Good Beach Basher ?

[buggymuncher 1]

Hi folks, managed to book a few days away just before Xmas right by a nice sandy beach and need a beach runner for some fun  Few years back I built an SRB for the beach but even though i washed it off afterwards the following day it looked a mess with all the alloy discoloured etc, it pretty much wrecked the thing.

So I'm asking for your experience with beach runners.......

I thought I would go simple/plastic with rubber sealed bearings and waterproofed electrics etc. Big Question is - What car? I originally thought a re-re Blitzer beetle as there are still a couple about and I could do a classic SS paint job. Then I stumbled across a stadium thunder and think that looks good and would probably take a simple chassis cover to keep the sand out etc. Then I got thinking that its a bit of an old chassis/design and should I go DT-02 as I have one of those lying about.....

Any recommendations, comments, advice gratefully received........

Thanks

Mark

[wildwillhappy 15]

hi buggymuncher

I've got a grasshopper 2, being plastic and lets face it cheep, they make a good beach runner.

Not sure about DT-02 but give it a go.

wild

[Wooders28 4723]

If you've a DT02 laying about, I'd get a pair of sand paws (although someone mentioned they only really work on soft sand) and have fun! 

A 1060 esc and 3s lipo with a silver can should be enough for some giggles, obviously a brushless set up will improve the giggle factor! 🙄😁

[Pumesta 407]

I use my 4x4x4 Blackfoot Xtream on the beach a lot and find it pretty good  I have also ran my Monster beetle and King Blackfoot and they are pretty good too, but on the softer sand you need to keep it moving, if you stop it they tend to dig themselves into a hole when you try to drive off.  My Grasshopper is pretty good too although the low ground clearance can catch you out sometimes.  Both the MB and grasshopper have been totally submerged ( I managed to park the MB in the sea and had to wade out to get it lol)  neither have had any ill effects apart from a couple of corroded wheel bearings

 

[wildwillhappy 15]

get some pro-line sling shots  2.2 tires from modelsport

wild

[wildwillhappy 15]

but they should be good on soft sand , don't run on a hard surface or you will wear the tires down

wild

 

[Wooders28 4723]

3 minutes ago, wildwillhappy said:

but they should be good on soft sand , don't run on a hard surface or you will wear the tires down

wild

 

Guess that'll be the same for sand paws? 

[markbt73 5316]

DT02 + Wild Willy 2 tires and wheels. They bolt right on if you change the front uprights. Stick an O-ring inside the diff to make it kinda-sorta limited slip. And if you're feeling saucy, add a Brat body:

This one even still has its original 380 and pogo sticks (started life as a Kumamon buggy). It's not enormously fast, but it's nearly unstoppable on loose surfaces.

[smirk-racing 253]

good old lunchbox, or anything 2wd with a sealed gearbox. bigger tires help obviously.

this was with stock tires. they worked well enough. 

[Juggular 4964]

wow, that's not Lunchbox.  That's more like AdrenalinBox!

[Frog Jumper 3658]

I've heard the Blitzer cars are good for the beach...  I intend to get one sooner or later just for that purpose...

Terry

 

[Frog Jumper 3658]

8 hours ago, wildwillhappy said:

get some pro-line sling shots  2.2 tires from modelsport

wild

I have Pro-Line 2.2 Sand Paws as my rear beach tires...  They work great!

I recommend some fat ribbed front tires...  I have a set of 2.2 Team Losi ribbed truck tires for my fronts...  You'll want fat tires in the sand.  Skinny tires sink... 

I also recommend NOT running foam inserts.  They act like sponges and soak up any water you may decide to run through!  I know from my own experience!

I've only driven on the beach a few times but the Bushy D has done great!  All the recommendations I've made above are from my own "learning from my stupid mistakes"!

Terry

 

[nowinaminute 2815]

Grasshopper. Sealed gearbox means it only needs a blowing off and wipe down usually. After over a year the only issue is a little surface rust on the rear springs but even if I had to replace the metal stuff once a year it would work out cheap. And the car is so simple that even a major teardown wouldn't take up more than an hour or two.

The beach is also the only place it really drives well with a brushless motor. Not enough grip for it to end up on its roof every 5 seconds!

[Prescient 671]

The best by far ime is a Super Clod Buster. It just goes over sand like it does everything else along with rock pools, the sea, dead sharks etc. 

Due to the height of the electronics you can go in the sea quite a way plus if you have WP kit you can get right in and surf.

If it's reasonably hard sand then most off road Tamiya are fine.

3s Lipo in a clod and it just does more though.

[Percymon 2184]

DT-03 kits are pretty cheap, full of plastic and if you stick to the plastic bushings there's very little to get affected by sand / salt - drop some sand tyres on the back  The narrow body means a lot of the sand kicked up will not get under the shell, which is a real problem with closed wheel trucks/cars.

 

Wild One is good fun, esp with sand paddle tyres..

but you could do similar with a Mad Bull or Bear hawk if you could pick one up cheap used.

 

Modified Axial Wraith on 3S, 3800kV 4 pole 550 motor for the win though..

[Gruntfuggly 562]

<delurk>

Stadium/Blitzer/Thunder/Beetle, FTW!

</delurk>

[buggymuncher 1]

Thanks for ideas folks, a hopper sounds like good cheap fun, looks like I need to get some paddle tyres on order. I like the idea of a wild one as I have a file of bits somewhere that may not be far off building a runner too..... Great to see some beach video's - its inspiring more enthusiasm..  

[wildwillhappy 15]

hi nowinaminute

Have you had any of the screws rust up at all on your DT-03?

wild

[Baddon 860]

16 hours ago, markbt73 said:

DT02 + Wild Willy 2 tires and wheels. They bolt right on if you change the front uprights. Stick an O-ring inside the diff to make it kinda-sorta limited slip. And if you're feeling saucy, add a Brat body:

This one even still has its original 380 and pogo sticks (started life as a Kumamon buggy). It's not enormously fast, but it's nearly unstoppable on loose surfaces.

Would the wheels and tires from a Midnight Pumpkin on a TT-02B do similar??

Looking something with more ground clearance than the TT-02B stock.

[Baddon 860]

14 hours ago, smirk-racing said:

good old lunchbox, or anything 2wd with a sealed gearbox. bigger tires help obviously.

this was with stock tires. they worked well enough. 

how are you keeping the nose down? My Midnight Pumpkin spends its entire run on its rear wheels and wheelie bar

[markbt73 5316]

1 hour ago, Baddon said:

Would the wheels and tires from a Midnight Pumpkin on a TT-02B do similar??

Looking something with more ground clearance than the TT-02B stock.

The tires are the same, but the wheels are different. To use those tires on a 4WD buggy you need four 12mm hex drive rear wheels, from a Wild Willy 2 or a Mad Bull. Unfortunately, I think that means you have to buy two sets, and have four useless front wheels sitting around, because they come it sets of 2 front + 2 rear...

[Baddon 860]

1 hour ago, markbt73 said:

The tires are the same, but the wheels are different. To use those tires on a 4WD buggy you need four 12mm hex drive rear wheels, from a Wild Willy 2 or a Mad Bull. Unfortunately, I think that means you have to buy two sets, and have four useless front wheels sitting around, because they come it sets of 2 front + 2 rear...

You know I though about that afterwards, only good point is that I have a Midnight Pumpkin, so only need two rear rims.

[smirk-racing 253]

5 hours ago, Baddon said:

how are you keeping the nose down? My Midnight Pumpkin spends its entire run on its rear wheels and wheelie bar

The rear suspension locks “open” under power which makes the chassis wheelie and bounce too much. The only solutions I have found are:

1. Shenloco fishing line mod (search this thread):

 

2. 4-link suspension (kits on eBay or can try to fab yourself)

 

Either of those should help open up your rear suspension and make it soft, which will reduce wheelies. 

 

 

[Percymon 2184]

Or add a few 1:1 car stick on wheel balance weights to the front of the chassis

[racer1 117]

Grasshopper / Hornet with the paddle tires make great beach cars. Just run a little silicone around the two halves of the gearbox when you put them together and place a foam filter over the motor opening to keep sand out. 

I also run the stock plastic bushings in the wheels and outer end of the gearbox just so I don't screw up my bearings. Entire prep time is about 10 mins.  I'd also recommend that you put the ESC is with velcro so you can easily pull it and the servos out for a good bath afterward.