Wheel Weights!

[Steve]

more

[Steve]

still more

[Steve]

ok, this is not obscene, just me and my trackball trying to draw how it went together

[Steve]

and more

[Steve]

Steve's Wheel Donut

[chilli_mp138]

Steve and zzmods--

Have either of you explored the possibility of running gear shafts back and forth through the chassis to utilize the space on the left side?

Speed and gear ratio calculators now up on my site.

I've already privately expressed to Rich Nagel that I think the MT articulation mod is the next quantum move for crawlers (well, "quantum" might be stretching it). Would a brass tube have worked as well as the antenna part to enclose the drive shaft?

http://www.gcrossett.com/zipzaps/

[Steve]

nice web site brother, simple, neat, clean, informative, easy to navigate, easy to read...excellent design.

Don't think it matters what is used for the sleeve, it's just a matter of finding something that will work. The articulation mod has everyone diging through their parts pile, tearing apart pens, searching for anything small round and tube like, it's great.

As for other drive shafts, though I'm not sure what they'd be used for, and there really isn't an extra room, the steering takes up all the room in the front, and charging contacts eat up the space on the sides.

[Steve]

About the split in the chassis...while I did mine as far back as I could to preserve the stock charging system, I wonder what the affect of it's positioning has on performance. Is it better in the font, the middle...I'm interested in any thoughts on the subject.

[chilli_mp138]

Steve--

Shafts I was referring to would be drive gear shafts through the back of the chassis from the right side (pinion gear side) to the left side where there would be room for more gears, then back through to chassis to the gear feeding the axle gear. I haven't decided if that gains space for even more gearing, or it would just make both sides of the MT pretty with colored gears.

[Steve]

Now I'm with you. I thought about that too! More smaller gears instead of a few big ones. It would be nice to build a smaller, more compact gearbox, maybe gears on both sides, so simply turning the motor around would allow for high speed gearing, or crawling, depending on your mood.

[Steve]

Well, I successfully transfered the drive gear to the other side, and with a shaft that ran from one side to the other, it was actually working, problem was, it didn't do anything for me other than transfer power to the other wheel. I just don't think you gain any room to add gears because you need gears to perform the transfer, it's like a law of deminishing returns. I wouldn't rule it out as an option, but I can't see it happening.

Another issue is the size of the gears. Because somewhere you have to use another big gear, the placement is important because it could easily interfere with articulation.

[Steve]

So I took my articulation modded MT and added the crawling gear setup using all green gears and a green motor and GOODNESS!, like ZZmods said, it's un-nervingly quiet, and yeah, it creeps. Doesn't have the gear stripping power as it does with a higher rpm motor, so I'll probably swap that out once I find a place to mount it where it won't hinder the articulation.

Originally posted by chilli_mp138
Steve--

Does your MT even come close to moving?

I calculate a final gear ratio of 255.76:1 on your MT configuration. Here's how I computed it:...


Total Geartrain Ratio
4.57 x 2.00 x 5.33 x 5.25 = 255.76:1

You could increase that ratio with two simple changes: use a 6-tooth ZZ pinion gear (enlarge the hole to 0.038-in dia with a no. 62 drill) and change the MT red gear to another MT green gear. That computes at 5.33 x 2.25 x 5.33 x.5.25 = 335.58:1. And a green MT motor would slow you down even more. You might even be able to pull the family dog!...

[chilli_mp138]

Steve--

Have you tried dual wheels?

[diets]

Hi Steve!

Congratulations to your Real Crawler! It looks great, and i am sure you have a lot of fun with your Monster!

I would recommend you the proportional mod - tons of fun and no more problems with the gear box. I have a gear ratio of only 72:1 in my crawler. But with the prop mod, i can drive as slow as i want.

Here are two other great mod's from the german forum

Ixarus Unimog with articulation and suspension with torsion spring

Joe Cool's Tamiya Hilux 1:32 with suspension

diets - just ask if i should help with some translations

[micro-rc-guy]

so whos going to make the tutorial for the gearing ?
I was looking forward to this , and it would be a great help to lots of people.