Back to the 2.2S Shafty class we come and with a name many will recognize. We are excited to bring the UnStuck chassis line back out after a few years off.
Why and What Changed?
Well first off its about the hobby and drivers. Second was we had the itch to build again. About 4 years ago we took a turn and break from crawling. But that doesnt mean we werent watching. When we stepped out we were actually testing the new chassis. For almost 5 years it has been sitting on our hard drive waiting for its turn.
Wanting another portal truck we broke the file out for a cut. What we found was we should have released this 4 years ago. The things we learned from our first portal truck to the Capra setups and all the sporties before showed. The 2024 truck is bringing all those years of experience into one chassis.
Designed primarily for Portal axles it will work for the OG style straight axles. All the geometry was done to maximize both options.
So what changed?
Well first we redid our skid length, angle and link triangulation. We moved the skid forward more to increase front bias. I feel this helps with front weight and not requiring all this brass every ones hung up on using. Also doing this helped shorten the skid plate while maintaining a skid angle we believe is key. Its not about raking the skid to clear all these obstacles, its about proper suspension designs that work.
After that we looked at the link triangulation and its effects. This is something we have looked at for years and how it effects all our trucks. If you've owned our other sporty chassis You would notice link triangulations all varied. After some recent testing and notes from the past we believe this to be our best option. Allowing the front to flex smoothly and freely while not disrupting the overall feel. The rear allows the axle to stay straighter and not a victim of rear axle sway/steer. This helps the front push the weight forward but still be free enough to go where you want it to.
Rear shock arms themselves havent changed - these are still the same arms as our 3G version. We did though change the adjustment angles allowing for a smaller adjustment and opening a tuning window up more. The front we tweaked our available shock angles a bit, more to stay with in the flow of the front axle articulating. This let us remove the very front hole from prior models and gain a little battery room.
This chassis is designed for 90mm shocks such as Dlux or Traxxas Big Bores. You can also use the OG SCX shocks many of us used prior. Its a driver preference between those two. You can use many of the China versions if you wanted to. We just recommend nothing longer then 90mm, articulation does not need to be vertical.
All kits will come with the needed 3D printed spacers and skid plate. These are all PETG materials and pre-cleaned with 2.5mm holes for 3mm hardware. All pieces will be black and parts are available in our Shapeways Store.
The kit skid will come with mounting holes for the Dlux Portal Transmission. If you choose to use their NOD-2 Trans then you will need the NOD-2 version available through Shapeways. You will have to drill your own holes. If you are choosing to use a China Copy or other Brand Copies then you will need the blank skid available through Shapeways as well. We do not and will never support the China or other Brand Copies. We will continue to support innovative designers and hobby supporting vendors.
But what Motors? Well we always recommend Brushed for crawling. This kit is designed around the normal 540 size motors. You can use Brood or Holmes - thats driver preference.
For a normal full size can 540 motor you will want to be mindful of your upper link mounting hardware. If you have to drill your own skid be sure the angle of the motor/trans is clearing the hardware. This will make changes easier and prevent any pressure on parts.
If you are using the Brood cans that are machined down or Holmes Pullers then there is a little more clearance but still be watchful of it when drilling for transmissions.
Brushless outrunners will have no problems.
The chassis is not designed for 550, brushless (rotor style) or the sealed endbell type motors. They will fit in but will not clear the lower links properly.
The front axle/servo mounting we left open for options.
You can use the Punks RC axle plate that mounts the servo and battery directly up front and has a place for electronics.
You can also use the Dlux servo mount that drops the servo lower and has a 3d printed part to hold your battery.
We are also making a modified version of the Dlux plate that doesnt use the 3d battery holder. It will be 2.5mm carbon fiber and allow the battery to mount on top (with included oring) and leaves space if you choose to mount electronics under. We have been using this on our truck with no signs of concern. You will need to be mindful of servo wires and clearance on the prop shaft. We recommend using Dlux driveshafts.
Links - We dont make them BUT we have the measurements. This will give you the Front and Rear both Upper and Lower eye to eye.
Front upper - 102.5mm eye to eye - Measure 32mm from one eyelet back and bend roughly 10/15* to help clear chassis
Front Lower - 123mm eye to eye : You can do soft bends for a little clearance if desired. Highly recommend nothing greater then 15* - this will start to interfere with motor clearance.
Rear Upper - 136mm eye to eye : Measure roughly 32mm from one eyelet back and bend roughly 30*. From the opposite eyelet measure about the same and bend opposite 30*. This will help triangulate the rear uppers.
Rear Lower - 136mm eye to eye : Measure roughly 50mm from one eyelet and bend 30* - only one side of each link. This will provide a little more link clearance and should align with rear driveshaft yoke.