Ferp --- that rear axle shot looks darn FINE!!! Love the leafs -- you are legit scale no doubts!!
Gala --- All good my friend - not wanting to force you here, or force you out of here either -- so please accept my apologies -- -no intended chip on my shoulder at all. Your feedback, constructive criticisms etc whatever anyone wants to label them as are
absolutely welcome here and invited by me personally! Say anything you want and however you want ---- my skin is plenty thick and please don't mind if I poke back a tad or defend how much I do LOVE my builds.
I am poking at the whole thing JUST IN FUN -- please I hope you won't take it as anything more (getting a tad of shade - I welcome it anyways. It can print however anyone wants and can read into my comments any which way -- internet is fun that way. I see it as if you got motivated to say something in here -- you must find my build interesting enough in some way to talk about it. You most certainly don't have to like it or think anything of it at all.
I don't even mind if every darn user comes here and calls it all junk and badly built stuff. Quite serious here. I have and will have no ill will, and glad decided to weigh in, rather than nothing to say at all -- ie no interest.
I get my approaches are possibly radical or off the cuff, or not well thought out as something sat down, planned out methodically, and then built methodically as well. I'm just not that guy.
I"m appreciative that all are welcome here, certainly not everyone has to be liked or their builds liked.
That said --- I think you're wrong about the CLOD, right now my rig is holding up just fine (aside from some failed bushing in brushed 550 Titan's, but hey, i'm motor experimenting right now, everyone has motor failures from time to time). And i've pulled over 250lbs up a 20ft incline in a wagon.
And I"ve driven in 16 inches of water, and Rock crawled and hill climbed "decently" at least for a 34lb somewhat scale looking rig, AND i've modded the front steering to TWIN 5th Scale steering servo power pushed all with solid COLD STEEL. AND plowed thru 10 inches of snow ---- who's done this on vid with their rig -- other than riding on TOP of it with snow tracks? AND its gone in a 2 mile trail round trip on a single outing with over 50% lipo left over at the end --- its a LONG HAULER!!!! (and its soon to be shown hauling the 19lb TRX4 MEGA TRUCK around town -- do that in an SCX6 or TRX6!?!)
SCX6 CLOD Beastie Honcho is a FIRST OF ITS KIND my friends!!!! It will go down in history as one of the most valuable bespoke builds on the market (right now and long into the future), just my opinion. Its bad to the BONE, and there is NO OTHER 34lb rock crawler rig out there (let alone from late 1980's original axle design) other than SCX6 outfitted with VITIVON gear cuz we all know the stock gear can hack it at those weights.
I guess I just don't understand what more I could or would need to do with the CLOD to prove how incredible and durable it is so on my build techniques? Surely we all know the CLOD axles bone stock can't do what mine are doing.... hell, how many zinc alloy housing are even out there right now, in running working rigs? Surely there are about 0 others that figured out the need and the how to on boring out the counter gear smaller bearings to take the 10mm upgrade --- its beyond NO SLOUCH, if you ask me for my opinion. And that's all this is, just my opinion. Who else has 8mm Carbon steel output axle XVD's shafts besides RC4WD for the Clodbuster? I have 6 sets and NEVER used but the first ones lol. Besides maybe Vitavon SCX6 stuff which we all know is the BADEST and the BESTEST pretty much. And that's done on 35T TITAN's... I'm now on 55T TITAN's and waiting for 570's to show up in the mail (but have been turned around by custom's before, not sure why). Anyways I'll have to do some mods to fit 570's in there -- need to push the shocks out further I think. Point is, even with 55t's its slower and more torquey now and can pull even more weight!!! I might even go back to the big block brushless setup soon although 1/2 of it is currently on loan to the TRX4 MEGA.
Just saying, the CLOD has made it, end of the discussion (for me at least), there's on longer any need to change or upgrade to different axles-- my special internal upgraded bearing mod has fixed the final failure point and now i'm crushing brushed 550 TITAN motor bushing under the load --- before any damage to the CLOD axle --- that's sitting on 55mm axle extensions.
If anything, honestly, I think peops would just stare and admire the bizarre yet rugged approach to my builds -- seen those MASSIVE 16mm lower 4-links on the CLOD Beastie? lol break those....... I guess wait a year and see it all still running and making vids..... everything is fully marine greased and ready to hold up long haul far as i'm concerned.
So i'll acknowledge "yes" to a chip on my shoulder if that means i'm am very PLEASED with how my builds turned out and how they are performing on task and their level of durability. Frankly, never in my life have I had so much success with my builds panning out both on the bench while building and then at the testing grounds, and when things go wrong, lately I just easily and quickly find the FIX I need for everything.
Its been awesome --- so again, I am sincerenly sorry if its coming off like a "chip" or if I'm bugging anyone/everyone here, its not meant that way and I dont dislike any of you and I take your feedback, I read it all, and DO ACTUALLY think it all thru and figure out if its worthwhile to modify and make some improvements within my building skills "reason" to do it!! The SCRUB I did figure out in my head as I thought it thru -- my visual aligns with how you explained above ---- it only makes perfect physics sense on where the strains are taking place and compiling.
I gave and still credit Ferp420 100% for fender well suggesting on the Honcho for example. He didn't like my front bumper, and let me know politely it could use a modification possibly, I didn't really see it that way, I'm into it, so left it that, pretty cordial, pretty simple. Two adults sharing ideas, take em or leave em.
Anyways -- I do also mean it when I say I'm a hack builder, I admit it and I"m not ashamed at all --- I just only have enough patients to cut and grind until its together and running, that's the choice I make. I can hardly ever bring it blow everything apart and paint, powder coat, put finishing touches, etc. Its just not me. Onto the next build, toy, genre, (drones, Helios, car, micro, EDF jets, micro pusher jets, etc etc-- I scratch build A LOT of FUN junk to entertain myself!).
To that I say though -- so what about the SCRUB and the wheels going down 10-12 inch tall cement/rock stairs lol) -- in a coy sort of way though, not offensively!! I mean, did you see the video, were you not impressed? Is it not a hellish cool rig? I sure thought so. To me, the performance was AMAZING!!! Ready to take on SCX6's.... LFG!!
So again, just for me, and not for everyone, the rigs check every single box, period., end of story. From here, it just keep getting better and better and i'll figure out how to address any wear issues, etc. (see my FCX18 wide stance build -- another MEGA at scale --- freakin' AWESOME!! and CRAWLS WAYYY better than stock).
all that's left,
mic drop