This thread will likely make the EEs that work at Traxxas puke... But, to be fair, this is a mod I had seen some years ago, and 3D printing has opened up the possibility to do it so that it functions well, and looks good.
It is a minor thing, but that little wire that connects power to the LEDs on the body is very annoying. In truth, they are all annoying, but Traxxas upped the game here with that little-bitty connector. So, this mod basicly eliminates the need to touch that connector again. Simply put, you drop the body on and the electrical connections feeding the body's LED are made automatically, with nothing to plug in, just put the body clips in and you are good to go, lights and all.
First, here is a video I shot, it explains what the mod does, and how. Below that is a write-up with lots of pictures...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lpZVseARwI
I designed and printed two parts, one to hold the contacts on the body, and another to hold the contacts on the back shock tower. I thought about using the front shock tower, but the electronics up there are busy enough.
The chassis...
The bracket is designed so that it self-centers, and is held on with two zip-ties.
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
And the body...
Two 4mm (3mm) screws hole the bracket on.
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
The parts...
The contacts are AA-sized contacts, both spring and cup. These can be gotten off of Amazon, just search for "Spring Contacts". After soldering, the contacts just push into the 3D printed parts, and are held securely in place when mounted.
by Scott O, on Flickr
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
The wires for the chassis mount have to be routed before they are soldered on to the contacts. I designed the stupid thing and forgot this step... Once the contacts are soldered they are pushed in and the slack pulled out, the wires will rest if guides.
I used 24ga silicone wire, but servo wires should be good as well. The connector will need to be snipped, leaving enough room for soldering and tinning. The blue wire is high, the black is return.
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
At this point the bracket just slides on to the shock tower. There is a pocket between the shock tower and zip tie that is an excellent place to secure the wires through.
The body...
The holes on the bracket are 2.8mm, which allows a 3mm screw to screw into it. These holes are 12mm apart on center. Contacts line up directly with the body posts, and positioning is fairly simple. I put a piece of blue masking take between to body posts to maker everything out, then punched the holes. The body post holes are 65mm edge-to-edge...
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
Verify all electrical paths before your connect up power. This goes double for making sure you have the contacts on the proper side. When it is all done you should be able to drop the body on and have lights!!!
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr
If interested, the files can be found here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4319700
It is a minor thing, but that little wire that connects power to the LEDs on the body is very annoying. In truth, they are all annoying, but Traxxas upped the game here with that little-bitty connector. So, this mod basicly eliminates the need to touch that connector again. Simply put, you drop the body on and the electrical connections feeding the body's LED are made automatically, with nothing to plug in, just put the body clips in and you are good to go, lights and all.
First, here is a video I shot, it explains what the mod does, and how. Below that is a write-up with lots of pictures...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lpZVseARwI
I designed and printed two parts, one to hold the contacts on the body, and another to hold the contacts on the back shock tower. I thought about using the front shock tower, but the electronics up there are busy enough.
The chassis...
The bracket is designed so that it self-centers, and is held on with two zip-ties.
Untitled by Scott O, on FlickrUntitled by Scott O, on FlickrAnd the body...
Two 4mm (3mm) screws hole the bracket on.
Untitled by Scott O, on FlickrUntitled by Scott O, on FlickrThe parts...
The contacts are AA-sized contacts, both spring and cup. These can be gotten off of Amazon, just search for "Spring Contacts". After soldering, the contacts just push into the 3D printed parts, and are held securely in place when mounted.
by Scott O, on FlickrUntitled by Scott O, on FlickrUntitled by Scott O, on FlickrThe wires for the chassis mount have to be routed before they are soldered on to the contacts. I designed the stupid thing and forgot this step... Once the contacts are soldered they are pushed in and the slack pulled out, the wires will rest if guides.
I used 24ga silicone wire, but servo wires should be good as well. The connector will need to be snipped, leaving enough room for soldering and tinning. The blue wire is high, the black is return.
Untitled by Scott O, on FlickrAt this point the bracket just slides on to the shock tower. There is a pocket between the shock tower and zip tie that is an excellent place to secure the wires through.
The body...
The holes on the bracket are 2.8mm, which allows a 3mm screw to screw into it. These holes are 12mm apart on center. Contacts line up directly with the body posts, and positioning is fairly simple. I put a piece of blue masking take between to body posts to maker everything out, then punched the holes. The body post holes are 65mm edge-to-edge...
Untitled by Scott O, on FlickrVerify all electrical paths before your connect up power. This goes double for making sure you have the contacts on the proper side. When it is all done you should be able to drop the body on and have lights!!!
Untitled by Scott O, on FlickrIf interested, the files can be found here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4319700
