Mission Impossible?

I have build 1/25 scale bed dancing mini trucks before but the plan for this 1/20 scale Nissan King Cab mini truck is to take it to the next level.
Creating a full function RC mini truck bed dancer with working Z-rack, MP3 player and lights was my mission.
As usual I spend a lot of time behind the computer searching for photo's and videos figuring out the design and functionality as well as looking for usefull parts.

Starting out

In 2006 my good friend the late Brian Archuletta send me this Lindberg 1993 Nissan extra cab mini truck kit.
I started out creating the Z-rack using styrene plastic and went with a configuration that enabled the bed to tilt side ways and lift it to an impressive height.
It proved that the styrene rack had too much flex so I used aluminum sheet metal instead and cut the individual stages. 
I wrapped the chassis to reinforce and make it stiff enough using sturdy styrene sheet material.

"Hydraulic" Cylinders

For this mini truck beddancer I created realistic looking hydraulic cylinders in combination with a strong fishing line tht runs through steel spring tubing.
I used aluminum tubing with a rivet on the end to make sure the braided fishing line  runs smooth and lasts a long time.

For the cylinder's I didn't want to go with micro servos mounted to the individual stages of the rack so it took four more years before the coin dropped on how to create working cylinders after seeing one of Marcos Lopes A-arm hopper cars.

To create the ram I used a paperclip and glued the fishing line to the end that sits inside the cylinder. 
The 1.5mm spring tubing is made by Japanese Wave Company called A-Spring. The fishing line runs through the spring tubing to the micro servo where the line is attached to the servo's arm.
When the servo's arm turns 180 degrees the line pulls the ram out of cylinder.

Drivetrain & Suspension

Next step was to get this Nissan Hardbody mini truck on the road adding a 10:1 ratio micro gear motor, drive train and working rear axle.
I used the kits rear axle housing and installed a slot car crown and pinion gear. The U-joints I found in Japan and are used on HO model trains, the size is perfect and they work flawless.

Instead of trailing arms I went with an original one leaf spring setup made from thin steel and brackets  and shackles made of brass and aluminum.

The front suspension consists of a brass bar with spindles and micro servo placed in the middle that slides up and down in the shaft that is mounted on the chassis. It's a pretty basic setup but it works flawless and never let me down so far.

Electronics

This mini truck has so many working features that it was a huge challenge to pack everything inside and around the cabine area. 
I used an Turnigy 8 channel receiver, removed the casing and all the parts that weren't absolutley necessary. The mini truck has well over 10 functions so I added a RC switch to switch from suspension mode to bed dancing mode both setting have overlapping functions.

A tiny USB stick sized MP3 player was added and connected to a amplifier and micro bass speaker that fits under the dashboard. Four tiny button on the center consule operate all the MP3 players functions.

In the end all the parts fit together and the system is powered by a 3.7V 1000Mah Lipo Battery.
A micro voltage booster is used to squeeze 5V out of the 3.7 lipoly battery so the servos get more power and work faster.