Black TXT-1 chassis plates / sway bars

[Tamiya_addict]

I dislike those bare AL chassis plates of the TXT. I'd like to go for a tube chassis but no one makes one, and the NewEra jobby is a rollcage only. So I'd like to colour my plates black. Anyone done it or know the best method? I guess the AL is clear anodized. Can I just spray on Tamiya fine primer and black TS? Or should the anodising be removed and re-ano'd in black? At the end of the day I'm trying to replicate the scale look of a real monster truck - and according to New Era the Jugg tube chassis is not compatible with the TXT-1. 

I've noticed New Era's alternate sway bar kit. A simpler method would be to run a steel torsion bar between the two pivot points for the cantilevers (i.e. laterally across the chassis). When one wheel goes into jounce, the shaft twists. When both wheels go into jounce, there is no relative movement between adjacent cantilevers and no twist results. I guess the only downside is there are battery tubes and radio trays in the way, but one can be creative. This method would save weight, be more efficient, and replace those unsightly Tamiya ones.

Also has anyone set up regular damper units between the axle and body mount - i.e. prototypical? I'm wondering if 8 TLT-1 units, potentially with springs and oil removed would look the business. 

Cheers.

[Mad Ax]

I'm not sure how well Tamiya paint would stick to anodised

aluminium.  If I was going to paint, I'd be tempted to try a good

automotive metal primer followed by automotive paint.  However

given the weight of a TXT and the amount of bashing it will get over

rough stones, I doubt the finish will last long.

One option is to

get in touch with a local anodizing firm.  You can remove the

existing anodized layer from the chassis by dipping it in caustic soda

(this is very evil stuff and will eat the soles off your boots, so be

careful!) however I'm not sure what grade of aluminium the chassis

plates are made of, so beware that the caustic soda might eat the

metal!! Once the anodized layer is removed, a local metal

finishers should be able to anodize it in whatever colour you

like.  I don't know how much this will cost, having never had it

done.

Finally, you could try powdercoating.  Speak to a

custom motorcycle shop - most can powdercoat or have contacts for

powdercoating, and it's very reasonable.  First they will blast

(and possibly chemical dip) the plates to remove anything that might

affect the finish, then they plate the metal with a layer of plastic in

the colour of your choice.  Powdercoating - when done properly -

is very tough and is resistant to chemicals and impacts and has a

smooth, shiny finish.  Note that you will probably need a machine

tap to remove the powdercoat from the threads in the chassis, tho.

I

have parts of my custom bikes powdercoated.  A whole alloy wheel

costs £50 including bead-blasting (£15 extra for chemical dip), so two

chassis plates should be very little, especially if they can do it

along with a load of other parts (black is a popular colour for

bikes).  Make sure you use somewhere like a motorcycle custom

shop, as they tend to finish to a higher standard than industrial

powdercoaters.

[mymonsterbeetleisbroken]

In answer to your other questions,

If you're going for a true monster truck replica - get the New Era anti sway bar kit - as this is how a real monster truck is set up. (allthough that involves yet more anodizing!)

I think setting up across the canterlevers will only work if you run the truck with shocks mounted between the chassis and axles (like the stock clod, juggernaut) as the articualtion will be limited. but you'll have to figure a way of adapting something to mount and fit, and clear the rear battery tray. I'm not so sure it would work great with the stock canterlever setup - as the rotation of the bar would be too large at the canterlever mounts. The new era setup runs from a shorter pivot arm, and therefore has less rotation at its pivot point.

The txt-1 is designed so that you can mount a regular damper setup instead of the canterlever setup. If you removed the springs and oil they would sure look like scale monster truck "dampers" - but they wouldnt do anything [] the chassis would have no springs to raise it off the ground []

Unless you are sugesting to use the shocks for show only, and still have the canterlever system active? That should work just fine but you may not get the full movement the canterlever setup offers you.  

[Tamiya_addict]

Does anyone know if Jugg shocks fit the TXT-1? Is there a change in ride height?

[mymonsterbeetleisbroken]

I've just checked,

the juggernaut shocks are approx 10mm to short at the front, and 15mm to short at the rear - the rear is shorter as the txt-1 has longer canterlevered link rods at the rear to give at an "agressive" stance []

they would fit however, but the truck would have a lower ground clearance at the centre of the chassis. (still realistic if you are going for a real appearence) 

[Tamiya_addict]

Thanks MMBIB. As you say, for a more scale MT look, the Jugg shocks should work. I'll test a friends when I build my TXT-1 shortly before ordering two Jugg sets - may anodise them silver - though they look nice in gold.

Some time ago someone said that Clodbuster wheels aren't compatible with the TXT. I think they are, but some Clod components are needed.

1) Clod hub mounting boss that mates to clod wheel,

2) Clod outer drive shaft (shorter than TXT-1),

3) Metal hub? This may be the same between both trucks.

With these components the track may decrease but it should work, based upon the build manuals. Both trucks use the same knuckle.

[OCD]

I had all of my silver aluminum parts from my F350 hard anodized black:

 

 

(The frame and shock towers are custom machined and not the steel bits that came with the kit.)

They are actually HARD anodized, which not only gives you a tougher coating of black, but also increases the hardness of the metal itself.

I'll admit it's not a cheap process to have done, but the upside is that the price is the same if you're doing one piece or 50 [Y]

 

-Steve 

[Tamiya_addict]

OCD,

Mind me asking how much it costs - approximately? Any details known about the process? How is it different from regular anodising?

Here is my proposal for a sway/stabilser/anti-roll bar. It would be very tuneable and pretty simple. No mods to existing parts needed. A lathe would be necessary, along with some 6061. The downside for some is that you'd have to use shock units between the axle and chassis. Battery and radio plate placement would probably need revision.

 

 

 

[OCD]

Well, I'm no expert on the process, but Wikipedia sums it up pretty well.

I particularly like the part about the BMW piston bores being hard anodised [H]

It cost me around $100 US, but I just picked a place out of the phone book, so who knows if I got overcharged.[:S]

 They did a great job though; **** near flawless. My only complaint was that there was some very minor pitting around couple of the tapered holes which I assume is a result of the process itself.  Otherwise they were perfect.  I think someone mentioned that you need to strip or de-anodize the parts first, but this is not necessarily the case.  Part of the process is actually stripping the metal bare, so it is technically 'included' in the service.

 -Steve

 

[Tamiya_addict]

Great read - makes sense. Did you fit screws to any threaded holes prior to anodising? I know this is mandatory with powdercoating.

[OCD]

"Did you fit screws to any threaded holes prior to anodising?"

Nah, I was worried that I should have, but they fit just fine without doing so.

If you're going to have some parts done, it might not be a bad idea to 'pool' your parts together with some other stuff - perhaps you have some friends that want some parts done? I figured that if I ever wanted to do this again in the future, I'd just ask around to see who else is interested, and offer to split the cost accordingly.

-Steve 

[Tamiya_addict]

From the Yellow Pages I discovered that most industrial anodisers only accept large items, such as 18m long beams for buildings. I challenged them that my TXT-1 was pretty big, but err... I kept searching. I found one place in Melbourne that would accommodate me. Equivalent to US$35 for regular anodising and US$50 for hard anodising. According to the Wiki the hardness is close to that of ruby, the hardest known substance known to man. Cool, so soon I'll be able to bash my TXT-1 through the local ruby mine, knowing it will come out unmarked. Haha. 

I noticed the customer defined finish can vary - one can choose from Flat to Matt to Satin to Semi gloss to Gloss. I guess a satin or matt finish would be best for R/C - depends on the prototype.

[OCD]

From the Yellow Pages I discovered that most industrial anodisers only accept large items, such as 18m long beams for buildings. I challenged them that my TXT-1 was pretty big, but err... I kept searching. I found one place in Melbourne that would accommodate me. Equivalent to US$35 for regular anodising and US$50 for hard anodising. According to the Wiki the hardness is close to that of ruby, the hardest known substance known to man. Cool, so soon I'll be able to bash my TXT-1 through the local ruby mine, knowing it will come out unmarked. Haha. 

I noticed the customer defined finish can vary - one can choose from Flat to Matt to Satin to Semi gloss to Gloss. I guess a satin or matt finish would be best for R/C - depends on the prototype.

Ruby=Corundum... Isn't chemistry neat![8-|]

 

I also found it interesting how the color of the anodization resides in 'pores' in the corundum crystals -- Too cool!! 

 

Sounds like you found yourself a killer deal with the electroplaters.  Guess it pays (or saves) to shop around[:$] 

[Tamiya_addict]

Assembled chassis back from the anodisers... Very happy with job in 'hard black' []. I was disappointed with Tamiy'a QC on this kit. The susp links were packaged with other abrasive steel components that scratched up the clear coat anodising on the links. It is these basic attention to detail concepts the Japanese should be prowess at.

I think it looks like a Patrick chassis (if you're into MTs you'll know what I mean)... Next step is to execute some servo mounts , body and electrics... and those big Jugg shocks - reanodised of course. What a whopper the TXT-1 is to build. Thoroughly recommended to those who enjoy building as much or more than running.

[Y]

[backtomyroots]

Now that is sharp ! I belive this build is going into my "watch" list [Y].  Great work so far . . . . .you mind if some of "us" (me) steal that black anodized chassis look ? I think a perfect topper would be a complete set of Stainless Steel Hex Screws.

[Tamiya_addict]

Go for it. Will keep the pics coming as the build progresses... Don't want to give too much away!

[backtomyroots]

Go for it. Will keep the pics coming as the build progresses... Don't want to give too much away!

Any progress/news/updates [].

[Tamiya_addict]

Hmmm, have been working on my 58072 (avante) full resto as of late. Sucks big money. No affection whatsoever for it and will sell it once the build is complete. 

Since posting recent pics on TC of the TXT-1 project I've done several things.

1) Brought a Parma Hemi V8 motor and built it to sit behind the cab - looks superb and I'll post a pic when time permits.

2) Brought 4 white Clod wheels (TXT-1 wheels are on ebay now). These look more like real monster truck rims. Will paintthem silver and detail the internal hob bossesin black.

3) Ordered a Parma Bigfoot Chromalusion body. Couldn't get it anywhere so I hassled the Australian distributor who helped out nicely. Just have to wait 2 months for it to arrive from the USA! Holy Toledo Batman. No rush. I could have brought it direct through Parma, but after the distributor had a winge about 'you enthusiasts spending your money elsewhere but expecting LHS support', well I thought I'd give him a go. I wanted to do a Chev body - love the Proline 2005 Chev tourig car body. Cut the wheel arches out and you have a very good replica of Nitemare; but I've anaodised the chassis to suit Bigfoot's all-black one. My alternative is to buy an F350 or Jugg body and replicate 'Blue thunder' which uses a black chassis and twin balck shocks per corner. Would need to cut the back out of the box floor to show off the engine and add some plastic roll cage for effect.

I need Clod wheel axles and part B5 (the clod wheel to hub adptors). I just need to get of my backside and order 'em through my LHS. Thus not much happening in that department.

4) Dicked around with servo mount options and after sending three emails to ThuderTech, still haven't heard what the release date is for their TXT-1 BTA steering setup. Hassle them please!!

As I'll be mounting the V8 behind the cab, I won't be able to use the battery tub. I might make a humb battery (4 cells with 2 on top) that sits laterally across the truck at the rear. Monos would be easier, though high speed stability and yaw inertia would be worse.

Electrics wise I'll drop an mtroniks RV max to run the twin BZs and use probably hitect 645MG servos, both ends. It really is just money slowing things down, so once the Avantr is sold I can spend it on finishing what will be a very nice MT.

What a boring post - sorry!

Mike

[backtomyroots]

1) Brought a Parma Hemi V8 motor and built it to sit behind the cab - looks superb and I'll post a pic when time permits.

2) Brought 4 white Clod wheels (TXT-1 wheels are on ebay now). These look more like real monster truck rims. Will paintthem silver and detail the internal hob bossesin black.

3) Ordered a Parma Bigfoot Chromalusion body. Couldn't get it anywhere so I hassled the Australian distributor who helped out nicely. Just have to wait 2 months for it to arrive from the USA! Holy Toledo Batman. No rush. I could have brought it direct through Parma, but after the distributor had a winge about 'you enthusiasts spending your money elsewhere but expecting LHS support', well I thought I'd give him a go. I wanted to do a Chev body - love the Proline 2005 Chev tourig car body. Cut the wheel arches out and you have a very good replica of Nitemare; but I've anaodised the chassis to suit Bigfoot's all-black one. My alternative is to buy an F350 or Jugg body and replicate 'Blue thunder' which uses a black chassis and twin balck shocks per corner. Would need to cut the back out of the box floor to show off the engine and add some plastic roll cage for effect.

I need Clod wheel axles and part B5 (the clod wheel to hub adptors). I just need to get of my backside and order 'em through my LHS. Thus not much happening in that department.

4) Dicked around with servo mount options and after sending three emails to ThuderTech, still haven't heard what the release date is for their TXT-1 BTA steering setup. Hassle them please!!

Electrics wise I'll drop an mtroniks RV max to run the twin BZs and use probably hitect 645MG servos, both ends. It really is just money slowing things down, so once the Avantr is sold I can spend it on finishing what will be a very nice MT.

Mike

The Parma engine is going to look outstanding !  the clod wheels are a good choice too.  Yep, I had to do that clod wheel axle swap myself on my txt ripper from thundertech.  Speaking of Thundertech, you get best results if you call them. It's usually the owner who answers.  Or you could try this for the steering (I've seen it on at least one truck on TC):

http://www.xtremercracing.com/Store_Detail...amp;SnipID=3050

Looking forward to the updates ! (I'll try getting in touch with Thundertech).

[mobias]

That Parma Hemi V8 motor idea is superb, can't wait to see some pics once its finished. Sounds like we've all got TXT projects on the go. Mines in bits just now as its getting a serious make over, its going to be longer, wider and generally a lot more funky too with a bit more bling bling!

[Tamiya_addict]

I had packed away the engine as I'm about to move house, but hey anything for TC members. The exhaust manifolds are not very packageable in the TXT-1 so I may have to rework them. Some minor details need to be painted by hand. Happy with the result. [6]

 

[Tamiya_addict]

Xtreme racing's BTA system is okay, but the Ackermann angle looks bad, so I'd imagine tyre wear will be bad on anything faster than a rockcrawler - obviously Xtreme's intention for this product is not MTs. Nothing works as well as solid & drag links. 

http://www.xtremercracing.com/Store_Detail...amp;SnipID=3050

Waiting to hear back from TTR on their BTA system. If all else fails I will make my own.