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Mad Ax

R470 to 6x4 / 8x4 using Grand Hauler chassis?

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Just thinking aloud really, and just wondering if anyone has any advice / warnings / thoughts / hints / questions / whatever about a possible project.

So earlier this week I spotted a Scania R470 4x2 on Tamico for an absolute bargain price, and although I'd promised myself NO MORE TRUCKS, I ended up transfering some money out of a long-forgotten accruals account and ordered it, whilst simultaneously having absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with it.  It's a pre-painted Orange edition, so it'll probably look better than all my other rigs and with loads of aftermarket Scania stuff out there it's the perfect platform for a big bling build.

Now my first intention was to keep it 4x2, since SWB rigs are nice to drive and easy to reverse, but I'm thinking of converting the Drag King to a single axle and the R470 would be a good donor for all the parts I need.  In fact I could probably even redrill the R470 rails for the King Hauler body mounts.  Then I've got a complete dual rear axle setup ready to go on the R470 whenever I get around to building it.

Chassis wise I'll have the modified Globe Liner rails that the Drag King is currently sitting on - I'm not sure if Globe rails are the same as Euro 6x4 rails?  My stock Globe has a marginally longer wheelbase than my MAN TGX 6x4, although the MAN is longer overall due to its bigger body and rear bumper.

However, another thought is that I will probably use custom chassis rails on my Grand Hauler because it's going to be a rollback tow rig for the Drag King.  That means I'll have some lovely long chassis rails to use.  Also I'm replacing the front axle on my TGX with an aftermarket one, so I'll have a spare front axle.  And I'm in the process of pulling the stock front springs off the Drag King to make a custom setup - so I'll have a full spare front axle combo to make a huge 8x4 Scania flagship.

Now, exactly what I'll do with such a behemoth I have no idea, since I kind of wanted to keep it a simple 4x2 anyway, and maybe I'll abandon the idea and keep it stock and four-link the back of the Drag King instead, but this is really a thread for an open pinging of ideas that might inspire me otherwise...

:)

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Good for you, there's a story i have and i'll make it short.............. i dreamed a dream, and now my house is filled with toys.

Keep buildn' MAD AX

ps i still want to build The Drag Magnum.

trust me there's Jesus, family friends home and work and then well all this, in that order, but hey i'm on this ride once called life.

be sure to post your build now you hear?

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Always, always, always, wanted to build a 8x4. 8x4 rigids (with a 5axle dollied trailer) are the most popular setup here in NZ. So would love to see a 8x4 build ^_^

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OK, so I've had a week to think about this.  Incidentally the truck in question is still in the transit box downstairs in the office mail area and has been for over a week, as I haven't been into the office for a while.  I drove my van in today so I could pick it up (the office were kind enough to give me a parking space for the day to save me a £15 parking charge).

Anyway, with a week to think about it, I'm still getting nowhere making a decision :D

I'm in no rush - this was a last-minute impulse purchase when I happened to see it very cheap on Tamico.  Besides the price, three things attracted me:

  1. it's pre-painted.  OK, so detail parts will need painting, but I don't have to fret about doing a nice job on the main body colour because Tamiya usually do a better job than I could
  2. it's a Scania.  At heart I'm a yank truck fan but the Scania gets a whole lot of love by the aftermarket parts community and I like the idea of being able to buy one piece of bling every month until I've got a totally tricked out rig, without having to resort to much in the way of custom cutting and fitting
  3. it's a 4x2.  It's nice and short and will be a peach to drive on our local layouts.  I've got a couple of spare trailers that would look nice behind it.

Making it a 6x4 or an 8x4 would totally void point 3, meaning I'm back to not having that simple shorty 4x2 rig in my line-up.  Well, forever isn't forever, and all that, but I was kind of looking forward to the simplicity.

On the other hand, I've just looked up some 8x4 rigids with those dollied trailers mentioned by @berman and suddenly I'm in love.  I'd love to build a rigid tanker of some sort with a dollied tanker behind it, although I'm not sure I'd ever see a Scania set up like that.  We have a lot of rigid tankers where I live - my dad used to drive a heating oil rigid tanker, and there's a lot of dairy farms where I live, but it's very rare to see a tanker on a dolly here.  That said, I'm all about coming up with crazy loads, so maybe there's some other slightly daft trailer idea I can come up with.

Knowing I've got almost enough parts to build an 8x4 is comforting - finding something to haul on it is the fun part.

Still, no rush here - I have to finish the Drag King and either convert my other rigs to use my custom MFC, or build my rollback Grand Hauler, before I start any new projects.  That's the rules I set for myself :D

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If you decide to go for it - I'll be all over it!! 

I once had a Dream too... But I only get to make it come true 27 years later, after I had it. Life had to give me a great gift first! 💲💰 

I've also been watching European TruckTrials over the past 5 years, in awe. 6X6 and 8X8 Rigs, going through some crazy courses, and mud that looked like it could swallow a BATTLESHIP!! 

They're frequently MAN, Mercs, Scania or some odd Russian monsters. I want to build one on a Grand Hauler Chassis, with a Tamiya or Hercules Euro-Truck Cab and a LOT of custom Styrene fabrication. 

If you build this... I'll definitely be looking for ideas for the complex mechanism.

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Lol, this rig is still in the box 2 years later, mostly untouched. I say mostly, because I robbed the single axle setup for Drag King. That means this rig now has parts for a twin rear axle, although I will have to extend the chassis. Actually I'm not planning on making another tractor, so this will probably be some kind of rigid. That means I can use my MFU-03 and not have to worry about trailer lights. Not sure if it will be a flatbed, curtain sider, or some kind of crazy carnival rig. 

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That was my train of thought with my crazy build.... But taking two Driven Front Axles to make an 8X8. 

I realise it can't be easy - but others have done it, so it's not impossible.

I hope you end up doing something cool with it. Seems a shame for any Kit to just languish in a box.

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