Lightning McQueen Quad

[nepbug]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mod List (already done):
Steering stops modified to maximum range without rubbing
2WD conversion via 2nd motor add
Second wiring harness added to accommodate additional battery and motor.
Lights (front, rear and underglow)

Mod Wish List (to be done):
FWD/REV switch
12V Nitrous Button
4WD (if I find a screaming deal on a pair of parts quads I will start playing around with this, I've got a few ideas of how to accomplish it)(pretty unlikely with the outgrowing-timeframe though)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My son's first Quad was a dinky 6V 1wd Lightning McQueen Quad he received from his uncle for his birthday.





He drove it a lot as he loves Lightning McQueen, but it was a little lacking.

It's turning radius was really poor so I modded it to turn as tight as possible without rubbing. That helped him make the turn from the driveway to the sidewalk, really that should be a standard test for any ride-on, big time fail in the design.

The only other mod I did was to add a second battery for range sake, we didn't want to get stuck pushing him home since it had a small 6V 4.5ah battery.

It didn't take long before that little car couldn't pull him uphills any more (Dad will assist up the hill for only so long before enough is enough) and it always did poor on anything other than a smooth surface because of the 1wd. As soon as a bump would throw the one drive wheel in the air all progress stopped and it was time to have Dad push him along to get going again.

Thus, Lightning was retired until I could "fix" him and have my daughter use him, which is now.

[nepbug]

Fast forward to last night.

I saw a Handy Manny Quad on craigslist for $15 that looked like it had the same guts as the LMcQ so I picked it up. At 9:45 pm I told the wife that I was going to give it a quick look in the garage and come to bed, next thing I know it's stripped and I'm cutting up Lightning.

So, after some measuring, templating, cutting, prying, plastic welding, etc I had an improved LMcQ just a little after midnight. Mods included adding the motor from the other quad to create 2WD (had to reverse polarity on it) and also adding in the other quad's harness. I've got both motors being run by the same switch, which should handle it. The switch is rated for 10A at 125VAC, so the rule of thumb says that it should be good for 1.8*(10A) = 18A @12VDC. Since I am staying 6V I've got even more headroom, I'm not worried about the switch while running 6V still.

Lightning and the carcass of the sacrificee.



The 2WD conversion; the cutting, trimming and plastic welding was to fit the red donor motor on the left side and modify the axle so the motor could be slid on.



Adding the second motor was a HUGE improvement. A midnight test ride showed it could move my full-grown self through the grass even (though I dared not try to go for more than a few seconds, plus at 6'1" it was not comfy to get myself on there). In the morning, the kids were excited to see the quad out in the backyard and my daughter was especially excited that it was sized so well for her petite little nearly-2yo self.

Performance in grass and uneven terrain is fantastic now, no more push assists needed! Torque is increased as well, it hauls my 4yo son through the grass and up driveways/curbs without issue.

Next up will be to add in a FWD/REV switch and then after my daughter gets more comfortable, add in another 6V 4.5ah battery hooked to a nitrous button for the occasional need for more oomph, but I'll wait until I feel she's ready for that sort of thing. I also need to transfer the LMcQ stickers over to the handlebars as I damaged the LMcQ bars in disassembling them.

I'm happy with it at the moment, once it has a REV switch it will be quite highly functional compared to it's original form. The second motor didn't really add any top speed to the quad, but it added a lot of torque, it doesn't get bogged down like it used to at all anymore.

[nepbug]

Oh, and one other thing. As you can see from the pictures above, these little quads already have some traction bands built-in. It's the only perk that came stock other than the Lightning McQueen theme. The bands make for good grip, compared to the neighbor's Fisher Price 2WD quad this little guy now beats it in every situation.

[The Eagle]

cool, good work.

Warning: these things move at 12 V, at least relative to what the little kids sitting on them are expecting. we've got a bluish-purple one and a 12 V / 7 AH SLA just barely fits under the seat (lying on its side). 3+ yr olds can pull wheelies easily, even with the single stock motor at 12 V. i taught the 5 yr old how to hold it back with her feet on the gravel and dig 6+" burnout holes!

[toycrusher]

These little quads are the next Lil jeep at getting people hooked on modding... :twisted:

[nepbug]

Sounds like when I add the nitrous button I should also consider wheelie bars. My son has tipped it back going up a curb while leaning back a little already.

[nepbug]

I finally got around to transferring the LMcQ handlebar stickers over. I used some heat to make them come off easy (utilized an embossing heater) and then supplemented the stickers with some 3M yellow super adhesive.




I think I should have the F/R switch I need in my hands pretty soon too.

[nepbug]

Lighting

Daylight Savings Time is over, that means a light install is needed.

I utilized:
2 x Clear 9W Eagle Eye LEDs for the front (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VL9LNVO)
2 x Red 9W Eagle Eye LEDs for the rear (http://www.ebay.com/itm/171968204979)
2 x Red 1ft 3528 LED strip (http://www.ebay.com/itm/271938583935)
1 x DC-DC Boost Converter 4.5V-32V to 5-42V (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-DC-D ... 32629.html)
1 x 6-position terminal block (http://www.ebay.com/itm/291454492679)
1 x 12V 35A "foglight" switch (http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-35A-Car-Fog ... 1722734574)
Wire, solder, zip ties and spade and disconnect terminals were the other consumables I went through.

First was some bench testing and adjusting the boost circuit so that it output 12V and that all the components worked. The boost circuit was needed because the lights wouldn't work on 6V.

Then it was just a matter of wiring it in and mounting it up. For future reference the Eagle Eye LEDs utilize a 3/8" hole. Previously I was running each motor off a different battery, but now I have the batteries in parallel so that I wouldn't end up driving them off just one battery.

I decided to mount the terminal block and boost circuit on the underside of the body because it was easier to fit, offers better cooling of the circuit and is still pretty well protected from the elements anyways, though I did put dielectric grease on the connections for good measure.



I had to supplement the adhesive on the back of the LED strips with some 3M Yellow Trim Adhesive to make sure it stuck, it didn't like that tight turn I made it do.

Final product turned out pretty good though.





The kids got pretty excited to try it out tonight, it was a pretty good time. Even the neighbors stopped by to see what it was all about.



As a note, those 9W Red LEDs are very bright! I probably could have got away with a lower power rear light.

I did a test to see how hot the circuit got when it was on for a long time. After 30 minutes while indoors with no active air circulation, it was barely above room temp, no worries there.

[tafpowerwheel]

nice work!

[MartinR0283]

Awesome work! For Christmas we got our youngest(1yo) a at quad so he can cruise around with big brother. I am defiantly modding the steering next but after that I think a second drive motor and lights are in order. Keep up the good work!