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MT410 custom bash bar / full chassis skid

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Hector_Fisher

Well-known member
Messages
87
Reaction score
85
Location
WA
Tekno RC's
  1. MT410
  2. SCT410
I always thought the MT410 chassis was a little thin and skinny (it is a racing chassis after all). It hasn't taco'd on me, but there are several good sized dents that something like my kraton (even being heavier) doesn't have. An M2C game changer chassis sound great, but I don't really want to spend $200ish for a new chassis when mine still works. I figured a ash bar/skid was the best option, but the ones you can buy are also expensive. I wanted something that would last a long time, so i also wanted the rear screws recessed deeply in the skid to prevent them from wearing down prematurely. That's where I decided i could make my own exactly the way I want it.

My grand total is like $35, and that will make me two skids and $15 of that is the countersink bit that I can use many times.

Bought a 2inch wide, 1/8inch thick, 3ft long bar from the hardware store. I was lucky to have a friend who recently bought an MT410 kit, so I used his bare chassis as the template, marked with a sharpie and drilled through at those spots, then countersunk the appropriate side.
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That was probably the most labor intensive portion of it.

I had a friend grind off at the specified length and I slightly chamfered the leading edge with my dremel.
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Results were looking good. I wanted to strengthen the rear diff area, so I needed some custom washers to fill the space where the old screws were. This was the trickiest part! Couldn't find anything!

So I ended up purchasing some countersunk aluminum m4 screws from aliexpress and drilled through at the hex with a 4mm drill bit to "decapitate" it. The results are simply splendid! A good tight fit to take up spake and reinforce the skid and chassis. I just used them on the rear 4 screws and the leading two screws. Those specific areas I wanted to be able to tighten down tightly without fear of yielding the skid.
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Fully assembled everything just today. I don't have a drill press, so alignment of the holes was all slightly off in the end, but it all "pressed in" once I got some threads engaged in each screw and tightened it down. I used slightly longer screws to compensate for the extra thickness of the skid.
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I think the results speak for themselves! I'm excited to get her out and give it a rip!

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I don't fully know how much this would strengthen the chassis (it is only 1/8 inch 6063 aluminum after all), but for certain it will alleviate fears of more dents in the chassis and help prevent more wear!

All in all, it was a long process. But I enjoyed doing it, and subsequent skids should be much easier since I have the tools, know how, and template to make another.

Hopefully this can encourage someone to try something like this of their own! I'm not a machinist, everything was made at my kitchen table. So it is possible to do. Happy bashing everyone!
 
Looks great!! Nice work!! I have always thought of just the same process.. but, I never seem to bend or wear out a chassis,LOL. Too soft a basher I guess? LOL.
Back in the days of the Thunder Tiger MT4, folks were coming up with all kinds of t2t braces and such. I decided to buy a piece of 5/32 7075 T6 and just make a whole new chassis instead..
Came out really well, weighed in .5lb more than the stock 4mm 6000 series plate. The hardest part was the kickup at the front of the chassis. Took 2 men, a big vise and a bit of heat to bend it..seriously strong plate. I still have it, but I ended up back on the stock chassis just to save the weight since it doesn't get "bashed" anymore. Parts are long gone, so it lives an "easy life" now, only coming out occasionally for some track time..
No reason this couldn't be applied to any flat chassis rig though..
I literally laughed when M2C came out with the basher bar for the Xmaxx..like yeah, who can't do that? I know, theres is machined from solid billet, giving more strength than bent plate.
 
Looks great!! Nice work!! I have always thought of just the same process.. but, I never seem to bend or wear out a chassis,LOL. Too soft a basher I guess? LOL.
Back in the days of the Thunder Tiger MT4, folks were coming up with all kinds of t2t braces and such. I decided to buy a piece of 5/32 7075 T6 and just make a whole new chassis instead..
Came out really well, weighed in .5lb more than the stock 4mm 6000 series plate. The hardest part was the kickup at the front of the chassis. Took 2 men, a big vise and a bit of heat to bend it..seriously strong plate. I still have it, but I ended up back on the stock chassis just to save the weight since it doesn't get "bashed" anymore. Parts are long gone, so it lives an "easy life" now, only coming out occasionally for some track time..
No reason this couldn't be applied to any flat chassis rig though..
I literally laughed when M2C came out with the basher bar for the Xmaxx..like yeah, who can't do that? I know, theres is machined from solid billet, giving more strength than bent plate.
I might be sending my MT410 a little hard sometimes.... :ROFLMAO: Recently broke an a-arm from a few too many tumbles down from 15 ft in the air. So i need all the extra protection I can get!

I've really be loving these custom projects lately. Usually gets me the quality or function I want that isn't in the stock or aftermarket parts, OR at a fraction of the cost. It's like arts and craft for adults!
 
I might be sending my MT410 a little hard sometimes.... :ROFLMAO: Recently broke an a-arm from a few too many tumbles down from 15 ft in the air. So i need all the extra protection I can get!

I've really be loving these custom projects lately. Usually gets me the quality or function I want that isn't in the stock or aftermarket parts, OR at a fraction of the cost. It's like arts and craft for adults!
Oh yeah!! Make it your own!! Always best IMO 😁👍🍻
I have no idea what happened to the original arms on my MT410..they literally just warped for no apparent reason..seemed fine when new, then after say a year of use, the steering was really off, had been for a while.. I don't know what tipped me off to it but, I noticed one arm was pretty severely warped.🤔.. Totally screwing up the caster angle at that wheel, weird. The other was less warped, but it was off. I know it hadn't been left sitting in the sun or anything, all my rigs are stored in an unheated garage, no windows, and all rigs are always supported on a stand of some type..🤷‍♂️
The replacement arms are holding up fine thus far, which reminds me, I should have a look at them..🤔
 
Sitrep after first hard bash. So far so good. I can see a few areas where the bash bar took some good hits!
20230416_160634.jpg

Leading edge took a few gouging hits. Good evidence that under a direct hit, the bash bar will chip and break rather tranfer all that force to the fasteners on the chassis and sheer them! Lots of good scrapes cuts elsewhere. Those rocks partially protruding from the dirt are a real killer!
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After bashing it was painfully obvious that the bash bar doesn't provide full coverage! Apparently those rocks stick up enough to create this bad gouge!! And imagine how bad it would have been on the chassis without the bash bar...
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Overall, pleased with the results. Would do again. For the price of what I paid to build it, I think it will pay for itself many time over for not having to buy another $100 chassis as soon!
 

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