Jeffwazz's Punisher build-bash-break-fix thread.

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Jeffwazz

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Hi all,
So after lusting after a TC 6s truck for some time, finally added one to the garage/collection.
To start, a box fresh, completely standard Punisher, with all stock electrics - I'll update with breakages (hopefully I'll have a video of the incident so you can share my pain/laugh along at my inept driving) as it happens......

Ok, so first mod is the TC tower-to-tower brace. I bought this with the truck, and installed it over one very enjoyable afternoon of wrenching. It was cold and miserable outside, but a handful of tools, cup of tea and biscuits, and all installed successfully.
Just a note though, the plastic end pieces will need a few taps with a hammer/mallet to seat fully on the aluminium shafts. Otherwise they're slightly too long, causing the towers to spread. I only noticed this when I tried to put the bodyshell back on and the posts didn't line up.

And onto the first run. Sunday morning - really cold, frozen ground, freezing fog - first run shakedown to the 'take it easy, don't break it first time out' type of shakedown.
Well that didn't last! This things awesome! Well behaved in the air, quick enough on 4s, and before I can remind myself it's a new truck, I'm jumping it off the grassy BMX ramps and landing nicely.
2 pairs of 2s packs -brilliant👍
A bit muddy/grassy, but wow!
20230122_111141~2.jpg


So, things to do:-
Tyres kick up a lot of grass/grit/mud - and this tangles around the rear dogbones.
So I've added a couple of guards to the rear lower arms - edge protection and hopefully dirt protection.

Rear arm guards.
20230122_155508.jpg

20230122_155915.jpg

This is very much a Mark one version. I had to use zip ties. There's a couple of available mounting holes in the leading edge for screws - but that'll be for the mark 2 version.

And then next, preferably before I wreck the shell, will be plasterboard tape and Soudal fix-all (like shoe-goo, but nicer smelling).
20221230_174720.jpg

SavageXS shell, pre-trimming.
 
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Well my Wednesday lunchtime bash didn't go entirely as expected.
15 minutes of bashing, grass mount jumping, drag racing my buddy's Outcast, followed by 30 minutes of searching for the wheelnut!
I'll be blue-threadlocking these on, as well as getting a set of serrated nuts as spares / replacements for future use.
On a positive - the red anodise is quite easy to see on the grass. As a slight negative, I took an Outcast to the ankle while intently searching for the nut!
20230125_123730.jpg
 
Ah bugger.
Managed to clip a wooden post with the front wheel.
Both upper and lower pillow balls popped out, so that was afternoon bash over. Fortunately no other damage, so the balls popping out I think probably saved the arms from breaking.
All reassembled now, but the HD knuckles are on the upgrade list.
 
As for the hex nuts, you could use plumbers tape (PTFE).
 
I've heard about using a few wraps of PTFE tape, and I'll give that a go in the future - thanks for the tip 👍
Saturday afternoon managed to get 2 pairs of 2s packs through it with a combination of grass ramp jumping, and general hooning about. I did have a full toolkit to cover pretty much everything, so perhaps that helps?
 
Ah yes, I've often found that just by carrying spare parts I'll never need to use them! For example, the spare set of SavageXS uprights in my bag must have been there for 6 years, unused, so maybe just by having a spare part will stop the truck from breaking - maybe it's good to appease the bashing Gods.

I'd like to get an idea of what I'm most likely to break and then take those spares out with me. HD steering knuckles, get 3, keep one spare, steering links, camber links, hub nuts, set of random screws and nuts.......
 
Ah yes, I've often found that just by carrying spare parts I'll never need to use them! For example, the spare set of SavageXS uprights in my bag must have been there for 6 years, unused, so maybe just by having a spare part will stop the truck from breaking - maybe it's good to appease the bashing Gods.

I'd like to get an idea of what I'm most likely to break and then take those spares out with me. HD steering knuckles, get 3, keep one spare, steering links, camber links, hub nuts, set of random screws and nuts.......
I've broken many parts. Arms, steering links , over and over. But the HD steering knuckles never. They are beefy. I've bent drive axles. Steering servo steering drag link plate thingy. That's all I can think of. I have a 2022 kronos XTR. The esc is the best esc I've ever owned. Most powerful.
Hope that info helps . Happy bashing
 
HD knuckles fitted! The area around the balls is a lot thicker.
Tested with a ramp and grass slope jumping session alongside my buddy's Outcast. Couple of crashes and cartwheels, but most importantly, no breakages👍
20230202_211029.jpg
 
Another excellent bash session 😁
My local (to work) BMX pump track, and some glorious sunshine.
20230208_125928.jpg


Another excellent bash session 😁
My local (to work) BMX pump track, and some glorious sunshine.
20230208_125928.jpg
Slight bend to the Ackerman plate/steering rack, probably caused by lawn-darting off the 8ft berm or maybe even flat landing from the big double (at the top of the photo).
Still drives ok though, but I've got a new 7075 rack and stiffener plate on the way!
 
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Another excellent bash session 😁
My local (to work) BMX pump track, and some glorious sunshine.View attachment 3457


Slight bend to the Ackerman plate/steering rack, probably caused by lawn-darting off the 8ft berm or maybe even flat landing from the big double (at the top of the photo).
Still drives ok though, but I've got a new 7075 rack and stiffener plate on the way!
I bent that acerment plate so many times. I ended up making my own . Doubling the thickness of the end of the plate.

I bent that acerment plate so many times. I ended up making my own . Doubling the thickness of the end of the plate.
I bent that acerment plate so many times. I ended up making my own . Doubling the thickness of the end of the plate.
 
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I'll measure the new bits when they arrive, with a view to making my own spare parts for when I bend the next one.
 
Well it's been a while since I've needed to do any maintenance on the Punisher, even though it's my most used/abused truck.

Time for a new pair of centre-diff output cups, and whilst I'm buying, might as well get the Swiss spring steel version.
IMG_20230617_163043_391.jpg


And the nicely notched EXH, think it's done👍
IMG_20230617_162939_776.jpg

Re-filled with 100,000 CSt. There wasn't too much syrup left inside, the screws had backed out sightly/gasket compressed and the silicone has been spun out, coating the chassis and guards☹️
 
Another break and fix to report!

The rear wing! I guess the lozenge/washer is designed as a 'safe-break', so when sliding upside down/backwards, the rear wing can detach rather than rip off the mounts.
A quick search through the spares box, 10 minutes with a Dremel cutting wheel, I came up with this
IMG_20231104_113548_515.jpg

It was a bit of packing plastic from a bike, but now it's a new wing washer (with added aero*). It's just polypropylene, so it's still soft enough to be a safe-break, and it'll pull through before the wing gets destroyed.

*The stiffener webs were on the back of the bit of plastic, looked cool, so I left them on 😁
 
Another break and fix to report!

The rear wing! I guess the lozenge/washer is designed as a 'safe-break', so when sliding upside down/backwards, the rear wing can detach rather than rip off the mounts.
A quick search through the spares box, 10 minutes with a Dremel cutting wheel, I came up with this
View attachment 4787
It was a bit of packing plastic from a bike, but now it's a new wing washer (with added aero*). It's just polypropylene, so it's still soft enough to be a safe-break, and it'll pull through before the wing gets destroyed.

*The stiffener webs were on the back of the bit of plastic, looked cool, so I left them on 😁
Often wondered why wing mounts like these weren't more popular on basher rigs:

1000012739.png

Thick o-rings over/through the wing buttons, hooked onto the wing mount.

In most tumbles, the wing flexes and moves but stays attached. The worst case scenario is a broken o-ring.

Corally - please do this! 😎👍
 
That's a great solution for bashers!
It's an excellent solution. These were used on the Schumacher Bosscat and Bosscat Works, possibly the Cat 2000 as well - I can't remember for sure.

You know, I'm not entirely sure why they ever stopped used this design. It worked. And as the old saying goes: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It's not patented, is it? 🤔
 
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