GCM MetalHead Axle Thread-For Axial Scale Truck

[Generis]

This is the thread for Info and Assembly of the GCM MetalHead Axle housings. Discussion about this item can be found >>here at this link<<.
This set includes a solid machined steel center section, solid machined steel axle tubes, aluminum bearing holders on the rear, and machined aluminum diff covers and pinion carriers.
Currently 2 versions of the housings are available currently at gcmracing.ca :
1. Customizer front or rear. Requires your own mounts, etc, these are bare housings as shown in the assembly video below.
2. Standard front or rear. Mounts in place of a stock SCX axle housing with the same lower tabs for links and shocks, but requires new top links for the 4 link mount holes on the top of the housing. Not shown in the assembly video.

Soon to be released from gcmracing.ca :
1. MetalHead axle housings for Axial Wraith truck. These will replace the stock housing and use the same internals as the stock Wraith.

Please see the assembly video >>here at this link<< and we will continue to add pictures and videos of assembled trucks as we get them posted.

Please see the MetalHead review in RCCA October 2011 >>Here<<

The GCM Team

[Generis]

Here's how I linked the rear of my Brute. I'll post the fronts after completion.

Started with this here:



Got the body off, battery out, and then upside down to strip stuff. Here's a comparo pic of what's going out and what's going in.



Split the case and thanks to my grease stuffing there's no water in there, despite this truck being under water several times for long water bashes... amazing stuff! Going to stick the same stocker internals back in the MetalHeads to keep the same gearing etc.



Pinion is in, and got some grease stuffed behind the bearings and in the bearing cups for the diff also.. this keeps stuff from rusting together if water did get in... but I really doubt it will EVER be wet in here. Everything is just too tight fitting.



Dropped in the gooped up pig and it's ready to cover. Added the rear cover with a tiny slime of grease on the surface to keep things sealed. Then did a bit of grind on the stocker Axial rear straights so they fit in the new tubes.



Installed the tubes, and also layed a thin layer of grease on the bearing surface and cover surface to keep out water and keep the parts from rusting together. This truck will continue to get wet, I'm sure of that.




Axle in, and cap on. Insert 2 screws also.

[Generis]

Started to make the tab mounts for these Customizer MetalHead Axles. Started with a 1/2 x 1/8 flat bar steel, and marked 1/4 from the edge and 1/2 intervals. Then drilled alternating 1/8 holes and 1/2 holes to make welding arches and mount holes at the same time. Very easy.







After milling out the tabs, I squished them in the vise to conform to the tube size and welded and ground them to make a solid tab. Same thing on the top of the diff for the 4 link.

[Generis]

The final result looks like this... not much different from the plastic casing, except now I can try stupid stuff!! HeHeHeHe!!! Plus it looks great, and very likely completely water proof. I will probably never take the thing apart for the rest of my life.







Front end is next.. 3 link with a panhard setup... won't be long.

[BigSki]

for some reason any time you have a thread with pics I can't see the pics. There's NO red 'X', just a blank space where the pics would be. Any ideas? I can see every other pic in every other thread posted by everyone else.

[Generis]

Your browser is not accepting the picassa pic links. Can't help you much there. try a second browser.

[Generis]

Got up WAY too early today after going to bed at 1am... wow.... Anyway, here's the front!



I did a 3 link on the axle and a panhard setup. This is the frame end of the panhard rod, from the front looking back down the front frame rail (this is the CrossCanyon Combo kit from GCM)



Here's the Axle side of the panhard rod. Just a simple tab you can see welded half box on the drivers side of the axle.



The upper 3rd link mounts to the inner side of that axle box and goes all the way back to the t-case. Loooong link. As long as the lower. I have already found fault in this setup, because there's so much torque on this thing now (see video below later today) that I already stretched the heck out of the plastic links... going to be putting some tough links on this one for sure.



The assembled box looks like this, although I think (because I have the room) I'm going to raise the 3rd link UP at the axle end, maybe another 3/8 inch up from there. Will work better for torque control.



So then, it looks like this as a finished product. 3 Link panhard up front, and 4 link rear, Full droop. Truck weighs 3653 grams on a 2200 3s and 20/87 gearing with stock axial ring and pinion in the diffs.
Installing MetalHead Axles on this truck has added 667 grams. That's a pound and a half of weight all on the axles way down low! YEAH! Perfect tire squish now with some tough foams!

[BigSki]

Originally Posted by Generis

Your browser is not accepting the picassa pic links. Can't help you much there. try a second browser.

It was a security setting, I can see pics now. I was better off not seeing the pics, now I'm drooling over these axles.

[Generis]

Here's a really short general yard beating of this truck after the build. Nothing special, just a beating.


>>> Yard Beating Video Link Here <<<<

[Gimpy00Wang]

I can't wait to get mine!

- Chris

[J-FAB NOR-CAL]

How much do they weigh? And where can u buy them?

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by J-FAB NOR-CAL

How much do they weigh? And where can u buy them?

Originally Posted by Generis

Installing MetalHead Axles on this truck has added 667 grams. That's a pound and a half of weight all on the axles way down low! YEAH! Perfect tire squish now with some tough foams!

Originally Posted by Generis

Currently 2 versions of the housings are available currently at gcmracing.ca :
1. Customizer front or rear. Requires your own mounts, etc, these are bare housings as shown in the assembly video below.
2. Standard front or rear. Mounts in place of a stock SCX axle housing with the same lower tabs for links and shocks, but requires new top links for the 4 link mount holes on the top of the housing. Not shown in the assembly video.

Soon to be released from gcmracing.ca :
1. MetalHead axle housings for Axial Wraith truck. These will replace the stock housing and use the same internals as the stock Wraith.

[bob1961]

Originally Posted by Generis

Here's a really short general yard beating of this truck after the build. Nothing special, just a beating.


>>> Yard Beating Video Link Here <<<<

is that truck that stable from just the steel axle housings weight and no weight in your tires ....can't wait to get these under my chevy....where in canada did these ship from.......bob

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[LuckyDevil]

Look what I got today!!!

Thanks Generis!!!

[IMG][/IMG]

[Generis]

Bob, it sure is! can't believe it's a pound and a half added only 1.5 inches off the ground. It's crazy how the nose dives now when you crest a hill.. a tiny power off second, and the nose drops like a stone. Amazing. And the tires work even better with some weight on it. Best news about this is there's no weight in the tires at all, so the drivetrain stress is all gone!

Shipped from Ottawa canada.

Lucky, Great shot of the load coming home! haha!

[bob1961]

Ottawa yer just a drive down route 81 through NY to pa from me .........bob

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[Generis]

I was in clarks summit like 8 times last couple years, been all through pa sick rocks down there!

[bob1961]

lived in scranton/dunmore and built houses in clark summit....here is what those axle housing are going under ........bob

my TT build thread........

....

[Generis]

A couple of pics from the latest beatings and crawls. Also did a pretty raging mud bog with this Brute and after much water and mud for a while, it's dry and still greasy inside. Water just doesn't get in these. I used no sealant on the covers, just a thin grease layer to seal them up. Works great. They rust cool also!

[sloyota]

Originally Posted by J-FAB NOR-CAL

How much do they weigh? And where can u buy them?

yes..where can we buy these from.i need a set