Charlie's All Out Comp Build

[CharliesTheMan]

Well as many of my fellow crawlers know, I've been working on my comp build for a few weeks. A lot of these parts are rather expensive, so I've actually been gathering parts for about four weeks, but just started the build a few weeks ago. I have been so busy with work that I haven't got a lot of it done yet, but it's just about to roller stage. There has been a lot of custom parts fitting and stuff like that, about 8 trips to get special hardware and stuff like that, etc.... A lot of these parts are generic crawler parts, so it take a lot of test fitting and fine tuning, adjusting, experiementing, and stuff like that just to get everything to work together in perfect unison. I'll get my pics up this evening of the progress so far. Here's my parts list to get started with.

*Gatekeeper Designs GC-2 chassis (full delrin chassis with aluminum cross braces)
*Traxxas Revo links (red anodized lowers, regular uppers, I'll post parts numbers tonight)
*I also have a full set of delrin links I may install later)
*Axial Axles
Heavy Duty Lockers
Heavy Duty Ring and Pinion
MIP CVD's in front axle
*MIP driveshafts
*VF Dig (Now DNA RC Dig)
*Montana Scale Designs (MSD) aluminum beadlocks
*Losi Rock Claws Tires
*Losi Crawler Shocks (modified with HPI Rod Ends)
*Losi Springs (white in the front, yellow in the rear)
*Losi shock oil (35 in front, 45 in rear)
*Mamba Max ESC
*Castle Creations BEC (custom programed at 5.4 volts for now)
*Holmes Hobbies Handwound 35 turn 540 motor
*Maxamps.com 3S 2000 mah LiPo Battery
*Towerpro MG995 servo 200+ oz/in. of torque (only temporary for mock up)
*RRP 12 tooth pinion (to start with, will probably go lower)
*Custom painted bodies by NCNitro (absolutely beautiful work)
*TLT-1 body mounts will be used (donated by Chip Cross)

Radio- Spektrum DX3R

Here's the items that I will be ordering next week
*JR 8711 Robot Servo (400+ oz/in of torque)
*RCP aluminum axle upgrades (high clearance knuckes will provide a tighter turning radius; RCP straight axle conversion in the rear)
*Custom one-off aluminum beadlocks machined by East End Machining. (www.eastendmachining.com)

I would like to give a huge shout out and thank you to Chip Cross for all of his help. When I first got into crawling and showed interest in getting into the crawling comps, Chip was the first one in the Ark-La-Miss crawlers to call me himself, and to invite me to join them in the comps, regardless of what kind of shape my rig was in, and he even offered to come pick me and bring me home after the comps (which is a big deal because he lives a few hours away). When I got ready to build a comp rig, I had an idea of what I wanted to build and ordered a lot of the main parts. When I got ready to get started, Chip and I talked seeral times and he helped me with all the small pieces that I would need to get the build together, things like that. If it wouldn't have been for that, I would have had several major hiccups in the build where I would have had to stop and order parts. Chip reminded me of a huge bolt store that he ordered from, and because of that I was able to get all my hardware locally and they had most of it in stock, the rest they had for me the next day. Thanks again Chip, it's people like you that make this hobby the way it is.

 

[robmob]

Pics!

We need pics!

 

[CharliesTheMan]

I'm at work now. I'm going to try and go home and work on it tonight and get some pictures. If I don't get them up this evening, should have them up for sure tomorrow. My mom's getting ready to have surgery next week so I've been pretty busy between work and helping her get her stuff together for that.

Right now it's only the chassis with all the links mounted to the axles and the shocks installed.

 

[chip cross]

The 8711 is overkill but the rig will turn when you say turn or it will break something. LOL

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Well when I take a break from the crawlers and bash the 5B SS, that 8711 will be perfect for the brakes on the 5B. I'm suffering from squishy brakes on it right now. I figure if 200 oz.in of torque turns the wheels pretty good, 400 will be twice as nice

 

[Coach Z]

Do you run a saver on a servo that big so it doesn't bust a link? Oh and very cool all around BTW. What's the radio gear, the dx3r?

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Sorry, I added the radio. Yeap, it's a spektrum DX3R, with my new screen protector that my good buddy coach ordered for me, and it came in today.

I will have to set my endpoints accordingly and be kinda careful with it, I'm sure I'll end up with something broken eventually. I've talked to a few guys that are using some special heavy duty servo saver on their crawlers, but I really don't like the idea. I'm going to try just setting my endpoints and being kinda careful (yeah right, I see broken parts in the future). Chip told me the only way to test a rig is to pick it up, swing around twice, and throw it as far as I can across an asphalt parking lot. I'm still a little nervous about that one.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Well unfortunately, I had to work late tonight and I was planning to get off early. Ahh, the joys of small business and free enterprise. Anyway, I just spent a few minutes and started breaking it down so I could make the shock mounts longer and install the new HPI parts on the shocks themselves. I just snapped these pics, but I should have some much better progress pics tomorrow. The biggest problem that I'm having is finding hardware. It seems like in the size that I need for this build, whatever size I need at the time is what the stores are out of, and I haven't had a day to sit down and figure out everything I need to start ordering it. The only days I've had to work on it were on the weekends, and that's when the bolt stores are closed. There's not a list or anything I can look at ahead of time since its all custom stuff and a lot of trial and error. I've been collecting quite a bit of hardware though, and for my next builds I will have a lot more stuff on hand. Here's the pictures after I started dissassembly to start modding the shocks and adjusting the shock mounts to bring them further away from the chassis.

 

[flm_savage]

easy on the loctite there man. I know you are going to qtip that away anyway.

 

[Mattyfats420]

i just wanted you to know a few think about the MIP CVDs. I've heard of a few people with the same problem, including myself. if you have the ones with the ball end held buy the pinn and grub screw. that the grub will eventually come loose, even if locktite is applied like it says in the directions. and the pin will come out and something will disconnect.

i called mip after this happened to me wanting a full refund cuz i said its a faulty product but all they would do for me is send me a new pinn and grub screw. i just wanted to warn you of this before something bad happens. i dont know if crawlers use the same type that would be like i installed on my revo. but one day i was runing it and the grub came out lost the pin in and i seperated the brake pad from the tranny and i almost lost it into a tree before it came to a rolling stop.

i dont know if anyone else has this problem but I've talked to three people that this had happend too and just wanted to warn a good friend of a maybe fatal flaw in the MIP CVD design. i think if you could somehow fit a boot over the ends would solve this problem so I'm trying to come up with something useing the stock axles. ill let you know how it works out.

just giving a heads up

but anyways the build is looking great, another great rig done by a good man. good luck with the rest of it!

-MattyFats-

 

[flm_savage]

i use red loctite and let it sit undisturbed for at least 24 hours before i even install it. I used to over-use blue and then go out running and i had the same problem. the only problem i have had is shearing the actual pin.


As crazy as it sounds, you also need to know how to use loctite. You don't cover the screw with the stuff. I generally just wet the first few threads and thats it. I also prefer the liquid over the stick. The stick is convienient but the liquid seems to hold better and is easier to apply IMO.



Good looking build charlie. I would use nylon locknuts on the bottom rather than regular nuts with loctite.

 

[sweetdiesel]

i just wanted you to know a few think about the MIP CVDs. I've heard of a few people with the same problem, including myself. if you have the ones with the ball end held buy the pinn and grub screw. that the grub will eventually come loose, even if locktite is applied like it says in the directions. and the pin will come out and something will disconnect.

i called mip after this happened to me wanting a full refund cuz i said its a faulty product but all they would do for me is send me a new pinn and grub screw. i just wanted to warn you of this before something bad happens. i dont know if crawlers use the same type that would be like i installed on my revo. but one day i was runing it and the grub came out lost the pin in and i seperated the brake pad from the tranny and i almost lost it into a tree before it came to a rolling stop.

i dont know if anyone else has this problem but I've talked to three people that this had happend too and just wanted to warn a good friend of a maybe fatal flaw in the MIP CVD design. i think if you could somehow fit a boot over the ends would solve this problem so I'm trying to come up with something useing the stock axles. ill let you know how it works out.

You can use a small piece of heat shrink tubing over the cv end. This will ensure that even if the screw loosens, the pin will never fall out, yet still allow you to easily access the joint for maintenance. No need for red loctite.

Looking good Charlie. :thumbup:

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Good looking build charlie. I would use nylon locknuts on the bottom rather than regular nuts with loctite.

The lowerlinks are attached with the factory hardware that came with the chassis, except for the nuts. Everyone running a GC2 chassis that I've looked at is using the factory hardware, but the problem is that with the nylon locking nuts, the bolts aren't long enough for the threads to reach the nylon when you tighten the nut anyway. I've since ordered some longer bolts because I just don't like the idea of not having enough thread, but there are thousands of people running them this way without any problems. Since the threads didn't reach the nylon anyway, I replaced the lock nuts with the regular nuts. It threads the whole nut, but I would still like some extra thread just for insurance.

 

[flm_savage]

The lowerlinks are attached with the factory hardware that came with the chassis, except for the nuts. Everyone running a GC2 chassis that I've looked at is using the factory hardware, but the problem is that with the nylon locking nuts, the bolts aren't long enough for the threads to reach the nylon when you tighten the nut anyway. I've since ordered some longer bolts because I just don't like the idea of not having enough thread, but there are thousands of people running them this way without any problems. Since the threads didn't reach the nylon anyway, I replaced the lock nuts with the regular nuts. It threads the whole nut, but I would still like some extra thread just for insurance.

a thousand people thought the earth was flat at one time too.


i agree, longer bolts and locknuts. it makes it look better too.
you could flip the nut and put it nylon part first.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

I'm building as I type. I'm currently modding my shocks, and I'm going to like them A LOT better with the Savage mods that I'm doing. If anyone is interested in getting the Losi shocks let me know, and I'll give you the part numbers for these HPI parts that I'm using. It's simple to install and A LOT better than how they are from the factory.

Here are a few before and after shots. I used Savage rod ends (the smaller ones on the parts tree) on the end of the shock shaft. They are heavy duty compared to the Losi, and they are a good bit longer. It allowed me to thread the rod ends further onto the shaft, and it made the shock a good bit longer, which is what I happened to need. If you don't need the shocks longer, you simply thread the rod end onto the shaft further. The other HPI parts that I used were the spring perches. The Losi spring perches have a tiny ledge that holds the spring in place, and a small bump to the spring causes the spring to pop out of the perch. The HPI spring perches are huge in comparison, and it would take a lot of effort to pop the springs out of place with these bad humperjumpers. The shots show the before and after, and the difference in legth, the losi and LPI spring percesh next to each other, and the springs in place before and after.

I also changed the little ball joint things to some different ones that would work with the axial axle hardware and would also fit better without me having to use a spacer that I had fabbed up with a nut and washer.

 

[chip cross]

So that trick worked for you uhh CTM ???? :

Also CTM, get some 2.75 Losi yellow springs for the rear.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

I already got the yellow ones for the rear, I'm putting it together with those standoffs right now. I was hoping to work on the rig all day, but I ended up having to go to work for most of the day. Looks like it will be a late night though. I was so frustrated beacuse I thought my longest 4/40 hardware was 1/4 inch too short, and I couldn't put those standoffs on. Then I remembered some screws I bought last week that I didn't see in my hardware stash, so I started digging and remembered that I never brought them out of the car. Went out there, and sure enough I've got plenty of hardware thats plenty long enough to finish the mock up, and Monday morning I'm going to call Fastenal and order about 100 pieces of hardware (that's 10 sizes, they come in 100 packs if anyone was wondering why I'm buying so much).

If anyone is going to there LHS to buy hardware, you should really find a shop in your area like a Fastenal or McMaster Carr (not sure if they have retail locations). The Dubro packs run around $3 at the LHS for 8 screws. The 100 packs of stainless steel hardware run around $5 at Fastenal, and if it's not in stock they can have it in stock on the morning of the next business day.

 

[chip cross]

Got over 900 pieces from Fastenal for about 72.00 bucks great place to get screwed OOOOPPPS screws

100 3mm X 4mm
100 3mm x 6mm
100 3mm x 8mm
100 3mm x 10mm
100 3mm x 12mm
100 3mm x 14mm
100 3mm x 16mm
200 3mm nylock nuts

 

[Coach Z]

Mcmaster rocks but only two locations (one in jersey the other in chicago) and its only will call not retail. Other thing if I recall is for small metric stuff the highest grade you can get from them is about 10, I love tony's screws they're 12 and I've never busted one yet.

Oh and of course build is lookin' very cool charlie!

 

[CharliesTheMan]

It's looking a lot better now. I remounted the shocks using TLT body posts and standoffs that Chip hooked me up with because they're so hard to find, and they are mounted a lot better now. It's just about to roller status.

UPDATE: Here's some pics of the progress. I tore it back down, modified the shocks, used new standoffs to make the shock mounts, changed the hardware that I was using for the axles, and a few other things. I've mocked it up on some proline beadlocks and Losi rock claws just because those were already mounted up from last month. Tomorrow I'll get some new rock claws mounted on my MSD beadlocks and modifiy the aluminum hex to accept the aluminum beadlocks. I've also mounted the tranny and I'm currently in the process of mounting up the driveshafts and the motor and stuff. I'm waiting on my holmes hobbies handwound motor to arrive, so I'll have to use one of my extra brushless motors until it gets here.

And of course, I had to test the center of gravity, and I have to say I'm lovin' it so far.