Pistonhead

Been looking at getting a Lesu reduction box to replace the stock transmission, but every single one i’ve seen is just a 5mm shaft with a hole, rather than with a flat spot like the stock output shaft, would i need an aftermarket drive shaft to fit?

Few more bits done this afternoon before work - it’s now a rolling chassis. Going to have to double check the manual as i’m not sure i’ve got the rear suspension 100% right as it sits lower than front, and has barely any movement before it hit the bump stops.

Tools, bearing kit, parts tray and a very much needed new pit mat arrived yesterday, allowing me to make a start on it this evening 😎 So far i’ve gotten the bare chassis assembled, but as i’ve been doing my homework, I’ve not fitted the side mount for the steering servo. I’ve learned that if i lock the transmission in 1st gear, i can mount the steering servo in place of the shift servo at the very front, it eliminates some of the steering linkages, and by the time i build some custom links with some decent rod ends, there will be minim slop in the steering.

Finally made a start on building it 😎

A lovely new Proline pit mat, JConcepts rubber parts tray, bearing kit, and some tools for the Scania 770S

One step closer to starting this build - the spare room has been cleared especially for this, because putting it away after each build session is impractical. Tools are on the way so should be getting started in the next few days 😎

Cheers for the links, i already know how much of a money pit these trucks can be, my bank account will be sure to get emptied after quickly flicking through those 🤣🤣🤣 Will be ordering some tools, a bearing kit and motor next week so i can make a start on the chassis. Got a colour scheme in mind (one that’s not changed within minutes lol) so might get some paint, primer and masking tape in too so i can paint some of the smaller detail parts too

Couldn’t believe the weight of the mini box on the right - it contains all of the metal parts - and it weighs as much as the Phoenix does without a battery lol

I’ve finally gotten one of these beautiful model trucks! Been wanting one ever since i saw one fifteen years ago - it was King Hauler painted like the Smokey and The Bandit truck. - i was hooked instantly. I’ll admit i was pricing up a Hobao Hyper SSTe to go bashing with when i ordered this, but all it took was the sight of one floating past on one of my social feeds to convince me to get one of these instead 🤣🤣 I’m planning a mainly stock build (he says that now lol) aside from some alloys, with a bearing kit, Carson poison motor, Flysky i6, the shift servo from the Phoenix for steering, and an MFC03 My plan is to make progress while bits and electronics come in, and build the chassis and bodywork ‘dry’ for mock-up and wire routing before painting and final assembly

I’ll be looking at well over a grand on this by the time i get a trailer built and hooked up lol. Mrs looked at me funny when i said this will spend most of its life sat on a shelf 🤣

My next money pit 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I was planning on going with the mfc to start with, and then upgrading to a Servonaut if that’s possible with retaining the lights and wiring from the mfc, I understand the leds are glued in.

I shall not disappoint, a full build thread is imminent. Having wanted one so badly for so long, i’m going to be doing the most in-depth research i’ve ever done for an rc project, this will be done right and exactly as I’ve envisaged - apart from the paint - that seems to be changing every few minutes lol

Started looking at getting into bashing again with a Hyper SSTe, only to randomly order a Tamiya Scania 770s instead lol. Been wanting one of these trucks ever since i first saw one around 15 years back. It’s going to be a good while before I start the build as i still need to gather everything together, already got my eyes on a set of wheels, i’ve got a good idea of what electronics i want for it, but will do a bit more research for the light/sound unit.

I got these off a German seller on eBay, but i did get the wheel hexes direct off Boom racing

Ordered two front axle casings this time, saves downtime next time i break a casing, as the next time i break one, I’m buying a set of aluminium F10T casings.

We’ve finally got a group down in Cornwall that’s growing quickly and got decent numbers at meets, and as you said, a wide variety rather than just a bunch of TRX4s lol

Edited with text 👍👍

It’s been a few weeks so time for an update with some pics from the last couple of meets and a transmission upgrade. Out Kynance, huge fun and great to have some dry trails for once! Transmission out for a set of hardened transfer case gears - normally £90odd plus shipping but found this set from a parted out ‘trucks of fortune’ Phoenix for only £60, shipped. Cligga at Perranporth, a short lived run for me - steep climb, lots of wheel speed, one tyre hooked and sent it flying backwards and landed on the front left from about 4ft….

Got her muddy again!

Cracking afternoon around Loe Bar at Helston yesterday, one of my longer runs at nearly seven miles, but it’s an easy walk, and the truck was driven the entire way too. Very slick and muddy but awesome fun and should be even better in the summer when it’s dried out. Did experience some radio glitches caused by interference from RNAS Culdrose, (I suspect it’s the landing radar as my phone signal drops whenever it’s switched on) seems Fkysky radios are prone to it as i’ve had issues in the past in certain locations close to strong radio transmitters. Next visit will be on a Sunday as the base doesn’t fly on Sundays.

Yesterday was bench day for a thorough clean and front axle casing replacement.

Universals arrived last week, wasted little time on fitted the new ones, but once i got into dismantling, i found that the axle had also cracked around the lower c hub screw hole, so ordered up a replacement axle casing for another £15. In the meantime, I carried on with fitting the driveshaft but used a healthy amount of glue on the crack and on the screw hole. Wasn’t sure how it would hold up on a trail run, so took to Poldice as it’s not too far to walk back to the car if it did fail. Turned out, it held out perfectly and had a really good run with it, and ended up running for a good four hours without any issues. I’m more impressed with this rig every time i run it!! Only got a couple of pics, but got some good video.

I’d call it just bad luck, the missing screw let allowed the c hub to move to a position the universal wasn’t happy being in, and with the way the Fusion/Axe systems run, it just kept increasing the torque until the driveshaft could take any more and broke. If i was running a conventional system where the throttle modulates the speed and torque, i’d have noticed it stalling and got out of the throttle.