Clod Crawler building guides?

[bangstick]

I am pretty certain this must have been asked before, i did a quick seach but came up with lots of irrelevant stuff.

I have just bought a pretty clean super clod which i intend to turn into a crawler. I know that the only parts which are useful will be the axles, wheels and as a last resort the motors but can anyone tell where i can find a guide/thread which will give some step by step instructions on whats needed and how to go about it.

Cheers, Nathan

[TWINSET]

Welcome to badword []

 

First off, you need to source a top link mount - I say first because it'll probably need importing from the States;

The Crawler Store sell the GMade one, very nice, very strong; http://www.thecrawlerstore.com/suspension.html

Inet RC also do a very reasonable priced one;  http://www.inetrc.com/store/index.cfm?acti...&Category=5

 

Both are great companies to deal with, excellent service to UK, and Alex (From Inet) is a TC member too!

 

Chassis, loads to choose from - Good all-rounder is the Crawler Store NN - I built a copy and it's very very nice.

Comes with all links, that top-link mount, shock mounts etc. It's not the blingiest chassis (unless you go for the Carbon Fibre one), but it's a decent capable chassis [Y]

http://www.thecrawlerstore.com/NN.htm  Video at bottom too.

There's loads of other chassis, mostly based on the Gecko design, all much of a muchness really.

 

If you buy a chassis seperate, either get links at the same time, of make your own - there's a load of link sets on ebay, but there's no guarantee they'll line up with everything on your chassis, mainly because there's no 'standard' for mounting holes - so on one chassis your links might line the gearboxes up perfectly, whereas on another they'll lean forward.

 

Making links is easy, even with relatively basic tools; http://tamiyaclub.com/CS/forums/ShowThread...x?PostID=148485

 

That is for 4mm (Dubro) hardware, so check what ballends you use first (lots take 3mm thread) 

 

 

Other bits you might need;

• Locked diffs - DEFINITELY!! - Check The Crawler Store, Gmade and Thundertech for 'off the shelf' diff locking devices, otherwise you can lock the diff with JB Weld http://tamiyaclub.com/CS/forums/thread/146280.aspx
  
• Servo mounts -  Check whether the chassis includes them, not all do
  
• Servos - Hi torque ones, something like Hitec 945s are the mutts, but I generally use Towerpro 995s now - 1/10 the price of the HiTecs.
  
• 1 servo or 2? Clods have a turning circle of a super tanker once you lock the diffs, 4 wheel steering (2 servos) reduces it a lot. Then you gotta decide whether to use linked steering (2 channel and a servo reversing Y lead)) or independant rear steering (3 channel +)
  
• Shocks - 4" or 100mm ones generally - Traxxas Big Bores or Associated 1.32" are both good. Modelsport also do some Hot Bodies ones, were £18/pair last time I got some. Don't get Savage shocks, too long.
  
• Speed Control - You need something that can handle at worst 1/2 the turns of the motors (2 x 27t - Speedo needs to be 13t or less). A lower turn speedo would be even better, as once you start clambering over stuff, the loads imposed on the speedo increase. If you can, get either a twin-motor specific, or a Silver Star Ultra (Modelsport again) or a NOvak Super Rooster (discontinued, try eBay)
  
• Wheel Wideners - Because the links are closer to the wheels than a stock Clod setup, you might need them, Inet ones are the biz; http://www.inetrc.com/store/index.cfm?acti...&Category=5  Try without first, could get  lucky.
  
• Body Shell - Proline, Parma and HPI all do suitable shells - TMaxx/Savage sized are best looking, '1/10' scale ones are more Blackfoot/Stampede sized and will look a bit small.
  
• Tires - Stock Clod rims will limit chooice a bit, as far as I know, only Imex are still making Clod-fit tires; http://www.imexrc.com/CLOD_NEW.htm
  

Other Stuff

For the motors, you need to wire them in parallel - If you wire them in series, the truck will behave like you have a centre diff, and absolutely suck at crawling.

Unfortunately, it's this method of wiring that necessitates the beefy speedo, as you're placing twice the motor winds into the circuit, so the speedo has to be able to deal with it.

Parallel involves connecting the + terminal on one motor to the - on the other and the - on one motor and the + on the other.

Then, introduce the speedo somewhere along those wires.

I used to splice them in midway, but now just wire them to the other set of contacts on most motors (except stock 540s)

Here's some of my splicing; http://www.tamiyaclub.com/getuserimage.asp...006143220_6.jpg

On that truck, the red wire goes between the + on the front to the - on the back, and the yellow wire (from speedo) in spliced into the red wire.

Green and black is similar, but - on front to + on back.

The reason you run + to - is that the rear gearbox is just a front one turned round, so you need to have the motors running in opposite directions.

(This is assuming you stick with stock motors as mentioned above - If you get into timed motors, ask someone else, I'm still not 100% sure on the theory there, but it's about time the question was asked again [])

 

If you change wheels to increase tire choce, bear in mind as well as probably having a different size hex, most rims also have the wrong offset to bolt on without wheel wideners.

 

You can run 2.2" rims (with 12mm hex drives) on a Clod quite well, Proline Moabs are a nice big diameter tire, as are Imex Red Rocks

 

 

Handy Sites;

The Crawler Store

Inet

Thundertech

GMade

Junfac (Gmade seller)

HPI

Proline

Parma

Imex

 

There's loads more, there always is [] 

[Koster]

Check out www.rccrawler.com, especially this thread: http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4065

[Martin71RS]

Twinset has said most, but I do not fully agree on the top link..... I made some with the top and lower links to the axles and it worked fine...see my showroom for info. (home made chassis with DIY materials, later laser cut version)

there is one movie of it in action, the one with the blue body.

Martin

[bangstick]

Thanks a lot guys [Y]. Wow!! Thats a lot of stuff to consider, may take a while to source all that stuff but i knew it wouldn't be cheap or easy lol. I have some links and clamps coming and am negotiating a chassis off of a TC member. Will ditch the chevy body and put that on my toerag perhaps. As for my crawler that will be done as cheap as possible to get it running then upgrade it from there. Not sure whether it would be cheaper to buy a readymade one from ebay and use as a doner?

[mymonsterbeetleisbroken]

Thanks a lot guys [Y]. Wow!! Thats a lot of stuff to consider, may take a while to source all that stuff but i knew it wouldn't be cheap or easy lol. I have some links and clamps coming and am negotiating a chassis off of a TC member. Will ditch the chevy body and put that on my toerag perhaps. As for my crawler that will be done as cheap as possible to get it running then upgrade it from there. Not sure whether it would be cheaper to buy a readymade one from ebay and use as a doner?

Genrally speaking, a finished clod crawler will not be worth as much as it cost to put it all together - so buying one ready to rock crawl from ebay is a good idea.

but it does depend on what chassis it has. Home made ones are obviously not worth as much (unless its a very well made chassis) but crawlers like the Gmade stuff are still worth a fair bit on ebay, as the chassis is pretty fancey []

you could litrally spend well over £1000 making a top spec clod crawler, and not use a single tamiya part in the process []

I've got a clod project of my own but the chassis is only half done and i havent even got axles for it yet [:$] 

Good luck with your project [] 

[bangstick]

Thanks Ed, good luck with yours too! If it all goes Pete Tong for me then i might sell you my clod axles lol

[backtomyroots]

bangstick:

Got some free time on your hands ? Read this:

 http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4065

& browse this:

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/

Good luck ! 

[bangstick]

Cheers dude, much appreciated!

[gecko no more]

Pretty much covered everything so far, so nowt more to add, but if you do go with the timed motors then you'l need to put the rear motor 180 deg' out to get it running right on reverse polarity. Gimme a shout if that's your chosen route and I'll be more than happy to fil lyou in on the details as that's exactly what I did on my gecko 1 with a pair of element 19 turn motors. Did it fly or what, and oodles of torque too.

 

Cliff

[bangstick]

Nice one Cliff.

Got my doner clod today, in the process of stripping it down. Shame really as it was not a bad example, used but not abused (cheers Hillman666, top geezer to deal with). Anyway, luckily my mate Dan bought one new so i know how badly they perform in stock guise. Bought a TXT chassis so this will be my base, also have some nice chunky alu rods and clamps from Hillman666. Not too sure where to mount the rods on the axles but i'm sure some of these links that have been kindly posted will help.

  Thanks again guys[H]

[bangstick]

Got it pretty much a proper roller now using the nasty friction shocks just to hold it up. One problem i am not sure about which might be shock related is the top links which go to the cylindrical part, well when in full articulation it moves slightly with the link travel but stays twisted when the car is flat on the floor thus putting everything out of kilter. Is the round part that goes through top of the axle supposed to be able to pivot freely or is supposed to be fixed tight? If its the latter (which i doubt) then i am going to have serious grief fixing it in place.

[TWINSET]

the top links which go to the cylindrical part, well when in full articulation it moves slightly with the link travel but stays twisted

 

Do you mean the top link mount in the gearbox?

If so, most manufacturers make an asymmetrical keyed washer for the bottom - check that's on correctly

Otherwise, another option is to line it all up, and then drill a hole thru the gearbox 'sleeve' and into the top link mount.

Drill 2.3 - 2.5mm and then either tap M3 or use a Tamiya tapping screw (might need a bigger hole for a tapper).

Should sort it until you get a GMade one []

 

I had to drill these;

 

 

 

[bangstick]

Yeah, thats it. so its supposed to stay put then. I thought as i just put the stock clod friction shocks on it just didn't have the power to straighten itself out and that it was supposed to pivot a bit. Thanks Andy thats cleared that up. I think i might be in luck with the asymmetrical washer, mine looks like i have to twist it so it locates in a cam fashion against the side of the gearbox casing.

 Thanks again, Nathan

[bangstick]

****, just popped the washer off and its just a normal alu washer. Looks like i will be drilling it then.

[TWINSET]

It is supposed to stay put, yes.

Thundertech and Inet both have this asymmetric/keyed washer, albeit different designs.

The RCGuy (Gecko) version has a roll pin (horizontally) under the head of the pin, which chews it's way into that tube on the gearbox when you tighten it up

And the GMade has an extra protrusion at the front to bolt to the gearbox to stop rotation.

 

[bangstick]

Just bought a pair of Towerpro 995's £25inc p&p from Hong Kong. I don't know if you can get them cheaper anywhere else but i consider £25 for a pair of 15kg metal geared servo's to be cheap as chips. it would definately be more expensive to buy a pair of standard futaba's from my LHS, so quite pleased ;-) Really need some servo mounts next. Anyone wanna sell me some to fit clod axles?

[TWINSET]

Really need some servo mounts next. Anyone wanna sell me some to fit clod axles?

Make your own [] 

Just use M3 screws to hold mounts to steel braces [Y]

 

[bangstick]

Gonna be a bit tricky mounting the servo's there as thats where my links sit + as i am using the TXT cantilever shock set-up there is an additional link from the shock mount pivot thingymajig bolted to that brace. Any ideas? I could get rid of the TXT cantilever system as i have additional links that have clamps allowing me to set the shocks in the 'normal' position. I would take a picture but sometmes it won't let me paste em here :-(

[TWINSET]

If you got links and clamps, use them and ditch the cantis

For pics, resize it to under 200kb, then click the options tab at the top of the reply window, seach for your file, then scroll the slider to the right to 'ok' it.

Then, hit 'post'

 

[bangstick]

Cheers Andy,

Will give both those a go.

[TWINSET]

how to do pics (you need some text here too!);

 

[bangstick]

This is how it is so far.

[bangstick]

Side on, body is only temporary

[bangstick]

Just won a super rooster for £30 YAAAY!!!!