SSC Traxxas Slash 4wd Low Center of Gravity Kit Prototype

[DoogieLee]

The short version is, I had gremlins all weekend with my 4x4SC, I DNS'd the 1st qualifier, and DNF'd the 2nd.

Mark stayed up for practically 3 days straight working on our trucks.

He made the A main with his, I never really got a chance to really drive mine.
I just decided to focus on 1/8 electric since I was doing decent on that class.

I think we have everything straightened out, and i'll be running it again this weekend at my home track, The RC Asylum, in Waverly FL

I'll report back on mine Sunday...
I think Mark is still recuperating from his PNB experience, but I do know he was doing some more testing yesterday with mine and he was very excited about it.
I'll let him post up his findings

[mojomandan]

Originally Posted by DoogieLee

The short version is, I had gremlins all weekend with my 4x4SC, I DNS'd the 1st qualifier, and DNF'd the 2nd.

Mark stayed up for practically 3 days straight working on our trucks.

He made the A main with his, I never really got a chance to really drive mine.
I just decided to focus on 1/8 electric since I was doing decent on that class.

I think we have everything straightened out, and i'll be running it again this weekend at my home track, The RC Asylum, in Waverly FL

I'll report back on mine Sunday...
I think Mark is still recuperating from his PNB experience, but I do know he was doing some more testing yesterday with mine and he was very excited about it.
I'll let him post up his findings

Can I ask the source of your "gremlins"? Was it the chassis, original Slash parts, or the electronics?

[SSC]

Mojo,
Doogie had a steering knuckle issue with his Proto-no 2 (pulled out once on him and once on me). He also had spur gear stripping issues. So convinced it was the proto, he switched to my stock roller and stripped the spur even before lining up for Qual no. 2. Then he decided to focus on his 1/8th scale buggy and handed me proto no. 2 (with castle 3800, momba max pro esc, losi shocks, steering system & rear techno CVD's). So I tossed Doogie's worn 18-tooth pinion for a new 16-tooth. We also mounted the diff mount backwards on Proto no. 2 which created 1/16" play (promoting the spur gear issue).

After a lot of battery packs, I finally lawn-darted Proto no. 1 from 15' high and finally failed my top plate which is resulting in a center post, level top plate and reinforced motor mount (pushing availability back 1-week). Ran Qual no. 1 with a slightly bent driveshaft and finished 7th (with 2-pro drivers on the stand). Then I switched to Proto no. 2 for 2nd qual finishing 11th (got tossed aside by a pusher on the big jump). Then 5th on Qual no. 3 to make the last position in the A-main. In the first A-main I DNF'd on the last lap by pulling out Doogie's steering turnbuckle (running last after making a run in 10th of 14 for a short while). I finished the 2nd A-main last. My driving style was more agressive (wrong approach), the track more deteriorated and after 3-all nighters testing and tweaking, I succeeded in what I set out to achieve long before that 2nd A-main anyway. On the last lap I took a run at clearing the psycho tripple and landed on top (with a silent crowd). With a part-crippled top plate it still drove off to finish the lap without failing! 7-min mains with 1-min lap times were just too short to make up any ground and my mind was not straight anymore with so much lost sleep and working thru the nights in a horse stable with a camping grill lit under my chair.

Last night I put the part-crippled proto no. 2 on the local track making some hard landings and it didn't even budge. Handled like a dream against a group of losi's, a Hyper 10 and Jammin too. With 16/50 gearing on a 3800 castle it was pulling against a losi w/a 2650kv deep can castle (not just motor, but lighter weight, lower CG and hollow shaft 4wd setup). Doogie will be running Proto No. 2 at the Asylum track in Waiverly, FL this weekend. It's plenty capable, but the R&D that PNB offered is priceless. Just look at the size of this 1/8-scale TRUGGY track and that tripple/big jump!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email or call me at mark@ssclcg.com or 321-212-8657. I would wait for Doogie to run Proto no. 2 this weekend cause he's fed up with Traxxas beyond a point of no return so I'm just as curious as you to see his performance and feedback. After this weekend he's either dumping his Traxxas parts to buy the Losi, or holding Traxxas ground with an SSCLCG setup.

As of video, I'm working on getting some footage from a professional photographer at the local track. I also have some footage of a demo run I took footage of. I'll let you know when it's finally U-tubed.

[DoogieLee]

To say i'm over Traxxas is an understatement...

I've been dicking around with this truck all year, leaky diffs, out of round/wobbly center diff, bearings getting ate up like cup cakes at a Jenny Craig Convention, the list goes on and on, and so do my hobby shop receipts... about the only thing left stock on my truck now is the driveshaft!

Once I finally got it dialed in, and reliable.. I went and tried to change it all before a big race...bad idea, but I made a good friend in the process.

Mark has a great idea here, and I will finally get to put mine through the paces Friday nite practicing and Saturday racing.
The only real problem was that he designed everything around stock components...of which, I have none!

We did a lot of R&D this past week, Mark learned alot about what works and what wont, not to mention, that track was probably one of the most brutal that a Short Course truck will race on, this chassis isnt designed for bashing, its meant for racing, but it will take some serious abuse.
Like the title says...this is a PROTOTYPE, the final version will have all the tweaks and revisions from what he's learned this past week


I'll report back after this weekend

[DoogieLee]

No racing for me this weekend...this damn thing I have called a "job" keeps getting in the way of fun...
I'll post back when I get some data

[SSC]

Heard back from Doogie today after some practice mock race runs he managed to squeeze in at the Asylum against a Losi. His feedback is that the LCG offers better turning ability and flight control than the stock setup (even more forgiving on squirly launches). When lining it up against a Losi he noted that the Traxxas SSC-LCG pulls harder on the straights but the Losi dives into turns faster. Doogie was running his battery all the way back so next time he runs he's going to relocate it all the way forward to increase turning ability.

Everyone says the Losi handles more like an 1/8-scale buggy and that seems contrary to the spirit of the 1/10-scale SC trucks. I measured the Traxxas wheelbase at 12.95" and understand the Losi to be approx. 1/2" longer. Yet the Roar wheelbase max limit is 13.19 so if anyone has a Losi, can you please post your wheelbase length? I believe the AE 4wd is going to exhibit the same advantages / disadvantages as the Traxxas SSCLCG when lined up alongside a Losi. Next weekend will be interesting at the 2-separate tracks Doogie and I run. Especially if I manage to run the improved final version, albeit it's advantage will be more readily noticed on the hard-packed track Doogie runs. I run on loose clay where sliding sideways into banked turns is an advantage.

This isn't about being "better" than a Losi. It's about being a better racer than the stock version, and a formidable contender at the track against Hyper 10's, Jammin's, AE's and Losi's.

The Losi Doogie was running also had a deep-can motor which if ran on the Traxxas SSCLCG would also help it dive into turns better (more weight and torque being leveraged forward).

[jstrime]

I don't have a Losi, but this is what I've found for their posted dimensions:

Specifications: - Type: 4WD Short Course Rolling Chassis
- Scale: 1/10
- Length: 21.34 in (524mm)
- Width: 11.65 in (295.8mm)
- Wheelbase: 13.15 in (334mm)
- Weight: 6.75 lb (3.06 kg)
- Tire Type: Eclipse SCT
- Kit/RTR: Rolling Chassis
- Shock Type: Aluminum, Coil-over, oil-filled
- Body: Clear Polycarbonate SCT

[SSC]

What motor/esc and battery bring the Losi up to 6.75lbs? If that's w/o the electronics then it's no wonder Psycho Nitro Blast went from one 20-minute A-main (with a single battery change) to two separate 7min A-mains. That weight may not even finish a 10-minute A-main. 7min is just too short. With all this technology it's just 3minutes longer than A-mains were in the '80's and that just doesn't make any sense.

[yamSHO]

By any chance you could have it color anodized? such as in black?

[SSC]

yamSHO,
At this time I'm obtaining pricing on black hard anodizing for the top and bottom plates of the SSCLCG kit. I'd love to not have to polish them (very labor intensive on my part even before pre-assembly/packaging), but it is a volume/numbers game and I'm trying to hold the $150.00 price.

Albeit regular anodizing will be cheaper, it won't last on the bottom plate. As soon as I know, you'll know.

Update - also considering a rough black powdercoat finish for the top and bottom plates.
Mark

[SSC]

Some new photos of this kit in action.
Which chassis would you prefer to race with?

[yamSHO]

Originally Posted by SSC

yamSHO,
At this time I'm obtaining pricing on black hard anodizing for the top and bottom plates of the SSCLCG kit. I'd love to not have to polish them (very labor intensive on my part even before pre-assembly/packaging), but it is a volume/numbers game and I'm trying to hold the $150.00 price.

Albeit regular anodizing will be cheaper, it won't last on the bottom plate. As soon as I know, you'll know.

Update - also considering a rough black powdercoat finish for the top and bottom plates.
Mark

I have been following closely on your work and thread.
Yea, I agree on your part about volume/numbers game which can get expensive...Yeah powder coating would be lil' cheaper.
The SSCLCG apparently look good jumping and in airborne stance wise. Hmm I am sold on this! You got kit ready to ship out? Pm me alright! Great work! Paul

[SSC]

What does everyone think about coatings? Look slick up front and turn an eye to the scratches that build up later or go satin finish up front to cover up scratches and make them more restorable later? I'm on the fence about this.

The Jammin A-arms are wrapping up 1st and pushed back this chassis kit a few days (don't ask). That was the last thing I wanted to happen here but it's right around the corner and the next order is already arranged.

Appreciate everyone's patience as I got the word out before an exodus started so ya'll know there is a viable solution/option.
Race On,
Mark

I couldn't have planned those pictures any better if I wanted to/tried to. Thanks Ken (Hyper 10 man getting tired of broken parts). I offered to let him run this Slash for a race day but he declined.

[konish]

Originally Posted by SSC

What does everyone think about coatings? Look slick up front and turn an eye to the scratches that build up later or go satin finish up front to cover up scratches and make them more restorable later? I'm on the fence about this.

The Jammin A-arms are wrapping up 1st and pushed back this chassis kit a few days (don't ask). That was the last thing I wanted to happen here but it's right around the corner and the next order is already arranged.

Appreciate everyone's patience as I got the word out before an exodus started so ya'll know there is a viable solution/option.
Race On,
Mark

I couldn't have planned those pictures any better if I wanted to/tried to. Thanks Ken (Hyper 10 man getting tired of broken parts). I offered to let him run this Slash for a race day but he declined.

Mark,
Getting super-excited about this and the update pics don't help

Anyway, as potentially one of the first receipients, I'd actually prefer a satin polish or media-blasted flat surface to a coatingl. I have an SCRT-10 that just looks awful after only a day of SC racing (albeit on a really rocky track).

I think the beauty of leaving it satin polished serves two purposes 1) Looks more refined and has a much nicer surface than post-production AL sheet and 2) Easy to repair bad gouges (a limitation on certain carpet tracks here in Japan) with sand paper and then replicate the "stock" surface finish with steel wool or localized media blasting.

Thoughts?

R/
D

[SSC]

Konish,
Definitely a directional hand-sanded satin finish for the top and bottom plates. Just did it on the flat sections of the Jammin A-arms and it's a classy look (better than polished even). I just got over chasing that initial "wow factor" for the long term "go beat the snot out of it and win wow factor".

Honored that a fellow Slash 4wd racer is keeping track of this release from 1/2-way around this world. I'd love to hear how this will handle on a carpet track.

Also scratched the bottom pan milling layout because I made the battery mounting system with even more adjustability forward (which essentially eliminated the milling plan on that side of the chassis). Front arm blocks are staying solid too (for strength and arm-pin hole durability at the front bend spot).

Can't wait to be able to talk to you guys about race setups, as a fellow racer. I'll sell you the one I was reserving to buy myself just so you can experience this in Japan, and I can compare the performance gains of the final version while chasing a few around the local track. I cannot believe I just committed to that publicly.

Check out the first video at:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video....39881522746685
and more photos at:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...00001745136314
(not proud of my driving in this one but it shows it's holeshot, braking and turning abilities in yellow and black).
Mark Soliman
ssclcg.com (check for updates)
321-212-8657
mark@ssclcg.com

[yamSHO]

Impressive! I am on edge of my seat ready to buy it! LMK when its available! So I can take Indy by storm!

[AMP-RC]

Awesome, looks really professional! My question though is how did you get the front diff mounted? The case has a jagged bottom... looks like you incorporated the stock skid somehow?

[SSC]

Thanks yamSHO & AMP-RC! Can't wait to hear drivers' feedback soon enough.

The Slash 4wd front diff does have jagged edges but they align on two common planes (flat and on an angle). Rubber gasket material fills the gap since there was no reason for adding structure/weight.

I prefer the stock skid/front bumper because the rpm one uses more real-estate beneath that bottom pan which takes away suspension travel. Incorporating it into an 1/8" thick bottom plate and matching the stock bend-angle while getting it to cover the front pins in truely bolt-on fashion wasn't easy, but it's possible and well worth the effort. Buyers will soon see the tricks behind making it happen. It is the toughest part of the assembly and it's not that bad after I've blistered my hands up dissassembling/reassembling to learn ways to streamline the instructions. In the end, it's all extremely simple. Even the diff mount and motor mount designs/adjustability. What I'm going to design next for the Slash 4wd, will take this LCG kit to a whole new level of performance...can't believe it took me this long to figure out how to achieve what it'll offer us when it's so simple. Yet so complex to design and produce for a feasible price. It'll be a game changer to an already game changing chassis kit (and stock chassis runners too).
Mark Soliman
www.ssclcg.com

[yamSHO]

Whew, Got my fix...just purchased the SSCLCG! Looking forward for it!

[mojomandan]

Originally Posted by SSC

Thanks yamSHO & AMP-RC! Can't wait to hear drivers' feedback soon enough.

The Slash 4wd front diff does have jagged edges but they align on two common planes (flat and on an angle). Rubber gasket material fills the gap since there was no reason for adding structure/weight.

I prefer the stock skid/front bumper because the rpm one uses more real-estate beneath that bottom pan which takes away suspension travel. Incorporating it into an 1/8" thick bottom plate and matching the stock bend-angle while getting it to cover the front pins in truely bolt-on fashion wasn't easy, but it's possible and well worth the effort. Buyers will soon see the tricks behind making it happen. It is the toughest part of the assembly and it's not that bad after I've blistered my hands up dissassembling/reassembling to learn ways to streamline the instructions. In the end, it's all extremely simple. Even the diff mount and motor mount designs/adjustability. What I'm going to design next for the Slash 4wd, will take this LCG kit to a whole new level of performance...can't believe it took me this long to figure out how to achieve what it'll offer us when it's so simple. Yet so complex to design and produce for a feasible price. It'll be a game changer to an already game changing chassis kit (and stock chassis runners too).
Mark Soliman
www.ssclcg.com

I don't think your driving was so bad. While watching the video of your truck, it looked like my driving style (hmmm, I guess that's not saying much ).

But it really did seem to handle the turns, jumps, and holeshot very well! Was that still the stock Velineon system? And which tires were you using?