Johnny builds an SCX-10 II XJ

[JohnnyAnguish]

Originally Posted by romeo32982

i have a question did your transmission feel like the gears are super tight when assembling ? and after the build did you free role it ? and did it move Farley easy or feel like theirs allot of drag ? like if someone is holding the brakes ?
any info would be helpful thanks

I had just the slightest amount of drag in my transmission. It was barely noticeable by hand, but once the motor was installed it would cog at the lowest speeds. It just wasn't as smooth as it should have been. So I took the transmission apart and flipped the larger gear (AX31416) that some people had an issue with. Worked like a charm. The transmission is nice and smooth now.

[JohnnyAnguish]

Ok. Time for some first impressions.

I managed to get this thing out on the trails a few times, putting just shy of 6 miles on it. The terrain was typical New England wooded hiking paths: dirt, rocks, roots, sticks, leaves, pine needles, the occasional tree lying across the trail and lots of poison ivy lining the way.

So far, the SCX-10II feels like a near perfect trail truck. The steering is fantastic. The balance feels good. Torque twist is negligible. Overall, the truck feels nimble and solidly planted. There wasn’t an obstacle on the trails I couldn’t get over with relative ease.* The extra axle clearance means fewer pumpkin bumps (which is good, because the plastic on the diff cover is a bit softer than I anticipated). It rides a tad higher than I'm used to. I might play with that a bit. The shocks feel spot on (please don’t leak, please don’t leak). The bumpers do get in the way a bit, so approach big obstacles at an angle. I expect this will be a bigger issue with more intense crawling. The body is big, but didn’t seem to get in the way for simple trail runs.

The tires worked really well in these conditions. They gripped great on roots and rocks alike. I didn’t encounter any particularly wet, muddy, or sandy conditions. Performance in those areas remains to be seen.

The Holmes Puller Pro BL 540s 2700KV motor works wonderfully in this rig. It’s smooth, quiet and flat out performs. I dropped the pinion a couple of teeth before running, which put the speed right where I want it on 3s. After one brisk 40 minute hike the temp came in at 125 degrees. I still need to tweak my drag brake and brake strength settings. They’re coming on a bit strong, but still not holding on inclines quite as much as I’d like.

I love driving this toy truck. I’m itching to get it onto the crawler course at my LHS and really give it a hard time, but it may be a couple of weeks before that happens. In the meantime, I’m going to have to settle for piling up the miles on the local trails.


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr

*OK, there was one tree across the trail that I could have gotten over if I wasn’t worried about chewing up the body. It was 10 minutes into the first run and I wasn’t quite ready to go there. Cut me some slack.

[Scooter80]

As I stated earlier in your thread, really nice ... that rig looks fantastic out on the trail! I am really, really leaning toward the same color scheme! Would it be possible to post of pic of your lighting set-up under the body? It would be very helpful to see how you routed the wiring, etc. Thanks!

[JohnnyAnguish]

Originally Posted by Scooter80

As I stated earlier in your thread, really nice ... that rig looks fantastic out on the trail! I am really, really leaning toward the same color scheme! Would it be possible to post of pic of your lighting set-up under the body? It would be very helpful to see how you routed the wiring, etc. Thanks!

Thanks! I'll try to get a pic for you, but there's not much to it. One Axial Simple Light Controller is taped to the receiver box, with two white LEDs to the front bumper and two red to the rear. The wires are just zip-tied to the chassis braces wherever it makes sense. The other light controller is attached to the underside of the hood, with two white and two orange LEDs. I used a servo extension on that controller to make it easy to disconnect when removing the body.

[JohnnyAnguish]

I’ve put another 7 miles of trail driving on the XJ since the last update, bringing the total up to just about 13 miles. It’s hard to believe it performs so well out of the box. Still crawling over everything. Still no broken parts. I’ve got a few updates that I thought were worth sharing (and a few more pics). Here we go.

First up, I’m still impressed with the tires. They seem like a really great all-around trail option. It’s been really dry here, so no mud, but they continue to do well on just about everything else. A couple of things they don’t like? Moss covered rocks and going down steep hills covered in loose pine needles.

I have rolled the truck a few times. I chalk it up to a couple of things: getting used to the rig and a big battery on one side up front. When I get this thing on the crawler course at my LHS I’ll probably run a smaller pack, but when I’m trail running I tend to use a big honking battery. With my SCX-10 G6, I feel like I know exactly when it’s going to roll. It feels more predictable. I’m hoping with time and a little tuning I’ll feel the same way about the new rig.

Lastly, the torque twist has gotten a little more noticeable. It’s not like it’s lifting a tire or anything, but there’s a bit of a lean going on. It might just be the springs breaking in and in need of an adjustment. Again, I’m hoping with a bit of tweaking to get it more neutral again.

So, what’s next? I’m definitely going to tweak the shocks a bit and try to address these (admittedly, very minor) issues. Remarkably, the shock still aren't leaking (*knock on wood*). I’m optimistic with a couple of minor adjustments I can get this thing crawling better than ever. I’d also like to give it a few runs on some Rock Beasts for comparison. I want to try my Swamper XLs (my favorite trail tire), but there’s too much rubbing on the body and lower front links (see this thread). I’m also going to bring the front bumper in a bit and lose the trailer hitch. Oh, and I want to add a light bar, winch, interior, wheel wells… it never ends.

Still loving this toy truck.


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr

[JohnnyAnguish]

Another quick update...

This rig has over 30 trail miles on it now. It has performed very well. There have been no breakages. I tweaked the shock pre-load a bit and it has helped the mild torque twist and the bit of tipping I was having on the trails.

The kit tires are great. We had a little rain one night and I made sure to get out on the trails first thing the next morning. Even packed with wet dirt and leaf debris the tires found traction with minimal slippage. The HH motor has plenty of power to clean out the tires, too.

I threw the Rock Beasts on there for 5 miles or so. They do great on this rig (no real surprise). At first I thought they looked a bit small in the big wheel openings of the XJ body, but that may have been because I was so used to seeing the other tires on there. Now I'm digging the look. You give up a little with the height, but the smaller pumpkins help with that (it's still got the big bumper and overhangs, though).

I've only gotten out to my local crawler course once with this thing. It performed pretty well. The bumpers/overhangs were probably the biggest issues. You definitely need to watch your approach and departure. I didn't have any of my smaller 3s packs charged, so I was out there with the big honking trail pack I run. That definitely contributed to me being rubber-side up (or at least rubber-side sideways) more than I would have liked. I'm eager to get back out there with a smaller, lighter pack and see what it can really do on the rocks.

Enough words. Here are some pictures.


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr

[yellowdatsun]

I like those steel dish wheels, I may have to get some.

[johnnyluv]

Those pics are fantastic! I commented on your Flickr. I've been meaning to use my Flickr account more often for scale photography.

[JohnnyAnguish]

Thanks for the compliments. I'll be happier with the photos when I get some wheel wells and an interior in there. I'm just having too much fun driving it!

I'm a fan of those GMade steelies. I run them on my G6 and CC-01 (and plastic GMade rims on an SCX-10 Ford Courier I built for my dad). There's just enough clearance to run them on a SCX-10II with the stock hexes. I'll probably go back to the Method/KO2 combo, but I'm sure I'll mix in the Pit Bulls every now and again.

[TXScaler]

I like the build thread! One of the better build threads I've seen in a while.

[novaris]

hey there

you are using the savox sc 1210sg right?

I decided to get this servo when i found out about the max servo height being 38mm and the savox servo is 42mm but it's not clear what axial means by 38mm (measured from base to which part of the servo) then you mentioned about the servo "protruding" 1-2mm.

Has there been any issues so far with the steering after a few days of having it?

[novaris]

thanks for the reply on my thread regarding the servo.

I noticed you are using a sensored brushless motor and I would like to ask if you intend to waterproof it somehow?

I'm considering using a brushed setup even though I won't be submerging it in water

[JohnnyAnguish]

Originally Posted by novaris

thanks for the reply on my thread regarding the servo.

I noticed you are using a sensored brushless motor and I would like to ask if you intend to waterproof it somehow?

I'm considering using a brushed setup even though I won't be submerging it in water

Holmes Hobbies offers waterproofing of their brushless motors when you order. That's what I did.

I've also used CorrosionX on the Tekin Roc412 in my Wraith. While it's never been submerged, it has been packed with snow and slush without incident. It's also been pretty puddle proof.

[JohnnyAnguish]

Well, it took over 32 miles out on the trails, but I finally managed to break something on this rig. While out for a hike yesterday, one of the spring cups popped off and I lost it. I now think this toy truck is garbage.

Even with a saggy rear end the XJ finished the hike like a champ.

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by JohnnyAnguish

...The extra axle clearance means fewer pumpkin bumps (which is good, because the plastic on the diff cover is a bit softer than I anticipated). It rides a tad higher than I'm used to. I might play with that a bit. The shocks feel spot on (please don’t leak, please don’t leak). The bumpers do get in the way a bit, so approach big obstacles at an angle. I expect this will be a bigger issue with more intense crawling. The body is big, but didn’t seem to get in the way for simple trail runs...

Looking good, I'd drop the ride height down with some softer springs. Body looks good, nice option might have to throw one on my Ascender for a little smaller SUV with better approach angles? Need to set the two side by side for body size comparison.

Originally Posted by JohnnyAnguish

I have rolled the truck a few times. I chalk it up to a couple of things: getting used to the rig and a big battery on one side up front. When I get this thing on the crawler course at my LHS I’ll probably run a smaller pack, but when I’m trail running I tend to use a big honking battery. With my SCX-10 G6, I feel like I know exactly when it’s going to roll. It feels more predictable...

Lastly, the torque twist has gotten a little more noticeable. It’s not like it’s lifting a tire or anything, but there’s a bit of a lean going on. It might just be the springs breaking in and in need of an adjustment. Again, I’m hoping with a bit of tweaking to get it more neutral again.

So, what’s next? I’m definitely going to tweak the shocks a bit and try to address these (admittedly, very minor) issues. Remarkably, the shock still aren't leaking (*knock on wood*). I’m optimistic with a couple of minor adjustments I can get this thing crawling better than ever. I’d also like to give it a few runs on some Rock Beasts for comparison. I want to try my Swamper XLs (my favorite trail tire), but there’s too much rubbing on the body and lower front links (see this thread). I’m also going to bring the front bumper in a bit and lose the trailer hitch...

Lower ride height and something like 2200mah 3S lipo should help a lot, I don't mind swapping batteries a little more often for the way better crawling performance that a smaller battery yields. Soft rear swaybar for the TT?

Originally Posted by JohnnyAnguish

...I threw the Rock Beasts on there for 5 miles or so. They do great on this rig (no real surprise). At first I thought they looked a bit small in the big wheel openings of the XJ body, but that may have been because I was so used to seeing the other tires on there. Now I'm digging the look. You give up a little with the height, but the smaller pumpkins help with that (it's still got the big bumper and overhangs, though).

I've only gotten out to my local crawler course once with this thing. It performed pretty well. The bumpers/overhangs were probably the biggest issues. You definitely need to watch your approach and departure. I didn't have any of my smaller 3s packs charged, so I was out there with the big honking trail pack I run. That definitely contributed to me being rubber-side up (or at least rubber-side sideways) more than I would have liked. I'm eager to get back out there with a smaller, lighter pack and see what it can really do on the rocks.

Looks good with kit tires, but the Rockbeast size looks more scale...they are both good looking tires.

[Pizzaguy87]

Great looking rig. Your pictures are awesome as well.

[JohnnyAnguish]

Over 50 trail miles on this little rig and it's still wheelin' like a champ. Other than the one lost spring cup, there has been no breakage or unexpected wear and tear. What a fantastic straight-out-of-the box rig Axial cooked up.

I got out to my local crawler course again. With the smaller battery pack (that I remembered to charge this time) it turned in an excellent performance. The body/bumper overhangs (and the resulting approach/departure angles) are still the biggest issues for more hardcore crawling. The overall rig balance is fantastic. It has all the steering you could hope for. Most notable is the improved durability. The course at my LHS is no walk in the park. There are some sections that are downright sadistic. On a day my seven-year-old broke a steering link and a lower link on my G6 (and cracked the body), the XJ walked away unscathed (minus some nice new scratches).

I'm still impressed by the tires. They work pretty darn well on just about everything. Not as spot-on in the looks department as the ProLines, but the extra height comes in handy, especially with the big overhangs of the XJ body. On the trails, I still occasionally swap in the Rock Beasts.

All four shocks are leaking (rears a little, fronts a lot). No surprise there. Thinking along the same lines as Natedog, I've got some softer spring and heavier oil to put in there. I'll give them a rebuild while I'm at it.

Enough words. Picture time...


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee and Axial SCX-10 G6 by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr


Axial SCX-10 II Jeep Cherokee by johnny anguish, on Flickr

[IVIaarten]

Those are some amazing pictures! Great to see people are having fun running this rig stock.
About the shock cups, a little trick I've picked up from YouTube, is drilling a small hole through the side of the cup (the little indents work well for this), and attach the cup to the coil with a small piece of metal wire. It's not visible, and makes sure that you'll never loose one again.

[1967Typhoon]

These look pretty cool. Won't EVER lose these cups!

Axial Scx10 ii Spring Retainers Shock Cups

[powder4breakfast]

Originally Posted by JohnnyAnguish

Over 50 trail miles on this little rig and it's still wheelin' like a champ. Other than the one lost spring cup, there has been no breakage or unexpected wear and tear. What a fantastic straight-out-of-the box rig Axial cooked up.

In Scale measurements... you've wheeled that rig 500 trail miles!

After upgrading so much on my Bomber, I am having a hard time not wanting to do a lot to my SCX10 II... but not because it needs it... only because RC Crawlers have caused a sickness in me that I want to throw money at them like crazy. I agree that this is a fantastic rig straight out of the box.