Relocate reciever and battery to the rear

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orcusomega

Well-Known Member
Messages
653
Location
Royersford, PA
OK, few caveats:

1) This is my first how-to, so be gentle :)
2) My truck is a Savage 25 with the XL TVP's - this gives me the room to move the battery box behind the motor - so I don't know if it will work for everyone
3) Where the battery is mounted will block your access it you use a roto-start - just keep that in mind.

So this is how I moved my receiver and battery from the front of the truck to the rear, in preparation for a mid-tank mod coming soon. My mission was to do it as cheap as I could using crap I had lying around as much as possible.

Parts List:
1) 2 aluminum bulkhead braces
2) 2 servo wire extensions
3) one T-Maxx battery box
4) one motor mount brace
5) one receiver box (Traxxas #4924 - no idea what it is out of)

To start things off, I needed to figure out how to mount a horizontal brace from TVP to TVP without drilling - I did not want to weaken the TVP at all, and it seemed there HAD to be a way to make this work.

When I lined up the brace between the TVP's, I saw that the spaces cut out where different from side to side, so I had to find a place on each side where they were the same. Once I did that, it should be a matter of putting something there to hold it in place - right?

After I found a place on both sides of the TVP's where I could attach the brace and keep it even, I needed a way to keep it from moving around too much - I happened to have a few diff braces lying around from my XL diff conversion, and I used them to hold the brace in place front to rear. All put together, it looks like this:

G_Photo_17.jpg


You will notice that the brace is significantly below the top rail of the TVP, and so did I, especially when I looked at how wide the T-Maxx battery box was, but it worked out perfect. I drilled a few holes in the bottom of the battery box to line up with the holes in the mount, and the flat bottom of the box keeps it in place well (just remember to use locktite on all screws where metal is on metal).

G_Photo_18.jpg


Put together, it looks like this:

G_Photo_19.jpg


Why a T-Maxx battery box, when there are so many other ones that are smaller? Well, I like the T-Maxx batt box because it holds everything, including a port on the top with a rubber plug that you use to recharge the battery pack. When you are done, pop the plug back in and there is no leakage of water, etc.

So now I have the battery moved, but I still need to move the receiver. This is where the Traxxas radio box comes in. Since my LHS pretty much carries only Traxxas and Losi, shopping the rack for parts is hit-or-miss, but this worked out well. I just toolk my spektrum receiver, velcro'ed it to the top of the case, routed the wires for the battery and servo.

G_Photo_20.jpg


I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out how to mount the box to the back, but decided on zip-ties - cheap, easy, and doesn't require me to drill holes or fab up crazy brackets.

The finished product (still need to tuck wires)

G_Photo_21.jpg


Hope this helps someone!

Bob
 
Last edited by a moderator:
nice job! but why would you want more weight in the back where their is already too much?

This is step one of a mid-tank mod. I will be headed to Lowes for materials, and will be ordering the tank today. Since I don't have the tank, might as well get done what I can. Budget is tight since I have spent so much on everything else (XL diffs/bulkheads, axles, TVP's, servos, tires, axles, etc, etc, etc).

Bob
 
This is step one of a mid-tank mod. I will be headed to Lowes for materials, and will be ordering the tank today. Since I don't have the tank, might as well get done what I can. Budget is tight since I have spent so much on everything else (XL diffs/bulkheads, axles, TVP's, servos, tires, axles, etc, etc, etc).

Bob

start with a stock truck than 6 months later add up all the bills and you have droped 2 grand above the purchase price of the truck and you suddenly realize you have a serious problem.
 
At least when I added up what I have spent over the last few weeks on trucks, parts, etc i am not up to one full truck yet, and I have three - so I am gonna quit while I am ahead :)

Bob
 
This is step one of a mid-tank mod. I will be headed to Lowes for materials, and will be ordering the tank today. Since I don't have the tank, might as well get done what I can. Budget is tight since I have spent so much on everything else (XL diffs/bulkheads, axles, TVP's, servos, tires, axles, etc, etc, etc).

Bob

very nice build! where are you placing the hump pack? i would say in fount of the fount shock tower to even out the weight as your tank empties.
 
keep this in mind.

when your romping around or jumping, usually there is a bad spill once in a while that involves a horrible wack to the back end of the truck. the first thing that is going to get smashed is your expensive receiver and box. i would fab up a bracket or aluminum cover to shield that box.

just my .02
 
keep this in mind.

when your romping around or jumping, usually there is a bad spill once in a while that involves a horrible wack to the back end of the truck. the first thing that is going to get smashed is your expensive receiver and box. i would fab up a bracket or aluminum cover to shield that box.

just my .02

Good call! I just picked up 1"x1" aluminum angle this morning, I am going to use that to essentially replace the zip ties with an aluminum shelf + shield - will post pics when it is done. Last night while I was tuning the motor, just before the pull-start decided to jump off the truck, i noticed that just running back and forth in the yard, the receiver box had moved - still tight in the zip-ties, but I had not expected it to move. That sorta set off warning bells for me.

At the same time, I am looking to see if I can put it between the battery box and bulkhead, maybe my cutting down that receiver box. The Spektrum receiver is so tiny in that huge box, way overkill, but 1) Cheap and 2) available :) Or, now that I think of it, I could use the angle iron to put it over the battery box somehow.

Problem is my brain works faster than my fingers and wallet - as soon as I get something put together, I have another "improvement" in mind :)

Bob
 
very nice build! where are you placing the hump pack? i would say in fount of the fount shock tower to even out the weight as your tank empties.

Right now, it is behind the motor -
G_Photo_15.jpg


... with the hump pack inside the box

G_Photo_16.jpg


Not sure I like how the weight is right now, expecially once I move the throttle servo to the space where the tank is now. I really should have weighted f/r before I moved everything around - but nothing in this build it permanent - the only parts that got truly modified were 2 holes drilled into the t-maxx box, and old bulkhead braces were cut up - so no real investment in this configuration :)

Bob
 
start with a stock truck than 6 months later add up all the bills and you have droped 2 grand above the purchase price of the truck and you suddenly realize you have a serious problem.

A serious problem at only $2000? Man what kind of problem do I have? Ugg.. :)

*
 

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