Muggy to 5BE Build
 

OK I've after seeing a thread from here that nitrofinatic93 posted in chat on BYT, I have desided to convert my Losi Muggy into a 5B E-Clone.

This will most likely be the last pic of the Muggy in its stock E-Converted form.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/010-64.jpg

The conversion will start as soon as I get my hands on some chanel aluminum.

This will when done look just like a 5B at first glance, but will in all actuallity be a 4x4 electric brushless beast.

OK well this will be the first post of many to come of the build.

Heres the thread that has put the modding bug in my head once again.

http://www.rc-monster.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29282

Wish me luck :diablo:

Good luck.

Thanks, I love building my own rigs the way I want them.
With my fabrication skills it shouldnt be all that hard to do, just will be a little time consuming between working a full time + job and family stuff it doesn't always leave me much time to get in my shop.

I'll git-r-done tho.

This is what it's all about, i love watching these threads. Let's see this beast take shape.

OK its no longer a muggy.
It's a pile of parts lol

These things come apart so easy, only took around 30 minutes to tear it down.

The front end.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/006-86.jpg

both f/r end

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/007-77.jpg

Stock wheel base is 14 inches.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/003-88.jpg

5B wheel base is 22.44 inches.

Will be stretched to just under.....drum roll.............................................. .....

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/008-74.jpg

Front track width of a 5B with tires is 14.77 inches.

the front end of my muggy without tires.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/005-81.jpg

I'm getting more excited all the time, need to get my channel aluminum so I can get started :D

Well I went every where, one of the long time machine shops is closed for good I guess, I know he had the channel aluminum but no one was home.

Well after all hope was about lost on getting my aluminum today I decided to stop in at Portland Glass, thinking maybe they might use it for maybe doors.

So the guy says NO, and asked what I wanted it for?
I told him I needed it to build an rc and couldnt find any anywhere.
He says WAIT!!! runs out in the shop and comes back with this.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/007-78.jpg

I look at it and ask how much?
He says, take it its yours, anything to help out a fellow rc'er ROFL
He said when I get it done just bring it in so he can see it.

So anyway, I did make some progress :D

I'll let the pics do most of the talking.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/001-82.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/002-79.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/004-90.jpg

Just a little bigger.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/006-87.jpg

Had to do a little grinding for the spur gear.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/008-75.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/009-70.jpg

I need a bigger bench lol

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/010-65.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/012-58.jpg

Still a long way to go, but its starting to take shape.

Looks good! Ive always wanted to do an off road project like that.

Love the shape of the alloy you got, don't think that will bend hey. It's looking good so far.

Thanks v8hatch, meens a lot coming from you.
I guess I wont be totally be copying you, but will use a lot of bits and bobs from your design, I still plan on the 5b look also.

How about a few comparison shots.

With old chassis.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/004-91.jpg

OK the bigger question, how does it compare to my E-XXLST2

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/005-82.jpg

Well is it bigger than the E-XXLST2............................Well DUH!!!!!! lol

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/001-83.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/003-89.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/002-80.jpg

I'll get more done in time, just going to take a few pay checks to build this one lol

Looking good mate, yes a lot bigger than the XXLST-2.

It took me a while and some pay checks to get it done as well, take your time and enjoy the build, it's worth it in the end. Oh and mines not finished I still have more things I would like to do, I'm sure you will too.

I'm thinking a carrier bearing for the front shaft somewhere near the middle to eliminate any chance of it pretzeling on me.
What did you use for your shaft?
Was it solid and you drilled it out on the ends?

Yes mate solid rod about 12mm but 10 or 8 would be enough.

nice project.......... we waiting notices/photos/vids :lol:

New Roll Cage and a used body on the way.

My 1717 showed yesterday, going to put it in now :)

Nice when parts start to turn up and you can do a bit more on it, keep up the photo's.

Well the 1717 showed up yesterday, but didnt have time to work on it but grabbed an hour today to get back to it.

Had to notch the chassis and eeeeeek mod the Rc-Monster motor mount so the screws would pass through it, but it wouldn't be a project
if there wasn't modding lol

Anyway on to the pics

Man what a can this thing is lol

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/001-84.jpg

All mounted up.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/002-81.jpg

My beast is coming together nicely.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/003-90.jpg

I think there will be plenty of room for battery packs hahaha

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/004-92.jpg

Checked and re-checked my funds and was able to snag a new complete roll cage on evilbay, so more progression next week.

Just for kicks I threw in 6s and just threw on my spare 23 toth pinion just to see what the motor sounded like.

Well all I got to say is OMG!!!!!!!! even without the front shaft hooked up it was spinning tire in a big way in my cellar.

I was shall we say a little shocked that just the 50k diff oil was allowing it to actually turn tire hahahaha

Nice work, your getting there. What oil have you put in the CD?

Just an idea - you could have moved the CD a little to the left (it doesn't need to be in the exact center) and the motor would have fit without hacking the chassis.

Also, I doubt that you're really going to want to run a pinion that large - what top speed would that give you!?! You'll probably need to move the support bar that you currently have between the motor and driveshaft. That's what others have done, anyway.

Ya that thought hit me rate after the motor showed up, I had clamped the old chassis to the new and transferred the cd bolt pattern so the shaft would be in the rite position.
Wish I had the motor before I had done so but oh well.

I also figured out after the fact that the brace would have to be moved when I tried the 15 tooth pinion on it and it hit the brace just shy of meshing.

Today is my day off and I'll be getting more done including the rear brace and installing the 15 tooth pinion.

With the 23 tooth its geared for around 82mph on 6s which is a little bit much hahahaha

I'm using yours and v8hatch's builds as my models to go by, both AWESOME builds and will be happy if mine is 1/2 as cool when its done :intello:

Yeah, I thought it would be a bit high! :lol:

OK brian just to ease your mind lol

Well the Muggy rear chassis brace was in the way of running the 15 tooth pinion I wanted to run, I had to make one that wasn't in the way of that Coke can of a motor I'm using.

With the use what I got attitude I looked at what I had laying around that wouldnt look like ka ka

Well found I had two extra Muggy shock tower mount plates and some chassis rails from an old PTI Golioth I used to have and came up with this.

I think it looks pretty good, and it is very solid.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/002-82.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/003-91.jpg

Things were still tight so I had to make a little space for the black wire on the motor.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/006-89.jpg

Over all I think it looks pretty mean so far.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/007-80.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/008-77.jpg

Also added a LST2 rear shock mount to stand up the rear shocks and flipped around the a-arm shock mounts to give it more of a buggy stance.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/009-71.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/010-67.jpg

Gave it just the rite rake for a buggy.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/011-58.jpg

More to come as I get more parts in.

How about videos of it running unloading the diff just to move lol
No sound but you get to see its actual first run.

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<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid764.photobucket.co m%2Falbums%2Fxx285%2Fzueslilbuddy2%2F013-52.mp4">

Well this might have been a big mistake.

Diff didn't like it much unloading so much ROFL

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/014-47.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/015-39.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/016-34.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/017-32.jpg

Well I was able to get the gears out and back in place where they are ment to sit and then.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/018-28.jpg

This Diff Is Locked lol

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/019-24.jpg

I guess it was in the stars lmao, should have done it first thing this morning hahaha

I was thinking about that rear brace, glad Brian noticed it and said something. I hope those brackets hold up ok, they should.

Wow that diff didn't like it at all, it will be interesting to see how this goes locked up i have thought about it myself.

Well body arrived, I removed all the stickers and shot it with flat black lol

Had to stick it together with some duck tape just to see how it would look.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/002-83.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/007-81.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/008-78.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/010-68.jpg

Can't wait for the roll cage to get here so I can really see what its going to look like.

With your center diff locked, beware of blowing out either the front or the rear diff. I'd think that the rear diff would be the most suspect as weight will transfer rearward under power and there's no way to really unload it all.. other than the diff gears. I also tried to spot your diff cases in pictures posted above but cannot tell if you have aluminum ones yet or not. I'd advise this upgrade regardless. My diffs went south on my Muggy with just a 1515. Since, I've upgraded to the aluminum housings and shimmed them properly to eliminate any slop.

Ya I'll be softening the punch on the MMM and I just happened to order the aluminum diff cases last night lol

Ran it last night with the locked cd and on braking heard a snap or two, stopped running and bought them less than an hour later.
Will shim them up and hope all looks good when I open them up.

you may need to change the plastic diff case to alloy as well, that was the first thing to crack on mine, i'm actually still using the plastic diff's although the centre one got a bit to hot and i have ordered the HD one for that.

OK well I did end up with an update after all.

Figured I should tie up a few loose ends.

Almost forgot I needed to tie in the bottom of the bell crank.

Needed risers, a few old brass bushings were just the rite size to even everything out.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/001-86.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/002-84.jpg

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/005-84.jpg

Front end

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/007-82.jpg

Rear end

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/006-90.jpg

Man this thing is huge

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/008-79.jpg

After roll cage shows I'll start in on battery mounts.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...dy2/010-69.jpg

Hope the cage and Diff cases show tomorrow, looking forward to some fabrication :D

Some good lst info for your build, which is great!!!

If you want to move the cd forward to cut down on the ft shaft length you can use a lst1 wheel cvd shaft, it will fit the cv end that attaches to the rear diff.

I would suggest using the HD cups with al diff cases. Or try to scare up some nova rc al diff cups. The hd cups work very well. They will not explode like the center cup did!

Build looks great. I happen to have a section of al channel I purchased a few years ago to make a buggy out of lst/muggy parts. I planned to use a xlb body I have, so it would not be 1/5th scale, more like 7th scale.

Looking good, keep up the great work!

dang! That center diff literally exploded....wow! lookin good though! can't wait to see it up and fully running.

Fun build
 

Yea this looks like a fun build project. It is fun to come up with new ideas and try things that others may have failed at, but in the end you learn more about R/C design and construction.:rules: It kind of lets you see exactly what some of the manufacturers have to go through in order to come up with a half descent vehicle.:whistle: Trial & error is the best way to learn.:yes: I do like that piece of channel you came up with, and for free. Can't beat that with a stick.:party:

Considering the sheer size of your build, the size of the 1717 motor and the added stress you are giong to put through this thing you really do have to elliminate your drive line weak points.:oh: Using plastic in any of your drive line IMO is just asking for trouble.:diablo: If you want this thing to last for any length of time get your diffs all setup in alloy to avoid inevitable failures.:gasp: If there is any way to use hardened steel gears I would do it. Alloy diff cups and cases will give you ultimate strength, reduce flexing, and help avoid disaster and more delays.:intello: Just my 2 cents. Nice project, keep up the great work, and thanks for sharing your experience with us.:lol:

Thanks for the info, I think I know where I can get a lst1 wheel cvd :yes:

If your putting a centre prop shaft in make sure you use something like 8mm/10mm tube to extend it. Dont be tempted to use bar as it will bend, has to be tube.

Thanks for the advice but I'll be using Hardened Steel rod.
Having it made up at the machine shop very soon.

It will not be welded, but will be like v8hatch's with the set screws to make it easier to change out the shaft ends if I happen to break a dogbone end or cdv end. :na:

fair enough but at that length i'd still go with tube, time will tell. :)

This makes no sense - a solid rod is stronger than a hollow tube of the same OD.

I'm pretty sure tube is stronger in a driveshaft application,never seen a solid shaft on anything full size either.

So you take a solid rod and drill a hole through the middle, making it hollow, and it's stronger?

Take note, that I say "of the same OD" - to make his driveshaft out of the cvd pieces fit into either a tube or solid shaft drilled out at the ends he must have a similar OD rod or tube.

A tube of the same weight as the rod (meaning it's made from the same amount of material as the rod) will undeniably be stronger. But that is not what is under discussion.

lol: do some research bud.

years ago they made propshafts on cars out of bar, they would twist unless they were REALLY thick and very heavy, a tube of the same diameter with a very thin wall (1mm) is just as strong and will resist and bending.

Yes, fact im afraid, it will resist the torque and not bend, strange but true, thats why all car props are made that way, makes them much much lighter than solid aswell.

OK: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_is_s...low_steel_pipe

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7125516AAcFkuI

http://www.off-roadweb.com/tech/1101...ube/index.html

Bottom line: what I stated in my previous posts is exactly right. Again I say that a tube made out of the same amount of material can be stronger, but it will have a larger OD - that is not what is under discussion here.