OStewart's British Bomber

[ostewart]

Hi guys, I have a build thread over on MSUK forum, and decided to post it here too. Had the bomber since the end of last year and it is my first Axial vehicle.

All you guys have done some great stuff with your bombers, so I hope mine fits in

When it first arrived (around the 27th December)

It was all assembled very nicely, with grease in both axles but not much in the centre transmission. The shocks weren't properly filled either (rebuilt with 25wt front and rear)

So far it has:
Beef Tubes front and rear
27t peak racing rebuildable motor
SSD beadlocks
RC4WD Interco Irok 2.2 tires (vented, stock foams)
Xpert WR4401 servo
Castle BEC
SSD Titanium steering links

[ostewart]

Decided to go brushless, whilst waiting for the parts to arrive I installed some other goodies, spent a lot more time wrenching than using this vehicle so far.


17 January:

Ok, so whilst I'm waiting for my Roc 412 motor to arrive I got installing some bits in preparation. It will run as is now too,

I hacked the front to install the light bar, the rear lights I like without the "glass", the boom racing bits seem fairly good quality, lets see how they hold up to some abuse. Waiting for my new interior as I messed the stock one up, then I have some more lights to add

The lights are running at 7v from the ESC's internal BEC.

The front MIP driveshaft did require some very small sanding of the receiver box.

List of things now:
Castle MMP
Castle BEC (running at 8.4v)
Xpert WR-7701 servo (35kg @ 8.4v)
Etronix 27t motor (11t pinion)
Axial CVD's
Axial heavy duty bevel gears (43/13 front and rear)
Locked Up RC FI Spools
Boom Racing rear upper links, hubs, knuckles and rear lock outs
SSD front lower links
STRC front upper links
GPM servo mount
MIP driveshafts front and rear
Proline Pro-Spec shocks front and rear (front has a small spacer to lower it a little)
High Tensile screws all round

[ostewart]

27th January:

So finally got round to going brushless. Used the Tekin Roc412 2300kv, gearing at the moment is 14/64, it has excellent low speed resolution and can crawl as well as a brushed motor but has the benefit of having better top speed. With the current gearing it doesn't even get warm, so I have a 16t pinion on the way and that I think will be my final gearing. I don't understand the people putting the 3100kv and getting insane speeds that are too much for the chassis. I'm happy with the speed I'm getting.

One thing that was a bit odd, is if I stabbed the throttle it would hesitate then take off like a rocket, heard some other people with this issue so I have put the starting power on the MMP to low, lets see if that helps.

So it had it's first proper outing since going brushless, and I didn't break a thing, I did hit a rock at full speed but all it did was scrape the plastic axle...
Ran it through lots of water, and everything still seems to be working, so fingers crossed my waterproofing worked.

I am very impressed with the RR10 platform, it can handle good speeds (not when cornering though) and yet still has the ability to crawl very well. Great for a truck you can carefully crawl with, or just launch it at a mound and watch it fly (stock motor won't make it fly).

The GPM motor mount is very nice, the finish of it is excellent and it all fits together very nicely. I also bought some 5x7 shims, and have made sure I shimmed the diffs correctly.

All the boom racing parts have held up so far, but I didn't bash it too hard today.

On the way:
Vanquish SLW hubs (725)
Dlux Fabrication Sway Bar
Proline spring set
Robinson Racing Gen3 Slipper setup

[ostewart]

Update:

New Stuff:
Robinson Racing Slipper and Spur
Crawler Innovations Double Deuce 6.0 foams, (Medium outer on the front, Firm outer on the rear)
Dlux Fabrication Sway Bar (medium bar), Titanium upper and lower links, Trailing arms
Hitec HS-7980TH Servo
Vanquish SLW 725 Hubs

Also moved the rear wheel, used a M4 screw through the fuel cell, with some spacers and a 12mm hex to fit it all on.

[ostewart]

List of Installed parts (for anyone interested)

Electrics:
Castle MMP
Castle BEC
Spektrum Receiver
Hitec HS-7980TH Servo
Tekin Roc 412 2300kv
Floureon 3s 25c 5000mah lipo's
Generic ebay LED's

Chassis:
Dlux Fabrication Aluminium Trailing Arms
Dlux Fabrication Sway bar, with medium bar
Dlux Fabrication Titanium front and rear upper links, and front lower links
High Tensile Screws
SSD Titanium Front Steering Links
GPM Aluminium Servo Mount
Boom Racing Aluminium Rear Lockouts
Boom Racing Aluminium C-Hubs
Boom Racing Aluminium Steering Knuckles
Proline Pro-spec Shocks (Super hard spring rear - 40wt oil, Super soft spring front - 20wt oil)
Brass Beef Tubes front and rear

Wheels + Tires:
SSD Steel Beadlocks
RC4WD Interco Irok Tires
Crawler Innovations Double Deuce Foams (Medium outer front, Firm outer rear)
Vanquish SLW 725 Hubs

Drivetrain:
GPM Aluminium Motor Mount
GPM Aluminium Spur Gear Cover Plate
Robinson Racing Steel Spur and Slipper set
MIP Driveshafts front and rear
Axial Heavy Duty Steel Bevel Gears 43/13t (Underdrive front and rear)
LockedUp RC FI Spools
Axial CVD's front

[84yoda]

Have you noticed any slop in the locker/spool after running it?

[ostewart]

Originally Posted by 84yoda

Have you noticed any slop in the locker/spool after running it?

Still very tight, haven't run it much yet though.

[ostewart]

So last weekend I broke the motors rotor... Don't know how but I think my slipper was too tight and with the all metal drive train it was unforgiving.

Luckily Tekin are sending me a new rotor as the motor is under warranty. I'll spend time tuning the slipper properly and have a proper hardened steel pinion on the way as the Traxxas Mach steel one was wearing down due to the hardened steel of the RR spur.

Once that's all set up properly, aluminium axles one day

[allanon1965]

you need to make sure you are not running the motor past it rated RPM, that will cause the rotor to come apart....I am surprised that the 2300 is running it decent, I ended up with the 3100 in mine due to the 2300 not having enough grunt for my taste

[ostewart]

2300kv on 3s, geared 16/64 and it doesn't get hot, or too fast for the motor to cause that damage, more gear mesh and slipper settings that caused it to snap. I'll be more careful, the spur didn't look like it was spinning 100% true, so got a new top shaft. Will see when the pinion and rotor arrive if it's better.

Also 2300kv, 3s and 16/64 is perfect for my usage, plenty fast for some bombing around (not stupid fast) yet crawls and hauls ass!

Tekin support was great though

[ostewart]

Still waiting for my hardened 16t pinion to arrive from Rcmart. Put an 11t on for now.

Ordered Vanquish V2 Axle housings for this now, couldn't afford the Curries but I really like the stock look of the axles, also keeping them black.

I plan to get matching diff cover, truss, lockouts/c hubs/knuckles in the long run, one part at a time

Went back to the standard SSD hubs, the SLW725 were just too wide I think.

[ostewart]

So fitted a 18t pinion as the motor wasn't even running warm. Could gear this to the moon I feel, but the speed is pretty good geared 18/64.

Vanquish axles arriving next week, not sure whether to mount straight away, or build them up with all vanquish parts and then install them.

Got some Proline Flat Iron XL 2.2's for this, mounted with the RC4WD Proline compatibility beadlock ring yet they still pop out quite easily, so SSD Rock Racer Beadlocks ordered. Bilivinic hasn't had a problem with beads popping out with the Rock Racer or the Assasin SSD's which use a different beadlock system than the 10 hole steel ones I'm running. We shall see.

[ostewart]

Got these in the post today, not sure whether to mount them now, or wait to get the matching truss, c-hubs, knuckles and lockouts... Opinions?

[Rjohn929]

I would wait.

[ostewart]

Well I decided to fit the Vanquish axles without the matching parts. Very nice pieces of kit with superb finish.

Fitted the SSD Rock Racer beadlocks, they look incredible on this truck.

I'll get pictures of the axles when I go out with this, hopefully at the weekend.

Also my Hitec HS-7980th died, I think water damage even though it was never submerged it has some condensation. So that's been sent to the service centre, hopefully get a replacement. Using the Xpert WR-7701 again for now, might keep it in this if it doesn't break again.

Minor adjustment to the front bumper where I have the lights mounted, added a small spacer between the bumper and chassis, and the bumper and lights as the servo used to hit the light bar and not allow full compression.

[ostewart]

No more issues with popping a bead (SSD Rock Racer wheels are awesome), happy days. Put a whole 5000mah 3s pack through it, lasts over an hour with a combination of speed runs and crawling.

I'm using CI DD 6.0 in the tyres, Medium outer on the front, and Firm outer on the rear. They are a little too stiff for proper rock crawling, but still conform nicely when needed. And for a basher they work well.

More eye candy:

[ostewart]

Updated List of Installed parts (for anyone interested)

Electrics:
Castle MMP
Castle BEC
Spektrum Receiver
Xpert WR-7701 Servo
Tekin Roc 412 2300kv
Floureon 3s 25c 5000mah lipo's
Generic ebay LED's

Chassis:
Dlux Fabrication Aluminium Trailing Arms
Dlux Fabrication Sway bar, with medium bar
Dlux Fabrication Titanium front and rear upper links, and front lower links
High Tensile Screws
SSD Titanium Front Steering Links
GPM Aluminium Servo Mount
Boom Racing Aluminium Rear Lockouts
Boom Racing Aluminium C-Hubs
Boom Racing Aluminium Steering Knuckles
Proline Pro-spec Shocks (hard spring rear - 20wt oil, Super soft spring front - 15wt oil)
Vanquish OCP v2 Axles
Vanquish Diff Covers


Wheels + Tires:
SSD Rock Racer Aluminium Beadlocks
Proline FlatIron XL 2.2
Crawler Innovations Double Deuce Foams (Medium outer front, Firm outer rear)
Stock Hubs

Drivetrain:
GPM Aluminium Motor Mount
GPM Aluminium Spur Gear Cover Plate
Robinson Racing Steel Spur and Slipper set
MIP Driveshafts front and rear
Axial Heavy Duty Steel Bevel Gears 43/13t (Underdrive front and rear)
LockedUp RC FI Spools
Axial CVD's front

[ostewart]

Small change, shocks now 20wt front, 30wt rear oil, changed connectors over from Deans to XT60.

Crawler Innovations Double Deuce 5.5 comp cut with soft outer all round, also using the Tuning Discs for sidewall support due to the wide wheels. Excuse the rough cuts, but it works.

Needs to be taken out again at some point.

[ostewart]

Haven't updated this in a while,

So I am now geared 21/64, this is now a go fast U4 style bomber. Handles well and I have got the shocks dialed in (20wt front, 30wt rear) using the medium pistons.

Went to test the other day and my steering knuckle broke, cheap boom racing ones. Luckily I had just ordered Vanquish Scale knuckles and also Vanquish flange pipes. Had them in my spares box ready to fit, so I went ahead and fitted them.

I also fitted Vanquish Clamping rear lockouts, they are so much tighter than the boom racing ones. A lot better, and less slop. I also shimmed the rear axle shafts to virtually no slop.

With the Vanquish Scale Knuckles I was having clearance problems with my tires, so new up SLW 350 hubs and while I was at it, clamping 12mm hexes.

Under acceleration I was also getting some slight clicking from the gearbox so a tear down was in order, turns out the transfer box was a little grubby with some not so smooth bearings. Cleaned it all out, new bearings and all greased up, now it's nice and smooth. Both axles also got checked and greased.

All ready to bash again.

[ostewart]

So a while ago I split this and sold it for parts, old photobucket photos can be found here: Oscar_Stewart's Library | Photobucket

I have just pulled the trigger on a 2nd hand RTR bomber and will upload pics and keep you all informed on the build here. I will be keeping the plastic axles for now, and mainly upgrading the links, electrics and axle gears.

For now my list will be:

Beef tubes
Incision link kit
HD gears
Incision Lockers
axial universal front shafts
aluminium beadlocks
Some form of tyre, not decided yet
Strong trailing arms, not decided yet.

And then down the line:

SRT BH9037 servo
Hobbywing 3660 3200kv motor
Castle Mamba x ESC
clamping lockouts and c-hubs
clamping 12mm hexes
knuckles etc...