“ToyAto Crawler” HG-P407 (the black kit)

[XLR8]

I've ordered a different 22t pinion that I hope will be a little thinner than the previous one by Robinson Racing. Unlike the RRP gear, this one is made for a 1/8" diameter shaft so it will require an enlarged center hole to fit the tranny's 5mm main shaft. Enlarging the hole will mean fewer threads for the grub screw so I'm not sure if it will even work but we won't know until we try. The gear is scheduled to arrive Feb 22nd.

[Dadio]

Looking at that pinion the thread for the set screw is hard up against the gear teeth so if you have to grind it back at least there is as much meat on the bone as you can get , also remember if its hardened steel that if you anneal it ( heat it to red hot and let it cool slowly ) it will soften and grind easier , then heat it red hot and oil quench it to re-harden it again after . Looking forward to seeing the results .

[XLR8]

Yeah, I agree completely; the grub screw's location is what convinced me to try this gear.
It's a cheapo Traxxass gear so I doubt that it is hardened -- in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's nickle plated brass. I'm guessing that it's nearly as thin as the stock gear so I'm hoping it won't require much grinding. However, if it's hard steel and it does require grinding, I'll heed your advice and warm it with a torch to soften it a little.

[Dadio]

I was quite pleased with a Traxxas gear I used for a while , I needed a gear to run against a YZ834B Dog fighter plastic gear without wearing it ( bloody rocking horse manure to find 834b gears ) and found it to be a very smooth finish that would be kind to plastic gears , it looked more like a forged gear than the one in your picture but it bodes well for your one being good quality as well.

[XLR8]

Hey guys, check this out -- an HG-P407 with full time 4wd AND a Tamiya slipper clutch. However, it does require some very careful dremel work.

[XLR8]

While I was making some scale license plates for the Blazer (or "tags" as they're called here in the south), I went ahead and made some for the ToyAto. I found blank tag images online (google images) and used MS Word to adjust the scale and add text, then printed them on the office color laser jet printer. The plan is to bond these to some thin sheet aluminum, trim to size and laminate them with clear packing tape to keep them dry.

RATS! I just noticed that I've misspelled ToyAto -- oh well.

[XLR8]

I've picked-up a second kit (a white one this time) and fitted it with Tamiya Hilux High Lift chrome bits (bumpers, mirrors, roll bar and lights). Cab back and glass and side badges are from RC4WD.
I'd planned to paint it like the boxart red Mountain Rider but changed my mind and decided to leave it white for now. After gray priming and painting the underside flat black it seems to have made the molded white really bright and solid - I could never apply paint as smooth and shiny as the bare plastic so guess I'll just leave it white.
The chassis is completely stock. This one's just going on the shelf.

[brn2fly]

Nice job XLR8! I just got one and have the chassis mostly assembled. Waiting on new shocks, shock mounts tires, and new links to replace the c channel ones that the kits comes with. Also I went to Home Depot and bought 1”x1” aluminum angle to make the new steering servo mount. I’ll pst pics when I get the parts.

[XLR8]

Nice job XLR8! I just got one and have the chassis mostly assembled. Waiting on new shocks, shock mounts tires, and new links to replace the c channel ones that the kits comes with. Also I went to Home Depot and bought 1”x1” aluminum angle to make the new steering servo mount. I’ll pst pics when I get the parts.

Thanks Andy!

Yeah, these little trucks are a lot of fun.
Although, now that I've gotten a few miles on my black one, the steering assembly, hub carriers, hubs, etc. have gotten really loose. Even with the fasteners tight, everything sorta flops around. lol
I really don't have a proper area to "rock crawl" and I get kinda bored running in 1st so I tend to run it in 3rd -- flat out -- let 'er rip!
Keeping the screws tight is a challenge - use lots of thread lock.
So, yeah, post some pics when you can.

[Dadio]

XLR8 what did you use for the chrome strip around the door ways ? Looks really nice , the whole truck looks very nice .

[XLR8]

XLR8 what did you use for the chrome strip around the door ways ? Looks really nice , the whole truck looks very nice .

Thank you Dadio.

I have a roll of adhesive-backed aluminum foil tape that came from Lowes - it's meant for sealing HVAC ductwork. The foil is thin and has no coating so it stretches and conforms nicely to irregular surfaces and, when polished with Mother's mag wheel polish, it shines like chrome. Also, the adhesive is wicked sticky so it stays put.

I have some if this Bare-Metal chrome foil but honestly I prefer to use the ductwork tape.

[BigSung]

I did the butter-tub thing as sight guards for fender wells. Without some kind of guard, I’m able to see right through the front fenders to the opposite side of the truck.
P1010191 resized.jpg

Can you give a little more info on the inner fender wells? Looks very nice.

[XLR8]

I did the butter-tub thing as sight guards for fender wells. Without some kind of guard, I’m able to see right through the front fenders to the opposite side of the truck.
P1010191 resized.jpg

Can you give a little more info on the inner fender wells? Looks very nice.

Thanks! Not much to it actually. I've just re-purposed a couple discarded margarine tubs, cut them to fit and painted them black using ordinary rattle can paint. I got the idea from other crawler builds posted on the web. The tubs are durable yet flexible and, best of all, they're F R E E (my favorite four-letter word).

[BigSung]

Thanks! Not much to it actually. I've just re-purposed a couple discarded margarine tubs, cut them to fit and painted them black using ordinary rattle can paint. I got the idea from other crawler builds posted on the web. The tubs are durable yet flexible and, best of all, they're F R E E (my favorite four-letter word).

Thanks that is some ingenious use. Look forward to getting mine done as well.