Tamiyacowboy Posted June 6, 2005 Share Posted June 6, 2005 (edited) well i have been tinkering with this truck and finnished so decided to let all know my thoughts on this 1/20th scale truck from ATECH. above we have the mini leo x by a-tech.cc this truck is a 1/20th scale Monster Truck, the model i have runs on 6 AA cells that can be installed in any formation and also come with a li-poly cell pack too. this little truck from out of the box and running is very good and suprised me some what, the other types of small mini trucks had me expecting this to be a little cumbersome . but i was suprised a set of pinions 11t 12t 14t so we started of with the 11t pinion. as i brought this truck for myself and my niece to play with we had to take it straight out (i also had some cam footage too) the little truck runs well with my tx cells in but my car stayed still . damn we realy need better cells.hmmmmm poor mini t has to loose its power source so a little squeezing and we had a mini t 6 cell pack in (click here to see it) after the cells came the love for this truck and my mission started to make this into a real crawler. first of was to gain as mutch infomation on crawlers then i started. first was to cut away the front servo guard (see picture below) as this would be used later on to protect the steering, thsi space alows for a second servo to be fitted onto the front axle but this will come later on next was to give the truck some real links as the plastic ones looked very weak at the ball joint ens and the ball joints themselves (see pic below). you will need 8x ball joints & 8x ball end fittings to make the rods use adjustable tie rods form most micros or 1/10th cars and trucks. above we see the tyres i decided these needed cutting, so taking a craft knife i carefully reamoved chunks from the pattern, this would allow the tyres to grip better as they would colapse once in contact with an object. but it was not to be the rims have no holes in to let the air escape so they become bouncy and we cant have that, after eight drill holes (1mm/ 2mm) later the tyres colapsed well and would also grip better. i then decided the new setups should be tryed out and tested so i powered up and trotted of out with the now name MGLT-1 meaning mini giant little truck 1 and more crazy ideas. returning from the front garden bash i decided a servo had to be fitted to the front axle. while the truck would climb rocks,bricks and the odd kerb it had a tendancy to turn the front rims (wheels) when climb and this would have to be sorted out. so i then started on removing the rear battery plate and casing, i also took my time and removed most of the rear chassis plastic. Now there was no turning back it had to be compleated . the picture below shows the rear battery holder removed and a mini t cell pack suspended from the rear body mounting deck plate at rear of truck.you can also se the space that is taken up by the full size steering servo and the center diff casing now comes the steering modification. i shall start with a list of items most hobbyists will have laying around for some of you guys you will need to spend a small amount of cash to get these parts or you can ask a friend if he/she has some. 1 micro servo 4 small screws you get with full sizes servos (thin type) 2 servo blocks (tamiya ones are best, these hold servos to chassis's) 4 ball joints 4 ball end cups 2 steering links (these will need cutting down if long) 2 screws to hold servo in place on mounts well here we go. i followed the steps from this site called Swami rc as you can see you need to remove the front diff and follow the step in this link "HERE". this explains how to get full steering just follow the steps or you can allways come and ask me.as i will always help out as best i can next is the mounts themselves we can go to swami and buy his alloy ones i will say they look very strong and but we have to be on a budget, so this is where the servo blocks come in to play. the picture below show the shock mounts on the axle looking at your giant from the front you will see the bottoms of the shocks connect to the axles clamp plate and has two areas that you can use you need to adjust the shocks so they sit in a more uprite position so move them back towards the center of the chassis,now take a servo block and place it inbetween the front part of the shock mount and front of the alxes gearbox use two of the small screws to hold the servo blocks to the shock mounts (bottom ones closest to front alxe).the picture bellow shows the mounted servo and block screwed in place on the shock mount/s. i shaved of the stub so the blocks would fit these usualy give strength for the shock screw but we wont need this. one thing i noticed was the ball joint cups rubbed on the tyres so i decided to shift the over on the rim as there is a second rib the tyres will grip problem solved and a picture below to show it works. you could also removethis piece of rim and glue the tyre in place you will also notice the hub carriers have been cut to allow the steering to work. Looking at how i mounted the battery was bad and needed to be reworks so i decided the best place was to replace the fullsize servo with the battery pack, this allows the COG (center of gravity) to be more equal and stop the truck being rear heavy, with the top deck still in place and the servo block still fitted i slipped the cell pack in and screwed all down tight the picture below shows the cell pack in place http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v725/Tam...sidecutaway.jpg the final thing i decided was the shocks i had worked out the best place to put them giving a little more ride hight from the bottom of the chassis this reals makes the truck sit higher, it also allows for a better crawl down and up kerbs as the chassis wont catch on the kerb anymore the picture below shows where i decided the lowest point the shock could be mounted ok i fib i did mount the shocks this low but they need to be oil shocks and have softer springs in all i have taken lost of plastic away and this truck still functions well, to be honnest very well. you could go the bigger route and find a fron gearbox/axle this could be fitted to the rear and give 4ws (four wheel steering) you would require a new four channel radio system another mini servo plus sapce so it would have to be a micro 4 channel rx. this truck has now been made into a go anywhere crawler it climbs realistic size obsticals with ease . i know we are on a budget but the othe extras like a better cell pack will in the end give a more stable truck. the steering on the starndard truck does let it down but once a few changes take place like the fron servo it unleashes this trucks power in a way you would not believe in. let me just also say this truck will take a mamba but i myself will just say dont do it it will be nothing but a out off control truck. its not realy built for racing but more for going slow and in mini trails sections. diffs can also be locked for the ultimate grip factor. the A-tech is sutch a fun build, the truck is so simply layed out, it will keep those that want a large crawler but cant aford one to have a baby one that does the same its big brother could happy and still leave room for improvements those i will leave for you guys to work on. thank you for reading and i hope this helps you on making your own mini crawler, i will do some video once i get a new mini t pack as this one has vented a cell on me. i may look into a AE rc18t stick pack mod for them just incase moments TC Edited June 7, 2005 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 thats nice one there tc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 That looks ace! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 7, 2005 Author Share Posted June 7, 2005 thank you guys i have updated it alot more if you all care to have a follow up read and i am also now uploading new photos TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Sweet mate that is gonna be pukka. my mate has got one of those but i don't think he would be best pleased if he came home from work and i had hacked it up lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 7, 2005 Author Share Posted June 7, 2005 lol mel it is easy and the only time the truck wont be in use is when the servo is changed over. all these mods can be done and finnished in a weekend, but you must have everything ready, myself was on a budget so made this without spending anything apart from the £65 on teh truck its self. everything else i have laying around was used , thats the art of modding, changing parts others wouldnt think off i will try get some real good pic of the truck at work and play but that wont be for a while TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Nice one again TC nice work there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 7, 2005 Author Share Posted June 7, 2005 (edited) thanks guys good to know we have some crawler lovers in i think we need more mini crawler owners to come out of the wood work so we can get a area for our selves, give an insight into our part of the hobby and the extreme measures we take to get a basic truck to a curtain crawling moster jumping micro truck so guys what you think off this mini crawler (please no arguring) and feel free to post questions if you want to mod your little giant or any other micro truck or buggy TC Edited June 7, 2005 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 (edited) When can we see a brushless running in it, so it flys lol, i might just have to get one now, not had any thing small yet just big stuff Edited June 7, 2005 by Hawkeye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 7, 2005 Author Share Posted June 7, 2005 sorry to say but this will stay as a brushed motor as my niece uses it to i think brushless should be left untill she can control this truck first. myself honestly thinks that an brushless motor will kill the center gearbox and will just be a money imput no fun output. it is made to be a slow moving crawler but you could install a mamba and it has been done but i wont be following that direction i want a slow controled truck mate not a straight line rocket because that is all it will be TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 yeh fiar enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted July 15, 2005 Author Share Posted July 15, 2005 after alots of toil i have finnishe the rear extaension in the rod links and top brace links shocks will indeed need repalcing and biggus cam up with the idea of TLT-1 shocks so thats what will be fitted. these first two picture show the length that we now have its is around 4.5inch long so we look to be around 9 inches after the front is extended. the next two picture show how the rear top link braces are fitted these give a nice strong two into one link system it also makes for a higher articulation of the alxe as shown.you can tell by how higher it is by the brick now standing on its edge. the final picture shows a old londong house brick beside the crawler this shows its current length with only the rear extended. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted July 15, 2005 Author Share Posted July 15, 2005 well guys i have been a busy body with the help of biggus and have now fixed the front links in a more suitable position. the top center sway plate was hindering and would hinder articulation in the long run so i needed help fitting link bars but i had lots of lateral axle movement after a few mishaps and broken servo i was giving up but biggus gave me a few links to fixes-mods he had tryed out with larger models, so after a few days working and taking thought i have finaly finnish the front of the mini giant its looking good so far with the new links they work very well. well here we go guys here are the new links i have made up with the help from biggus. i also recut the tyres to suit climbing more and offer more bite when needed once i do the rear mod i will take pics and place a step by step guide on link conversions TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted July 15, 2005 Author Share Posted July 15, 2005 above you see the mini giant- leoX in the nearly finnished state. the truck now has a more crawler looking chassis once the extra not needed parts are removed. extending the base and dogbones is something i am still working on, the same as rear wheel steering too, the extending i may go with longer link rods, i have found some 70+mm length ones so these could help. at the moment the poor truck is not running i have stripped the front steering servos gears so need a new one. also finding a suitable servo saver has come to a halt as i cant find the type i need in a smaller version (tamiya white style) it is moving along but at a slow pace, now is the time where the conversion is tweeked to find the best settings for a crawler so small. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted July 15, 2005 Author Share Posted July 15, 2005 well guys the running off the crawler is taking its toll on the servo after stripping it i had a problem alot of teeth missing from gears so i have modded the actual servo itself. i now have full turning left and right, coming to a conclusion that the twin arm steering setup was to fault i decided to have a compleate change to the steering setup. using the clodbuster,tlt,txt,and other crawlers for a base line i made a steering link using there principle and OMG does it work well. i think i will try and use a rc18t servo saver on and see if this can help but they are slightly sloppy and we dont need that with a crawler as it can cause steering problems. its been a long old night of greasey fingers and dirty jeans so i shall get some pictures of the updated steering setup as soon as day light allows me too to make this mod possible you will need to bend the threaded link rod slightly this does not hurt but helps. you will need 1 x short threaded 2m - 3m rod 1 x long threaded 2m-3m rod 4 x ball link ends 2 x ball joints 2 x captive ball joints 1 x 1cm long screw or bolt place the two front wheels roughly straight and measure up your bar so it reaches from on side of the steering nuckle to the other. from the front place a ball link into the right knuckle. now taking the longest bar (link 1) we place a ballend link on both ends and pop a captive ball into one of the sockets. place the link onto the right knuckle and snap it down in place. the bar will lay across the top of the bumper fitting arms perfect and be free of catching on anything. now tak you short bar and place two ball links on the ends, and in one ball link place the other captive ball. now taking both rods with the captive balls in the ends place these over the left knuckle (truck facing forward ) and screw down using the 1cm+ screw or bolt. you will also notice the truck turns more in one direction than the other, this is not the steering but the extreme angle the servo link to the left knuckle. the picture above with the truck face on shows the servo facing foward. but it needs to be angled so the whole servo is angled downwards so pull it forward so the links level off and give a better angle for the steering and this takes away the problem of turning more in one direction than the other, i must point out that MUD4FUN from tamiyaclub sugested i try this servo adjustment to help steering and yes it works so a big thanks to him also TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted July 15, 2005 Author Share Posted July 15, 2005 Well i have been at it again this time body work was the problem, small ugly looking fake off a shell was winding me up, spent most of last night getting the airbrush sorted (regulator,hose) and it dawned one me 1/20th scale is short on shells so maybe a 1/18th scale would fit. so looking at the losi 1/18th scale baja buy shell i decided to do this fitting was easy as ABC, just drill two hole in the rear. ok i will explain where to drill the holes (saves messed up shells) the rear window follow this down too the bottom the two bottom corners of the rear window is where the two mount holes should be once the rears are done you can slip the shell over and mark out the two front hole and drill them. the problem is you will have eight holes but a few crafty sticker placements soon overcomes that problem. i think the blitzer beetle will look cool on the crawler chassis but thats for time to tell. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rover1556 Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 (edited) lookin really good just need to raise the rear body mounts so the back of the shell sits higher. LOL nevermind delete this. Edited July 15, 2005 by rover1556 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted August 26, 2005 Author Share Posted August 26, 2005 so its finnished check out these new pictures below. what do you think it is worth ? TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted August 26, 2005 Share Posted August 26, 2005 very cool mate looks like you have done a good job there, have you got a camera to do a short vid of it up an runnin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted August 26, 2005 Author Share Posted August 26, 2005 yes mel mate just charging up the stupid tx cells left the tx on all night and draind batterys gawd shows am getting old now it runs a mini t 6 cell pack and full size no limit esc also hooked up to a full size accoms rx TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted August 26, 2005 Share Posted August 26, 2005 sweet because my mate has got one and we were not very impressed with them as standard but that looks pukka and it is different to the norm which is cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamyorkshireRC Posted August 26, 2005 Share Posted August 26, 2005 TC, why not post this in review setion, very thorough top read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted August 26, 2005 Author Share Posted August 26, 2005 yeah i dont mind mate would be a good read for a rainy evening at the computer, also if mods would like to tidy it up feel free too you have my say so mate ill add a movie sometime soon (just basic racing up an down street) TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted August 26, 2005 Share Posted August 26, 2005 yeah i dont mind mate would be a good read for a rainy evening at the computer, also if mods would like to tidy it up feel free too you have my say so mate ill add a movie sometime soon (just basic racing up an down street) TC ← and a bit of climbing??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzi220 Posted August 26, 2005 Share Posted August 26, 2005 I've only jus noticed this thread, TC you are freakishly RC gifted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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