Dezfan’s Enduro Kit •Rock Crawling Perfection•

[dezfan]

So I picked up my Enduro Kit last Friday with the intention of building it over the weekend.

Then life interrupted my plans. Got news that my boy is being sent the Middle East for 6+ months and dealing with that and everything it entails put my Enduro on the back burner.

As we are getting things squared away and things are settling down a bit, I headed out to the work bench to start on my build.

Opening the box and checking out the contents was so refreshing. I love kits and I love building. I probably like to wrench on my rigs even more than I like to drive them.

The Enduro Kit to this point hasn’t disappointed me.

I assembled the chassis (added an additional aluminum YR70mm brace in front of the rear shock towers), built the transmission(with the 12% overdrive gears) and installed it on the chassis. Assembled the front axle, assembled the rear axle, and started on the front links.

Only thing I don’t love at this point is the plastic hex’s. I truly expected aluminum hexs with set screws.

The plastic hex’s fit rather snug, but they will be replaced.

I’m building it stock to start, running it, and then I’ll start the upgrades with the Factory Team hard plastics, chubs, etc...

Rock Crawling Perfection will make more sense later...

Just a few pics from this evening.

Chassis and transmission.

Front axle.

Rear axle.

Didn’t get many pics, I was to focused on the assembly process.

 

[B-MOW71]

Glad to see you opened the box and started building!"thumbsup"

I hear ya on wrenching and building! I too love to build and I spend more time at my bench tinkering and building than I do driving.

I was disappointed in the plastic hexes too. I haven't decided yet as to which hex to buy. I may end up getting the KNK brass hexes.

I just want to say that I will be keeping your son in my thoughts. I know how tough it can be on the family. My son spent 7 months in Kandahar back in 2010. We knew going in to him enlisting that he may have to travel overseas. It was something that he was looking forward to and he was glad he had the chance to go and serve his country. The good thing was that he was able to call and do video chats every so often, so that helped out a bunch. The wife also enjoyed putting together care packages to send to him and his buddies once a month.

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the build!

 

[Shinchu]

nice clean start! i agree with running it box stock and upgrading where you want improvement. just throwing (aftermarket) parts at it before you even drive it doesn't make sense to me.

tell your boy i said thank you for his service. I've been in the navy 19 years and shipped to Djibouti once, but that's my extent of deployments NOT in water.
we pray for his safe return, and yes keep those care packages coming, too! those are huge moral boosters.

i need to look into those KNK brass hexes...

 

[soze]

Right on man! Nice to see all the kit builds starting.

 

[dezfan]

So a couple of hours in the shop this afternoon and the Enduro is a roller.

Went by the LHS to pick up my body, grab some Slime for my shocks, and a couple of smaller pinion gears (14 & 15 tooth).

Picked up my body, but of course they didn’t have the pinions I needed and they where out of Slime.

Anyone have a suggestion on a possible substitute for the Slime?

I’d like to get the shocks built ASAP, install the electronics and start mounting and painting the body.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated!

Rolling chassis with ProLine 4.75 Hyrax(Predator Compound) and 1.9 Method “knock offs”.

Tires and wheels.

YR75mm Link (shortened to 70mm) I’m using for additional bracing until my hard plastics arrive.

JCincepts Bog Hog Body.

That’s it for tonight.

Tomorrow electronics go in and I’ll start on the body.

Stay tuned.

 

[CODYBOY]

Nice start, I think Associated diff lube would work in place of the slime for now. I've used it for that when I use to race AE trucks.

I 'd like to see more of the body??? Good luck!

Ernie

 

[dezfan]

Nice start, I think Associated diff lube would work in place of the slime for now. I've used it for that when I use to race AE trucks.

I 'd like to see more of the body??? Good luck!

Ernie

The diff lube included with the Enduro?

If so, that would be awesome!

Thanks for the heads up,

 

[HumboldtEF]

The diff lube included with the Enduro?

If so, that would be awesome!

Thanks for the heads up, ����

I think that's grease in the tube though I'm not positive. I suppose grease is likely to work for that too. Shock lube (I'm guessing) is likely just a slight variation on grease though some are tackier than others.

I'd say go for the grease if you wan tto get the shocks done . If you want to change it out later its as easy as removing the lower cap, wiping the grease off and sliming it.

 

[dezfan]

Well after Ernie’s post, I started doing a bunch of research and looking for a viable alternative.

After lots of reading, I found several suggested alternatives.

So this afternoon I went on search. Started at a local motorcycle dealer looking for some Noleen SF3. Strike one.

Checked out one of the local sporting good stores that had an active mountain biking section looking for some Judy Butter. Another swing and a miss.

So onto the next shop. A locally owned bike shop. Walking in and asked the kid at the counter if they had any Buzzy’s Slick Honey. He was like, “sure do”.

Awesome! So I bought a tube and headed back to the shop to get my build on.

Hopefully this will be beneficial to others looking for a Green Slime alternative.

Buzzy’s Honey Slick

My completed shocks.

Roller.

These things where so easy to assemble. It’s been a long time since I’d built a set of Associated shocks (2009ish on an SC10) and I don’t remember them being this easy to assemble or so smooth.

Only issue I ran into was a used the wrong O-ring under the shock cap and the threaded spring adjustment knob.

After I switched those out(one is slightly bigger than the other) I was able to wrap up the last of the shocks and get them installed.

One question I have, I used the same plastic ball studs as on the rest of the kit and they are very loose in the blue aluminum caps.

Did I use the wrong ball studs? I didn’t see any others?

Anyways, my Enduro is a roller!"thumbsup"

 

[HumboldtEF]

Even the metal balls are a loose fit on the shock caps and allow the shocks to slide in and out. They could probably use some O-rings to tighten things up.

So is that Slick Honey for bike shocks or what? That’s cool you found an alternative, i was just curious whats its used for.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dezfan]

Even the metal balls are a loose fit on the shock caps and allow the shocks to slide in and out. They could probably use some O-rings to tighten things up.

So is that Slick Honey for bike shocks or what? That’s cool you found an alternative, i was just curious whats its used for.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup, it’s used on the fork seals.

From what I’ve gathered, it serves the same function on bike fork seals as slime serves on the O-rings.

 

[CODYBOY]

Yup, it’s used on the fork seals.

From what I’ve gathered, it serves the same function on bike fork seals as slime serves on the O-rings.

Way to do your reseach! If I'm not mistaken, the green slime not only lubricates the shock O-rings but cause a process the swells the rings for a better seal. I would think what you pick out does the same thing. "thumbsup"
Ernie

 

[dezfan]

Way to do your reseach! If I'm not mistaken, the green slime not only lubricates the shock O-rings but cause a process the swells the rings for a better seal. I would think what you pick out does the same thing. "thumbsup"
Ernie

Thanks for the suggestion, it’s what got the ball rolling and lead to my finding out the information I did.

 

[dezfan]

Been super busy over the last couple days, but the Enduro is just about finished.

Got my electronics (minus receiver, still waiting on it) installed and everything wired up.

Holmes Hobbies 21t 550 motor(until Reedy 5 slot arrives).

Savox SV-1270TG servo will do the steering duty.

Hobbywing QR1080 ESC.

Ovanic 3300 3S 50c pack for power.

GkySky GT5 Tx/Rx.

Winch servo is in the works.

Had to remove the ends of the battery box as my 3300 was just to long for the small tray. Even my 2200 packs where to long? Maybe it’s just my batteries, but I think Element missed the boat on the tray size?

Also narrowed the electronics trays on both sides to accommodate the Willy’s body which is narrow and lite!

Just a couple of quick pics.

 

[durok]

Did your kit not come with the large battery tray?

My understanding is that they come with both to allow use of shorty packs or standards...

Or is it too wide for that sweet narrow-waisted Boss Hog Willys?

 

[dezfan]

Did your kit not come with the large battery tray?

My understanding is that they come with both to allow use of shorty packs or standards...

Or is it too wide for that sweet narrow-waisted Boss Hog Willys?

The kit comes with both trays, the small tray barely fits with the Bog Hob body.

Still waiting on my radio, I think the company I bought it from much be sending in over on a leaky row boat with only one oar.

Did receive a few of my hard plastic parts and a couple new pinion gears.

While getting my Marlin Crawler ready for tomorrow’s event, I slapped a few of the hard plastic components on.

Got the shock towers installed.

And I got the rear axle switched over.

I’ll try to switch the front axle switched over tomorrow.

Got the body in the paint booth.

And I scored another Element RC banner. A smaller one for my Mechanics Cart.

Tune in tomorrow, same bat time! Same bat channel!

 

[dezfan]

Not much to report, got the front axle switched over to the hard plastic.

Still waiting on a few other hard plastic parts to arrive.

 

[dezfan]

A few more hard plastic goodies arrived and where installed.

Installed the hard plastic rear brace and relocated the stock chassis brace used to mount the battery tray to the rear of the chassis for some additional bracing and as a location to mount the receiver box.

As I don’t plan on using a rear bumper, I flipped the rear mount to increase the angle.

I think I’ll add the hard plastic servo mount and skid to my order list, then I’ll be done with the hard plastics.

Progress on the body, but not ready just yet...

 

[dezfan]

Got the workbench cleaned and organized today.

 

[B-MOW71]

Nice work area."thumbsup" That is a nice workbench.

I need to find them Element banners!

Enduro is looking good! Can't wait to see the body!