My Clodbuster and questions

[76jimmy 37]

Hey guys figured I'd share my clod here. Got this in a trade with a local guy. I repainted it and got some eBay decals. Body was beat pretty bad but I was able to make something of it. I have newer pics also.

I couldn't leave it stock. I believe this was an original clodbuster. Had Mechanical speed control and the plastic is so brittle from age. Every time I use it something snaps 😂. Been having fun with it spite it's fragility. Hobbywing 880 esc, front and rear j concepts regulator steering kit, 3s powered 35t axial motors and Traxxas radio gear.

My question is, someone had locked the diffs. Is it worth getting new diff parts to get it to turn better? The push is real bad even after I installed steering servos on both axles. I tried using the stock steering setup and it was even worse. I feel like the lack of steering is from the locked front and rear differentials.

 

[76jimmy 37]

I ordered this battery for a Tekno sct410.3 I built for fun laps at the local track. Long story short it wouldn't fit. Found a home for it in the clod. I'm a 3d printing amateur and the learning curve is very steep in that hobby. The tray is a remix I did on thingiverse.

[Mad Ax 6456]

Looks like a neat truck.

Do you know how the diffs were locked?  If they were glued or puttied, you may be able to pick it off.

New diff parts weren't expensive last time I replaced mine.

I expect you'll find the turning is a lot better with the diffs unlocked, depending on your terrain it might be a lot better all around if it's unlocked.  I previously ran mine locked because I was mostly running on low traction surfaces, but it was really hard to drive if the traction increased.  Now I run both my clods unlocked.

[bRIBEGuy 1237]

Nice looking Clod.  Be careful though... you'll definitely break more parts on 3S!

Also, the working on the 880 ESC motor/voltage rating is a bit confusing, but I believe what they list is for running a single motor, therefor you have to double the turn count if using two motors.  As such, on 3S, you would need to be running 36t or higher motors (standard silver cans are 27t).

I ran into this issue on my clod... MSC was dead, and the 880 looked like a good swap since I was going to run 2S lipo.  I figured it'd run the vintage "Trinity Matched Madness" motors I had for the truck, but at 17t each, it creates a similar load to a 8-9t motor when you run two, and the ESC is only rated to 12t at 2S.  So I swapped the silver cans back in, which have an equivalent load of 13-14t.

Just figured I'd mention it... it's never much fun to "let the smoke out" of new electronics...

[76jimmy 37]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yes I did take note of the esc ratings that's why I went with 35t cans. Not very fast but torque is good and can pop nice wheelies. I had printed a wheelie bumper for it as not to scrape the back bumper off. I never had a clod when I was a kid just a Hopper. Kid that lived behind me had a Clodbuster and I was insanely jealous of it compared to my grasshopper. Thinking of it now I'm sure I was happy to have whatever I had but when your a kid you don't think of stuff like that. The 15000mah 3s is kind of a joke in this thing it doesn't need it but I don't have anything else to do with it.

[whahooo 463]

I heared that some People lock just the rear diff when they use the 4 wheel Steering Setup to counter that forkliftsteeringeffect.

 

[76jimmy 37]

Maybe I'll just free up the front first see how I like it. Just running in the yard and driveway. 

[GeeWings 2361]

@76jimmyan interesting thread especially for me as I have Clod I purchased before Xmas (run once by owner then put on the shelf). Since I purchased it I have it sitting in a box in storage, I had all sorts of plans to research best ways to resolve steering etc but still haven't found the time. 

Anyway, liking where you are going and great solution for the battery holder. 

I will post some pics up of mine later if I get time!

[76jimmy 37]

Some parts for the axle rebuild. Tamiya parts or integy nylon set for the gears? One thing I noticed about the clodbuster. It's a money pit. But I'll do it anyway for some reason.

 

 

[GeeWings 2361]

30 minutes ago, 76jimmy said:

One thing I noticed about the clodbuster. It's a money pit. But I'll do it anyway for some reason.

 

 

I was warned about this. That's part of the reason it's still sitting in a box  

[GeeWings 2361]

Here's mine as I purchased it:

I've also got a Proline shell that I think is going to be a great fit:

 

 

 

 

[76jimmy 37]

Nice looks mint! I bought a j concepts gmc body when I first got it because I didn't think the body was salvageable. Now I've got a spare for ideas.

[GeeWings 2361]

7 minutes ago, 76jimmy said:

Nice looks mint! I bought a j concepts gmc body when I first got it because I didn't think the body was salvageable. Now I've got a spare for ideas.

The old owner ran it once then put it on the shelf. But he passed away suddenly and it all just got chucked in boxes. His son sold off the collection and I got this and a Hotshot at a great price. The only damage to this is on the rear.

[87lc2 1982]

Nice work saving the body, looks good.  Defintiely unlock the diffs if you can, great for crawling but not good at all for a mostly stock Clod.  Hopefully there is just putty or glue in there that you can remove, if it has aluminum lockers you'll need a new gear set.  Problem is gear sets have been hard to come by for a little while, hopefully Tamiya makes some more soon.  Been out of stock most places for close to a year now. 

As for the 880, you can run whatever you want with it on 3S.  I run a few trucks with 27t motors and 3S and one truck with 15t motors and 3S, the ESC handles it just fine.  

[wolfdogstinkus 1572]

Wait!!!!!!

 

 

What??????

 

Clodbuster's have steering???

I believed that the Clodbuster is so powerful that when you push left on a Clodbuster,, it doesn't turn left.......

It actually pushes the world to the right..

All I know is that it's called the Clodbuster..

[76jimmy 37]

Ha! Probably right I'm never going to get it to turn on a dime but I'm going to try and tighten it up a bit. Looks like the integy gears are my only choice or wait for big T to make some. 

[GeeWings 2361]

38 minutes ago, wolfdogstinkus said:

Wait!!!!!!

 

 

What??????

 

Clodbuster's have steering???

I believed that the Clodbuster is so powerful that when you push left on a Clodbuster,, it doesn't turn left.......

It actually pushes the world to the right..

All I know is that it's called the Clodbuster..

You might remember that you wrote one like that in my Clod thread. I'm actually trying to get it high res printed to turn it in to a bumper stick for my Clod!

[wolfdogstinkus 1572]

7 hours ago, GeeWings said:

You might remember that you wrote one like that in my Clod thread. I'm actually trying to get it high res printed to turn it in to a bumper stick for my Clod!

I'm here all week, but it won't be long before I recycle another Chuck Norris joke and restructure it to suit the Clodbuster.

[markbt73 4341]

On 3/2/2022 at 4:48 PM, 76jimmy said:

One thing I noticed about the clodbuster. It's a money pit.

Your first Clodbuster is a money pit. By the second or third (or fourth, in my case), you figure out what's worth spending money on and what you might as well leave alone.

What's that? You're only ever going to have the one? Yeah, good luck with that.

[paullyjay 182]

Yep - my current clod is still a money pit - I'm upto UK LMT money now and sometimes I wonder if I should have just purchased an LMT!

[87lc2 1982]

You could have done that, but then you'd want to modify the LMT and be up to the price of an X-Maxx or something    Your Clod looks great btw. 

[paullyjay 182]

26 minutes ago, 87lc2 said:

You could have done that, but then you'd want to modify the LMT and be up to the price of an X-Maxx or something    Your Clod looks great btw. 

Haha! So true! Thanks, it has been through some changes, but now the sun is coming out more I think I'm going to try and drive it rather than work on it until next season... It's become a clod son uva digger... Just got to get my moon walk perfected now!

[paullyjay 182]

On 3/2/2022 at 3:41 PM, 76jimmy said:

My question is, someone had locked the diffs. Is it worth getting new diff parts to get it to turn better? The push is real bad even after I installed steering servos on both axles. I tried using the stock steering setup and it was even worse. I feel like the lack of steering is from the locked front and rear differentials.

On axle steering and a wheelbase stretch plate made the biggest difference for me - and the stretch plate seriously strengthens the bottom of the chassis!

[76jimmy 37]

Time to build. Got all the parts in for the transaxle rebuild. I have enough to completely build 2 new axles from parts. Coffee is on