Not your average Emaxx build

[custompartsguy]

Heres the diffs if there familiar to anyone please speak up.there not angled helical cut in the normal sense but each tooth has a bit of a cup shape to it.

[RC-Monster Mike]

The diffs look like Hot bodies Lightning units - used quite a few of them over the years. The tranny gears are likely hard stainless, which is not typically very magnetic. Titanium would be a poor choice for tranny gears IMO(doesn't wear well). The idlers look like UE, but every UE idler I ever saw was black oxide coated hardenend steel. The Ultramaxx idlers were brass IIRC. Funny thing, though - I have an idler just like that(looks like a silver UE idler) that I got from a customer probably 10 years ago(Aussie fellow) - I don't recall the maker, but I kept it along with one of my idlers(I made hardened idlers for a few years after UE stopped making them, but mine had a radial groove instead of the holes).
Cool craftmanship on the Maxx, too - looking forward to watch this develop into a complete rig.

[RC-Monster Mike]

picture of the silver idler and the RCM idler.

[custompartsguy]

Thanks a ton Mike,i think you nailed the diffs I dont know how i missed those.I must also be to spoiled in delrin & basic steel fab that I didnt consider stainless or the low surface strength of titanium,so i hope your right there as well,Still a mystery though.I do believe that whoever did the idlers was the maker of the set as the metal & age seem identical thru out & all gears including the idlers have the same rounded tip profile to the teeth with no machine marks on the teeth face they may have been lightly honed to smooth out as I cant see normal gear cutters not showing some edge (both the silver & rcm idlers seem to have the flat profile to the tip.) On these you can lightly see rubbing in the bearing seat wall where each reduction hole is from either drilling to fast or to close.I havent handled many ue parts(yet) but what i have & what iv heard I think precision would have been consistent rather than only where it counts if any of these came from there(even as an early run) Im sure ill dig deeper into the makeup Maybe weight/volume tests but they should serve me well with hp grease,If they dont hey at least they wont passed around as genuine.

[custompartsguy]

Well I finally had a chance to get the mid/battery plate rough cut & bent,I tried the 3/16 i originally planed since I already had it & got some time & the weight wasn't near what i thought it would be,Still need to drill for mounting,remove some weight & get the final shape down but its looking pretty good Here is a mock up as it is so far.

[custompartsguy]

& now the goody!Takin it back to the old school esp maxzilla ladder cage! Super light but Im a little worried about the strength so i may do something in a bit thicker material,full cage maybe.

[DarkSammy]

Heck yeah!!! Always wanted one of those ESP cages. Old Skool for sure

[custompartsguy]

Well i havent had much visual progress on the chassi,been scratching my head on the lower plate cutouts as well as the servo & motor mount designs, somehow it got carried away & it turned into an extremely heavy duty tranny.Iv heard the term bulletproof tranny tossed around but I think this one just might be the closest to it(for a maxx anyway)The input & output bearings are ofna 1/8 diff bearings so they wont be failing,The idler uses the larger bearings from the output shaft & Im thinking the factory plastic gear will hold up for the idler instead of the steel gear since there is an increase in mesh contact with the larger gears over the factory idler,If not than ill use the steel but i like the idea of reducing wear weight & noise from metal to metal.Plus it leaves the truck with a fusible link or cheap point of failure if something should go wrong.Iv been avoiding the center diffs since i didnt like the exposed gears or loosing the slipper so im going to have to do a side cover for the tranny(mayby just lexan or plexiglass)I still need to turn the bushings for the shafts to fit the bearings.

[custompartsguy]

Darksammy,Iv had that cage for a while just not sure it will hold upto me,if you still have an itch for one I know a seller on ebay that recently told me of 2 in the package on his wall(but not listed)Id be happy to pass the name on if you wana add one to one of your Beautiful(by the way) builds .Hes one of the more reasonable priced sellers.Iv been considering getting one for my sons to match but i think id rather do full cages similar to the old rc soulutions.

[custompartsguy]

Oh I forgot to mention why the larger idler & tranny redesign came about.It locates the topshaft with the rrp gen3 slipper at just the right hight to get the heavy motor dead center & only about 1/4inch off the topplate.The gearing is still identical to the stock setup in 2nd.

[RC-Monster Mike]

Of course you could forego the transmission and install our Slipperential in its place - much more compact, lighter and has the benefits of a differential and a slipper. :-)

[custompartsguy]

I do indeed see a couple vmaxx chassis & slipperentials in my near future although i told myself i would finish this project first.(i Just need to stop getting carried away)I wonder if just saying im finished counts,.I used to think of the alloy chassis as fashion focused due to the web cutout designs but i am now seeing that the cutouts are more for necessity than appearance,Mike & flm have just figured out how to make it look good while doing it.weight can add up quick with all that extra material.I did however manage to make something useful that i think the maxx community could use more of,COUGH mike Some proper (captured) hingpin supports.I still need to do the top pin supports which are proving to be a bit harder than the lowers

[RC-Monster Mike]

Indeed the cut-outs are for weight reduction, but also they look good and can add integrity when done correctly(physics...less is more sometimes). My V-Maxx chassis is within an ounce of the stock plastic chassis, but way stronger(and much sexier if I do say so myself). ;-)

Hinge-pin braces are currently incorporated and included into the FLM lower suspension arms(per my request several years ago). Your braces look like they may interfere with the servo saver/bellcrank assembly as they are shown in the pictures - we had to machine the arms slightly and counter bore the braces(for the e-clips) on the FLM arms to allow clearance for the bell cranks. The rear needs no mods(and has much less of a need for the brace to begin with - always bent the lower front hinge-pins).

[Kcaz25]

The rear bulks from FLM only have hinge pin braces as part of the structure. And I love the brace for the front. It's nice to know that you requested it.

[custompartsguy]

Well geez people, you mean i can now buy products to solve many of the dreaded emaxx issues,Why has no one told this stuff & where have i been the last 10 years.I have always feared alloy arms do to the stiffness but i just might have to look into those arms.Dont tell me theirs been a better material for pins besides drill rod or ejector pins recently?I somehow manage to bend all of mine hing pins eventually & worry i would do the same to alloy arms.You are correct Mike, the front does slightly interfere with the bellcrank,I havent decided how do deal with that yet(modify the hinge brace,the bellcrank, or work in a bellcrank from another 1/8 with a slightly shorter throw.OR drill 2 more mounting holes in the chassis & skid to move the stock bellcrank back 1-2mm,I would then likely need to modify the side chassis braces to clear the tie rod from the servo.This chassis i can assure you was not done properly there came a point during weight reduction where i remembered this was not going to be the final chassis so i just graphed the chassis & started drilling holes,It has become more of a proof of concept with the chosen materials,still worked out pretty well so far imo & i have not even turned on the mill or lathe for this one yet(Did not want to wear thru bits milling a paper weight & my aluminium specific tooling is limited(FOR NOW,hehe) .Weight is feeling good now,& speaking of weight what is the weight of the stock or vmaxx chassi (only chassi,side braces & battery trays)no tranny,bulks,ect)I cant find the answer anywhere & really dont want to strip down my sons chassi to find out.Just trying to find a good baseline weight to shoot for.Thanks I will highly agree though Mike,this chassis could only dream of have the sex appeal your chassis does.Thats like comparing megan fox to a vegas hooker Ok i may be able to get mine on a showgirl set but thats about all the class its got to offer heres an update..