Jocko's EXO **Pics Added 4/4/12**

[Jocko]

After a lot of back-and-forth between the EXO and the HPI C1, I made my decision to buy the EXO. I really like the looks of the C1, a true class one desert car, but its 1/8 scale size was a turn off to me. Not enough guys in this area to run against/with, and I don't think it will be competitive with 1/8 scale buggies. Also, having seen a few videos, it looks to be lacking in the stability department. I also emailed HPI about a known issue and how they were going to handle it and never got a response :rolleyes:.

So, Axial got my business :cool: (Tower Hobbies $295 shipped). I was a little leery after reading through the threads with problems EXO's were having but I also read a lot of threads where the EXO was holding up just fine . I do like the looks of the EXO but I wouldn't call it a desert racer. It's more of a sportsman/pre-runner/dunes runner. You don't see too many 4-seaters, except in the sportsman class (and some of those are carrying parts for another car ). Regardless, I am very excited to get this thing together and put it to the test. Here I am, 36 years old, and I still get excited like a kid on Christmas morning :-D.

In the car:
Tekin RX-8 (Dirt Cheap RC - Great to deal, great price and fast shipping)
Tekin Pro-4 4600kv (Tower Hobbies - Gotta love coupons)
Savox (LHS)
Pro-Line Power Stroke Shocks (Ebay - Great deal on the set & universal mounting kit.)
-6063-00 Front
-6063-01 Rear

I won't bore you with build pics but I will update this thread with as many cool pics (and maybe video) as I can :thumb:.

[Jocko]

The second color has been applied to the body panels and I can already see a new set of panels or Freqe Skinz in my OCD future. I figured I would update this thread while I am waiting to apply the third and final color. I can say, without hesitation, I am glad there is not a step 53 on this build and it is soon coming to an end.

The overall build was fun but very involved. I’ll admit, I only have a few kits on my resume but this one was a challenge. I’m no dummy when it comes to working with my hands and have two ground up builds under my belt in the 1:1 world. There is a lot that goes into this little desert assassin and one missed step, flying E-clip or misplaced screw will have you backtracking and pulling your out your hair in the early morning hours. I will say, every time I started searching through bags, breaking parts from their tree and scouring through the manual, I didn’t want to stop. I was very anxious to watch this car come together, and now I can say, I am almost there.

Take this for what it is as I am no RC expert and don’t claim to be. If you are the type that loses sleep debating whether that bag of leftover parts are extras or if you skipped a step, this build is for you. There are NO extras in this kit. If it’s leftover, you missed something. Maybe a “Bag K” would be nice and it could, at the very least, include an extra E-clip or two and maybe a few of the most common screws. I wonder how many late night curses there were as hobbyists searched frantically for the E-clip that just went soaring across the room. EDIT: My son came into the room to show me his new glasses and I noticed something shiny on the floor; it was that E-clip I lost during step 1. The other gripe is the back-and-forth between parts bags at various times during the assembly. I have never deigned or produced an RC kit, so there may be some rhyme to the reason.

For the most part, I didn’t have any problems (other then that damn E-clip) during the build. The instructions were very thorough and fairly easy to follow along. I think what makes this kit so challenging is its complexity. There is a lot going on with this little car.

After some choice words during a few steps of the build I started to get excited as the car started to take shape. We have all watched the Axial trailer (again and again and again) as this little beast ate up the whoops like Robby Gordon blazing through the wash on his way to winning the Parker 425. Some have followed along with ‘theJang’ as he built his EXO and put it to the paces at his local track. Or others who watched Badger beat his EXO mercilessly on the big dirt jumps at the BMX track. None of that compares to seeing it sit right here in front of me, close to being ready to take on whatever I decide to throw at it.

Thanks Axial, for building a kick-ass scale desert buggy! It is already my favorite RC and it hasn't even seen the dirt.

[lwb Sami]

It will never work Hurry up and get that done so we can race!

[Jocko]

Originally Posted by lwb Sami

It will never work Hurry up and get that done so we can race!

I think I'll leave it on a shelf

[drywallguy]

Originally Posted by Jocko

I think I'll leave it on a shelf

That's the only way the paint will stay on those wheels!
That is mighty purty. Nice job.

[Jocko]

Here some pics of the car all together r. I am going to see what Neil at Freqe Skinz can do for a custom wrap .

Now all I need to do is get it in some dirt. I wonder if I can find any volunteers to drive a new EXO so I can get some action shots .

















I know this isn't practical but I love this stance

[Jocko]

Time to get out of the studio and into the dirt. :cool: This was an outing to get some good action shots. I had a friend drive the car while I did the shooting. I did get to drive it a little and the EXO is easily my favorite RC. I can't believe how well it handles :thumb:. Even in the rough, this car is right at home .

Quite a few photos, so sorry if you have slow download speeds .

[Jocko]

Some more...

[Jocko]

Some more...

[Jocko]

I've got 9 packs through this little beast so far and I am thoroughly impressed with how well it works. I guess I'm not the only one because people can't keep their eyes off of it. I've wiped a lot of drool from the panels as people have stopped to take a look. The EXO looks sick absorbing the pot-holes and rough sections on the track I drive on.

I am not the best driver behind the TX, so I've had my share of tumbles. This thing has cart-wheeled, barrel-rolled, flipped and come up short on some 1/8 scale jumps and just keeps on tickin'. I have had ZERO parts failure (knocks on wood) and am very happy about that.

The only issues I've had are with the motor-mount set-screw and the screws that secure the turnbuckles to the knuckles. Being very cautious to not over-tighten the set screw, I may not have gotten it tight enough initially and the pinion backed away from the spur. A quick pitstop fixed the problem and I was back out on the track. I also noticed the turnbuckle screws were getting loose so I re-secured them too.

Now I just need to figure out how to tune a car. I am running the Pro-Line shocks and switched from 30/30 oil to 45/40. I am still running the stock, dual-stage springs. When hitting rough sections, the rear bucks upward at times. I don't notice it on jumps or landings, but only when driving through the rough. I also tried some short course wheels and tires but don't think they helped much on the loose track I drive on. Under power, they balloon A LOT. The other things is the rear is very squirrely on tight corners. Some of this could just be driver error as I am still trying to figure this whole 'Go-Fast' thing out.

[Jocko]

Well, it finally happened ...

I broke the R1 hinge-pin holder. After many HARD landings, cartwheels, end-over-ends and this is all I can get to break on this thing :rolleyes:! (/sarcasm)

I must have gotten one of the good ones I guess .

[ctrwannabe]

Glad to hear your having fun with this thing , I'm liking the painted cage ( what paint did you use?) I was thinking of painting mine silver but it'll stay black for now. I was nervous about making a purchase after reading some negative things as well but the cars sitting 80% built in the man cave and I'm itching to get some electronics for it so I can run the local track.

[JasonW]

Man this is the best looking build for one on here. Nice Job.

[Jocko]

Originally Posted by ctrwannabe

Glad to hear your having fun with this thing , I'm liking the painted cage ( what paint did you use?) I was thinking of painting mine silver but it'll stay black for now. I was nervous about making a purchase after reading some negative things as well but the cars sitting 80% built in the man cave and I'm itching to get some electronics for it so I can run the local track.

I used Testors' plastic paint but it is flaking quite a bit. I knew it wouldn't last but it sure looked good.

You'll have a blast with this little car when you get it done .

Originally Posted by reacon

Man this is the best looking build for one on here. Nice Job.

Thanks!

[Jocko]

Two rear bearings are toast. A quick order to Avid will fix that though.

Thanks to Theibault for the rear hinge pin holder until my replacement comes.

[ctrwannabe]

Originally Posted by Jocko

I used Testors' plastic paint but it is flaking quite a bit. I knew it wouldn't last but it sure looked good.

You'll have a blast with this little car when you get it done .



Thanks!

Thanks for the info if i do paint it maybe I'll try another and see if it flakes less I'll let you know if I do it.

Why do you think your bearings failed? Was it the two on the Same side or one on each side?

[Jocko]

Originally Posted by ctrwannabe

Thanks for the info if i do paint it maybe I'll try another and see if it flakes less I'll let you know if I do it.

Why do you think your bearings failed? Was it the two on the Same side or one on each side?

They were both outers on the rear carriers. The hex on the passenger side was galled where it was rubbing on the bearing. The driver side hex was fine. I'm not sure why they went. Maybe the wheel nut back off a little and allowed too much play. I'll keep an eye on it from here on out.

[desertmaxx]

just curious, how do you like the shocks? they are great on my slash, but i am wondering how they do on something a bit heavier.

[Jocko]

Originally Posted by desertmaxx

just curious, how do you like the shocks? they are great on my slash, but i am wondering how they do on something a bit heavier.

I'm probably not the best guy to ask because my experience is limited. I will say the front handles like a 1:1 desert car, absorbing every bump and hole it goes over. The rear jumps and lands like a dream but "bucks" over the rough stuff at times. It also gets loose in some corners but my SCTE gets loose in those same corners too, so it may just be the dope with the TX. I need to mess with the oil/pistons and spring rates to get it running smooth. It doesn't always "buck" but I think it's something that can be dialed in a little better.

I will say I have had zero issues or failure with these shocks and it seemed like the stockers were hit-or-miss.

[desertmaxx]

seems worth it. i think it just sounds like to me the rear shocks need different springs. the stock axials are pretty crappy though.