DIY BTA Steering Link Mod for Axial Crawler

[Timmahh]

I posted most of this in a reply in another thread, did a search and found similar setups but nothing quite the same as what i have done. This mod can be done with pretty much stock parts, using the plastic swival balls as spacers inplace of the aluminum pieces and other spacers i used. So i thought i would share this Mod with the community as a whole. I see a few kits that are available, most looked nice, but didnt suit my fancy, and the new High Clearnace TCS knucks are pretty nice, but were oos soon after they were released for sale. may be a while before they are back in stock.


So..... durring my Mock up of some stuff for my Moon Buggy build, I worked out a pretty simple way to do a BTA Steering setup for the Axial AX 10 rigs using mostly stock items. It works very well, is free moving without binding, and should work with most any Axial setup, Comp rig, stock chassis or tuber, or pretty much any scaler setup that uses the Axial front axle setup.

what you will need besides the 2 stock steering linkages (long and short) are:
2 small link/end spacers, approximatly 2mm each for your long link,
4 bent link ends (one bends downward, and three that bend to the side).
2 3mm spacers for linkage clearace (raises linkage up off knuckle arms to is clears pinion shat at center of axle)
2 bolts, 1 approx 22mm long, one apporx 16mm long to mount links/spacers to knuckles.
4 link rod pieces (threaded rod for link/ends to thread to).

start by taking your long link, and install 2 angled linkends that are the to the side ends. before putting the end on the link, place one spacer (1.5mm to 2mm) between the link and the end and tighten end to link. do this to both ends. position both ends with angle to the same direction. (spacer size my varry a tad, your looking to get nuetral toe, or even 1 or 2 degree toe in. without spacers, you have around 3* toe out each side when mounted on the inner most holes. using the outter holes causes the long link to interfer and ride the bottom shock spring retaining cap!!!!)
take your short link and install the 2 remaining angled ends, No spacers needed. you should have one end, with to the side angle, and one end with a bent end going at an upward angle.

now, install your knuckes with steering arms to the rear. take a long mounting bolt (20?mm), and push it thru the upward bent end on the short link, thru the stock steering spacer, thru the long link (with link moving in toward the pumpin, not out toward the chassis) then thru the 3mm spacer, and thread it into the inner most mounting hole on the arm knuckle.

use the shorter mounting (16mm?) bolt and thread thru the other end of the long link thru the 3mm spacer, and then into the inner most mounting hole on the opposite knuckle.

once installed and tightened, you should have free movement of your knuckles and long linkage up till the arm bumps your mounting tab, or axle if you have removed the outer most link/shock tab. you may see the linkage hitting the shock spring caps as it centers, but it should be Minimal and not cause much if any issue. install your servo arm on the other end of the short link.

you ll want to zero your steering trims before installing your servo horn obviously, then retweek for center, and then EPAs.


you ll see in my pics i trimmed the outer most shock/link mounting tab off. this allows a far tighter turning radius. the inner mounting tab has the shock mounted toward the knuckles, and the bottom link mounted toward the pumpkin. has Great steering radius and the single tab should hold up well barring a 20 ft drop.


if you look, you ll also notice i used the Axial Clockable Cs, but they are mounted in stock position. one killer thing is they used allen set screws to hold the C to the axle, thus no screw head limiting turning radius, but you will hit the outter most mounting tab for the shock/link, which is why i further modified my front axle mounts by removing the outer most tab.
here are some guidance pics so you can see the orientation of the links and ends, in relationship to how they are situated once installed.

Im sure the additional clocking im getting out of the new higher upper link chassis mount is helping releave the lower shock spring retaining cap interferance alot.

front on shot.

shot from behind on the right side

top body off

right side (top front view)

left side (top front view)

shockcap/link clearance shot

top view wheels straight.

top view wheels right

top vew wheels left

bottom view straight

bottom view right

bottom view left

[bcrofts]

looks good man nice work

[CRSMacgyver]

Looks really good. Nice work.

[RC Dude]

that is a great tip

[Timmahh]

here are a couple pics with the new Red Links setup. is much easier to see how ive set this up in these few pics.