Lightning 2 Pro carbon rallygame conversion

[nativepaul]

I blew my MM, I was running ovals in the road and suddenly under braking my brakes stopped working and I went flying into a kerb head on, bent a lower front hinge pin and MM works only intermittently now.

[nativepaul]

I am getting an XT8 truggy for Xmas so this buggy will only ever be see on-road use now and is undergoing an extensive lightening and stiffening program currently with a carbon chassis, braces, towers, battery tray etc and a smaller motor, I'm tempted by smaller LiPos too but I have so many 4s 5000mAh packs I'm doubtful that will happen.

So that's the end of the Lightning 2 Pro off/on road buggy.

Watch this space for the birth of the new Lightning 2 Pro Carbon Rallygame on-road conversion!

[nativepaul]

I am waiting for 3.5mm carbon for the chassis and shock towers, but I have some 2mm on hand for the rest of it, I hope to have more updates with carbon replacements for plenty of the alloy stuff soon

I made a new servo top plate.




Ackerman plate, I've now sanded all of the forward adjustment holes off.




I cut out parts for a new battery tray that is not only much lighter but will lower the CoG too, as the alloy tray I have at the moment is raised off the chassis on spacers by about 5mm to clear the mudguards, I will mill groves in the chassis to hold it in position at the bottom.




I made a full front diff/steering post/centre diff/rear diff top plate that stiffens the chassis a lot over the regular front and rear braces, but with a significant weight saving.




Motor mount lightened from this,

to this,

As well as the material reduction around the motor to make it more like Mikes current mounts I removed 3mm from the bottom so i no longer have to use the spacer mike made me under the front centre diff upright lowering the CoG as well as weighing less and removed about 3.5mm from the top of both the motor mount and the front centre diff upright so the new long chassis top plate sits flat from the rear diff case across the centre diff to the steering bellcrank posts.

[nativepaul]

I got my 3.5mm carbon and went to work making the chassis.
outline cut out, drilled and countersunk, spur gear and diff case location holes slotted and slots to locate the battery tray cut.

Bottom view.




Shiney top view.




Centre diff in place.



Rear suspension mounted.



Front suspension in place.



Motor mounted, it all fits in pace on the chassis.

[nativepaul]

Top plate in place.





Battery tray slipped into the slots cut in the chassis.



Low profile front shock tower made, drilled and fitted.

[nativepaul]

I then decided the chassis wasn't light enough, took everything off the chassis and cut out areas under the motor, servo, ESC and battery leaving just a solid strip down the middle between the 3 diffs and I made a rear shock tower while I was at it.

[nativepaul]

Almost ready to run now, just a bit of soldering and a new hinge pin needed, I did forget the body mounts though so I may have to make new front and rear shock towers but I may have room on the rears as I left a fair few unused holes for ride hight adjustment, and just make a bumper with front body mounts attached like proper rallygame cars do.
Here's the ARTR photos





and on the scales

For you yanks that's