Can a scx10 be built proof?

[Crazysammi87]

I have a axial honcho an I'm starting to get discouraged in this hobby every time I take it out an play with it something breaks. I have over $700 dollars in this thing an it still breaks. I have upgraded links, steering, servo, c hubs, knuckles, motor, wheels, tires. I just wanna have a rig I can take out an not have to worry about it breaking in the first 5 mins. So my question can I get to a point where this thing will not break? an where is that point?

[jeff22]

It all depends on how you drive it. It sounds like you need to adjust your driving style if you are having that many problems.

[Crazysammi87]

All I do with mine is play in little rock gardens by my shop. When u say build your own u mean from ground up an what kinda of axles u usually use? I was looking at the xr10 kit but I don't wanna buy it if it's just as crappy as what I got.

[Javi84]

What are you breaking if u don't mind me asking

[allanon1965]

I beat on mine all the time and have yet to break anything other than a stock c-hub......i have since upgraded just about everything and have not broken anything yet....had quite a few tumbles in jagged pointy rocks...still good

[Bananaclip]

Axial is about as stout as it gets. Yes if you set them up correctly they rarely will have any issue. With a post like this maybe I can recommend a redcat rig.

[waw]

on mine, the only thing my c/r rubicon broke is my wallet and bank account.. *sigh

[Crazysammi87]

I broke the links, after upgrading them a day later I broke my steering, then it kept going broke the c hubs then 5 mins later broke the knuckle just got it back together last night broke the steering horn in half. Lol axial are stout to begin with. If they were stout to begin with there would be no company's making aftermarket parts for them. Axial made them with plastic because it's cheap an it will break so they can make more money on aftermarket parts. Don't get me wrong they make an awesome rc I just wish u could spend $600 to $800 or so out the box for a fully built crawler that u don't have to upgrade or worry about it breaking. My opinion

[Bananaclip]

Duratrax is screaming your name.

[Meatwad]

Would probably serve you well to peruse various builds on this site. Links and c-hubs/knuckles that are plastic will break.

[Prime]

Man I run my SCX (Project:Cheapbolt) HARD and don't have any problems. Yes I upgraded the suspension and steering links but only because I like to push my rig and don't want to worry bout breaking them on the trail and didn't like the flex while forcing the rig over rocks. As long as you are not trying to drive it like a super class rig the scx is pretty stout with just a small handful of mods.

[Crazysammi87]

I'm not hating axial. I like there products I just wish they came with more aluminum upgrades out of the box. Like in stages. Have the third stage honcho for example be one with all there upgraded parts.

[Habanero]

I've been running my rtr axial renegade for almost a year now with zero problems. Tumbles off rocks and down concret embankments and haven't broken a thing.

[MaFoDes]

Funny... I own several SCX's. I've driven 'm to hell and back. Treat them like i should have treated my former mother in law (not too kind that is). Still, they have taken all the abuse. Every damage i had was self inflicted.
Make a video of you driving it. I am not saying you are driving like a madman, but those Axials are pretty durable. They keep surprising me!

[new2rocks]

One thing to keep in mind with Axial products is that their kits include some upgraded components (e.g., aluminum lower links) that the RTRs don't include. I built my SCX-10 and Wraith from kits with upgrades to almost all of the common failure points (links, knuckles, c-hubs, servo horn, drive shafts, CVDs instead of dog bones, tranny gears, slipper, lockers, sealed bearings) in my initial build. Even with all of that, I still had to fix a few things on each of the first few runs. But after the first few fixes and switching to 32P pinion/spur gears, I haven't had anything break on a run in over a year, and my Axial trucks don't get treated gently. That said, I have several running mates whose SCX-10s have held up fine with many more stock parts and a lot fewer upgrades than mine.

Of all the kits I've built (including SCX-10, Wraith, Ascender, TF2, Gelande 2, CR-01 and others), the Ascender and RC4WD kits come with the most durable components out of the box. But even those aren't bullet-proof. The original Ascender kits came with weak pinions and driveshafts (their HD versions were an inexpensive and easy fix and now come standard), and the RC4WD kits come with nylon driveshafts that rarely make it out of my kitchen, much less my driveway. Knowing that going in, I just plan steel shafts in my initial builds. But even with those kits, it wouldn't be hard to break things if I got careless.

It's important to remember the basic economic realities of this hobby. In the grand scheme of things, these are low-volume, niche products with lots of small moving parts that most of us want to personalize in any of a thousand ways, then take into harsh environments and abuse (even when we're driving "gently"). Manufacturers and retailers make very little on the RTRs/kits and would be out of business if not for the margins on spare parts and upgrades, If they tried to include all the upgrades right in the box, the price point for the RTRs and kits would keep a lot of people out, and the hobby would eventually die. If they tried to sell multiple versions of the same platform with different body options AND differently levels of components, managing the supply chain would be a nightmare and manufacturing costs would go through the roof given the low volumes of each variant. So it's best to look at the need/desire to upgrade stock parts as an opportunity made possible by manufacturers keeping the entry cost low enough to sustain the hobby and vendors' willingness to give us lots of upgrade options.

If you stay with it, it won't take long from where you are at this point to get to a setup that will be very durable and a blast to drive. Good luck!

[Big Bill]

Well said new2rocks, I have had 4or5 SCX kits in the past few years in MHO they are the best on the market. Axial does offer most of the parts needed to make a rig much more stout on the trail, but if you force the issue when your bound up or blasting into rocks something will give. The SCX platform is a SCALE type truck maybe like if you took your Jeep or pickup off road, maybe a Yeti or something along those lines would be better if you are going to beat the $hit out of it For myself I like to upgrade a kit or RTR to see if I can get it to a point so that it wont break on trail. Its all fun.

[Col_Sanders]

I'm surprised that they still don't have an RTR or ARTR that comes with aluminum links, steering linkages, Icon shocks, and universals. I think if they used a generic/non licensed body like the Deadbolt or Honcho they could probably have the price ~$400 and it would be a good buy.

[Crazysammi87]

If I knew how to upload videos I would post it. I didn't have the best experience when I bought my honcho either. When I first bought it from my lhs the one wire to the front lights was broken in half. An when I pulled it out of the box there was oil inside the box an was curious where that was coming from so did some investigation on the rig an found the front Driverside shock wasn't even together it was bolted to the truck just nothing was tightened down. I think I just got a lemon right off the bat. All I do with the truck it crawl over rocks. I had a 60t motor in it so if u think about it it doesn't go very fast at all. I'm just hoping after replacing the steering horn with the metal one it's done breaking. I also forgot to mention I did blow the trans gears out of it to. Plastic sucks!

[Shinjari]

Have 6 rigs between my son and I and he has been bashing the heck out of his Honcho, now JK 4dr for over 3 years (since he was 9). He's not gentle with it at all either. Only upgrades his rig has are aluminum links (home made with all thread/brake line so way cheaper than buying"), Hands bros CMS, Traxxas drive shafts (axial plastic shafts are junk), OD gear in front axle, xr steering mod using stock plastic xr10 chubs/knuckles with steel beef tubes and thats it. He runs a 45t on 3s with a BRXL so its plenty torquey and fast and (knock on wood) he hasn't broken anything since doing these modifications over 2 years ago.

Sounds like the things you are breaking are pretty usual stuff...chubs...knuckles...servo horn...links. It's plastic and will fatigue and break. Every time you upgrade a part though the next weakest link will be the next to break so it can seem like a never ending cycle. Driving style makes a huge difference.

[scaled]

I have a deadbolt kit and had zero issues stock. I eventually made new links and did some upgrades for fun. To-date the only issue I had was a lost axle pin. I do need to note that landscape rock gardens are some of the most punishing of environments if not driven carefully. Get your tire caught up between rocks and parts will break if pushed.