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Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Took a few days off work and met up with a bunch of buddies for a Rubicon trail long weekend! 1:1 crawlers, Razors, motorcycles, mountain bikes, beers, burgers, coffee and cookies! First day on the way in and for couple hours we got dumped on with heavy thunder showers, stood around under cover eating sandwiches. That night we had several lanterns setup while cooking dinner and several people brought out their rc crawlers for crawl around the fire ring and some of the big boulders right in camp. While I was cooking and eating I let anybody who wanted drive my Ascender and they were not easy on it, forward/reverse slams, many falls from six feet up down onto rocks and dirt, my body needs some patching and reinforcing with a little drywall mesh tape and E6000 around the bottom of the grill. I drove a little that nightm but they did most of it and drained the 4500mah battery after couple hours every nigfht. She's scraped up but nothing broken. Wish I could say same for my SCX10, I blew out the CVDs twice on this trip, only minutes apart and they've broken so many times (including a couple sets made out of drill bit blanks), the inner and outer axles are done, the holes got wasted the last time the pins broke. I had one spare dogbone and stub axle for one side, but not the other. After letting them run it in 3-wheel drive for awhile, it stopped moving or steering, but the battery still had juice, might have smoked my first Tekin FXR, have to see. Broke the front body mount retention piece off the top of right front shock tower too, had to swap that out so the body would stay on properly...time for VP shock mounts. On to the pictures. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4783/...84b7a8d2_b.jpgIMG_0536 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/812/2...c127ba09_b.jpgIMG_0537 https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4781/...f5ac187d_b.jpgIMG_0538 Also went to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower, saw a few good ones but not nearly as many as we usually see, probably due too much socializing. http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essent...-meteor-shower One of several friend's 1:1 crawlers on this trip, most were Toyotas. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4778/...4a3bc1b1_b.jpgIMG_0539 Went for a strenuous half day hike and crawl, more hike than crawl, but scouted out some sweet crawl spots. Found a small pond and another small lake. :) https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4784/...2a0f36fa_b.jpgIMG_0540 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/798/4...e4e90061_b.jpgIMG_0541 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/817/4...0e0055c3_b.jpgIMG_0542 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/812/4...c2c7c2ae_b.jpgIMG_0543 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/2...d30f2f35_b.jpgIMG_0544 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/816/4...3531d11b_b.jpgIMG_0545 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/819/4...f74c556e_b.jpgIMG_0546 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/817/4...5ce6a4bb_b.jpgIMG_0547 |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Hiking back, almost at the "trail" head. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/790/4...19563b57_b.jpgIMG_0557 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/818/2...30c35954_b.jpgIMG_0558 Leavin is always the hardest part and I'm usually one of the last to head home, it's so beautiful, peaceful in the mountains...hot coffee and couple Kashi cookies to prepare for the trip while enjoying the sunset. I love watching the colors change as days turns to night. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/811/2...155f0348_b.jpgIMG_0559 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/804/2...50381bcb_b.jpgIMG_0560 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/796/4...708703a3_b.jpgIMG_0561 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/814/2...7bd2348a_b.jpgIMG_0562 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/787/2...428b9261_b.jpgIMG_0563 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/803/4...61fb7a84_b.jpgIMG_0564 What's that on the dash? https://farm1.staticflickr.com/793/2...380dfba1_b.jpgIMG_0565 |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER FYI the axial servo horn fits well when the servo is placed in its optional horizontal position. Nice pics Nate! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks, good to kmow! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Your trip looks like it was a blast and the gorgeous view just makes it better. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Nice! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Killer pics man! Making me miss the mountains of Colorado real bad right now! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Awesome pics Nate!!! It looks very peaceful. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER On the dash board, is that a stone from your trip? Every year when I make a trip to the mountains I take a stone home with me, one that I've found on the/a trail.....nothing in particular, it just has to be big enough to write the date on, all of the people that came on the trip with me, and the locations that we visited. I've been doing it since I was a boy.....maybe 9-10yrs old. Great photos, step by step on how to ascender, and the sunset were great, interesting bold pic though. No wait is it a cookie.... |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks for all the replies. :) Does look kinda like a rock. It is a cookie! After dinner coffee and cookies for the road. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER that trip looked amazing |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER I've started exceeding the stock tire foams when turning on a downhill and they roll over almos to the rims. I like Crawler Innovations Deuces Wild foams on my SCX and Wraith, but am not finding good size for the Vaterra TSLs that I love. Closest size seems to be Single Stage Closed Cell for 1.9 Pit Bull Rock Beast, but they may be too tall. Vaterra TSL SX Swampers specs from RPP Hobby | Radio Controlled Cars, Trucks, Boats, Helis, Planes, Plastic Models Size mounted on Gear Head 1.9 EZ-Loc Wheels is 4.55" Tall x 1.69" Wide :: PIT BULL TIRES :: ROCK BEAST® R/C 1.9 Scale Tires 1.9 Rock Beast Scale Tire Specs: Part# - PB9003NK Mounted Specs (using Pit Bull supplied 2 Stage Foams) 1.9" Rim 1.7" SW* 4.45" OD* Weight - approximately 2.5 ounces per tire Dimensions may vary depending on mounted rim used Here's the CI DW foams for Pitbull Rock Beast (CRI-3001), but it doesnt' say how tall and wide these foams are. Anybody have a set of these foams they can measure? Single Stage Closed Cell for 1.9 Pit Bull Rock Beast I read where Rolandrockshop used 4.5" dual stage soft(front) and medium(rears) for his, but I don't see these on CI site now. He lists part# CRI-2030 for tires 4.75" to 5" tall. Lil' Nova 1.9 Dual Stage 4.75T Foam Pair (2) See post #4 in his build thread: http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vater...k5-blazer.html I've used CI Lil' Nova 1.9 Dual Stage 4.25T Foams (part# CRI2010, for tires 4.25" tp 4.5" tall) before in my Honcho with 1.9 Ripsaws and they work well, but if you crawl lots they will soften over time. Looks like my best option might be to use these with firm front/rear outer foams. Lil' Nova 1.9 Dual Stage 4.25T Foam Pair (2) I like the simplicity of the DW single stage foams, great all around foams. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER The sizes of the C.I DW closed cells for the 1.9 rock beasts aren't listed cause C.I didn't intend that particular foam to be used with any other tire combinations. The same goes for the C.I DW for the 1.9 growlers. I would've thought that the C.I DW closed cells for the proline tsl sx swampers would have been the choice in regards to vaterra swampers. When I emailed C.I about some foam recommendations for the 1.9 growler, and the 1.9 rock beasts, he recommend 4.50 standard inners w/ medium outer (CRI-2024) for the rock beasts front/rear. For the growlers he recommended 4.50" standard inners w/medium outers (CRI-2024) for the front, and 4.50" standard inners w/firm outer (CRI-2028 ) for the rear. It's quite common for Eddie Fisher to pull items from the website when they are out of stock, try RPP, or CKRC. The foam for the growlers changes front to rear, based on the space inside the tire, and where the weight is located on the chassis, in the ascenders case the its heavier in the front cause of the battery, but you also want a slightly firmer foam in the rear to count act the tire compressing too far, as the weight is transferred to the rear when climbing stuff. I suspect the foams for the rock beasts doesn't change because unlike the growlers there isn't as much space inside them. Essentially your not so much trying to find a foam that fits a specific tire, but more trying to tune for weight. I mean sure there are recommendations for tire sizes, but that's all it is is a recommendation more based on stock rigs. If you start adding weight then most likely you end up moving to firmer outers. Let's just say your rig was really heavy and you wanted to use either growlers, or rock beasts, first you'd weigh your rig (some people have scales that give you the weight values of individual corners of the rig, but that's too technical for me) then you'd select your lil novas with the weight of your ascender as the baseline, if the weight exceeds anything from the 4.50"/line up, then move to 4.75". |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks for the help. "thumbsup" That maybe why they are not litsted, but it would help us when making foams fit that are close to same size. The Proline TSL SX Swampers are significantly larger than Vaterra Swampers when they are held next to each other like I did at LHS. I would have bought foams there (they stock CI) but they were out of DW foams for Pitbull Rockbeast 1.9, which are closest in my side by side comparison at LHS. I ordered two pair so we'll see how they fit when I get them. Yes the foams need to 'fit' the tire, but not necessarily fill them up especially when using the Deuces Wild single stage foams. However, the Lil' Novas (1.9) and Double Deuce (2.2) should fill the tires. I usually go same or softer foams in front tires, but as you said depends on weight and balance (front/rear) of that weight. I've also found that they soften some with use so sometimes I go one stiffer than I want to end up with. Professorcake gave me the hookup on a set of four Ascender tires/foams in like new condition, some red waterproof LEDS (cut to length and solder), and JST harness plugs! Thanks bud! "thumbsup" 8)8) I also bought RC4WD Whitespoke steel beadlocks and VP 1.9 rings just in case since I've found that RC4WD rims tend to leave very small gap for tire beads and I've cut tires using them before with non-RC4WD tires. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/796/3...b935fb3c_b.jpgIMG_0566 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/798/2...a8996648_b.jpgIMG_0568 Some lighting work started, got couple ideas on where to run wires to JST plug. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4777/...63eeb830_b.jpgIMG_0567 Something for torque twist, Slash 4x4 swaybar set (does NOT work). I also have a Wraith rear swaybar kit to experiment wtih (mo' better!). I got parts to work on but it's hot as hell here and the air sucks from all the forest fires, don't want to be out in the garage working when it's like this. Spent half the day outside yesterday afternoon and night, headache, eyes burning and itching. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER I'm using a set of broken in CI DW closed cell foams that I got from LukeKang77. They are for the Proline TSL XS XL tire, but he cut down the ribs on them. They were in a set of 1.9 Falken Wild Peaks that I got from him. With the ribs cut down, they actually fit the Vaterra Super Swamper tire pretty good, and work really well for the type of driving that I do. I just ordered four CI DW closed cell foams for some 1.9 Rock Beasts that I acquired, and four 1.9 Lil' Nova's (4.50") for the Voodoo KLR's that I pre-ordered. Natedog - please post pics of your lighting wire job. I'm wanting to put lights in my Ascender body, but not sure how I want to route them, other than ShoeGoo'ing the wires to the inside of the body!! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks for the info, got a pic of those trimmed DW's mounted with tires and wheels? |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Quote:
Natedog awesome pictures from your last trip! Thanks for sharing! Look like some sweet crawling spots! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks for foam info update, good to know. I've found same as you, heavy rigs, just driving (the more it's driven the more they soften), heat etc will shrink/compact the foams. Thanks for the pic compliments too, I try to take lots of pics and then sort through them, amazing how same shot can turn out so different. Yes, amazing crawling and hiking! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Quote:
Sorry guys, they weren't trimmed CI DW foams. They were well used CI DW foams that I got from LukeKang77!! Regardless, they work pretty good in my Vaterra TSL's!! "thumbsup" |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks for all the comments, and yes we'll see how the different swaybars work, cheap solution to the TT it seems. Bought this today, looking for a better head. :ror: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4777/...edd12bea_b.jpgIMG_0570 |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Nice bod.I can see it now,Interior and roll cage in the K5.Oops,sorry forgot it's a secret.......lol."thumbsup" |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER New beadlocks with CI DW foams for pitbull rockbeasts. Feels like just right amount of squish...we'll see on the trail! |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks for the great deal on tires ProfessorCake! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/887/4...aa4378d4_b.jpgIMG_0571 |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Nice, are those rc4wd? |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Thanks, yes they are RC4WD with Vanquish 1.9 inner rings. Now I prefer RC4WD Proline inner rings (blue color) 1.9 PROLINE TIRE COMPATIBLE INTERNAL BEADLOCK RINGS Part Number:Z-S0846 https://store.rc4wd.com/19-Proline-T...gs_p_2878.html |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Quote:
Those look good Nate!! I'm thinking about the black ones!! [emoji106] I have a thing for solid black wheels on a vehicle (depending on the color of the vehicle). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Do the black wheels, they look good too! I used RC4WD silver hex hub adapter: RC4WD OEM Steel 1.9 Stock Beadlock Wheel Hexes (4) I don't like the silver RC4WD wheel hexes because all the little machined points sticking up chewing at your finger tips while assembling wheels and tires. :evil: The faux brake rotor versions would be very nice as you can see the back side is nice and smooth because the screw heads are on the wheel side, not the hub side, but these add 2mm to width on both sides, iirc the Slash front 2wd hexes add 3mm per side? This type of hex hub makes wheel/tire assembly easier because there's no nut to hold on the other side while holding everything else in alignment. :lmao:"thumbsup" I prefer the look of the little nuts on outside, they look like lugnuts. I've drilled couple sets of HR (Hot Racing) 1.9 wheel hexes that come with 2mm hardware, to use 2.5mm hardware same as RC4WD and did not end up with the sharp edges all over that the silver RC4WD hexes have. Starting at post #172 there are pics and how to drill out wheel hubs too. http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/axial...t-build-9.html I originally bought the silver RC4WD hexes just for the hardware when I drilled my HR 1.9 steel beadlocks. RC4WD OEM Steel 1.9 Stock Beadlock Wheel Hexes (4) These hexes needs to have the screw head area drilled from 0.173" factory to 0.177" to clear the slightly fatter screw heads of most 2.5mm screws...easy to do, but takes time and the hubs still have the sharp edges. I now have all four mounted with RC4WD silver hubs drilled out, next time I'll buy their faux brake rotor hubs and go back to stock width wheel hexes instead of Traxxas wider hexes. I'm using Slash 2wd front wheel hexes on my SCX10 Honcho, they snap onto the axle cross pins and stay put nicely while addling iirc 3mm width per side. RC4WD 1.9"/2.2" 6 Lug Steel Wheel Hex Hub with Brake Rotor is a great way to get hex hubs and not have fingertip eating sharp edges on the backside: RC4WD 1.9"/2.2" 6 Lug Steel Wheel Hex Hub with Brake Rotor FYI, the 2.5x8mm and flatnuts used on these wheels are slightly smaller wrench size than previous RC4WD steelies, I was using my 5.5mm Associated nut driver and it was too loose. Didn't find my 5mm driver and ended up 3/16" (4.7625mm) is very snug fit on the flatnuts, so maybe they are 5mm? I also had to use my Dremel with coarse grit sanding drum and enlarge the center or the VP rings to fit onto the RC4WD wheels. I opened the inner diameter about 0.020" for them to fit together easily. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Been tuning and tweaking on this thing, drilled all four shock pistons out to #55 (0.052"), left the rears this way but notched the fronts using a sharp X-Acto blade to cut straight out from the drilled holes. The rears are just right imo, but the two notches is way too much, running some Axial 30wt oil that I have lots of around. Drop test and my squishy test both say front is now under damped, but on the traiil it crawls great so I'm leaving it for now. May use Associated 60wt or 80wt in the fronts, but rears seem perfect, funny thing is it crawls great so we'll see. I'm looking for a set of stock shock pistons to drill and tune in the meantime. Ran back to back crawling on same rocks, same lines, same temps etc. stock RTR glued tires/foams/wheels against RC4WD steel wagon wheels/kit tires (same compound as RTR)/CI DW foams. The RC4WD wagon wheels/kit tires/CI DW foams is light years ahead in all crawling (plus looks) and is my go to setup for this truck. WTH is up with Photobucket??? I can ping it, but it keeps giving error...hopefully pics later from setup and a great day crawling in the mountains. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Helper https://farm1.staticflickr.com/867/2...9e7e1e97_b.jpgIMG_0572 Notched front shock pistons https://farm1.staticflickr.com/893/4...e60d1fb4_b.jpgIMG_0573 Shocks are emulsion (non-bladder type) here is proper full with shaft fully compressed. The fronts were filled perfectly from the factory, but the rears were a little over filled and that is probably why I had a little oil/dirt buildup around the seals only on the rears. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/901/2...e938133e_b.jpgIMG_0574 Shocks with stock springs, you can see the paint color marks for spring rate https://farm1.staticflickr.com/898/2...56c0b7d0_b.jpgIMG_0575 Trail! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/800/2...7ae2be3c_b.jpgIMG_0576 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/800/4...31cb98b9_b.jpgIMG_0577 After long hike, rolled up on ma easy chair and a cold drink. The smoke from all the fires in the western US was terrible, even worse at 7000' than it was in the valley. All that haze is forest fire smoke and smog, not clouds. :( https://farm1.staticflickr.com/812/2...6bd48ba3_b.jpgIMG_0578 Crawled up the arm of the chair around to the back up top and didn't spill a drop! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/879/4...569fcf4d_b.jpgIMG_0579 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/822/4...d6220cd7_b.jpgIMG_0580 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/808/4...9c7c637b_b.jpgIMG_0581 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/884/4...f72b7dba_b.jpgIMG_0582 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/873/4...8ff6daa4_b.jpgIMG_0583 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/874/4...86824d3f_b.jpgIMG_0584 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/815/4...ba5671f0_b.jpgIMG_0585 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/797/4...05007ea3_b.jpgIMG_0586 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/864/4...a25b4219_b.jpgIMG_0587 |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER https://farm1.staticflickr.com/888/4...bc5c7500_b.jpgIMG_0588 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/868/4...99520628_b.jpgIMG_0589 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/796/4...6552b73f_b.jpgIMG_0590 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/872/4...95f4dcd8_b.jpgIMG_0591 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/893/4...e76b0a41_b.jpgIMG_0592 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/897/4...a712ea21_b.jpgIMG_0593 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/893/4...53d28c23_b.jpgIMG_0594 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/868/4...e7406118_b.jpgIMG_0595 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/900/4...4fa1a8a6_b.jpgIMG_0596 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/889/4...43f20e5b_b.jpgIMG_0597 |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psz36ijifv.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/884/4...ef7d52d8_b.jpgIMG_0598 Rear swaybar tinkering https://farm1.staticflickr.com/809/3...ed5e76d5_b.jpgIMG_0599 What I came up with for now, needs redone, limits compression of rear suspension due to binding and loses last 3/8" of up travel. The chassis side of the bar mount needs to move rearward about 1/4" and down another 1/4". After cycling this and testing around the yard it seems that the swaybar needs to be flipped 180 so that the arms point to the rear like the lower suspension links. This would reduce binding and angle change of the connecting links...now I see why some peeps mounted it to the bottom of esc mount. I may do that, but bought some 1/2" thick HDPE (black cutting board) to make thicker mount (drops it down lower) and move it rearward some. The mount in the pics is 1/4" thick. The swaybar definitely helps a lot to reduce torque twist. Two screws thread into the spacer from inside the receiver box (holes not shown drilled yet in this pic) and then the four screws are tapped into the spacer from below. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/783/4...6822b6e0_b.jpgIMG_0600 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/879/4...01f072ab_b.jpgIMG_05601 |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER I got swaybar inspiration from lots of reading here, but the two main threads are Metalry101's Ascender: http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vater...aze-glory.html and Stillsmokin875's Ascender thread: http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vater...que-twist.html My Photobucket problem was using my no Java pc...dang Java the software that is so awesome it has an update almost weekly to patch security holes. EDIT: I have Slash Front/Rear Swaybar set and Axial Wraith Rear Swaybar kit part number AX30782 that I've been messing around with. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Dude, awesome thread and even better pictures! I love my blazer too. Still stock but definitely needs a better tire combo. I'm going with GCM aluminum slot wheels which are bead locks. From what you've said, you really like the ascender tires, they just needed a softer foam to really shine? I run dirt and smooth rock and get get them to hook on the rock. Too stiff out of the box. I'd like to see your light set up once it's done. I've got a kit on order and can't wait to get it in and working. Keep the posts and pictures coming! Ben |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Your build should be sweet, looking forward to your thread. Yes, I like the stock tires, paired with CI DW foams for 1.9 Pitbull Rockbeast they are working well, they will soften with use. Lights are coming, I have many projects and not enough time. :) |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Looking goood natedog great pics at least you drank half of it before trying that stunt up the chair...And one more thing your missing wheel wells.. Keep up the good work...."thumbsup" |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Nice work on the sway bar, I may have to give that a try. |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER I may have to try the sway bar mod.... |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER From a thread about body post options here: http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vater...ody-posts.html Quote:
After playing with different swaybars, I've found that mounting it to the ESC bracket works but greatly diminishes the effectiveness due to flexing of the ESC bracket, therefore I'm trying rear mounting again similar to Metalry101's Blaze of Glory thread. http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vater...aze-glory.html |
Re: Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER Sunset! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/886/2...e17ea3f2_b.jpgIMG_0602 Swaybar! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/787/4...47683c2c_b.jpgIMG_0603 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/822/4...05c9c775_b.jpgIMG_0604 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/882/2...3f847469_b.jpgIMG_0605 https://farm1.staticflickr.com/894/4...b45c8806_b.jpgIMG_0606 |
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