xxx4 / 22

[bjcaldwe]

As with most of my projects, this started as a day dream and then a way to consolidate how many brands of parts I have to carry. It began with "I wonder if I can use 22 suspension and shocks on a xxx4?" So, I did.

I have a friend who is doing a similar project with a xx4, so we have been bouncing ideas off one another.

Here is a link to my hb d4 / blitz / firestorm 2wd buggy project.
from awhile back.

I drove the car out in front of my house last night for the first time. Now I will try to fill in the gaps of how I got there.

Here is a quick video tour of the car. It was shot on my phone so the quality sucks. The tires were the only set I could afford to waste on the concrete in front of my house. The electronics will be cleaned up before it is raced.

http://qik.com/video/41301696/xxx4-with-22-suspension

Here is a link to my project photos:
xxx4 /22 Project

[bjcaldwe]

There were a few obstacles to over come.

1. The losi diff cups require a large dog bone end
2. The xxx4 has imperical sized bearing and the 22 metric
3. The 22 arms use a much larger 3.5mm inner hingepin and the front hinepin angles are different.

First I flipped the rear mount to the front and the front mount to the rear. This gave me toe in in the rear, and helped straighten out the front inner pins. I also had to trim the inner mount's inner hole and then flip the mounts right to left and vice versa. Below kinda shows the front mounts, and also a steering mod I am going to try.

[bjcaldwe]

At first I used 22 front arms and carriers with the xxx4 spindles and shafts and it was a direct fit. However, all I had was the universals from the xx4. So, after fitting the 22 front arms, carriers and spindles I had to look for drive shafts. Using a metric mip style sedan stub axle I knew I could mount a mip cvd. The problem is the xxx4 cvd bones have been discontinued for awhile. Since I live in the US, I called MIP and talked to Eustace himself and he told me to look at the traxxas mip bones. I found some for the electric rustler but they were just a bit too long and would hit the diff when the front suspension was compressed. After searching online for countless hours, I ended up looking through a stock of old parts at a hobby shop I race at. There I found the answer, mip cvd bones for the losi lxt truck when using the xx retro transmission conversion. And, they fit perfect. I used a schumacher stub axle, and machined down the area where the pin is with a file. Then I used the losi front wheel hex from the HB d4. Done deal. Front suspension done, and wheels mount right up.

[bjcaldwe]

The rear end I used stock aluminum inner mounts and the front 7.5 mount, both drilled out to allow the use of 3.5mm inner pins. I bought 3.5mm drill stock from mcmaster car and then cut them down to the size I needed.

This pic shows the 22 rear arms, hubs, and the rear mount. I also flipper the rear tower to better align the rear shocks.

[bjcaldwe]

I was having trouble finding a rear bone that would work, and wanted to use the 22 rear stub axles. So, I made some. On my previous project I tried epoxy to bond the halfs with a sleeve. One bone to this day I cannot get apart, the other would never stay together lol. This time I soldered them. I use two broke sc10 cvds, which fit right on the 22 rear stub axle. I then cut two losi dog bone ends off. I joined them with some tight fighting brass square tubing. Round would have looked better but the shop was out. I scuffed the bones on the ends nearest the brass. Then I laid my iron on the scuffed area until it was really hot and flowed solder over the areas. I tried to twist the cvds so it would spread as evenly as possible. The pic below is before I soldered them.

[bjcaldwe]

Here is the front end. It has 22 front arms, spindles, carriers, d4 losi hexes,

sedan metric stub axles, mip lxt cvds,

and a few mods. The front mount is a rear suspension mount to help make the inner pins parallel. The bumper mod is basically what many have been doing to beef up the front end.

A funny fact is I sold this car to a friend of mine back in 03 or 04. It set unused except for missing shocks all this time.

[Naushad]

Hi,

Your project looks great...but what are you hoping to achieve from this?

Both the losi 22 and xxx4 are formidable off roader which are capable of handling many surfaces with tweeking. In the UK, there are still ppl using the xxx their main car.

On another note I wish Team Azarashi would pull their finger out and develop their concept off road further! It was looking great and then I don't know what happened!

Anyway, best of luck!!

Naushad

[bjcaldwe]

Thank you.

In the recent past I found myself running 2-3 different brands of 10th scale car. This meant I had to carry a ton of parts. After getting the 22, I had a kyosho fs. I liked it but I was still carrying two different brands of parts. I started looking at the xxx4 and the 22 and thought... I could share the suspension, shocks, and wheels. So, to answer your question, partly to carry one brand of 10th parts and partly just to see if I could do it.

I ran a pack through it on a hard packed 8th scale track last night and it handled pretty well. Now is the hard part, buying another 22 for the shocks and rear stub axles. So, I can put my 22 back together. I priced buying the parts for shocks and it is pretty expensive. I might as well just get another 22 and have a ton of extra parts.

[Naushad]

Yeah, rc is a pretty expensive business...especially when you want to do things yourself!

I've just bought a losi 22. I've heard great things about it and from the videos it looks like a smooth ride.

I'll keep a lookout for your developments!

Naushad

[Naushad]

I was just reading your blog.

I enjoyed the TVR indoor video you did in 2009. Especially the 4wd event. That track was slick! I wish we had such tracks in the UK..

I must say the hilarious part was when you jumped your car behind the wall!! Crazy!!

What were you driving there? What was your setup for that track?

Naushad

[bjcaldwe]

I have not updated that in a long time. I really should. That was crazy. I am not sure I could manage to do that again. I was driving a D4 wce. At that time I was running hb tires in pink compound. Full slot fronts and megabite rears. It had an rs pro with a sp v1 6.5. The setup was most likely long links, kit shock positions, kits springs and kit pistons. I probably ran 37.5 losi in the front and 32.5 in the rear. The battery was a smc 4900 saddle pack. I had weight on the center spine of the chassis under the rear deck.

[bjcaldwe]

This weekend should be the first race of this car. We will see how it goes.

[bjcaldwe]

I ran the car for the first time this weekend. It ran pretty well. There were a few growing pains. The front suspension kept coming loose due to the inner mounts moving. I was able to fix that for the main. I also took off the steering mod I made. It had a ton of bumps steer. After those changes and the addition of droop front and rear it drove pretty well. The next item that will be needed is a rear sway bar. I was able to finish 2nd after giving up the lead in the main with a stupid mistake. On the last lap I was catching first and slung a front cvd pin, but was able to limp it to the line.

[MHeadling]

Have you got a pic of the car finished ready to go??

Good work by the way,looks a nice project

[bjcaldwe]

I will get one tonight. I just happened to get a new phone yesterday so maybe I can get some better pics.

[migsy]

hi there.

anymore news on this mod, i am considering it my self.