Someone needs to design a strong tower

[Tha_Gapster]

I keep bending my RD Racing aluminum shocktower.

Does anyone make a strong shocktower?

[Nitro_Fumes_101]

try a carbon fiber one....mine hasent broke yet, but I have destroyed a bulkhead and poped a shock


chris

[Tha_Gapster]

Hmm. Does traxxas make those?

[mike505]

Nope. RD does.

[Tha_Gapster]

derr

[!_Rustler Ace_!]

Originally posted by Tha_Gapster
Hmm. Does traxxas make those?

yes they do
they call it graphite

the part # is 4440X

ACE

[Nitro Chicken]

RD makes a thicker tower. The thickest I have seen is the SSRC tower.

[Nitro_Gimp]

Originally posted by Nitro Chicken
RD makes a thicker tower. The thickest I have seen is the SSRC tower.

Originally posted by mike505
The RD towers are .190 and the SSRC are .125 thick. So the RD is thicker. They can bend but it won't be easy.

Not to start an illegal male chicken fight (hehe, chicken fight...), but who is right? Clarification pretty please.

[Nitro Chicken]

I am quite sure we will find out soon. LOL

[nitroboy543x]

search dosnt work, i cant fidnd the info for you.. sorry, but to my remberance the ssrc was thicker

[mike505]

It looks like are close in size.

[IAMI]

Ok here we go.

RD Racing Stinger rear tower:

.125" (1/8") 6061-T6 Has always been this thickness and material.

Standard Rear Tower:

.190" (3/16 is close enough) 6061-T6

Both have always been laser cut until recently. Here is where the fun began. Since they were being machined now I, being the one who always wants to please everyone, decide what a great time to switch to 7075-T6. This would strengthen the towers and I could lighten the standard rear by going to .125" (1/8") thick.

Thats where my nightmare has begun. The 7075-T6 got beat up in the tumbler and the finish ended up sub-standard. I now have several hundred 7075-T6 standard and stinger rear towers sitting here that I am not comfortable with.

We are now machining new .190" thick 6061-T6 Stinger and standard rear towers which should be finished next week.

The front tower for the Rustler/Sport have always been .125" thick 6061-T6. The Stampede front towers has always been .190" thick 6061-T6.

Roy

[R/C Gremlin]

Hey IAMI,
Now you can have a sale for people who like to destroy things with those several hundred sub-standard pieces!!! Or for people who don't beat on their Rustlers at all, but I can't think of anybody who'd want to drive their Rustler all nice-like. Can't skip on on opportunity like this! It could be "RD Racing Products Sub-Standard Rear Shock Tower Blow-Out Extravaganza For People Who Like to Destroy Things!!!" Whatdaya say?

Just so I'm covered here, I mean no offense by this post. I know you take great pride in your work and most everybody loves your parts, myself included. Perhaps I just need a nap. I tired now. zzzzzzzzzz...

[IAMI]

Oh yeah...there will definately be a sale!

No offense taken.

Roy

[ssrc]

hello guys
The same predicament had happen over here at
SS RCR. Initial rear towers were made out of .125 (1/8) inch thick aluminum and all test trucks went home with bent RR shock towers. No matter what grade aluminum the rear tower is made of, if only .125 thick, it will bend if it lands hard enough on the rear section of the rustler. All who had purchased the early .125 thick towers were reimburst new .190 thick towers.
The strongest tower would be 7075-T6 .190 thick shock tower but at the same time quite a bit more expensive. 6061-T6 holds up fine at 3/16 .190 thick.

The FT tower does not connect with the ground as severe as the RR tower does in a crash therefore the FT tower does not need to be as thick,as the rear. This allows the use of stronger 7075-T6 material for about the price for 6061-T6 .190 thick. but less weight!

ss rcr towers
FT Tower 1/8 (.125) Thick 7075-T6

RR Tower 3/16 (.185-.190) Thick 6061-T6

SS RCR

[Nitro_Gimp]

call me crazy, but could you put like an outline around the edge? you know, like raised aluminum... so that the edges are thicker than the middle? I don't know if this made sense, but hopefully someone will know what I am talking about.

[IAMI]

SS RCR,

Good to hear your input as well.

Roy

[snortinsportin]

Wile were talking rear towers can one of you mfgrs tell us why the tower just hangs on the rear bulkhead instead of going all the way to the chassis??
I'll be watching for your sale to do some testing with, Roy.
Thanks for the input from both of you mfgs.

[Po' Rustla]

Originally posted by Nitro_Gimp
call me crazy, but could you put like an outline around the edge? you know, like raised aluminum... so that the edges are thicker than the middle? I don't know if this made sense, but hopefully someone will know what I am talking about.

Yes it makes sense to me but it seems like they would have thought of that, so either it doesnt make enough difference to worry about it or maybe it costs more than it is affective. Or maybe they just never thought of it (really doubt it). But I know what you mean.

[Tazz R/C owner]

snortinsportin,
I'm not one a parts mfg, but I believe I know the answer; it's just unneeded weight and meterial.
I think you were implying designing it more like the Traxxas CF tower:

It does go all the way down to the chassis, but most the material below the lower holes does nothing. If you look at the picture Roy posted a fewdays ago:

you see that the shock tower didn't break, but the bulkhead did. If the bulkhead breaking was caused by the tower being forced backward, you would have broken the bulkhead and shock tower. Although CF and aluminum are very strong, the bulkhead is a very strong part as well, and breaking it requires a lot of force.

[Jeff-B]

I have an aluminum rst( who makes the purple ones? I was so excited, I didn't pay attention). The only admittedly minor problem I had was spacing my Duratrax aluminum shocks far enough to avoid binding. I ended up having to use even longer screws to add spacers.