Ferrara Tanker

[Wombii]

I didn't stiffen my suspension as the Tamiya suspension was already stiff enough for me, and the airport trucks are a bit lifted for light offroading. I also ended up with only about half a gallon of water, with the weight centered in front of the rear axles, so the stock setup works ok. If there is room to add a leaf or two, that is probably the easiest route.

What I can tell you though, is don't underestimate the need for chassis crossmembers. I'm using a couple more than the Tamiya instructions suggests, and I still have way too much rotational flex with the added weight. Even if it seemed very stiff while building. Keep in mind my body parts are body + 3 separate modules, so the body adds no stability in my build. Your mileage may vary.

With a truck that heavy and with that much custom bodywork with long overhangs both in the front and rear, you may also want to start thinking about how you're going to lift it. You probably don't want to grab it by the bodywork. I bolted a handle directly to the chassis frames above the center of gravity.


I'm sure the dump truck and heavy machinery gurus have better input on the rear suspension.

Would love to see more info on how you built the drive shaft. I did a very simple extension with copper brake line and brass tube and it's still held together with masking tape.

[Tgrzes]

Thanks for the great input! The flex is definitely something I was thinking about. At the very least, I will isolate the cab, mid pump panel section and rear tank section into 3 separate units just like on the full size truck. We recently parked the tanker on uneven pavement and I was amazed at how much flex there was looking down the side of the truck.

I saw your carry handle in your thread - great idea! I will definitely include one.

For the drive shaft, I cut the stock Tamiya dog bone in half. It's soft enough to easily cut with a hack saw and drill. The new shaft is 3/8" dia. solid aluminum with a 15/64" hole drilled on each end. One half of the dog bone fit perfectly; no slop, but loose enough to adjust in/out easily. The other half was too tight, so I chucked the 15/64 bit backwards in my drill, put some rubbing compound on the smooth end of the drill and ran it back and forth in the hole until I got the fit I was looking for.

With the dog bones adjusted to the right length, I cross-drilled with a 5/64" bit and drove in a split pin. Using a pre-drilled 3/8 bushing in the vise helped keep the bit centered.



I thought about putting a flat spot on the dog bone and using a set screw, but this just seemed easier. We'll see how it holds up.