Portals vs straight axles.

[Iowa crawler]

I had a metal car carrier I could ride. I would sit on the back and steer the front. I was zooming around one day and hit my head in the table.( explains a lot ) I guess I got bigger and did not fit anymore.

 

[Doom!]

Back then kids had harder heads!

Current generation would be trying to figure out who they could sue.

 

[Joe crawler]

Back then kids had harder heads!

Current generation would be trying to figure out who they could sue.

Sad but true

 

[ground_zero298]

Back then kids had harder heads!

Current generation would be trying to figure out who they could sue.

Actually I’m learning to become a rc lawyer. Every time you ruin someone’s lawn, you’re getting sued. Part breaks randomly on a rc, class action lawsuit. You hit someone, death penalty after we impound your rc. 2022, Stuff is about to get real!

 

[Iowa crawler]

Today’s is a kinda fun day. I was supposed to get my G spot frame yesterday. It and the body mounts did not show up.
So I stripped the G shot but still don’t have a frame. No biggie but j could use the body mounts.

Next I ordered a set of drive shafts. A set of scx6 shock towers showed up instead.

So I decided to pull the drive shafts off my class 2 rig and found the drive shaft I ordered that did not come is to short.

So now I’m waiting for body mounts and drive shafts.

I got the body all done in white epoxy paint . It looks good enough and I can just go with white. But I also don’t have anything better to do and the stores that sell enamel paint don’t open for four hours.

Will the final color be red copper blue orange or white?

I have no idea but can’t wait to see what happens.
I also made a new front bumper. It’s a 95 mm link but I made the end plates from scrap and it rolls. It’s not tight and can be used a s fairlead or just won’t drag on anything.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Purple !?!… Really?

 

[WickedFog]

Purple !?!… Really?

Oh hell yeah. Nice job!

 

[Doom!]

I had a purple Ranger once.

 

[ground_zero298]

I had a purple Ranger once.

Beats a purple nurple!

 

[Iowa crawler]

Ok after a bit of parts shuffle and paint I have two trucks that are pretty similar one with portals and one with straight axle.

For starters I will say the portal truck was a little tricky to get together. With the front drive shaft on the left side you have no options. But when it’s done the driveshaft has very little angle.
Everything has to build around that but it all works pretty well.
The straight axle cheating a bit. The lack of a rear bed is something I might have to just order a bed for it. The cage won’t work at all for this.

Now I’m just going to drive each and see how they compare in the real world.
For starters I put them on the scale.

I still have some tuning to do on these rigs. But at this point there is no brass and no overdrive.

The straight axle at 5.5 lb and 61/39 balance is going to climb well.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I ordered a rear bed for the straight axle rig. There are two bed options available one would require cutting the rear of the cab. It’s just a little to long but would fit. The other is a little to short. BUT I think I can use my cage and the bed. Cut, screw and grind them together. Or not. I just don’t really like the naked chassis look.

 

[Jerold]

What new is old sometimes. No matter what you do, there is always "some guy" that comes up with something "better" or a "better way". It's the next best thing since sliced bread <blah> <blah><blah>. No matter what the end fundamentals still hold strong and sometimes the new thing ends up in the trash.

With said, I have portals on the TRX4 with mods and it's climbs like a goat. The place it falls down (pun intended) is on side hilling. I've driven someone else's belly dragger and it was in a different league for climbing and side hills. However, the ride height seems to be the limiting factor not the axles.

My much older crawler had straight axles with a servo on axle set up and the articulation was ridiculous. Articulation was important then and it's seems to have lost favor because the axles are locked anyway.

Which is better, I dunno. I'm guessing it depends on your application. What I do know is people don't generally make rocking crawl a Subarus.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Subaru generally have independent suspension and would not crawl well.

Articulation is definitely a double edge sword. And that so something I can explore. Simple shock change makes a big difference there.

From everything I read about axle type there is no better. Just differences that I want to explore. And after I get these rigs broken in I am going to change the straight axle rig to rear portal. Just to see how that changes things.
It all for fun and science.

 

[ground_zero298]

If I need to get lower or more stable I usually add some desert lizards in the stock length. Then run the softest long spring in the top and the soft shorty on the bottom.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I like the desert lizard shocks. My normal set up these days. And it seems to be always evolving . Is the soft long spring on top nothing on the bottom three hole piston and 80w oil.
But I’m always tinkering with that.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I got the bed installed and made a new bumper on the straight axle rig. So it’s about done.
I’m actually really liking this little Purple Nurple. It’s definitely going to be fun crawling if the weather ever cooperates.

 

[WickedFog]

I got the bed installed and made a new bumper on the straight axle rig. So it’s about done.
I’m actually really liking this little Purple Nurple. It’s definitely going to be fun crawling if the weather ever cooperates.

What is between the rear frame rails? Looks like a corrugated plate.

 

[Iowa crawler]

That’s the 3D printed rear drop bed. It makes the rear frame super solid and protects the carbon frame.

i just took the Straight axle out for the first time. It really is amazing. It crushed my back yard stuff even with wet tires.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Since I broke the front axle on my G Shot I swapped the front brass portal boxes and over drive gears. This is a big plus one for the portals. It only takes six screws to swap from rock crawling over drive to woods running gearing. Adds more forward weight also.

 

[Iowa crawler]

If round one was the build than the straight axle was easy to set up. Just more options with links and shock length. But the portals once set up and AR45 had the differential on the left side. The trans output is also on the left side so the driveshaft is straight and the movement of the axle is good.

But it was a little tricky to set up.
Round 2 is the first nice dry day to shoot the entire corse. Just send both and see what happens.
Portals killed it. Totally bulldozed my back yard corse. The straight axle did great but honestly the power was its problem. But I am surprised. Not the result I was suspecting.much more to come but the AR45 rig is in more aggressive.