89redranger's MRC Pro build/rebuild for 2014

[89redranger]

Parts ordered! Only a matter of time now...

Bad thing is, this is the second time I've ordered the rear steer kit. Last time I got some 1/8th buggy or MT axles in a package when the box showed up. They went back, and I'm dealing with the LHS once again. Terrible prices with guaranteed quick and good service, or good prices, the wrong parts, and terrible service?

[BliB]

Maybe it's just me beeing ignorant but i feel that plastic lockouts should be strong enough?
If you take such a hard fall that your lockouts brake you already in trouble, rather shred a plastic lockout than snapping the axelhousing!

Still using plastic on my XR, that sucker have been flying down the rocks, several foot high still my first housings and stock plastic lockouts.
Did need to shim the shafts but still holding strong!

[89redranger]

I ran the plastic lockouts and stock shafts for like 2 years on my first Pro till I finally bent a stock steel shaft. If you break one of the plastic lockouts you've got bigger problems. This time around I'll be running the plastic stuff in the rear just because it matches the plastic parts in the LNC rear steer kit. I actually still have my billet rear lockouts, just sold all the billet Pro stuff off my front axle to fund the LCC/LNC swap. I'm running the plastic stuff by choice. Between beef tubes, nutted housings, stainless shafts, and shimmed gears, this rear should NEVER give me any trouble. With or without the plastic lockouts...

[daver18qc]

Originally Posted by BliB

Maybe it's just me beeing ignorant but i feel that plastic lockouts should be strong enough?
If you take such a hard fall that your lockouts brake you already in trouble, rather shred a plastic lockout than snapping the axelhousing!

Still using plastic on my XR, that sucker have been flying down the rocks, several foot high still my first housings and stock plastic lockouts.
Did need to shim the shafts but still holding strong!

That's because a XR plastic locker is 10x stronger than the MRC plastic locker to begin with, and then the MRC has flat spots so small on the end of the shaft that it's basically round and wants to strip out as soon as your wheel gets stuck in a hole and you give throttle.

Metal lockers on the mini is a must !

[89redranger]

Originally Posted by daver18qc

That's because a XR plastic locker is 10x stronger than the MRC plastic locker to begin with, and then the MRC has flat spots so small on the end of the shaft that it's basically round and wants to strip out as soon as your wheel gets stuck in a hole and you give throttle.

Metal lockers on the mini is a must !

Nobody is talking about lockers. We're talking about the lockouts on the end of the housing. To top it off, I believe the XR has metal lockers like every other Axial ever made. Maybe we should move this over to your thread?

[BliB]

Maybe just me but the lockouts should not be able to come of from getting your wheel stuck ;)
If the tangs on the axelhousings are to small, they not gonna get bigger with alu lockouts ;)

But alu is stronger than plastic!
The all black plastic will look great and strength from beef tubes and nutted housing

[89redranger]

BliB- the aluminum lockouts are stronger on paper, but both are tougher than the axle housings anyway. Like we've both said, if you break either style lockout, you've got WAY bigger problems.

A little note about lockouts, beings we're on the topic...the bearing tolerances are actually quite a but tighter on the plastic lockouts, resulting in less slop. With the billet lockouts there was a tiny amount of slop where the bearings drop in. The bores were a tiny bit too large in diameter, as well as too deep. These oversized bores left my with in-out AND up-down slop between the bearings and lockouts. With the plastic lockouts, the bearings drop in with a slight interference fit, as well as being closer to the required depth. The freshly rebuilt rear axle with plastic lockouts no has NO slop in the shafts.

[BliB]

I hate slop and since my other car is an axial i know slop ;)

When i first got my mini i was really surprised that the housings are so tiny and guys running these rigs so hard!
But as you wrote earlier, beef tubes, nutts and SS shafts, all ad up to the beef!

Are the SS shafts a losi hop up or are they made by a vendor?

[89redranger]

The stainless shafts came with my billet lockouts when I bought them. They've more than paid for themselves. Not a lot of runs on them, but no more bent axles. From what most have told me though, getting stainless shafts with the billet lockouts was a happy accident. I guess the lockouts were supposed to be sold with stock Pro style steel shafts. The stainless axles being, yet again, another upgrade. I don't even know to tell you the truth. I ordered billet Pro lockouts, not even knowing they included shafts. They showed up with stainless shafts. Verified by Neo magnet. No sticky sticky...

[89redranger]

Question for anybody else that has done the LCC swap...When I cut my LCC inner shafts down, do I cut them to the length of a stock MRC axle? Is there room to cut them with a mm or 2 of extra length for full engagement in the locker?

[89redranger]

I got DLux goods, waiting on a rear steer kit now.



Sent from my SCH-I535

[winnerone23]

You can cut the lcc shafts for extra engagement. Better to leave long and trim as you fit them.. can always cut more off...

[89redranger]

That's pretty much the conclusion I had come to. Thank you. At the same time, I will leave the flat at the ends of the shafts as large as possible. Hoping the shafts end up being as tight as possible. One of the things I'm quickly growing to hate is the slop in the lockers. Red loctite on the ends of the shafts helps, but in the end, it's just a band-aid fix. Eventually even it works loose.

Sent from my SCH-I535

[winnerone23]

I'm with ya dude. My front xr uni's were a tight fit when made them to fit. Between them or the metal locker, they work their way loose and have slop.. but to think of cutting another set of uni's up, sucks! I have come to realize and like the slop in the rear axle of All my crawlers.. the front axle, not so much

[89redranger]

The rear I don't mind. I've found it to kind of give the rear a little looseness which makes quick direction changes easier. The front is the real irritation. I've got both diffs shimmed as close to no slop as I could get them as well. Last rig was shimmed, but not this tight. Feels good so far. Need my knuckles and stuff to really play with it. As soon as it's done, the whole front axle is getting shipped out to be fitted for ti steering links, and ti suspension links front and rear. Getting close, and anxious!

Sent from my SCH-I535

[SLYKY09]

You have a good crawler going, you make it sound to easy.

[89redranger]

Thanks man! This is around the 8th MRC build I will have finished (around 15th total, some never getting finished), and I build them for friends in my spare time. Over time I've learned to take my time with this stuff. The aluminum parts that I've fab'd are really the only thing that take any kind of real effort. I've got an aluminum ESC tray in the works that I will be building in the next few days. I'll make sure to get some pics as I go through the process. While I can't guarantee an kind of tutorial, I'll get all the details I can. I STRONGLY encourage you guys to pick up some cheap tools and give this stuff a try. It's good on the ego when you can turn a $3 sheet of aluminum and turn it into a clean, presentable, and durable product in your own home.

[89redranger]

Here are a few more pics for you guys.

Beef tube in housing...



Some more pics of the servo mount off the rig...









Sent from my SCH-I535

[MRCrackhead]

That servo mount looks really sweet!

Nice job.

[DENNO]

What thickness aluminum are you working with? Did you just use a vice to clamp it for the bend?