Re: The "Just shut up and build it" thread...
The endplate with the tow hook is nice! I was thinking about it...
The side panels are only attached to the chassis at the door level? I don't see any screw holes behind that...
I wasn't sure if I was going to use the endplate - but it really ties it all together!
There are the standard 4 bolts at each corner of the "doors" - but the rest of the panel wraps around the back and has a sort of curl in it to wrap around the vertical plastic tubular part of the Bomber cage. ;-)
I have made it even more secure by bolting the rear panel endplate over those curled edges, trapping them in place. "thumbsup"
Awesome, thanks for the info.
As far as your calibration problems, try reversing your throttle channel at the radio and then try to calibrate it again. I’m sure you have mentioned it before in here, but what radio are you using with this rig?
I will probably pick up that AMF rear plate, and those DMG roof panels cool especially with the metal light guards included.
Wow, heat index of 102...that sucks. Been overly hot here in northern Illinois the last couple weeks. Never was really bothered with heat in the past, but the closer I get to 50 I try to not be out in it. I’m a fair wether crawler, LOL.
When you get around to doing the interior, PEZ candy dispenser heads are in proportion the the Bomber drivers "thumbsup" and cheap too.
Opps, forgot you said you won't be doing an interior, you going to use that
Aluminum Interior Panel
Thanks, man - I had already reversed the throttle to get rid of one error code, but it was still giving me grief late last night - No worries, trying it once more this afternoon, I finally got it to work just fine! 8)
Strangely enough, the T-Bone Racing roof is growing on me, at least for the moment. However, I will likely still switch to the DMG roof when I redo the build down the road.
I was going to use the Futaba 3PV that I bought the same day as the kit - but its receiver will only handle 7.4v, and I wanted to send the max BEC voltage from the Mamba X to the servo - and that's 8.0v.
So - in went an extra 8.4v-capable FlySky GT3-C receiver and I had to program another vehicle entry in the transmitter for the Bomber - I normally use that radio for the Ascender.
And, uhhhh.... I'm not planning at this time to use an interior at all... :roll:
(I know many people will look down on my rig for that, but it's so freakin' hot here in South-Central Tejas that my electronics need the extra airflow.)
May want bring your reverse percentage down from 100% too...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Miatardo gave me a ring, said - let's GO CRAWL TOGETHER!!! "thumbsup"
While waiting for him to arrive, I reopened my radio box, connected the Castle DuoConnect (which I can leave in permanently, it's basically a Y connector letting you lug in a Castle Link to the free end of the cable without unplugging anything from the receiver or the ESC) and changed reverse to 30%, not sure why the HH video said leave it on 100% (???)
While up on the CI Cell Block truck stand, it ran perfectly!
We jumped in the big Dodge Quad Cab and he and I (and his son) went to a section of creek bed that we've had great experiences at before. He had his TRX-4 Bronco upgraded with a HW 1080 ESC and a DS3218 servo, and he's reprogrammed his diff locks to be able to lock rear only for fun in the dirt. His son was driving
Miatardo's "Dynamite" Bomber (has all Axial electronics replaced with Vaterra Ascender electronics including Dynamite ESC & motor, and Spectrum tx/rx), and I left my Ascender at home with the expectation of MAXIMUM Bomber fun!
Everyone jumped out of the truck at the parking lot and I powered up my Revolver #777 Bomber for the first time with the wheels touching the ground...
Damn impressive, I must say!
Since we were on pavement, I did not give it full throttle - but I discovered the interesting thing about the Revolver motor - it gets quieter the faster it goes!
And, it will spin all four of the nearly 6"-tall super-sticky tires (so sticky from soaking in my chemical bath that they will stick to ANYTHING) from a dead start on clean parking lot asphalt without any problem.
After some slow turns and careful accelerating in forward and reverse (quite controllable in reverse now!) we headed down into the woods towards the creek.
We were having a great time in the river rock boulders, and everything was fine for about 20 minutes...
...when all the sudden, I had an incredibly bizarre failure - my rear wheel just fell off!
I was in shock - for a second I thought I had broken an axle - then I thought, no biggie - must have spun the locknut off the axle - but then, I took a closer look...
HOLY CRAP! :shock:
I had "thrown" 4 bolts off the aluminum hub of the GearHead wheel, and the two remaining had somehow partially unthreaded and had little bits of aluminum curly-cues on their threads. I looked at the other wheels and another one had thrown 2 bolts from the hub.
Man, this was insane... No way was I prepared to fix that sort of thing trailside! I was thinking of taking one bolt per wheel off the other 2 and retightening everything and continuing - but strangely enough the allen tool I needed wasn't Metric - 2mm was too small and 2.5mm was too big. I had not touched these wheels in ages, so had forgotten about these things.
Miatardo realized that this was just a horrible situation, me having stupidly left my Ascender at home - so not being able to do anything but watch - so he offered up the idea of running back to my place and performing a repair and still coming back for some more crawling. I thankfully live super-close to this spot, so we went back and I bolted up a new set of wheels and tires (kit Axial BFG Baja T/A's mounted on Chanquish narrow beadlocks) and we went back.
Everything was fine, but it was 8PM by the time we got there!
Only had a little while before it got so dark we could barely see to drive - none of us have lights on our rigs.
I tested the Aux Wire on the Mamba X by pressing the CH3 button on the FlySky - so happy with the result, it works PERFECTLY!
While in "Crawler Mode" I reverse-climbed a little smooth boulder and let off the throttle when I was nose down near the top, rig just hung there on the steep slope. Then I did it after clicking the CH3 switch again, and it just rolled on down without drag brake in "Rock Racer Mode".
We called it a night soon after, and they dropped me off...
End result - I am EXTREMELY happy with the electronics, the suspension, and the appearance of the build as it stands. Yay! "thumbsup"
I do need to figure out (again, because I successfully did it once for the Ascender many months ago - but I've forgotten since) setting steering endpoints on the FlySky, because the tires rub the links and springs a bit at full steering lock. Other than that, the electronics are awesome!
Now - for those GearHead wheels - I am replacing the stainless hub hardware with LONGER black oxide bolts and using threadlock this time. All I can think of that may have caused this problem is that I flipped the hubs when I got them to the other side of the wheel centers and I must have not gotten the screws tight enough - and I know I didn't use Locktite. The current SS hardware is kinda short - there's plenty of hub thickness to use longer bolts. I think this may all well have been my fault...
BTW - after all the various hardware problems I've had with this build - I have come to the realization that I HATE SS hardware. I'm not planning on running in the wet, so I will be slowly replacing hardware with black oxide nearly everywhere I see it.
The rig fits in the cool digital camo EastWest DC3025 25" combat duffle bag I bought to carry it, but with the Maxxis 6" Creepy Crawlers I kind of have to shove it in there. It's a PERFECT fit with the kit Axial BFG's! 8)
Anyone looking for a convenient way to transport a Bomber ought to consider
getting one - they can be had for about $27 online, have side pockets for extra batteries and tools, and end pockets for water bottles or whatever. They have a shoulder strap to allow carrying it "no hands". The radio transmitter fits inside alongside the Bomber just fine.
I bought 2 different colored ones, one in sort of a blue-green "Acu Camo" and another in digital desert camo for the other build.
One final tip for anyone using aluminum hoods - if you have trouble putting hood pins through the body posts, here's a tip - courtesy of
Miatardo, who came up with it as I was struggling to get them in - sand down the rings of the plastic part that folds over them before the hood. I used a file and just removing a little bit did the trick! ;-)
So - thanks for the comments to all of you and a huge shout out from me to my good pal
Miatardo for his help today!
"thumbsup"
Pics of rig on other wheels and tires, and then of rig in EastWest DC3025 combat duffle:
