My 68' F-100 first run and mods (sway-bar)

[Natedog]

Yes, agreed with Dean! Some CI foams will really help the tires perform better especially on side hills, I'd go either Deuces Wild single stage all around or dual stage firm rears and medium fronts.

 

[andymac0035]

Great pics, area looks great for crawling!

Thanks! I've been up and down this mountain about 5 times this week (vacation).

Get rid of the stock ESC and get yourself a 1080. The drag brake on the stock ESC is non adjustable and comes on pretty hard, a tuned 1080 can bring the brake on smoothly.

I must have a rare decent one, as this brake doesn't feel like it hits that hard at all to me. Either that or running AE-5's in other trucks hitting even harder have conditioned me. :lmao:
All that said, I bought a pair of 1080's recently, so it could happen.

Wheels look good, I’m using the same.

Yeah, I might get some more of these. I wish they offered them in chrome though.

FYI You can stretch the wheel base a bit with minimal effort by installing longer rear links ( same as kit Ascender wheelbase 4 ) and the longer rear driveshaft parts too.

I figured as much. Honestly though, I like it having a shorter WB. Is this the Bronco WB?

The short WB makes it so manuverable. My TRX4 has the 12.3 WB and so does one of the SCX10's (other one is 12-even), so this gives some variety, instead of having them all be the same.

 

[andymac0035]

Yes, agreed with Dean! Some CI foams will really help the tires perform better especially on side hills, I'd go either Deuces Wild single stage all around or dual stage firm rears and medium fronts.

Are you talking about using CI foams in the ripsaws?... Or the vaterra swampers?


I was reading a topic on here about venting tires, and I guess a lot of you guys like to vent your tires and run closed cell foams. I used to be that guy that always kept my truck away from water. My rule was no deeper than the sidewall, so I didn't have to take my beadlocks apart, as my wheels were vented. These days I have been running the older style axial plastic beadlocks with metal rings and using open cell foams but keeping everything sealed up. This has for the most part been working very well for me. Only the occaisional hole poked into a sidewall has messed things up for me. The ripsaws on the truck now are all sealed up with soft foams, but I put a rubber band around the tire to collapse it a little as it looked too rounded when I was putting it together. This has worked out well too, because typically at the start of my trail runs I need a softer tire, but by the time I hit the summit and it's more bare rock the pressure at altitude firms up the tire.

 

[andymac0035]

Had another great outing with the Ascender on Mt Cardigan Sunday. Got a group of us together this time. It was pretty cold and windy, but it kept the bugs away so I was pretty happy about that.

I really love the mix of terrain on this mountain.

 

[M1tch]

That looks a good place for a drive. . nice photos and trucks.

 

[andymac0035]

Pics from Friday. The Vaterra Ascender was literally in the clouds atop the mountain.

 

[meatmonkey]

Great shots in the clouds!

You making it to shred the ledge? Field and Forest must be pretty close to you?

 

[andymac0035]

Thanks, and yeah I was looking at how far away STL was. It's a little bit of a drive, but not all that far. Time and money is going to keep me away though. I do most of my crawling on the trails. I've done a few comps though. I hit up Mt Kearsage in Warner NH today and took the Ascender out for a run up it and was pretty happy with how it did. I had been thinking of trying some different tires, but after the way the ripsaws worked today I may have to re-think that one.

 

[Itali83]

Dang, that looks like an awesome spot. Truck looks great on the rocks. I’ve been so busy I haven’t been out at all this year but would like to. I love my ascenders.

Ben

 

[Natedog]

Are you talking about using CI foams in the ripsaws?... Or the vaterra swampers?


I was reading a topic on here about venting tires, and I guess a lot of you guys like to vent your tires and run closed cell foams. I used to be that guy that always kept my truck away from water. My rule was no deeper than the sidewall, so I didn't have to take my beadlocks apart, as my wheels were vented. These days I have been running the older style axial plastic beadlocks with metal rings and using open cell foams but keeping everything sealed up. This has for the most part been working very well for me. Only the occaisional hole poked into a sidewall has messed things up for me. The ripsaws on the truck now are all sealed up with soft foams, but I put a rubber band around the tire to collapse it a little as it looked too rounded when I was putting it together. This has worked out well too, because typically at the start of my trail runs I need a softer tire, but by the time I hit the summit and it's more bare rock the pressure at altitude firms up the tire.

Both the stock Ascender Swampers and Axial Ripsaws. If it's working for you don't mess with it.

... I had been thinking of trying some different tires, but after the way the ripsaws worked today I may have to re-think that one.

Loved the Ripsaws on my OG Honcho with some steel beadlocks and CI foams, worked awesome! "thumbsup"