JennyMo 3526 Posted April 23, 2021 Finishing off (for now anyway...) photo. Thank you Mr Postman! Having scoured ebay for any number of different winch options, I settled on this dual motor version from Yeah Racing (I've used the single motor version a couple of times before as rear winches on both Hopper's HiLux and the Ghetto Vanquish), and felt it was good quality for the price, and fundamentally was both slim enough and low enough to fit in the bumper slot without having to chop anything... photo. a few mods were required to the wiring... plus I wanted to swap out the hook for something more scale. Interestingly one of the few reviews online about this winch was someone complaining that the wires came off the terminals (someone who doesn't have a soldering iron presumably) - although admittedly the tabs are very small and the wires only seemingly tacked on... certainly I ended up having to repair one of the connections on the Ghetto Vanquish during install, and similarly here both the negative wires were already broken off in the packet. Still, this really wasn't an issue since I wanted to modify the wiring anyway with a jumper to the second motor, rather than have two individual cables - saving valuable room under the hood: photo. Winch controller piggy-backed off the main battery lead. Ultimately I re-soldered the new wires, and added a dollop of hot glue to each terminal to strengthen the join and also insulate them. I also took this opportunity to further shorten all the wiring in the engine bay - the servo leads and motor cables, and piggy backed the winch controller onto the ESC battery cables, so that everything is easy to disconnect when not being used - it's worth noting that in the past I've found these wireless winch controllers have a small parasitic drain on the battery if they are left connected. So with that job done, and everything tested and working - and I must say, this twin-motor winch feels suitable powerful, and is very fast - so might be worth considering if you're building a competition rig for example? I felt that it was now time to take a few 'studio' photos for posterity, prior to any further modifications - be that intentional, or otherwise during running! I've also included a brief summary of the specification in the captions: photo. front end finished - Yeah Racing low profile winch, RC4WD Warn hook, Hot Racing scale shackles. photo. Axial BF Goodrich KO2 tyres (R35 compound) on RC4WD deep-dish 5-lug wagon wheels (Weller style 8 spokes). photo. Injora 2-door Jeep JK body (270mm wheelbase) with doors and fender flares removed. photo. ProLine accessory 'RotoPax' style fuel/water containers in custom recessed side panel. photo. RC4WD MaxTrax recovery boards mounted with custom straps to quick-release tail-gate bars. photo. passenger side has custom made cubby locker (with working T handle) to stow recovery gear - tow strap and shovel. photo. realistic driver and passenger figures can be posed in a number of ways - here 'Tony' is holding onto the door bar while reading a map. photo. front wings were re-profiled with styrene to reduce the gap above the tyres left after removing the flares and more closely match the rear panels - note. the screw holes drilled around each arch to represent where the bolt-on fenders have been removed. And finally, a few close-up details: photo. moulded tailgate replaced with two metal bars - lower one bolted, the upper one on quick release pins to aid spare wheel removal. photo. custom cubby contains removable shovel, RC4WD/ARB tow-strap and rubber net/hammock to contain other recovery gear as required. I reckon the inside of the lid needs a sticker-bomb ;o) photo. scale details include removable RotoPax, metal Wrangler badges and hub style wheel-nut. Raised lettering on the tyres painstakingly painted in, and series of small holes drilled around each arch to represent where the bolt-on fenders have been removed. photo. V6 metal badges (RC4WD) and Limited decal from Tamiya sheet. note almost all the visible hardware on the body has been replaced with M2 scale hex-head bolts. photo. engraved custom licence plates front and rear, and scale hex hardware on the winch and fairlead too. Warn hook and pull tag from RC4WD. Original [blank] turn signals replaced with working LEDs in Axial housings. Summary All in all, I am really pleased with how this build has turned out - despite the relatively short wheelbase, the axle articulation is very impressive on the 90mm shocks, with plenty of sag/droop so that the overall centre of gravity remains nice and low, despite this being quite a heavy hard-body. While I did need to extensively modify the RC4WD C2X centre skid (see post towards the beginning of this thread) to get everything to fit together, the result is excellent ground clearance and a smooth belly, while the Hammer transfer case is sandwiched neatly below the transmission tunnel with no need to modify the floor at all, other than to drop and extend the footwells which I wanted to incorporate anyway. Electing to use a genuine RC4WD R3 gearbox and Hammer transfer case, together with higher quality electronics (Hobbywing 1080 ESC, and a 35Kg waterproof steering servo), and some good quality all-metal axles and heavy-duty drive shafts, means this rig ought to run smoothly and reliably for a good while to come - certainly at the modest pace at which I tend to drive my models. The well-detailed scale hard body was also ripe for some obvious customisation - and with the doors opening and so easily removable to reveal a full interior, it made sense to try and maximise the scale appearance inside as well as out by installing both a driver and passenger in full view - and in this instance the Westworld figures are both accurate representation of the real actors, and have excellent articulation to allow any number of realistic poses - for example I just love the fact that Bernard's splayed fingers look like he is reaching for the indicator stalk on the steering column! photo. How perfect is that?! I'm planning on taking this truck, along with a couple of others - including my brand new project which I'll link to shortly - to southern California next month, and will endeavour to get some photos and maybe even some video of them in action in the desert! Until then, thanks for watching - and I hope you enjoyed this build as much as I have! Toot toot! Jenny x 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nikko85 3454 Posted April 24, 2021 Is there a mod where you can link the steering wheel to the servo, so it rotates when you turn? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted April 24, 2021 6 hours ago, Nikko85 said: Is there a mod where you can link the steering wheel to the servo, so it rotates when you turn? Hi Nikko - yes, there a a few ways you can do that - the easiest way is to use a second smaller (micro) servo somewhere behind the dash, connect the steering column to it and power it via a Y cable to the main steering servo, that way the two servos turn in the same direction together on the same channel. There is also an off-the self kit (I think Yeah Racing make it) which includes the servo, column and wheel, which you can just slot into any dashboard you have, although the overall size and shape of the assembly makes it more suited to a drift car style body than a scale [off-road] build perhaps? The third option - if the chassis/steering layout of the vehicle allows for it - is to actually rig up a 'genuine' steering column connected to the main steering servo - I was able to do this with the SRB Cage Racer for example, but again your typical crawler chassis steering layout probably doesn't allow for this. Unfortunately in this instance the space behind the dash is at premium so it wasn't really feasible to incorporate this facility into the build - although another potential option might be to mount a micro servo somewhere in the engine bay/front wheel-well, and use some sort of flexible shaft (such as a length of 'drain-snake' wire for example) to connect the servo to the steering column/wheel? Hope that gives you some ideas! Jenny x 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted May 1, 2021 Quick update: I remade the cubby door (as the original one had holes in which I'd filled) and finally worked out how to prop it up for access/display (in lieu of finding a proper 1/10th scale hydraulic strut, which would be cool!) using a removable leg which stows inside the net along with the recovery gear - even if it does now look a bit like a burger van* when it's open: photo. "You'll never guess who was just in the front of my Jeep... Welsh fellow - an actor - just won another Oscar... what was his name again Vern? You know who I mean - the chap who used to eat people..." *I trust some of you will get that rather obscure reference to the decals inside ;o) Right, I think it's finally time to hit the trails fellas! Jenny x 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carmine A 2046 Posted May 4, 2021 Jenny, that is truly brilliant! Right, Scale Hydraulic Struts would be an excellent idea. If only someone could come up with that sort of thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted May 4, 2021 10 hours ago, Carmine A said: Jenny, that is truly brilliant! Right, Scale Hydraulic Struts would be an excellent idea. If only someone could come up with that sort of thing. I was able to do something similar using 1/18th scale dampers (with no springs or oil in) for the flip-front on the Baja Blazer, however they only needed a short throw, plus didn't actually need to support the weight of the front as it rested on the bumper when open... The problem with the hatch on the JK is that the strut actually needs to support the weight of the lid when open, but also snap shut when compressed... I'm sure you could work out the geometry for the mounting location/s, plus the weight of the spring/oil inside required for it to work - although I'm not sure that at this size/scale it would be really successful? If someone who is better at geometry than I wants to give it a go, then please let me know! Jenny x 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carmine A 2046 Posted May 5, 2021 @JennyMo How about the small fake Dampers from the 1/14 Semis?? They're about 45mm long, with internal Springs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted May 5, 2021 On 5/4/2021 at 7:28 PM, Carmine A said: @JennyMo How about the small fake Dampers from the 1/14 Semis?? They're about 45mm long, with internal Springs. Hi Carmine - for info. unfortunately the shocks for the 1/14th scale trucks are not really any smaller than the internal spring 'super scale' shocks you get for 1/10 scale vehicles, from RC4WD for example - having a shock body around 9mm in diameter... I used a set of the Hot Racing ones on Hopper's Hilux for example here. If there were a longer version of the shocks for 1/24th or even 1/32nd scale vehicles those might work, although ideally you'd actually have something around 4mm diameter or less to be properly scale for a hatch/tailgate strut... One option I considered (and have discounted for now) would be to simply use a 3mm steering rod inside an aluminium tube sleeve, which would visually work well I feel - and the rod would simply slide up and down inside the tube of course - the issue would be how to get it to support the hatch while open without a spring (while I'm sure you could find a 3mm diameter spring if you looked hard enough - from an old watch or clock or something, but I doubt something that size would have sufficient strength or length for this application?). For now I'll stick with the ghetto prop - but like all of my build threads, stay tuned for a further evolution somewhere down the road! Jx 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carmine A 2046 Posted May 7, 2021 Hmmm..... That's a thinker. I'll be seeing if I can come up with anything. 😉 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JennyMo 3526 Posted May 25, 2021 A quick update to this thread, now I've just got home from the Anza Borrego desert and some trail driving with Simon and the Red Dwarf TJ Wrangler I built for him recently... I took my JK for it's first real outing outside of the garden, and it was a joy to drive - it crawls really nicely with the supple suspension and 1080 ESC/55T motor combo - although I may fit a slightly faster motor in future to give a little more top-end speed. photo. "I'm not sure we're in WestWorld anymore Bernard?" photo. "You might be right..." photo. overlooking the Ocotillo Wells OHV area and Borrego Badlands... On my return, I thought I'd add a few more scale details - first of all a way to hold the spare wheel securely (as yes, it had almost taken their heads off during an inevitable roll-over!) photo. a simple M4 bolt through the rear load-bed, and a spare spinner (from a Vaterra Ascender cage as I recall?) And while the top was off, I thought I'd add a little more detail to the ProLine inverter mounted on the inner cubby: photo. servo/LED lighting wire with the metal core removed, used as cables to the terminals on the inverter (works well as scale battery cables too of course). I also revisited an idea I'd had earlier on during this build, and decided to chop the hard-top into separate sections: photo. slot fabricated from styrene strips... photo. corresponding tabs and magnets mounted to the now separated targa panels... photo. plus a magnet in each redundant screw-hole in the windscreen surround... The result: photo. open cabin to better show the interior details... photo. targa panels fit into slot in the rear hard-top section and are held in place to the screen surround with magnets at the front. photo. or full hard-top as before. I hope you like these latest mods! Jenny x 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Re-Bugged 10156 Posted May 26, 2021 4 hours ago, JennyMo said: A quick update to this thread, now I've just got home from the Anza Borrego desert and some trail driving with Simon and the Red Dwarf TJ Wrangler I built for him recently... I took my JK for it's first real outing outside of the garden, and it was a joy to drive I hope you like these latest mods! Jenny x Wow, it’s superb 👍🏻 I have no doubt of it being a joy to drive, it’s a joy just looking at it sat up there. Great stuff Jenny. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
