[redshift]

Thanks panda. I am scrambling to get the new steering parts designed and made, season is wasting!

The motor screws are indeed just accessible, I have a 16T pinion, any smaller and the spur would have to be removed.

I went out of my way to make most of the structural holes at least 1/2" deep. All the screws holding the joiner plates to the rear section are going through the tube wall into the motor mount and aft bearing block. So there is a minimum of 1/2" of thread there. The four holes for the front section are only tapped into the wall, for now. The plan was to use the same method with blind nuts and plastic locators, if I need. So far no issues there. As for material, this is a scrapbin build, so can't verify. None of it is soft however. There is zero flex anywhere in the chassis itself, it is for all intents and purposes, one piece.

The access hole on under the rear yoke was made before I realized I could get the centershaft and bearing block in place as an assembled unit. It'll be covered eventually, but it'll be useful for inspection or oiling.

Getting the front CVD in is as simple as slipping in the front chassis section between the plates. It needs to be held vertical at a little angle, but there's enough of a gap to see the end of it, so piece of cake!

The front shocks do impede removing the diff only slightly, same as on a stock Muggy or LST. The shocks can't be put on the rear side because the tierod is there. I don't anticipate needing to get the front diff out very often anyway. Chances are it'll be the rear that needs servicing more, and the shocks aren't in the way on the rear :)

Does require thinking 3 or 4 steps ahead to not "paint yourself into a corner" mechanically speaking, and on that account I think I've done pretty well so far. No CAD here, and no CNC. This is modern RC done oldschool.

Back to work for me.... ;)