Build a HUGE RC MONSTER TRUCK - Golf Cart Wheels - Moped Motor - Remote Controlled

Here's a DIY to build a HUGE RC Monster Truck. You'll need to have a welder.


I have enjoyed seeing remote controlled trucks come a long way over the past couple decades. I've even owned several of them along the way. It all started with the AA powered 2WD trucks with simple springs as shocks. Then along came 7.2V with oil filled shocks, then 4wd, then NITRO powered and then 2 speed transmissions capable of 50MPH with reverse. The past several years the industry has had no where to go except bigger. From 1/16th scale to 1/10th scale and even 1/8th scale. Well, I'm going to beat everyone to the punch. I'm going to design and build a 1/4 scale remote controlled truck with my own unique twist.

Step 1: Start with the Frame

I've made several drawings and I couldn't wait to get it out of my head and start welding! I've had this idea of an independent suspension where all swingarms pivot from a common center pin and all shocks are inline and attched to a parallel upper pin. I useda solid steel rod as the pin and welded matching tubing to the swing arms and honed them for a good fit. I'll do the same for the shock mounts. Here' s the start of it all. The 4 swing arms with the lower pin, front steering knuckles and 4 golf cart tires with ball bearing hubs. I made the swing arms out of 3" electrical conduit. The steering knuckle are simply 3/8" thick steel plates with washers, bolts & bearings to make for a proper knuckle. I had to weld a keyed sleeve into the rear hubs to make a proper fit to the 3/4" keyed axle shaft.

Comments

[denbecr]

You asked for a suggestion for your next project. I'd like to see a large RC landsailer with a wingsail. You could lose the engine. At a similar scale to this jeep, you could follow SPAD construction methods for a coroplast wing and get very good performance. Google "DDWFTTW" and "Flettner rotor" for more advanced windpower ideas.

[rudolphdiesel]

Very well done. parts sourced from stuff laying around to keep cost down. Excellent, I see science and engineering background went into the design but Mister, That is the worst conceived chassis I have ever seen. Okay, function over form is alright but that frame looks like a refugee from Menieke.

[jbaker22]

exceed has cheaper cars look at the website with nrx or something in it's address.

[Flatout Knex]

Nitrorcx.com

[jj.inc]

You could use a wiper motor connected to a servo (with the motor removed, just used for location sensing) and then use an H-bridge motor driver to power it, which is what you already built.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iRI5VxCJxU
It is what I wan't to do if I ever get to making one of these. Mine will also be a 16 hp engine so I am trying to pick a good, high-speed gear ratio, I wish I had a CVT laying around.

[Iwantbigboom]

can somebody say nitro !

[klandathu]

Thats a scooter engine not a moped.

[jimmytvf]

now to the 4wd version

[tzq33tdq]

how much weight can it carry? could it carry a preson?

[tzq33tdq]

this is awesome hi

[Matrix-technician]

How fast does it go? Great "ible" 5 stars.

[1740]

looks good

[Mr.NHRA]

 Where did you get the suspension shocks?

[Gamer917]

dude, take out the engine and drive mechanism and put this thing http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Recycled-Jet-Engine/in the back

[Mr.NHRA]

very cool i am building one but i cant find and actuator. I guess ill have to search deeper. What radio systems did you use? thanks.

[ferrari484]

how fast does it go????

[ferrari484]

ow and it's really cool

[Junkyardmaster14]

nice pet dog!!! :)

[prabbit22m]

That's Pippi. She's a 7 year old Beagle ... my only child!

[themadman]

awesome project. are the R,C and L on the servo controller substitutes for Right, Common and Left. Just want to know because this is one of the many projects that im considering doing this easter/summer

[prabbit22m]

Yes Madman. Right, Left and Center (or wiper). Those terminals go to the potentiameter that "tells" the servo circuit when it's at center. Please feel free to email me if you have ANY questions.

[evildoctorbluetooth]

Anyone says RLC to me, and i start thinking of phase shift. ive been in electics to long. help!!!! i do have a question tho, is the potentiometer part of the kit, or can a better angular sensor be used. cheers evildoctorbluetooth

[prabbit22m]

The pot has to match the one that is in the servo circuit you use for the driver. I can't imagine why you would need to be more accurate than a standard servo. It senses less than half of a degree.

[cyberraxx]

I planned a similar sort of thing for an all-terrain radio control when I was about 14/15yrs but using 5 electric-start moped engines, 2 for forwards & 2 for reverse with tank style steering. The 5th acting as a generator. It was overkill at the time and really didn't know as much as I do now I never really got past the design stage due to lack of money and resources but some of the basic electronics worked and (unluckily or luckily can't decide) ended up in other projects. I might mod this and add a few of my other ideas to the build once I start it again. Some of the instructions in this have solved a couple of probs I had with the designs. Thanks for the 'ibble.

[brandonscode]

i have the plans to build one myself and i would like to know how you made the rc device controlers and what not. thanks

[prabbit22m]

Great. I would love to see what you come up with. The RC devicese were mostly off the shelf stuff. The radio and receiver is a standard 2 ch surface Futaba set you can get anywhere cheap. I used a big Hitec 1/4 scale servo for throttle and just attached it to the throttle cable. I used the highest torque 1/4 scale servo for the brake and just hooked it up to the brake cable that was part of the moped transmission/drum brake system. The I made the steering actuator as you saw in this instructable. I used two 6 volt batteries in series so I could run all the RC stuff on one battery and hook the motors charging system up to the 12V series batteries and use the 12V seriesed batteries for the electric start feature too. That's about it. Please ask any more questions you want.

[yasaswi123]

Hello, Me and my friends are working on a project, and we were looking for an rc car to strap our device to, but it seems that we are unable to locate it on the net. We were hoping that we could recreate it, but we dont exactly know how to program and make a remote for our recreation. And by the time we work it out, the time to finish up our project will be up. I was hoping you could give us a few pointers, our possibly point us at a few sites that may contain 3-4 ft rc cars. Please email us, me Yasaswi at [e-mail]. Thanks a bunch, Yasaswi and his fellow team members.

[psymansays]

How much did your 12V linear actuator cost? I have a project vaguely similar to yours, and built something analogous to one of those, and I was wondering how much the more robust, professional ones cost.

[psymansays]

Wow, that is impressive.

[djr6789]

this is so kool im gonna go make 1 soon

[joejoerowley]

Nice, btw I love Cake! Nice choice of music.