tracrawler 3d tractor time

[majin]

whats good with yall, things are gettin seifty around here, seeing @xjtorc build an epic 3d printed jeep got me infected with the bug, I've been on the fence about printing a crawler considering how rough i am on them. but after seeing his do the tumble a few times and still be kicking i decided to bite the bullet.

i decided to go with the tracrawler 380 from elvis rc studio on youmagine.
i really dig the look of it, got a few things to replace as time goes, but for now i am ordering the recomended parts. this sadly means a lot of waiting on ali express lol.
on the other hand, ali express it turns out is insanely cheap. i imagine the quality is gonna be the same, really cheap.

i printed out the main chasis parts, still need to grab some odd length screws (3mx35) most sites seem to just jump over them and go straight to the 40mm

the reefs transmission i have wont fit so i have to order the ali gearbox (ordered it tonight and the links)
I'm going to use this holmes puller pro v2 motor i have on hand, need to order a set of portal axles,

I'm going to go with a different color scheme, i am thinking something akin to this at @Lostinthewoods86 suggestion, i agree it does have some early ford vibes
gotta order some nice tractor mud slingin tires for it but thats still a ways off,

next step is the suspension rockers for the laid down shocks, kinda cool i dont have a ride with shocks laid down like these


man i cannot wait to build this so i can wreck it!!!!!! gonna bust this plastic up REEEEEEEL good

 

[majin]

oops those were the builders colors not the pic i meant to load

there isnt a whole lot of "body" to get the paint/print scheme, so i dunno, i may just print it in black then paint it, who knows with me man, certainly i dont

 

[Tunedfrog]

whats good with yall, things are gettin seifty around here, seeing @xjtorc build an epic 3d printed jeep got me infected with the bug, I've been on the fence about printing a crawler considering how rough i am on them. but after seeing his do the tumble a few times and still be kicking i decided to bite the bullet.

i decided to go with the tracrawler 380 from elvis rc studio on youmagine.
i really dig the look of it, got a few things to replace as time goes, but for now i am ordering the recomended parts. this sadly means a lot of waiting on ali express lol.
on the other hand, ali express it turns out is insanely cheap. i imagine the quality is gonna be the same, really cheap.

i printed out the main chasis parts, still need to grab some odd length screws (3mx35) most sites seem to just jump over them and go straight to the 40mm

the reefs transmission i have wont fit so i have to order the ali gearbox (ordered it tonight and the links)
I'm going to use this holmes puller pro v2 motor i have on hand, need to order a set of portal axles,

I'm going to go with a different color scheme, i am thinking something akin to this at @Lostinthewoods86 suggestion, i agree it does have some early ford vibes
gotta order some nice tractor mud slingin tires for it but thats still a ways off,

next step is the suspension rockers for the laid down shocks, kinda cool i dont have a ride with shocks laid down like these


man i cannot wait to build this so i can wreck it!!!!!! gonna bust this plastic up REEEEEEEL good

View attachment 267092

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OK, this wrote the book on cool.

 

[xjtorc]

The frame in red with the cream colored body panels would have been

But you can do that on your second one!

Printable RCs are like tattoos. No matter how much the first one hurt or how ugly it was, there will always be more!

 

[majin]

The frame in red with the cream colored body panels would have been

But you can do that on your second one!

Printable RCs are like tattoos. No matter how much the first one hurt or how ugly it was, there will always be more!

this exactly! I'm planning on remaking it in the colors this is my first attempt so just feeling it out, i didnt know what parts to print in what color, this one in all black then i can use it as a model (yeah right ima bust this thang UP!!!) WHEN I PRINT REPLACEMENTS ILL PRINT THEM IN APPROPRIATE COLORS oops. stupid caps lock. i type whil;e looking at the keyboard like a dumb

OK, this wrote the book on cool.

i fell in love with it, its different enough to be cool for me, I'm eyeballing a 4 wheeler for the next job already lolol

thinking ill make this one for my son, we probably can't make it to bea the creek this year to camp, but we might still be able to run theese on a few courses,
a portal axle 4wheeler so cool

 

[majin]

got the transmission and links in today, waiting on a lot of other stuff, i need to get some different colored petg and am really thinking about reprinting the chass, so i can print it in red.. conversely i could paint it... on the fence at the moment.

waiting on a few oddly long screws (40mm) havent ordered the axes yet gotta wait until friday for that sadly.

 

[majin]

got the axles in today, driveshafts are ordered, gonna try to get it assembled tonight!

 

[majin]

so i ran into a few problems. one major the others just invilve waiting..
i am missing a few neccesary screws, ran out of locktite, AAAAAND....
and this is a big one.
my moter mount or chasis is too thin. my motor sits in the way of my links ( like a redcat everest10)
I'm thinking if i make the motor mount like 5 mm thicker it should raise the motor enough to clear? but I'm also considering ordering an outboard motor. i feel like it would pssobly be short enough to allow the links to clear.

 

[xjtorc]

Oh that sucks. I've never looked at the assembly instructions for that one, doesn't Elvis usually use Fusion motors in his builds? I would think that your puller would fit without hitting anything.

 

[majin]

Oh that sucks. I've never looked at the assembly instructions for that one, doesn't Elvis usually use Fusion motors in his builds? I would think that your puller would fit without hitting anything.

yeah in the assembly he is using a fusion pre se, I'm thinking i just need to push it on past the snag. when i was showing my wife the issue i was able to pop a rod end on and it DID clear after it was fully seated. i am thinking this was yet ANOTHER user malefunction lol
still need some screws tho urggggggg..... ready for it lol



also i used the wrong rod ends on a few links... wish these were labeled betterer lol, it was just a bag of ends and after i got em on i realized there were 3 different ends mixed in the same bag, now i gotta remove em all and make sure I'm using the correct ends. the video is no help,

theres a short set, a long set, and a bent set. i just threw em on then realised i have em wrong.
the bent go here, the short goes there and the long 2 are only for ther links ( of course i got em all wrong lol)

i aint no mathematician bu things aint addin up over here

 

[xjtorc]

yeah in the assembly he is using a fusion pre se, I'm thinking i just need to push it on past the snag. when i was showing my wife the issue i was able to pop a rod end on and it DID clear after it was fully seated. i am thinking this was yet ANOTHER user malefunction lol
still need some screws tho urggggggg..... ready for it lol



also i used the wrong rod ends on a few links... wish these were labeled betterer lol, it was just a bag of ends and after i got em on i realized there were 3 different ends mixed in the same bag, now i gotta remove em all and make sure I'm using the correct ends. the video is no help,

theres a short set, a long set, and a bent set. i just threw em on then realised i have em wrong.
the bent go here, the short goes there and the long 2 are only for ther links ( of course i got em all wrong lol)

i aint no mathematician bu things aint addin up over here
View attachment 269952View attachment 269953

Bro

From the parts list PDF:
Linkrod
eye to eye 140mm 2pcs
eye to eye 134mm 2pcs
eye to eye 118mm 2pcs
eye to eye 110mm 2pcs
eye to eye 40mm 4pcs

Start at 7:03 in this video and he shows you exactly which links go where. Don't worry so much about which rod ends you use as long as they make sense and match side to side, your geometry may need slight tweaks at the end by replacing certain rod ends...but, likely not. The eye-to-eye link lengths are the important part.

 

[majin]

Bro

From the parts list PDF:
Linkrod
eye to eye 140mm 2pcs
eye to eye 134mm 2pcs
eye to eye 118mm 2pcs
eye to eye 110mm 2pcs
eye to eye 40mm 4pcs

Start at 7:03 in this video and he shows you exactly which links go where. Don't worry so much about which rod ends you use as long as they make sense and match side to side, your geometry may need slight tweaks at the end by replacing certain rod ends...but, likely not. The eye-to-eye link lengths are the important part.

thats a different model brother, mines the 380 crawler not the 330, I've been using the video for my model and he skimms right past that ill have to check it out,
the eye to eye lengths are mostly correct on mine, with a few end exceptions which I'm gonna swap out once this rod end tool prints ( my fingers are not trying to mess with them anymore lol)

ETC MK1 380 "TRACRAWLER 380" _1/8 RC Body and Chassis​

 

[majin]

nope same thing, but that vid does have a few better angles for sure. but to me all the rod ends look the same lol, i have 3 different options. bent long and short. I'm thinking the bent go on the upper links to allow them to rest against the chasis without a gap. i just gotta swap the correct ones in and out, i just hadnt looked the first time and started throwing ends on rods... user malefunction.

 

[majin]

omylanta..... if only i had a different truck t compare it to..... fml why did i not think of this last night..

 

[xjtorc]

thats a different model brother, mines the 380 crawler not the 330, I've been using the video for my model and he skimms right past that ill have to check it out,
the eye to eye lengths are mostly correct on mine, with a few end exceptions which I'm gonna swap out once this rod end tool prints ( my fingers are not trying to mess with them anymore lol)

ETC MK1 380 "TRACRAWLER 380" _1/8 RC Body and Chassis​

my bad! Looks like the 330 and 380 share the same link lengths with the exception of the pivot links you have to build for the suspension:
eye to eye 140mm 2pcs
eye to eye 134mm 2pcs
eye to eye 118mm 2pcs
eye to eye 110mm 2pcs

Start at 9:03 here:

 

[xjtorc]

nope same thing, but that vid does have a few better angles for sure. but to me all the rod ends look the same lol, i have 3 different options. bent long and short. I'm thinking the bent go on the upper links to allow them to rest against the chasis without a gap. i just gotta swap the correct ones in and out, i just hadnt looked the first time and started throwing ends on rods... user malefunction.

Yeah, you can put them wherever you think works best for the geometry you're after. The lengths are the most important part.

 

[majin]

@xjtorc man... smh... I'm such a dumb sometimes (often)
i had the wrong ends and didnt have them tightened all the way. after printing a tool out i got em all snugged down to the correct lenghts and it fits like a glove.
still waiting on shafts and a few screw kits.
its surprisingly difficult to find M3x35mm and 40's. not like rididculous but 3 different sites just stopped at 30mm



made the 40mm links that attatch to the cantilever shocks cut some all thread down to an inch of length and boom goes the dynamite
the axles are in place, mocked up for when i get the correct length screws.

and started printing the hood. then the grill.

 

[xjtorc]

That’s such a cool looking chassis setup!

 

[majin]

That’s such a cool looking chassis setup!

 

[majin]

stoked!!!! ran into a few issues,,, surprise surprise lol
first major issue
the design is meant for a motor/esc combo. theres limited room, I've been trying to find a way to make the sidewinder esc work but other than resting it in the seat its a no go. so looks like I'm going to have to wait a bit and get a fusion, its what i would be throwing in it anyways.
need to get a shorter steering link, was hoping to use the link that came with the axles, but alas shes too long. (thats what she said)
need to reprint a few parts in a different color. seat in white, thinking the rear cowl in red (the bucket the seat sets in)
think i should paint the grill silver to match the exhaust and hood scoops?
rear shocks dont want to spring back, the fluid is fine changed it freshly when i put the shocks on. the compress just fine but i hae to manually seperate them it seems to get extension out of the, this is gonna be an issue lol.

still need 20 2x15mm screws, mostly to hold the exhaust pipes on, theres still a few pieces to print, light buckets and such.
but other than driveshafts, esc,

other than those issues is ready to drive! i can't wait I'm definately going to be taking it on the trails at BTC. if I'm really lucky i might be able to trade it for something cool and then reprint one for myself knowing what I've learned? mayhaps but I'm not gonna try to sell it lol i loves it already!!