Building a scale-ish crawler - where to begin?

[Mad Ax]

This has been on my mind for a few weeks, and TBH is probably more of a

"dream" at the moment since I can't really afford to get started for a

good few months...

But...  Having watched a few scale/crawler videos, I've decided I

want to build something.  I don't really want an all-out climber

with hideously wide axles underneath a 1/10 body - otherwise I'd just

go buy a clod or a TXT.  On the other hand, I don't want a perfect

scale replica if it can't handle crawling over rocks.  Something

that looks like a pretty hefty road-truck with a jack-up and big

wheels, rather than a monster truck.

I also want to be doing a lot of custom-designing - modifying the

chassis with my own parts to improve articulation, CoG, shock mounts

etc...

Originally I was going to get a standard Hi-Lift and see how I got on,

but financial problems mean an NIB hi-lift might be out of the

question.  I also worried that the hi-lift chassis might be too

rigid for proper rock crawling, without some major chopping and

changing.  We're also not sure how well the axles and gearbox will

hold up.

How would a TLT fit this equation?  I thought of buying a stock

TLT in a month or two, building it up standard and seeing how well it

handles, before fabricating a longer chassis and mounting a 1/10 hard

body over 1.9 crawler tyres, repositioned battery, possibly a stronger

tranny and any other mods that look relevant.

So I thought I'd throw this into the masses before I waste my moolah on something that isn't going to work...

[]

[mymonsterbeetleisbroken]

I've not got a tlt-1 (yet []) but i've seen loads of tlt-1 based crawlers on the net. there are plenty in the showrooms and for sale on ebay. plus, lots of aftermarket tlt-1 crawler chassis and parts are available.

so i'm pretty convinced a tlt-1 would make a very, very nice crawler []

Twinset's showroom is a good place to start i think []

[MikeT]

I've started one recently, i opted for a VERY scale trail truck.

I got my TLT today ( Woo-Hoo ! )

I'm using Juggernaut leaf springs ( Scale ! )

Juggernaut chassis in a 60-40 setup.

Stampede centre transmission ( eliminates the belt drive that skips like a little girl! )

Any questions and i'm sure we can all help you mate!

[MadMax]

A tlt is a good place to start as you can do a lot with one!

 

[cianhanrahan]

I'll be building a TLT based crawler once the bits have arrived!

[Old Busted Hotness]

You can make a very scale and very capable rig using the TLT. But they're addictive. I've got four now, and could do with more []

This is the Barnyard Buster, but you don't have to go all-out with a CNC'd alloy frame.

The HPI Bronco body covers the axles nicely.

[Mad Ax]

that's cool - was the sort of thing I was looking for, although

probably with a Blackfoot shell or something like that...  Plenty

of shells to choose from these days []

[RCRockCrawler]

TLT, definantly. Clods are the easiest to work with for building, because you don't have to mess around with shafts or torque twist, but they are pig to find a scale body for, and having two motors fries everything. I joined this site last night, also the night the reciever gave up the ghost on my newly made clod crawler :-(

 

 

[MikeT]

I'm using leafs on my TLT crawler, and i've achieved 4" of flex!

 

Pix -

[Z]

The drawback to a TLT-based crawler is that it has been done SOOOO many times...

[Old Busted Hotness]

But there are so many ways to do it, too.My winter project is an overhaul of the Mog to full 6x6 spec.

Forgive the bad PhotoChop.

[Mad Ax]

that's right - if something works, why not use it? []

The old money gremlins are threatening to scupper my crawler-building

plans as well as my hi-lift plans, so who knows when this will get

going?  Oh well, we'll have to see what happens...

Now is a good time to finish all those little projects I've got lying around, instead of starting new ones []

[RCRockCrawler]

Nice idea Microgoat. []

Mike T: The wheelbase on that thing is way too long, and whatever that white thing is that is hanging down, get rid. When it's shortened though, it'll work awesome.[]

[MikeT]

RRC- It's only at 11.5Inches, it's because it's got the tiny TLT rims on, with 2.2's it'll look good!

What white thing?

 

Mike