Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER

[joe.bielski]

Great write up on the Vaterra!!! I've been eyeing them ever since they came out. Love the way the body sits and the wheels just tuck right under.

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by MudMonster

Hmm wounder if it was because i had one of the first run of kits? I got mine in December.

Could be...but seems like kit should cover bases for all servo horns.

Originally Posted by fingers crossed

I got 3 servo horns in my kit. I only picked it up in April but the hobby shop said it was one of the first kits as they had it on hold for a customer for a few months.

Originally Posted by joe.bielski

Great write up on the Vaterra!!! I've been eyeing them ever since they came out. Love the way the body sits and the wheels just tuck right under.

Thanks! I watched and waited for awhile too, but the way Vaterra quickly addressed issues by releasing HD pinions and driveshafts sold me. I checked shim proper diff shim location and added one shim of my own per diff and good to go. You won't regret an Ascender, yes I love the body and tires tuck in perfectly when crawling....looks really sweet.

[Natedog]

I'm collecting LEDs, wire, crimp on JST connectors, etc. to wire up my lights. I'm going to use 4 stock headlight "buckets" for white LEDs and some cut to length red LED strips for rock lights. I like my lights to be realistic looking as far as the amount of light output, they are still plenty bright enough to see what I"m doing at night, but don't blind myself and others while crawling, the red should help with this too. Converted all my crawlers to use XT60 battery connectors, they are much easier to solder than Deans, easier to grip and unplug, nice low resistance and many Turnigy lipos come with them already installed...if it's good enough for aircraft, it's good enough for crawlers.

For suspension, I added 2mm of spacers to both rear upper links to get pinion up just a tad more and see what it does to the torque twist if anything. Emailed Horizon Hobby about the stock RTR and kit shock spring rates versus the Ascender Upper Shock Spring Set Soft,Med,Hard(2ea.) PART NUMBER: VTR233029. According to Horizon, "The RTR and Kit come with the "medium" rate springs. These can be identified by the Silver mark on the spring itself. The firm springs are identified with a green mark, while the soft spring is identified with a Yellow mark." I want to soften the short upper springs to get ride height down little more while still maintaining spring contact with the adjuster and bottom spring cup at full droop, the soft springs should do the trick!
Vaterra Ascender Upper Shock Spring Set Soft,Med,Hard(2ea.)

Looking to buy a new set of 1.9 Vaterra Super Swampers to experiment with on steel beadlocks. I have a couple sets of Hot Racing and am looking at RC4WD 6 lug wagon wheels, I already have hex adapters and VP inner rings for these.

EDIT: My RTR steering servo has steel gears according to mfr, but is developing slop at the output so I'm guessing it has a bushing or only one bearing and one bushing on the output gear, but haven't taken it apart to check yet. I looked on Horizon/Spektrum and searched around didn't find any bearing/bushing sizes anywhere. Anybody know what size bearings I need here?

[JOETRUCKER80]

I use a Turnigy 959 servo. For the $38.00 price tag, u get 400 oz at 6v and a alum case, metal gears and ball bearings. Purdy much the only servo i run now. Check em out.
I also used traxxas grey springs on my stock Ascender shocks set for droop, they work great!

[2-shot]

Originally Posted by JOETRUCKER80

I use a Turnigy 959 servo. For the $38.00 price tag, u get 400 oz at 6v and a alum case, metal gears and ball bearings. Purdy much the only servo i run now. Check em out.
I also used traxxas grey springs on my stock Ascender shocks set for droop, they work great!

The Traxxas grey springs, which ones did you use? Are they Stampede springs?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[professorcake]

Originally Posted by Natedog

I'm collecting LEDs, wire, crimp on JST connectors, etc. to wire up my lights. I'm going to use 4 stock headlight "buckets" for white LEDs and some cut to length red LED strips for rock lights. I like my lights to be realistic looking as far as the amount of light output, they are still plenty bright enough to see what I"m doing at night, but don't blind myself and others while crawling, the red should help with this too. Converted all my crawlers to use XT60 battery connectors, they are much easier to solder than Deans, easier to grip and unplug, nice low resistance and many Turnigy lipos come with them already installed...if it's good enough for aircraft, it's good enough for crawlers.

For suspension, I added 2mm of spacers to both rear upper links to get pinion up just a tad more and see what it does to the torque twist if anything. Emailed Horizon Hobby about the stock RTR and kit shock spring rates versus the Ascender Upper Shock Spring Set Soft,Med,Hard(2ea.) PART NUMBER: VTR233029. According to Horizon, "The RTR and Kit come with the "medium" rate springs. These can be identified by the Silver mark on the spring itself. The firm springs are identified with a green mark, while the soft spring is identified with a Yellow mark." I want to soften the short upper springs to get ride height down little more while still maintaining spring contact with the adjuster and bottom spring cup at full droop, the soft springs should do the trick!
Vaterra Ascender Upper Shock Spring Set Soft,Med,Hard(2ea.)

Looking to buy a new set of 1.9 Vaterra Super Swampers to experiment with on steel beadlocks. I have a couple sets of Hot Racing and am looking at RC4WD 6 lug wagon wheels, I already have hex adapters and VP inner rings for these.

EDIT: My RTR steering servo has steel gears according to mfr, but is developing slop at the output so I'm guessing it has a bushing or only one bearing and one bushing on the output gear, but haven't taken it apart to check yet. I looked on Horizon/Spektrum and searched around didn't find any bearing/bushing sizes anywhere. Anybody know what size bearings I need here?

Hey Nate I have a set of 1.9 Vaterra Super Swampers I am not going to use if you want them on the cheap, also have plenty of spare red LED strip left from wiring up my rig I can throw in for you no problem. Ill shoot you a PM.

[Natedog]

Joetrucker80, thanks for the servo suggestion those look burly might pick one up for a spare. Got my old Wraith Hitec HS-7955TG for now,
Motor Type: Coreless
Bearing Type: Dual Ball Bearing
Speed (4.8V/6.0V): 0.19 / 0.15
Torque oz./in. (4.8V/6.0V): 250 / 333
Torque kg./cm. (4.8V/6.0V): 18.0 / 24.0
Size in Inches: 1.57 x 0.78 x 1.45
Size in Millimeters: 39.88 x 19.81 x 36.83
Weight ounces: 2.29
Weight grams: 64.92

Originally Posted by 2-shot

The Traxxas grey springs, which ones did you use? Are they Stampede springs?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

X2, more info please, part number?

Originally Posted by professorcake

Hey Nate I have a set of 1.9 Vaterra Super Swampers I am not going to use if you want them on the cheap, also have plenty of spare red LED strip left from wiring up my rig I can throw in for you no problem. Ill shoot you a PM.

Hey Professorcake, I just got home from bicycle ride, I'll check it out thank you for the offer and pm.

[JOETRUCKER80]

I will double check my springs n get back with ya. Been busy gettin ready for a kayak trip.

[Natedog]

Thanks for the update Joetrucker80.

Anybody measured with calipers or tried to swap Revo rod end balls into the Ascender plastic rod-ends?

I don't have any loose Ascender balls to measure, so need to pull apart my truck and measure unless somebody has already checked?

It's good to have spares, need to buy some.

[cgw]

Yup, they fit in the stock rod ends. Half mine that aren't width sensitive locations are traxxas balls now

[Natedog]

Not too tight or too loose? They are too wide in some places like upper links to axle end?

[JOETRUCKER80]

They r the stock scx10 long lower springs. Run em single stage by them selves for full droop. I luv em! Sorry it took a while couldnt figure out what the springs come off of, lol.

[Natedog]

Thank you!

[jeepgeek2002]

Joe Trucker asked me to tell you not to post pictures of this "SICK" CA landscape.. its pushing us to drink and dream of such landscapes here in FL! and its making us have to build more California like landscapes out of concrete.. something man mad vs your home grown stuff.. so un-fair!

[JOETRUCKER80]

Lol, yeah i do miss the CA lanscape, hills, mtns, ect. Here in FL its trees, roots and water! Lol

[Natedog]

Jeepgeek2002, LOL thanks we are blessed with the large granite slabs, but sometimes even in CA we have to drive and hunt around for something other than river rock. You have limestone ledges and all don't you?

Joetrucker80, I like it but hate the traffic. Love the ocean and the mountains!

[JOETRUCKER80]

I grew up in So Cal. IE, area, fontana to san diego.

[Natedog]

Nice, lots of good rock down there too! I lived down San Diego back in the day, love the ocean....Fontana ooh San Berdoo! I've traveled back since then and took my mountain bike, but would have liked to have my crawler there too.

[cgw]

Yeah, they're too wide in some areas, but they fit the ends well without slop. Literally half the ones in my truck now are traxxas. No sloppy balls here, lol

[HDMM]

Originally Posted by jeepgeek2002

Joe Trucker asked me to tell you not to post pictures of this "SICK" CA landscape.. its pushing us to drink and dream of such landscapes here in FL! and its making us have to build more California like landscapes out of concrete.. something man mad vs your home grown stuff.. so un-fair!

I know the feeling......

We Lived in Colorado Springs last year, spent all summer crawling and trail running, now were back living in FL trying to figure out where or how to go crawling again.....lol