I’m also having trouble adjusting to the “narrow” kicktail of the “Fattail” compared to my 33” old school kicktail.
Tight turning radius equals a high truck angle nothing more, maybe take a look at the Carver cx trucks and learn how to wedge bennet vector trucks, Don’t trip makes variable angle baseplates for very turny trucks as well, a torson trucks doesn’t allow for more angle than any other type of truck…a 50 degree rkp with tall bushings will turn a lot more than you think.
Can an rkp at 50 degrees with a high bushing really make an 8 foot circle or less in the street on a 38” deck? I’m not saying its not possible but I’ll be surprised when I see that happen.
Its been bellow freezing and It will be a wile before I collect enough parts to start building so I’m taking some time to learn “AutoCad Fusion 360”. I’ve been wanting to model and 3d print parts for a long time. Just finished loosely modeling the Fattail.
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I’ve been looking at Carvers. I wouldn’t call them a conventional RKP truck. The C7 has a different front truck. Looks like it pivots on a stack of washers. I’m riding on unmatched trucks now. Front and rear turn a different radius. I prefer they were symmetrical but they do the job. Rear RKP for stability and front torsion for maneuvering.
Carver C7 front truck
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That’s actually a spring in there not a stack of washers.
The Carvers C7 is a tkp, meaning TKP is the pivot configuration, but the baseplate has an extra spring loaded pivot to provide more carve.
the Carver CX truck is what I was referring to, which is a rkp truck, the pivot is in the reversed configuration and it’s typically paired with a tkp rear truck with a low angle like the Tracker RTS
Carvers are an entire different breed of truck designed for a surf feel above all else, the CX and C7 on any board will make it turn in a tight circle, the tightest I have seen on any skateboard. They are made for a short wheelbase in order to provide a surfy feel but they can be used on longer wheel bases without an issue. You are limited in width options though.
I have ridden both trucks a lot and use to commute on the CX to work, the CX is more stable and better for longer wheels-bases and more conventional skating and the C7 is a pure surf machine, perfect for the completes they put together with short wheel base…
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I’m very courious to try them. Right now my budget is squashed do to lack of work and I’m getting a foot of snow tomorrow so they’ll have to wait…
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you wouldn’t happen to be located in the boston area would you? I’m currently witnessing a blizzard that will probably mean another week without being able to ride. bummer haha. I actually have a loaded fattail that I mounted the newest Landwheel drive to. it’s a ton of fun to ride- the flex absorbs shocks super well and the kicktail is a must for getting around the city as well as quickly picking up the board for getting on trains and such. Good luck with shoveling!
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Hey, I was wondering how accurate did you manage to model fattail and if you’d consider sharing this model? Cheers
Its not all that acurate honestly. Just the basic dimensions. I’ll put up the file when I get a chance and you can check it out.
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I just foolishly trashed one of my new VESCs… Everything was going great programing and then one of my “temp” can bus wires came loose and shorted on another component. Now I can’t connect… 
You can fix this issue with gear ratio to end up with the same top speed and torque. Though that solution has its own issues, large wheel pulleys get too close to the ground and small motor pulleys are more prone to belt skip and wear out faster. So lower KV is still the best way.
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Build finaly Complete…! VESC case Wheel pullies Makita mounts Tail guard (My original design)
DIYEboard.com 5055 outrunner motors 270kv no sensor. Rear truck and mounts.
Vbeltsupply.com 245-5M
Revenge front torsion truck Orangetang Kegal wheels
Banngood.com Excellway 2.4ghz transmitter/receiver
2 Makita 5Ah in series for 36v or 10s
vandaelectronics.com Dual vanda VESC’s. Firmware 2.18
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All in all the board is great. It beats the Boosted in torque speed and range but… there are a few adjustments I still need to make.
- The board does close to 30mph. Thats faster then I want to go. I’d rather have more starting torque so I’m going from a 34 tooth to a 36 tooth pully. The motor is 13 teeth.
- There’s alot of that cogging thing going on if you try and transition from forward to reverse at slow speed. I’ve made adjustments but I’d like to do a bit better. Ultimately I want it to preform as good as the Boosted, however I realize that may be to much to ask from sensorless motors.
- I wasn’t able to find 12mm belts so I’m using 9mm. I don’t think they’ll hold up as long.
In my opinion what makes my build unique compared to other builds is my choice of batteries. I’ve built several DC motor boards with drill batteries but this is my first modern VESC BLDC build. I’ve built several 18650 packs for other things and I’m always dissapointed with the BMS’s I don’t know of any that are capable of charging a battery as well as a real balance charger. The BMS’s I’ve used have had lots of glitches.
I’d love a space cell but on my budget it just doesn’t make sence to make that invesment on one board that I will almost never need more then 5ah at a time.
Advantages of using Makita batteries
I can build a bunch of boards and use the same batteries to power them all.
The batteries are premium, inexpencive and available everywhere.
I can carry extra batteries for long hauls.
I can use batteries for many purposes (work) and justify buying many
I don’t have to deal with BMS issues and premature battery failure
I can take my board on a plane
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I’ve experimented with Dewalt, Milwaukee, Ryobi, Makita and a bunch of others, and Makita is the best option for a bunch of reason . great cells (SONY VTC 30a discharge, quick charge, great build quality and customer service) …but the best part for DIY is that Makita sells their Terminal part:
separate so it’s easy to add to a 3d printed part. much more sturdy than having to glue in small terminals ends like some of the dewalt ones… just be sure when running in series that you start with both at equal charge, otherwise the low voltage cutoff won’t take affect and there’s a chance of overdischarging one of the packs
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btw i’m working with PulseBoards on a dual makita mount + dual VESC enclosure , finishing up some designs and will be posting on here soon
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