Here's a brainstorm for you to think about. Any ideas welcome!


I'm building another mt crawler( dual motors, 4-link, tube chassis, se board) and have got the front and rear axles done. What i'm stuck on is the suspension. I want to do a 4-link setup, or 3-link if I have to. I was looking around for some tiny ball links to put on the crawler. The smallest I found was here : http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAPC4&P=M . They are all fine and everything, but I thought I'd try to make my own before I paid 30 some bucks for two packs and shipping for thoes little things.

I didn't come up with much. Lack of materials I guess.

So any idea? They can not be any longer than an inch a piece, because that means atleast a 4 inch WB, which would kill the "micro" in this crawler. I want to keep it at about 3.5in WB at most if I can.


Thanks.

YEP, I GOTS AN IDEAR...
ok, bear with me....
go to a craft store, get round hematite beads.

there is the ball part.

drill your own arms. with panels that go on the outside of each one, to keep the balls in (i.e. smaller diameter than the ball, and plat diameter for the hole in the plates.)

bamm, in very few words you have it...the actual design is up to you...just a thought.

So what your saying is two plates glued together...I love it, why didn't I think of that. I was trying to use one plate, and drill a hole in it, then get my knife out and rim out the inside of the hole i just drilled to get the ball to stay in. My ball kept fallin out.

Thanks. I'll try it.

those aren't all that small actually (those du-bro ones)

i like that bead idea lol. i think though, that really all you need to do for a 4 link this small, is just use a single "plate" or like a little flat bar, no balls. because really what good will balls do on a 4 link on something this small?

oh...yeah....vin may have a point...
but the balls are cooler!

it is really a question of slop vs friction.
at this size, you need to measure the amount of travel you really need, and see if you can just use it all up with slop.

with the ball, friction, may defeat you....
but slop on the no ball, may kill you.....
hmmmm

Balls would be much better. I want quite a bit of artic, so if i just went with a bar i'd have too much slop.