My first Tonka dump truck

[SmallHaul]

This is the first Tonka Dump truck I built:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P5.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P4.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P1.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P2.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P14.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P13.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P12.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P11.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P10.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P16.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P15.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/p18.jpg

[SmallHaul]

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P22.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/p21.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/p23.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/p24.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/p26.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/p27.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/sideshot.jpg

[SmallHaul]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjq8jZBf7X4

[td9clyde]

still an awsome build the lift system is very inventive i like it lol

[SmallHaul]

Thanks! I forgot the bottom pic that shows the servo and cables:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/p20.jpg

[Espeefan]

Man, that little truck really gets around, despite running the plastic wheels and tires like that! Cool little build.

[CatdrvR]

I bet people are shocked when they see this truck. I am sure they think at first it is just another static Tonka truck model but then you power her up and she comes to life. Must be pretty cool to have a fully working truck like this. I used to have a oldy Tonka truck that had a "hydraulic" dumping mechanism on it. I thought it was the coolest thing until I found out it was just a spring in a tube. I still loved it though. Anyways keep up the projects since you did a nice job on this one. Thanks for sharing.

Dan

[JAMMER]

Scott this was a very nice build you really did a nice job on it. Ed

[Thorsteenster]

That is really cool, great job on the conversion! Although I think I'd stay away from the beach with it......

Lets see some vid of the bed in action!

[J Hall]

Really nice build...It gives me all kinds of ideas....Thanks

Jerry

[Claus]

The dump bed goes up and down so smoothly, very nice.

[Thorsteenster]

I just noticed the running gear is Venom Mini Giant, how's it holding up?

[SmallHaul]

Thanks for all the positive comments!

Thorsteenster, the mini giant axles and trans are holding up fine. Even carrying a full load of stone they don't seem stressed at all.

[CustomRCmodels]

You do an excellent job bringing all these static toys to live !
I just watched your videos .
I love that crane !
All that reminds me to get back to some of my old projects which been sitting around unfinished .
Keep up the great work !

[SmallHaul]

Thank you!

I run two different body/beds on this chassis and this is the other body & bed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ditNg77X9Cw

[CustomRCmodels]

You should post your building threads up here ,
or at least link them …
Didn’t you post some of your building threads on scale4x4rc ?

[SmallHaul]

You should post your building threads up here ,
or at least link them …
Didn’t you post some of your building threads on scale4x4rc ?

Yes, they are all on scale4x4. I will post all of them up on here when I can though.

[Thorsteenster]

Yes, they are all on scale4x4. I will post all of them up on here when I can though.

Being they are both vBulletin forums, it's easy to do, just edit the post on Scale4x4, hit Ctrl A, Ctrl C, start a new thread here and hit Ctrl V.
If your pics are links in Scale4x4 everything will be fine, if you uploaded pics to Scale4x4, you'll just have to insert images.

It's nice being the majority of forums use vBulletin, it makes it easy to post on multiple forums.

And I must say wow, I'm impressed with the VMG gear, I never would have guessed them being that durable.

[modelman]

SmallHaul-this is a nice dump truck! The dump system you came up with is very unique. Good thinking!!

[Stuff]

yes he has some nice toys! :D

[Southgate]

RC-ing a stamped steel tonka? Are you kidding? That's just too cool! I wish I'da thunk of it. Seriously!

Back in the day, it woulda saved mom a fortune in blue jeans, what with always wearing out the knees and all. I like that you kept it true to it's roots with the original wheels. Dan

[SmallHaul]

RC-ing a stamped steel tonka? Are you kidding? That's just too cool! I wish I'da thunk of it. Seriously!

Back in the day, it woulda saved mom a fortune in blue jeans, what with always wearing out the knees and all. I like that you kept it true to it's roots with the original wheels. Dan

Me too!

I grew up on a small farm (48 acres) and when my Father tore down a building by the house he left some of the foundation there and filled it with sand, it was about 20' x 25' or so. All of the neighbor kids came to my house to haul sand:D

[chaseracer]

great build, got to love tonka, and even better when they are rc, but I must say that dragline, is one of my favorites, that thing is awesome. and you operate it quite well, execpt the guy in the truck must be scared with you loading over the cab like that, lol :D.

keep up the great builds man. I need to see more

[bigpipespete]

i remember this truck as a kid , hehehe

[kamyoncu]

It is awesom job! I have almost ten ertl, tonka, struco trucks. All them 1:16, but they are smaller and narrower then wedico scale, threfore wedico differentielles are not exact fit for them. Could you write me which brand differantielle you used ? and what other differantielle options for this trucks ? ( Not Wedico scale options like rüst scaleart robbe)

[SmallHaul]

It is awesom job! I have almost ten ertl, tonka, struco trucks. All them 1:16, but they are smaller and narrower then wedico scale, threfore wedico differentielles are not exact fit for them. Could you write me which brand differantielle you used ? and what other differantielle options for this trucks ? ( Not Wedico scale options like rüst scaleart robbe)

The entire drive train is from an A-tech Leo-x truck (also sold as Venom mini giant). They are very hard to find though. Every once in a while a used one will come up on ebay.

[kamyoncu]

you are 100% right nothing about it on ebay.com
Is the truck orjinated from USA ? or another country?

[SmallHaul]

Not sure where they are made?

This place seems to have it in stock:

http://www.hobbytron.com/cgi/sc/order.cgi?rd=1&storeid=*1676452cbab8b06a072bbe451c&sbid=SSMSB1291512247.472&prevlocation=http://www.hobbytron.com/Venom-Mini-Giant.html

[kamyoncu]

yesssssssssss good news for me and my projects :) thanks a lot !!!

[SmallHaul]

You are welcome.:)

[69tony12]

I know its an old topic, im converting a bruder sprinter van and i have some wedico leaf springs, the springs have 2 holes (the axle is a bit wider than the holes) how do you suggest i put them on? and also how did you do it on these, i can see you have a screw on the axle, how did you put it on it

Thannks alot

[SmallHaul]

I know its an old topic, im converting a bruder sprinter van and i have some wedico leaf springs, the springs have 2 holes (the axle is a bit wider than the holes) how do you suggest i put them on? and also how did you do it on these, i can see you have a screw on the axle, how did you put it on it

Thannks alot

Unless you are using mini giant axles it wouldn't help to explain how I mount the leaf springs on them because they have mounting points with balls (for the suspension links) and I mount off of them.

You should make a thread up for your sprinter van and post pics of what you have to work with, then it would be easier to give you ideas on what to do.

Good luck!

[69tony12]

im using the atech 1/20 monter truck axles, ill put a thread up soon mate, thanks

[SmallHaul]

im using the atech 1/20 monter truck axles, ill put a thread up soon mate, thanks

Oh, then here is how I mount springs to the atech axles:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/P12.jpg

[SmallHaul]

So, I have a spring on both sides of the balls and then sandwich the 2 springs with a center bolt tightened just enough to be secure. The truck in the (previous) picture is the first truck that I made and it has poor articulation so, I don't suggest making it that way. On later trucks I built I didn't attach the springs to the frame I just let the axles float and it has great articulation. I am using the stock suspension components to keep the axle movement correct...the upper "A" shaped arm and the lower links. You could even just use coil springs with this setup if you wanted to.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/scottmaxxin/chassis2.jpg

[MACK Daddy]

what tires do you have on there scott?


Alfy

[SmallHaul]

what tires do you have on there scott?


Alfy

Alfy,

They are 62.4 x 20 Lego tires. (62.4mm High & 20mm Wide)

[siuvinson]

Scott I've always loved this little truck...pretty much everything on it is "outside the box" when it comes to how you designed and built it. Actually, that's pretty much the theme on all your builds...you're very creative!

How does this scale up to the bruder's (1/16) or tamiya (1/14) stuff? Seems closer in scale to the 1/14 stuff from the vids I've seen.

Any projects lined up for the winter months this year? I know you usually don't tinker during the warmer months, I don't either.

[69tony12]

thanks, im only doing the rear with leaf springs, a long night and i got it done, the front i might do what you did without any springs, may i ask, when you lift them up, do the axles just dangle because theres no shocks/springs?

[SmallHaul]

Scott I've always loved this little truck...pretty much everything on it is "outside the box" when it comes to how you designed and built it. Actually, that's pretty much the theme on all your builds...you're very creative!

How does this scale up to the bruder's (1/16) or tamiya (1/14) stuff? Seems closer in scale to the 1/14 stuff from the vids I've seen.

Any projects lined up for the winter months this year? I know you usually don't tinker during the warmer months, I don't either.

Thank you very much. The Tonka trucks and Dopeke Unit crane are right at 1/16. IMHO they look ok with the Tamiya 1:14.5 stuff though because they are so close in scale.

thanks, im only doing the rear with leaf springs, a long night and i got it done, the front i might do what you did without any springs, may i ask, when you lift them up, do the axles just dangle because theres no shocks/springs?

There are springs under there they are just blocked from view. If you look real close at the rear axle you can see the back of the spring on the second photo. It is actually setup with two stages so that when it is full of dirt or stone the spring you barley see hits the frame and offers more support.
The axles drop down some like a full scale truck would but, they are limited by the suspension links and wont go too far.

[Snochaser]

Coming along nicely Scott. I really enjoy watching you convert the old trucks and such.

Ben

[69tony12]

thanks alot (again) i will do that on the front as i dont have much space, its taking ages as the bruder wasnt built to allow steering so i had to cut the whole front of the van lol, will post a build soon (when i can find enough time) as i just got myself a BIG toy, a 42" 3D TV hehe, lol

i will also have to ask you, how did you do the lift setup as i cant see much and i really cant understand it, i know you use a servo (is it 360 modded??) and then 2 wires to higher it and lower it, could you explain it please, thanks a lot mate, your great at this ence why i ask you so much lol

[SmallHaul]

thanks alot (again) i will do that on the front as i dont have much space, its taking ages as the bruder wasnt built to allow steering so i had to cut the whole front of the van lol, will post a build soon (when i can find enough time) as i just got myself a BIG toy, a 42" 3D TV hehe, lol

i will also have to ask you, how did you do the lift setup as i cant see much and i really cant understand it, i know you use a servo (is it 360 modded??) and then 2 wires to higher it and lower it, could you explain it please, thanks a lot mate, your great at this ence why i ask you so much lol

The dump mechanism is cable operated and yes, a servo is converted to continuous rotation and used as a "winch" to pull the bed up. I double back the cable (like a block and tackle) so that the it lefts half as fast as the servo turns which doubles your power. Each truck is a little different depending on the best place to mount the lift servo.

The easiest (mechanical) way is to mount the lift servo in the rear of the truck. Cable goes from servo to bottom of the lift bar (bar that rises to raise bed) and then back to the frame. As you winch the servo you pull the bottom of the lift bar and that raises the bed.

Here is a video looking from the bottom of the truck. As you watch the video you will see the cable traveling faster than the bed is lifting which is why it has so much power to lift. like a nice gear reduction but, using cables.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uAiwaQ8ekY

Also the mounting point on the servo where the cable wraps around is very small, (manufacture torque rating) about half the distance from center that the servo is rated at, so, whatever ounces of torque the servo is rated at you can double that because it has twice the leverage and then you can double it again when you double back the cable and then you can double it again if you give the lifting bar a mechanical advantage as it rises...allowing a little 28oz torque micro servo to lift a full load of stone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwHEMHqjicg

Hopefully the first video will help visualize how the lift works.

[69tony12]

oh it looks easier than i thought lol, that is an awesome way to do it, and it will fit perfectly as i dont have much space, thanks a lot :)

[rsd53]

Scott, Sounds like you are the guy I need to talk to. Please see my post at:

http://rctruckandconstruction.com/showthread.php?p=95433&posted=1#post95433

I would really appreciate your input.

Thanks,

Rob