Just a quick update since it has been a while. Started stripping the shell of all of its accessories such as windows and lights, I will be respraying the shell so these need to come off. As I am missing lenses and the windows are in a bad shape I didn’t mind to much about damages as they are all being replaced with new ones. I didn’t worry to much about chipping the shell as it will be getting sanded ready for the paint. I have also finished trimming all 4 wheel arches to allow the vaterra wheelbase to fit better and also provide room for when the rubber fenders are installed.
I will be buying the D90 lenses and windows from rcBitz.
It’s time to remove my Super Swamper tyres from the plastic rims they are glued to, I’ve got new metal beadlocked rims, foams and weights which you can see in this post.
First step was to put a pan of water on full boil with the wheel in it. The idea is to boil the wheel and hopefully the glue will begin to crack and become brittle allowing you to carefully pull the tyre off.
I left it on full boil for a good 10 minutes just to make sure, I am not sure if there is a science to this.
Now when I took it out it was very hot, be very careful as boiling water may have got into your foams so when you apply pressure you may get a painful surprise.
I carefully started pulling the tyre away from the rim until one tiny section separated, I then followed this around the rim and gradually separated more of the type.
After about 10 minutes of carefully pulling and pushing I managed to free one side of the rubber.
Now it was time for the other side, this side was not so easy. I managed to get the first bit to separate by pushing the rim through the tyre, hopefully you get the idea from the image.
I then decided I would pull out the existing weights and foams, giving me extra room to apply force. The weights are actually in good shape, so I will reuse these.
I put the tyre back on boil, been out for a good 20 minutes now, and the glue on this side of the wheel is very strong.
Eventually with the help of a normal kitchen eating knife I was able to break the rest of the glue without damaging the tyre.
Now I have to repeat this step for the next 3 wheels and then begin fitting the beadlocks.
It’s taken a couple weeks (3 I think) for the stamped beadlocks to arrive but not I have everything I need to replace the plastic, glued rims on my Vaterra Ascender truck whilst also adding some important weight.
The Ascender comes with Interco TSL SX Super Swamper tyres which are awsum so I will be keeping these, the only down side is the standard rims are plastic and glued.
I will be uploading another post with how I got the glued super swamper tyres of the glued rims and probably another for fitting the stamped beadlocks.
The new rims are black which will fit better with the new spray which I will be starting hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Metal rims for added weight but also beadlocked so no more annoying glue.
I’ve opted for star foams instead of the default solid foams which come with the Vaterra Ascender, I’ve read that these should allow the tyre to mould around objects keeping as much traction on the ground at all times, I will let you know how it performs on my first test run.
The current wheels already have weights, but I decided to be save and buy some extra. I don’t think I ever weighted the back wheels so I am sure those needs weights anyways. Whatever I have spare I will most probably cut into individual pieces and place around the chasse to increase weight where required.
I’ve decided I don’t like the plastic fenders which are molded onto the shell so off they come. As I’m using a Vaterra Ascender chasse the wheels are hitting the shell creating a horrible plastic noise when turning (the RC4WD D90 shell is designed for a SCX10 chassis so the wheels don’t align perfectly).
I’ve managed to acquire some rubber fenders, came in a set of 4. Here is a link where I brought them. Took about a week to arrive but I am very happy with them.
Being rubber they look much more realistic, whilst I will be cutting the wheel arches bigger granting more room for the tyre, I still expect some binding but the rubber should flex more easily than the plastic.
I’ve gone and cut the fender off the first wheel and increased the arching allowing the wheel to fit more in centre, it’s defiantly an improvement. If you’re wondering what tools I used….
Yep that’s a jigsaw blade clamped into a clamp plier, worked perfectly. I would recommend using clamp pliers as you don’t have to waste energy trying to hold the blade.
So let’s see how the rubber fender looks, to me that looks a lot better. There is a notch in the rubber so it slides onto the shell. I am only holding it with my fingers but I will be using tire glue to hold it on once I have resprayed the shell.
I’ve decided I like the look of the fender starting slightly back, it also gives the wheel slight more room when turning which is a plus. Now let’s do the other 3 which will have to wait for another day as its getting late.
I have a Defender D90 shell on a Vaterra Ascender chassie but it is starting to look a mess, partly due to me leaving it last minute to spray and build the truck just before the RRCI Scale Nations 2015 August meet up. We were still working on it late into Friday night ready for the morning.
As you can see we managed to get the truck running and it looked good, this didn’t last very long. It turns out spraying 6 lays of under coat, spray and lacquer all within about 5 hours does not allow the paints to adhere correctly.
As the shell is designed to fit a SCX10 the wheels didn’t align up perfectly leading to quite a bit of rubbing, I learnt a lot that weekend and have since decided it’s about time I redo the whole truck. I will be posting up regular updates on my progress which will hopefully be of interest.
I connect a UPS to a generator allowing me to safely power my sensitive electronic equipment (laptops) when in remote locations, generators are not perfect and occasionally the power fluxuates causing spikes, over and under voltage issues. To resolve these issues and make it safer for my sensitive devices I use a UPS which provides a cleaner and more reliable energy supply. When a under voltage occurs the UPS boosts the power using the battery, when this happens (which is often) the UPS beeps for an extended period (indicating it is using the battery, which I don’t really need to know as it’s only for a couple of seconds normally).
I have always been into RC vehicles and I am lucky to have Northants RC right on my door step. Its a RC club dedicated to the members with the intention of providing a safe and friendly environment to partake in this sport. The club and land are in development but we already have a challenging track suitable for a range of off-road vehicles. (more…)
