Project Big Pede

[667]

I've been working on my nitro stampede. The first modification was ball-bearings at all 4 wheels. After that came a high flow air filter, traxxas tuned pipe and perfect fit header, and an HPI dune buggy body. I broke the front end off on a curb, and decided it was time to upgrade to the wide RPM front bumper. After these basic improvements I picked up 2 sets of Jato front A arms and got to work with the dremel. To make everything fit I had to get another set of stampede steering turnbuckles to use as tie rods for each wheel (4 in total, 1 for each wheel), as well as a pair of 106mm T-Maxx turnbuckles for the steering. I added a second spring to my rear shocks to prevent the truck from bottoming out when I land jumps. The wider arms put my wheelbase at almost 15" wide up front, and a little narrower in back.

There are still a few modifications to come. I have a 2.5 ready to be put in, I'm just waiting for my EZ start from ebay and for my LHS to get my pro .15 to 2.5 conversion kit in. (Their supplier said it may be as late as mid april. If that is the case I may have to hit ebay for it.) After the 2.5 I am going to get a set of wheel adapters so that I can run T-Maxx wheels on it. These wheels should fix the problem of the front of the truck being wider than the rear, due to the backspacing offset between front and back on the stampede wheels.

Stock exhaust, HPI body masked and ready for paint:

With the header and pipe:

After paint:

The deadly crash before the wide bumper:

Side view of the widened stampede:

Front view with Hot VWs magazine for size reference/visual appeal :fro:

 

[667]

Just a quick update on the progress- I removed the double spring setup in back and filled the shocks with Losi 60# oil on single hole pistons to keep the rear from bottoming out. I'll see how that rides and decide if I need to stiffen up the front to match.

 

[psunitro]

Nice.
I really wanted the bug body for my Stampede, but since I extended it it wont fit.

I have to get mine out, its starting to warm up around here and I have not tried my Jato arm conversion out much yet.

 

[667]

I got my EZ start setup for my 2.5 the other day. My LHS wasn't showing the pro .15 to 2.5 conversion kit as available until the middle of May, so I found one on ebay that should be here shortly. I decided to do some testing on the Jato arm conversion to make sure it was durable enough. I did some accidental testing of the RPM bumper too. The arms stood up to 3 tanks worth of jumping with no damage to the car at all, aside from a blown out shock. The RPM bumper withstood a WOT run into a cinder block while coming out of a powerslide. :gulp:

 

[hamz9561]

Good to hear about another RPM bumper convert. I've got them on my RC18T and RC18R as well as my Revo basher. They are tough! Sounds like you're having fun with this project. This is what the hobby is all about. Enjoy your toy!

 

[SMaxxin]

I have been wanting to build a 3.3 pede and this thread is not helping! Was it much trouble to fit the Jato arms on it are was it as easy as it sounds?

Truck look good with the VW body!

The RPM bumpers are great, I ran on on every pede and Rustler that I had.

 

[godale03]

Nice looking rig my friend! It sounds like you are having a blast, which is what this hobby is all about!

Tom

 

[beason]

that is a big pede... nice!!

i to run the rpm bumper, on a rc10gt. Man is it nice!!

 

[667]

I have been wanting to build a 3.3 pede and this thread is not helping! Was it much trouble to fit the Jato arms on it are was it as easy as it sounds?

Truck look good with the VW body!

The RPM bumpers are great, I ran on on every pede and Rustler that I had.

The conversion is pretty straight forward. You just need 2 sets of Jato front arms. They're attached in opposite- so the left arms go on the right side. It just takes a little patience to mill down the pieces just right.

 

[667]

Well, I got the 2.5 put in the other day. It is now a scootin', spitting-angry machine. (Thanks to the engine I put in. The 2.5 was pre-tuned and had a polish job done on it prior to my acquisition. Not a bad deal for $50.) I can't hold traction unless I barely inch the throttle. Any kind of throttle punching sends me into wicked powerslides and cookie-spinning. Today I had the car spinning like a coin on one tire, with the tire puffed out like a mohawk. I caught traction part way through the spin and launched myself about 6" into the air. I have some 2.8" All-Star wheels and Traxxas Talon tires on the way to improve my traction a bit.

 

[SMaxxin]

I would like to see a video of it, sounds like fun! I'm hoping to start on mine this weekend.

 

[667]

I would like to see a video of it, sounds like fun! I'm hoping to start on mine this weekend.

I'll see what I can do about a video. I think my digital camera does video. It won't be a very long one though- it's a 7.2mp camera and I only have a 64 meg memory card for it. (Yes, I'm cheap and kept the memory card from my old-as-dirt camera when I got my new one!)

 

[667]

Still waiting for a nice enough day to get some drive time in. Every time it's not raining I'm at work. I did get my 2.8 rims and Talon tires today though.

 

[SMaxxin]

What gear are you running? I'm running 20/66, moved the battery to the front tower but the wheelies are just silly. Do you know the tallest gear that will fit the n pede?


Thanks

 

[667]

I'm running 18/66 right now, and the wheelies aren't too bad, as long as I inch the throttle. I tried running a 72T spur, but I chewed it up pretty quickly.

 

[667]

Update on the wheelies:

I finished tuning the engine. It was tuned for top performance in a T-Maxx, and I wanted it a little different in a lighter truck. Now the wheelies are amazingly bad. Any semblance of traction will make the truck wheelie so hard that it flips over on its lid.

I also put in a pair of aluminum caster blocks, as I was tired of replacing the plastic ones every 2 or 3 runs. Now I just need to work out my axle problem. The 2.5 is too powerful for the stampedes drivetrain, and it keeps destroying the plastic connectors on the rear axle stubs.

 

[hamz9561]

As far as landing on the lid, I feel for you. I've got a couple of RC-18s that do the same thing. You might try looking at the Traxxas wheelie bars.