Jato The Trail Finder 2 - Leaf Spring Mafia Edition

[1fox2go]

You had more grease in your axles than I did. I had a little more in the transmission though.

These are fun trucks. I need to get back to mine and finish putting together my SCX10.2 kit

[Thloftus]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Thanks! You're not too much of a noob for a build thread at all. Start one. Sometimes noobs make the best build threads and it will a resource for you to get help and tips on your build as well.

Ok, I’ll do it!



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[JatoTheRipper]

Do the GMade Sawback U-bolts and leaf spring perches/clamps fit the TF2? RC4WD's price for the U-bolt kit is insane!

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[JatoTheRipper]

I'm trying to install the XVDs in my front axle. I removed the shims on the axles and then slid in the XVD axles. The short one creates a bind in the axle. Shimming it outwards (see photo), which goes against logic, frees the bind. Any ideas?



For the pinion there was a ton of in and out play. I took one of the thick shims on the stock axle and installed it inside the housing under the pinion. Stock a thin shim was on the outside of the housing in the pinion shaft and it didn't do much of anything.

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[JatoTheRipper]

Look at this quality control of forming the leaf springs exactly the same...




Minor gripe. They can be hand bed correctly for the most part. You just can't get the permanent kinds out of them.

This is what really tweaked my nipples.

This is supposed to be a scale truck and U-bolts are not included. What's worse is that RC4WD is absolutely raping for them at $60! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?! I can get the GMade U-bolt kit and spring perches for $22. That's nearly a $40 savings. I just have to determine if they fit.

So here are the many flaws of what should be a very simple step in building this truck:

-Flat perch for arched springs.
-An extra hole for what? To weaken the spring?
-Bolts that hold the axle to the leaf also hold it together.
-Bolts are long and you put a nut on the bottom, despite threaded holes. Why? So you can hangup on the nuts?
-And then you can't even get a nut driver on the nuts. Axle is in the way.

"Awesome" Chinese engineering at work here.



I'm so annoyed with this that I quit working on the truck tonight and I'm contemplating which U-bolts I'm going to get and how I'm going to fix this horrible design without spending $100 on RC4WD parts that SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.

[Fishcharger]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Look at this quality control of forming the leaf springs exactly the same...




Minor gripe. They can be hand bed correctly for the most part. You just can't get the permanent kinds out of them.

This is what really tweaked my nipples.

This is supposed to be a scale truck and U-bolts are not included. What's worse is that RC4WD is absolutely raping for them at $60! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?! I can get the GMade U-bolt kit and spring perches for $22. That's nearly a $40 savings. I just have to determine if they fit.

So here are the many flaws of what should be a very simple step in building this truck:

-Flat perch for arched springs.
-An extra hole for what? To weaken the spring?
-Bolts that hold the axle to the leaf also hold it together.
-Bolts are long and you put a nut on the bottom, despite threaded holes. Why? So you can hangup on the nuts?
-And then you can't even get a nut driver on the nuts. Axle is in the way.

"Awesome" Chinese engineering at work here.



I'm so annoyed with this that I quit working on the truck tonight and I'm contemplating which U-bolts I'm going to get and how I'm going to fix this horrible design without spending $100 on RC4WD parts that SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.

I like the look and am interested in getting the RC4WD U-Bolts for my recently built TF2 (even though the price as you said is outrageous). Are these the ones you are referencing? If so (again as you noted with the current set up the screws that mount the leaf springs also serve to hold the axle housing together) what is used to replace those screws? Because doesn't the axle housing need to be held together there? Also do you know if anyone has had issues with them hitting the rear shocks when compressed. Seems to me that the U-Bolt set up would come close to interfering with the shocks. Sorry if these are elementary questions, I'm new.


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[scalemadness]

Spacers upper and lower between your shock and axle solve any interference issues with the u-bolts my Blazer has the u bolts which are nice as they allow some axle adjustment i also run the bruiser shackles up front which makes articulation a little better

[svt923]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

-An extra hole for what? To weaken the spring?

I know there is an actual reason for that one.

RC4WD leaf springs are interchangeable with Tamiya leaf springs (they were possibly released as a Bruiser option part prior to RC4WD making any leaf spring trucks, I don't really remember). Tamiya uses a small bolt through the center hole to hold the leaf pack together for easier installation. The center hole is there for the purpose of fitting Tamiya trucks.

As for the leaf spring screws, I installed them the opposite way so the nut is on top of the spring.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by svt923

I know there is an actual reason for that one.

RC4WD leaf springs are interchangeable with Tamiya leaf springs (they were possibly released as a Bruiser option part prior to RC4WD making any leaf spring trucks, I don't really remember). Tamiya uses a small bolt through the center hole to hold the leaf pack together for easier installation. The center hole is there for the purpose of fitting Tamiya trucks.

As for the leaf spring screws, I installed them the opposite way so the nut is on top of the spring.

That makes sense.

I might switch to GMade leaf springs. I'm not sure how they compare, in terms of stiffness, to the RC4WD springs.

I was going to install the screws upside down, but I rage quit the build because I was so frustrated with this design. That's the first time I ever "rage quit" an RC build.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but it doesn't seem right to screw arched leaf springs tight onto a flat surface. This will instantly deform the leaf springs and cause weak points.

[IVIaarten]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but it doesn't seem right to screw arched leaf springs tight onto a flat surface. This will instantly deform the leaf springs and cause weak points.

I added some o-rings between the axle and the leaf springs to compensate for that. Gives a bit more flex as well.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by IVIaarten

I added some o-rings between the axle and the leaf springs to compensate for that. Gives a bit more flex as well.

That's a clever idea! Thanks for the tip!

[Fishcharger]

Originally Posted by scalemadness

Spacers upper and lower between your shock and axle solve any interference issues with the u-bolts my Blazer has the u bolts which are nice as they allow some axle adjustment i also run the bruiser shackles up front which makes articulation a little better

Cool, good tip thanks.


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[JatoTheRipper]

I started building again tonight. Didn't get far before I ran into another issue. The pin screw that connects the not-so-scale driveshaft to the transmission literally screwed right through and out the bottom. I guess the hole in the transmission output shaft is grossly oversized. WTF China?

[whitrzac]

rc4wd never updates their kits. The SWB kit included curved shims for the leafsprings and the yota 2 axles housings are 1 piece.

I use 3mm socket head screws for drive pins... They might go in a little tight the first time, do not use stainless hardware.

rc3wd didn't come out of nowhere...

[mhowzit]

I've been going through a basket case of a tf2, that I picked up used. Almost every bit of the suspension is shot and in need of replacement. My original intention was to keep it scale with the leafs, but screw it, I'm going to link it and not think about the leafs ever again. I like scale, but value reliability more.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by whitrzac

rc4wd never updates their kits. The SWB kit included curved shims for the leafsprings and the yota 2 axles housings are 1 piece.

I use 3mm socket head screws for drive pins... They might go in a little tight the first time, do not use stainless hardware.

rc3wd didn't come out of nowhere...

I put a 3mm pan head through it. I shouldn't have to though. That's the point. And yes, I used stainless. It will hold up fine. I'm not one of those people going to put a ROC412 on 4S in a scaler.

Originally Posted by mhowzit

I've been going through a basket case of a tf2, that I picked up used. Almost every bit of the suspension is shot and in need of replacement. My original intention was to keep it scale with the leafs, but screw it, I'm going to link it and not think about the leafs ever again. I like scale, but value reliability more.

It's not a TF2 without leaf springs. And leafs are extremely reliable if driven properly.

[LSXGMC]

No need for the nuts on the leaf bolts. I am pretty sure the RTR's don't have them, but could be mistaken. I never put them on my TF2 when I changed to my K44's (mounting should be relatively similar), I just used loctite and they never thought about loosening on me, and I bounced the hell out of that truck.

From what I understood, the GMade leafs are quite a bit shorter. Having said that, since you have a Sawback, give it a shot and report back.

[scalemadness]

Rtr has nuts under the axle leaf mounts at least mine did may have changed that when they changed the body though?

[OSRC]

No nuts when looking at RC$WD's product page.

[mhowzit]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

It's not a TF2 without leaf springs. And leafs are extremely reliable if driven properly.

You're right. It wouldn't be the truck that I've always wanted, without the leaf springs. I just ordered all the parts I am going to need and leafs were one of them.