How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

So, I've been asked many times how to do this. I've been meaning to do this thread for awhile and finally got some pictures taken last night. Here it goes.....

You start with plastic axle housings, a set of XR10 universals, some aluminum "C"'s, aluminum knuckles, a good locker, and some short beef tubes. The beef tubes should be .43"OD by 1.9" long with a .2" hole bored through it. This will reinforce the axle housing and give you something to drill and tap into to hold the "C" on. I prefer the tubes to be made of Delrin or aluminum.

Other tools you'll need are:

Dremel
Drill
3mm tap
Xacto knife
File

So let's get started.

First thing to do is remove the round boss from the outside of the housings where the stock "C"'s attach.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/06f473a3.jpg

These should all be cut down flush with the outside of the housing.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/1fc4980b.jpg

Then you remove part of the housing where the halves come together. The object is to make the squared off ridges into small triangles so that the "C"'s will slide over them and you can clock them.

The top drawling is how the housings are stock, the bottom is how you want them to look.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/0e16a4bb.jpg

The next step is to take your Dremel and smooth out the inside of the housing at the ends so the beef tube fits in nice and tight but the housing completely comes together.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/5d7e7a63.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/a23c220a.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/P1160668.jpg

You should be able to put an 5x11 bearing in the end of the housing, place the beef tube in and close the housing without seeing any gaps where the housing comes together. Just for fun, slide the "C" on now to see how the fit is, it should be tight.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/86f5bc8e.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/1522e5cb.jpg

So now that you have both sides done and the "C"s fit nice it's time for the lockers and axle mods. I prefer the Hot Racing spool lockers.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/765050f0.jpg

I've never had one fail, they are very hard metal, and the slot where the axle engages is a nice tight fit.

So this is the tricky part. You are going to be cutting the axle shafts down at the locker end right past where the axle necks up and the flat spots are. I leave 1/8" of the larger diameter when I cut mine down.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/76bd384c.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/P1160664.jpg

When cutting, go nice and slow, don't get them really hot, you don't want to remove the heat treating right where they engage the lockers. After cutting, you use a file and make new flats until they just slide into the lockers.

After you file the flats, you must make sure they seat all the way into the locker. Assemble the "C"s, knuckles, bearings, and universals and make sure everything fits together nice.

Once you get the "C"s clocked properly, remove the universals and drill a #39 hole and tap it out to 3mm to secure the "C" to the axle and beef tube on top and bottom.

Reassemble the axle and you're done. They should look something like this.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/P1160670.jpg

This mod will allow more steering, it will be stronger than most CVD's (other than Super 300's) and will widen the track width approximately 1/2" overall.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Awesome right up War Pig...best I've seen on this mod. Thanks for taking the time to do it!

Edit-did you machine these yourself or purchase them? I have only seen the creationfab ones that require the ends of the housing to be cut off.
Thanks

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Yea defineitley. Thanks.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

I made them on my lathe. I'm sure Chris could make some up real easy for you guys.

Updating the original post.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

The standard length beef tubes should work right?

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

you say .2" hole.
what size drill bit is that?

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

A #7 drill is .201 diameter.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

If it's 1.9" long then yeah.

I think I use a #5. Basically it needs to be a bit bigger than the OD of the Axial universal axleshaft.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

What do you do to widen the rear now? And where are those tabs that you make into triangles?

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

They are at the end of the axle housing halves.

When you put the housing together there is a very small and elevated tab on the top and bottom of each half to make that larger tab/lip that you need to file down to look like those triangles.

The scx10 knuckles have a small notch for it to slide over and hold at the proper angle.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

If you want to widen the rear, use wider hexes or different offset hubs. I keep mine a bit narrower than the front.....easier to sneak through gates that way :)

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Standard beef tubes work. That's what I use. I like the additional weight in the axles they provide. I'd also recommend using Felsenfest no slop spools.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Does anyone know if the Wraith axles can be cut down as well to work? Is the short side axle long enough?

I have leftover plastic Inner C's and outer knuckles from my Wraith. Would they be strong enough for an abused 1.9 truck?

How are you all making sure your flats for the locker are actually flat, parrallel, and equally off center?

Seems like this is a somewhat affordable way to gain strength and steering angle.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Interestingly, the short side Wraith universal is the same length as the short side XR10 universal. Not sure about the solid rears.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Not sure how you figured that but the XR10 universals are both the same length and longer then the short wraith side. Maybe you were referring to the cut XR10 axle needed for this mod?

http://img.tapatalk.com/ae418ca4-016d-18c6.jpg

This is my tire at full lock with stock scx10 stuff. It rubs the shock at full lock and when its stuffed.

Will doing this mod make this worse or require me to get some wheel spacers or new offset wheels?

EDIT: Well I see this will make the track width 1/2" wider. Hopefully thats enough to clear it.

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

So the narrow mod make the axle wider? Oo

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Well, I don't know what I received, but in the pic below, the package is a Wraith set and the two loose ones are what I received as an XR10 set.

As you can see, the shorter XR10 uni is identical to the short Wraith. Didn't matter to me at the time as I only needed the longer XR10 ones for an extended axle build.

Maybe there was a packaging mixup and I don't have an XR10 to compare. Weird.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/w.../DSCN2685B.jpg

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Dont think you got a XR-10 set of axles. The XR-10's are the same length. http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn..../AX30563-2.jpg

Re: How to do the narrow XR10 mod to Axial axles
 

Equal length is correct. AX30563. This is a really nice write up on the narrow install, but I'm trying to relate it to the full-axle install. It seems both techniques widen the front track about 1/2" so I have to conclude that they use different wheel offsets to come out about the same. The narrow install must use AX10 offset wheels and the wide install must use XR10 offset wheels. Or am I missing something? Anyone have a link to a similarly well-written full-axle XR10 steering conversion?