advice for trail use Rubicon

[idaho]

I am going to build an scx10 Rubicon for trails just playing around, I'm going to run a brushed motor either from brood or HH and the HH esc, I will be running off of 2s lipo for now 3s soon, my question is what are the most common weak spots that show up with this type of use and what upgrades do I need?

[eunique]

I would suggest either upgraded center driveshafts or strengthen the stock ones. Also...to help with torque twist, I would mirror the transmission

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[AdventureIQ]

Welcome! I am in Idaho as well, do the same type of running, and asked a similiar question earlier. C hubs and knucles.... I kerp a few 3mm screws in my bag along with a small tool kit, a few wheel nuts, and zip ties.

Where are you running? I am in Meridian area and travel with my rig to Asia....

[n8welch]

Upgrade tranny gears. I prefer Robinson Racing gears. There are others out there but I run Robinson in all my vehicles and have not had any failures. Driveshafts will be your next weakest link. MIP and Junfac are the most popular. The next thing i did was installed the Hot Racing diff lockers in both front and rear axles. Again there are many to chose from. The Hot Racing were not my first choice but they were in stock and Robinson was gonne be awhile.

It really just depends on what your trying to do. You can just fix stuff as it breaks or do some preventative upgrades. If your gonna run brushless up to 3s you will find your weak points really fast. Especially if ya run 2.2 Rc4wd Rock Crushers like i did on top of all that 2 and3s power. Tranny first though. Get the solid one piece output gear and the idler gear. Thats what failed me first. I wasn't even running lipo. Just them big arse tires and a 12t titan/xl5. Hope this helps. :thumbup:

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[BadRockNoCookie]

My best advice. Have fun with it and drive it. If something breaks, then upgrade it. Some parts may break for others and never break for you. I use my rig for trail use and some decently technical rock crawling and I have only ever broken 1 c-hub. That's it. My truck is freakishly strong.
I would however recommend mirroring your transmission and upgrading to R2J's 4 link on your rear axle.
Be sure to bring with you a a hex key or a hex screwdriver that fits your driveshafts' set screw because the driveshafts on these things can sometimes snag on a rock and pull off of the transmission output. You will simply have to place the driveshaft end back on the transmission output and retighten the driveshaft. Simple, but if you don't have anything to screw the set screw back in with, your run is over.

[idaho]

Originally Posted by AdventureIQ

Welcome! I am in Idaho as well, do the same type of running, and asked a similiar question earlier. C hubs and knucles.... I kerp a few 3mm screws in my bag along with a small tool kit, a few wheel nuts, and zip ties.

Where are you running? I am in Meridian area and travel with my rig to Asia....

I am in the Coeur D' Alene area, post falls to be exact.

[idaho]

Originally Posted by n8welch

Upgrade tranny gears. I prefer Robinson Racing gears. There are others out there but I run Robinson in all my vehicles and have not had any failures. Driveshafts will be your next weakest link. MIP and Junfac are the most popular. The next thing i did was installed the Hot Racing diff lockers in both front and rear axles. Again there are many to chose from. The Hot Racing were not my first choice but they were in stock and Robinson was gonne be awhile.

It really just depends on what your trying to do. You can just fix stuff as it breaks or do some preventative upgrades. If your gonna run brushless up to 3s you will find your weak points really fast. Especially if ya run 2.2 Rc4wd Rock Crushers like i did on top of all that 2 and3s power. Tranny first though. Get the solid one piece output gear and the idler gear. Thats what failed me first. I wasn't even running lipo. Just them big arse tires and a 12t titan/xl5. Hope this helps. :thumbup:

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I'm am already running 2.2 tires, the tsl sx. I just got it today and I already smoked a spur gear. I won't be running brushless in this rig due to its going to be getting wet but I'm leaning towards a healthy motor from Brood so I'm sure I will still need to beef up the trans. I will look into driveshafts and lockers tomorrow too.

[idaho]

Originally Posted by BadRockNoCookie

My best advice. Have fun with it and drive it. If something breaks, then upgrade it. Some parts may break for others and never break for you. I use my rig for trail use and some decently technical rock crawling and I have only ever broken 1 c-hub. That's it. My truck is freakishly strong.
I would however recommend mirroring your transmission and upgrading to R2J's 4 link on your rear axle.
Be sure to bring with you a a hex key or a hex screwdriver that fits your driveshafts' set screw because the driveshafts on these things can sometimes snag on a rock and pull off of the transmission output. You will simply have to place the driveshaft end back on the transmission output and retighten the driveshaft. Simple, but if you don't have anything to screw the set screw back in with, your run is over.

Your the second person to recommend mirroring the trans, how is this done?

[6sharky9]

Originally Posted by idaho

Your the second person to recommend mirroring the trans, how is this done?

I think you turn the trans mount and trans around; then change the side the output shaft comes out of...Puts less torque on the passenger side.

I still have yet to make this change.


I have to say I don't know how some of you break stuff so easily lol..I have yet to break anything and put my truck through a lot abuse.
I only run the stock ESC with a mod 27t motor and a 2s lipo and its done every challenge ive thrown at it with no problems...Even having the tires lodged
between rocks and straining the motor to get out...I guess in time ill break something but its been a tough cookie so far.

I have upgraded but not due to breakage.

Most will say run it till something breaks and that's what you need to upgrade.

[AdventureIQ]

Originally Posted by idaho

I am in the Coeur D' Alene area, post falls to be exact.

Sounds like I need to make a run up there

[Meatwad]

Easy way to know how to mirror the trans: Take apart the trans and upon reassembly, face 'axial' in on the motor plate towards the trans rather than out towards the spur gear.


As for upgrades, well that can be a subjective thing in some aspects. I find it hard to run axles without beef tubes and at least aluminum chubs/knuckles/lockouts. Of course stronger servo, 32p gears, steel trans gears, drive shafts, hardened r/p and possibly wheels. Brushless can be waterproofed to work in a trail setting, unless you're submarining the thing.

Its hard to point directly at what to upgrade first. With a lightweight stock-ish rig and easy trigger finger, one can go quite awhile without breaking much.

[Dr.Newb]

I agree with those who wondered how people are breaking parts a lot, the first thing I broke was the outputs on the trans got chewed up and broke from the driveshafts popping off, however this happened on my 1.9 rig crawling indoor last winter against ax10's and a few xr10's so Robinson racing gears were my first upgraded then links, knuckles,a servo and then smoked 3 stock motors and bought a 35 turn h.h motor and a 5700 may 2s lipo and screwed around with tire choice's and finally like a week ago I got rear lockouts, I still run stock plastic driveshafts and I've seen several people break them quick but no issues here, we went out on Sunday and I was the only who didn't break and outclimbed 2.2 rigs, my trucks strength and durability surprise me

[idaho]

Originally Posted by AdventureIQ

Sounds like I need to make a run up there

Hell ya then I would have someone to run with, although when we are close to home my 4 year old come out with me to run, lol.

[idaho]

Originally Posted by Meatwad

Easy way to know how to mirror the trans: Take apart the trans and upon reassembly, face 'axial' in on the motor plate towards the trans rather than out towards the spur gear.


As for upgrades, well that can be a subjective thing in some aspects. I find it hard to run axles without beef tubes and at least aluminum chubs/knuckles/lockouts. Of course stronger servo, 32p gears, steel trans gears, drive shafts, hardened r/p and possibly wheels. Brushless can be waterproofed to work in a trail setting, unless you're submarining the thing.

Its hard to point directly at what to upgrade first. With a lightweight stock-ish rig and easy trigger finger, one can go quite awhile without breaking much.

Thanks for the simple explanation, I will have to do this when I put in New trans gears since my trigger finger is made of lead!