Aluminum C's n Knuckles ??

[DORK VADER]

So besides the obvious of strength and rigidity of aluminum over plastic parts. My reasoning to change these parts out is to eliminate the slop in the C's and straight axle adapters due to how they attach to the housing...So what is the point of upgrading the Axial axles with aluminum ends if it still is being screwed into plastic with only one screw on each side of the housing ??? Or do the aluminum parts fix this problem with a tighter fit ???

Poor design on Axial's part, everything else was well thought out but this...

I noticed RCP's aluminum C's have what looks to be caster adjustment or are the 4 holes so you can run 4 screws ???

Which is how Axial probably should have designed it the first time....

What are the rest of you guys doing to fix this outside of buying $$$ aluminum axle housings $$$ ??

[41565chevelle]

I upgraded mine and here is what I found; I went with all Axial C's and knuckles. The C's have 4 holes in them which is intended to adjust the pinion angle on the driveshaft. You can only use one hole on each side of the C to attach them to the axle housing. Keep in mind that there is a channel on the inside of the C coresponding to the outside of the axle housing. This keeps it all nice and tight, nothing rotates from too much torque and is stays togeather. The hardware is a set screw that is flush with the C when tightened. This allows the most steering preventing the steering arm contacting a screw head limiting the turning radius.

As for the knuckles, I like the Axial's as well. Most of all they are cool in black!!!! I used XTM 10 X 3mm screws with thread locker already on them to attach them to the C's. I was having the stock screws back out of the stock C's and knuckles. Replaced the parts and have never been happier.... just my honest opinion.

[DORK VADER]

Opinions are what I'm looking for... thanks

[EzioS]

I ordered 3Racing knuckles & C-Hubs. Figured the price is good and nothing should go wrong.............oh how wrong I was.

The bearings have massive play, you literally can move the tire up/down 2-3mm both ways, the M3 thread was not M3, nor M4, nor M3,5....? Drilled new thread, but quality is really bad!

A buddy runs on STRC knuckles & C-Hubs, well crafted and nice colors available. Other friend also runs on Axial's kn.& cs perfect fit!

What ever you get, don't - under NO circumstances - buy 3Racing!!!!


:-(

[Terranaut]

The knuckles are a known weak link in the AX-10, just look around the forum. I've broken another one of mine just yesterday, it's easy done. Also, they are quite flexible, which means the wheels seem to have a mind of their own in tight spots. Go with aluminium for sure!

Cheers.

[robsdak]

i read this and can't help but scratch my head and laugh... adjust the pinion angle??? the Axial C's have 4 holes in them, so you can ADJUST THE CASTOR. has no affect on pinion.

slop in the axle? everything fits tight.. the only slop is in the locker and axle shaft joint. might be a little bearing run out, but that can be fixed with a shim or two.

haven't had any issues with the plastic axles', just have to remember that you are screwing into plastic and not to over tighten.

i replaced mine with Axial parts. it greatly improved the turning radius. for durability and overall performance there is no other choice than Aluminum parts.

[Coldnorth]

Originally Posted by robsdak

i read this and can't help but scratch my head and laugh... adjust the pinion angle??? the Axial C's have 4 holes in them, so you can ADJUST THE CASTOR. has no affect on pinion.

While that's technically right, switching holes is going to change the caster angle by about 22 degrees (21 mm diameter, 4 mm from hole to hole), so that's really rather useless in terms of adjustability.

However, by adding 22 degrees of caster, you can quite easily rotate your axle (and therefore your pinion up) by 22 degrees and be right back to where you were in terms of caster.

I suspect that's the intended use. If you need to adjust caster, add small (1/1.5/2mm) spacers to your links.

...I could be wrong, but probably not.

[Timmahh]

going aluminum wont neccessarily solve the slop issues.

ive seen some of the upgraded parts (including axial items) have just as much slop, and at times, more slop than the stock plastic pieces have.

most of that is tolerances on the machining is getting off and not being noticed. or they are expecting to have a thicker anodizing layer, but the parts dont get it. that leaves them off.


i just redid my stock axial axles with their Cs Hubs, and Lockouts, including CVDs and rear straight axles.

one front hub fit great and holds the bearings fine. the other is sloopy on the outter bearing. it just falls right out (going to get some green locktite to fill the gaps with). Same for the Cs, one good, one sloppy.
both the rear lockouts were fine as were the rear Strait axles. one front CVD was good, and the other one is sloppy as hell.
a few of the local guys have picked up other brand aluminum items and its the same. some were good some were worse than with the plastic.

hopefully, poor tolerances will change shortly.


robsdak

the cloclalbe Cs do adjust pinion angle as well. just like using longer/shorter upper links. it tilts the axle either increasing or decreasing Diff Pinion angle. so while it does move castor of the hubs, it also moves the angle of the Diff pinion gear. (i think thats the pinion the poster above was talking about). also you ll find yours may be fine, but not all parts are made equally, so just cuz your are good doesnt mean everyones is.

[BuzzKilla]

If your plastic C's and knuckles are loose and don’t hold, I blame user error... I’m not judging, I’m just saying.

I switched to the aluminum C's and they were a REALLY tight fit, nice and snug.
I recommend the "CKRC high steer knuckles"
The only things limiting my steering are my Axial universal shafts.

Now unless another company makes a universal shaft that outnumbers 42 degrees of turning angle, I’ve reached my axles full turning potential.

just thought that i would sare that.

[DORK VADER]

Originally Posted by robsdak

i read this and can't help but scratch my head and laugh... adjust the pinion angle??? the Axial C's have 4 holes in them, so you can ADJUST THE CASTOR. has no affect on pinion.

slop in the axle? everything fits tight.. the only slop is in the locker and axle shaft joint. might be a little bearing run out, but that can be fixed with a shim or two.

haven't had any issues with the plastic axles', just have to remember that you are screwing into plastic and not to over tighten.

i replaced mine with Axial parts. it greatly improved the turning radius. for durability and overall performance there is no other choice than Aluminum parts.

The slop I'm talking about is the up n down movement allowed by the crappy design and the single attachment points on the housings.....Not the play/ backlash between the pinion and ring gear or spindle end play.. ....my question was meant to find out if the aluminum parts fix this with a tighter fit on the C channels of the housings and if it is worth dropping the money for .030" more turning radius if the aluminum parts are still going to have the same amount of up n down slop.....may as well just stock pile some cheap plastic replacements or swap out the Axial axles with my built set of TLT's....

Thanks for the info and opinion..

[BuzzKilla]

Originally Posted by DORK VADER

my question was meant to find out if the aluminum parts fix this with a tighter fit on the C channels of the housings..

mine were really tight but like meantioned above, if the anodizing really makes that much of a difference then it wount fit as well.

to give you an idea, if the axial alum. C's were any tighter, i would have had to take a file to my axle housing.

[DMC]

Originally Posted by robsdak

i read this and can't help but scratch my head and laugh... adjust the pinion angle??? the Axial C's have 4 holes in them, so you can ADJUST THE CASTOR. has no affect on pinion.

Just in case the newbs and non 1:1 savy folks read this and get confused. Yes, the adjustments built into the knuckles do allow castor angle modulation (they have no direct effect on pinion). However, if you have set up your suspension to include a proper pinion angle, you will have castor angle issues. The knuckles allow you to correct for this over stock components which are not adjustable and you have to compromise between optimal pinion and castor angles. I believe that's what the other posters were getting at and ASSUMING that people understood castor adjustments were used to compensate for the desired pinion angle.

[DORK VADER]

Originally Posted by BuzzKilla

If your plastic C's and knuckles are loose and don’t hold, I blame user error... I’m not judging, I’m just saying.

I switched to the aluminum C's and they were a REALLY tight fit, nice and snug.
I recommend the "CKRC high steer knuckles"
The only things limiting my steering are my Axial universal shafts.

Now unless another company makes a universal shaft that outnumbers 42 degrees of turning angle, I’ve reached my axles full turning potential.

just thought that i would sare that.

Thanks for the link...i've been wondering where people were getting those high steer knuckles

[robsdak]

Originally Posted by DMC

Just in case the newbs and non 1:1 savy folks read this and get confused. Yes, the adjustments built into the knuckles do allow castor angle modulation (they have no direct effect on pinion). However, if you have set up your suspension to include a proper pinion angle, you will have castor angle issues. The knuckles allow you to correct for this over stock components which are not adjustable and you have to compromise between optimal pinion and castor angles. I believe that's what the other posters were getting at and ASSUMING that people understood castor adjustments were used to compensate for the desired pinion angle.

thanks, i guess i should have clarified it a little better. i sometimes forget people don't have hobby/1:1 experience.

as far as all parts being created equal, i know this. that is why i use Axial parts. it's kinda like using Dodge parts on a Dodge, aftermarket parts SUCK...

[Pdog7]

I have the Axial CVD's with RCP max clearance knuckles and clockable c's. They are aluminum and the c's are very beefy compared to the weak plastic OEM c's. They eliminated a lot of slop present with stock parts. The added turning radius is incredible. I would highly reccomend the RCP Knuckles and C's.

[DORK VADER]

Thanks for all the opinions and info guy's

I went ahead and ordered the CKRC BTA steering set up with the high steer knuckles.....been wanting those knuckles for a while and been contemplating making my own BTA set up, but the price for the kit is right....If i was to put money to my time spent making my own....not as fun, but all the thinking is done