Proline Cage Axial ARTR V1

This is the first build. It only took a few hours from getting it through the post to have it running like this:


The Proline tuber cage (see here) fits straight onto the standard Axial chassis (any AX10 version) by means of just four screws. It provides location for the battery, receiver and speed controller, as well as forming a reasonably substantive roll cage. It's not made of metal, unlike the standard Axial sideplates it sits atop, having a mixed plastic appearance. It's moulded largely in what appears to be three parts, with a few additional jointers, screws and bits and pieces, like a choice of front bumpers and a battery cover with standard body clip fixings. Here's what it looks like as designed on a bare truck (someone else's pics - apologies and thank you Greg B!):


What I found was the battery cover was very hard to get on and off to change batteries; also the securing clips were quite fiddly to get in and out. So I did away with the cover, which actually secures the battery, and cable-tied the original Axial battery plate (which would normally be done-away with by this conversion) back into its (near) original position. This means I retain the standard velcro fixings, which makes life a whole lot easier.

I mounted the receiver by sandwiching it between the two main cage sections at the very front, just behind the bumper which protects it well. It, a 3 channel Futaba R133F, fits a treat and stayed perfectly in place on the first run despite not even having an additional cable-tie or two to further secure it. Having it in the suggested position at the back means it needs a servo cable extension for the front steering, as well as placing its weight at the wrong end of the truck. Also the aerial conveniently wraps around the structure of the cage, although I may yet change this. Once everything is finalised I'll completely waterproof the receiver, which is mounted with its plug and crystal sockets facing downwards.

The truck came with a Novak Rooster speed controller. Unfortunately this was just a bit too tall to fit into the suggested location at what would be the dashboard position, impinging slightly into the space for the battery. I had a spare RV-20 kicking around, so that's what it got because it fitted fine. It has a reverse delay, which seems to aid in getting unstuck from tricky places where I couldn't go further forwards, and the brakes (or a touch of reverse) work fine on steep descents. There are no 'instant' drag brakes of course, because these only come with dedicated crawler controllers, but to be honest these just employ a different technique for going downhill. Either method needs its own set of skills.

The front servo is a Traxxas 2070 with about 125.0 oz-in (9.00 kg-cm) of push. This seems to give sufficient steering authority. I didn't use the supplied servo-saver, preferring the more direct approach. Whether this will affect its longevity or not remains to be seen. Just about the only other thing I did was to cover the lower and steering links with clear (or nearly - it looks more white than it really is in the photos) nylon spiral wrap. The links are such lovely little items, what with their anodised colour and tidy laser size etching, that it seems such a complete sin to instantly scratch and scrape the hell out of them on the first rocks they touch. Later on I may see if I can get some orange coloured heat shrink. This would do an equal job although it might need replacing more often.

AX10 first test drive

I walked down to Anchor Head late this morning (about 20 minutes away by foot from where I live) with the Axial in a rucksack on my back. The local radio station had said something about the possibility of 'sunny spells', but evidently none are to be seen here today. Everything was either a bit damp or positively wet, leastwise that which the sea covers periodically, because the tide had turned just a couple of hours earlier. Quite good fun was had nevertheless :-)










The truck is running with a stock Tamiya 27 turn motor (actually one of the ones that came with the doner Clodbuster for the Clodzilla), a Motorsports/Mtroniks RV-20 Sniper waterproof speed controller, and Futaba 3 channel radio, fitted in the hopeful expectation of getting 4 wheel steering arranged at some point in the future. Everything works fine, only the lack of grip was a problem, and that was just the luck of the day. I'll write a few words about the construction of the Axial in my next post.

An Axial for Christmas!

This is what the postman brought me this morning. A never-used ARTR (almost ready to run) Axial AX10 Scorpion. Technically it's my Christmas present to myself but why do I need to wrap it and wait in anticipation, eh?



I chose this particular one because it's actually three trucks-in-one. It came complete with a Proline 'Bushwacker' (Toyota Landcruiser but-for-the-name due to copyright restrictions) shell and a Proline tuber chassis as well as with all its standard running gear. Also included were a Novak Rooster speed controller, a Novak Mercury shielded 40Mhz receiver, a spare AX10 centre section and wheel weights for the two front wheels.

The plan here initially is to actually build a camera car, so that I can film one truck by following it with another. So its first guise will be in tuber mode. Already I've got it assembled and running. It took about three hours. Pictures to follow tomorrow if the Sun comes out to play!

(How much you ask? £160 including post and packaging. It came all the way from Inverurie, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Its arrival was only shortly delayed by three feet of snowfall.)

New front steering linkage

Well, the slightly better camera took slightly worse pictures. Never mind. Here's the first complete linkage set:




The cranks are made from 8mm alloy plate. They follow the dimensions of the originals with the lower plate just having one position, which corresponds with the central hole (of 3) on the plastic Tamiya version. The rod screw holes are tapped at M3, and the upper clamping screw is the same size. The lower crank is threaded at M6 onto the vertical spindle (formerly a stainless steel cap screw) and has a lock nut and washer for clamping. Once the final positioning was set it then was finally drilled (at 5/64 = 1.9844mm) and pinned with a 2mm hardened steel pin (just visible on the right in the third pic). The upper crank is located on 4mm flats filed on the 6mm spindle, with a matching 6x4mm hole drilled and then filed to size through it.

The second one, for the rear of the truck, is almost done as well (one more crank to make), then it'll be black paint and fitment and testing.

Bitmap of steering linkage

I did this last night.


Key:

Yellow - upper and lower cranks

Black - axle housing

Red - bearings

Blue - centre shaft

Dark Green - new mounting plates

Purple - washers

Light Blue - plastic bearing spacers

Light Green - retaining nut

This system works equally well with or without the new plates, and therefore will fit a stock clodbuster. Most of these parts are made now, I'm going to have to borrow a better camera to get good close up pics.

Prototype bash/skidplate

So far I've got a pretty good cardboard template made. The steering linkage passes through the new plate, which attaches outboard at the conveniently located spare holes in the cantilever rod lower plates. The original plastic Tamiya (broken) linkage fitted in a vertical 10mm hole in the left-hand axle case, the new aluminium and steel linkage will now mount here on three bearings, two flanged ones with an outer diameter of 11.4mm and inner O/D of 10mm, plus a central 10mm plain bearing. All are 6mm I/D. To keep them spaced properly (i.e. the middle bearing halfway down the hole) I've use plastic spacers, essentially just chopped off bits of electrical sleeving, in between the three bearings on each axle set.

I've bought some 2mm aluminium plate (340 x 250mm - should be just about right!) to make the skidplates out of. Because the bearings are only 3mm thick with a flange of 0.4 mm current protrusion into the axle housing is only 0.6 mm. For this reason I'm going to get a friendly local machine shop to counterbore the plate halfway through to allow for better (1.6mm) location of the bearings into the axle housings. There is also the possibility of a lower bearing plate too but that's going to be a bit complicated to explain right now and there are other things to do first. Like a bitmap sketch to explain how this works out before the bits are made and mounted?

Watch this space...

Long overdue update...

Well, the 'Zilla is still with me! It's been 'off the rocks' for a little while now due to a broken steering linkage on the front - it was the original plastic Tamiya servo saver thingy, and it had to be screwed down as tight as it could be as it just cost steering authority any other way - so it wasn't really up to the job. I've got metal replacements in manufacture on my bench and they're nearly done now. I'll write another post about them when they're finished.

Other than that I had several good outings with the truck over the summer months. I managed to get some Giant Trac tyres from the USA - they cost a fair bit what with the postage but they were well worth it. The grip is substantially better than the original Clodbuster chevrons.

Also in production (shortly!) will be some sort of skidplate/axle guards. Pics to follow!