Got some new pinion gears and put them in. Couldn't stop my self from starting with the new body and I got to work. Reused my rear mount for the rear, just had to angle it. Used the old front mount right in front of the motor for the electronics and moved the battery between the shocks attached at the front of the chassis. To do this I had to remount my shocks outside the frame rails to make room. They were inside before because of how stiff they are but I am going to make due and learn to drive this way. With the new mounting my balance point front to rear is right in front of the trans mount AND it got my electronics all mounted together in a small spot.
New layout, looks like crap in this pic because this is mock up and not finalized at all.
Rear body mount.
Got some inner fenders built from a lunch meat container and painted them flat black, really stands out with the white shocks in front of them. The ridge gives it some contour and almost looks real.
Front on shot.
Somewhere along the way I made a DIY chassis mounted servo. I did not use a panhard bar and only have minor bump steer because of the way the suspension is set up. Since I did not need the mounts anymore I also shaved down the axle housing to look more scale.
Still need to build the bumpers and I am going simple as possible on this. Going to be modeled after the RC4WD Trail Finder rear bumper for front and rear with a stinger on the front. Also saw a pic today from a friend of a 1:1 Jeep with a Texas flag painted on the diff cover and I will be trying that the next time I get free time.
