For those building a “No Prep” or “Street Eliminator” car out of their Slash AJC Mods has a host of 3d printed upgrades to help put the finishing touch on the build. For my 3rd Gen Camaro build I chose their battery strap/electronics mount and their extended rear body mount with an optional 30mm fan mount. Each of the pieces are printed in domestically sourced black PLA+, producing a part that is 30% stronger than traditional PLA.
OVERVIEW
The extended rear mount works with bodies where the rear body mount would be placed in the rear window and instead moves it 3″ rearward to the rear decklid for a more “scale” appearance. I chose to use my mount in conjunction with magnets for a cleaner look and worked closely with AJC Mods to re-work the body mount to work with the Pro-Line 32P HD Transmission that is in the car. The original design works perfectly with the stock transmission, bumper mount and Traxxas wheelie bar but interferes with the Pro-Line bumper/wheelie bar mount. The new design also works in conjunction with the Pro-Line Stinger wheelie bar, again a piece found on this car.
The extended body mount is attached to the shock tower in the same location as stock, allowing for an extra level of height adjustment. I mounted mine from the front side of the tower for easier screw access and mounted it flush with the top of the tower. At the rear, AJC includes M3x16 screws to mount the extension to the bumper mount, while also securing the wheelie bar at the same time. An optional 30mm fan mount places the fan at an angle above the motor allowing for proper airflow without making motor wire routing difficult. When securing the fan mount to the body mount extension add a lock nut to each of the two mounting screws to ensure that the mount is tight without stressing the plastic that the screws pass into. This area can strip if excessive torque is applied to the screws, using lock nuts will keep the fan mount firmly in place without relying on the strength of the printed plastic.
Stock body mount posts can be used and three mounting locations are included for additional body height options. For this project I used Pro-Line’s Slash 2wd Extended Body Mount kit (#6070) but shelved the body retention screws in favor of round neodymium magnets. The Pro-Line mounts fit the AJC body mount extension with no issues and add a third point of adjustment for body height.
Moving on to the battery strap, AJC has designed a piece that is a direct replacement for the stock Traxxas strap that also allows the electronics to be mounted along the chassis centerline for proper weight balance. The strap has wide, flat provisions for the receiver and speed control and can accommodate larger electronics. For this project I am using the Hobbywing 10BL120 ESC, which has a larger footprint, and it fits perfectly on the strap with room to spare for the capacitor pack and power switch. There is space for the receiver at the front of the strap, however I am not using that location; instead mounting the R4FGM receiver up front to tame the gyro slightly.
TESTING
The rear body mount extension works exactly as you would expect. The fit is spot on and doesn’t require any filing or hand-fitting, just take it out of the box and bolt it on the car. I spent more time wiring the fan and running power to it than I did mounting the entire assembly. On the Pro-Line IROC body the AJC extension places the body posts directly in the center of the decklid, out of the window and into a flat surface. The screw holes are sized nicely for M3 hardware; I had no issues getting any fasteners started not did any loosen up on their own.
Using the battery strap is a cinch. Again, it mounts in exactly the same location as stock, but is molded in two pieces that bolt together instead of the way the stock strap slips into the stock location. Once the screws are installed the unit is quite sturdy and even holds itself up when changing batteries. Considering the weight of the electronics that is a bonus! The stock body pin and post location is a snug fit and locates the strap precisely without any fore/aft slop. Even if you are not mounting your electronics on top of the strap I would recommend the AJC battery strap as it is easier to use than stock and can’t be lost during a battery change.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I can’t say enough good things about these 3d printed parts. They fit precisely, the finish looks like a mass produced part and they solve issues that Slash Drag Car owner face when building their rigs, all for a great price. If you are building a Slash based project these parts should be on you list, they are that good.
Link: http://www.ajcmods.com