My Enduro / LC70 build thread (with bonus steering issue)

[mash914]

Hello everyone, new member here.

I recently got back into building RC (after a 30+ year break with a couple of RTR's in the meantime). Because everybody is stuck at home I was looking for a project for my son and I that would get us out of the house. We bought a TRX4 kit, added the bronco body and had a blast building it. Even before it was finished, I was looking for a partner vehicle so we could do trails together.

As a kid I always wanted, but couldn't afford an RC10. I mean with ads like this - Wing nuts! Aluminum monocoque! Come on!


Once I found out Team Associated were at least somewhat involved with the Enduro I decided that was the way to go.


I took a trip to a not-so-local hobby shop because they actually had one in stock. I'd never been to this shop before and was blown away by the selection. I felt like a kid again.


As I was looking around, I noticed they had the Killerbody LC70 sitting right there on the shelf!!!! That had been the plan all along and I was really excited to be able to grab it right then.


So, a ridiculous sum of money later (I also picked up some SSD wheels and new Flat Irons for my Bronco), my son and I were on our way back home. The trip netted almost everything I’d been looking to get including a new affordable radio, servo, and a Hobbywing 1080 (which I can’t believe only costs $40!)


I took my time with the kit, and there weren’t really any challenges. The only issue I had was that the servo I bought was woefully underpowered. I thought it was defective at first until I looked up the specs online - turns out I just underbought on the servo, no big deal. So I bought a replacement (Savox SW1211SG). While this new servo was definitely more powerful (my HH SHV500v3 just showed up ), I had a pretty bad mismatch between left and right steering radius. I measured and the tightest turning diameter I can get turning right is around 47” which I’m actually really happy with, although this admittedly includes some driveline jerking. In contrast, turning left the best I can get is almost exactly double at 93(!) inches. The issue is that the drag link appears to be too long. With the wheels centered and the servo centered, the servo horn starts out a good bit toward the panhard link. Turning left the horn very quickly hits the panhard mount.



I’ll post pics of everything in a second, but wanted to point out that I started to buy some aftermarket stuff already, so you’ll see a Club5 panhard that is exactly the same length as stock (and I had the issue with both), so I don’t think that’s it. All links have been double checked for length and I just can’t figure out what I may have done wrong. If the answer is "that’s just how it is", that’s ok, I have a couple of ‘fixes’ I want to try, but before I start farting around I want to make sure there isn’t something wrong.


Here are the pics:



This is straight ahead (the panhard has a slightly trimmed end link as I was trying to gain a bit more space because I'm also working on lowering it a bit - the length is still right)

[mash914]

So, steering issues aside, the first thing I had to decide was what to do about the rear shock towers. Wanting to keep the full bed, I was going to need to find a way to lose them. I tried a bunch of different angles with the stock shocks but couldn't quite get them where I wanted them. Even laying them really flat didn't get quite where I wanted it, and the behavior was obviously weird. I debated on trying a cantilever setup, but for a couple of reasons decided instead to go with shorter shocks. I measured out that I want to drop the truck about 15mm from stock, without sitting on the bump stops. I came across these GMade 75mm shocks and decided to try them out.


BTW, the velcro is temporary for body fitting and this is in a flatter position than I'll probably go with.





They definitely get it lower, but the spring rate was too high for my taste, so I ordered some lighter weight springs. I haven't had much time to drive it yet (and no time with the heavier hard body), so I still will need to play with the tuning. They work pretty well for now though and it put the ride height where I want it.

[mash914]

For the body I decided that I wanted to mix a bit of the never-available-in-the-US 70 series pickup with the only-available-in-the-US (and Canada?) TRD Pro approach. Kind of like what a TRD Pro 70 series Land Cruiser would be like if you could get it. I really liked the Cavalry blue color so I tried to find something that had a similar feel (I chose Tamiya AS19 for the paint). In addition, I wanted to try to keep modifications at least close to something that you might get from the factory – kind of like OEM+.


So the list of body modifications started to come together:
A set of Gmade NR02 wheels because they look a lot like the wheels that come on the TRD Pro 4Runner
A new grille insert from shapeways that I was going to have to figure out how to incorporate
Some flares because of the wide Enduro axles (at least relative to the body) - I really like the clean look of the Loops flares, so I ordered those
A front bumper - I bought the Loops bumper too. I bought the narrower one, because I didn't quite like the way the wider one looked, but in the end I won't be using this either.


Not having a lot of experience with how different tires sizes might look vs how they perform, I decided to try the 4.45” Rock Beast tires.


Before I had the Rock Beasts, I grabbed a cheap set of tires from Amazon just to check fitment. They aren't terrible for $20






One thing you'll notice is the darker headlights. I don't like the really chrome heavy front end of the stock body, so I wanted to try some things out with the headlights. At first I cobbled up a custom bucket and used an Axial foglight housing:





I wasn't happy with that. Then I tried painting a portion of the stock bucket. I didn't really like that either. So I tried a bit of Tamiya smoke on the headlight covers. It came out darker than I'd hoped (but not quite as dark as the picture makes it look). It isn't quite there, but that's ok for now.


Bonus picture, some GMade SR02 steel wheels on Duratrax tires. Tires are way too big, and the wheels rub the hubs a little bit with the stock hexes, but I still might grab some smaller tires and run them sometimes – I love these wheels

[mash914]

Bumper and wheels not going according to plan.


One of the things I didn't like about both the stock LC70 bumper and the Loops replacement that I didn't really think about until I started taking the truck on test drives was that because they mount to the body, any bumper forces get put to the body instead of the frame. I have some piles of rocks and boards and stuff in my yard that I've set up for messing around with, and one thing is certain – that bumper is getting in on the fun. I was really not happy with the setup. So cut my losses with the Loops bumper and replaced it with the Gmade (for real, I really wasn't intending to put so much of their stuff on this truck – it just worked out that way) front bumper. I can't believe how perfect the fit is to the body – better than I could have hoped.


Second change is I came across the Boom Racing TE37 wheels. In the 1:1 world, I'm more of a road car fan, so these wheels are a longtime favorite of mine. I figured I'd take a chance on them. I ended up mounting them on the Rock Beasts and now I'm not sure what combo I'll go with

[mash914]

Last weekend seemed like it might be the last warm and sunny weekend for painting, so I focused on getting the body ready for paint the previous week. At the last minute I chickened out on the blue color and went with a dark greenish-gray that just seemed too dull.

I should've trusted my first instinct, so I started over with the blue. I couldn't be happier with it. Here's a poorly lit picture with a big red circle where I might put some sponsor stickers (or not) and some TRX4 wheels because I why not Please ignore my Giant Eagle water bottle weighing down the back of the truck.

[mash914]

So that's where everything stands right now. I have a pile of fun stuff I want to put on because I was saving everything to do at once:


Bowhouse Skid
Club5 Higher clearance links
SSD brass Hubs
SSD Axle shafts
Samix front shock tower (for more adjustability and maybe to allow for some panhard mount changes)


Two other parts I'm considering:
1. The samix servo mount for the front. This would help with the panhard contact issue, get the weight a bit more forward, and open up that part of the chassis for some electronics relocation.
2. Some new driveshafts. There's nothing exactly wrong with these, but I was looking for something lower profile, so I'm considering the Incision driveshafts.

[Lashlee]

Looks great!!! Like you, I started R/C in the early 90's so I remember the "good ol days!"

TE-37 all the things!!

[smog]

Have you tried a longer servo horn to remedy the steering issue? It also looks like you need to center your servo

Very nice looking rig too! The Enduro is killer, nice choice

[RockCrawlingKid]

Prep/Paint looks great friend! What all did you end up using to get the result? Cheers


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[Phyro]

How much rear travel did you lose by going to the shorter shocks?


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[mash914]

Originally Posted by Lashlee

Looks great!!! Like you, I started R/C in the early 90's so I remember the "good ol days!"

TE-37 all the things!!

Agreed and thanks

Originally Posted by smog

Have you tried a longer servo horn to remedy the steering issue? It also looks like you need to center your servo

Very nice looking rig too! The Enduro is killer, nice choice

That's the crazy part. It was centered in that photo. If I center the servo arm, the steering aims way to the right and I have to use almost all of my radio's trim to get it straight. If I center the wheels, then the servo horn goes on to basically the same position. Either way, it's all the way over.


Your idea about the longer arm is one I hadn't really considered, if only because the angle between the drag link and the hub is already pretty flat - I was considering a shorter arm to get a better angle and more leverage There's something going on with this steering that I just can't quite figure out, but otherwise I really like this truck.

I put the Samix shock towers on tonight and it gives a bit more clearance. I'll have to take it out tomorrow and see how much difference it makes.

Originally Posted by RockCrawlingKid

Prep/Paint looks great friend! What all did you end up using to get the result? Cheers

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For the paint? I used Tamiya AS19 (which is naturally pretty flat) over their light gray primer. Then TS79 semi-gloss clear. Tamiya matte black on the hood and inside the bed. I ran out of the matte black and had to use some Krylon for some of the structural internal pieces. I stopped immediately - the quality difference is pretty shocking. The Tamiya dries so fast, covers so well, and had an absolutely perfect finish. I have some experience with spray paint, but this made me look like a pro

Originally Posted by Phyro

How much rear travel did you lose by going to the shorter shocks?

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Because they're a bit flatter, I didn't lose much. It's sitting almost right where I want it now, but I think with some creativity I can get a little more movement from the front. But here's a picture of the travel. We'll see how it drives....

[mash914]

One more thing on the rear shocks in case it wasn't clear from the photos - I moved them to the lower link mount.

[Phyro]

Was curious, as I am also trying to eliminate the rear towers for a clean drop bed as well. I went with a couple of mounts on the axle and a brace/mount between the frame rails.

Love the way the hard body looks. And love the wheels.


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[mash914]

Originally Posted by Phyro

Was curious, as I am also trying to eliminate the rear towers for a clean drop bed as well. I went with a couple of mounts on the axle and a brace/mount between the frame rails.

Love the way the hard body looks. And love the wheels.


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Thanks, I think I'll stick with these wheels over the GMades. I actually was looking at your setup as an alternative - it looks great and if I had access to a printer i might try something similar. My main reason for avoiding the cantilever setup was that I had read that the shocks weren't great and there weren't many options for different spring rates or shock valves.

Right now it's clearly softer than stock (especially in the back) - I'll need to drive it some to see if I'm ok with it. I also have no oil in the shocks yet because I'm still playing around with everything.

One thing I was wondering about your setup - how much vertical travel do you have? I could see those angles being great for articulation, but I was worried they'd bind - is that the case?

[Phyro]

It actually increased travel over stock. Roughly .4” (10mm) difference currently.

The first try did show clearance issues, mostly with the rear bumper and frame. Upper shock location wasn’t at the right spot. Moving it a bit forward got rid of the clearance issue with the rear bumper. I don’t think I can get rid of the frame rail one though.

As far as binding, I am not really feeling any when cycling the suspension by hand. I can feel that it is softer as well.


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[mash914]

Cool. I'm looking forward to your version 2 mount.

[durok]

I was SO tired of seeing the LC70 in really boring colors - they seem to always be beige/white/tan...

Yours looks miles better in that color combo - and TE37s are a great choice for Toyotas.

Gotta agree that the GMade bumper is just somehow perfect for many Enduro-based rigs - I'm running one on my (still stock-bodied) Sendero as well.

[B-MOW71]

Welcome to RCC and welcome back to the hobby!

Great choice on getting the Enduro! Your build is looking great so far. I've always liked the look of the LC70 body and I like what you've done to yours.

Following along and looking forward to seeing more!

[MOguy]

I had a few issues with my Enduro, steering being one.

I now have the Enduro axles under a Brazin Chassis with a Savox 1230 servo mounted on axle. I moved the steering tie rod in front of the axle instead of behind and I am use stiffer rod ends and that has helped ALLOT. I have a very tight tuning radius.

BUT BUT

Even with the Savox 1230 (sort of a medium power servo) I still have some flex issues. I think the bends in the tie rod puts too much stress on the end links right where the hollow threaded area that the tie rod screw into and where the end becomes solid.

I now have ar44s under the Enduro Chassis and turning is pretty good but better one direction vs the other. I spent a couple hours Monday night moving this and that and just could not get the steering I can with he exact same axles under other chassis. I am going to get a mount that will allow me to mount the servo across the chassis as opposed to parallel with it to see if that helps.

PS your body looks great and one thing that could help with performance is getting some hi clearance susp links.

[mash914]

Originally Posted by durok

I was SO tired of seeing the LC70 in really boring colors - they seem to always be beige/white/tan...

Yours looks miles better in that color combo - and TE37s are a great choice for Toyotas.

Gotta agree that the GMade bumper is just somehow perfect for many Enduro-based rigs - I'm running one on my (still stock-bodied) Sendero as well.

It was almost tan

As for the TE37's, they have been a favorite of mine forever and at one point I think every car I had in Gran Turismo had a set on them. I can't really afford a set of real ones and i also don't think they'd look that great on my daily, so this'll have to do.

Check out how tight up against the body I can tuck that bumper! I was so excited when I saw that. Approach angle is going to be really nice

Originally Posted by B-MOW71

Welcome to RCC and welcome back to the hobby!

Great choice on getting the Enduro! Your build is looking great so far. I've always liked the look of the LC70 body and I like what you've done to yours.

Following along and looking forward to seeing more!

Thanks for the compliment and the warm welcome.

Originally Posted by MOguy

I had a few issues with my Enduro, steering being one.
I now have the Enduro axles under a Brazin Chassis with a Savox 1230 servo mounted on axle. I moved the steering tie rod in front of the axle instead of behind and I am use stiffer rod ends and that has helped ALLOT. I have a very tight tuning radius.
BUT BUT

Even with the Savox 1230 (sort of a medium power servo) I still have some flex issues. I think the bends in the tie rod puts too much stress on the end links right where the hollow threaded area that the tie rod screw into and where the end becomes solid.

I now have ar44s under the Enduro Chassis and turning is pretty good but better one direction vs the other. I spent a couple hours Monday night moving this and that and just could not get the steering I can with he exact same axles under other chassis. I am going to get a mount that will allow me to mount the servo across the chassis as opposed to parallel with it to see if that helps.

PS your body looks great and one thing that could help with performance is getting some hi clearance susp links.

I'm planning to install a set from club 5 this weekend. The quality on them is really nice.

As for the steering, I just don't know. I actually tried something radical - flipped the servo arm toward the back of the truck. It started ahead of the panhard on the axle and then crossed over it and ended up behind it. I know it sounds crazy, but it definitely made an improvement. I didn't measure how it affected bump steer, but at the relatively low speeds I drive it wasn't noticeable.

Now that i have the high clearance pahnard though it may not still have room. That said, I really have been trying to get the chassis low on this truck and the panhard is bottoming out against the servo arm where it attaches to the servo, when I'd otherwise still have another half inch of compression. Means that if I want to continue down this path, I'll have to either flip the servo and attach the drag link to the tie rod arm behind the axle, or move the servo to a front mount position like the Samix bumper / servo mount does.

I may do that anyway because I wouldn't mind freeing up some of that space for electronics - that would also allow me to put some kind of interior in there.


I guess my "frustration" with the steering is that most folks seem happy with it. I'm certain my standards are no higher than the more experienced people, so I can only assume I've either put it together wrong, or I'm missing something