Hirobo 44Bs and Zerda :)

[silvertriple]

Test print n°1 : Rear gearbox side

I decided to print a section to validate what I was not 100% sure about...


The printed section matches with the real one (although the picture is misleading due to parallax issue)...


In terms of uncertainties, I did not have much ones. The rear gearbox profile was on one of them. The bath tubs and Zerda belt covers relies on it, as well as the pulley belt cover and it is not a question anymore.
Test is passed. Next will be a test of the front gearboxes, again with the target to validate the last few % of uncertainties I still have...

[silvertriple]

Test 2
Front Gearbox for 44B


Again everything lines up perfectly. It's good feeling when everything matches. Test passed.

Test 3
Front Gearbox for Zerda


The front profile doesn't match exactly. I will have to find out the exact difference : it's really minimal and non fonctional difference (the front angle is not right).
I will reveiw this, but the result overally is not that bad.

[Dadio]

The front bulkhead is a pain to measure and copy exactly , I had the same problem with the angles on the front .

[silvertriple]

The front bulkhead is a pain to measure and copy exactly , I had the same problem with the angles on the front .

yeah...
That being said, it has no fonctionnal impact : the angle is made tangential to the top hole for which the position is right. Ultimately, I have just to change the angle to get it right...

[silvertriple]

I could not resist to put the Hirobo together...


The 44B-LWB will have to wait. I'm still not sure I'll be able to build a bodyshell for it...

That being said, I thought a lot about the Hilux and the Nichimo Midships bodyshells : I thought about doing an offset of 1mm to deal with the lexan thickness, but maybe i think it too complex : it would be easy to rescale the stl just to get what is needed directly within the slicer. And this would even remove the need for the shell function...

[silvertriple]

The Zerda Front gearbox is now perfectly matching at the front too : the difference of angle was 2.5° from what I estimated initially.
As it was the only remaining thing to validate, I checked it by putting the part on my screen, and it is lining up (and for those having a doubt on the method : the printed (wrong) part was lining up with the drawing before I started ). I'm now 100% sure it is right, and I did not even considered printing it

I may print the bottom part of the belt cover for the Zerda : the chassis flexibility may have impact on some measures. Beside this, taking into consideration the situation of the different parts I drawed and where are the potential mistakes, I believe the risk is very limited to have something wrong (and with a very limited fonctional impact).

The 44B chassis are rigid, and flexibility of the Zerda might be bad and good at the same time : flexibility helps traction, but the other side, not being rigid enough is making the belt skipping from what I've discuss with friends. Considering reinforcing slightly the chassis to reduce the flexibility in the belt area... Need to think about this...

[silvertriple]

Beside my own testing, I sent my stl files for the 44B-SWB to a friend who had a chassis without bath tub. He had quite hard time to invent one, and succeeded, but when I proposed him to do some test of my bath tub, he welcomed the idea...

Yesterday evening, he sent me some pictures...






I sent the file while I was not sure I would be able to validate the rear profile of the bath tub, and suggested he print a section of the bath tub to check the profile before going for the full print. He did so and reported while I succeed to restart my printer on Sunday morning. I had not much doubts on the rest of the bath tub, and only the rear profile was a small uncertainty.
I'm verry happy to say he is reporting a success

[threesheds]

Just info, but a grp chassis plate was an upgrade or option for 44b. Part number in accessories in the manual. Slightly more flexible but returns to shape. I got one via eBay a while ago. The aluminium plate was very bent on mine like someone had tried to shape it like zerda camber at the front.
I don't know if you can print with anything lthat has grp properties.
Similarly my 44b lower belt cover had to be straightened. Not perfect but serviceable.

[silvertriple]

Just info, but a grp chassis plate was an upgrade or option for 44b. Part number in accessories in the manual. Slightly more flexible but returns to shape. I got one via eBay a while ago. The aluminium plate was very bent on mine like someone had tried to shape it like zerda camber at the front.
I don't know if you can print with anything lthat has grp properties.
Similarly my 44b lower belt cover had to be straightened. Not perfect but serviceable.

I don't have a clue yet for the material used for the grp chassis plate. There might be still some lower 44B belt cover available in France on ebay (the seller is in vacation right now, but it may be back on ebay late december). I don't remember having seens 44B LWB chassis plates, however...

Beside this, I extracted some pics from the 44B-City ad to be able to do a canvas for a 44B-Baja body...



The form maybe complex, but I will try to do something


Let's see if we can form a bodyshell for this LWB chassis

[silvertriple]

Some times later... I produced the different profiles of the bodyshells


I then applied lofts between all the sections completed with some extrusions, applied a shell and made a mirror... It's far from perfect, but for the time being it looks like good enough for something I don't really want to do anything with (this baja body is not really what I'm looking for this chassis). At least it was more or less easy to get in Fursion 360, and is suitable to show the chassis with a bodyshell...




At least I have now 3 completed cars for this project

[threesheds]

There's a roll bar/body support at the rear of the battery box and a support post goes on the centre bolt of the bumper fixing points.have you got them or do you want dimensions.
Also alternative body posts kit for other body options.

[silvertriple]

There's a roll bar/body support at the rear of the battery box and a support post goes on the centre bolt of the bumper fixing points.have you got them or do you want dimensions.
Also alternative body posts kit for other body options.

I got a City roll bar, and one of my friends gave me the front body post dimensions for the City... It's in the model already

Having the Baja in CAD (more or less), I could not resist to put them in the same file...




I will review the Hilux bodyshell as I really intend to do something with it. I've order a Lancia 037 touring body from TBG, it may be quite close of the one from Hirobo... We'll see...

[Dadio]

With reference to the upgrade GRP chassis plate you do both know that the owner of Factory Works is our very own GoMachV , Jeff is the go to guy for CNC cut GRP chassis parts and into 3d printing too .

[threesheds]

With reference to the upgrade GRP chassis plate you do both know that the owner of Factory Works is our very own GoMachV , Jeff is the go to guy for CNC cut GRP chassis parts and into 3d printing too .

I didn't know, thanks, I'd assumed my grp part was a hirobo CT? as per the parts list. Has some signs of having been stripped from another model. From an eBay seller.
Fitted recently
Thoughts of modifying a shock tower to front of 44b onto those two shock attachment points one cold dark day.

[Dadio]

With reference to the upgrade GRP chassis plate you do both know that the owner of Factory Works is our very own GoMachV , Jeff is the go to guy for CNC cut GRP chassis parts and into 3d printing too .

I didn't know, thanks, I'd assumed my grp part was a hirobo CT? as per the parts list. Has some signs of having been stripped from another model. From an eBay seller.
Fitted recently
Thoughts of modifying a shock tower to front of 44b onto those two shock attachment points one cold dark day.

Sorry yours probably is original, I was just pointing out that copy's could be made by Jeff if needed .