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Old 12-27-2015, 03:17 PM   #41
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GCM slot mags and brake rotor hexes look good. I removed my slider spacers like you did and will try it out, looks better. Did you make an adapter power plug to plug your bec in between the battery and esc?
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Old 12-27-2015, 03:18 PM   #42
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Got my 2 speed installed. I bought a new takeoff stock motor but geared it down from 14tooth to 12 tooth pinion. I also put the 86 tooth ascender bull gear on instead of the 76 tooth twin hammers bull gear. I'm just thinking it'll give me a little more power, smoother starts and stops and more control in technical spots. If I want more wheel speed that's what 2nd gear is for

I quickly adjusted my shifter end points and think I have them close. For you guys with the 2 speed, does your shift servo get warm at all? Not hot but warmer than room temp. I had it powered up and adjusting/fooling with it for 20 minutes or so and it was warm. Not hot or even close to hot but I noticed it. I also couldn't get it to stop buzzing in either gear but figured that may be the nature of the beast. I did read the how to article in the twin hammers section about setting up the shift servo. I've got a spektrum rdx4c so it's not exactly the same but the idea is. Any tips would be great! It does shift with burp of the throttle so it seems to be working fine. Also here's a few pictures from my late night wheeling session in my back yard.

Ben








Last edited by Itali83; 12-27-2015 at 04:24 PM.
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Old 12-28-2015, 01:42 PM   #43
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Little update on everything I've done in the last week. I was out in the yard for over an hour today. Everything is frozen so climbing the dirt piles was a dream. As long as I didn't flip backwards, I'd climb it it seemed.

That being said, I could tell that the new tires with the CI lil nova soft foams all around are amazing! Maybe if they break in ill need the mediums out back but right now they are perfect. Great flex while climbing but stiff enough for serious side hill action. They actually seem a little stiffer than my broken in stock foams by touch, but they act so much better out on the rocks so I don't know but I love them. I can already tell a difference with having the aluminum wheels on keeping the front end down a little bit better too. I love the look of them too.

I got my end points adjusted last night for the two speed and really out it to work today since it was in the mid 20's and I filled the transmission with thick marine grease. It shifted every time I asked it to and by the end of the run the servo wasn't even warm to the touch so hopefully it'll last. It works out just like I had hoped. The picture of the sand hill is one that I could not make up in low gear. It was too steep and loose. Even with a head start I would almost make it but dig in at the end. A quick shift to high gear, dropped the hammer and it powered through up and over. Motor had plenty of power to make it wide open up the hill. I also noticed a little more smoothness and control dropping the pinion from 14t to 12t and really like it.

The servo winch I made is the balls. The last picture is of a pull I did, about 5 feet of line was out and pulled the truck the whole way without even breaking a sweat. The camera was level and hopefully the incline shows up but it was steep.

Now for some pictures...





Last edited by Itali83; 12-28-2015 at 06:19 PM.
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Old 12-28-2015, 02:46 PM   #44
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Nice pics glad you got it all dialed in. Dang those wheels look better every time I see them!

The Crawler Innovations foams work great!

Last edited by Natedog; 12-28-2015 at 03:15 PM.
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Old 12-28-2015, 05:21 PM   #45
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Hey itali83 what wheels are those and mirrors.
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Old 12-28-2015, 05:34 PM   #46
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Never mind found them.
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Old 12-29-2015, 09:53 PM   #47
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GCM slot mags and brake rotor hexes look good. I removed my slider spacers like you did and will try it out, looks better. Did you make an adapter power plug to plug your bec in between the battery and esc?
I did make an adapter. Just got a set of plugs the same as the batteries and esc, cut a notch in the housings, soldered a short piece of wire between the two plugs with a 16g wire coming off the positive and negative terminals. Sealed it all up with liquid electrical tape, wire tied my new leads for strength and support, then powered my bec. I also ran power direct to my servo winch for maximum power. I didn't want to cut the esc power harness, and just wanted to do it like that I guess lol.

Had to take it out tonight in the snow just to see and mostly I wanted to see how the lights looked reflecting in the snow. Truck pretty much sucks in the snow lol. Was kind of fun cutting donuts in 2nd gear for a minute but that's about it.

Last picture shows the stock steering servo housing failure.







Here's a picture that shows my inline adapter to get battery power to both the bec and servo winch.


Last edited by Itali83; 12-29-2015 at 09:59 PM.
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Old 12-29-2015, 10:33 PM   #48
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OK thought so, thanks for clearer picture, you did a nice clean job on it. I've been thinking about that and couple other options to get my rock lights putting out like yours...the red looks awesome!

I'll have to watch my servos for the crack right down the middle lol. First one made loud snapping as I pressed it all together, but seemed ok and I had carefully seated the bearing when I installed it...didn't want to open it and look again. Second one went together nice and quiet.

The RTR servo case is really cheesy kinda hard thin plastic.

Last edited by Natedog; 12-29-2015 at 10:37 PM.
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Old 12-31-2015, 12:34 PM   #49
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Got my sway bar installed. Super easy install thanks to the many pictures natedog has taken. Basically the same as his. I used the lightest sway bar in the pack to start out with and will probably stick with that from what everyone else is running. I was able to use the supplied spacers with a couple washers on each side to keep the bar centered. I also used a ball pivot as a spacer to get the links straight and work the bar a bit more and also to keep the link away from the spring too. I had to sand off the axial logo on the sway bar arms. Couldn't have that on my truck!

I'm going on a group run tomorrow so I'll check back with results. I've also put my rock beasts on because it's a rocky beach run and I can't take the idea of getting salt water on my new polished aluminum wheels! I'm bringing them just incase I need them or want to try the new foam set up with my new tires.







Last edited by Itali83; 12-31-2015 at 12:43 PM.
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Old 12-31-2015, 01:22 PM   #50
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Very nice! Just wondering why you would want a sway bar though.
For 1:1 scale crawling I always disconnect both sway bars to allow maximum articulation.
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Old 12-31-2015, 01:35 PM   #51
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Very nice! Just wondering why you would want a sway bar though.
For 1:1 scale crawling I always disconnect both sway bars to allow maximum articulation.
I thought the exact same thing. All the 1:1 guys rip the sway bars off first thing. But from natedog's build and a few others they really benefit from them. Also while crawling at Bradbury, another guy has a sway bar on his big dodge and he can side hill where I can't. It helps with the torque twist these vaterras have too. Which will roll you over if side hilling in the right direction. Even straight climbing it will pull one front wheel from torque twist and hopefully this will help too. Tomorrow will tell though.
Ben
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Old 12-31-2015, 04:38 PM   #52
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I thought the exact same thing. All the 1:1 guys rip the sway bars off first thing. But from natedog's build and a few others they really benefit from them. Also while crawling at Bradbury, another guy has a sway bar on his big dodge and he can side hill where I can't. It helps with the torque twist these vaterras have too. Which will roll you over if side hilling in the right direction. Even straight climbing it will pull one front wheel from torque twist and hopefully this will help too. Tomorrow will tell though.
Ben
Well, in that case, I really hope it gives you a significant improvement!!
Have fun tomorrow!!
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Old 12-31-2015, 05:43 PM   #53
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Ben, you'll love the swaybar setup. Hard to tell in your pics, swaybar arms are parallel to the ground at ride height, correct?

Time for black sharpie on my swaybar links, don't really like how it says Axial on there either.
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Old 12-31-2015, 06:02 PM   #54
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Ben, you'll love the swaybar setup. Hard to tell in your pics, swaybar arms are parallel to the ground at ride height, correct?
Yes, at ride height they are parallel to the ground. I haven't done th shock mod. One thing at a time and just don't have the time for that at the moment.

It's killing me that the rock beasts are on plastic axial beadlocks but they don't say axial on them and all I've got for spare beadlocks right now. Can't wait to give them a try tomorrow too!
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Old 12-31-2015, 06:46 PM   #55
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Yes, at ride height they are parallel to the ground. I haven't done th shock mod. One thing at a time and just don't have the time for that at the moment.

It's killing me that the rock beasts are on plastic axial beadlocks but they don't say axial on them and all I've got for spare beadlocks right now. Can't wait to give them a try tomorrow too!
I really get a kick out of the way you speak about Axial stuff!!!
Reminds me of how I speak of General Motors products(except locomotives, I actually like GM locos!).....
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Old 01-01-2016, 02:18 PM   #56
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I really get a kick out of the way you speak about Axial stuff!!!
Reminds me of how I speak of General Motors products(except locomotives, I actually like GM locos!).....
lol brand loyalty runs deep even at small scale level!


Just got back from an amazing run at a local beach state park. Amazing natural rock with so many lines you probably could never get to them all even if you tried! Let me just say that the sway bar mod is AMAZING!!!!!! The only time I rolled my truck was because I was looking where I was walking and not where I was driving. The truck is just that stable now. I was going everywhere the others were going, sometimes even farther up the same line. I did have a set screw back off but I never loc-tited it because I wasn't sure which bar I was going to stick with. I've got the softest bar in and will stick with that. The only thing limiting this truck now is tire size and I'm perfectly fine with that. I haven't limited the travel of my shocks and maybe I will and maybe not, don't know if I'm at that level to even know the difference. But maybe I'll get bored this winter and do it anyway.

Second, the rock beast tires with the CI rock beast foams are equally amazing! Tons of side hill support, but enough flex to totally conform to the rock it's crazy! It kind of felt like cheating with this set up lol. But I don't fell bad at all though haha. I love my Vaterra super swampers, but these tires are going on EVERY time there is a chance of rock on a trail for sure.

Now on to the pictures...













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Old 01-01-2016, 02:36 PM   #57
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Here's the link to my blazer climbing a very steep and side angled rock.

https://youtu.be/UgqT9z9MpEQ


And hers's a link to my using my servo winch up a very steep section just for fun.

https://youtu.be/px8MWwuIv54
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Old 01-01-2016, 03:35 PM   #58
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That section is a good challenge, and one of my favorite spots at Reid.
Reid is a fantastic place to crawl.
I could stay there for days, if they didn't kick everyone out at dusk!
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Old 01-01-2016, 05:12 PM   #59
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That section is a good challenge, and one of my favorite spots at Reid.
Reid is a fantastic place to crawl.
I could stay there for days, if they didn't kick everyone out at dusk!
Totally agree rob, crawlin at reid is endless!
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Old 01-02-2016, 07:38 PM   #60
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Great pics, love the one looking out to sea and the last one wtih rain/snow cloud and white rock contrast! Told you the swaybar is awesome lol. The sidehilling and climbing you did will be even better with some GCM aluminum or RC4WD/HR stamped steel wheels for the just right amount of weight down low. Do that, loctite swaybar screws and drive it a few more times before you decide on internal shock limiting. Swaybar is more important, but either is easily reversed mod.

I hate it when the rangers kick us out of places at dark...we have lights...
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