Soze's SMT10 fleet.

[Mongol Pete]

Very helpful build thread! Thank you.

[2mtech]

RCAWD

Really well done build thread here, buddy! Guess all those 16-hour work days didn't completely finish you off.

I wonder how well that DS3218 servo is going to work for you with those beefy tires though. I ate one on a Bomber in less than three hours. Hope your experience is more positive.

[soze]

Originally Posted by 2mtech

RCAWD

Really well done build thread here, buddy! Guess all those 16-hour work days didn't completely finish you off.

I wonder how well that DS3218 servo is going to work for you with those beefy tires though. I ate one on a Bomber in less than three hours. Hope your experience is more positive.

We shall see, bigger wheels, but less trying to work against an unmoveable object. Maybe I should put the servo saver back on.

Friday was my last day at that employer.... and they had me work up until the evening on the last day.... definitely squeezed every last bit of juice they could out of me. I start at a new employer in 2 weeks. Unfortunately it's also a consulting company, but it's a larger publicly traded one and stated they don't really do fixed-bid projects and mostly bill projects as time & materials, so hopefully better. Eventually I'll head back into the corporate world though. Would be nice to leave thoughts of work behind after 5pm.

[2mtech]

Originally Posted by soze

We shall see, bigger wheels, but less trying to work against an unmoveable object. Maybe I should put the servo saver back on.

Friday was my last day at that employer.... and they had me work up until the evening on the last day.... definitely squeezed every last bit of juice they could out of me. I start at a new employer in 2 weeks. Unfortunately it's also a consulting company, but it's a larger publicly traded one and stated they don't really do fixed-bid projects and mostly bill projects as time & materials, so hopefully better. Eventually I'll head back into the corporate world though. Would be nice to leave thoughts of work behind after 5pm.

Servo savers are for chicks

Congratulations on reclaiming your life! I'll celebrate vicariously. I work with several consultants who have been offered full hire with the company and refused to avoid the very trap you just escaped from.

[soze]

Originally Posted by 2mtech

Servo savers are for chicks

Congratulations on reclaiming your life! I'll celebrate vicariously. I work with several consultants who have been offered full hire with the company and refused to avoid the very trap you just escaped from.

The place I left actually was also a consulting gig, but it was a smaller shop and did a lot of Fixed Bid projects without much padding for the work and guessing estimates on too many unknown variables. In my experience.... winning fixed bid projects is always a setup for failure. Especially in my profession.

This smaller shop offered 100% work from home and no 99% no travel. Little did I know... work from home meant chained to desk at home. I had 3 other co-workers here from previous employers that joined me at this one. They all left. One of them had health issues that started after joining... and miraculously got better after he had enough and quit. A lot of stress and hours.

[2mtech]

Originally Posted by soze

The place I left actually was also a consulting gig, but it was a smaller shop and did a lot of Fixed Bid projects without much padding for the work and guessing estimates on too many unknown variables. In my experience.... winning fixed bid projects is always a setup for failure. Especially in my profession.

This smaller shop offered 100% work from home and no 99% no travel. Little did I know... work from home meant chained to desk at home. I had 3 other co-workers here from previous employers that joined me at this one. They all left. One of them had health issues that started after joining... and miraculously got better after he had enough and quit. A lot of stress and hours.

Been there, done that, no way to go through life.

Now you have two weeks to focus on this cool build...and the next one!

[Shinchu]

Grave Digger upgrade looking good, and nearly bulletproof!
how do those axle shafts hold up against a good cartwheel? lol asking for a friend... my yeti AR60 had bent shafts and i replaced the whole thing with an SSD nylon D60. included the shafts and the whole thing was cheaper than any "strong" AR60 shaft.

the axles and shock placement are the only things i would have to change if i got one of these. they just don't look accurate enough. sure they probably perform GREAT but i think i am turning into a scale snob lol

cant wait to see whats next and your upgrades for MAX D!

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by soze

We shall see, bigger wheels, but less trying to work against an unmoveable object. Maybe I should put the servo saver back on.

Friday was my last day at that employer.... and they had me work up until the evening on the last day.... definitely squeezed every last bit of juice they could out of me. I start at a new employer in 2 weeks. Unfortunately it's also a consulting company, but it's a larger publicly traded one and stated they don't really do fixed-bid projects and mostly bill projects as time & materials, so hopefully better. Eventually I'll head back into the corporate world though. Would be nice to leave thoughts of work behind after 5pm.

That shows what kind of employer you left. I've never heard of anybody working late on their last day. Good riddance to that place.

[Shinchu]

on my first ship i was worked until 1700 on my last day there.
my LPO's coveralls were hanging in berthing when i finally left. his collar smelled funny after that... ;)

anyway back on topic... check your nuts!
Monster Truck Madness – Hold On To Your Nuts « Big Squid RC – RC Car and Truck News, Reviews, Videos, and More!

[2mtech]

Originally Posted by Shinchu

on my first ship i was worked until 1700 on my last day there.
my LPO's coveralls were hanging in berthing when i finally left. his collar smelled funny after that... ;)

anyway back on topic... check your nuts!
Monster Truck Madness – Hold On To Your Nuts « Big Squid RC – RC Car and Truck News, Reviews, Videos, and More!

That's the military. When I went to Okinawa one of the guys on my plane over was going to the SR-71 squadron. They were so short-handed the guy's sponsor and new first sergeant met him and his family at the MAC terminal. His first shirt took his family to the hotel and his sponsor took him straight to work!

Hanging onto my nuts.

[soze]

Max-D Upgrade Part 1: Transmission Gears, Transmission housing, Spur Gear, and Motor

Aluminum Transmission Case
SSD RC Steel Transmission Gears for SCX10/Wraith/SMT10
Xtra Speed HD Steel Spur Gear 56T/15T
Hobbywing Quicrun 10BL60 Brushless unsensored ESC
HobbyStar 4-Pole 3500kv Brushless Waterproof Motor

Starting the Max-D upgrade. Very similar to the Grave Digger with a few different parts.

First thing that needs to be taken care of are the transmission gears and housing.




This was a surprise... I've run this truck 2x.. 2! All on stock 27t brushed motor driving around the driveway. You think bringing this up to Axial will achieve anything?










SSD HD Gears going in...




Aluminum Transmission Housing




New SSD HD Gears in aluminum transmission housing (wiped away excess grease after taking picture)




Xtra Speed 56T Steel Spur gear going in




Xtra Speed Spur mounted on




All meshed up




Using a Hobbywing Quicrun 10BL60 Brushless Esc




HobbyStar 3500kv 4-pole Waterproof Brushless Motor




Powerplant/powertrain all mounted up

[soze]

Max-D Upgrade Part 2 - Axles

Onward to part 2 of the Max-D upgrade.... got the following going in.

MIP X-Duty C-Drive Steel Drive Shafts for Axial SMT10 (MIP18190)
Axial Heavy Duty Locker (AX30500)
Xtra Speed Stainless Steel Axle Tubes
Boom Racing Axial Wraith HD Steel Rear Axle Shafts For AR60 Axle
Boom Racing Axial Yeti Heavy Duty Bevel Helical Gear Set - 38T/13T
SSD RC HD D60 Knuckles
Vanquish Products Aluminum Wraith/Yeti Clamping Lockout


Took out the stock rear diff gear setup.




Put that Axial Locker in




Boom Racing HD Helical Gear Set put in




Time for the Xtra Speed Axle Tubes




Axle tubes are in








Boom Racing HD Axle shaft for tubes




Vanquish AR60 Rear lockouts




Rear axle is done






Starting the front axle




Xtra Speed Axle tubes going into the front axle








The tubes are all in




SSD HD60 Knuckles




Knuckles are on




MIP X-Duty C-Drive kit for SMT10




Lower half of the MIP Shafts put on the axles. Part 2 done.

[soze]

Max-D Upgrade Part 3 - Suspension, Links, Servo

Getting to the stability upgrades for the Max-D to handle the extra power and weight.

Axial RR10 Bomber Rear Sway bar AX31331 (for use in SMT10 front axle)
Axial Lower Link Plates for Bomber/Yeti/SMT10 (AX31245)
SSD RC Titanium Upper Links
SSD RC Titanium Steering Links
Vanquish Products AR60 Axle Servo Mount


SSD Titanium Upper links




SSD upper links and Yeti lower link plates installed




Top half of the MIP shaft installed and connected in the rear




Vanquish Servo mount went on




Using Axial Bomber Rear Sway bar as a front sway bar on the SMT10




Front sway bar installed




Suspension all mounted up






DS3218 Servo mounted on. Hopefully it holds up.




SSD Titanium Steering links




Decided to use the stock servo horn instead of the Boom Racing aluminum one.




Front axle MIP shaft connected and all mounted up.

[soze]

Max-D Upgrade Part 4 - Wheels and Tires

Getting to the final part of the upgrades....

JConcepts Tribute Wheels 2.6x3.6 (Silver)
JConcepts Firestorm Tires (Blue Compound)


JConcepts Tribute Wheels and Firestorm Tires. Mounted and glued ahead of time.




The final look

[TooOldForThis]

I'm beginning to think that self-machining gearbox is an intentional design feature because I've seen it happen to so many different people (including myself). It's disappointing because you know Axial really could've done better by this time in the production run if they cared at all.

Anyway, great build thread as usual. I'm sure yours will be fun and reliable with all those upgrades!

[2mtech]

Killer!

I'd love to see the brushless setup that'd tear all that beef out anytime soon!

[Shinchu]

i just noticed we have the same wedding band lol

titanium from Daniel's lol cant beat the price though!!!

builds are looking rad! when do we get some action pics/vid?

[soze]

Originally Posted by Shinchu

i just noticed we have the same wedding band lol

titanium from Daniel's lol cant beat the price though!!!

builds are looking rad! when do we get some action pics/vid?

Hopefully soon. Just haven't had much free time.

[2mtech]

Originally Posted by soze

Hopefully soon. Just haven't had much free time.

You back to work already?

Congrats on a thousand posts...if you consider that an achievement.

[Stray]

Love the trucks!!

hope your having mad fun