Not-Really-a-Beater-Anymore Raider

[markbt73]

As a bit of fun project basher its come along nicely - probably twice as good as it ever deserved to be now.

The cage will take it to another level - perhaps not for running purposes but as a side project it should be pretty cool

It will get run with the cage. It never fails: I try to make a car into a really nice display piece, and I get tired of seeing it sit there and end up running it. I try to keep a car as a scruffy beater, and I can't help fixing it up. So all my cars end up in this quasi-restored, occasional runner, perpetual work-in-progress state.

[vwjuice]

If you can find them buy some old Kyosho or Duratrax gold shocks. They fit perfet and definitely change the hnadling of the Raider. I have those and a Thorp ball diff in mine with a 17x2 motor and it's a blast. I'm looking for different axles to use because I keep snapping the stock plastic/metal dogbones. That and I need to find some modern wheels and tires for it to get some better traction.

[markbt73]

I have a Raider Pro that is getting a set of Duratrax golds when I rebuild it. Not sure yet if that will be a runner or not.

Thorp made a Raider diff? Huh, I didn't know that. Must be as rare as unicorn poop. If you're looking for stronger axles, try Ultima dogbones or universal axles if you can find them.

[GoMachV]

Ultimate dogbones are still being produced too
The new number is 92645 instead of OT-006. The color is different but the compatibility is great. Universals from an ultima won't fit, rocky/raider have a longer wheel shaft.

[Coelacanth]

I seem to recall the axle lengths are different between Opty/Ulty and Rocky/Raider, too...

[GoMachV]

If there is a difference it is minor, the wheel side prevents the use of a ultima/optima axle in a raider but there are people running the gold rocky universals in optima with spacing up the wheel shaft side.

[vwjuice]

I have a Raider Pro that is getting a set of Duratrax golds when I rebuild it. Not sure yet if that will be a runner or not.

Thorp made a Raider diff? Huh, I didn't know that. Must be as rare as unicorn poop. If you're looking for stronger axles, try Ultima dogbones or universal axles if you can find them.

Check ebay. I bought my diff last year for $40. They are listed on ebay at least 4-6 times per year.

The raider sized ones use the same size balls and rings as a T3 so rebuilding them is cheap and parts are easy to get. At least that's what I was told anyway.

[vwjuice]

You guys are correct. The dogbones from an ultima are only .5MM shorter so they fit just fine. The outer end is longer on the raider/rocky however. Those are quite longer. Eyeing them I think the Traxxas Bandit outer ends are the same length. I am going to try and test fit some Bandit rear driveshafts on the Raider. If they fit then I'll get MIP cvd outer ends for the Bandit and find some bones that are the correct length.

[markbt73]

OK, well, forget the cage. Would have taken too much hacking.

I had a much better idea anyway:







I bought this TBG Ultra Stock body with the intention of putting it on a Pegasus, but then I thought it deserved a better chassis. I tried it on a couple other cars, but it just seemed to go best with the Raider. Stripes are all sign vinyl; I wanted something that paid homage to the Kyosho box-art paint jobs of the 80s and 90s. With the cleaned up orange wheels and some new-old tires, I think it looks just about perfect.

But I guess I can't really call it a "beater" anymore, can I?

[Coelacanth]

I like it, the tires' track width looks like a pretty good fit in relation to the wheel-wells. However, I'd mount the body lower, if possible, so it would look more like a rally car and less like a monster truck. Maybe half an inch or 2/3" of clearance would look better, and still be enough for full suspension travel?

[vwjuice]

That old supra body looks cool on the raider.

[markbt73]

I like it, the tires' track width looks like a pretty good fit in relation to the wheel-wells. However, I'd mount the body lower, if possible, so it would look more like a rally car and less like a monster truck. Maybe half an inch or 2/3" of clearance would look better, and still be enough for full suspension travel?

It sits about a quarter inch lower with a battery in it. I set it up so the tires just barely don't rub under full compression. It just rides high when it's empty.

[Super1080]

I have somewhere around 10 raider chassis, I had one when I was a kid and about 5 years ago I went ebay crazy buying them up for parts.

[j0pp3]

Sweet! That ended up really nice. As mentioned, it could be a bit lower. You could also limit the suspension travel a bit.

[Super1080]

Markbt73 where did you get those white five spoke wheels, are they hpi? I have a raider pro that would look really sweet with those wheels on it.