my UE SuperMaxx
 

i wanted this thread to go in the UE section, but for some reason the picture link isn't enabled there. so, the thread is here. it's not really an E-Maxx anymore, but you can see pictures here. =)

i started a thread in the temp. forum before i knew the old forum would be back. so i'll start over. basically, i now have all the parts to make my truck a 100% UE SuperMaxx. happy, happy...joy, joy! (and ode to ren and stimpy)

started with a relatively rare UE Lightning chassis - i've been looking for a couple years now and have only seen two including this one available for sale. when you see 'em, you'd better be prepared to drop serious coin immediately as they're gone as fast as they're made available.

this is showing the lightning chassis with a monobloc installed (monobloc adds 1.5" to the length), which also meant having a rear center driveshaft custom made that's just over 130mm long.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../272721122.jpg

the UE gen IV servo saver
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../272721115.jpg

a custom titanium t-bar to go on the rear of my VBS. got it from the guy who owns/operates DUH! Engineering.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../267716614.jpg

shots of where my build is at right now - i'm almost done getting it back together. i just got towered VBS last week (did have towerless VBS)
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../276111668.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../276111671.jpg


more to come. =)

here's a shot showing the length - the lightning chassis is the same length as the FLM extended chassis, which is already longer than stock, and with the monobloc added it's 15" from the front driveshaft to the rear driveshaft. the 2 wheels shown are what i have for it too - the UE SuperMaxx Racing Wheels on the left and 40 series mulchers on the right.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../276111670.jpg

That's looking GREAT! I can't wait to continue my Supermaxx buildup!

Add my trans to your combo and you've got the best truck money can buy! LOL!

BTW....I'm jealous! VBS's & Lightning chassis!!! WOW!

Really nice! Why no Racer-X though?

thanks guys!

squee - why not EXT Pro? =P initially i was planning to bash the heck out of it, and the EXT is better at strength than RacerX due to everything being thicker. now that UE is discontinuing everything, i can only bash lightly. darn it.

I can't see the pics, man!=(

It's not official, but it's also very possible.

how long do your a arms last before you bend them in a crash?
i looks really nice, but i have never seen the point in buying aluminum a arms since they are ridiculously expensive, heavy and bend in a big crash.

a full scale car is made completely out of metal parts (chassis, suspension, etc...) but if it crashed like our R/C trucks do it would bend in a thousand ways.

Pretty much only a select few parts are still in stock, I really expect him to stop production once the last of the parts are sold.

a long, long time. all UE arms are 7075 aluminum. much tougher than you think.

which bank should i rob then to fund the arms ?.....kidding.

UE Arms are surprisingly light. Only slightly heavier than stock actually.

Most people feel the weight of arms from companies like New Era Models, Dynamite, ACNCM, etc. and they are are pretty heavy. That's how guys end up with 15# tanks...er...um..."trucks" when others guys like Clodmaxx & myself have all alloy trucks that weigh substantially less, are stronger, and perform much better.

I was trying to stay mostly plastic, RPM. However, the more of these threads I read the more I think I have aluminum envy. :sigh:

Nothing wrong with the RPM. Tough and inexpensive!

The UE parts also "engineer out" the horrrible bump-steer that the maxxes have in stock form.

UE is the only company I know of to address that. Most other just make stock parts copied in aluminum.

i'm anxious to see what the final weight will be on this build. i expect it to be ~10lbs, sans batteries. the previous rendition of my all-aluminum maxx (FLM chassis w/EXT pro suspension) was 9 lbs, 8 oz. there's definitely more material here (that extended custom driveshaft is heavy). it'll be heavier, but i wouldn't expect it to go over by much.

10 pounds is pretty darn good for a solid aluminum MT. especially considering all the extra material in the EXT suspension.

I Wish back in the days when or I should of bought that UE Chassis
when it was on sale a long long time ago on their Site.
You have a Nice Chassis!

thanks romster. =)

do you remember what the sale price was at that time? i see on UE's old site that the chassis kit i have (stage 3) was $399.99. i tried to find out just how many of these were produced, but robin is very tight-lipped about that kind of thing. i have to imagine it would be in the hundreds vs. thousands, at that price.

Quick question while we are talking about Unlimited Engineering. Will the monoblock work with a fastlane chassis?

i don't see why not. the monobloc attaches the same way standard maxx bulks attach to the chassis. you'll need to get a custom driveshaft made, and i'm not sure if you'll need the same length as the lightning w/monobloc (the trans may not attach in the same spot on each chassis which could vary the driveshaft length).

That's just SICK !!!

It look's like something that should be behind glass or in a museum. :eek:

And everytime I see that custom rear driveshaft I am amazed.

That's one incredible truck you built there Scott. Those VBS-T's really are cream of the crop. They look indestructible.

Wow, after you build something that spectacular is has to be all downhill from there. Well maybe not downhill, Crawl Style......lol.

thanks doug. it certainly was an addiction trying to get the last few parts. now that it's done and my 'conquest' to build a complete SM is over, i almost feel disappointed, lol. but now once i get it built, i can enjoy driving it!

I guess youll be using a LMT 1940/7? Your sig.. Will it pull all that metal? 12lbs?

...and then some.

i the lmt 1940 really that strong?

let's just say i don't think i'll be hurting for lack of power, and i'm not overly concerned about excess weight. =)

ClodMaxx.
I am pretty sure it was $250 or $300 for chassis.
Man!!! I should of, just Bought it.

We all suffer from that. I had a chance to buy a UE Razorback a few months ago. My wife freaked out when I suggested dropping $1500 on another RC. ($1500 for a complete, near mint condition Razorback is a steal!)

Oh Well..............life goes on.........

life does go on. very true. there's probably a chance that another RB may cross your path someday...

The RAZOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Yeah I saw that also. Nice!!!!!!!!! I don't think anybody won that.
Yo! procharge5.0 I am from IL also. Do you go to Leisure raceway?

I have a UE Lightning chassis too, you'll never see one of those for sale again, lol.

Great looking truck man.

I have not been to Leisure yet. :grrrrrr:

It's an hour and a half from home and maybe 45min - 1 hour from work so it's not exactly close. I want to go though. Maybe in a few weeks....some time in October probably, after things settle down a little a work & home.

I have a number of friends that go regularly though. Let's keep in touch. Maybe we can meet down there sometime.

made some pretty big progress this weekend on the build. mainly, i mounted the MM esc and spektrum rx, soldered the 5.5mm bullet connectors to the Lehner motor and MM, connected it all, and it runs like a champ.

the good things i found out:
* the Lightning chassis really doesn't conduct current - at ALL. zilch. nothing showed up on the voltometer when i ran a current through every part of the chassis and braces. supposedly robin had them clear anodized for this purpose.
* the MM esc isn't one of the newer ones - it ran 14 cells like a champ (with a rx pack and BEC eliminated, of course). thank GOD - i was sweating that one!

the bad thing i found out:
* ni-mh cells must have grown in size since the Lightning was designed, as the 7 cell packs don't line up in the tray, and the battery holder doesn't line up across the top. which really stinks.

i still have to completely adjust the suspension - right now i just threw the supershocks on to support the truck, but everything has to be tweaked: ride height, camber, toe... all of it. i also need to die the proline wheels (the tires aren't glued on yet), and figure out a place for my rx pack. oh - and get the body post mounts on, as well as paint and install a body.

some pics. :mdr:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../277309173.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../277309179.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../277309182.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../277309185.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL127.../277309191.jpg

That's really really nice, how do you dye the wheels? I'm thinking of purchasing the same wheels but would like them chrome black if possible.

i'm not sure how you would get chrome, but they're easy to dye. just get some RIT fabric dye. i've never dyed wheels before, but from the research i've done you just need to get an old pan and bring the water to a boil, add the dye and let each wheel sit completely submerged for at least 15 minutes. some won't go that long if they don't want a deep color.

the wheels are sort of shiny, so making them deep black could have a 'glossy' effect - but it won't be chrome black.

also: i weighed it last night with the rx pack and dual 7 cell battery packs. 12 lbs. 12 ozs.! i still have to install a DD VBS wing mount and proline high downforce wing, and strobe limiters. plus the body mounts and body. she'll be just over 13 pounds, RTR.

Excuse my ignorance, but what slipper and what rims/tires are you using?

it's a strobe slipper and strobe sprong, and the wheels are 40 series proline wabash with 40 series proline mulchers. they're 23mm wheels, and i have dace 23mm black adapters for them.

Thanks.
Scott that is one incredible. Excellent build.

mark

thanks mark. i was reading your thread, and yours is pretty sweet too. :great:

I do believe I read somewhere once that Nimh batteries are a few mm 'fatter' than the older generation of Nimh & Nicads, so that why they wont line up with the slots- major bummer. Are the battery clamps bar things flat on one side and ridged on the other, if so you could always use the flat side facing down to help hold the batteries still, but the only other option is to get some new bars machines to fit the cells more closely.

It does look very nice, and potent with that Lehner on board.

the packs fit better in the chassis than they do with the battery brace over the top. you're right - the other side of the brace is flat, and i can just barely fit the clips into the posts to hold it down with the flat side toward the packs. <whew>

if i ever go with m1 or lipo packs someday, it could present an entirely different complication. but for now, it works.