Duratrax Ultima Pro

[Synergy]

This is my Ultim Pro 1 as it stands at the moment, I originally planned to go box art with it but the arrival of a Duratraxs chassis has put an end to that idea. I have added a one off front shock tower made by Fibre-Lyte so I could use longer shocks and as you can see I found a home for my Sees wheels they look a lot better/shinier in real life.

The chassis increases the wheel base to around the same as an RC10 so the original body doesn't fit, does anyone have any suggestions what I should/could use I might end up putting an RC10 shell on it I also need ideas for battery retaining the drilled holes in the chassis are too wide to use RC10 battery boxes

[Mr. ED]

Hiya,
I'm surprised the body won't fit anymore: the pro2 was a little longer also but used the same body I believe.
Anyway : I just ordered me a desert gator body this weekend. I will let you know how it fits when it gets here. If that fits well, I'd recommend you a sand viper body. The looks are pretty similar to the original ultima 2 body.

Which wheels did you use originally?
They look like 4wd, 2.2's.

Since you live in the UK shumi battery straps should be easy to find.

Are you going to put the battery in the length?
I did that on all my ultima trucks: 10xbetter than sideways.
With the longer chassis and todays low profile servos it should be real easy. Kyosho made the same servosaver with the swivel arm pointing backwards. You might need that or an aftemarket saver.

[Synergy]

Hi mr.ED, I think the body would have fitted if the previous owner had not cut the back off there must be a good 15mm extra on the wheel base with this chassis. I like the Sand Viper/Desert Gator shells that sounds like a good plan I will wait to here from you on the fit.

I think the wheels are Lazer ZXRs but don't hold me to that defo. 4WD wheels though, again the previous owners doing

As this one is only to be a shelfer radio instalation is no real issue, I want some form or battery straps to finish it off, I will try and get hold of the ones you suggest.
Thanks.

[terry.sc]

Yes, the Pro and the Pro XL (which had the same wheelbase as this one) used the same body, just the Pro XL had the rear body mount cut out further back.

Original wheels are Lazer ZX-R and the previous owner fitted them as the original ones were tatty and he never ran the car.

Having just tried one on mine an RC10 shell would fit just fine.
I also have a Duratrax chassis on my race Ultima, mine is the saddle pack version and it is also standard Ultima wheelbase. I use an Optima Mid Custom shell and undertray on mine, the body looks like it could fit a longer chassis. Excuse the horrible wide front bumper, you used to need a full width bumper to race to be race legal at BRCA Nationals.

[Synergy]

Thanks for the info terry.sc, I think I'm going to wait to see how these Sand Vipers/Desert Gator shells work out.

[Mr. ED]

I just remember Tulsa had this Parma shell for an ulitma for sale in the BST section, maybe you want to check that: the price was very reasonable and it had a tub also.
i'm gonna use my spacecraft shell from Volks on my 2wd ultima in the making: it looks like it'll fit as a a glove.

The Tamiya shell is intended for the 4WD XXtima (gotta watch what I call it while Terry's around)

I kinda like the wheels and tires you had on originally.
What is the front width with these mounted?
Could you send me a picture of how the were put on: using which parts?
I may want to make a trade for these: for some batterries or ...
My only worry is the car will not be race legal
(I used 4WD front blocks and wheels and it was too wide on the stock arms, unless the rules changed???)

[Synergy]

I kinda like the wheels and tires you had on originally.
What is the front width with these mounted?
Could you send me a picture of how the were put on: using which parts?
I may want to make a trade for these: for some batterries or ...
My only worry is the car will not be race legal
(I used 4WD front blocks and wheels and it was too wide on the stock arms, unless the rules changed???)

Regardless of the width they would be no use for a runner, they had no bearings, mounted using a standard 4wd plastic hex drive.

[Mr. ED]

still could use them on my 4x4
But anyway: I mixed up you and you and dr. robotnik again : you don't need batteries right

[Synergy]

No batteries required thanks

[RichieRich]

Hey Terry, did you strip out the front bulkhead on that Ultima. I don't know what it is with those, but some of them were so brittle, they would crack. I have an Ultima Pro XL and I never hacked the back end off the body. I thought it looked funny.

[terry.sc]

Yeah Rich, the bulkhead stripped a long time ago. No point buying another to strip again when longer bolts and nuts make a much more reliable front end. I know the front end will still be attached while racing it.

Ed, those wheels are standard Lazer ZX-R ones and fit with a standard 12mm hex, makes the front end as narrow as it can get.

[Mr. ED]

Stripping is indeed easy to solve as terry said.

To prevent cracking you can pre-thread the holes: this will put less pre-tension on them. I allways keep the cracked bulkheads also: If worse comes to worse I can combine the left half of one to the right half of another

I think the difference between the parts are explained by the introduction of glassfiber in their plastics. I suppose it took them some time to find the right mix to have them stiff but not brittle.
Another thing would be they changed the material supplier at times. I don't know for the Ultima parts, but I heard part of the parts have been produced in Korea for some years now.
and alast factor is the nylon in these parts. Nylon absorps wather and becomes brittle when it dries out. Thats part of why people boiled parts before mounting them for a while. (For AbS parts it released some of the internal stress residing in the parts from the rapid cooldown in the factory.)

Terry, I used the optima front blocks and knukles on the ultima arms before to put 4WD fronts on, but unless the rules have changed since I was racing , this is too wide to be legal.
Richie, most people I knew cut off the rear section so you could take the body off without removing the spoiler.
That spoiler came off so easily in races, lol. you could bend and twist the wire ocourse, but then it was very hard to remove by hand too, hnece the body cut-up.

Phew, long reply, you guys shouldn't bring up such interesting points

[RichieRich]

Yeah, I have several cracked bulkheads that I've saved over the years. When my original wore out, I purchased a bunch that were used for the Outrage. They definitely were made from a newer plastic/nylon formula. After I cracked a few of those, I pre-threaded the holes like you said. In some places though, the plastic is pretty thin.

I suppose hacking off the body would save some time especially for the Ultima II type spoiler. My Ultima Pro XL has instructions for the Ultima II type spoiler that bolts to the shocktower, though no parts ever came in the box to do it. I think I like that version better.

[Mr. ED]

would you want to scan that section of the manual?

The Pro XL? is that the Pro 2: with the composite chassis and longer rear arms?
Which arms were on that in the front?
(I have the old RCCA in which they reviewed the PRO2, but it's in a box in my home-country.)

While I have the experts attention: who can tell me what was the difference between the PRO coming in a box with a white body pictured and the PRO coming in a box with a black body pictured?

[Asso_man!]

the Pro 02 came with the white body and the Pro XL with black body I think.

Here's a link to my Pro XL resto, needs some update though...

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?t=547&highlight=ultima+pro