The Return of The Kings - Part 2
Model: (Click to see more)
58192: King Blackfoot
Status: Runner
Date: 14-Nov-2019
Comments: 3
Share this model:
Status: Runner
Date: 14-Nov-2019
Comments: 3
Share this model:
After getting my King Beetle back up and running I took a look at my parts availability and noticed that I had an old body and complete front and rear assembly for another King Blackfoot, just no chassis. However, I did have a Monster Beetle that had long ago been taken off my runner lineup due to constant transmission breakdowns and other standard weaknesses of the big wheel ORVs.
I decided not to restore the Monster Beetle, since the current availability of the re-re would be much less than trying to buy parts, so I stripped it down and used its chassis to build a second parts-build King Blackfoot. Besides having a sibling car for the King Beetle would be fun.
I equipped the parts King Blackfoot with all the same gear that the King Beetle had. I decided to use Mad Bull wheels and tires, since I already had a set laying around. They were the same color as the original Blackfoot, so the color scheme worked out well. They also match the King Beetle's wheel tire combo and I just really like the look of the balloon style chevrons.
An almost stock King Blackfoot
For servos I have a ton of old Futaba S3003 units, so they work just fine and if they break, I can simply pop another one in. As for the other components, things have gotten so reasonable when it comes to electronics, motors and bearings. A full set of Fast Eddy Bearings (used the Stadium Blitzer set with (12) 5x11x4) for only like $11. The Traxxas XL-5 ESC and Titan 550 12T came as a take-off set and were only $22. The Tactic TR325 receiver was used but was only $10, so for an outlay of less than $50 I had all my running gear for my parts King Blackfoot.
Dual Servo Steering
I tried to keep everything as stock as possible with only two exceptions. The first was the steering system. I did not have a center mount steering system. Looked in all my parts bins hoping to find a spare, but no luck. Also, eBay did not seem to have much of anything available for the King Blackfoot, so I decided to go dual servo steering like I had in the old days. I also setup a pair of old Lunchbox uprights with the same anti-bumpsteer offsets as I had in the King Beetle when I built it back in 1998. I also added the Monster Beetle's front skid plate, not really a mod, just something that should have been there in the first place.
Anti-Bumpsteer setup
Standard Blackfoot / MB Skid Plate
The second modification was the addition of a Lunchbox wheelie bar. The King Blackfoot shell that I used was from my original King Blackfoot prior to converting it to a King Beetle. As you can see the body had been trimmed to make it look a little better after it had popped a wheelie and ripped the entire rear bumper and part of the rear fenders off. I did not have a center wheel, but using a small CVA shockshaft, a couple of brass sleeves and some Lego wheels I put together a reasonable replacement.
Lunchbox Wheelie Bar w/ Lego wheels
Now I don't consider this a modification, but just a better way to keep your King Blackfoot from coming apart when running hard. I have used thread lock, super glue and many other things to try to keep the stock suspension screws in place, but no matter what I did, they always seem to back out sooner or later. Replacing all the suspension screws shown in the following figs. with standard 3mm machine screws and brass sleeves with fluted ends solves the entire issue completely.
Machine screw and sleeve replacement points
Left side shown, but right replaced as well
If you liked those pictures, you should see these...
The Return of the Kings - Part 1
I decided not to restore the Monster Beetle, since the current availability of the re-re would be much less than trying to buy parts, so I stripped it down and used its chassis to build a second parts-build King Blackfoot. Besides having a sibling car for the King Beetle would be fun.
I equipped the parts King Blackfoot with all the same gear that the King Beetle had. I decided to use Mad Bull wheels and tires, since I already had a set laying around. They were the same color as the original Blackfoot, so the color scheme worked out well. They also match the King Beetle's wheel tire combo and I just really like the look of the balloon style chevrons.
An almost stock King Blackfoot
For servos I have a ton of old Futaba S3003 units, so they work just fine and if they break, I can simply pop another one in. As for the other components, things have gotten so reasonable when it comes to electronics, motors and bearings. A full set of Fast Eddy Bearings (used the Stadium Blitzer set with (12) 5x11x4) for only like $11. The Traxxas XL-5 ESC and Titan 550 12T came as a take-off set and were only $22. The Tactic TR325 receiver was used but was only $10, so for an outlay of less than $50 I had all my running gear for my parts King Blackfoot.
Dual Servo Steering
I tried to keep everything as stock as possible with only two exceptions. The first was the steering system. I did not have a center mount steering system. Looked in all my parts bins hoping to find a spare, but no luck. Also, eBay did not seem to have much of anything available for the King Blackfoot, so I decided to go dual servo steering like I had in the old days. I also setup a pair of old Lunchbox uprights with the same anti-bumpsteer offsets as I had in the King Beetle when I built it back in 1998. I also added the Monster Beetle's front skid plate, not really a mod, just something that should have been there in the first place.
Anti-Bumpsteer setup
Standard Blackfoot / MB Skid Plate
The second modification was the addition of a Lunchbox wheelie bar. The King Blackfoot shell that I used was from my original King Blackfoot prior to converting it to a King Beetle. As you can see the body had been trimmed to make it look a little better after it had popped a wheelie and ripped the entire rear bumper and part of the rear fenders off. I did not have a center wheel, but using a small CVA shockshaft, a couple of brass sleeves and some Lego wheels I put together a reasonable replacement.
Lunchbox Wheelie Bar w/ Lego wheels
Now I don't consider this a modification, but just a better way to keep your King Blackfoot from coming apart when running hard. I have used thread lock, super glue and many other things to try to keep the stock suspension screws in place, but no matter what I did, they always seem to back out sooner or later. Replacing all the suspension screws shown in the following figs. with standard 3mm machine screws and brass sleeves with fluted ends solves the entire issue completely.
Machine screw and sleeve replacement points
Left side shown, but right replaced as well
If you liked those pictures, you should see these...
The Return of the Kings - Part 1
Comments
J@mes
Firstly great truck, secondly nice mods thirdly thanks for sharing! I love ORV's!
Tamiyastef
I just love the dual servo steering and I'm hitting myself because I did not came up with this myself. The very problematic steering setup was one of the issues that made me sell my King Blackfoot and that of my son to replace them with 4X4 Stampede's. The last day at the beach that got spoiled by defective steering makes me not regretting this decision. It's a great looking truck though.
Re-Bugged
The King Blackfoot is one of my favourites. I had one the 90's it took a beating and it just lapped it up and was always ready for more. Very nice mods you have done to yours and I've never seen a dual servo set up before. It would be great if Tamiya rere'd these.
Want to leave a comment?