How the Clod shoulda been built

[jwscab]

I haven't posted many projects lately, so I figure it's time to show off the latest budget build. All of my stuff I try and build with a budget in mind, when you have a problem and obtain as many rc projects as me, the cheaper the better.(although the guys on the forum always make me feel better, since some have WAY more than me)

My boys are old enough that they run my other couple of cars really well, but without a local track and not much set up in the yard (yet), there are some limitations to buggies and even the venerable lunchbox can get stuck pretty often on the grass. SO what better way to get over the 'hump' if you will than with the king of the hill, the might clodbuster.....except....it's really not that agile.

So with that in mind I started to dig up clod builds, and other crawler type stuff. the new crawler stuff is killer, but also $$$, trying to do it on the cheap and with the two boys crashing around, better to repair with cheap parts.

so I found a clod build on our sister site clodtalk, where a guy used a wheel-king chassis on some clodbuster axles. I found a guy on Old School RC that sold me a set of clod axles and wheels/tires for a really good price. Axles were definitely well used, but nothing truly broken, with bearings, and the diffs were sorta locked, but I cleaned them out to open diffs for now.

On to the pics:

[jwscab]

The next pics will show this list of parts:

Wheely King chassis set...for $5.00 plus shipping on ebay!!!!!
Traxxas end links
associated 1.32" shocks reanodized blue.
new pullout stock motors from ebay.
Turnigy servo reverser
4 link kit from ebay seller, really nice parts, for decent price. Included the hub reinforcement inners as well
2 axles with tires wheels from Old School FB page
Custom 3/8" axle wideners and axle nuts
4 link and cross braces are solid 6061 aluminum cut to length, drilled, tapped #4 screw
clodbuster body mounts, and ball joints for body braces.
Traxxas XL5 and towehobbies reciever complements of Toasted Coastie on a recent sale(THANKS!!)
hard case Lipo, 2S, 5200MAH
CPE battery cups, servo savers and pinions.

[jwscab]

servo mounts made by me, although I screwed up and the front servo crashes into the frame because it drops down kinda far. so a front bumper setup will be machined in the near future. mid plates are just fiberglass I had, something like 1/16" thick.

the body mounts are made from scrap shock towers that I still need to massage into a more generic shape so they look a little more purpose built.

this thing has a good articulation (not great) but it really drives great, agile, a little slow with the stockers (may try 3S), but really really FUN! It moves just the real thing, hah.

Of course, you may ask me about that body, yes, its a parma vette body, custom paint by me and my brother a LONG LOONG time ago. My brother bought a 'burgundy' paint that ended up pink, even a black backer would not have helped this color. My 6 yr old requested this body over a stepside chevy body, but the body mounts are made such that I can adjust the heights and go with either.

[Wahrsuul]

Looks great! So how much was the budget??

[jwscab]

I wanna say all this stuff was sub $150. Axles and tires were the bulk. Not counting the lipo or two servos I had lying around.

This vette body was actually run for quite a while on my brothers stock clod, so it's cool to see it come full circle. But this guy is way more fun than the stock clod was, it's still slow, but where the stocker was bulky and rigid, this guy feels light and nimble.

[scr8p]

I'm sure the boys love it.

[SFC K]

Wow! That turned out really cool! I like the lower chassis brace, simple and small but effective. I agree with you on the WK chassis plates. I have a set as well that needs to be built up with Clod axles. This has give me more ideas for my build!

Now go post this over on Clodtalk and Thanks for sharing.

[jwscab]

I still need to get an account there.....any way I can keep my screenname here for clodtalk too?

yes, the lower brace is 1/8" x 3/4" I believe. It ties into the two 'pods' for the lower links that are 1/4" thick material. I made the cross tubes 4" long. The beauty of this is that I didn't need super long top links with those lower brace/brackets, so believe it or not, the top and bottom links are really close to the same length. I'll measure them and add the info. You can set the caster with extra #4 nuts as well as toe in the toe links. The front has 'one nut' toe in, as does the rear, so it tracks nice and straight.

I'm contemplating making a lower shield that will overlap on the brace and bend over to protect the inner links.

[SFC K]

Yup, you sure can use the same name, as long as no one else has picked it. I'm pretty sure you will be fine in that department.


Thanks for the info as well. I have links already made so if they are close, I will use them. I like to clock the axles anyways so depending on set-up, it might work in my favor. I think you are the second one now to pull this off using the WK chassis plates.

[jwscab]

lower links are 4", upper links are 3.45", wheel base is about 13.2" bear in mind this is with the ebay control arm brackets, so depending on whose you use, the wheel base and link ratio might vary a bit. The links have 1 #4 nut on each end before the traxxas ball end for adjustment of caster.

[Wahrsuul]

That's a prett good price for all that truck. Heck, I paid about 2/3 of that just for a stock Clod. Of course, that's what I was looking for, I want to have a stock, my time capsule, and then one or two builds like this. Thanks for the ideas.

SFC K, you wouldn't happen to have any contacts over at rcmt.com, would you? Their registration process is broken, and has been for a while as near as I can tell.

[WhoKnowsWho]

Looks really great! I might have to consider doing this with such a low budget since I've got three Clodbusters. Two stock and one on a CPE chassis, with one CPE chassis sitting uninstalled still.

[jwscab]

if you can fabricate stuff, like the links and frame struts, or find them really cheaply, you can really get away with a decent budget.

I updated the front servo to incorporate it into a front bumper, I'll post some follow up pics. I like it so much I might do the rear as well.

I also found a smokin deal on oldrc(fb) for an original Novak EVX, dual battery, dual motor esc. I just so happen to have two astroflite turbo 05 cobalt motors that will find their way in there. you can run the esc from one battery by putting a jumper on the second pack wire, so this will still be 2S.

I still want to get the thundertech? plastic diff locker inserts, they look to be a super way to make a locker non-permanently.

[jwscab]

oh, i ended up making the chassis around 4" wide I think. I definitely needed to run the 3/8" wheel spacers to bring out the tires a little, you could get away with it without them, but it's a tight squeeze at the endpoints. of course, if you have a decent truck within a low budget, you can get the new clod wheels with the offset built in.

[THUNDERSTRIKE1]

I used txt1 wheel axles and hubs an txt1 wheels and tires on my kk1 chassis kit makes it widder without adapters then can add the adapter you have make it even wider.DON