1SLWMoFo’s GS02 Bom

[1SLWMoFo]

Hey guys, just introducing my GS02 Bom.
Bought it as the kit version along with most of the option parts. It was my first kit build in over 20 years, as my very first kit was an Associated RC10GT. Since then I had been out of the hobby for way too long. Got back with a RC4WD Marlin and then got a Honcho for my son. A few weeks back I got myself the Bom and a TRX4 Sport Kit for my daughter. So in a matter of 1.5 years I’ve gotten more RC’s than I ever had before.

My plan here is to give my perspective on the GS02 Bom and some kind of a review of it. I will be covering some parts compatibility between the SCX10.2 and the Bom. I will not be covering anything regarding the build process of the kit itself, but rather concentrating on the option parts available and obviously the ones I bought. There are other really good build threads in here that will really get you through the build process without a hickup. So on to it…

The Bom kit I can say was a bit of a challenge to build since I was installing the option parts as I went through it. I really like the build quality and machining of the option parts, although some of the edges are too sharp and could represent a hazard for the younger hobbyists. The fit is almost too exact and some of the parts need a little fiddling with to get to work properly (will go through this later). The anodizing is second to none and give the parts an even better appearance. The m3 thread is a little in the tight side and you really have to be careful when you start a screw. I always start a screw in reverse to align the threads, then screw it in. All in all, I’m really impressed with the option parts’ build and quality and looks.

The following is a list of all the upgraded parts I currently have installed in my GS02. I bought these since I think they all make the rig better and more durable, and also look good and stand out a bit. Obviously the rig is in the testing stage and in all reality, the testing never ends.

Rig specs:
- GS02 Kit
- Gmade aluminum rear bumper mount
- Gmade aluminum rear crossmember
- Gmade aluminum frame brace
- Gmade aluminum servo mount
- Gmade aluminum cross bar and hinges
- Gmade aluminum chubs
- Gmade aluminum steering knuckles
- Gmade aluminum rear axle truss
- Gmade aluminum rear lockouts
- Gmade HD locker set
- Gmade input shaft set (modified)
- Axial WB8 HD driveshafts (modified)
- Gmade aluminum 12mm hex set
- Gmade aluminum diff cover set
- Gmade aluminum lower link mount set
- Gmade stainless 313mm link set
- Gmade stainless steering link set
- Gmade aluminum body posts
- Gmade aluminum shock brace
- Gmade motor plate
- HW WP1080
- HH Crawlmaster Pro 16T (stock pinion/spur included in GS02 Kit)
- HH BLS SHV500v2
- SMC 4500 90c 3s
- Front Traxxas GTS 90mm shocks with Axial 12x60 white springs
- Front SCX10.2 aluminum shock towers (China Edition)
- Canted style Traxxas GTS 90mm rear shocks with Axial 12x60 yellow springs attached to BPC Wraith stainless rear shock mounts
- Standup front stock shocks with Axial 12.5x60 white springs
- SSD Rock Shield XJ front bumper (modified)
- Vanquish 1.9 KMC Machetes
- SSD locking hubs
- Proline 1.9 Hyraxes (Predator)
- Crawler Innovations CompCut 4.75’s (mediums all around)
- SLW style wheel weights (China Edition)

Here are some pics of my Bom (these are with the stock shocks, which have been changed out to a set of Traxxas GTS’s in 90mm):

Without the gas tank and cargo net (too empty on the back)...


With net and gas tank (way better now!!!):




More to come...

 

[soze]

Looks nice man! Really curious to see under the body! Also interested in your shock setup!

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Wow that's a great looking truck! "thumbsup"

 

[Col_Sanders]

Nice. Show some topless pics.

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Looks nice man! Really curious to see under the body! Also interested in your shock setup!

Thanks Soze!!!
Took some advise from your build to make mine easier. Thanks your for posting up yours.
I wanted to take the rig with the upgraded shock setup for a really good test before posting up about it. This last WE I had the chance to hit the trails and the setup performed tremendously. Have a vid posted up in my YT account, though just wanted to take more detailed pics of the setup before posting up. You’re all very welcomed to visit my channel (1SLWMOFO 1979). I’ll be posting the link when I get to the Shock part in my review.

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Wow that's a great looking truck! "thumbsup"

Thanks Jato. You always rock!!!

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Nice. Show some topless pics.

Thanks Colonel!!! I’ll get to that in the Electronics part of my write up. Hopefully I can get to that tonight.

 

[soze]

Thanks Soze!!!
Took some advise from your build to make mine easier. Thanks your for posting up yours.
I wanted to take the rig with the upgraded shock setup for a really good test before posting up about it. This last WE I had the chance to hit the trails and the setup performed tremendously. Have a vid posted up in my YT account, though just wanted to take more detailed pics of the setup before posting up. You’re all very welcomed to visit my channel (1SLWMOFO 1979). I’ll be posting the link when I get to the Shock part in my review.

sub'ed on youtube.

 

[1SLWMoFo]

sub'ed on youtube.

Thanks REV-X!!! As I told you... the roof rack will not hurt handling at all. If anything, I was a bit disappointed on quality of construction than anything else. It looks really stylish and fits the Bom almost too perfect, but I don’t recommend lifting your truck by grabbing it from the rack. Kinda weak...

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Wheels, tires, foams…
So, the first upgrade that I think should be done to this truck is a good set of wheels/tires. You will definitely take full advantage of the rigs capabilities when you get it to stick to the ground. Went with Vanquish KMC Machetes (Vanquish quality is second to none), Proline Hyrax’s in Predator compound as these are one of the few tires out there that really have good grip right out of the package (would recommend to use G8 compound if you’re crawling your rig continuously and being hard in it as Predators tend to wear out faster), and Crawler Innovations Comp Cut 4.75 foams in medium compound on all four corners. On the foams, you really want a stiffer foam on the back and a softer on the front so that the back tires can support the weight of the rig on an ascend without compressing too much, and the fronts have enough flex on them to “wrap around” the obstacle and pull you over. I went full medium since the weight distribution on the Bom is very forward biased and a medium would still support it properly. I did use the thinner outer ring of foam that the CI’s come with on the fronts to add a bit more support. Tested without them and noticed the tires compressed too much for my liking. The mediums on the back are a perfect compound for the Bom’s weight. Upon testing, I was very impressed and pleased with the results as side-hilling support is very good, without any noticeable tire roll and climbing abilities are just exceptional.

Front Vanquish KMC Machete with SSD red locking hub...


Rear with SSD black hub...


Pro-Line Hyrax Predator Compound

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Axles…
Second upgrade that I did, and may be considered mandatory, is upgrading the stock steering knuckles and chubs. We all know that the SSD aluminum knuckles fit the Bom nicely and have the advantage of screwing in their proprietary wheel weights, but you are stuck with the stock plastic chubs and bushings. I went with the Gmade optional aluminum knuckles, chubs, and brass bushings. First off, Gmade and all of their resellers do not offer any brass bushings spescific for the Bom, but the ones for the Gom (GA60 axles) are an exact fit, and are actually included as an upgrade part in the GS02 TA Pro Kit. As I said at the beginning, some of the parts have too much of an exact fit and this is where you will get a bit frustrated about it. The brass bushings, when installed in the Gmade aluminum knuckles and mounted on the Gmade aluminum chubs, are a pain to properly put in place. It’s just too tight of a fit (that’s what she said!!!) and once all is screwed into place, it takes way too much effort to pivot the knuckles by hand. What I did to fix this was sanding down the flat side of the brass bushings and de-burred the inside part of the holes in the knuckles so that the bushings sit properly in them. This helped tremendously, although it still took effort to pivot the knuckles. Over time and regular use, these loosened up really nicely and all is now working properly. I did made sure to grease up the outside surface of the bushings to minimize friction. Also, remember that it is mandatory to use blue locktite on metal to metal parts.
Then I installed the Gmade aluminum lower link mounts. This is not an upgrade that is required, but nothing compares to a positive feel when threading in a screw that will basically be absorbing all the impact transferred through the lower links and suspension. So, yeah… well worth it. Btw, I did not check if the SCx10.2 version fits here as I do not have the Axial counterpart to test with. So if anybody can shed some light in this…
Diff covers… completely unnecessary, but damn they look good!!!
Did the hex set as well, but would not recommend it as you can get them cheaper elsewhere, or even get the brass versions in 8mm and take advantage of a little lower COG (not much though).
Rear lockouts… because why not?
Two of the last upgrades I did inside the axle were the heavy duty lockers and input shafts. The lockers are a total must have if you plan to get serious with the rig. These fit so well and look/feel very nicely built as well. The input shafts, well I’m very partial to Axial WB8’s. Indestructible and very dependable driveshafts, but you will have to mod the optional Gmade input shafts for the WB8’s to fit properly. The screwpin hole needs to be enlarged to fit the Axial pins. These have a different thread pitch than the Gmade’s so they are not interchangeable. You will definitely need to enlarge the holes to fit Axial parts. Once done, the advantage is just huge. Serviceability alone is just more than enough. Now, it’s not just a simple install and that’s it. You will have to cut the shafts to size as they will be way too long and will bind up for sure (actually they will not fit in without cutting them down). After this mod, don’t even worry about a broken driveline!!! Just keep’em greased.

Front Axle (loving that diff cover!!!)...


Passenger side knuckle/chub assembly and stainless steering linkage. Double sheered knuckles installed with brass bushings.


Passenger side rear view (driver side is simpler). Here you can see the aluminum link mount, lower shock mount attached to it, and the panhard lower mount on the chub...


Rear axle with aluminum diff cover, truss, link mounts, lockouts, and stainless upper/lower links...


I could not take a pic of the modded 5mm input shafts before installing them, but they went in real easy and felt very positively attached to the third member assembly. Here is an overview or the undercarriage of my GS02 chassis, where you will have a better view of how the WB8 HD driveshafts sit once installed and cut to length.

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Chassis…
Third most important upgrade I consider is needed would be chassis stiffening. This is where most of the money would be spent in option parts. I bought all of them: rear bumper mount, crossmember, and chassis brace, along with the front bodypost brace. These really made a big improvement in chassis strength and rigidity. All this upgraded parts will transfer all the forces at the chassis towards the shocks, and increase handling characteristics, assuming a proper shock setup (more on this later).
I would say that in order to complete this “upgraded” chassis, you will need to add better shock towers and servo mounts, along with a front bumper mount and servo mount. Since my son has an upgraded Trail Honcho with a few aluminum parts, I decided to cross check the parts that I’ve read fit the Bom. The SCX10.2 aluminum shock towers definitely fit, but the pan hard mount on the drivers side tower sits higher than the Bom’s stock tower (this will be explained later on). I installed both front aluminum towers and the aluminum servo mount with the aluminum Gmade body posts and the front body post brace and boy did this stiffen up the front part of the chassis!!! I then checked with the Honcho’s aluminum front bumper mount and it as well is a perfect fit. I also test fitted the SCX10.2 front chassis brace, but this is a no go as the GS02 chassis is wider than the Axial in its respective mounting location. So, knowing all this, went to “the web store of unlimited stock” () and got a set of aluminum towers and a front bumper mount. When the parts arrived, I installed and everything went in like it was made for it. I also checked the aluminum SCX10.2 servo mount and it fits perfectly, but I had already bought the Gmade option. Still, I would recommend getting an SCX10.2 version as you can find them cheap and plentiful.
With regards to the front bumper, I ended up not using it as I decided to get an SSD bumper that comes with its own bumper mount, but this was not a perfect fit and I did modify the crap out of it to get it to fit how I wanted.

The rear part of the chassis. Here you can see the aluminum rear bumper mount (which in reality is used to mount the rear cage swivel links), the rear crossmember, and the red rear chassis brace. I moved the crossmember forward to clear the truss when the suspension fully compresses...


Passenger side aluminum shock tower and body post. You can also see how the body post brace attaches...


Driver side aluminum tower w/ panhard mount and body post. Also a view of the other side oth the body post brace. Once the brace is installed, everything stiffens up nicely and the chassis acquired a great strength. You can try to move the shock towers from side to side and it will be very difficult...

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Links and Steering link mod…
Not much to say here… like with all stainless links out there for whatever rig you may have, they increase durability and help lower your center of gravity. Now, these links look sweet!!! Have not seen any other manufacturer do links like these. Really nice pieces of work.
As I said before, the shock towers definitely fit, but the panhard mount on the drivers side tower sits higher than the Bom’s stock tower and this makes the rod end on that side sit higher and way too close to the servo horn. So close that it actually touches it when compressing the suspension and limits its travel. With my servo and horn combination (HH BLS SHV500v2 and Vanquish 25mm horn) I could not shim the servo mount to bring it higher as the horn would then hit the upper surface of the panhard mount (very limited space on that area). So I took a spare RC4WD aluminum bent rod end I had in my parts box and tried it out. Perfect angle and does not introduce axle walk, but does pushes the whole front axle to the passenger side as the rod end is too long. I ended up shortening the rod end and the threaded stud on the stainless steel panhard link to bring the axle to stock location. After all the work, the truck sits nice and low, axle in place, no axle walk, and the link travels fully without hitting the axle cover or the battery box. Perfect!

View of the modded upper panhard RC4WD aluminum rod end and the Vanquish 25mm aluminum servo horn...


Another view...


Rear 4-link setup with SS upper/lower links...


Front 3-link + panhard setup with SS links...

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Shocks…
The stock shocks are just that, stock shocks, but they get the job done. What I didn’t like much about the truck is the cantilever setup that comes from factory. I think this is where it fell flat in its face. Gmade advertises the rig’s transmission as effective in reducing torque twist due to the counter-rotating design (and in design it is true), but the rear cantilever suspension is so soft and prone to compression that any situation were the rig’s weight become unbalanced (all the time in a crawler/trail truck), it will reflect as massive torque twist. I have a TF2 Marlin that I fitted a custom cantilever setup in the rear, but contrary to the Bom, I did it on the outside of the frame rails. Why? Because of the Rule of the Lever.
Let me give you a small overview of this...
There are three classes of levers, and a cantilever suspension falls into the third class. A class 3 lever is one that has a fulcrum (or a pivoting point) at one end, a force is applied at the other end, and somewhere in the middle there is a load. This relates to the Bom’s suspension setup as follows: the pivoting point would be the center of the axle housing (the “pumpkin”), the end where the force is applied would be the wheel, and the load would be the pushrod that connects to the rocker arm that pushes on the shock. Well, class 3 levers (and all levers for that matter) work based on effort (amount of force acting at the opposite end of the fulcrum) and how much of it you apply to “lift” a load. The closer the load to the fulcrum, the less effort made. So if we translate this to the Bom’s suspension... the pushrod (our load) is very close to the pumpkin (fulcrum), thus it is easier for the weight transfer (force applied) to act upon it and lift the load (compress the shock). Cantilever systems need heavy springs, and the closer the pushrod is to the pumpkin, the more spring rate will be needed. So either a heavier spring would be needed, or tightening the spring rate adjuster a bit more could do the trick on balancing out the suspension system. Now, all this is perfectly doable on the Bom, but what you cannot do is adjust ride height. Shocks on a cantilever system are almost always fully extended due to the stiffness of the springs (although a very well adjusted cantilever system will end up with 50% droop), and we all know that a lower ride height will lower your CG and increase stability. So lowering the Bom’s ride height would be the best thing to do in combination with stiffer springs, but ride height in a cantilever system is adjusted through the pushrod and the one that the Bom comes with is a fixed pushrod, so this means that ride height in our rigs is not adjustable. In my TF2 I achieved this by making pushrods using a set of Associated titanium turnbuckles for a vintage RC10 with rod ends at both ends. Now on the Bom, I think it is not feasible due to space constraints. What could be done is making different size pairs of non-adjustable pushrods smaller than stock and see which one you like (sounds like “fun”, right?).
Well I did not want to go through all that trouble and I know there is other suspension setups that will work even better in this application.

A quick pick of my TF2’s custom cantilever system. Notice the adjustable pushrods and how they would help set ridehight...


I currently (Nooooot!!! I will leave this part so that you all can read of my experience with the stock shocks, but will add the GTS’s experience at the end) have a canted/slanted suspension setup in my Bom, and it works awesome!!! I have no visible torque twist whatsoever and ride height is low and stable. I’m using the stock rear shocks threaded to the chassis rails and to the top hole in the link mounts at the bottom, with the shock tilted forward (the shock is almost fully extended, but that will change soon). This still give the rig some mechanical advantage over the shock when compressing it, yet maintaining the needed spring rate to have a balanced ride. I can tell you that the front shocks are now doing work and the rears are still flexing good. What I need now is longer shocks in the rear so that my rear wheels aren’t always in the air. And this is where the Traxxas GTS shocks come in...
These GTS’s are amazing!!! I’ve tried King Shocks and RRD’s from RC4WD, Pro-line Scalers, Boom Racing... none compare to these. The control they offer and the soft dampening action when using a semi-heavy weight silicone, is just fantastic. The rig feels so relaxed and the suspension does all the work without any sudden shock movement that would throw it out of balance. Yes, they are expensive... maybe too expensive for what they are, but you get what you pay for and I’m serious about my rig. I understand the GS02 platform is very well thought out, taking the best parts of proven platforms and integrating them in a unique way. It’s climbing ability is rivaled by few, and it has the looks as well. Best of all, it’s a real performer right out of the box (if only the transmission had been addressed before lunching the product to the market).
How I mounted the shocks was pure coincidence. I was thinking of building custom aluminum mounts that would attach to the chassis, and started looking around the inter webs for inspiration. Then came across the Axial Wraith SS shock mounts from BPC (BP Custom Chassis). I got really intrigued by these and though that the price for the front and rear set was cheap enough to buy and test/mod. Well, turns out that the rear mounts fit the GS02 chassis with two bolts when inverted from their intended position on a Wraith. So screwed them in using the threads on the last hole in the chassis crossmember and the chassis brace as well. This turned out to be and awesome mod to the Bom and works just flawlessly!!! You do have to trim the rear cage a bit by cutting the lower tube that attaches to the bottom of the main cage hoop (the pics will explain this better). All in all, the best upgrade I’ve done to the Bom, aside from tires and foams.

BPC Wraith SS rear shock mounts and Traxxas GTS 90mm shocks with 12x60 Axial yellow springs...


Another view...


Close up...

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Electronics...
I wanted good and solid electronics that would give me as little problem as possible and could be easily replaceable, without breaking the bank. So I went with the tried and true Hobbywing WP1080 ESC, a Holmes Hobbies Crawlmaster Pro 16T motor as these line of motors is just the best out there when it comes down to low speed control in a brushed can, and the Holmes Hobbies BLS SHV500v2 servo that delivers true power and super fast speeds and response times, with very quiet operation. I already had a Spektrum DX5c controller, so all I did was get another 415 receiver for the rig. Power comes from a 3s 4500mAh 90C battery from SMC (Superior Matching Concepts), and I can tell you this guys make some killer batteries. I always charge them at 1c or less and they will never raise temps while balance-charging, and balance out real nice. Did I say 90C?
This combinations of electronics gives me heaps of low speed control, great torque and punch when needed, and insane maneuverability in tight places. All in all, at the end of the day I did not put a huge dent in my pocket (well that’s debatable, but going brushless void be double the price easy). Btw, I am really amazed at how quiet my rig is. Have you noticed the same on yours?

HH products are one of the best out there, and the WP1080 is fast becoming a legend in the brushed ESC world.


Top view...


Top side view... everything is just so well located and helps bring the weight to the front very efficiently.

 

[drzjohn]

Are the axial springs softer or stiffer than the Traxxas ones

 

[soze]

Thanks for the look under the hood!

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Are the axial springs softer or stiffer than the Traxxas ones

That was one of the things I didn’t like about the shocks, for how expensive they are they don’t come with springs at all. An aluminum spring rate adjuster would have made some justice to the price as well. So I just can’t compare on that... although I do have a TRX-4 I can check with. Still, I really like the Axial springs and they tend to be on the softer side than most. I have RC4WD springs that at the same spring rate tend to be stiffer.

 

[1SLWMoFo]

Thanks for the look under the hood!

You’re very welcome sir...

 

[drzjohn]

That was one of the things I didn’t like about the shocks, for how expensive they are they don’t come with springs at all. An aluminum spring rate adjuster would have made some justice to the price as well. So I just can’t compare on that... although I do have a TRX-4 I can check with. Still, I really like the Axial springs and they tend to be on the softer side than most. I have RC4WD springs that at the same spring rate tend to be stiffer.

Thankyou
I have found a set of new trx sport shocks with springs I am going to try