Pinion gear

[dextan22]

i guess the question here is, are there plans for Vaterra to produce heavy duty machined ring/pinion gears for the Ascender?

[JOHNSON!]

You beat me to the question. Any after market guys out there watching? Are you planning on something? (locked up, blue monkey, rcbros)

[Jcplante]

This is strange to me. It looks like a strong enough design. It also more then likely is the same type of metal used in the axial rtr gears. I wonder if some slop developed somewhere to allow the gears to pull apart some causing much less surface area contact. I know stock axial gears are not the strongest but they seem a lot stronger then this. I don't know why this is a big deal to everybody either. I'm sure there will be hardened gears available from somebody soon. The rig just came out. Give the aftermarket a little R+D time to get it right.

[Hogass83]

Originally Posted by Jcplante

This is strange to me. It looks like a strong enough design. It also more then likely is the same type of metal used in the axial rtr gears. I wonder if some slop developed somewhere to allow the gears to pull apart some causing much less surface area contact. I know stock axial gears are not the strongest but they seem a lot stronger then this. I don't know why this is a big deal to everybody either. I'm sure there will be hardened gears available from somebody soon. The rig just came out. Give the aftermarket a little R+D time to get it right.

I was thinking the same thing wondering if the plastic housing or cover gave out because Harley expressed possible concern in one of his videos, so I pulled the front pinion and spool and put it in the rear housing and checked the mesh....it's right on the money still.

[cykb4117]

After reading this... IT HAS NO IMPACT on me purchasing this rig. My Axial gears stripped last week with beeftubes and trusses on my AR60... Not even close to getting rid of it because of this LOL!

Now down to business. It would be nice to just get stats, dates of purchase or maybe SN#(if they have one) of the rigs affected so rich can get an idea of which rigs are being affected. Obviously if it is every one of them sold we know they are weak. However if he can determine a small run are affected thats great! I can't believe the support we are getting for this; that is awesome. Thanks in advance. Placing my order tonight.

[Jcplante]

Hogass83-
OK I'm glad you checked it out. I guess that kills that theory. Hopefully it is just a bad batch of metal and can be isolated.

[dextan22]

yeah probably like Rich said. here's hoping my order comes with good ones. but i will be ordering a spare set anyways.

[Hogass83]

Yeah I hope he's right too. Don't really want to go buy axles...not quite yet anyhow lol

[M1tch]

I'm still waiting here in the UK for mine to turn up at the end of this month (I hope). This hasn't put me off buying at all. I run a scale truck with SCX10 axles and trans, and pretty much everyone upgrades the r&p anyway, plus driveshafts, transmission gears, beef tubes and more, yet Axial don't seem to get the grief that Vaterra are getting. . Time will tell what is good and what isn't. If MIP have already brought out drive shafts, then it's likely others are going to produce parts as well.

It's good to have direct feedback from Rich, and that can make things much better over time.

[redxz]

"Axial don't seem to get the grief that Vaterra are getting"

Excuse me. There is a reason Axial makes hardened steel ring and pinions.
Axial learned the hard way, and had tons of growing pains. That's why you have all the option parts to upgrare your axles right out of the gate.

The problem here is its not like Vaterra is creating the first crawler kit like Axial.
That's why the grief. Vaterra, and any other company should know better by now!

[redxz]

Vaterra stepped up the game for sure, and is now (IMO) killing it in regards to the chassis.
Where they dropped the ball (and you wouldn't have expected it given the thought that went into the chassis) is in the axles.
I'm sure a solution will come along shortly.

[Nicolasmj]

Other possibility

A bad batch of diff bearings allowing the ring to move side to side out of spec.
I wonder if the diff can be shimmed or is it tight?
I will be ordering one in the next month or so.
If it is a issue with all of them it wouldn't bother me considering how much I have to upgrade on a scx10 out of the box.....

Idlier gear. $12
Steering links $15? (Scratch this I forgot it was a kit to kit comparison)
Drive shafts. $45(or have to mod them)
Then to get to the same scaleness

Panhard/cms kit


I would be willing to pay a premium for bullet proof gears
$30-$35 each for gears that last like axial hd.

Get numbers together and let us know what the cost would be.

[dentguy55]

Ok called vaterra/horizon monday morning about broken gears, it is 10:30 am wednesday and the parts are here, im hoping as rich said it was a bad run of parts. It will be back together soon and I will be taking it out for a test run. I believe this vehicle will be at the top of the heap, I have 2 axials both scx10's both with hundreds of dollars of upgrades, ftom OD up front to UD in rear highsteer knuckles 8° chubs all alum links blue monkey tie rod mip's had many modifications to give more flex battery relocation, aftermarket shocks, so lets keep this all in predictive, it's new, just been released, comes with many parts that are optional on axial, to think that for 319.00 bucks you are going to get a vehicle that requires nothing to be equivalent to our scx10's loaded with hundreds of dollars in option parts, aftermarket parts and home modifications is really unreasonable.

[redxz]

Will be interested to see how it goes.
What motor are you running?

[EeePee]

Just sayin, but I've stripped ring and pinion gears in every truck I own, except for a Kyosho Rock Force because the spur gear gave up first (constantly). Numerous TLT, Hi Lift and CR-01 gears, numerous Axials and HPI (some stock, once an HD set) and the Losi Comp Crawler (worms). It happens.

An ever so slightly loose slipper goes a really long way was a lesson I learned after spending a lot of time swapping gears in axles, cause that was getting old.

[BJoe]

Originally Posted by Jcplante

This is strange to me. It looks like a strong enough design. It also more then likely is the same type of metal used in the axial rtr gears. I wonder if some slop developed somewhere to allow the gears to pull apart some causing much less surface area contact. I know stock axial gears are not the strongest but they seem a lot stronger then this. I don't know why this is a big deal to everybody either. I'm sure there will be hardened gears available from somebody soon. The rig just came out. Give the aftermarket a little R+D time to get it right.

It looks like Axial is still using pot metal gears in their factory axles where these are sintered metal, which should be way stronger, unless something went wrong on the heat treating process and the powders didn't get cooked together properly. I'm sure Rich will get it figured out and take care of people here like he did for me with the Comp Crawler I own.

Will this stop me from buying one, no, might delay it, but not stop it

[dentguy55]

Running fx r and 35t tekin

[dentguy55]

Up date on my ascender, got pinion in, slipper set a 5.5 turns out from tight, worked ok until going up steep dirt hill, front wheels stopped driving, took off front diff cover all is fine inside nothing broken, or even worn, set screws tight on tranny, thought it might be because of slipper, but wouldent that cause all wheels to slip not just front? Screw also tight on gear and driveshaft any ideas as to what to look at?

[Hogass83]

Originally Posted by dentguy55

Up date on my ascender, got pinion in, slipper set a 5.5 turns out from tight, worked ok until going up steep dirt hill, front wheels stopped driving, took off front diff cover all is fine inside nothing broken, or even worn, set screws tight on tranny, thought it might be because of slipper, but wouldent that cause all wheels to slip not just front? Screw also tight on gear and driveshaft any ideas as to what to look at?

Not unless the bottom trans shaft broke (can't see that happening easily)..or if the shaft rounded where the set screws sit. I'd pull the front driveshaft and inspect the trans output...etc..

I drilled my shafts and put the pin style set screw in. I didn't like the 2 set screw setup at all.

[redxz]

When applying throtle does your front drive shaft turn while you hold it between your pinched fingers?
If yes look in your axle, if no look in your tranny.