Next project...1/5 scale truck

[mikechell 0]

😲 Yeah ... I didn't mean to guilt you into doing that much yard work !!!

Glad you got it don't though!

[cphubert 0]

3 hours ago, Steeldrifter said:

I'm starting to wonder at what point my "RC toy" is gonna need a license plate

Good thing your not in CT you would be paying personal property taxes on it!

[Steeldrifter 0]

Managed to spend some time today working on getting the 1/5 scale chassis started. Doing this one a bit different than my previous 1/10 & 1/8 scale tube chassis. Decided to make the upper top rails one piece with a loop in the rear rather than doing it out of two separate top rail pieces. Finally came out good, but that was after cutting it apart and readjusting it three times because it was out of square the first two times. Might have been a bit of cussing mixed in between the cutting as well 

[Poopdeck 0]

What size rod do you use for the frame? Do you use a bending jig or to you just bend with reckless abandon? It looks jig bent.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I use Harris 1/16"  45% silver rod. It's a great rod that flows very smooth and makes for an extremely strong joint, but the downside is the cost. $30 for five 18" rods. I'll end up using about 22-25 rods for this. I use a bender. My other trucks I used small hand bender from the local hardware. On this one I had to get a new more heavy duty one. With it being 5/16" and a wall thickness of .065 I had to buy a new bender that would handle that thick of a wall so I bought this one a couple weeks ago https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ridgid-36092-Model-405-408M-Lever-Bender/303547005212?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648

So far I am loving it. Much better quality than the small hand one I had before, and makes some real nice smooth bends. The thick wall is not easy to bend but I found clamping one handle of the bender in the bench vise and and using two hands on the other handle makes it a lot easier to bend.

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Put another few days of work into the 1/5 scale Rc Monster truck I'm currently building. Have a good portion of the main rails and lower 4 link structure, as well as some of the inner bracing done now. Also bought a 1/6 scale Hemi drag motor from Liberty Classics to use on it. The size of the motor is perfect for this build, and the detail is awesome. I welded in four steel tabs into the chassis and then drilled & tapped the die cast part of the block, so it should stay put even in a bad wreck, which with my driving, is just a matter of time 😁 Also bought 8 xmaxx shocks and started stripping the anodizing off them and polishing them up to match the axles I polished. Will be starting on the upper part of the cage tomorrow.

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Well another 2 days worth of work into the 1/5 tube chassis. Gonna have to take a break from it for the next week. Some parts for some customers rods came in early so gotta get on some real work for the next week to pay the bills, lifes so unfair lol. But got a lot of the upper cage done now. Also mocked it up to get an idea of how it's gonna look. Pics do not do justice just how big these 1/5 scale trucks really are, it's kind'a crazy. You run into your leg with this thing like I have done with my 1/10 scale and I'll be in the hospital lol. Next will be making some temporary 4 link bars out of all thread and Revo rod ends just so I can get the axles /wheelbase set and then I can weld in the shock hoops in the right location. Then the permanent 4 link bars I plan to make out of 3/8 steel stock drilled & tapped with some 1/4 Heim joints I ordered.

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

More work to the 1/5 scale today. Got the center diff mounted, mounted it almost directly center line but off about 1/2" to side so when I make the motor mount for the motor it will sit down a tad lower since it's coming in from a higher level. Also starting making the 4 links. Using 5/16 .065 wall steel tube and then drilling and tapping the ends for 1/4-28 male heim joints. Quite a pain in the butt. I hate tapping to begin with, but each end has to be tapped about 1.5" so that's just a pain. Got about 6 hrs into the first 4 links so half way done and calling it a night. Polished the links up on the wheel as well after I got them done. Hope to be able to get the other 4 done tomorrow so I can start welding in the shock hoops then after that.

 

[mikechell 0]

Not my cup o' tea ... but I do appreciate the craftsmanship you put into those builds.

[Steeldrifter 0]

This one is really testing me. Not only the work, which is crazy hard because everything on this has to be extremely durable & reinforced due to the weight. Because 45lbs lands pretty hard. But the cost is just nuts as well. I will never say how much I have invested in this one, but lets just say I honestly could have bought a halfway decent real truck for the amount 😆

[mikechell 0]

😜 Oh well.  One or two fewer trips to the river should balance out the cost. 😲

😄

[Steeldrifter 0]

More work on the 1/5 scale. Almost got one corner done with the shock hoops in. Making the mounts "captured" for maximum strength. Still have some bracing & gussets left to weld in, but ran out of rod so have to wait a few days till the order I placed gets here. Made the hoops so the shocks actually tuck up inside them a bit for protection. Last pic gives an idea of the size of these 1/5 scale beasts. Keep in mind I'm 6'5" 240lb too, its gonna be big

[Piker20 0]

Going to look immense when it's done.

You lost more weight Steve?

[Steeldrifter 0]

Stayin around 240lb range. Started back to eating better again last week though so would like to drop down to about 220 by winter.

[Steeldrifter 0]

1/5 scale update. Have got a lot more work done over the past week. No idea how many hours I have into this thing yet but put at least 40hrs into it last week alone. Got the chassis about 80% done now. All attachment points like shock mounts and 4 link mounts I made captured. Center diff is mounted but still has to be swapped out for the Vertigo locker I have for it that just came. Shocks are x-maxx that I stripped the anodizing off off and then polished them and replaced the springs with some blue progressive rate springs. Working on using all stainless nuts/bolt/screws, crazy how costly walking out of a hardware store with a tiny bag full of stainless hardware is lol. Still have a lot more to do but figured I'd share some pics now that I got it up on the tires. I actually had to build a new table for the truck today because after getting the tires on it, it no longer fit on my workbench. After getting the new table built my OCD kicked in and I ended up spending a couple days redoing half the work area I use for building rods into a new RC hobby area. Next few days will be spent turning a 3x3x1/4 piece of aluminum angle I bought into the motor mount for the Castle brushless motor. Will post more pics once I get further along.