Weak spots on trx4

[Evo93]

Originally Posted by crazee horse

Yeah but my point is does any water or dirt get in ?

I ran mine in water and took it apart like a week later and I did see some moisture in there. I put a little grease between the plastics and where the axle shafts come out to try to prevent this.

[crazee horse]

That's what I usually do. So many bearings to replace in those complex diffs. At least the plastic is of better quality than the chocolate stock axial diffs. I must have spent millions on bearings lol

[gfmucci]

Originally Posted by JohnRobHolmes

Name any other rtr that has endpoint adjustment at all. You are calling BS on a feaute that would be a whole new radio on anything else. It's not much more cost than a castle link to open up easier phone programming.

"...to open up easier phone programming..." Assuming the "phone programming" works, which apparently it does NOT for a large number of Android users since May. But according to a phone conversation I had with a Traxxas tech early this afternoon, "the fix will be available within 48 hours." I guess that means by sometime Monday, July 10th.

Also, my LHS told me today that one reason why the steering servo went bad on some of these is the power wire to the servo went over the top of a hot motor, melting the insulation and shorting the servo. Make sure that wire is well away from or at least not touching the motor. Although that doesn't make a whole lot of sense...it should have been the esc that would have been fried if the wire to another component downstream was shorted. Oh well. Just passing this along.

[Kennypo13]

Originally Posted by Evo93

Anyone else have their spare tire mount strip out just trying to get the tire off. The stud molded into the plastic just rotates. Luckily traxxas sent me a new one.

Yes. How did you get it off? Just happened to
Me and can't figure how in the world to get it off 😕

[clm]

I had to drill the head off from the backside which destroyed the mount.. Traxxas replaced mine when I mentioned they really needed to have some form of hex or something in the head.

[HumboldtEF]

Originally Posted by Kennypo13

Yes. How did you get it off? Just happened to
Me and can't figure how in the world to get it off ��

It just unbolts, but Traxxas have used their "dry loctite" on the threads so it takes a fair bit of force. I was able to get mine unbolted with out it twisting or snapping.
Probably the most useful thing I can recommend is to hold the wheel/tire firmly as you break the nut loose, it is keyed into a 12 mm hex (plastic) so holding the tire is the closest you can get to putting a wrench on the other end.

If it starts to spin either the bolt is spinning or the plastic hex has stripped.

[clm]

They used their dry loctite... and a lock nut. The other end is in a flexible nylon hex. Holding the tire is going to be minimal help if any, the tire mounts on a nylon hex which is on the outside of the mount where as the hex the bolt is stripping is inside the mount.

Once my bolt started stripping there was nothing I could do but drill it out or cut the mount off, they really needed to put a hex, torx, phillip, or even common in the back of the bolt... and maybe not loctited a locknut on a bolt thatonly had soft nylon holding it in.

[HumboldtEF]

I understand the design doesn't lend itself to removal but holding the tire is one of the few options available and yes you'll still have to get pretty lucky for that to work.

What about applying some loctite to the lock nut in hopes that it melts the nylon insert allowing the nut to come free easily, or hit it with some heat from a soldering iron then try to zip off the nut while its hot (to melt the nylon insert in the locknut), heat would be tricky since it surrounded by plastic.

[clm]

Heat might work, but the heat needed to melt the nylon in the lock nut could conceivably damage the wheel or the spare tire mount. I would recommend sacrificing the spare tire mount to get at the bolt head and then contacting Traxxas to get a replacement spare tire mount. Likely enough calls like this and they will change the bolt to one that can actually be removed. The people who were lucky enough to pull their spare off successfully obviously would not need to do this, but those of us that ended up ruining it due to there being no other way might.

[dittohead]

Originally Posted by clm

Heat might work, but the heat needed to melt the nylon in the lock nut could conceivably damage the wheel or the spare tire mount. I would recommend sacrificing the spare tire mount to get at the bolt head and then contacting Traxxas to get a replacement spare tire mount. Likely enough calls like this and they will change the bolt to one that can actually be removed. The people who were lucky enough to pull their spare off successfully obviously would not need to do this, but those of us that ended up ruining it due to there being no other way might.

Hold your soldering iron to the stud the wheel nut is screwed onto. Should melt the loctite and the plastic in the lock nut and be easy to remove the wheel. Just guessing since I never tried I just sold the whole mess off since I didn't want to run it


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[CoolRunning]

I held the tyre and tried oh so carefully to undo it...it's a PITA to get off once the screw turns in the plastic mount. I ended up cutting mine off once I got tired of trying to drill it out carefully. Stupid design when they could have put a bolt on the back that would have made removal easy. Then guys could actually use it as a replacement wheel if something happened to one on the truck...good luck to anyone trying this feat on a trail walk!

[clm]

In my attempt to drill off the head I accidentally slipped off the head and put a hole into the wheel... it's still usable but annoying

But they did send me two tires as well as the spare tire mount, I only asked for a spare tire mount, but I guess I call it a bonus. I did use those with a spare from a board member here and put real shoes on the crappy P402 and then tossed a crappy P402 tire on the spare mount after replacing the bolt with a nut and an allen head bolt.

[Inspector86]

Originally Posted by dittohead

I've seen a few guys post on fb that they broke the front cvd/top portal gear but I honestly think it's an issue of the end points on the radio not being set correctly, allowing too much steering angle which in turn stresses the cvd.
The issue I have with that situation is they want you to buy an add on link device to make programming the radio easy and unlock more features. I think that is bs. You should be able to set simple things like endpoints without diving into a chart where you have to count the flashes from the esc. That is a major disappointment in my mind. The radio feels like it belongs to a Walmart toy so I REALLY don't want to invest any money into it just to make a simple adjustment that can cause a front axle failure if left

The steering end points is not the issue. The guys I have seen on FB and youtube that have broken the TRX4 portal drives are the ones that are jumping and bashing with it which is not what it is intended for. Anything can be broken if it is abused. I have gone through several dozen battery charges now slow crawling and not counting the steering servo I have not had a single failure.

[KrawlDaddy]

Yupper! Mine is 3 days old, so it was time to "upgrade" the rubber. All good until I got to the spare... Striped right out with a 7mm hex driver on the nut, and some real slow, steady torque. Called Traxxas, and instead of the usual pleasant, helpful agent, I got one who was (most likely) having a bad day. Told me he was going to send me the tire rack off of his brand new TRX-4. When I asked about the tire/wheel assembly, he said he could only send me the rack! I then asked what a new tire/wheel would cost, and his answer - 2 for $36.00! I asked how I should get the wheel off of the stripped rack, and he replied with some comment about just rip it off, you are replacing the wheels, anyway! (or words to that effect!) I told him I always kept my factory wheel/tire sets, in case I wanted to sell the truck, later. He still said, "so, do you want the tire rack?" I mean REALLY?? Over $500 for this rig (with battery and charger) and this is the best Traxxas can do? Then, I come to the forum, and find out others are having the same issue...? Anyway, while I still have him on the line, I ask to speak with his "second-level" agent. Suddenly, he is sending me a new rack, tire, wheel and mounting hdwe.! OK - cool, but why the fight? Why the guilt trip (parts off of his own, brand new truck?) I mean, are these tire racks so prone to this problem that they don't have spares in stock? Sounds like it is time for a re-design on the rack. Actually, it sounds like it is a world of higher quality parts, just waiting for another vendor to build and sell! Oh yeah, my hobby dealer REALLY chatted me up about how great the support was with Traxxas! (I actually got into this hobby through Axial with a scale Jeep Wrangler, and never looked at anyone else - until the TRX-4 arrived.) My question (concern) is, if a spare tire can cause this much tension, what is going to happen when real parts start breaking? It IS a beautiful rig, no doubt! It has a ton of COOL features, too! But the best feature in my book, whether we are talking pancakes or pickup trucks, is GREAT customer service, PERIOD!

[clm]

Only redesign needed in the spare tire mount is a new bolt with a hex head and maybe no loctite. When you get the new mount do not use the supplied bolt, get one with a hex in the head. I myself got a cap head m3 screw and 2 m3 nuts. I put the screw into the nut and inserted it into the mount like the stock bolt, then used the hex head on it to lightly bolt on the spare.

[TWS]

Originally Posted by dittohead

I've seen a few guys post on fb that they broke the front cvd/top portal gear but I honestly think it's an issue of the end points on the radio not being set correctly, allowing too much steering angle which in turn stresses the cvd.
The issue I have with that situation is they want you to buy an add on link device to make programming the radio easy and unlock more features. I think that is bs. You should be able to set simple things like endpoints without diving into a chart where you have to count the flashes from the esc. That is a major disappointment in my mind. The radio feels like it belongs to a Walmart toy so I REALLY don't want to invest any money into it just to make a simple adjustment that can cause a front axle failure if left


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Traxxas radios really suck! Got really tired of helping guys set them up during comps and race days

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

One look at Harley's axle disassembly tutorial should be enough to dissuade anyone from extended mud action with these axles, lol.

Even with mud and water I doubt these axles will need maintenance more than once every couple of years. It's not a big deal.

[crazee horse]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Even with mud and water I doubt these axles will need maintenance more than once every couple of years. It's not a big deal.

Really ?

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by crazee horse

Really ?

Really.

But I'll explain. Use marine grease, pack your bearings, coat the gears, and water and mud have little effect on axles.

The moving parts for the selectable diff locker might need more maintenance if you use those often.

[fyrstormer]

Originally Posted by JohnRobHolmes

Name any other rtr that has endpoint adjustment at all. You are calling BS on a feaute that would be a whole new radio on anything else. It's not much more cost than a castle link to open up easier phone programming.

HPI radios have EPAs, Spektrum DX2L radios used to have EPAs, I think Team Associated radios have EPAs, etc...