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View Full Version : Changing the width of a miniz?


butler
2002.01.02, 04:29 AM
I understand changing the H-plate to get your wheelbase right, but has anyone one increased the width? The only car I have seen with this done has a lamboghini and I think he machined his own wheels!

I would like to be able to fit a Tamiya 1/24 body. I have built the WRC Corolla and its slightly longer, but also wider. I fancy a tarmac trim Focus WRC.

Can you buy wider wheels to get the stance of the car right?

scsi
2002.01.02, 06:19 AM
actually the guy used 4 wheels in the back

it is also possible to widen by getting 2 sets of wheels for the benz and use the rear rims for both front and rear.

you could also try to make your own axles to fit in the front knuckles.

lots of possibilities...unfortunately they are all expensive or take time

Mondo
2002.01.02, 07:01 AM
Butler,

I have adapted a Tamiya Subaru to a Mini-Z chassis. I havent posted pics because Subaru's are a dime-a-dozen.
In fact I am not prepared to sacrifice any more Tamiya bodies for my Mini-Z 'coz they are so much work to mount :)

For a longer wheelbase you'll have make custom H-plate.
I make them from old CD-Recordable's. I remove the gold coating and then draw the parts on paper. I place the clear CD over the diagram and trace the part.

I also use the Carbon-Fibre H-plate as a template to drill the holes for the chassis and motor mount.

As for side mounts, I havent found an easy way to get around that, I use balsa wood. It's hard work. There are postings in this forum than can help.
A Dremel hobby tool or similar device is a must for adapting chassis to a Mini-Z!

Front mounts are also made of balsa wood (I've attached a JPG of a front balsa wood mount)
As you can see it's made of balsa wood with wire reinforcing.
I used 'cold' or wood glue to assemble it (balsa glue just aint strong enough) and eopxy to mount it in the bodyshell

As for wider wheels, you can buy GPM wide alloys wheels from the Mini-Zracer.com website.

I hope this helps - oh see my thread on the '66 Mustang project I am working on right now. Also a difficult beast to mount on a Mini-Z :D

Mondo

Mondo
2002.01.02, 07:14 AM
Butler,

Firslty, on my first reply - I used epoxy glue to affix the front mount to the Tamiya bodyshell - I left a typo there :)

Here's a pic of a chassis extension made from an old Recordable CD
It is flexible enough to act as a H-Plate. If you feel it isnt flexible enough, drill a few big holes in it. (I reckon the flexibility may vary depending on the thickness of the recordable CD.

Mondo

butler
2002.01.02, 07:27 AM
Thanks for the info so far.

Mondo,Is the Tamiya Impreza you built wider than the standard mini-z?

I would like to get my mini-z to look like the attachment, its getting the wheel width right thats hard. I need to fill them massive arches. :D

The length I can do. (I will try cutting those old CD-RW'S)

I would like to see more of your Impreza if you have the pics!

butler
2002.01.02, 07:28 AM
The attachment... oops

Spridle
2002.01.02, 03:16 PM
It would be cool it someone would just manufacture extended H-plates in various sizes to fit most 1/24th scale models. Does anyone want to ship me one? lol ... but seriously

Draconious
2002.01.02, 03:45 PM
Saw those CD plates, grabed a useless CD to see just how strong it was, it flexed more then I thought it would, so I made one of my Universal Length plates out of the CD...

ITS SOFT! its actualy softer then my aluminum plates, and about as soft as the credit cards.. maybe I just have a realy mushy CD RW ;). Its about equal to, maybe a bit stiffer then, the credit card plastic I usualy use... But this apears to have a strong desire to break,will see what happens after I ram a few walls ;).

Now that I finaly got a reply from the carbon fiber/fiber glass supplier, I might be making them out of carbon fiber ;) -- so a Suspension plate that basicly fits on any model should.. with any luck be comming soon... and I will probly just sell The Z Shop 100 or so and let him sell them from this site with the other orders, save on the shipping etc... along with my antennas etc...

Mondo
2002.01.02, 05:24 PM
Butler,

The Tamiya 1/24 scale bodies are much wider than a standard Mini-Z bodyshell.
Also, as stated earlier, theyre a damn site longer.

The Subaru you seen the custom front mount on is no more, the side mounts couldnt live up to the abuse a Mini-Z endures.
The side mounts were made of balsa wood and kept on breaking.
In the end I got fed up and the Tamiya 'Scoob' is destined for the waste bin. A bit of a waste, but I've done too many repairs on the side mounts to show any more enthusiasm in the Subaru.

I still wanted a one of a kind custom (something you can't achieve with a Subaru as Mini-Z's ship with the 'Scoob' bodyshell) so I decided on a real neat retro classic.
As you'll see in this Forum, I am working on a '66 Mustang. This time I will make sturdy side mounts from recordable CD material as it's really tough.

I will reveal all in the '66 Mustang Thread as I'll post photos as it progresses :)
You may learn a trick or two.


Mondo :D
__________________________________________________ __
Experience is the hard teacher, as she gives the test first and lesson afterwards

butler
2002.01.07, 02:31 AM
Some progress towards starting a tamiya 1/24 bodied mini-z.

I have already built the Toyota Corrolla WRC. Its in tarmac trim and has the huge wheels and low profile tyres.

see attachment.

I noticed that if I remove the tyres from my mini-z viper the wheels fit tightly into the wheels of the Toyota.

I think if I can glue them in and get them to run true I can give my miniz the width and tyre size needed to suit the WRC body.

I will have to sneak into a Beattie's and test the wheel size on a Focus WRC before starting the project.

butler
2002.01.07, 02:32 AM
d'oh.

the attachment :rolleyes:

DAMZer
2002.01.07, 06:52 PM
One of the aftermarket guys makes a wide rim set to fit the Mercedes.

Or you could use a Kyosho Mercedes wheel set.

Used the aftermarket rims on my 1/24 GT90 conversion.

Check a mates Mercedes and see if they come close.

DAMZer
2002.01.07, 06:55 PM
A la "scsi" , lol, I need to read the whole thread
:confused:

mini-z
2002.01.07, 08:12 PM
There is also a new diff set from Squat that allows you to increase the rear wheel width "Wide Shaft Ball Diff (extend wheel-to-wheel distance by up to 7mm)"

http://mini-zracer.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=380

butler
2002.01.08, 03:40 AM
DAMZER, Nice conversion. I had thought about the wide rims you can buy, but there aren't big enough to fill the arches on the body a plan to use. I think I can use the technic I mentioned earlier, but my only concern is the bigger wheels will make the gearing too tall.

DAMZer
2002.01.08, 06:18 PM
I assume you'll be using a modified motor of some make. If so you could probably stand to go low on the pinion and high on the spur to give it more punch.

Spurs are available for the ball diffs, I believe they go up to 42 teeth.:cool:

butler
2002.01.09, 03:15 AM
Stock motor at the moment. I use the smallest pinion most of the time anyway. I have a topcad ball diff, so I will looking finding a larger spur gear if necessary. :)