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Building a TLT-1 Crawler- By Joe Anderson

Since the TLT-1 Rockbuster first came on the scene, it has been sought after for project builds of all types. Right now Radio Control Rock Crawling is HOT and gaining momentum.

TLT-1 axles are used for a variety of reasons:

#1 Scale trail rigs: Axle width is perfect for most builds.
#2 All crawling: The axles have proven themselves to the rigors of hard terrain

This build started life out as a TLT-1 Rockbuster #47201 and evolved into a very capable rig. Since the days of the Clodbuster, aftermarket companies have kept the spirit alive. They allow you to take a fun vehicle and mold it to your liking for even more fun.

Awhile ago we wrote an article that showed you what to use to make a TLT-1 into a basic crawler using Tamiya parts. This will focus on what it takes to make the TLT-1 into a competition crawler.

List of what I used:

Tamiya
TLT-1 kit
Dyna Blaster Body
F350 Highlift wheel/tire (Spare tire)
TNX body posts
TP-S148 (Dig servo)
Aluminum Dampers (Full droop)

Novak
Brushless Goat System

RC4WD
Beadlocks BL35
2.2 Rock Stompers
R2D tranny

Reign
Chassis

Junfac
Steering rods
Links
Skid
Wideners
Axle mounts

Harley0706
Dig servo mount

Ofna
High torque servo saver

Tekin
3ch reciever

Futaba
S9404 (Steering servo)

TCS
6 cell Split Battery Pack

Montana Scale Designs
Servo mount/link plates

Plus some hand made items

On the front axle you will notice how the 6cell split pack fits nicely on the axle mounts. The Skid protects the beefy steering rods and servo from danger. Servo is outfitted with a High Torque servo saver.

To the left you see how the wideners give you more track and stability. This really helps keep the vehicle shiny-side-up.

Below you will see the brushless Goat mounted, to the left of the ESC you can find the Dig servo mounted to the back of the tranny and linkage hooked up for maximum Dig*.

The MSD Servo/link mounts were very strong with no flex. I locked out the rear steering to keep the rear lightweight.

The Rockstompers and Beadlocks are almost too pretty to get all dirty. Oh well they're made to perform, so it's time to get them dirty!

The Reign Chassis with it's simplistic design and tough looks, gives you a great small platform to build off. There are tons of different crawler chassis' out there, all with little tweaks here and there. I chose this chassis for the looks and layout.

Last but not least, I chose the Dyna Blaster body for its low-profile looks and competition styling. After test fitting it and marking and trimming the wheel wells for the tires and articulation the body came together. It's important to not only chose a body you like the looks of but one that gives your rig functionality.

The above options and parts are what I chose for my build, there are plenty of options for all builds. So do the research, ask around on the forums and choose wisely, so you don't have to build and buy twice. After you get it built and drive it, you will end up tweaking it from what you find are the weak spots.

Have fun, and enjoy your build!

*Dig - A Dig gives you the ability to lock the rear diff and drag it for tight turns and tricky courses.