# FWD T-jet chassis



## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

*Can someone help find ( if they remember it ) the thread on the T-jet chassis that was converted to Front wheel drive? The person who did it wanted to make an anitomically correct Front Wheel drive chassis and I believe he put an Oldsmobile body on it too ? I think it was the Aurora Toronado body. I remember reading this along time ago in one of the way back threads but I forgot to bookmark it. Now I'd like to find it again and I don't remember which section it was in or how far back. Any one remember this one ?*


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

That was me. I'll dig it out when I get home later... I'm sitting at my kid's basketball practice using my iPhone and it's a pain trying to search on this thing. 

--rick


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

That was YOU ? That was a really neat project. Do you still have it ? Ok, I'll leave the questions for later until you get home ! Thanks for getting back to me.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

here's the thread.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=124448

yep, still have the car... gotta go pick the kid up from Youth Group right now, but maybe later i'll dust it off and run a few laps with it...

--rick


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

Hey, thank you for the help. This was a good read. I thought it was neat that the TORO was "correct" !


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

Did you ever put weight on the front wheels or weight in the nose like you mentioned ? I was curious if you were able to change some of it's handling characteristics ? Looking at your work I was wondering if a 4 wheel drive conversion is possible too?


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

A 4WD chassis is possible. I have seen pictures of a few chassis modified this way. There's a bit more friction because you wind up with 2 full gear sets when you do this. Proper gear mesh is critical. What I can't remember is what wheelbase you end up with. I'm pretty sure it will still require the posts being repositioned in the body the same as the FWD version. From what I can make from the pictures, it'll be a short wheelbase 4X4 chassis. I would assume if you really wanted to go crazy on it, an additional gear might be added to the mix to make it a long wheel base, but that would require some serious chassis voodoo to make happen, and the new wheelbase wouldn't be exact. An additional arm gear would extend the front wheel base to "about" LWB position. While a 9 tooth pinion gear might be a better fit as far as front to back length is concerned, in order to keep the required spacing between the gears correct, an arm gear keeps the splicing of the top plate to a minimum. Mind you, I'm just guessing at this! LMAO!!!


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Thunderbolt1 said:


> Did you ever put weight on the front wheels or weight in the nose like you mentioned ? I was curious if you were able to change some of it's handling characteristics ? Looking at your work I was wondering if a 4 wheel drive conversion is possible too?


No, I never got around to weighting the car. I'm sure it would make a difference. I have seen 4-wheel-drive conversions at slot car shows. Someone spliced two gearplates together at the armature hole and then modified the front end of the chassis like I did. slotcarman, you are right in that you're limited to SWB bodies that way. Before I put the Toronado body (which is LWB) on mine, I had a JL Firebird body on it. The screwposts and axle holes were actually in the right places to do it that way, but if I recall correctly, I had to thin the front post to clear some part of the drivetrain. There's actually a link in the thread I posted to ANOTHER, older thread with pics of the car with the Firebird body on it. I could have made one of those spliced gearplates and made it 4wd at that point; the body would have fit.

I'd love to hear from anyone here who has done it... the one I saw at the show was something like $75, more than I wanted to spend...

--rick


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

Here is a link to a 1974 article. Good Luck!

http://hoslotracer.com/content/car-model-magazine-july-1974


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

See I was thinking that IF, I did one of these then I could do a 4 Wheel drive version fopr a Hurst Hairy Olds to run on my dragstrip


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

Here is a link to a 2-part start of a 4WD chassis. I don't think the 3rd part was ever posted.

http://hoslotracer.com/content/chapter-5-weights-chassis-modifications


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

That would be a bunch of work Tbolt. As I thought, short wheel base is where you'd end up without some serious engineering. Keep in mind also, the gear plate up front will make the chassis a lot taller. For a 4 WD truck it wouldn't be much of an issue. For a drag car, it would. I do feel the urge to slice and dice a chassis now.. And I do have a LWB fall guy truck on the back burner... Hmmmm.... :devil:


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

Well IF you do the Fall Guy 4 wheel drive thing let me know. I want to watch!


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

tabcomary said:


> Here is a link to a 1974 article. Good Luck!
> 
> http://hoslotracer.com/content/car-model-magazine-july-1974


NICE! I've been looking for that article or one like it! Never found it years ago when I actually did this... now it's saved to my hard drive. :thumbsup:

Although I disagree with the article in that the gear mesh worked fine for me with the front axle in the SWB hole...

--rick


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

Yes , Thank you for that link tabcomry. I think I need to at least try this conversion


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Hint: in the 4wd link, the guy shows how he cut new recesses in the chassis for the new gearplate. Very good pics and technique, and exactly the same as what you need to do for the fwd version. He did a much cleaner job than me. 

--rick

edit: i meant the recesses for the gearplate CLAMP duh


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

I'm trying to look at it now, I can't get the file to open though. I'll keep trying


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Here's a few more few pointers*

With either the FWD or 4WD, it is VERY important to keep the window for the crown gear as small and neat as possible. The area is very thin and thus weakens as you take more material out. I'd recommend using an older chassis with more meat up front. Care must be taken to leave as much web between the frame rail/hanger window and what's left of the guide pin and the guide pin pocket after you modify it.

In the FWD set up it's a good idea to make sure the armature is plumb. In the 4WD version the gear plate remains in it's normal location and the forward section is grafted on, so the arm stays put. Such is not the case with the FWD version where the plate is spun around and re-indexed with new slots in the forward position. You dont want the arm to be canted or bound which will also upset the mesh between the pinion and crown.

Be sure to check the set up on the forward pinion shaft. Keep it as snug as possible. There is no provision for a lower pinion journal with either modification you choose, so it is unsupported on the bottom.

For optimum 4WD performance all wheels and tires must match...duh. Seems like I recall having to wind up the spring pressure on the pick ups too...but I've slept since then.

Double check your measurements on the new forward gear clamp slots...just trust me!


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

Joe, you right. I forgot to consider the gear plate up front making the car/ truck sit higher. I was looking at the chassis sitting here and eyeballed it while holding it together. 

Bill yes, I'm going to use an older chassis to do it but I'm going to mock one up out of a "new"- er AW/JL chassis as a test. Then I'll try it out on the older T-jet I've slated for the conversion. 
This way too, as you pointed out , I'll get to see if the armature is level and make sure everything is meshed correctly. Or at least in the mock up , get an idea how to make sure this happens on the real subject

Thanks for the help & tips guys


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## Thunderbolt1 (Nov 28, 2008)

Ok ParkRNDL, the "TEST" chassis is done. I tried to follow the advice of Bill & SCM . The pinon hole for the axle gear hole is as small as I can get it and still have clearance for it to turn smoothly/Freely. The gear plate is reversed and it fits snugly. Now to make the holes for the overhead gear clamp

Thanks everybody, keep your fingers crossed!


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

eagerly awaiting... :thumbsup: ...

--rick


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