"Showcase", CFM Shop Wraith

[CarterFab]

Been wanting to get another Wraith and have been hoarding parts for awhile now in anticipation of the bug biting me. This build is aptly named due to the fact that it will be showcasing products from us, CFM, and our sponsors and close friends, Vanquish Products, Locked Up RC, and Dinky RC. Along with them will be other great products that we firmly stand behind from Crawler InNovations, Pit Bull Tires, Active Graphix, and top vendor site RPP Hobby. Most all of the products used on this build can be bought directly through us as well.
The build will probably take a month or two to build as I only have a little spare time in the evenings every so often to wrench on it.

Front Axle:
Hybrid CFM/VP housing
Dinky RC S-Link
Locked Up RC F1 spool
Axial HD 38/13 gear set
VP VVDs
VP knuckles
VP chubs
VP bearing caps
VP smooth diff cover
VP steering links
VP link mounts
Fast Eddy bearings

Rear axle:
VP aluminum housing
VP lockouts
VP truss
VP link mounts
VP bearing caps
VP smooth diff cover
CBRB Fab titanium shafts
Locked Up RC F1 spool
Axial HD 43/13 gear set
Fast Eddy bearings

Transmission:
VP ax10 case
HR steel gears
Crawler InNovations 4130 Maxx 5mm outputs
Fast Eddy Bearings
? Motor plate
Maxx Shafts

Electronics:
VP 3" Rigid light bar
Vp 1" Rigid light bar
Castle MMP
Castle Bec
Tekin Redline 13.5t
4s lipo
Solar servo winch
Hitec ? Servo(can't remember off top of my head)

Chassis:
Axial Wraith
Custom chromoly CFM topper
CFM steel lower rear chassis brace
Custom "max approach" front bumper
CFM Ultimate Front Inner Fenders
CFM Rear Inner Fenders
CFM Deluxe Boat sides
CFM Rear Tray
Toyota Mini Trophy front clip
Crawler InNovations delrin electronics tray
Active Graphix vinyl wrap

Tire/Wheel:
2.2 Pit Bull Rock Beast II
Crawler InNovations 6" DD Closed Cell foams
VP SLW V1 2.2 1" wide wheels w/custom CFM rings
2.2 VP Method wheels
2.2 RC4wd Two Face
Crawler InNovations new style closed cell foams

Suspension:
VP titanium 3/16 links upper
Axial 7mm aluminum lower links
Proline Power Stroke Slash Shocks

Here's the pile of parts while I'm still waiting for the most recent orders to come in


The new Wraith kit showed up this evening so I assembled what I was gonna use of the factory chassis and started mocking a few things up.


Mounted a 3" Rigid bar under the front using the factory light bucket mount holes. Made a couple of thin spacers to gap the mounts a little and it fit perfect. Keeps it very protected from even the harshest impacts and looks cool too.


Here you can see how it sits in there. Also have the Solar servo winch from Heyok mounted up to the Crawler InNovations delrin electronics tray. The servo winch features a new winch spool, 8' of extreme duty winch line, and a steel hook from Locked Up RC.


Used a set of our CFM Ultimate Front Inner Fenders to keep things protected and provide a clean look. I always paint my inner fenders black so they just disappear when everything is assembled.


Trimmed the interior floor pan and shot it black.


1" Rigid light bar mounts to the rear light bucket mount holes without modification and again provides extreme protection without obstructing the path of light.


Built the rear axle using the new F1 spool from Locked Up RC. I normally run the VP lockers but wanted to give these a shot since they are the new kid on the block and from one of my favorite vendors. These have the tightest fit I've ever had on the axle tangs. There is zero slop and they have some nice weight to them. Ring gear bolted up without any problems and it took the fast eddy bearings perfectly. Dropped right in without any shimming or adjusting for a smooth drag fee spin.

[KRAWL]

That is one good looking build with some quality parts and good fab work. I want some of those inner fenders for my DC Rubi.

[wheelhead4x4]

Would you inner front fenders fit with thecrawlerspace front electronics box too. Here are some pics of it. I can take more from different angles if needed.

[ROLANDROCKSHOP]

the "showcase" rig needs a theme song...

[midnight_f150]

I'm still new at all this RC stuff but why are you running different gear ratio in the axles?

[Plush]

Originally Posted by midnight_f150

I'm still new at all this RC stuff but why are you running different gear ratio in the axles?

He overdrives the front and underdrives the rear.
Thats to get the front wheels turning just a little faster to aid in steering and to virtually "pull" the truck up stuff instead of the rear pushing the truck.
Pushing the truck is more prone to flipping over backwards.

[CarterFab]

Originally Posted by wheelhead4x4

Would you inner front fenders fit with thecrawlerspace front electronics box too. Here are some pics of it. I can take more from different angles if needed.

Looks like they will.

[wheelhead4x4]

Ok I thought so to where yours goes around the outside an that's on the inside. But though I would ask first.

[midnight_f150]

Originally Posted by Plush

He overdrives the front and underdrives the rear.
Thats to get the front wheels turning just a little faster to aid in steering and to virtually "pull" the truck up stuff instead of the rear pushing the truck.
Pushing the truck is more prone to flipping over backwards.

Thank you for the info. That is a great idea on the gears.

[grob23]

Over/under-gearing is nothing new...

I'm lovin those front inner fenders; I'm gonna hafta place an order!
Quick question though, for the rear of this rig I see you will be using the "tray". Any reason to use it as opposed to the "upper cover"? How does the "upper cover" install?

[CarterFab]

Upper cover slips around the bar right behind the seats and then folds over the rear filling in the gap between the sides. It is clamped in place when the sides are reattached.
I may be using a modified version of the upper rear cover. I have plans on the custom cage insert that will require hacking the back of the cage top. Also depends where all the electronics find their final resting place and what kind of access I'll need.

[CarterFab]

Got the rest of the Vp parts in today.

Won't bore you with pics of the other stuff.
Will have pics of the front hybrid housing tomorrow evening.

[CarterFab]

Start of the hybrid axle.

[R/C Bashist]

Hmm... BTA on a AR60 axle, never seen that done before. I'm watching this one!

[CarterFab]

It's been done and with this same bracket setup. I'll basically be copying that setup.

[rc crawler boy]

update?

[CarterFab]

Not yet. Been very busy at the shop working on customer builds and orders. May have the new bead lock rings ready today or tomorrow.

[CarterFab]

Got the rings done.

[CarterFab]

Skins will be a little different on this one. Will still get some custom aluminum panels on it, as well as some of our production pieces, and everything will then get wrapped.

[CarterFab]

Got my upper links in yesterday and had some time to tinker while on baby sitting duty today. Also picked up a set of Proline PowerStroke shocks for the Slash to run on here.
On the rear, I left the Axial 7mm aluminum links on bottom and pit the VP titanium bent links on top for driveshaft clearance since I'm not running one of my centered diffs for the first time ever(for now).
On the front with the Dinky "S link" mount, the upper links mount on top of the truss and with the bent VP uppers, it was limiting my travel too much. Swapped the uppers and lowers and the driveshaft will still clear due to the raised mounting point for the uppers on the truss.
Also got my steering hooked up, BTA.

I used a spacer on the knuckles to drop it down just enough. Had to spin out the rod ends a bit to get some extra width in the tie rod since I'm mounting underneath the steering arms instead of on top. Also rotated the tie rod so that it just clears everything underneath and runs in more of an arc instead of the traditional flat plane. Checked the servo travel and marked the tie rod with a sharpie and then drilled and tapped the tie rod for mounting the drag link. Used an Axial(not sure the mm) threaded bar, polished the green anodizing off in the lathe and used 2 short Axial rod ends with Revo balls. Also did the o-ring trick on the Revo ends on the tie rod to keep it from wobbling. Without them, it had some unwanted play in the steering when the tie rod wanted to flop back and forth. I also have one other scale item to add to the front end that will also help with any future slop, look cool, and add servo protection.


Clearance on the diff side, perfect

Clearance on the driver side link mount. Has about .020 or less clearance on the shock bolt nut. It clears the link mount nut plenty but you can see the gap on the shock mount nut just barely.