NEW Pics!
 

Well I think I'm FINALLY done with this one. Other than replacing broken parts, I don't have any more modifications in mind for the Rustler.

Hasn't been run yet, hopefully I'll get a chance on Tuesday.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072318.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072314.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072317.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072313.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072306.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072304.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072303.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072311.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...602072302a.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0602072302.jpg


What say you?

Drool..........

:043: :043: :043: :004: :004: :004: :004: :004: :004:

Niiice!!:004: :004:

neat trick, midmotor

Very Nice!!! Looks sturdy.

One sugestion. Take the sharp points off of those battery boxes you made. Those sharp corners and Lipos just scare the bejesus out of me. Lipo packs are fragile and any kind of crash and those sharp edges will be poking holes in the lipos. NOT GOOD. Unless you like BBQ Rustler.

I so agree on the battery boxes.

Great project. Looks very very good.

Twin batteries on a rusty...SWEET! Hope you have access to a radar gun.

Thanks guys. Yeah I am going to round off those battery trays, probably fold some electrical tape over the edges too just to be safe.

Looks great. My only question is why do the batteries have to be on their side? Might as well make the chassis a tid bit wider and lay them down flat. But still looks great.

Thanks Seth. I though about laying the batteries down, but I would have to make another, wider, chassis. Also it would need a wider body, which I think would interfere with the front suspension travel. I'll probably knock the ride height down another half-inch before I run it anyways.

That looks nice! Very cool project.

Hey I just ran it about a half hour ago. HOLY SH*T this thing is FAST! You know that video of the 134 MpH car? No it doesn't go 134 MpH, probably half of that. I dont know for sure because I don't have a GPS, and my street wouldn't allow me to reach terminal velocity anyways. Here is a picture of my street for reference:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...0605071134.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...605071134a.jpg

There's an airport a couple miles from my house. I might go down there and ask to borrow their runway. But seriously it was going at least 50 MpH before I had to turn. Even then it drifted around the whole sidewalk. You can see the sidewalk in the second picture behind the light pole. It runs very well though. The motor does get really hot to the touch, but anything would with 1000W+ going through it. The ESC gets warm to the touch, and the batteries don't even flinch. I need some stickier tires though. Do you guys have any suggestions?

I believe you man. Do you have the sticky version of the HPI V-groove tires?

I have both versions of the V-grooves. Zero traction with the harder compound at anything over 30mph.
I had lots of traction with the stickier V-grooves. Just had to tape them up from the inside. They balloon like mad. This is what happend to mine without tape.

BEFORE THE RUN

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1pe8...-sMycxcsMO1UJa

AFTER THE RUN

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1pe8...7cH09py3bnAyY9
http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1pe8...EEvj4hfy6BmvpB

Wow thats a lot of ballooning! I didn't buy the sticky V-grooves because they were $4 more a pair. LOL I spend money on everything but good tires! I might give them a try. Also, what kind of tape did you use for the inside of the tires? Thanks.

I must of hit 60+mph when that happend. And sinds they are stickier, you'll be able to hit the topend alot quicker. My rear setup was set to sqaud a bit on takeoff. No wheelie bar was needed with that setup.

notice the two springs in the rear

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1pe8...-dtZ_Rz3Qd0yQn

I have a pair of Proline Powerstroke shocks in the rear which are dual-rate shocks as well. Although before I flipped the transmission around it would still wheelie sometimes. Not with the hard HPI's, I used to have a pair of Road Hawgs. Probably gonna buy them again; they were good tires. I'm curious, how much does your truck weigh with the stock chassis?

I had never weight the old plastic setup. It's in pieces right now. It was lighter then FLM setup.

Oh me, oh my. I almost missed this thread- good job you put a link in your sig. That is a stunning piece of work- very simple layout and clean lines, and it works beautifully. Shame the Lipos arent a few inches shorter otherwise they would have layed down flat, but it still looks every inch the racer as it is. I love the inboard tranny too- very clever, didnt take too much to make it work like that I take it? I want a Rusty now.....

Thanks man, I'm glad you like it! You are correct on the tranny. It didnt take lots of work, but you can't do it with the stock chassis. I did it first with this one from RCM-RC, which is where my upper chassis came from. The hardest part was actually figuring out how to bridge that gap between the tranny and the upper chassis. The bar is strong as heck and makes a great handle, too. I've had a few ppl say I should lay the LiPo's down, but I'd have to make another chassis and I don't really feel like it...after making the first one. The CG is low enough anyways, I don't think I could flip it if i tried. It has about 0.625" ground clearance in front and 0.75" in back. This puts most of the weight at or below the axles- where it should be.

Edit: With the RCM-RC chassis you will have to drill and countersink two more holes in the back of the chassis to flip the tranny around. And yes, come up with a way to bridge the new gap.

Hmm, I like that RCM-RC chassis, very nice. But..... I prefer your one- just seems more like a small truck chassis, rather than a buggy type chassis. A question- I see there are 4 large holes in the rear for mounting the trannycase to, but what are the other 4/5 small holes for (one the RCM-RC chassis)? When I have financially recovered from building the Gmaxx I think I know what my next project will be- something a tad smaller & faster than the usual monsters I build. You Sir, are an inspiration, and I thank thee.

Neil I can't thank you enough for your appreciation. As far as the other holes in the RCM-RC chassis, they're for the standoffs that support the other half of the upper chassis, which I lopped off to make room, and also the battery hold-downs for the stock mounting location.

No problem. Sometimes you get used to seeing the same kind of 'conversions' or mods done to a truck, not that that doesnt make them cool in their own right, but sometimes you see something a bit different, and it makes you do a double-take. I dont suppose theres any chance of a vid?

Very nice build! and quite ingenuitive (sp?).

I'd love to see a vid of it in action.

Ingenious I reckon. I am assuming there were no real problems with fitting the rear A-arms on backwards to the tranny, as it were. Also I forgot to ask- is it stock wheel base or extended, bearing in mind the tranny is reversed.

That's the word I was looking for. Thanks. My brain just dosn't work like it used too. My wife blames age... I blame my "extra curricular" activities while in college. I'm only 34, it can't be age yet....

The A-arms are, in fact, on forwards. The entire rear assembly is just flipped around. Normally the shocks are in front of the A-arms. The wheel base is extended due to the FLM front bulkhead by 5mm. Also as you recall I mentioned above that the RCM-RC chassis required you to drill two more holes behind the stock mount. My current design retains this feature which gives an additional extension of 20mm to the wheel base.

There is DEFINITELY a chance.

Oh btw I bough some new shoes too. Look here.

hahahaa nce!!! you wont have that problem again!

Those slicks are nice, but I can see you wearing them down quickly! I didnt even notice about the rear A-arms, thats how 'natural' a setup it is. All you need to do is polish it to death like one of the Candymans creations for that extra bling factor....

SWEET setup--really makes me want to convert my losi 10th scale nitro truck to brushless. I keep thinking it will handle better than the elec. version. I think it is built alot better also.

I need some of those tires. I'm currently using imex tires for a jato and if I pull the throttle they will spin and spin. I can pull it and they will just keep spinning untill I let go of the throttle.

Seth I wouldn't bother with those tires. First off I had to drill them out to fit on the Rustler axles which I think are 3/16. Then they had to be spaced out because the inside of the rim was rubbing on the camber links. They did have pretty good traction but a perfectly smooth surface would be better because they aren't pneumatic tires and therefore don't absorb all the little imperfections in the road. In other words the truck bounced around a little. On top of that they don't last very long for 30 bucks a pair.

Here we go AGAIN!
 

I am now willing to admit that I'll probably NEVER be finished upgrading this thing! :lol:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...d/DSC00044.jpg

^^^ Feigao 9XL taken from the Tamiya fan. BK 12020, also from the Tamiya.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4...DSC00045-1.jpg

^^^ Mod 1 gears; 36T, 38T, and 40T spurs; 14T, 16T, and 18T pinions.

More to come. Unfortunately. :rofl:

Did anyone order some motor?

Hehe

I like the set up, Makes me want one!

Waiter! Over here!

Hey guess what- I've already changed my mind. If you missed my Tamiya EDF thread, I ordered (2) 4s 4Ah LiPo packs from MaxAmps to use with the 9XL in the fan unit. The 9XL will go back into the fan. I will order a 12XL...and an MGM 16024. Yeah, 8s in a Rustler. NO! I'm not crazy. Why would you say that?!

whats involved in flipping the trans around like that?

Essentially just drilling a couple new holes onto the chassis to mount the reversed tranny, and I think grinding a little from the bottom of the tranny too since it is curved and needs to be flat. It has been done with a stock rusty too which means its a simple job in theory.

8s in a rustler... no, not nuts, but certifiable **does the bonkers dance**.