Just bought an Exo Terra kit!

[SerpentCT4S]

I just bought an Exo Terra kit on here. I've wanted one for awhile and finally came across one, so I pulled the trigger on it.

I've built many kits before, but I'm just wondering if there are any tips to do while building the kit.

Also, what electronics should I run in it? Are there any necessary upgrades that the truck needs right away?

[stopmojim]

Congratulations! I love my EXO.

You are going to get a lot of conflicting advice on the EXO. It is a love it/hate it kind of vehicle and has been around for a few years.

As far as motor/ ESC combos go, some folks like what was hot a few years ago, namely Castle systems, and some like the Tekin 1/8th systems of last year or so. It doesn't really matter as both are great as are the Vellenium systems and Reedy too.

I went with a Castle brushless system, Mamba Max Pro and 3800kv motor. Mainly because I like Castle as does Axial. If I had it to do over i would get a long can motor instead of the 3800 that came in the bundle as the EXO is very heavy and the longer can motors have more torque. I have no complaints about the 3800 mind you, it screams plenty fast for me even on 2 cells.

The steering servo needs some torque, but you don't have to get the expensive Savox digital that everyone recommends and that I eventually got. I'm a basher and not a racer, so I don't need super fast steering and the whine the 1258tg makes is a bit annoying. I love the speed and torque, I'm just not sure that I need it for my purposes. If you are a racer, it might be what you are looking for, but there are cheaper alternatives.

Avoid the Axial steering servos. I tried a stock one (AX-2) and it went out rather quickly. An AX-3 out of a Wraith might be better though. They seem better as I am still using the stock one in my Wraith and it has a lot of run time on it.

The stock Axial Rx/Tx are fine unless you use or prefer a different system.

The reason I mention the stock Axial stuff is because it can be found fairly cheaply on Ebay and some of the parts are quite good for the cost.

You may want to change the motor mount if you are into changing motors and pinions alot. But, if you plan to buy a good motor and pinion combo and put it in and just bash around, you may not need to upgrade the stock one.

Everybody puts on the metal upgrades. Some are worth it, like shock towers, chassis braces, and toe blocks. The rest is mostly just bling and up to personal preference not necessity. And personally, I would avoid the metal wheel hubs. At least, the ones made by STRC. They introduce slop into the bearings that I found unacceptable.

The stock plastic hubs are much tighter with less wheel wobble. Yeah, I know, I get a lot of flack for this one from avid STRC lovers, but that is what I found when trying to use the hubs myself. Maybe other brands don't introduce this slop, but the STRCs definitely do. So much so, it negates the "larger bearing is better" idea for the fronts imo.

Avoid the universal joint drive shafts and hubs. They introduce lateral slop to the axle hubs allowing them to move in and out through the bearings several mm. Even with the stock plastic wheel hubs. Use the stock axle hubs and drive shafts. Just put the longer front drive shafts in the back as well as the front and add small O rings (the little orange ones in the kit work great) where the axle meets the differential outputs so you don't have any drive shaft popping out of the wheel hub issues. You can find this mod just about everywhere EXOs are discussed.

Take a dremel and trim the tab off of the bottom of the right battery locking tab that the strap pin locks into. This will let the tab lay down more flatly making it easier to take the battery in and out.

Use the interior. Many people recommend taking it out for ventilation, but I think it helps keep debris out of the innards. Without it, a lot of stuff like grass and dirt makes it's way off the front tires and into the interior where all the electronics are. The interior piece blocks some of this. But, it also blocks airflow.

So, I just cut a hole behind the driver's seat and added a fan to the motor. The combo I bought came with one. I also cut out the back seat section and put a screen over it. Ventilation and protection and you also get to retain the scale look the EXO is so good at.

Change the stock shocks. Or, at least, put metal caps on them. The EXO stock shocks have a tendency to pop their tops with hard hits. I don't recommend the Proline SCT shocks that everyone likes. I bought them, but they have two problems. First, they squat the EXO down as they are shorter than stock. I don't like the loss of ground clearance.

The rears must be drilled and new inserts found to fit, or the shock placement must be changed. All to radical for me. I prefer the stock configuration so I prefer a stock replacement. You can buy the Axial shock upgrade kit or one of a couple brands that are the same shape and size as stock.

Take out that crappy rear motor thingy and replace it with a scale motor from Ridemakerz and a Proline gas tank-pumps-regulator scale kit. It really sells the EXO's already fabulous scale looks.

Of course, your mileage may vary and these are all just my opinions.