First Build

Most of the chassis is now lightly assembled. What I plan to do first is a 'mock up' build, basically to see how all the parts fit together, how much suspension travel is available, and how much clearance the major items have from each other at the extremes of articulation.

Most of the main linkages have been assembled, although one of the rods had a defective thread in one end, whereby the linking stud could be pushed home without rotation taking place! Presumably something went wrong in the production process, I'll have to think about sending it back, although I suppose it could be repaired, at least temporarily, with something like JB Weld.

I have deviated (as have others) very slightly from the instructions by placing the radio/esc plate underneath - instead of on top of - the main frame rails. I've done this it keep the center of gravity as low as I can. Currently my biggest consideration is going to be whether or not I can fit two standard batteries into the available space in the chassis. What I'm going to want is the longest possible run time I can reasonably achieve, say as close as possible to 30 minutes or so. It seems that 3800mah NI-MH packs seem to be the best buy for the money at the minute, so if I can fit two of these in I may achieve my requirement. What I also need is the ability to swap batteries easily whilst out and about with the truck, this is something I definitely have to think about whilst sorting the battery mounting final details.

As the kit comes, the battery mounts are fairly crude, being pressed sections that situate the battery 5/8" (16mm) above the bottom plate. Some of this space is needed to accomodate the lower main link mounting screw nuts (and washers being as I've added some here), whilst the sway bar kit also requires fitment here. As things stand, I've not fitted the sway bar kit because I'm going to lower the gearing to nine or ten motor gear teeth (from the stock thirteen tooth setup). The truck will be +/- 30% slower than it was before, to gain a proportionate amount of clambering and climbing 'grunt', and this will in some part negate the requirement for the sway bar. I've tried bending them by hand, and they certainly will help with restraining the natural body-rolling tendancies of a flat-out hard-cornering racer truck. How they may help or hinder the opposite requirements for medium-duty rock crawling activity is another question.