Modding stock MRC for increased steering throw
 

Following this thread, http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showt...highlight=junk , I decided to modify the stock dogbones and axle for increased steering throw. I use aluminum axle C's and Knuckles but this can be done with the stock plastic parts and minimal cutting at the knuckle. You'll need a dremel with a cut-off wheel and a grinding stub. A pair of calipers is also helpful when measuing the cut on the axle.

First, Disassemble the axle ends to remove both front Solid axle dogbones and both axle ends. I put one of the dogbones in a vice to work on.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02575.jpg

Second, grind down the outer edges of the dogbones and smooth as pictured.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02577.jpg

Next, take one of the axle's and place in a vice. Stock cup width is 6.8mm+/-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02579.jpg

I cut mine down to 4.4mm +/-. I'm not sure if more can be left on but so far, this dimension is working fine for me.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02580.jpg

Also, while in the vice, I cut a little more out of the "grooves" in the axle.
Not cut:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02581.jpg
cut:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02588.jpg

Last, use the grinding stub to rebevel and smooth the inside of the axle.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02589.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02591.jpg

Remount, adjust your EPA's and you should have improved steering throw"thumbsup"

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02594.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...h_MOV02597.jpg

i think that some one should sticky this

curious as to why you need to cut the dogbone...?

Yea I like the stock bonz8) cvd's cost so much.:cry: So no popping out and do you put the little rubber o ring back in? Looks like it time to break out the dremmel. "thumbsup"

1st up! Great tech and good job on the post, I just did this a couple days ago but you shaved alot more than I did but you got more throw than me too. I was looking at the extra pictures on photo bucket and the tit on the dogbone actually comes out of the sxle stub has this been a issue for you at all? I was too chicken to shave mine down that far:oops: also would like to know why you trimmed the tit's on the dog bone also....Man that sounded dirty:shock:

I did this because on my first attempt, I didn't. The rig was binding at full turn enough for an unpleasing "suspension hop" and there was a pinchpoint between the dogbone and axle which worked against my servo. This can be better described by the following picture.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...RC/dogbone.jpg

The picture Mr. Ed is talking about, how the dogbone sticks way out is this one.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...C/DSC02593.jpg

I forgot about the o-ring. I would think that it would be useless at this point as it would probably be pushed out easily with the extra lack of sidewall in the axle. I'll pop one back in and give it a try but I haven't had any problems without it.

any issues at all with this? If not, I'm definitely doing this mod!

Your still going to have to use the o-ring. without it there is nothing keeping the axle shaft seated in the locker...

X2 unless you add a spacer between the stub and the bearing, or put the o-ring in, the dogbone will come out of the locker (I found out the hard way in a comp after rebuilding an axle)

I physically pushed the dowbone out towards the wheel and it only moved a mill or so. Not enough to pop out of the locker. I have the Losi metal lockers so that may make a difference. I ran it pretty hard on the rocks last night. I had the rig full steer in a bind and punched it without failure.

still... having the o-ring in is not going to hurt anything... you may have gotten the one set that wont do it, but 99 percent of the rest of them will pop out.

not to mention, I want as much contact area between the locker and axle as I can get

I shaved mine down a bit and it's working great i haven't gone as far as you........yet8)

just did mine, did a test before and after by driving in a circle and marking the ground, after the marks were around 3 inches smaller. Not much difference. Im using the stock servo and saver but will be changing that once the new one comes in. I was hoping for more.:cry:

This is an old trick from the TLT days...I shaved those down pretty far and I'm still using those axles on my scaler with no problems.

mikegigabyte - Did you shave the inside of the cup AND the top of the dogbone? Surprised that you didn't see much difference, but maybe the change is relative to the small size of the vehicle...3" for a vehicle with an 8.5" wheelbase seems good.

The only thing I didnt do because I forgot was making the slot the dogbone turns a hair longer. Not sure if that would help. Everything else was done as the pictures show. Im using aluminum steering arms and parts and I noticed they have been made smaller to get more steering so I still have some more clearance I could take advantage of. I also left in the o ring. My turning radius is only reduced by 3 inches from the original. I think it makes a 3 foot circle to turn so it still is super wide to turn on flat ground.


As you can see in my pic I have a few mm more to go. I did take the o ring out and turn the wheel by hand and didnt see any more turning but saw the dogbone would make the wheel bump out when it would hit spinning the axles by hand, with the o ring in it spins smoothly. I will try the slot and see if that helps, but this mod did give me more steering just not as much as the video shows.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...i/IMG_0402.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...i/IMG_0411.jpg

Looks like you can shave more from the inside of the cup...seems like there is still a lot left in there.

I know I will be doing this mod once I start my build.

Great thread, should be stickied"thumbsup" I'm getting ready to try it. I'm hesitant to grind that much though. It seems like it would cause problems when the dogbone tit comes clear out of the cup like in the pic?:?

The other one is firmly in the slot when the one you can see in the pic is out. This mod was popular with the TLTs.

this should be stickied did this today during diesel tech at break and it helped so much i was tired of breaking cvds thanks for the write up it was a big help "thumbsup"