Actually the cage is smaller, but yeah it is forward. Probably is prefect for the 5T body; but I personally didn't wanna pay 125+ for a body! And the 5T wheels are like 7.5" diameter as compared to the 6.9" 5B wheels... think 7.5" might really be pushing the Savage a bit too far.

With FLM you might be waiting awhile, we'll see. Mike is supposedly doing one too.

I don't use any of the plastic cross bracing anymore. :)

I'm running 5S on 47/18, but I also have like 20% punch. Gearbox could be moved forward a bit to allow for longer motors. However, that would interfere with the 'stock' battery boxes.

I had noticed that too, but the previous pic thzero had with the body and the wing evened it out quite a bit. Still a bit long in the rear section to me, but still looks really good and a very nice build.

Really the only thing that really bothers me is the hideous stock radio box in the front. Needs to have something more streamlined with the rest of the body, else covered up

Very much waiting to see what Jaime comes up with.

No stock radio box showing here. :)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dcy74CG15Qk/TB...0/IMG_4965.JPG

Mikes not making one, Jamie at FLM is - The prototype was being cut this week and shipped to NJ ;)

Ah. Got any details on it?

Well some more pictures because the HPI 24mm Hex Adapters finally came in. These are pretty nice, much better than the ProLine stuff, but not sure if they'll cut it or not as they have some of the basic problems due to the axle.

Nonetheless here is a pic of the comparison showing the difference between the HPI 24mm hex adapters and the ProLine 23mm hex adapters (wrapped with metal tape). The HPI units are definetly bigger and beefier. The pin area has plenty of material surrounding it so should help some of the issues I was having with the ProLine units where the pin would end up spinning inside the adapter. See the http://picasaweb.google.com/thzerodo...27172706040626. The HPI nut is also segregated which is a nice touch.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dcy74CG15Qk/TE...apters.png.jpg

Note that the ProLine adapters do not spin freely when you slide them onto the axle. I've tried using different lubes (Gorilla Snot being the best) to try and allow them to slide on and off easier but to no avail. The HPI adapters spin and slide on the axle freely so there should not be any issues.

And then another shot of yet more damage caused by ProLine adapter issues...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dcy74CG15Qk/TE...Damage.png.jpg

Here's also my current thoughts on a design to allow the 24mm hex adapters from the Baja to fit on the Savage. Why? Well because the Baja units have a pin through design, and also a 4mm pin vs. a 2.8mm, which should help keep the pin from spinning inside the hex adapter and causing damage ala the ProLine unit from the link above. Also it would perhaps help strengthen the axle where it is weakest (i.e. where the hex nut screws onto the axle).

Drawing of how a system might be constructed to allow the Savage axle to support using the 24mm hex adapters for the Baja. The Savage axle is 8mm, but the Baja hex adapters expect a 12mm axle. So we basically have a 12mm OD (8mm ID) sleeve that slides over the Savage axle, and a endcap that screws onto the Savage axle. The Savage axle would need the pin hole bored out to 4mm rather than 2.8mm it currently is to utilize the 4mm pins from the Baja.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_dcy74CG15Qk/TD...SavageAxle.jpg

The other way to go is to just get some custom C-hubs made that will take a 24x12mm bearing (as opposed the 16x8mm bearing from the Savage) and run some custom dogbones that will have one ball for the Savage diff cups and one for the Baja axle cups.

nice1... first time i have seen them... They def look like a quality part!

Yeah they do. Just my concerns with all that power going through the small pin.

I also heard from Jamie at FLM; he did say that the FLM conversion is in the works and that he would see what he could do about the axles!

The axles and pin never seemed to be a problem, but i guess when the truck is this long and the added weight... The truck does definitely need stronger, thick axles with a large pin

Pretty sure you mean serrated.... But segregation is often handy too, just not in rc!!!!

BTW it does look like a good idea to get custom dog bones...But i dont think its a good idea...

On our longer trucks, and when we cartwheel or land badly... we are more likly to bend dogbones... I have to replace my SHD shafts every 2 runs if i do big jumps!!! So it would be annoying and expensive to replace custom ones!

that looks great

LOL... yeah, thats what I meant. :)

Well I haven't broken or bent a dogbone yet. :)

Then again I'm not doing monster jumps either; maybe topping out at 10' or so at least with this.

Yeah it would be a pain to replace custom dogbones... perhaps what is needed then is C-hubs that can use a 24mm bearing, with a 12mm axle that will accept the Baja 24mm hex but that the cup is the standard Savage size!

Thanks! I actually am using the stock radio box, I just don't use the top of it. Here's a shot of it. You can see I screwed on a shortened body post in the middle of the center portion of the radio box to attach the body too.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dcy74CG15Qk/TB...0/IMG_4954.JPG