WPL, JJRC and HengLong R/C Truck thread

[markbognor]

Glad yours is coming together now. That upgrade axle does look good. Did you buy the rear one as well? I might have to get some of those on the way as soon as there's some money in my PayPal again.

The seller who only sent me half my wheel/hub order was out of stock, so now I have had to order more from somewhere else. I have some of the front hubs coming too, so when I eventually get the C34's I can carry on with the wheel experiments. The MN wheels and tyres might be here by then too!

The trucks themselves have reached Alashankou which is apparently in Mongolia! They have cleared export customs though - so hopefully there's an airport there and they'll be on their way to Europe!

[drseg]

all my parts here now but managed to injure my left hand so cant play yet

[skodacious]

Jun 22, 2020 16:43:27 GMT markbognor said:

Glad yours is coming together now. That upgrade axle does look good. Did you buy the rear one as well? I might have to get some of those on the way as soon as there's some money in my PayPal again.

Yes - the axles came as a front and rear set and were on a 'flash deal' so I think were around £23.00 instead of £45.00. 

They run really smoothly and do seem to be better finished than the WPL items.  As you will have seen, the carrier needs work to get it to fit and the bolts don't go all the way through to link into the threaded plates on the underside of the axle.  However there is a thread all the way through the axle case so I am hopeful it will all be secure enough.  There may be a future issue with the steering arm connection but that can't be sorted just yet because I have an issue with the ball joint-panhard rod connection on the servo tray.  Basically the ball joint will not screw into the hole on the servo tray so the build has stopped yet again!  I have now ordered a metal servo tray and yet more bits - rear lights and an upgraded connector rod set.

I have tipped towards feeling pleased with it though!  I put it on the 5 spoke alloys last night to make myself feel better about things - the WPL wheel weights don't fit them so will have to see how it runs and they may end up being for display only!  I have fitted a metal front and rear bumper and metal chassis brace (rear) so things are getting more serious underneath!  I am waiting on the special plastic glue so that I can finish the LHD to RHD conversion and some washers so that I can pack out the shock mounts and stop them wobbling about so much.

 

[Rich]

The pan hard screw issue is common, I’ve seen a few people have to run a tap into the hole to get them to go in nicely. But for what they are I expected to have these kind of issues with them, they are only toys at the end of the day with aftermarket support to make them as capable as bigger brands. Good to hear the feedback on those axles, my brother wants those for his C24 but I’d heard good and bad things. He likes the chonky look and seeing as he’s spun a wheel hex AGAIN he aught to bite the bullet..

[skodacious]

Jun 23, 2020 6:48:35 GMT Rich said:

The pan hard screw issue is common, I’ve seen a few people have to run a tap into the hole to get them to go in nicely. But for what they are I expected to have these kind of issues with them, they are only toys at the end of the day with aftermarket support to make them as capable as bigger brands. Good to hear the feedback on those axles, my brother wants those for his C24 but I’d heard good and bad things. He likes the chonky look and seeing as he’s spun a wheel hex AGAIN he aught to bite the bullet..

Hi Rich - I think it is starting to come together well and even with the additional 'spend' it is still great value and from the various YouTube videos that I have seen they seem very capable little machines! Thanks for the heads up on the panhard screw - unfortunately I don't have access to a tap and die set and it is cheaper to buy the servo tray but will note for any future builds (6x6 is tempting!).  

I found a little packet of capacitors and noted from a build video that one was soldered to the motor.  My motor doesn't have one so I presume that is what one of them is for but what do I do with the other 5?!

I will try and connect up the steering arm today and let you know how I get on before your brother spends! 

[markbognor]

Those five spokes look great.

Could you let me know if those MN style tyres have an outside bead the same diameter as the WPL wheels - I know the inner bead is bigger but I'm hoping the outer - wheel face is the same size.

It might end up a couple of pounds more expensive but buying threaded turnbuckles, or rods and ends from a UK supplier might geth you going more quickly than waiting on fairly generic parts like that to come in from China.

[Rich]

Jun 23, 2020 7:13:37 GMT skodacious said:

Jun 23, 2020 6:48:35 GMT Rich said:

The pan hard screw issue is common, I’ve seen a few people have to run a tap into the hole to get them to go in nicely. But for what they are I expected to have these kind of issues with them, they are only toys at the end of the day with aftermarket support to make them as capable as bigger brands. Good to hear the feedback on those axles, my brother wants those for his C24 but I’d heard good and bad things. He likes the chonky look and seeing as he’s spun a wheel hex AGAIN he aught to bite the bullet..

Hi Rich - I think it is starting to come together well and even with the additional 'spend' it is still great value and from the various YouTube videos that I have seen they seem very capable little machines! Thanks for the heads up on the panhard screw - unfortunately I don't have access to a tap and die set and it is cheaper to buy the servo tray but will note for any future builds (6x6 is tempting!).  

I found a little packet of capacitors and noted from a build video that one was soldered to the motor.  My motor doesn't have one so I presume that is what one of them is for but what do I do with the other 5?!

I will try and connect up the steering arm today and let you know how I get on before your brother spends! 

6wd trucks don’t have a panhard anyway so you are safe there. They use a totally different chassis and suspension with leaf springs front and a balance cart multi link single-leaf-a-side rear. the caps are spare. Nice they include them, they are basically to add to the motor terminals to the motor body if you suffer problems with the WPL sound boards sound having trouble. If you are using other radio gear or you haven’t got an issue just stash them away.

[markbognor]

Whoo, Axle trusses are here. Still a long way off having a truck though!

[skodacious]

Jun 23, 2020 9:16:16 GMT markbognor said:

Could you let me know if those MN style tyres have an outside bead the same diameter as the WPL wheels - I know the inner bead is bigger but I'm hoping the outer - wheel face is the same size.

I have had a measure and tried fitting each tyre to each wheel.  The results are that the MN style tyre front face fits the WPL plastic wheel perfectly.  The MN tyre has a bead depth of 2.5mm and the WPL tyre is 1.5mm.  I have taken the photo below to illustrate it which shows they fit well - hope that helps?

[markbognor]

Jun 23, 2020 12:22:39 GMT skodacious said:

Jun 23, 2020 9:16:16 GMT markbognor said:

Could you let me know if those MN style tyres have an outside bead the same diameter as the WPL wheels - I know the inner bead is bigger but I'm hoping the outer - wheel face is the same size.

I have had a measure and tried fitting each tyre to each wheel.  The results are that the MN style tyre front face fits the WPL plastic wheel perfectly.  The MN tyre has a bead depth of 2.5mm and the WPL tyre is 1.5mm.  I have taken the photo below to illustrate it which shows they fit well - hope that helps?

That is excellent news. Cheers for that.

[skodacious]

C44 KM update time!

One of the advantages of working from home is that you can spend lunchtime on hobbies! Previously on 'C44KM LHD to RHD conversion our intrepid builder experienced glue and consequent plastic bonding problems which meant that bits appeared to momentarily stick before succumbing to gravity. I ordered some Locktite 'All Plastics' glue and have given it a go - I have read mixed reviews but it does seem to have worked this time.

In summary the LHD to RHD conversion has consisted of:
1. Cutting off the brake and clutch pedals and remounting on the other side.
2. Cutting off the steering wheel mount and bonding to the other side.
3. Repositioning the gear lever and taking the opportunity to angle it over towards the driver.
4. Making a proper length 'low range' lever.
5. Making a glove box lid to cover the hole left in the dashboard.

I have given the bits a quick coat of Tamiya Black Acrylic and a second will go on this evening. It is a small change but I am pretty pleased with it and makes it more of the authentic Australian Ute that I am going for.

[markbognor]

More parts....

The MN wheel and tyre sets have arrived. Two of the tyres had a split in the inner side wall - so a fault ticket has gon in with bang good for them. I might even get another set.

Here's the MN tyres fitted to the outside of the metal rim and stretched all the way over both to the inner rim of the MN wheel.

Propper Icelandic tundra buggy style...







These could easily be epoxied together as they are, but they are a bit too stretched off of the inner rim.




So I think if I go with these I cut the front face off of the MN rim, and epoxy it into the back of the alloy rim, to reduce the width slightly.

Here's how they look against the B1 tyres on the dually pair.

[diff]

My C34 turned up last weekend from Banggood , excellent delivery time , just over a week but just a layer of plastic around the box to protect it . Luckily no damage . Just like the C24s I ordered RTR again then I will upgrade as and when needed .
It’s loads quicker than the C24s but not as stable and on the larger angled crawl tended to try and flip backwards .
I then pulled it apart to paint it , and added a big lump of brass in the front bumper to try and weigh the front down a bit .

[markbognor]

Great colour choice.

I wish shipping wasn't such a lottery. Mine have moved on from Alashankou, Mongolia. Which I have since discovered is a distribution hub for the Sino-European Railway. They are now in Dostyk, Kazakhstan so are slowly making their way west!

In the meantime I've been carrying on with my wheel experiments. I've cut off the faces from some MN wheels, and turned the barrells down to 10mm deep. With a slight chamfer on the inner and outer edges these are a nice interference fit in the dually wheel faces. (They will eventually get glued as well).

This left a wider than stock wheel, but the with too high an offset, the dually hub would be too far in, probably allowing the inside lip to contact the steering arms. So I've made up some little wheel spacers to push the wheel out and lower the overall offset.

I have another pair of the rear dually hubs coming so I should eventually have a full set that I can fit to a truck! Just wish one would get here!

[diff]

Cheers Mark , I know what you mean about shipping , ordered some shocks for one of my tamiyas , took 6 months .
Love the Slot mag look , I am tempted to get a set for the pizza planet truck

[skodacious]

diff
I then pulled it apart to paint it , and added a big lump of brass in the front bumper to try and weigh the front down a bit .


Looking great and the green is spot on 👌


I have added the metal front bumper to my C44 and also the metal rear. The latter has helped get a bit of weight at the back. I may also add a wheel weight to my spare tyre.

[diff]

Jun 26, 2020 18:18:55 GMT skodacious said:

diff
I then pulled it apart to paint it , and added a big lump of brass in the front bumper to try and weigh the front down a bit .


Looking great and the green is spot on 👌


I have added the metal front bumper to my C44 and also the metal rear. The latter has helped get a bit of weight at the back. I may also add a wheel weight to my spare tyre.

Cheers , may have to try the metal bumpers as it’s still a bit unstable .

[skodacious]

diff just to warn you that the winch won't fit with the metal bumper because there isn't enough clearance between it and the front grill panel - although to be honest I think it would be difficult with the plastic one!

[skodacious]

rich you asked about the upgrade axles for your brother's truck and I said I would get back about the steering servo attachment. You need to get a longer servo arm than is supplied with the kit and it needs to have m2.5 threaded holes to allow it to bolt up to the steering arm supplied with the axles.

I have ordered one from Bangood for about £1.80 and some m2.5 hex head bolts from Amazon.

I have found all this out the hard way having accidentally measured things wrongly in a rush and buying M3 bolts and an m3 threaded servo arm 'for next day delivery' 🙄

So my C44 is now assembled and awaiting my Bangood deliveries that will contain a metal servo mount, alternative winch, rear lights and upgraded tie roads. Then in August some oil filled dampers will arrive... 😁

[diff]

Jun 28, 2020 14:39:54 GMT skodacious said:

diff just to warn you that the winch won't fit with the metal bumper because there isn't enough clearance between it and the front grill panel - although to be honest I think it would be difficult with the plastic one!

Thanks , don’t know if my garden trail will need a winch yet , but I keep changing it about a bit .