4X4mod (my project begins)

Plays_with_Toys · #1 12-08-2003, 08:17 PM

Some of you may know me from RCMT, where I am designing a solid axle truck using 2.2" tires... Well, I just bought this xmod on saturday because I wanted an RC car that ran (all my other cars are in disrepair), and already I am not satisfied and want to modify it.

So here are my plans and ideas. I have already installed the AWD kit, but I plan on locking both front and rear diffs. I want to upgrade to larger tires and will most likely use Jugg Jr. tires, since they are rubber, and of good size. I plan on running the crest spinbrush motor and a toyota landcruiser mini-z body.

How will I accomplish this? Well, super glue in the diffs will make them locked, the tires are nice and tall but too wide, so I will cut them in the center, remove some material and glue them back together, then mount them to the xmod wheels (they are almost a direct fit). I will have to move the side mounted AAA's and shave away the front bulkhead screw mount to let them fit in the fender wells. Spinbrush is easy enough, but I am just going to buy a pinion for a slot car, since they are the same, and I can most likely get them from my LHS. Finally is the body, I will have to carve out some of the fender wells to allow the tires to fit under, but that won't be a problem.

I know this thing won't be a rock crawler, but atleast I will be able to take it off jumps and have some fun in the gravel behind my house, oh and with it off the ground, hopefully it won't pick up hair like Michael jackson..... nevermind....

Suggestions are welcome. And how are the battery holders held in? I removed the screws that allow it to slide forward and back, and even the ones below the chassis in the center towards the sides of the car, but no luck... Anyone know?

geofroley · #2 12-08-2003, 08:45 PM

Tamiya motors work well from what I heard. I think spinbrush motors are too small. This sounds like one of the msot awesome projects I've heard. I'll give you a link to these trucks that might interest you as well for using parts for it.

Plays_with_Toys · #3 12-08-2003, 09:03 PM

Hmmm... Well I just sliced up a 1:32 scale MT tire, not the jugg jr tire, but the same size as one.... Its a bit too tall for how narrow its going to be, so I will have to scour target, walmart, and this little toy rc shop that is outside my work. I think I remember seeing some good rubber tires on a truck at target.

Well the spinbrush motors are supposed to have awesome torque, which is what I will need to spin those meats. Are you talking about the TLT-1/ Tamiya Little Truck?

slugbugg · #4 12-08-2003, 11:46 PM

Plays_with_Toys,
I'm glad to see you here and if you look around you will find that tinyrc is as good as rcmt in it's respective RC area.

It looks like you may beat me to the Xmod offroad build here, oh well competition is fun.I was thinking of a wild Xmod offroad setup today but it was just a thought.

Just wondering if you have spent any time in the TTTT forum here on tiny's site? if not do yourself a big favor and check it out.

geofroley · #5 12-09-2003, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Plays_with_Toys

Well the spinbrush motors are supposed to have awesome torque, which is what I will need to spin those meats. Are you talking about the TLT-1/ Tamiya Little Truck?

No, they 4x4 racing motors. Their 130 motors like the XMOD motors. But their aimed for more speed. . .

Plays_with_Toys · #6 12-09-2003, 05:17 PM

Slugbugg, I have been to the TTTT area several times, and dang! I had trouble with my 1:18 crawler! I can only imagine... I like this place better than RCMT simply because it is setup like yotatech, where the search button actually yields results (I search for several threads I created on RCMT and couldn't get them to show up). Also, mine won't really have much increased suspension or anything, just bigger tires and a new body, I don't want to spend too much money, my 2.2 Krawler is going to be 1.5 months salary

Geofroley, I need a motor that is built for torque, not speed, so the motor probably wouldn't be my best choice. I tried going straight with my stage one motor and those 1:32 tires mounted, it wouldn't even accelerate forward, so I am going smaller tires than those, but I definately need a torquey motor.

slugbugg · #7 12-09-2003, 05:35 PM

Have you thought of just grabbing a tamiya gearbox kit and adding a gear reduction?

I wonder if the Xmod gears and tamiya gears are the same pitch.

Or just get one of those tamiya 4x4 mechanical truck kits and make it steerable.

or....

I can go on and on. LOL

p.s. oh on saturday my DSL line should be online, I hope it all works fine the first time I dont want to run new phone lines through my house.

cyrc · #8 12-09-2003, 06:47 PM

what about suspension?just a thought

Plays_with_Toys · #9 12-09-2003, 11:45 PM

Like I said, I don't want to get to heavy into it, because I don't have the best fabrication skills, and I already have a super flexy mini-crawler project, that, due to my lack of fab. skills is benched (whatever became of yours slug?) Here it is:

I would like some more flex out of the suspension, and what I have found is by getting the tires further from the suspension arms, it acts as more travel, because the lever length has increased. I saw the "widening" tip, where you flip the wheels inside out, and that gives quite a bit of clearance. If I upgrade to Overland or similar sizes tires, I will not have to relocate batteries or shave anything. So I am looking at doing it that way. Like I said, this is nothing big, I just want something a little more capable of handling bumps than the x-mod currently dishes out.

slugbugg · #10 12-10-2003, 06:42 AM

I'm trying to stay focused on the Xmod chasis that I'm making, I really want an Xmod that can at least run with the mini-Z's.After that who knows.

Plays_with_Toys · #11 12-10-2003, 08:13 PM

Alright, I bought my crestbrush today, and that motor does seem especially torquey, can't wait to get the pinion and install the wiring.

I also bought some tires for it. They are lego tires, and come in a kit that was $7. Its a lego kit for juniors. Its a little tow truck and it has 6 wheels. If you look in the picture, you can actually see the writing on the side of the tire, it says "LEGO 30X14" in referance to the size. They are almost a direct fit to the Xmod wheels, the only thing is that the tires are wider than the wheels, but other wise fit like a charm.

Suspension is still lacking, but I think with locked diffs, and the torquey motor, it won't matter.

Once I actually get it running, and feel it is worth investing more into it, I will buy a Landcruiser z-body, since I am a loyal toyota guy (hence the name). I won't get pics, not until I get the body, unless an overwhelming number of people ask for them... which I doubt. I have no digicam, and don't like pestering my friends for theirs all the time.

Plays_with_Toys · #12 12-11-2003, 11:58 PM

So who wants more suspension travel up front, raise your hands!!

I do!

And now I do!

Here's how to do it without any shaving of anything.

1) Remove the front body tab mount thing, the black tab that is bolted from under the chassis and has the two shock ends in it.

2) Place spring pointy tabs into the SCREW HOLES, not the two little dimples, but the screw holes. Make sure the little points actually go into the holes and stick out a little down into the countersunk area of the chassis.

3) Take out the retaining screws from under the solid A-arms of the suspension. Replace these with some extra screws, or if you have none, use two screws from the rear suspension brace, and replace those with the ones from the front suspension.

4) Make sure you don't tighten the new screws in all the way! I think they are too long, and you don't want to strip them.

5) Test the flex! Now that the shocks have no preload, and are at a new angle, they don't bottom out as quickly, they get so much more flex, you will actually pop the lower screw mount out of the A-arm if you don't have a screw there. I haven't done the shaved A-arm mod yet, to give it lift, but atleast it has a little more suspension travel. I can now get it to flex with one tire on a pen and the rest on the ground... Not bad for IFS and IRS.

Oh, I am going to do an official write up for the FAQ section too, covering everything needed to be done to make this thing off-carpet worthy.

And those tires??? I went full speed today on carpet and turned sharp left and right, and before the suspension mod, it would flip. Now it doesn't, but the tires' amount of grip is amazing!

slugbugg · #13 12-13-2003, 02:32 AM

I cant wait to get some stuff out of my way so I can mess around with something like this.

We need pictures.

neurokinetik · #14 12-13-2003, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Plays_with_Toys
And those tires??? I went full speed today on carpet and turned sharp left and right, and before the suspension mod, it would flip. Now it doesn't, but the tires' amount of grip is amazing!

How's the straight line grip? I ask because I'm exploring options for a full-on drag car.

Plays_with_Toys · #15 12-13-2003, 12:50 PM

If you're looking to make a drag car there are some other tires you should get. They are just as grippy, but have a street look to them. They come in a lego kit that is a car that you pull back and it winds the motor. Here's a pic of them on someones overland:

They fit right over the xmod wheels but are just a tad wide. If you have them on the rear, than rubbing shouldn't be a problem... Unless your doing a FWD drag car, which would look so cool! Just remember that your acceleration will suffer big time, because of the taller tires, unless you have motor/battery mods to compensate.