Easiest Dig setup yet!

[Prophecy]

This has got to be the simplest and cheapest dig setup for your ax10 yet! Took me an hour and cost $10(for the extra drive shaft). Heres what ya gotta do:
1: Get an extra drive shaft half #AX80011 (the one with the threading) and put it in place of the smooth one.
2: Take the smooth shaft you took off and cut the yoke end off.
3: Use an extra steering knuckle #AX80004 and bore out the hole just big enough so the half shaft you cut slides through it freely and position it in the center of the shaft.
4: Next use two of the shock spring spacers #AX80008 and glue them on either side of the knuckle but to the shaft itself (this will keep the knuckle in place but allow the shaft to turn freely in the hole).
5: Now before you position the knuckle/shaft onto the threaded shafts you need to put a rod into the holes that are in the center of the threaded shafts(make sure the rod is as close to the size of the hole as possible so they is as little play as possible) this will keep the shafts straight when sliding the dig back and forth once together.
6: Mount your servo in place (i put mine underneath the battery mounting plate which i have in the stock location and have it at an angle parallel with the knuckle arm) and your done!
Heres pics

[yotachump]

I sorta like the knuckle idea. I would trim the mounting tabs off though.

[miller]

How does it lock the rear?

[yotachump]

Originally Posted by miller

How does it lock the rear?

I dont think it does:?he should just add a pin in the male shaft and notch the female side

[4stAir]

not going to last very long.... the problem with all these shaft based digs is that the plastic shafts twist under load due to all the modification. also how well will it work through out the range of flex.

[MattG]

Yeah bud it seems easy but god it's not...lol... Right now it's not going to lock sadly.

[STEW<CO>]

Nice job Prophecy. The advice of cutting off the ears would be a good idea, just to clean up the look. Also the idea of drilling a hole in the rear shaft and adding a pin, then notching out the female tube to make a break is also good advice.

Originally Posted by 4stAir

not going to last very long.... the problem with all these shaft based digs is that the plastic shafts twist under load due to all the modification. also how well will it work through out the range of flex.

I would disagree, a lot of Colorado guys use this same design principle and it works great with very few breaks. This design has no cutting or grinding down of the shafts, so they retain their strength. The biggest problem is the glue or jb weld letting go, but once you find a good glue they're pretty bombproof. Prophecy has a different link, but on mine, my dig link flexes with the drive shaft movement.

[4stAir]

i have seen a ton of these things break in comps... not to mention all the load it puts on the servo horn linkage.... more problems then they are worth.

[Trimmy]

Thats what I was thinking. if you make one of these and use it as a break isn't that putting a lot of stress on the servo and linkage? Or is there a diffrent way to mount it so there is no stress on those parts when the rear is disco'ed and the tires are locked? I'm getting ready to build one and was wondering.

[frdtrkguy]

Another take on the rear lock. Mine worked perfectly during the comp last Saturday. 6th overall due to some less than impressive driving.

[STEW<CO>]

Originally Posted by 4stAir

i have seen a ton of these things break in comps... not to mention all the load it puts on the servo horn linkage.... more problems then they are worth.

Well, if you look at the pic, the rotational force if locked is actually on the metal strip on the dig collar and the link that is mounted on the servo plate, not the servo or horn. But i understand your feelings about them, to each his own.

Sorry about cluttering your thread Prophecy, I just wanted to give you props on your dig and show you a pic of a similar design, incase you had any probs and needed a different route to take.

[yotachump]

Originally Posted by yotachump

I dont think it does:?he should just add a pin in the male shaft and notch the female side

Never mind that wont work,The pin cant lock into something that spins freely(female shaft).

[some_guy]

put the pin threw the shaft then put a screw in the knuckle so when it moves back far enough the screw hits the pin
that will lock it