Well, I've been looking at the Pimp Cane, and the Stick for the Clod based crawlers, but I didn't want to fork over cash for them, and you know that I like a challenge, so I decided to make my own. I was at the auto parts store yesterday, and I saw a 3/8" Drive Socket Holder hanging on the shelf. I walked over and tested out the flexibility of the holder, as well as the stiffness, and it seemed alright, and at a price of $1.98, it wouldn't hurt to test it out. I took it home and worked on getting it all put together last night, and this is what i came up with. All that is left is to mount the steering servo and It'll be good to go. I drove it last night with the wheels locked in place and it climbed just about anything that I put in it's way. The wheelbase is 12 1/2". I think if I put some lathe motors on it, there wouldn't be anything that would stand in it's way. Pretty good for a $2 conversion chassis I still have enough room that I could put 2 packs on the rail and wire them in parallel to get double the run time.

Sorry about the pic quality, but the digi cam took a dump after 9 years, so I'm using the camera built into the digi vid cam.

NICE call dude! That's hillarious. Test that shit out real extensively, then go post it up over on RCCrawler. Let everyone know that they've been getting screwed buying the over-hyped shit when they could've made something for a fraction of the cost.

When I get the steering hooked up, I'm gonna take it down to the creek bottom and take a vid of it. It's funny how things just "Pop" out at me when I least expect it. Funny part was I had already been to 3 different hardware stores looking for aluminum channel to make a chassis. I had finally gave up and went to the auto parts store for something entirely different. Best part about this is that it is $2 and is already chrome plated.

Awesome. I too have been looking at the Pimp Cane stick instead of the tuber. I like the price, just can't spare it at the moment.

A couple of questions...I know that he uses a special piece to hold it to the axles and with rubber mounts it creates more flex. How did you mount it? And without any links to it, how do you keep the axles from moving?

I love it though. I have looked at some materials, just never thought of that! I want to see how this turns out.

I fuckin' called it!!!

I knew you'd build a crawler outta those axles. Helluva deal on that 2 dollar chassis man, great thinkin'. Makes me start thinking about how many times I've flexed one of those to get a socket off. NEVER thought about using one for a torsion chassis.

Friggin "A" awesome man.

I'm not sure exactly how the pimp cane works other than it "twists". I've never seen one up close and personal. The metal strip that I bought had 3 holes already drilled into it (sorry I didn't get any pics along the way of this project, but the camera died) The 3 holes were made to mount the stip to the wall or drawer. As luck would have it, there is a hole at each end of the strip, and a hole in the center. All I did was take the nut off the bolt that holds the steering together (the one that you tighten to adjust the built in servo saver on both axles. Don't know the part numbers) and then placed the hole on the end of the strip over that bolt, and then tighten the lock nut all the way down. Doing that on both ends ended up creating a 13 1/2" wheel base, so I just re-drilled a hole that was 1" closer to the middle.

On the end of the axles (red circles in pics) I took out that bolt and replaced it with a longer bolt that I put a rod end on with a long enough screw to make it up and through the chassis strip. So, if you look at the top view, you only see a screw head, with a nut under the strip to lock it to the chassis, and on the end of the screw is a rod end that mounts to the longer bolt, thus giving you 2 points that the axles ties into the chassis strip. It locks in the "back and forth" movement, as well as the "side to side" motion, yet still lets the chassis flex as needed.


Hope all that makes sense. I wish I had a digi cam. It would make all this a whole lot easier.

I'm even more confused now. Was that english, or did I need to press 1? Lol.

I'll look for some pics to show what I meant.

I know, it's much easier to take a clear pic than it is to describe it. I never realized how important a digi cam could be. I'll try to borrow the neighbor's cam and take some close up shots.

How much is it for a set of clod axles???

There are several sites that will sell just the axles, stock, for about 125.00.

If you watch Ebay, you might get lucky and get some tires and wheels with it for 100.00. If you're lucky. I've seen old Clods go for 150.00 or more, and they just want the axles and try to sell the rest.

Why do you think I fixed that RC in trade for the axles? I have about 60.00 invested, and can sell the tires/wheels. With the explosion of crawling, they're like gold.

more pics with better camera.

thts very cool.. does the post flex or bend any when the front or rear tires are twisted.. looks pretty stiff.. also nice and light looking too..

how is that steering servo mounted? is it on an arm?

I think they're mounted directly on the axle.


So... MacGyver, you've made a crawler out of a socket holder, you're putting a weedeater engine in a Savage, you've done the powerwheels thing.. When is the unveiling of the Mexican Space Shuttle??? Are you gonna be "Scotty" to Franks "Captain Kirk"???

HHHAAAA HHHAAA YUCK ya are killin me!

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY This fuckin planet sucks!!!

Just goes to show ya can make a silk purse outta outta a sows ear huh...

Ok, now I get what you were saying. That's some great thinking there man. With that setup, you should be able to pull the motors up just a bit and help with clearance as well. Not a lot, but a little. Know what I mean? If you used a longer bolt or threaded shaft, it could be used as body posts/mounts. Now you got me thinking.

I got some of those for Xmas a couple of years ago. I gotta dig those out.

now that's the funniest shit i read in a long time

i thought about making one out of a socket holder over a year ago! just to damn busy

Yuck you're just too funny! Next, you'll want him to explain how it could be fueled on taco shells. Lol. Energize!

The post does move, but with the shock end and captured ball attached to the axle bolt, it doesn't put anything into a bind. It moves kinda like a shock attached to the suspension on a regular r/c



The Servo is mounted on top of the metal arm that goes from the diff housing to the c-hub at the end of the axle. It is a stock piece. I just removed the servo mount from the stock Clod location and mounted it on that metal arm. The wholes in the metal arm actually line up with the holes on the servo mount.





That should be my new title.



I've been running the clod for the last couple of days. I have had no problems to speak of with this design. Other than underpowered motors and esc, and tires that don't have much traction, the design is working well, and I've conquered just about every possible obsticle (rocks) that I can find around here. I'll run for a little more, and then I'll take it down to the creek bottom and shoot a vid of it in action. I still haven't decided what body to put on it yet. I have the orange bug body that I've been thinking about running on it.

You appear t be tking H arleys spot as chief jerry-rigger..