The UDIRC Snow Leopard

[OnwardGuinevere]

Do it!

Lol! I really want to, but I don't drive my little RCs enough as it is. I could probably put that $100 toward the new stereo I want for my big truck.
It's such a cool little rig though!

 

[TeknoJ]

So I just saw this on sale and I am very tempted
https://www.amainhobbies.com/udi-rc...alvator-hardbody-orange-udiucx2401or/p1576343

Believe it or not, that one is different than what I have. I ordered a replacement universal axle for that to replace what mine had broken and it was way smaller.

Going back to my findings from earlier which are FALSE.
The FCX24/M use a smaller mounting pattern for the transmission. It is about 9 x 15mm in a rectangle.
The FCX18 uses what this UCX24 has, a 10 x 20mm rectangle.

The good news is, I took apart the dang thing to look at gearing and put it back together in such a way that the transmission is stuck in 2nd gear. Way to go.

 

[OnwardGuinevere]

Believe it or not, that on is different than what I have. I ordered a replacement universal axle for that to replace what mine had broken and it was way smaller.

Going back to my findings from earlier which are FALSE.
The FCX24/M use a smaller mounting pattern for the transmission. It is about 9 x 15mm in a rectangle.
The FCX18 uses what this UCX24 has, a 10 x 20mm rectangle.

The good news is, I took apart the dang thing to look at gearing and put it back together in such a way that the transmission is stuck in 2nd gear. Way to go.

I thought it may be the same chassis, but sounds smaller based on your measurements. This one does seem a lot like the FCX18. I think it would cost me the same to put a 2 speed transmission in my current SCX24 add it would be to but that UCX24.

 

[TeknoJ]

RCPlanet/Amain now carry this little bugger along with parts. The price has gone way up!
https://www.rcplanet.com/udi-rc-ucx...-rock-crawler-yellow-udiucx2405pro-y/p1631371

 

[Doom!]

RCPlanet/Amain now carry this little bugger along with parts. The price has gone way up!
https://www.rcplanet.com/udi-rc-ucx...-rock-crawler-yellow-udiucx2405pro-y/p1631371
View attachment 247776

You got yours before they realized the pricing was wrong. They only had the low price for a week before they caught it. I just missed it, that's why I don't have one.

 

[TeknoJ]

You got yours before they realized the pricing was wrong. They only had the low price for a week before they caught it. I just missed it, that's why I don't have one.

That sure is right! That will never happen again I am sure of it. I think it's a bit overpriced but honestly, its brushless, it has 4ws, its really right there with most.

Stay tuned, I got something coming for this one!

 

[TeknoJ]

What did I get in the mail today?

 

[TeknoJ]

The MOFO nanoBAM XL. A 1621 3200kv motor with a 16t mod.4 pinion meant to go into an FMS smasher/fcx18/fcx24.
It has the 12mm mount pattern like the UCX24.
Comparison of the 1212 next to the 1621. You can hardly tell the difference. The magnets in the nanoBAM are much stronger.

Almost a direct drop in if it weren’t for shaft length differences. The 1212 has a longer shaft. The nanoBAM’s pinion was not going through the transmission case completely. This was my workaround:

This set screw was removed:

A small socket, hex bit, and the vise were used to push this shaft in just a wee bit:

BAM! It’s installed.

After fiddle f**k*n around with the transmission for nearly 2 hours it was shifting again; low-neutral-high.
This thing crawls very slow and still has a wicked fast 2nd gear.

 

[Doom!]

The MOFO nanoBAM XL. A 1621 3200kv motor with a 16t mod.4 pinion meant to go into an FMS smasher/fcx18/fcx24.
It has the 12mm mount pattern like the UCX24.
Comparison of the 1212 next to the 1621. You can hardly tell the difference. The magnets in the nanoBAM are much stronger.
View attachment 247982
Almost a direct drop in if it weren’t for shaft length differences. The 1212 has a longer shaft. The nanoBAM’s pinion was not going through the transmission case completely. This was my workaround:

This set screw was removed:
View attachment 247983
A small socket, hex bit, and the vise were used to push this shaft in just a wee bit:
View attachment 247984
BAM! It’s installed.
View attachment 247985
After fiddle f**k*n around with the transmission for nearly 2 hours it was shifting again; low-neutral-high.
This thing crawls very slow and still has a wicked fast 2nd gear.

 

[TeknoJ]

I ordered some aluminum links and a driveshaft that extend the FCX24 wheelbase 12mm (I think it is for the rear only). Well, the UDI driveshafts have a round hole unlike anything else, being the D shape. I cannot swap that part alone because the U-joints are different. I guess that would be the pinion gear on the axle with the solid round shaft. It is a round shaft where my CR18p, SCX24, and FMS axles are all a D shaped shaft.
My workaround:
I did not want it to come to this, but it has. I have these FCX24 portal axles laying around. I just might have to swap these axles onto the snow leopard just to use this extension kit. That's the hobby. For Science!

 

[Doom!]

I ordered some aluminum links and a driveshaft that extend the FCX24 wheelbase 12mm (I think it is for the rear only). Well, the UDI driveshafts have a round hole unlike anything else, being the D shape. I cannot swap that part alone because the U-joints are different. I guess that would be the pinion gear on the axle with the solid round shaft. It is a round shaft where my CR18p, SCX24, and FMS axles are all a D shaped shaft.
My workaround:
I did not want it to come to this, but it has. I have these FCX24 portal axles laying around. I just might have to swap these axles onto the snow leopard just to use this extension kit. That's the hobby. For Science!

Sucks when things don't go as planned, but the portal axles would be a cool upgrade for the Snow Leopard.

The extended links for the FCX24 are a worthy upgrade, at least they were for my FCX24.

 

[WickedFog]

I ordered some aluminum links and a driveshaft that extend the FCX24 wheelbase 12mm (I think it is for the rear only). Well, the UDI driveshafts have a round hole unlike anything else, being the D shape. I cannot swap that part alone because the U-joints are different. I guess that would be the pinion gear on the axle with the solid round shaft. It is a round shaft where my CR18p, SCX24, and FMS axles are all a D shaped shaft.
My workaround:
I did not want it to come to this, but it has. I have these FCX24 portal axles laying around. I just might have to swap these axles onto the snow leopard just to use this extension kit. That's the hobby. For Science!

Can you not grind a flat on the UDI pinion?

 

[TeknoJ]

Can you not grind a flat on the UDI pinion?

I could, I would also have to do that on the transmission outputs too.
The FMS axles won’t work anyway. Too much drama.

 

[TeknoJ]

I bought those fcx24 axles for cheap, now you can’t get them at that price. I wanna say they were like $16 for 2 of them.
I may build an entire truck around those axles from parts. A project for another time.

 

[TeknoJ]

I accomplished it. I had to grind a flat spot on the shaft of the pinion gear and one side of the output shaft on the trans.

Some flex blade type things got the shock relocated and articulating.

I had to cut about 1/4” off the driveshaft to allow the suspension to flex all the way up.
The results are good, it gets over more obstacles now.

 

[TeknoJ]

I have taken the transmission and flipped it 180, facing the motor to the rear. This let me modify the front cage to open up like a lid and set the battery right in that space. With the motor flipped the esc tray is now a battery tray. The esc is mounted in the side of the cage.
This should have been free mod #1.

Way cool.

 

[Doom!]

I accomplished it. I had to grind a flat spot on the shaft of the pinion gear and one side of the output shaft on the trans.
View attachment 249468
Some flex blade type things got the shock relocated and articulating.
View attachment 249469
I had to cut about 1/4” off the driveshaft to allow the suspension to flex all the way up.
The results are good, it gets over more obstacles now.

I'm glad that worked out! Now you can get back to having fun.

 

[Jendra]

The MOFO nanoBAM XL. A 1621 3200kv motor with a 16t mod.4 pinion meant to go into an FMS smasher/fcx18/fcx24.
It has the 12mm mount pattern like the UCX24.
Comparison of the 1212 next to the 1621. You can hardly tell the difference. The magnets in the nanoBAM are much stronger.
View attachment 247982
Almost a direct drop in if it weren’t for shaft length differences. The 1212 has a longer shaft. The nanoBAM’s pinion was not going through the transmission case completely. This was my workaround:

This set screw was removed:
View attachment 247983
A small socket, hex bit, and the vise were used to push this shaft in just a wee bit:
View attachment 247984
BAM! It’s installed.
View attachment 247985
After fiddle f**k*n around with the transmission for nearly 2 hours it was shifting again; low-neutral-high.
This thing crawls very slow and still has a wicked fast 2nd gear.

Hey hey! Great work! Did the new motor/pinion help with the cogging?

 

[TeknoJ]

Hey hey! Great work! Did the new motor/pinion help with the cogging?

I have never experienced the cogging unless trying to go slow in hi gear. It’s not what that gear is meant for.
The bigger motor makes everything smoother but it is a little noisy.
The snow leopard has real potential from the box with some minor craftsmanship required. Well worth it.

 

[Jendra]

I have never experienced the cogging unless trying to go slow in hi gear. It’s not what that gear is meant for.
The bigger motor makes everything smoother but it is a little noisy.
The snow leopard has real potential from the box with some minor craftsmanship required. Well worth it.

Mine cogs a fair bit when going slow in first gear, but it seems to only have happened after the lift and 64mm tires. So my effective gear ratio is super high from the oversized tires.

I went with big tires because I was trying to get more clearance under the differentials.

So if the new pinion is geared lower, that'll correct that.