"The Brodozer" - A sarcastic Lunch Box build

[Locked Up 38]

A local group here in Austin has started a Lunch Box racing class and I decided to join. This is my first Tamiya build so we will see what happens.

Quick backstory on me, I own Locked Up RC. We make scale parts for crawlers....So that is a big influence on me.

Anyway,

I got my hands on a "Black" version of the kit and got to work.

I really had only one head scratcher during the build. My kit came with the Hobbywing ESC. I'm not sure exactly where I was supposed to put the ESC as it seems like the switch and wires were not thought out.

The switch will not screw into the holes for it and the wires would not reach the motor.

My solution was to mount the ESC vertically and pop the switch into the rear wheel well. This way I can turn it on/off without removing the body shell.

 

 

[Locked Up 38]

So with the truck "Mostly built", I needed to pick a theme. I was going to go tactical and add some HD bead lock rings, and a bunch of armor plates with scale hardware.

 

Unfortunately, I am out of the solid "Full Metal Jacket" bead lock rings so will have to go another direction. Maybe I can do this next time...

 

 

[Locked Up 38]

Then as I was thinking of idea, I got inspired to make a "sarcastitruck".

We've all seen the Brodozers riding around town ... so I made the decision to try to replicate "the feel" of this:

 

Before anyone defends this truck, save your time. I wheel 1:1 trucks in rocks. I can appreciate the performance benefits of even a lowered truck (gas mileage, cornering, etc). But a jacked up truck with low profile tires is a gas waster that can't go off road, loses towing ability, impossible to load stuff into the bed and is just for looks. Or malls. Add to it this new "squat" trend and "barf". Just my opinion.

Having said all of that, in my effort to make something truly unique, I have not seen a squatted Bro Dozer Lunch box. So here we go...

[Locked Up 38]

So, first things first, I needed to replicate the squatted look. I busted out the 3D printer and made some new rear shock mounts. I'm sure there is an easier way but I'm bound to some restrictions in order to keep the truck "legal" for the local class. So I can't change the shocks out.

 

I also flipped the wheelie bar in order to keep it close to stock height, so it would do a proper wheelie.

 

Squat achieved. I will reprint in black next time I change filaments.

I'm sure the steering will be "even better" ....

 

[Locked Up 38]

My next step was to modify the wheels so I could add a bead lock ring. In doing so I decided I wanted to actually make the wheels functional bead locks. So I grabbed a set of rings I had lying around and polished them up to Bro standards. Then I printed some conversion parts and modified the wheels. I think it looks pretty good:

 

I have added a few of the "Bead Lock Conversion Kits" to our site, for anyone that wants to make some bead locks for the Lunch Box:

https://www.lockeduprc.com/19-Tamiya-LunchboxMidnight-Pumpkin-Beadlock-Conversion--Black_p_1908.html

 

They will work with ANY of our 1.9" Bead lock rings:

https://www.lockeduprc.com/19-Rings_c_85.html

Instructions coming soon.

 

 

[Locked Up 38]

Because of the squatted suspension setup, I realized that the stock nerf bar/exhaust piece was going to contact the tires. So, more modifications were necessary.

I started with just removing the exhaust because I was thinking of doing a "hood stack".

 

Then I decided against it, because these things tend to end up on their lids and the hood stack would likely get ripped off.  So I decided to shorten & bend the exhaust parts so they would fit.

This is not my best work but it is the first time I've tried to heat & bend plastic like this.

 

No Bro exhaust would be complete without a giant exhaust tip.

So more 3D printing and a little HVAC tape later...

[Locked Up 38]

My next modification isn't Bro related but actually functional and scale related.

I've heard the body mounts are a weak point so I started looking at a better way to mount the body.

As a scale crawler guy, I HATE body clips. They completely ruin the look of a body for me. And yeah, I know the chassis is far from scale but I do what I can. So before painting this bad boy, I decided to do some hidden body mounts with a rear hinge.

In the back I used some rod ends mounted with SCX10 chassis parts to make a swivel. I kept the front mounts in place to help me get the rear lined up correctly.

 

Up front I used SCX10 body mounts.

I'm not saying this is the best way but I wanted to use parts I can source easily and already had lying around.

 

Still need to trim those front posts a bit but it's functional!

 

Video of the body in action:

http://www.lockeduprc.com/assets/images/misc/lunchbox/IMG_2371.MOV

I will trim the chassis if the local class allows it. I don't want them to think I'm just cutting weight but it would be nice for it to swing up and down without getting caught on the chassis.

 

One more mod I am waiting on some parts for. Then we do some body filler, paint and decals!

 

[Badcrumble 4203]

Loving your work! 

That's both on the Lunchie and Locked Up RC - I have a set of your beadlocks for my crawler 

[Locked Up 38]

1 minute ago, Badcrumble said:

Loving your work! 

That's both on the Lunchie and Locked Up RC - I have a set of your beadlocks for my crawler 

Thanks! 

If you have suggestions for things we can do to Lunch Boxes in general, please let me know. I'm sure there are a plethora of parts for them out there already but I do like to problem solve.

[Nikko85 3451]

11 hours ago, Locked Up said:

Then as I was thinking of idea, I got inspired to make a "sarcastitruck".

We've all seen the Brodozers riding around town ... so I made the decision to try to replicate "the feel" of this:

 

Before anyone defends this truck, save your time. 

No one  can defend the indefensible, everything about that is beyond ugly, but we shall await @kontemax's judgement as our resident aesthete. 😀

In all honesty also looks super dangerous and a waste of fuel etc. Ughh

Your car actually looks too nice to reflect this.

[Mad Ax 9312]

I love what you've done with this!  I'd never heard of a brodozer before I saw this thread but that jacked up thing looks lame.  OK, people are free to do what they want with their cars, but it's stuff like that which ultimately brings in legislation and enforcement and spoils it for those who modify for purpose.

Anyway, your attention to detail is great and I'm sure the finished product will look fantastic.  I love a bit of irony in a build  

[Saito2 6686]

16 hours ago, Locked Up said:

 

WTH is that ?!?!

Joking aside, this is known around my are as the "Carolina squat". Its not as prevailant here up north as running heavy big rig wheels on pick-ups, but they're around. We just made through the storm of "stanced" and "hellaflush" garbage:

...and now we have to deal with this squat stupidity.

 

I guess I shouldn't speak too harshly as I'm still rockin' Gabriel Hi-Jackers on the back of my Nova for the raked look of the 70's that was popular when I was a kid, but this stuff looks dangerous and unusable. I'm getting too old...and get off my lawn!

[BuggyDad 4471]

Me too. I think this thing looks awesome. What a great idea! RC is the perfect place for this kind of caper. 

Although I fundamentally raise a concern with the widespread use of things like big trucks where a car would do, for emissions/resource efficiency reasons, I find myself less concerned about more extreme modifying scenes that are doing stuff that's so over the top just for kicks and appearance. I'm not saying I think they're a positive addition to the world, and I wouldn't have anything to do with it myself, but in context I don't think it's that terrible. And I reckon there's a hint of irony to some of it. 

Being so patently impractical, inefficient and often downright dangerous, will surely limit the miles travelled in these things too.

I figure, if I like RC buggies, I'm doing quite similar stuff, just on 1/1000th scale. 

[Nikko85 3451]

 

14 hours ago, Locked Up said:

Thanks! 

If you have suggestions for things we can do to Lunch Boxes in general, please let me know. I'm sure there are a plethora of parts for them out there already but I do like to problem solve.

I've seen some do a four link rear, something that replicated that without needing to chop up the chassis would be great. 

Also  ways to reinforce the chassis? I've seen a few, but most of the rear ones rely on CVA dampeners ae, but I want to keep stock shocks and would rather not drill the chassis. Another great things would be a  mount that puts the servo central (and perhaps lower?). You can bodge it in the centre, but it doesn't look perfect, and again needs extra holes in the chassis.

I added 3D printed front double wishbone and the trans brace to mine, it's great!

 

 

[OldSchoolRC1 983]

I saw this thread and was thinking of the BroDozer from the Diesel Brothers show....:) 

Love the lunchbox! Wheels look fantastic (as expected!) and the stance looks great. 

I don't understand the "Carolina Squat" myself, we went to Florida last year and these trucks were all over the place. Can always tell when they are coming up behind you at night since the tops of the trees are well lit. Adjust your headlights people! 

[Locked Up 38]

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

 

I've seen some do a four link rear, something that replicated that without needing to chop up the chassis would be great. 

Also  ways to reinforce the chassis? I've seen a few, but most of the rear ones rely on CVA dampeners ae, but I want to keep stock shocks and would rather not drill the chassis. Another great things would be a  mount that puts the servo central (and perhaps lower?). You can bodge it in the centre, but it doesn't look perfect, and again needs extra holes in the chassis.

I added 3D printed front double wishbone and the trans brace to mine, it's great!

 

 

Where/how is the chassis breaking?

I can't do replacement A-Arms on this one, but I can certainly see the benefit they would bring.

I'll have to look into the servo placement. I'm limited on what I can do to this one due to class restrictions but ..... maybe I need a second one? lol

[Nikko85 3451]

47 minutes ago, Locked Up said:

Where/how is the chassis breaking?

I can't do replacement A-Arms on this one, but I can certainly see the benefit they would bring.

I'll have to look into the servo placement. I'm limited on what I can do to this one due to class restrictions but ..... maybe I need a second one? lol

It's not breaking so much as bending. The plastic by the shocks is quite weak/thin, so there is a lot of flex, which then makes the car handle less predictably.

 

[Locked Up 38]

23 minutes ago, Nikko85 said:

It's not breaking so much as bending. The plastic by the shocks is quite weak/thin, so there is a lot of flex, which then makes the car handle less predictably.

 

Front? Rear? Both?  Is this why I have seen people putting braces across the chassis? Do those not work?

[kontemax 1725]

12 hours ago, Nikko85 said:

No one  can defend the indefensible, everything about that is beyond ugly, but we shall await @kontemax's judgement as our resident aesthete. 😀

In all honesty also looks super dangerous and a waste of fuel etc. Ughh

Your car actually looks too nice to reflect this.

Well... the triumph of the bad taste...
Not the body of the truck itself but the wheels...

Max

[Busdriver 6209]

I thought Brodozer was a diesel monster truck the owners of which got heavily fined for taking all the emissions controls off it!!!! Should add I love what you are doing to the LB, really left field!!!