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Old 08-31-2016, 10:51 AM   #1
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Default My E10 skid plate mods

I modified my skid plate for improved functionality and thought some of the ideas might be helpful for those looking to do similar mods. Here is a pic of my skid plate:

 photo IMG_20160831_104201952_zpsfo57ptui.jpg

One easy mod to do is to countersink the screws. Based on how chewed up my screw heads were getting, I'm sure they were catching on a lot of rocks. This shouldn't take much explanation, just get some countersunk M3 screws of the right length (remember they will be shorter overall than the originals) and drill with a countersink bit.

The more difficult mod was to triangulate the lower links. I can't say this is necessarily the best or easiest way to do this (it might be easier to modify a skid designed for another vehicle), but this is what I did. I cut out/dremeled out the area you see in the pics, leaving the area where the screws attach. I then cut an M3 threaded rod to the appropriate length. I superglued a nut on one end so I could use it to screw the rod in. I used M3 nylon spacers to position my links where I wanted them and used a regular lock nut on the far side.

Last edited by Smokin' Joe; 08-31-2016 at 10:54 AM.
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Old 09-18-2017, 09:10 PM   #2
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

What result did triangulating the links have? Result good / bad / indifferent?
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Old 09-18-2017, 11:21 PM   #3
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

Nicely executed mod! I did it too at some time and it was better of course. Just take note that the stock skid will now be flimsy as a rubber band and this may cause some issues (push it upwards to check..). You can overcome this either by using some form of bracket to tie the motor & gearbox to the frame (works but not that good) or make a new skid which is much easier than you may think!
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Old 09-18-2017, 11:34 PM   #4
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

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What result did triangulating the links have? Result good / bad / indifferent?
Good for sure. Helps a bit with torque twist and the lower links being in board are less prone to catch on rocks etc..

Last edited by Vagos2; 09-18-2017 at 11:40 PM.
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Old 09-19-2017, 05:21 AM   #5
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

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Originally Posted by number9 View Post
What result did triangulating the links have? Result good / bad / indifferent?
I have been pleased. I did this mod in part to help with torque twist. I did it at the same time I converted my truck to a semi droop suspension setup (so I can't tell the relative contributions of each mod), but I have no obvious torque twist in normal driving.

From what I can recall, the last time I put it on a crawling board (a board designed to see how steep an incline your riq can go up under ideal conditions) it did eventually start lifting the front right, but I think it wasn't until I was on a 64 degree incline. I put my son's basically stock (at the time) everest 10 on it and it made up a 54 degree incline, but it was lifting it's front right tire long before this.
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Old 09-19-2017, 05:29 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by Vagos2 View Post
Nicely executed mod! I did it too at some time and it was better of course. Just take note that the stock skid will now be flimsy as a rubber band and this may cause some issues (push it upwards to check..). You can overcome this either by using some form of bracket to tie the motor & gearbox to the frame (works but not that good) or make a new skid which is much easier than you may think!
I haven't noticed any issues with the skid being flimsy...I don't notice any give with pushing up on it with my hand.
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Old 09-19-2017, 06:21 PM   #7
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

A few buddies have these and have had crazy torque twist from day one. They have tried a few things to prevent it like adjusting shocks and switching geometry. I'm definitely going to show them this! Awesome craftsmanship.
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Old 09-19-2017, 07:06 PM   #8
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

Definitely going to do this! Since using a SCX10 Lift / Droop kit to get the shocks more vertical, my E10 is lifting the right front al the time. I've got 2oz wheel weights in each wheel and added another 2oz stick on weights to the front axle (bottom of the servo plate, back of the servo and top of the axle) today and it didn't help out a whole lot.
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Old 09-20-2017, 04:44 AM   #9
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

Hope it works well for you. It definitely makes a big difference in performance if you can get the torque twist under control.

Also (I assume this is obvious), doing this mod will shorten your wheelbase a little if you use the same links. Keep that in mind if you have switched to a more scale body.

Last edited by Smokin' Joe; 09-20-2017 at 04:48 AM.
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Old 09-20-2017, 03:09 PM   #10
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Good point SJ. I've not switched bodies yet but that's a good one to keep in mind. I still gotta pick up some of the needed parts to do this mod.

SJ - what measurements did you use for the links location? Looks to be a 1" spread between the links, centered in the skid?

Last edited by THX_138; 10-16-2017 at 08:44 AM.
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Old 09-20-2017, 03:30 PM   #11
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

Might be a silly question, but has anybody checked to see if an AX10/SCX10 skid plate is the same width?
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Old 09-20-2017, 04:31 PM   #12
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

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Originally Posted by number9 View Post
SJ - what measurements did you use for the links location? Looks to be a 1" spread between the links, centered in the skid?
I used 3mm ID nylon spacers that were 7.5 mm long. I had two spacers on each end so 15 mm. The center spacers were one intact spacer and one that I had to sand down a bit with my dremel to make it fit.
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Old 09-20-2017, 04:41 PM   #13
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Might be a silly question, but has anybody checked to see if an AX10/SCX10 skid plate is the same width?
It would not shock me at all if it was easier to adapt another skid that already triangulates the links to fit the E10 than to do this mod. At the time I did this mod (note my original post is over a year old), I could not find anyone that could confirm fitment of another skid that triangulates the links the way I wanted.
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Old 09-20-2017, 05:24 PM   #14
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

Yeah, surprisingly I don't know anyone with an ax/scx10 to measure against. I would like to triangulate the lower links on my son's E10 and had thought about making a skid out of UHMWPE like I did for my R1/RS10, but if the Axial skid fits, it would be worth the couple bucks. Maybe somebody else that has tried can chime in. I just got an assortment of M3 threaded standoffs in the mail today, so I can make something work either way.
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Old 09-21-2017, 10:20 AM   #15
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vagos2 View Post
Nicely executed mod! I did it too at some time and it was better of course. Just take note that the stock skid will now be flimsy as a rubber band and this may cause some issues (push it upwards to check..). You can overcome this either by using some form of bracket to tie the motor & gearbox to the frame (works but not that good) or make a new skid which is much easier than you may think!
Good suggestions!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Smokin' Joe View Post
I have been pleased. I did this mod in part to help with torque twist. I did it at the same time I converted my truck to a semi droop suspension setup (so I can't tell the relative contributions of each mod), but I have no obvious torque twist in normal driving.

From what I can recall, the last time I put it on a crawling board (a board designed to see how steep an incline your riq can go up under ideal conditions) it did eventually start lifting the front right, but I think it wasn't until I was on a 64 degree incline. I put my son's basically stock (at the time) everest 10 on it and it made up a 54 degree incline, but it was lifting it's front right tire long before this.
Nicely done SmokinJoe!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Smokin' Joe View Post
Hope it works well for you. It definitely makes a big difference in performance if you can get the torque twist under control.

Also (I assume this is obvious), doing this mod will shorten your wheelbase a little if you use the same links. Keep that in mind if you have switched to a more scale body.
Very good point too!

Has anybody tried flipping the transmission and motor 180* and reverse throttle? This helps eliminate the little bit of TT that the SCX10 has in stock form.
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Old 09-21-2017, 12:00 PM   #16
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

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Originally Posted by Natedog View Post
Good suggestions!



Nicely done SmokinJoe!



Very good point too!

Has anybody tried flipping the transmission and motor 180* and reverse throttle? This helps eliminate the little bit of TT that the SCX10 has in stock form.
I haven't personally done it, but there are quite a few posts from Everest 10 owners who mirrored the transmission (I assume that is what you are referencing). From what I can recall, many felt it helped with TT, but didn't eliminate it.
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Old 09-21-2017, 12:09 PM   #17
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

I mirrored the trans a year or so ago. It made a small improvement (which is all we're ever looking for, right?) in torque twist, about as much as outboarding the shocks made. I'm guessing that triangulating the links makes a similar amount of improvement, and that's probably as far as I'll go while keeping the TVP Redcat chassis.

edit to add: there is not a "plug" in the tranny case like there is on an SCX trans, so you'll need to drill a hole in the Redcat transmission case for the input shaft when mirroring the trans.

Last edited by TheLetterJ; 09-21-2017 at 12:12 PM.
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Old 09-21-2017, 06:56 PM   #18
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

I ordered Axial AX31379 SCX10 skid plate set tonight. Guess I'll be the guine pig to see if one of them will work on the E10 frame. I think they will take some tweaking but I think I should be able to get one to work. Gonna loose some ground clearance though.
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Old 09-21-2017, 08:37 PM   #19
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Default Re: My E10 skid plate mods

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Originally Posted by number9 View Post
I ordered Axial AX31379 SCX10 skid plate set tonight. Guess I'll be the guine pig to see if one of them will work on the E10 frame. I think they will take some tweaking but I think I should be able to get one to work. Gonna loose some ground clearance though.
Let us know how it goes I might try this for my son's E10 if it works well.
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Old 09-25-2017, 08:33 PM   #20
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The Axial skid plates are not here yet.....but I got a cutting board at Walmart this weekend and made a skid plate tonight that relocates the lower links inside the chassis like you did - WOW!!!!!! Torque twist is vastly eliminated - takes a really steep (I need to measure) angle to raise the RF wheel now.

Here's the pic. It ain't purdy, (was just meant to be a test) but it works!



I measured dead center - then came off each side of DC 10mm to cut the opening for the rod ends. The slot for the rod ends is 10mm wide x 10-12mm deep. Then left around 8mm of material outside the rod ends for the screw to thread into/through. I used a 3x25mm screw, threading in from the outside, thru the 8mm of material, thru the rod end and then back into the skid.


Because the cutting board was about 1/4" thick, it raised my motor/trans up just enough that the battery tray wouldn't go back in. I trimmed just enough of the battery tray to allow the motor/trans clearance and the battery tray fits. What's really nice is that the motor/trans doesn't protrude up through the top surface of the battery tray, so there's no worry of the battery getting damaged.



So, I put the Axial SCX10 skid plate on my youngest boy's truck this evening.

At first I drilled a set of new holes to mount the trans to instead of slotting the existing holes.



But when I went to mount the trans/motor, I found the motor was hitting the top link mount I could've just cut it off and would have been fine, but I didn't want to do that.



So I slotted the two original holes that are narrower for the Axial trans. I used a drill bit in the dremel to slot the holes, which didn't provide the nice results I was hoping for Oh well, they work.
I used countersunk screws in the 2 unmolested holes and used the stock screws that came out of the lower link to frame mounts in the other 2 slotted holes.



They are long enough to thread all the way though the trans mounts - I felt this may be a little better, since the holes were boogered up.



Also had to widen the slots for the stock rod ends. If you use standard rod ends, you wouldn't need to do this obviously.



All said and done, it works. You can use the Axial SCX10 skid plate on an E10, using stock E10 parts, and a little tweaking. You do loose some ground clearance though, due to the SCX10 skid drooping down vs the E10 skid being flush with bottom of the chassis. Honestly, I think I like the skid I made out of cutting board better.


Last edited by THX_138; 10-16-2017 at 08:45 AM.
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