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Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Hi Everyone, We're getting pretty close to shipping this kit as i start this thread. Though I try hard to make sure a kit is as perfect as possible, things do happen and things get missed. That being said, I wanted to point out a few things to make sure your experience is better. As production progresses, there will be running changes and you may eventually find that your kit does not have any of these issues, but just in case, i'll be posting info. Not sure exactly what link or chassis position you need? Click this link Wheel Base and Link Reference Guide Servo Extension: Most servos on the market do not have a lead that is long enough to reach the receiver box when the receiver is installed in the box. Depending on the brand, you way need a lead that is at least 100mm long. All servo brands sell an extension and working for Horizon Hobby, i will post a link to a Spektrum extension: Spektrum Standard Servo Extension 6" (SPMA3051) Instruction Manual Bag: Tool Bag: There are 2 rod ends included, these will be used later in Step F-5 for assembly of the Panhard bar. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4352/...57bfefae_b.jpg Plastic servo mount looking thing... Ok, this one was not supposed to be included or produced. The original plan was to use this mount to attach a servo on the front axle, however, there was not enough clearance for the links. A shorty servo MIGHT work but it will require some work. That being said this will not be included in the future. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4355/...6c6cf666_b.jpg Bag A Step A-7: Use the included addendum to set the slipper clutch. Step A-9: Use thread lock on the M2.5 x 10mm screws. Step A-10: Use thread lock on all four M3 x 4mm set screws Please notice the addendum for the Slipper settings. Keep in mind, besides the spur gear, the entire driveline is metal with the exception of the drive shafts. This will be a weak point as something has to give. With the slipper setting of 5 1/2 turns out, this setting will provide plenty of drive under most situations but help to protect the driveline under severe binds. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4421/...a4f60947_b.jpg Bag B Step B-2 The screw is actually a M3 x 8mm Step B-3 Install one shim per side on the Spool before installing the 8 x 14mm bearings https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4367/...d057d753_b.jpg Bag C Step C-1: If you are building the wheelbase (WB4) to the kit specs of 314mm, then use the long driveshaft. This will be the same for (WB3 302mm). If you are building either of the short wheel bases (WB1 or WB2) use the short shafts which have a ring around edge of the driveshaft as highlighted in red below. http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps81cc3f68.jpg Bag D If you are planing to run either WB1 or WB2, please use Step D-5a to use the proper mounts for the steering servo. Bag F Please "thumb" through Steps F-2 - F-4 to make sure you know which link sets you will need to build for your specific wheel base choice. I may update this section in assembly by wheel base groups. Step F-3 There is a typo regarding the link size. It should be a 61mm and not a 66mm as shown in the manual. http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psbd634484.jpg Step F-5 I forgot to add the link size for the Panhard bar. Your kit bag will have an addendum showing you the length you will need to build. Also note that the vendor miss packed the amount of rod ends you will need but don't fret, in the Tool bag, there are 2 rod ends, those are for the panhard bar assembly. NOTE: later versions will have the proper amounts and the tool bag will not have these ends included. http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psfd34cd84.jpg Bag G Step G-1 Another miscount on spacers, you will find 4 spacers attached to the outside of the bag. Later run vehicles will have these 4 spacers in the bag properly. http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psce56ebc4.jpg Step G-2 If you plan to glue your tires to the wheels, please scrape the chrome off the outside bead so that the rubber will adhere to the plastic. It will not glue well to the chrome. Step G-5 Be sure to use the square shaped masking pieces in the light bucket area. If you paint this area, your lenses will not be "clear" when you attach the light buckets through the back side. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4434/...91eca06009.jpg Link to gear ratios chart: Ascender Gear Ratio Chart Hope you will find this useful, Thanks, Rich |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Skid plate pin hole issue only with very first kits, thus removed 8/18/17 |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Though they are missing from some sections of our intstruction manual, please note the following. If there is a screw threading into aluminum or steel, Please apply the included thread lock onto each screw. Be sure to apply the black grease to all the gears in the transmission, axle housings as well as the front CV shafts and Center Driveline Yokes. DO NOT apply to the spur gear and pinion gear. For most, this will be something they would do anyways, but just in case, I wanted to make sure this was known. Again, these will be running changes to the instruction manual and depending on when you read this, these may not be issues any longer. Thanks, Rich |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I really appreciate the fact that as a representative of Vaterra, you are getting this information out concerning the issues with the production kits before they are even available. I really have lost a bit of respect and confidence in the Axial boys since the Yeti debacle and it would have been nice had they been more vocal to the fan base and their customers. Thank you for being pro-active and sticking to the "customer comes first" mentality. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Great to see some information provided even before this is out on sale. Stuff like this makes me feel good about your quality control. "thumbsup" |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I don't know that I've ever got support BEFORE getting the truck. Good job on keeping the customers in the loop as well as getting ahead of any potential issues! |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... This is why this rig will be my 11th Vaterra vehicle. I have yet to see anything compare to the quality and value of their products. Half my collection is Vaterra! |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... G'day, ... now this is what I call "real support" - explaining things and adding information before you actually have the kit in hand. :shock: Six out of five stars from me! "thumbsup" I hardly can wait for the item to be available in good old Germany *drumming on table*... |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... This is awesome to see some qc on a kit not even released..this will be my next scaler.. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Wow, I think I'd like to come work for you guys. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Update on post #2 http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vater...ml#post4888100 |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Update to post#3 http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vater...ml#post4888101 |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Awesome job with the customer support!! Its a really nice thing to see in this day and age! "thumbsup" I think this will be next on my list to purchase 8) |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Any chance of the maximum dimentions for batterys that will fit in the tray |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Quote:
This common name for the battery that will fit is a "Shorty" pack. These are used in most 1/10th Off Road buggies. Rich |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... If you want to go big and 3S max amps carries a 3s shorty for the durango. You may have to open the wallet a little but cant wait to try mine. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Rich, Do you know if the stock tires will mount on rc4wd steelies? Thanks |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Quote:
You may be able to trim our bead to make it easier. I've only mounted our tires on Vanquish wheels and it is a bit tough. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Thanks for the reply Rich. Any chance you have the 2 speed parts list? |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I just got done building my Ascender for the most part. Just have the body left to do. This thread was a great help as was all the other info about this kit on here. I only had one issue. It was with one of the CVD inserts that goes into the ball yoke. The hole was too small for the pin. About 2 minutes of using a 1/16" hand drill bit is all it took. Everything else was golden. I have been in and out of the hobby for 2 decades and have done countless kits. This kit it by far one of the best, if not the best I have assembled yet. I love the way it's designed, and the thing feels rock solid. I can't wait to get it dirty! Keep up the good work!!!! |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... If you are wanting to use the two speed trans the parts list for things you need is not complete. You will need the e-clips that hold the shift fork in place and 2 extra 4x8x3 bearings. Other than that so far GOOD BY AXIAL! |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Had the same issue with the cvd insert. I'm using an xtm 3300 kv brushless motor 550 and it was a little long. Nothing a dremel couldn't handle. My concern is the heat from the motor being so close to the lipo... |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I'm building this kit right now and there isn't anything about all these goofy ass links up front size wize in the manual Orr here |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Quote:
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps902d77bb.jpg The one exception that I missed was the front upper link which should be a 61mm and not a 66mm as then manual shows. Link I hope this info makes your build a bit easier. Rich |
I though it was pretty clear myself. Right at the top of the page as Rich showed. I've built 100's of kits though. I can see how it could get a bit hairy. I would suggest maybe just showing the steps to build the truck box stock in the instuctions, with a seperate section at the end outlining different chassis and link configurations. Might be a bit more clear. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I have some assembly tips for those just getting the kit, the tiny diff cover screws are a little difficult to start. I started a screw in the opposite end, the nylock side just enough to hold it in place while I started the diff cover screw. Also the right side trans mount seems to have come out of the mold slightly larger than the left. You can sand a little or, just start the screws that attach it the the frame and it draws right in. And I did have to clean out one CVD pivot shaft as the pin would not push through cleanly. Otherwise, kit is awesome so far, can't wait to get power to it. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I just started the build today, and i didn't experience a tight cvd pin but a tight driveshaft pin. But this isn't my first build so it just took awhile to make it work. So i pressed with the build so far. Can't wait to finish it. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Any one else have issues either with missing or duplicate parts? B4 missing vtr232074, link mount. Mine is the same as the correct part on C4. On the frame missing VTR231034 have 2 of the same parts, but no 1st brace. Ive contact vaterra on the first issue, twice with pics, still waiting for response, havent contacted them about the missing frame piece. This is my first vaterra kit. It was a sealed kit from my local shop. Frustrated build |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... new guy here. Just finished building my rolling chassis. When I went to place the body on the frame to see how it looked, the wheels did not line up with the wheel wells. I have read just about every thread in this form and had read the one of another poster here having the same issue. So I was aware of what the problem was. But when I went back and looked at the instruction book, that is where I notcied what the issue was, or at least was in my case. If you look at the drawing and follow the hole alingment based on the front of the rails and center block, everything will line up. But if you look at the drawing and follow the rear holes and center block alingment mounting, you will be off by one hole aft, which is what happened to me. Maybe the drawing can be updated and a bit clearer as to where to mount the block fore AND aft. I also had an issue trying to figure out where the 3rd link on the front axle mounted to the frame. The drawings are not very clear. I found a few good pictures on this forum that showed me exactly where to mount them. I will admit that my last "kit" RC car was some 30 years ago with a team Assoicated Rc10 with the alunimum tub. I haven't been into RC in at least 25 years. But I've built plenty of full scale cars/trucks/motorcycles in my time so this is nothing new to me. Love the look and design and can't wait to take it outside to play. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Hey Crusty, Rich posted a thread about the proper hole alignments just kast month. I think that will help if you haven't fixed it yet. You're going to love it. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Hey Dex, yes I saw his other post and even printed out the drawings, but it was still a bit confusing, even after I knew what was wrong. I had to look long and hard at the two drawings as I was fixing the problem. Of course it wasn't as easy as just sliding the center block forward one hole. That would have been to simple. As others have noted, my center block fit tight on the right side rails so it took a bit to move it and align the holes. But all is good now and I got to run it a bit last night in the garage. Can't wait to get it outside to play with a little. Now I've got to get back to work on my 1:1 '87 K5. ;) |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I am just about half way through putting one of these k5 kits together, chassis and axles, and I have had a few minor issues. **step D-1 on page 40 and 41 in the manual off vaterra's website shows the rear frame rails lined up with 9 holes for chassis adjustment. The rails that were in the kit have 10. I had a lot of trouble getting things lined up for chassis length. After looking at page 41 I got the frame rails to the proper length, but I had the center skid plate lined up to he rear hole which was too far back for the body/wheels/bumpers to line up right. 1- the skid plate did not fit into one of the chassis rails. Wasn't out by much, I used an exacto at a right angle to scrape a little off the top and still had to use a moderate amount of force to get it in. May be just a one off of the rail out of spec, because the other side fit snugly with no problems. 2- the king pins, or screw and flanged washer in the front uprights. I had to loosen off the screws on top and bottom ~ 1/2 turn to get the steering to turn without binding. Not an issue now, but I am sure at least one of those screws will fall out at the most inconvenient time out on a long run somewhere. 3- the set screw pins in the wheel hex. They were all a little tricky to get lined up right, and on one of the rear hexes I leaned my hex driver a little too hard and snapped half the threads off the pin. I do like these pins that use the 2.0mm driver instead of a 1.5mm driver, but the sidewalls of the set screw part of the pin is a little thin. You will have to be careful if you are using a decent set of drivers and not just tiny Allen keys. I was able to make the broken one work, but I will have to get some replacements. It is nice that the wheel hexes fit snugly onto the outdrives, but the the set pins will not thread in until the pin is just through the outdrive and into the other side of the hex which was the main cause of trouble for me. 4- axle diff shims. It looks like two small .5mm shims or something. In the little addendum instructions they came with it showed one on each side of the axle ring gear. I wasn't sure about this and I put them both on one side to hold things tighter against the pinion. Everything seems to mesh good, but I don't know for sure it might be able to use some more. 5- after going through and assembling all of bag D, I was short one 3x10mm tapered head screw and had on extra 3x10mm button head screw. I went through the chassis and could find any wrong placement of any screws, so it must have been a small oversight in packaging. I am sure it is a rare mistake, luckily I had a pack of 3x10mm TH traxxas screws handy from another project. Other than these minor bumps along the way I am impressed with this chassis so far. I may have to read some more forums for tips on this thing, this is the first thread I started reading while assembling this beast! |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I too had to trim away at the skid plate to fit it into the chassis rail. I ended up cutting out the headlight buckets from the lexan body since I didn't mask them. I just saw this post and built the truck weeks ago! This is only my second kit, and playing around today I noticed it is squeaking somewhere and after reading this post I think I forgot to grease my tranny gears. The only thing close to an issue I have with this truck is that the sides of the body keep popping out over the rock sliders, but I think some foam washers on the body posts will help keep it tighter and also keep the body from rattling as much. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Something I did that most people may have know not to do but I think it's causing me some axle alignment issues. When you build your links for the axles, it helps to do the following. 1. Build the links according to the instructions provided in this thread. DO NOT insert the ball ends at this time. 2. Measure the links to insure proper length and that the pair of links are equal. Make sure the ends are aligned properly. 3. Insert the pivot balls in the ends making sure they are the correct orientation according to the provided drawings. 4. Do not mix up the matched pairs. Install them in the appropriate position on your K5. Hope this helps others to avoid the mistake I made and am now having issues with. My rear axle is offset by 1/8" and the front axle is offset by 1/4". I've got to check the length of my panhard bar and make sure it is correct. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Quote:
Why would there need to be a change in that unless the center motorplate was put in the wrong place? |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... D2 of the manual shows : http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/...psc93jhrah.jpg but what you really have is this: Note the holes for the body posts. picture shows in back but are really in front. http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/...psdfkpmuym.jpg |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... That front upper link had my rig all screwy. Thanks for the info! |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Quote:
https://i.imgur.com/DQ61pUX.jpg That same kit also had the HD pinions and drive shafts in it by the way. And I've read posts here from others that advised to put both shims on the gear side of the spool. Which should it be? |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... Putting those two shims on the flat side will help with mesh between the ring and pinion. I'd put them both on the flat side and try it out, make sure it spins freely. Both shims on the tooth side doesn't really make sense to me. |
Re: Things to know before you start building your Ascender... I put 2 and 2 on mine super smooth I had tried a few different ways with shims before I found what I liked I think its going to be different for all trucks to an extent |
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