Tube Bronco

[turbo_bird]

I've been gone from here a long time, life etc, but am getting back into some RC stuff now that my kids are getting a bit older. Seeing how there's a ton of amazing kits and rtr's out there these days, I'm doing the logical thing and building a tube frame Bronco from scratch. When I first joined the forum way back when I used to go through all the build threads of custom tube chassis stuff, but didn't have the space or tools to build one, but I do now. It started out with my son recently telling me I should put the old tore up Bronco body from my Revo on one of my other crawlers and me building enough of a cage for the body to keep its shape, but that plan has changed just a bit. That first start on the cage wasn't quite straight, so I'm starting over. I'm lucky enough to have a job where I can work on personal stuff on night shifts if things are running smoothly, so tonight I bent up some more 3/8" x.035" wall stainless tubing. The main hoops will be 3/8" along with maybe a pair of frame rails, then the rest I can make from 1/4" x .035" tube. Tomorrow night I'll see if I can figure out how to tig weld. Failing that, I can take it home and use my mig welder. Grinder and paint can make up for the welder I ain't. I drew up a narrowed grill to 3d print, and might make a new hood using that as well. Maybe make the hood open for battery access, we'll see.

Here's a picture of the body I'm using from 2005, pretty fresh here. I've got a new one, not might use it on this later one if it works good. I recently completely restored that Revo though, short of the body, but I've got a Proline 70's F-150 I can use on it.

I made some mockup axles of a few different widths to see what I like, and ended up ordering a pair of portals that say they fit the Axial Capra, 215mm pin to pin. The other option would be a pair that say they fit the Wraith, and are 242 mm pin to pin. I've got an axial knockoff transmission coming too, but might change my mind and go for a two speed. Probably going to shoot for about a 13" wheelbase, and I've got a ton of Revo parts, so I'll probably use Traxxas rod ends for my links. Not really decided on how scale I want to try to go, so haven't decided if I want to put the servo on the axle or try to hide it on the chassis.
Kristian

 

[twade984]

Looks like a great start, can’t wait to see it come together


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[turbo_bird]

Turns out Tig welding isn't as easy as I was led to believe. A straight bead on flat stuff isn't so bad, but trying to get around these little tubes isn't going to happen for me, so back to the mig and .025" wire. I took the opportunity to do it all in 1/4" tube instead of 3/8", so my bends are a bit tighter and it'll look a bit more scale. Got a bit done before I ran out of weld gas, but I probably shouldn't get too carried away before I've got the axles anyway. I don't really have a ton of crawler parts, so I've ordered an axial 3 gear transmission knockoff. I printed a skid plate and link mounts for putting that trans in a Capra, seeing how those are the axles I've got coming. I think I'm going to do the side plates out of 16g stainless, welded to a pair of tube frame rails that will tie into the rest of my cage.

I made a 3d printed grill and core support mockup, so my narrowed body will look way better than just glued together lexan.

Kristian

 

[turbo_bird]

I got set up with some 1/16 and 3/32 tungstens and a few different size gas cups to try with the tig at work, plus some pointers from one of the millwrights that can tig weld half decent. I'll try to get a bit more practice and give that another go if I've got time on my upcoming night shifts. I might as well be learning new skills while I'm being paid to be on call, even if I don't use them for this project. Axles won't be here for another couple weeks, so not sure how much actual progress I'll make before then.
Kristian