Ruff 'n Tuff

[Phin]

This is going to be a double build thread for "brother" trucks using my Dahm's Ruff-E-Nuff and Tuff-E-Nuff bodies.

Tuff-E-Nuff will be a monster truck conversion, but not much to post build pics of when all I got is the body, a set of Bru-Line wheels and a JG front shock tower. We're working on the important parts though.


I do have enough important bits to start on Ruff-E-Nuff which will be a JG SRT conversion.

Yeah I started building before I started taking pics. Couldn't help it. And right away I notice an issue. The front arm mount holes are a bit off. Obviously a calculated move by JG to sell more bumpers. I'll have to file out the hole a little and let the screw sit in the bumper's countersink

Don't have a set of JG truck arms for this build so I will cheat and go for a modern alternative that I don't think is that far off mark from the originals. Might be a little longer, but they look the part. I'll just play it off and call this a WOIN JG SRT.

I actually got the B2 carpet arms from flipwils11 to do a B1.5 build but got to fooling around and noticed the arms on a buggy kick up wasn't much shorter than a truck front end. Then I remembered seeing a NIP JG truck chassis hanging on the wall of a LHS and that was it for the B1.5 plans.

Axle tip to axle tip with the Robinson steering is just about 10-11/16". Again I think the b2 arms are a bit longer than what the JG arms were because a set of JG front rims will probably push the front track width out wider than a 10T.

And how it will sit until I get more parts. Need to pick up front and rear towers. The "tower" that's up front now is from gomachv's MIP monoshock repro but it's the bottom part of the JG tower I will be looking for.

Plans for the rear end are still up in the air.

The last versions of the JG SRT chassis were drilled for stealth transmissions but this one ain't. If it were I would've used my MIP Change Box at the back and be happy. The Change Box was really a 10T era piece but I am using Dynotech arms so not too concerned with being period correct. I don't know how I feel about drilling the chassis though.

I have (I feel) a really cool idea for the rear suspension but I'm not sure I can pull of fabricating the parts. I'm not Jake. Don't have is talent or his tools.

[vwjuice]

I haven't seen those bodies in a long time. This will be a sweet build for sure.

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

Ooh, I love the way that front end is shaping up. Right up my alley!

[GoMachV]

It's just begging for lay down shocks like a shuey

[Phin]

The lay down shocks might happen on the Tuff-E-Nuff build. I've been wanting to do a Slam Dunkin style crisscross shock set up and I think it would fit pretty well at the front of that build. It'd then have triple laid down shocks.


BTW I think this JG chassis was cut on a pin router. There was double stick tape residue on the bottom of the chassis, and a scratch under the bellcrank that looks like it hit the tool bit when the person cutting it lifted the chassis. Luckily the bellcrank covers it.

[Phin]

Even though I'm not going to use them on this truck I took a stab and creating some Slam Dunkin style rocker arms to crisscross the front shocks. It works pretty well but definitely needs a different shock tower as the back shock interferes with the steering bellcranks. The spring cup end needs to be raised a bit. Would work best on a flat chassis like a Trackmaster since it would raise up the back shock out of the way of the steering cranks. I think it would look better too on a flat chassis since both shocks would be at the same height.

Has butt-loads of arm travel for less shock compression which is neat.

[vwjuice]

That's so crazy looking, but cool.

[Phin]

That's so crazy looking, but cool.

Yup pretty much sums it up.


Going to have to redo them as I screwed up drilling the holes for the bearings and the center of the bearing is not inline with the tie-rod. Causes screwey camber change during suspension travel.

[SFC K]

That is an interesting looking front end. I think you are on the right track. Have you thought about doing the single shock mod up front?

[Phin]

Nah the crisscross shocks aren't staying on Ruff....it'll get traditional stand up shocks. I'm just messing around while I scrounge for parts.


This setup is "better" than a mono-shock setup though. With mono-shocks the force from one arm compressing is just transferred to the opposite arm and that causes body roll. With this setup the force from the arm compressing is transferred to the chassis. Probably still causes more roll than standup shocks since force is going to the opposite side of the car but definitely not as bad as a mono-shock.

BTW here is the ad for the original Slam Dunkin kit, and if you scroll down there's a pic of it on a car.

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=26614&start=45#p282275

[Phin]

This converted RC10 with a pair of the molded version of the JG arms just popped up on eBay and the seller was kind enough to take some measurements for me. Pretty pleased to find out that the B2 carpet arms are almost exactly the same length as the JG arms. The seller gave me a measurement of 63-64mm for the JG arms pin-to-pin, and the Dynatech arms are 64mm. I was guessing at the modern arms being at least 3/16" longer.

[biff85ta]

Sweet some of my parts are in a build on here that isn't mine.

[vwjuice]

Too bad. I think those shocks look sweet like that.

[romulus22]

Although it it a cool looking design. I don't think it would ever work like that. Holding the arm level you would be able to take your wheel and compress the shock by moving the camber of the wheel. I don't think it has anything to do with the pivot point really. It would do this wherever you put your pivot.

Nice thinking out of the box though. That's how cool stuff gets made

[clm]

That would only happen if the whole upper link still had it's inner rod end, this way the upper rod end is the shock bellcrank so the upper link and shock lever are always at 90 degrees.

The problem I see with it is I am unsure if that upper threaded rod is really suitable for surviving the suspension impacts. They are afterall only for keeping the camber.

Chris