During the construction of my outdoor robot I found that the original RC truck suspension was too soft, not able to really stand up to the added weight of the new structure. I found new, stiffer springs for the shocks, however these new springs were larger than the originals and would not correctly fit.

I needed to create some retainers that would fit the existing shocks but also securely hold the new springs so they could not slip off. I ended up using some blue nylon plastic rod and turned it on the lathe to make retainer rings. In the picture above, you can see these retainers at each end of the spring.

Can’t believe how much time has passed since I’ve posted anything. I really should try to make up for that oversight.

My robot project continues to evolve, the mechanical parts are coming together rather nicely. The picture here shows the most current status, with the chassis, motors, suspension, battery holder and deck are in place. The electronics will be mounted to the deck as soon as I get the boards back from production by BatchPCB.

The boards will be the interface between a Gumstix Overo and the motor controller and sensor boards. I’m using CAN as the communication mechanism. My other post sort of explained how that all works.

My hope is to have the robot up and running around by late June, in time for the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire. The Vancouver Robotics Club will be doing demos all weekend.