[Lunchbox chassis siblings?]

Slight roll? You'll get almost 2 inches of extra articulation that the original set up doesnt have.

Well, I'll be darned.

I haven't actually run mine yet, and hadn't realised what level of articulation one got out of that setup. Impressive. Ok, I stand (well, sit.) corrected.

Keep us informed how your low CG short wheelbase monster beetle goes.

[Lunchbox chassis siblings?]

If you're interested these parts were left over from a Lunchbox restoration some years ago and I've been toying with putting a Pajero together since I found out about it . Quick mock up with some spare shocks to show you the chassis layout.

It wouldnt take a lot to get one running. The Lunchbox tub is slightly different from the original Pajero, mainly where the front shocks mount but it does allow you to fit modern dampers. You could also upgrade the rear end to use the Hornet style rear suspension, that should help with the handling a little.

Im still tempted with the short wheelbase + big wheels combo though, maybe topped with a Mini Cooper body shell?

I took my LB apart and hung the suspension arms there myself to see what it'd look like. I also had thoughts of using the lower CG to help the roll problem, but it looked like the tires would pretty frequently bind on the chassis. So I wasn't sure what to do about that, short of, well, making longer arms. (And then it's a real big project. )

I like those spiky LB tires.

What's the advantage of the hornet gearbox? Just the slight roll allowed by the funky wire spring arrangement?

[Switch to brushless systems only]

They will get cheaper, but I can't see them ever being as cheap as a silver can.

You could ask whether cordless drills will ever go brushless as that's essentially the same motor technology.

I am guessing there isn't much in it cost wise between the ESC's.

I dunno. After a while I could see brushless being the new standard. I mean, it might be 20 years, but 20 years ago, most kits came with mechanical speed controls, and now electronics are so cheap that it would probably cost more to mold a mechanical item like that.

[Esc For Clod Buster]

Who knows what went wrong previously. Maybe I did do something wrong the first time after all. Anyway, everything appears to be working now...oh, except for the fact that after only two (and a bit) runs the brushes require to be replaced. Cripes! I'd expected about ten runs before that happened. So, after all the ESC shenanigans I am again unable to bash until additional brushes I've ordered are delivered. (sigh)

Good heavens! What on earth is killing the brushes that swiftly? Unless they're radically cut, I'd expect brushes to last for many hours of runtime.

[Lunchbox chassis siblings?]

Yeah, the Mitsubishi Pajero used the same chassis, with shorter dampers and without the 'riser' parts of the LB, that's why there's a 'hump pack' shaped tray behind the rear shock mounts too.

Ah hah! I hadn't even put the rear shock tower tray space together in my head yet, just saw the front control arm mounts. Excellent. Thanks!

[Lunchbox chassis siblings?]

So, I recently acquired a re-release Lunchbox, and while putting it together, I noticed that it has spaces up front to mount the suspension arms directly to the tub. (As opposed to in the battery tray / bumper mount stand-offs where they go when you build the model correctly.) This leads me to wonder if there's another model, with a significantly reduced ground clearance, that uses the same chassis tub as the Lunchbox. Does anyone happen to know? I read the instruction manuals for the Hornet and Grasshopper, and while they are very similar, the chassis are clearly not identical.