Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Just finished installing the VP Stage 1 Kit and Titanium Steering Linkage set. I have alot of play in the axle now. There is the same amont of play on the right & left side. Do not recall this much play when I originally built the kit. There is no lateral play in the rear axle.

What did I do wrong??? Video link is below.

Please help!

Thanks in advance!

http://vid1370.photobucket.com/album...pscb7b18ac.mp4

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Looks like you forget your inner knuckle bearing.

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Or the one in the axle.

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Nope, inner (larger) bearing and smaller (outer) bearing installed on the knuckles, as well as the bearing in the axle housing...

No extra parts on the work bench.

No idea what is going on...

Have taken apart, and re-installed several times. I am at a loss. Harley, can you help?

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Did you make sure that the axle is in the locker when you re-assembled them?

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

If you don't have any spare parts...
use shims to take the play out of the shaft. I have some left over from my touring car days. I have had to use them on my wraith. Sometimes things are within specs but on the loose side

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Cant see in the video, are your chubs pushed in all the way?

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Yes, c-hubs all the way in, set screws locked down. Will disassemble everything tonight. Possible that the axles are not fully seated in the lockers. Thanks all

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

I am at a effin loss. I have completely re-built the front axle. With the stock plastic parts there is no lateral movement for the axle shafts (as shown in the above video), with the VP Stage 1 upgrade there is about 1/8 inch of play on both sides. Even re-read the manual.

So, what size friggin shims do I need, and where do I need to put them (outer bearing side on the knuckles, or between the inner knuckle (large) bearing and the knuckle.

Or, do I need to spend even more money and get one of those fancy lockers that use the set-screws.

Thanks in advance!

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

I used Traxxas shims for my RC4WD axles, I believe its TRA1985

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

I learned the hard way that you DO NOT want a setscrew style locker in the front of Wraith when using the stock kit supplied universal style axles. The inner axles are too short for the setscrews to fully rest on the axle. The result is mangled lockers and shafts in short time. Trashed a nice felsenfest spool and a pair of Axial universals before I found out about this issue. You want the Locked Up FI spool for the front of a Wraith IMO.

It's fairly normal for R/C's to require some sort of shimming to the outer axle to eliminate unnecessary slop. I use 5x7x.1 steel shims. Mostly have HPI and Durango washers on hand. I also keep 10x12x.1, and some 8x12x.1 shims on hand for the diff carrier and trans outputs.

Because the Wraith has such a sharp turning radius, and the slop in the kingpins don't always allow the U-joint center-line to coincide with the kingpin pivot center-line, there must be a smidgen of back and forth play in the outer axle. It is also recommended that you adjust your shims with the steering knuckle turned all the way to full lock. Then add washers to whichever side keeps the U-joint centered in the steering knuckle pivot.

On my Wraith one side required three washers on the outside if the knuckle, under the drive pin, and the other side needed one inside the knuckle, next to the U-joint yoke, and only 1 under the drive pin. The manufacturing tolerances aren't always exact, so expect to have to trial-and-error your shim setup a couple times to get it right.

Assuming you installed new bearings in your new knuckles, I'd guess the root cause of your slop is that the thin lip in the middle of the knuckle that sets the spacing of the two bearings is a little too thin, allowing the bearings to reside too close together. If you have a set of vernier calipers you could measure to know for sure.

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Thanks Meathead. Have only done a few shake down runs. Less than 5 minutes each, so don't think my bearings need replacing yet.

Will go to my LHS and see what size shims they have in stock.

Thanks again!

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Having the same issue, I will be inserting shims as well, I can see the bearings floating in and out. Thanks guys!

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Were you using the VP Stage 1 Kit? Thanks

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

I agree with Meatmonkey as being your problem. I've had to shim every set on all my rigs and if you shim to tight or shims in wrong location you will have issues with universal to king pin alignment.

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

I am using without any shims, VP Chubs, The Scale Shop's Wraith brass knuckles, stock spool, Boom Racing bevel gears and stock dogbone with no play at all.

Maybe I was just lucky enough. I will definitely follow this thread and hope the op solved the problem as soon as possible.

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Depends on whether you call 3 years later soon or not, this post originates in 2014

Yokomo make a bunch of different sized shims which suit for Axial rigs great.

Re: Wraith Front Driveshaft Play (Help)
 

Thank you altd896 for your input here and Thank you for reminder this was actually an old thread( Sorry for I did not notice the posting date )

Yes, I agree with you. My Wraith was about 3 years old, but the VP Chubs and The Scale Shop's brass knuckles were newly installed( just a month ago or so ) So after another 3 years maybe I also need these slims.

Thank you mate "thumbsup"