Just received a Blackfoot kit

[smirk-racing 253]

Hi All,

Finally pulled the trigger and bought a childhood dream kit, the Blackfoot. I always loved the way it looked. However, one of the reasons I held off for so long was that ultimately, it didn't seem like it drove very well, and while I don't need this truck to win races, or to jump over the house, I do want it to be reliable and drive well.

So, the question for my expert forum members is:

What else do I need to make the Blackfoot perform a little better, and to operate reliably?

While I do appreciate folks who maintain 100% Tamiya vehicles, I'm quite alright with extensive mods, including cutting/drilling/changing the chassis and other major components. For example, I converted my Lunchbox to a 4-link suspension in the rear and a double wishbone in the front and I absolutely love it that way.

So, for the Blackfoot, here's what I have so far:

-MIP Ball Diff - I actually like gear diffs but I've read or heard that the MIP ball diff is the right way to go for this chassis

-Lexan Landfreeder body (the one part of a Tamiya kit I do not like to modify/damage is the shell - I always swap in lexan runner shells)

-Complete Ampro Engineering mods - battery tray, chassis skid plates, and conversion for the rear into a traditional vertical shock set-up

Anything else folks would recommend? I plan to run a relatively mild brushless set-up, maybe aiming for 35 mph max, and I'd like to be able to take small-ish jumps (2-3 feet) reliably.

Some specific open questions:

-I've not seen a lot about the shocks. Are the ones included in the kit ok? Or should I buy a different set?

-Based on online videos, it seems this chassis tends to wheelie a fair bit - anything to tame those (other than reducing the power input and driving slowly)?

-I've read the turning is sloppy - is there anything to tighten it up a little?

 

Thanks all!

 

 

[Willy iine 18806]

35mph on a Blackfoot is fast!  

Congrats on the kit, I would build it first with just the very basic hopups like bearings and oil dampers if it does not come with them and enjoy the car in near factory form before adding anything else.  The car will tell you what you need later. 

I would also brush up on driving too as it would be a shame to flip the truck going 35mph.. !

[Albert Attaboy 141]

9 hours ago, smirk-racing said:

I do want it to be reliable and drive well.

Please look for a different truck then...

[Alangt4 123]

Do you really need 30+ mph? These are better suited to fairly low speeds on loose surfaces and should be fun enough. I’d agree with what has been said- do the basic mods you have listed, enjoy it and make further mods if needed. The hard bodies like this and monster beetle don’t take too well to crashes. Lots of brittle plastics designed for the days of nicad and silver can motors. Sure you can mod it but might as well get a different chassis and stick the shell on it. It’s the base chassis that makes them the way they are. That’s just my experiences with that chassis.

[Frog Jumper 3662]

From my own experiences building ORVs over the last 5 years or so...

I would skip the MIP diff and go for the Frog dog-bone set-up using the standard BF gears.  I would also get the transmission brace sold by XeoStar (do a search for it).

I don't think the AmPro rear setup is needed, but some of his parts (and other 3D print manufacturers) you do need:

1. Get the center skid plate (the one that fills the gap b/w the battery door and the front skip plate).  https://www.shapeways.com/product/CRXG6B56C/058016-01-tamiya-orv-skid-plate-middle?optionId=62187683&li=shops
2. Get the zero bump steer knuckles.  https://www.shapeways.com/product/K9P4MH726/058012-00-blackfoot-orv-zero-bump-steer-knuckles?optionId=61865185&li=marketplace
3. Get the CRP style front shock plate support system.  CRP #1622, #1623, #1624, #1627  (#1624 isn't actually required and you can use the standard BF body posts).
4. Also get the center steering plate so you can center your steering servo (there are a few different styles).  https://www.shapeways.com/product/GW7R69S6V/tamiya-blackfoot-center-steering-ver-1?optionId=60435430&li=marketplace

Once you center your steering servo, you'll have to get new steering rods, and I recommend turnbuckles so you can fine tune your steering.  Get some cheap 3M threaded rod (or 4/40) and cut to length.  Once you figure out the proper lengths, look for turnbuckles in the same lengths...

Kimbrough servo saver.

The kit yellow shocks are fine, but if you do want to upgrade, the #50520s are a good choice.  Beyond that, its a waste of money, IMO.

The Landfreeder body is a good choice.  Parma makes a direct fit Blackfoot lexan body, but they are very rare and usually expensive when you do find them.

Terry

  

[smirk-racing 253]

On 11/5/2021 at 6:25 AM, Willy iine said:

35mph on a Blackfoot is fast!  

Congrats on the kit, I would build it first with just the very basic hopups like bearings and oil dampers if it does not come with them and enjoy the car in near factory form before adding anything else.  The car will tell you what you need later. 

I would also brush up on driving too as it would be a shame to flip the truck going 35mph.. !

@Willy iine Thanks for the reply. Yes, maybe 35mph is too fast... Maybe I'll aim for mid-20s and gradually increase speed from there. I used to be extremely rough on all my kits, but Tamiya is not that kind of brand... I think your idea of building it mostly stock and then modifying from there is a good one. I just wanted to ensure I had the parts I'd need in the future given how slow and difficult it has become to get parts.

On 11/5/2021 at 6:53 AM, Albert Attaboy said:

Please look for a different truck then...

I enjoy making these older vehicles perform well without losing their character. I am optimistic about the Blackfoot.

 

On 11/5/2021 at 7:24 AM, Alangt4 said:

Do you really need 30+ mph? These are better suited to fairly low speeds on loose surfaces and should be fun enough. I’d agree with what has been said- do the basic mods you have listed, enjoy it and make further mods if needed. The hard bodies like this and monster beetle don’t take too well to crashes. Lots of brittle plastics designed for the days of nicad and silver can motors. Sure you can mod it but might as well get a different chassis and stick the shell on it. It’s the base chassis that makes them the way they are. That’s just my experiences with that chassis.

@Alangt4 Fair question. I might not need to go that fast. I did get my lunchbox into to the speed run list but only after a lot of crashes... I'm not going to be as hard on this chassis.

 

On 11/5/2021 at 7:27 AM, Frog Jumper said:

From my own experiences building ORVs over the last 5 years or so...

I would skip the MIP diff and go for the Frog dog-bone set-up using the standard BF gears.  I would also get the transmission brace sold by XeoStar (do a search for it).

I don't think the AmPro rear setup is needed, but some of his parts (and other 3D print manufacturers) you do need:

1. Get the center skid plate (the one that fills the gap b/w the battery door and the front skip plate).  https://www.shapeways.com/product/CRXG6B56C/058016-01-tamiya-orv-skid-plate-middle?optionId=62187683&li=shops
2. Get the zero bump steer knuckles.  https://www.shapeways.com/product/K9P4MH726/058012-00-blackfoot-orv-zero-bump-steer-knuckles?optionId=61865185&li=marketplace
3. Get the CRP style front shock plate support system.  CRP #1622, #1623, #1624, #1627  (#1624 isn't actually required and you can use the standard BF body posts).
4. Also get the center steering plate so you can center your steering servo (there are a few different styles).  https://www.shapeways.com/product/GW7R69S6V/tamiya-blackfoot-center-steering-ver-1?optionId=60435430&li=marketplace

Once you center your steering servo, you'll have to get new steering rods, and I recommend turnbuckles so you can fine tune your steering.  Get some cheap 3M threaded rod (or 4/40) and cut to length.  Once you figure out the proper lengths, look for turnbuckles in the same lengths...

Kimbrough servo saver.

The kit yellow shocks are fine, but if you do want to upgrade, the #50520s are a good choice.  Beyond that, its a waste of money, IMO.

The Landfreeder body is a good choice.  Parma makes a direct fit Blackfoot lexan body, but they are very rare and usually expensive when you do find them.

Terry

  

@Frog Jumper Thank you so much! This is super helpful and valuable. It is great to get such detailed advice based on your long experience with the chassis. I will start getting a hold of some of these parts.

[Frog Jumper 3662]

I’m always available for advise (good and bad) on the ORV…

 

[Killajb 1546]

I received a lot of great advice from others here when building my Blackfoot kit.  I am particular to some things and wanted to try and make a build that would look and perform to my liking.  With that in mind, I'll say upfront that I tried to keep the cost of upgrades reasonable in some areas and in other areas I just went for what I felt would give the best results.  

For starters, the wonderful molded plastic body..  Did I want to try and use it as a runner?  Yep.  I still wanted to paint it as nice as I possibly could, and accessorize to my liking.  However, taking this into consideration..  my performance objectives would be centered around driving without rolling over and damaging said body.  

Gearbox: A must to be modified in my opinion in order to get reliable performance even under stock conditions.  I opted for the transmission brace by @Xeostar  . Simply put, it works.  I drive as I want with a Super Stock BZ motor and never worry.

Suspension: The stock CVA shocks have thin plastic walls and use metal pistons.  I didn't care for them,  and opted for Aeration dampers.  There are cheaper options for dampers that work well also, but once I got the proper weight oil with the stock kit springs I love the results.

Steering: Stock steering has quite a bit of bump steer.  I went with a 25kg metal  gear DSServo which is a bit heavier than a standard all-plastic one.  I mounted the ESC (Hobbywing 1060) alongside the steering servo which kept weight balanced and central up front.  To reduce bump steer, I splurged on alloy steering knuckles and used ball ends with long threads and aluminum spacers.

 

Performance with stock pinion on 2s is about as much as the ORV chassis can handle in my opinion.  On grassy hills, plenty of torque and the Super Stock  BZ motor never gets too hot.  On pavement, top speed is close to 27mph.  I can hop off of curbs or steps that are twice as tall as the truck itself and landings are smooth without a bounce.  Bump steer is all-but-gone, and turning at mid-level speed will lift the inside rear wheel rather than cause a rollover.  

 

[J@mes 2326]

On 11/5/2021 at 4:02 AM, smirk-racing said:

 

-Lexan Landfreeder body (the one part of a Tamiya kit I do not like to modify/damage is the shell - I always swap in lexan runner shells)

 

Congratulations on getting the Blackfoot. It’s the one that got me back in to the hobby a few years ago.
 

I got hold of the Landfreeder Blackfoot shell whilst in my lock up. Here’s more photos of it. Turns out I had painted flat clear to the bumpers when I did the bed. It’s a bit dusty!