Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER

[norcallump]

[kookie31]

Where's this at?

Sent from my LGUS990 using Tapatalk

[new2rocks]

Loving' the mud. Kinda looks like my yard with the drainage landscaping work currently underway between rainstorms, lol.

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by rc2000

Nice pic...Sticky mud...the natural wheel weights.

Thanks, yes, lol.

Originally Posted by Itali83

So did you just get another body because yours is getting best up or did you get a complete second truck? If you got a second truck what's your plans for it and your current truck?
Ben

I bought a second complete RTR and I'm building it up very similar to my first Ascender.

Originally Posted by norcallump

Three Ascenders in a row, thanks for the nice pics!

Originally Posted by kookie31

Where's this at?

Sent from my LGUS990 using Tapatalk

Posted GTG at a guy's house in Paradise, California (Butte County Scallers, they have FB page iirc)...he has a sweet hand-built scale crawl area in his yard.
https://www.facebook.com/Buttecountyscalers/

Originally Posted by new2rocks

Loving' the mud. Kinda looks like my yard with the drainage landscaping work currently underway between rainstorms, lol.

Thanks, it was fun but lots of clean up.

[Itali83]

Aaahhhh another one who lives by my motto; if one is good, two is better. Nice!
Ben

[SMFtwstdHICK]

Originally Posted by Natedog

Which foams in particular?

The CI DW Rockbeast foams are working well, but when I get really bound up and stay on the throttle, I can see the tires starting to ball up a little, these are really not quite tall enough for the Vaterra TSL's, but work really well. I'm being as hard on them as I can, slipper is pretty tight and I've never heard it slip, I do know when to let off though lol.

I was going to install the larger CI DW foams for Proline TSL XL's in my other set of wheels with another set of Vaterra TSL's, but I need to disassemble my white spokes/TSL's to let them dry after yesterday's GTG crawl in the rain, hail (almost snowed too!), and mud...dang it was sticky! Soooo...I'm probably put the larger CI DW foams in the RC4WD white spoke wheels, just to keep it all apples to apples comparison. Might use the grey HR wheels too...we'll see. I think these slightly larger foams will be even better.

Was referring to the foams you had in the pic with the other goodies you acquired. The "Deuces " Foams? I think they were for 1.9 tires.?

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by Itali83

Aaahhhh another one who lives by my motto; if one is good, two is better. Nice!
Ben

Yes, spare, loaner, backup.

Originally Posted by SMFtwstdHICK

Was referring to the foams you had in the pic with the other goodies you acquired. The "Deuces " Foams? I think they were for 1.9 tires.?

OK, those are the slightly larger CI Deuces Wild foams, I have not installed them yet, but will update when I run them. I think they will be just right from my eyeball measurement.

EDIT: Nice new avatar pic!

[rc2000]

I remembered from your first post that you found your front axles were out of phase. I just read through it not paying much attention. Just went back through your first post and read that part so I decided to check it. Both of my axles were out of phase. Pulled one side apart front and back and it made a world of difference. It's like night and day how smooth the drivetrain is now. Thanks Nate

[13gmc]

If I'm not mistaken, that is the new rtr in the recent pics. Are you running that stock or have you already started building that one too?
Sorry, just looked closer and noticed the shut lines on the body. pic of body with no lines was a different ascender.

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by rc2000

I remembered from your first post that you found your front axles were out of phase. I just read through it not paying much attention. Just went back through your first post and read that part so I decided to check it. Both of my axles were out of phase. Pulled one side apart front and back and it made a world of difference. It's like night and day how smooth the drivetrain is now. Thanks Nate

Awesome, you're welcome and I'm glad I could help and that your truck is much smoother now!

Originally Posted by 13gmc

If I'm not mistaken, that is the new rtr in the recent pics. Are you running that stock or have you already started building that one too?
Sorry, just looked closer and noticed the shut lines on the body. pic of body with no lines was a different ascender.

No, all the crawling pics so far are my first Ascender. I'm in process of building the new one almost exact same as the first one, with plans to deviate a little later after some run-time with it.

You're correct, the shut lines are on my first Ascender, second one hasn't received that treatment yet...sorry for the distraction, I had to take a little ride tonight. Little espresso mid-ride...it was chilly.

[Johnnysplits]

See, now THAT'S mud!! It's just like the stuff in NY. Now that I moved to FL, this black crap here is not real mud. It doesn't have that super sticking action...like when you step in it and keep walking, your shoe stays in the mud.

[Natedog]

Yes, this red clay stuff sticks to everything...what the? where'd my shoe go? The black stuff is more sandy-like and just kinda washes right off.

More pics from Butte County Scalers GTG comp last Sunday! Hanging out getting warmed up pre-run in the rc area...lots of Ascenders in attendance with Blazer, Bronco, Dodge Ram Pickup, Jeep FC, Proline Blazer body for Traxxas Stampede, you name it!








Christmas lighted trucks, trailers, Rudolph's head as hood ornament with lighted red led nose! A nice set of custom rc crawler tire chains that Todd (our host) made was given to the person who brought the coolest gift donation for Toys for Tots (as chosen by all in attendance).








Norcallump's sweet FC Ascender




Little love for bobbed bed TF2, road grader back there smoothing out some new trails

[Natedog]

[Natedog]

Trip home. Jagged Sutter Buttes in the distance.




Double rainbow!




Spotty rain

[norcallump]

Nice pics Nate!

[13gmc]

Will you be posting the new ascender build? Here or new thread?


X2 Love seeing these machines in action!

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by norcallump

Nice pics Nate!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by 13gmc

Will you be posting the new ascender build? Here or new thread?

I'll post it here in conjunction with this thread...until later when it goes out into left field lol...then it will get is own thread.

Originally Posted by 13gmc

X2 Love seeing these machines in action!

Thanks!

[Natedog]

SSD diff covers installed. This one had decent amount of grease in both diffs, but I added little bit more. Both diffs had two shims from the factory, but they were both on the wrong side opposite the ring gear. Re-shimmed both diffs with same exact shim setup as my first Ascender and they felt nice, smooth and tight afterwards. Front axle CVDs were out of phase, so set them in phase when re-assembling.

Body posts lowered two holes front and rear, body all trimmed up same to clear bumper mounts and little around wheel arches. Drywall taped the key inside spots and covered with light coat of E6000.

Need to bake tires off stock wheels, mount on HR 8-hole steel beadlocks with CI DW foams (TSL SX XL size this time), drill shock pistons and limit internally. Ordered spare bearings and got a couple for servo output shafts, so need to install this bearing and grease servo gears.

The front edge of the floating battery was grabbing on steering servo mounting screws/washers and the plastic servo mount crossmember. I used sharp razor blade and shaved the mould line on both pieces and no more sticking when compressing the suspension...all smooth now.

More to come!

[norcallump]

Natedog is hardcore!

[Itali83]

I want pics of this virgin ascender while doing your mods. Has it been run at all yet? It'd be sweet knowing what I know now to get another one and just go to town on it all while it's all clean and new.
Ben