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What is the best chassis for my new Super Clod?

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What aftermarket chassis should I buy that gives the smoothest ride and wont break! I want nice suspension as well. Gonna run these 2 motors with 0 timing:

https://www.associatedelectrics.com/news/latest_products/2231-new_reedy_radon_2_brushed_motors

I want front and rear steering servos. I want to put a lot of money into this but need some help with all the aftermarket parts! I have no idea where to get all the best stuff. If you guys know about anything I  havent mentioned that I should upgrade on this clod please speak up! Do not want a crawler! Thanks everyone for taking your time to read this!

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How far do you want to go with it and what are your plans for it? Do you want something that somewhat still looks like a Clod, like the new Jconcepts Regulator chassis kit or do you want to depart completely from the stock Clod look and go for a full race type Clod? The Clod is a big rabbit hole. Once finished, you could be left with little but the gearcases. Personally, I find the Cube chassis for the Clod to be very capable and beautiful if going the race-route. Usually the further you depart from the look of a stock Clod, the better the "ride" will be. A look at some of the Trigger King videos will show some of the various types of Clods built for racing.

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That Regultaor chassis looks awesome! Would that be pretty fast? And would it be durable? Does it only work with a shorty battery tho?

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Those upgrade packs look like a good starter set, although part CPE-CLODBRACE is a brace for the stock chassis, which you wouldn't need if you went with a custom chassis.  It retails at $19.99 so if you contacted CPE and said you wanted to buy the stage 3 pack with a custom chassis, they might pull the brace out of the pack and charge a bit less.  It's worth asking.

What are you trying to achieve?

Note: no chassis is going to make your clod 'faster' - battery, motors and gearing determine your top speed.  A chassis will change the looks, style and handling.

A race-style chassis aims to put the battery very low, for better stability and to reduce rollovers.  The lower links will be set around horizontal to give the best geometry for racing.  You'll have less ground clearance with a race setup, so you might not be able to bash over really rough stuff.  Racing clods usually don't look much like clods - they're longer, wider, and lower.  Watch some Trigger Kings race meet videos on youtube for an idea.  See how stiff the setup is, especially when you consider how much weight is thrown around by those big wheels and axles.

Classic-style chassis aim to replicate the looks of the standard clod while giving you more options for mounting links and shocks.  The Timewarp chassis has loads of setup options for getting your links and shocks just right, but it's in a classic package that looks like a vintage monster truck.  It will be less stable than a racing clod on grippy terrain but has more visual impact and looks more like a 'real' truck.  You can still go for a racing setup if you want - lowered suspension, longer links and axle wideners.

Note that the stage 3 pack gives you an option for 10.5 or 12 inch wheelbase.  10.5" is standard clod length - if you go for 12" you'll have more stability under acceleration and braking but the wheels won't sit under the arches any more.  Not a problem if you're going to add a lightweight lexan body with a 12" wheelbase but then you lose the look of the original truck.  It depends on what's more important to you.

Servo-on-axle installations are king, especially if you have a programmable radio and can separate front and rear steering (or at least have it on a switch).  You'll need high-torque servos and good strong servo savers.  I use cheap(ish) 25Kg servos from Amazon with the included aluminium link in my budget buster.  If you're going to use a solid horn you have to be prepared for your servo to break in a heavy crash.

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I feel like giving up on building a Clod from scratch with a new chassis... Mainly because of this. I was looking at these for my somewhat stock Clod and I have no clue where to drill a 1/8" mounting hole on the lower portion of the stock axle tube? I am assuming were supposed to look at the close up pic on the right for this?

http://teamcpe.com/index.php?route=prod ... ct_id=2017

Where the heck is there a hole? So now I am thinking some of the chassis I was looking at might give me the same problems? I dont understand this at all!  Please help!

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Maybe that post was very sad....

 

If you have a 4 link Set you will figure it out.

I didn't find any good Pic in the intrenet that shows that hole....

 

 

 

How much do you want to spend?

I think the regulator Chassis looks very good.

 

I will try to fit that Chassisbrace:

https://www.ebay.at/itm/Aluminium-Stretch-Breit-Rad-Basis-Fahrgestell-Halterung-Platte-Tamiya-Clodbuster/254630945884?hash=item3b492fe45c:g:jGEAAOSwUjJe7oUX

 

I think it will be strong enough. I have a similar brace from cpe, but the mew one will give me more wheelbase.

Now my Clod handles landing from abot 1,5 meters without any Problems..

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2 hours ago, Clodbusterfan said:

I feel like giving up on building a Clod from scratch with a new chassis... Mainly because of this. I was looking at these for my somewhat stock Clod and I have no clue where to drill a 1/8" mounting hole on the lower portion of the stock axle tube? I am assuming were supposed to look at the close up pic on the right for this?

http://teamcpe.com/index.php?route=prod ... ct_id=2017

Where the heck is there a hole? So now I am thinking some of the chassis I was looking at might give me the same problems? I dont understand this at all!  Please help!

Ok, there are two ways to typically mount a 4 link setup to a Clod. The one you are referring to is original (first) way it was done BITD. The top hole in the axle tube is already present as that is where the axle tube brace mounts. You wind up using a longer screw so the brace and the top link share the same hole. The bottom hole is not there on the factory part. You must drill it.  Basically, drill a hole in the lower axle tube section opposite the top hole.

 CPE-AXL1CFb-600x600.jpg

Here is a picture from CPE with their inner axle tube stiffeners installed. You can buy the stiffeners which will also act as a template on where to drill the second hole or you can go without them but use the picture as an idea on where to drill the second hole.

BTW, if you are looking for absolute ultimate durability, the stock ladder bars with aftermarket metal anti-rotation brackets (part B11) are probably best. They just won't articulate as well as a 4-link setup.

 

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Perhaps it's best to mail CPE, let them know your approximate budget and what you want to do with the truck when it's built, and they will recommend something from their lineup.  They would also be able to advise on installation of their products if the manuals aren't clear enough.

If their manuals aren't available online, they might be willing to send some to you to help you decide what chassis and other parts you want (same with other suppliers also).  It might help you get a better understanding of what each of the chassis do and what you'll need to do to fit.  Although in my experience, aftermarket manufacturers often don't include manuals at all and rely on your own knowledge of the existing chassis and parts to work out where everything it supposed to go. :)

I've always admired CPE's products but have never put forward the budget to build a Clod in this way, so I can't help with specifics :(

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