Zulu Romeo 2 IFS Element Enduro Kit Build

[AKayl]

The Inspiration




Current Picture



Background

I can't even remember the last time I have posted on here, but I have been in and out of RC since I was 8 or so. Last month I was working out of town and bored so I picked up an SCX24 and caught the bug again. I have had a Proline ZR2 body in my shop for at least a year probably longer but didn't like the way it looked on my SCX10.2. Enter the Enduro. I have never really been happy with the quality of Axial's offerings so I was happy to see something from a company I know to make quality kit (I have always been a Losi guy but know associated is good.) When I saw the IFS kit I knew this would be absolutely perfect for the ZR2 Body. The goal of the build is to replicate the performance of the real deal (which I own.) This means good crawling and high speed performance.


The Plan

The original plan has changed somewhat but I am going to lay it out here along with changes to follow along with reasoning. Starting out I had planned to run an SCX10.3 transmission with 2 Speed and Dig, for now this idea has been scrapped, I didn't feel that the difference in speed with this transmission was enough to make it worth while, and the Dig while cool and likely useful wasn't worth the lack of range to me. At this point I am going to stick with the stock transmission with 5% overdrive, as the kit transmission comes with metal gears I am sure this will be a great option. Along with the 2 speed transmission I was going to use a Mamba X esc with Holmes Puller Pro V2 2700Kv, the beauty of this setup is I was going to have a single button on the radio to switch from crawl mode (crawl mode on esc and 1st gear on trans,) to race mode (Race mode on esc and 2nd gear on trans,) yes it would have been cool, but at this point it just isn't going to happen, in part due simply to availability of product. I am going to run 2 Stubby battery trays with 2s batteries in series(4S), at this time I will be running some Orion Pro Carbon batteries from my 1/10th buggy, but I will be switching to Spektrum for their smart system, with me going hot and cold on the hobby the smarts auto discharge to storage voltage and battery history record should be great tools for my lack of battery maintenance. The dual battery setup will also let me run a single 3s shorty in either the front or rear tray to adjust the trucks balance if I am just crawling or just flying. Another added benefit is I will be installing an additional (hard) chassis brace, I had read that the chassis flex on this truck is bad, but the kit seems to be much more rigid than my SCX10.2, perhaps they use better plastic in the kit than the RTR? The dual batteries will be heavy, but I am hoping it will help keep the truck balanced, I want to wind up with a 55/45 F/R weight bias to assist with crawling without totally tanking high speed ability. I am going to run some sort of aluminum beadlock with Proline 4.75" KM3's, this is the tire I run on my full size ZR2 so it should match beautifully. The 4.75's will mean I have to trim the body more than I like to prevent rubbing but I do not want to sacrifice performance for looks. I will likely add some weight in the future but I am going to be very conscious of where it goes, the goal will be to minimize un sprung weight while keeping the CG as low as possible, I am hoping someone will come out with a brass IFS lower a Arm bracket, or diff housing to help with this. I will also be changing out the spring rates, the IFS springs are laughably stiff, if you watch any YouTube videos of it running over terrain at speed, or crawling the suspension almost looks fixed, I will have more on this in my build notes.

Parts List

Element Enduro Builders Kit Completed
Element IFS Kit for Enduro Completed
Element Battery Box for 2nd Battery Completed
Element Hard Chassis Brace Set Completed
Element 2.49 Lb Springs (Front) Completed
Proline ZR2 Body (Completed, Badly)
Tekin RX4 ESC Completed
Tekin ROC412 3100KV Completed
Tekin T360 Completed
Traxxas Steel Pivot Balls (require shimming) Completed
Pro Line KM3's Coming Soon
Vanquish KMC Machete Grey Coming Soon
Element Factory Team Shocks Coming Soon

Build Notes

Instructions

The instructions are decent, I wish they had the screw size guide on each page like some other manuals I have used. There where also some steps that where incomplete that showed what needed to happen in the pictures but not the text, the IFS kit for example does not say anything about installing the upper front shock drop bracket.

Chassis

The chassis went together well with no issues to report. Part fitment was excellent I did not have to drill tap or flex anything to get it to go together. Many reviews on this truck have mentioned that the chassis is not very tortionally rigid, this is not something I observed, in fact it is much more rigid than my SCX10.2, this makes me wonder if the kit uses higher quality plastic than the RTR.

Axles

The axle went together very very easily and turns very freely, I did not feel that any shimming was necessary to get the ring and pinion to engage properly. I did not assemble the front axle as I was not going to use it. The axle also looks really good and seems to be stiff enough for the job.

Transmission

The transmission is very high quality with an aluminum motor mount plate and spins very nicely. This was one of the places I felt the instructions where lacking, in the main instructions it is not made very clear which gear goes where as far as the overdrive gears go, this is shown much better later in the manual where alternate overdrive setups are discussed. One thing I did not know when purchasing this kit is that the kit comes with steel transmission gears, shouldn't have any issues running 4s brushless.

Shocks

For years I have been told how nice Associated shocks are. They live up to the hype. These shocks are nicer than anything I have had on my any of my race buggies, AND they where easier to assembly properly. The shocks on my SCX10.2 stick so badly that if you hold the chassis and lift the axle from the center with your thumb one side goes up almost completely before the other side starts moving, no such issues here. Smooth, buttery smooth,

IFS Kit

The IFS Kit went together very well and is of the same quality as everything else. I do however have a couple of gripes. The Arms themselves are fine, however they use the same rod ends as the links for the outter arm, only time will tell if this is ok, but I am concerned this could be a failure point. Another issue I observed is that the IFS has severe bump steer at full droop. It seems to only be present for the first 3/8s of an inch of travel after which it seems to be non existent, but the steering links are a different length than and not parallel to the upper a-arm. I can only assume this was done to improve steering angle but IMHO it is not ideal.

[AKayl]

Please go easy on me for the terrible paint job. I spent a ton of time on it and it bled everywhere. This will wind up as a basher body and I will do another one in the future. I have painted a lot of bodies and this one turned out by far the worst out of all of them. I threw on some stock SCX10.2 wheels and tires for these photos as I haven't ordered the final setup for this build yet. I absolutely love that the box converts into a scale backdrop and even assembled the dumpster that came with it, so fun.

[rkj__]

I love the combination of the ZR2 body, IFS, and both crawling and high speed capabilities.

I hope your RC build can capture the spirit of the 1:1 scale truck. You seem to be on the right track. With the absence of sophisticated shock valving, perhaps some progressive or dual rate springs, along with a custom bump stop will help the truck crawl and jump.

When I saw the ZR2 body was released, I definitely thought about it, but I suspected my paint job would end up looking like yours, or worse, so I did not go for it. Maybe one day I'll give it a go. I'm sure you learned a lesson or two on the paint job, and your next one will be better.

I look forward to future updates on this build.

[JDM74]

Looks good so far. I am doing basically the same thing except with the Proline Raptor body. I have a thread in this forum, check it out if you want.

[JatoTheRipper]

That looks great. Perfectly fitting for the Colorado body. It's also one of the few builds I've seen using that body. Nice job.

Your photos are a little too large though. Max size allowed on this forum is 1200x1200 pixels so please resize yours.

[meatmonkey]

If it makes you feel any better your worse paint job resembles some of my best. I think it just needs a few stratigicly placed stickers.

Got any pics showing the bump steer? Trying to get a rough idea of its severity.

[AKayl]

Originally Posted by rkj__

I love the combination of the ZR2 body, IFS, and both crawling and high speed capabilities.

I hope your RC build can capture the spirit of the 1:1 scale truck. You seem to be on the right track. With the absence of sophisticated shock valving, perhaps some progressive or dual rate springs, along with a custom bump stop will help the truck crawl and jump.

When I saw the ZR2 body was released, I definitely thought about it, but I suspected my paint job would end up looking like yours, or worse, so I did not go for it. Maybe one day I'll give it a go. I'm sure you learned a lesson or two on the paint job, and your next one will be better.

I look forward to future updates on this build.

Thanks for the encouragement! I am at this point planning on softer springs in front and stiffer in the rear with heavier shock oil, I am thinking 50wt in front and 35-40 in rear. I have never had good luck stopping bleeding unless I use liquid masking, if I do another one that is what I will use.

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

That looks great. Perfectly fitting for the Colorado body. It's also one of the few builds I've seen using that body. Nice job.

Your photos are a little too large though. Max size allowed on this forum is 1200x1200 pixels so please resize yours.

I think the proportions are a little off on the body and it just doesn't look right with a solid axle. And I will have the pictures fixed shortly, thanks for the heads up!

Originally Posted by meatmonkey

If it makes you feel any better your worse paint job resembles some of my best. I think it just needs a few stratigicly placed stickers.

Got any pics showing the bump steer? Trying to get a rough idea of its severity.

I am not sure how I would get it to show in pictures I will see what I can come up with, may have to take a short video.

Originally Posted by JDM74

Looks good so far. I am doing basically the same thing except with the Proline Raptor body. I have a thread in this forum, check it out if you want.

I will see if I can find it always cool to compare notes!

[JatoTheRipper]

Agreed the proportions are off a little, but it still looks good in the right application. You made nice use of the body here.

Thank you for fixing the photo size!

[CODYBOY]

Originally Posted by AKayl

Please go easy on me for the terrible paint job. I spent a ton of time on it and it bled everywhere. This will wind up as a basher body and I will do another one in the future. I have painted a lot of bodies and this one turned out by far the worst out of all of them. I threw on some stock SCX10.2 wheels and tires for these photos as I haven't ordered the final setup for this build yet. I absolutely love that the box converts into a scale backdrop and even assembled the dumpster that came with it, so fun.

A little trick for bleed over, when I paint I look for areas that have a little paint under the tape or masking. I remove the masking and use a small blade and slowly scrape the paint back to the line I want before I move to the next color. It doesn't always make it look perfect, but if you take your time you can get close!
And I see you're just few miles down HWY 58 from me, I'm in Oakridge!
Ernie

[AKayl]

Originally Posted by CODYBOY

A little trick for bleed over, when I paint I look for areas that have a little paint under the tape or masking. I remove the masking and use a small blade and slowly scrape the paint back to the line I want before I move to the next color. It doesn't always make it look perfect, but if you take your time you can get close!
And I see you're just few miles down HWY 58 from me, I'm in Oakridge!
Ernie

I am pretty sure I have used that method before but this just had too many runs in too many places I decided to just make it a beater. And I am no longer in Eugene, I still work there but I am a bit further West now in Elmira, maybe when the apocalypse is over you can show me some good crawling spots in the area.

[Dirt Runner]

This is exactly why I want to do an ifs colorado. I have a white z71 colorado and have been itching do do this.

I too have been getting better with painting the bodies. In my case it's been mostly impatience.

Nice job in your build.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[AKayl]

Got the electronics, and got the servo and Motor in. Attempted to solder the ESC but was having a heck of a time. So I ordered a larger tip (the one recommended by Tekin) which will hopefully help. Really happy with the quality of the Tekin stuff so far, especially the fact that the ESC has mounting holes.

[CODYBOY]

Originally Posted by AKayl

I am pretty sure I have used that method before but this just had too many runs in too many places I decided to just make it a beater. And I am no longer in Eugene, I still work there but I am a bit further West now in Elmira, maybe when the apocalypse is over you can show me some good crawling spots in the area.

I have a few in Oakridge.
Ernie

[JatoTheRipper]

That's some tasty electronics - nothing but the best.

[AKayl]

Well after some research I picked up some 60/40 solder today and a new tip for my iron. I was using lead free (seems to be all the big box stores carry,) and I think that was a big part of the problem.

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

That's some tasty electronics - nothing but the best.

I hadn't planned on going Tekin for the servo as they aren't the most cost competitive. I decided to go that route after watching the RC Review shootout where they where one of the few servos to beat their rating (most where well under,) and it was super quiet. I am hoping this will be a very quiet truck.

[AKayl]

I got everything soldered up last night, except for the bullet connector to deans adapter for my 2nd battery (short 1 bullet connector) and my 4 s adapter harness(baby army interference.) I got some 60/40 (leaded) solder, and a much bigger tip, probably too big but it was what I could find and everything went great. Right now with the 18t pinion it is much slower than I want, but it is very smooth and quiet which was one of the big goals I had for this build. The servo arm is also a little bit loose at first I thought the Tekin servo had a huge center envelope, it turns out the screw I used to secure the horn is just a bit too long. Later today I will pick up some more bullet connectors and some misc. hardware and I should get to try it out on 4S tonight. The goal is to have a top speed in the 20 mph range, which I think will necessitate a pinion change up to a 20 tooth or maybe even larger. I also got some softer springs in the front, the 2.49lb Yellow element springs, they are perhaps a bit soft but allow for near full compression under flex which is a design goal I had, I won't know if they are too soft or not until I get the 4S going and do some test runs.

[AKayl]

Got the truck out on the rocks today on 4s. I was very happy with how it did. I was expecting crawling performance to be somewhat diminished with the IFS kit, but it seemed to hang with my brothers TRX4 with a lot of brass weights down low. I did swap out the K02's for the 4.75 Hyrax off of my SCX10.2. These will stay on the truck until I order wheels and tires for it. The truck is incredibly quiet which was one of my goals. The servo does not seem to be performing as well as I hoped and seemed to almost stall a few times when it would bind and then become non responsive for about a second. I will have to investigate this some more, I am thinking I will pick up a hotwire so I can turn up the BEC voltage and add some expo into the ESC. I also switched back to the stock IFS front springs, the 2.49 lb springs where just too soft. I will have to look for something from another manufacturer that will fit, I am thinking something in the 3.0-3.5 lb range. Unfortunately Element doesn't publish the spring rate for the IFS springs, so I do not have a good baseline to go from. Because this body turned out so badly I decided to just punch holes in it and use body clips. I need to find a taller body post for the front as the rocker panel hits the sliders, and the front tires hit at full compression, raising the front about 1/4" should help with both issues.

[CODYBOY]

Hey Akayl, if you ever need some shop time to build or figure something out for your truck you're welcome to come up. Being only an hour or so away it would be a nice drive. What is the old saying, "Two heads are better than one".
Ernie

[AKayl]

Originally Posted by CODYBOY

Hey Akayl, if you ever need some shop time to build or figure something out for your truck you're welcome to come up. Being only an hour or so away it would be a nice drive. What is the old saying, "Two heads are better than one".
Ernie

That would be fun, it is a nice drive up to Oakridge!

I picked up some of the Reedy 2S Wolfpack shorty's and it seems my electronics issues where related to my fancy Orion LiPo's being way more tired than I realized. This thing is a hoot, it will wheelie on demand (stupid but fun.) and still creep. I may tune the wheelies out when I get the hotwire, but at the same time it's fun.