RCCrawler Forums

BigSki · 01-05-2009, 08:02 PM

Last year I got into the RC crawling with an AX-10 kit. I joined the nearest RC club and began competing, and quickly found out that a 'stock' AX-10 isn't much to compete with, so over the course of the summer and fall, the truck really changed into a better crawler, although it still had lots of weak areas.

I figured that I would rebuild during the winter, and hopefully, make a more competitive rig for the spring series. I got used SW3 chassis plates and a new SWX skid to make up a new chassis.

The next big ticket item was a new DNA dig unit along with the 225 mini servo and the new, shorter MIP dig specific drive shaft piece. It took a while, but I finally got the right Traxxas links to make up a 4 link suspension on the new chassis. I go to assemble the dig unit and find some issues with the components not being machined correctly. I decide to assemble it anyway, so I could mock up everything in the chassis.

I follow the end point adjustment procedure, then hook up the servo horn and give it a try. I apply some motor, then flip the 3rd channel switch. The dig unit is wobbling and binding up so badly, I tried to toggle back and forth on the 3rd channel so I could turn off the power but I wasn't fast enough, it cooked the $28 servo in about 30 seconds. I then tried to attatch the new, shorter rear drive shaft only to find out that the driveshaft is still too long, even with the dig specific male end installed.

My wheel base is set at 12 3/8" right now, so even if I maxxed it out to 12.5" that rear driveshaft is still going to be too short. Anyone else run into this issue?

So right now, I'm pretty disgusted. I can't return any of this stuff for a refund, and none of it seems to work. It's a lot of money to waste, to say the least. I still don't have a dig, and without one I really can't be competitive with the rest of my club members. I've taken apart a functional crawler and now I have an untested chassis that won't be anymore competitive than the one I started with.

Uggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

EeePee · 01-05-2009, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigSki

I then tried to attatch the new, shorter rear drive shaft only to find out that the driveshaft is still too long, even with the dig specific male end installed.

My wheel base is set at 11 3/8" right now, so even if I maxxed it out to 11.5" t

Max for the class is 12.5...

Offroader5 · 01-05-2009, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigSki

...My wheel base is set at 11 3/8" right now, so even if I maxxed it out to 11.5" that rear driveshaft is still going to be too short. Anyone else run into this issue?

Why are you not closer to 12.5"? Maybe that's why the shaft still seems to long. The comp WB max is 12.5...not 11.5

BigSki · 01-05-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EeePee

Max for the class is 12.5...

thanks for catching that... I just changed it to read correctly. My typing sucks.

tedmales · 01-05-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigSki

Last year I got into the RC crawling with an AX-10 kit. I joined the nearest RC club and began competing, and quickly found out that a 'stock' AX-10 isn't much to compete with, so over the course of the summer and fall, the truck really changed into a better crawler, although it still had lots of weak areas.

I figured that I would rebuild during the winter, and hopefully, make a more competitive rig for the spring series. I got used SW3 chassis plates and a new SWX skid to make up a new chassis.

The next big ticket item was a new DNA dig unit along with the 225 mini servo and the new, shorter MIP dig specific drive shaft piece. It took a while, but I finally got the right Traxxas links to make up a 4 link suspension on the new chassis. I go to assemble the dig unit and find some issues with the components not being machined correctly. I decide to assemble it anyway, so I could mock up everything in the chassis.

I follow the end point adjustment procedure, then hook up the servo horn and give it a try. I apply some motor, then flip the 3rd channel switch. The dig unit is wobbling and binding up so badly, I tried to toggle back and forth on the 3rd channel so I could turn off the power but I wasn't fast enough, it cooked the $28 servo in about 30 seconds. I then tried to attatch the new, shorter rear drive shaft only to find out that the driveshaft is still too long, even with the dig specific male end installed.

My wheel base is set at 12 3/8" right now, so even if I maxxed it out to 12.5" that rear driveshaft is still going to be too short. Anyone else run into this issue?

So right now, I'm pretty disgusted. I can't return any of this stuff for a refund, and none of it seems to work. It's a lot of money to waste, to say the least. I still don't have a dig, and without one I really can't be competitive with the rest of my club members. I've taken apart a functional crawler and now I have an untested chassis that won't be anymore competitive than the one I started with.

Uggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Your at the point where I just bought a Berg. For the cost of a couple of good servos, a dig, and cvd shafts, you can almost buy berg axles and be done with drive shafts and transmisions, and mechanical dig units. There are lots of people running the stuff you have, but I just gave up. Sold the ax10 and have never been happier, or more problem free than now.

Timmahh · 01-05-2009, 08:19 PM

i hear the DNA guys have VERY Good Customer Service. i suggest an email or maybe even a call. sometimes its better to talk than it is to read. keep in mind, you may of missed something simple during assembly.

as far as the servo goes, it should be under warrenty from Hitec, maybe the place you purchased it will return/swap it for you.

as far as setup, you have to be very detailed about putting it together and everything in the correct position, or you could have issues. its possible, you had some improperly machined parts, and if so they should be under warrenty, but if you knew they we not correct, i would not of tried to assemble them. as much of a bitch as it is not doing it, you may not have much other option since you did indeed use them.

Harvo · 01-05-2009, 09:33 PM

Put it away and go back to it in a couple of days. Let your head clear. I get like that sometimes. I get new stuff, try to get it on as quick as I can, and since it never works right the first few times... I end up at it for too many hours or all night fighting with it fatigued.

It never works out right the first couple of times. Don't stress. It doesn't have to be finished right now. Thats what I tell my self.

Things will start to work out n your head and when you go back to it... it will go together much easier.

sdmf7 · 01-05-2009, 10:23 PM

If you do pick up another servo, be very patient when setting epa's. I would get all my adjustment's down. Turn everything on. Work the dig servo lock to dig, and if I heard it still buzzing in either dig or lock I shut it off. Wait a few minute's and do some adjustment's and try again. Those servo's do not like any heat. Took me a while with my wife and daughter looking at me funny with my ear on the crawler as I was digging across the carpet. I noticed thing's changed when I was crawlin as aposed to working it on a stand. But as stated before get the dig as smooth as possible before anything.

jays0n · 01-05-2009, 11:36 PM

I'm new to crawlers but have been messing with RC stuff for lots of years and actually worked at a great LHS in upstate NY for a while back in the day.

The one thing I have always had to do was mess with everything. All upgrade parts, especially the ones that weren't made by the same company that made the car, truck, helicopter, boat, etc never really work right out of the box. Originally that was how it went, it was the fun part!

What you're working on is quite custom and will take plenty of time to make right but honestly, that's what many people enjoy about the sport. I enjoy wrenching as much or more than I do running them!

At least this site is available and with some time, the search function and a few posts you should be able to work all the kinks out of your rig! Good luck!!!!

badger · 01-05-2009, 11:47 PM

There is more to being competitive then just having the ultimate rig.

charga71 · 01-06-2009, 12:16 AM

My buddy and I just bought DNA digs with in a week of each other and ours still came with parts that weren't machined right. He is sending his back for a new one and they are sending me parts for mine. I think they just got a bad batch of machined parts which is aggervating but as long as I know they will stand behind their product, I'm not disappointed. These guys are right. You sound fatigued. Take a day or two to think about it and if you are really doing it because you grew up with legos and a calculator, then you'll be back before you know it.

bigflex · 01-06-2009, 02:57 AM

You could post some pics of the chassis setup. Somethimes someone else will see something right away that you may have just over looked from being to close to it and being frustrated.

210solomon007 · 01-06-2009, 05:11 AM

BigSki,
Your replacement parts are on the way. We are sorry for your frustration but we will stand behind our parts 110% until its right. Thanks to all for the support. BigSki vent on brother!

tk5028 · 01-06-2009, 08:08 AM

WOW!. Now that's customer service. I'm a long way from getting a dig being my main RC is a scale Huey I'm building this winter but I know what dig I will be going for now. In my opinion no matter how good a product is if the company will not stand by their product it's not worth getting.

Pdog7 · 01-06-2009, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 210solomon007

BigSki,
Your replacement parts are on the way. We are sorry for your frustration but we will stand behind our parts 110% until its right. Thanks to all for the support. BigSki vent on brother!

Impressive!! I love a company that stands behind their product. I'm really impressed that DNA was watching the posts and cared enough to post a solution. I want a dig but, after reading the horror stories of getting them dialed in I have been holding off and trying to decide which company to go with. Now it looks like it will be DNA

Archer414 · 01-06-2009, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harvo

Put it away and go back to it in a couple of days. Let your head clear. I get like that sometimes. I get new stuff, try to get it on as quick as I can, and since it never works right the first few times... I end up at it for too many hours or all night fighting with it fatigued.

It never works out right the first couple of times. Don't stress. It doesn't have to be finished right now. Thats what I tell my self.

Things will start to work out n your head and when you go back to it... it will go together much easier.

I agree. I think a lot of the horror stories we read are just people getting too frustrated and not taking a breather. I just got a DNA dig for my crawler. I just kept hitting road blocks every time I would try and install it. First was the Hitec servo which blew the minute I put it in. Next was finding a Futaba servo close enough in size to the Hitec servo. After spending $60 on that and finding out it didn't fit, it was back to the drawing board and searching the forums for solutions.
I ended up putting a full size servo on top of the dig using the stock Axial servo plate. I've got the endpoints set for 4wd and freewheel. I'm now waiting for some other parts I am upgrading so I can set the dig ep's while the crawler is running.
I guess my point is to take things in stride, they will eventually work out. And it looks like the guys at VF really stand behind their product 1000 % !!

Archer414 · 01-06-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 210solomon007

BigSki,
Your replacement parts are on the way. We are sorry for your frustration but we will stand behind our parts 110% until its right. Thanks to all for the support. BigSki vent on brother!

Great job VF !!!!

BigSki · 01-06-2009, 03:10 PM

Thanks to everyone for the positive comments, and especially to DNA, I didn't expect that. I knew they would be sending parts to replace the bad pieces, but I do appreciate them chimming in.

I'm not out to build the ultimate rig, just one that is more competitive. I usually finish mid pack against my club memebers during comps, and I'm one of just a few without a dig unit. The narrower chassis can help me, as we usually have a few rock crossings in at least one of the courses every comp.

I'm taking everyones advise by just letting the rig sit on the workbench for a few days. There is an indoor 1:1 crawling event in February,and my club will be present to show off some RC crawling, so I really need to get this new chassis figured out.

I'll update one I go back into the basement and spin some wrenches.

Coldnorth · 01-07-2009, 09:21 AM

I know the feeling, and I agree - put it away and more importantly don't even think about it, and usually the answer will magically appear. Not always, but usually.

Just a thought, as it seems that with an on-off-on switch and incorrect endpoints equals servo stew: if you used a servo-saver with the same lever length as your actual servo arm, and marked 'center' between the two parts - the internal plate attached to the servo drive and the outer servo arm - and then flipped through the settings, you should be able to see how 'off' you are in terms of EPA point without your servo screaming at you.

Don't know if it'd work - just something that occurred to me while reading this.

Good luck!

GTIMM74 · 01-07-2009, 10:31 AM

rc4wd r2d with dig thats all i got to say. I know that dna has great parts but i dont have the time to mess around getting them right. When you buy something you expect it to be right and it should be.

01-05-2009, 08:02 PM	#1
BigSki I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 4,442	I need to vent.. Last year I got into the RC crawling with an AX-10 kit. I joined the nearest RC club and began competing, and quickly found out that a 'stock' AX-10 isn't much to compete with, so over the course of the summer and fall, the truck really changed into a better crawler, although it still had lots of weak areas. I figured that I would rebuild during the winter, and hopefully, make a more competitive rig for the spring series. I got used SW3 chassis plates and a new SWX skid to make up a new chassis. The next big ticket item was a new DNA dig unit along with the 225 mini servo and the new, shorter MIP dig specific drive shaft piece. It took a while, but I finally got the right Traxxas links to make up a 4 link suspension on the new chassis. I go to assemble the dig unit and find some issues with the components not being machined correctly. I decide to assemble it anyway, so I could mock up everything in the chassis. I follow the end point adjustment procedure, then hook up the servo horn and give it a try. I apply some motor, then flip the 3rd channel switch. The dig unit is wobbling and binding up so badly, I tried to toggle back and forth on the 3rd channel so I could turn off the power but I wasn't fast enough, it cooked the $28 servo in about 30 seconds. I then tried to attatch the new, shorter rear drive shaft only to find out that the driveshaft is still too long, even with the dig specific male end installed. My wheel base is set at 12 3/8" right now, so even if I maxxed it out to 12.5" that rear driveshaft is still going to be too short. Anyone else run into this issue? So right now, I'm pretty disgusted. I can't return any of this stuff for a refund, and none of it seems to work. It's a lot of money to waste, to say the least. I still don't have a dig, and without one I really can't be competitive with the rest of my club members. I've taken apart a functional crawler and now I have an untested chassis that won't be anymore competitive than the one I started with. Uggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Last edited by BigSki; 01-05-2009 at 08:07 PM.

01-05-2009, 08:19 PM	#6
Timmahh RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Mudville Posts: 1,592	i hear the DNA guys have VERY Good Customer Service. i suggest an email or maybe even a call. sometimes its better to talk than it is to read. keep in mind, you may of missed something simple during assembly. as far as the servo goes, it should be under warrenty from Hitec, maybe the place you purchased it will return/swap it for you. as far as setup, you have to be very detailed about putting it together and everything in the correct position, or you could have issues. its possible, you had some improperly machined parts, and if so they should be under warrenty, but if you knew they we not correct, i would not of tried to assemble them. as much of a bitch as it is not doing it, you may not have much other option since you did indeed use them.

01-05-2009, 09:33 PM	#7
Harvo I wanna be Dave Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: In the Dark Edges of your Mind Posts: 6,386	Put it away and go back to it in a couple of days. Let your head clear. I get like that sometimes. I get new stuff, try to get it on as quick as I can, and since it never works right the first few times... I end up at it for too many hours or all night fighting with it fatigued. It never works out right the first couple of times. Don't stress. It doesn't have to be finished right now. Thats what I tell my self. Things will start to work out n your head and when you go back to it... it will go together much easier.

01-05-2009, 10:23 PM	#8
sdmf7 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Plano. Il Posts: 299	If you do pick up another servo, be very patient when setting epa's. I would get all my adjustment's down. Turn everything on. Work the dig servo lock to dig, and if I heard it still buzzing in either dig or lock I shut it off. Wait a few minute's and do some adjustment's and try again. Those servo's do not like any heat. Took me a while with my wife and daughter looking at me funny with my ear on the crawler as I was digging across the carpet. I noticed thing's changed when I was crawlin as aposed to working it on a stand. But as stated before get the dig as smooth as possible before anything.

01-05-2009, 11:36 PM	#9
jays0n Rock Stacker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 54	I'm new to crawlers but have been messing with RC stuff for lots of years and actually worked at a great LHS in upstate NY for a while back in the day. The one thing I have always had to do was mess with everything. All upgrade parts, especially the ones that weren't made by the same company that made the car, truck, helicopter, boat, etc never really work right out of the box. Originally that was how it went, it was the fun part! What you're working on is quite custom and will take plenty of time to make right but honestly, that's what many people enjoy about the sport. I enjoy wrenching as much or more than I do running them! At least this site is available and with some time, the search function and a few posts you should be able to work all the kinks out of your rig! Good luck!!!!

01-05-2009, 11:47 PM	#10
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	There is more to being competitive then just having the ultimate rig.

01-06-2009, 12:16 AM	#11
charga71 Rock Stacker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Rock Springs Posts: 67	My buddy and I just bought DNA digs with in a week of each other and ours still came with parts that weren't machined right. He is sending his back for a new one and they are sending me parts for mine. I think they just got a bad batch of machined parts which is aggervating but as long as I know they will stand behind their product, I'm not disappointed. These guys are right. You sound fatigued. Take a day or two to think about it and if you are really doing it because you grew up with legos and a calculator, then you'll be back before you know it.

01-06-2009, 02:57 AM	#12
bigflex I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: drillin Holes for the man Posts: 2,736	You could post some pics of the chassis setup. Somethimes someone else will see something right away that you may have just over looked from being to close to it and being frustrated.

01-06-2009, 05:11 AM	#13
210solomon007 RCC Addict Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: In The Machine, "Turn the light back ON" Posts: 1,082	BigSki, Your replacement parts are on the way. We are sorry for your frustration but we will stand behind our parts 110% until its right. Thanks to all for the support. BigSki vent on brother!

01-06-2009, 08:08 AM	#14
tk5028 Rock Stacker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Lincoln Posts: 86	WOW!. Now that's customer service. I'm a long way from getting a dig being my main RC is a scale Huey I'm building this winter but I know what dig I will be going for now. In my opinion no matter how good a product is if the company will not stand by their product it's not worth getting.

01-06-2009, 03:10 PM	#18
BigSki I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 4,442	Thanks to everyone for the positive comments, and especially to DNA, I didn't expect that. I knew they would be sending parts to replace the bad pieces, but I do appreciate them chimming in. I'm not out to build the ultimate rig, just one that is more competitive. I usually finish mid pack against my club memebers during comps, and I'm one of just a few without a dig unit. The narrower chassis can help me, as we usually have a few rock crossings in at least one of the courses every comp. I'm taking everyones advise by just letting the rig sit on the workbench for a few days. There is an indoor 1:1 crawling event in February,and my club will be present to show off some RC crawling, so I really need to get this new chassis figured out. I'll update one I go back into the basement and spin some wrenches.

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01-07-2009, 09:21 AM	#19
Coldnorth Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 188	I know the feeling, and I agree - put it away and more importantly don't even think about it, and usually the answer will magically appear. Not always, but usually. Just a thought, as it seems that with an on-off-on switch and incorrect endpoints equals servo stew: if you used a servo-saver with the same lever length as your actual servo arm, and marked 'center' between the two parts - the internal plate attached to the servo drive and the outer servo arm - and then flipped through the settings, you should be able to see how 'off' you are in terms of EPA point without your servo screaming at you. Don't know if it'd work - just something that occurred to me while reading this. Good luck!

01-07-2009, 10:31 AM	#20
GTIMM74 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NAPA Posts: 44	rc4wd r2d with dig thats all i got to say. I know that dna has great parts but i dont have the time to mess around getting them right. When you buy something you expect it to be right and it should be.

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