Aluminum Bulkheads

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wacmartin

DAMN TREES
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Location
Ontario Canada
RC Driving Style
  1. Bashing
After doing some diff maintenance today I went to put everything back together and noticed my bulkheads were broken. Both at the bottom were the skid protectors screw in, it looks like the screws almost pulled right out, and one the mounting tabs on the back end of the bulkhead broke off. Again I'm sure the screw pulled it right off. I really don't want to replace with stock because I'm thinking all the the high speed jumping resulting in multiple cart wheels is the culprit here, and I know it's just going to happen again with stock bulkheads.
FLM bulkheads look real nice (pricey though), but I don't like the way they split sideways, that's going to make diff maintenance twice as long. I'm looking for other options on aluminum bulkheads, GH is out of business, GPM is on backorder and I'm not sure of the quality with them either, anyone know any other options out there?
 
You have to be careful with alloy bulks too that will work with larger diff cups if you have them.

That said, I've not had much issue with the stock ones on my X. I'd be inclined to just put stock back on and maybe get a t-bones rear/front bumper to absorb some of your hits.
 
I have a set of FLM hybrids in a shelf queen. they are High quality stuff, but maintenence would definately be a pain with them, but not really all that bad. only issue i had with them is you can put your diffs in backwards and the truck wont move
 
I have the HD diff cups already, if that's what you mean. I'm looking at the alloy bulks and it seems they all split like the FLM, except the GH, but there discontinued. I'm going to look into these t bone bumpers.

This hobby is getting expensive here in Canada, with the brutal exchange rate. I'm thinking about selling everything but my scx10, charger, power supply, and batteries, and buying a Stampede VXL and that's it.
 
Yeah, the HD cups cause issues with the older bulkheads. I ran into that back in the day. I bought new BP diffs off ebay from an XL and at the time, I had alloy diff cases that didn't split. I had to take the old diffs apart and use the old output shafts in the new diffs because the large cups wouldn't fit through the sides of the cases.

Now that I have an X, the diffs load from the front/rear, so having HD cups/bones wasn't a big deal. I was afraid they wouldn't hold up like the old savage diff cases, they tended to flex and get the shimming out of alignment then spit out teeth. But I've had these BP diffs in the X cases for a few years with higher power engines and haven't had a single issue.
 
I think I'm just going to stick with stock bulkheads, I haven't had any real problems with my diffs and don't want to start having problems with them. I'm looking at those T Bone racing bumpers and will get them, hoping they will solve the problem of my tearing up the mounting tabs in the bulkheads.
 
I have the rear one and it really helps save the bodies, which is why I wanted it. Got tired of the body getting so beat up from rear landings and wheelies in grass. Even with the HPI wheelie bar (which I broke 3 of), the body would get wrecked from the grass/weeds catching it while doing a wheelie.
 
Did you get the wheelie bar option on your bumper? Also are they made out of steel?
 
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have to buy special outdrive cups for the FLM hybrid bulks.
I even have FLM differential cups in this bad-boy!
 

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Did you get the wheelie bar option on your bumper? Also are they made out of steel?
Yep. Was a bit pricy for the skid and wheelie bar, but it's holding up really well. Had some issues mounting the support plate to the rear bumper. I ended up removing the rear upper bumper part, drilled out the holes a little on the plate the Tbonez includes, then sandwhiched it between the stock bumper and skidplate. Otherwise it was angled up too high and the Tbonez skid wouldn't make contact with it.

2015-1106-SavageX-TBoneSkid-SpacerPlacement.jpg

2015-1106-SavageX-TBoneSkid-Clearance.jpg


I should have ground a little bit off the stock skid plate so it would let the t-bonez plate angle down further, but it makes contact when I flex the t-bonez skid. Seems to work fine.

I also countersunk the 4 screw holes on the bottom a little more because the screws didn't sit flush. I went a little too far on 3 out of the 4 holes... has been holding up fine though to repeated band landings and cartwheels.
2015-1106-SavageX-TBoneSkid-ScrewCounterSink01.jpg


2015-1106-SavageX-TBoneSkid-Tank.jpg
 
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