Josh_Br
Rock Crawler
My AX-10 Backwards Build Thread
A few days prior to this past Christmas, I ended a two or three year hiatus from RC by purchasing a slightly used Axial AX-10 RTC on eBay. I have been in-and-out of RC since I got a Tamiya Stadium Blitzer for Christmas as a kid, about twenty years ago. Historically, I eventually get bored with RC and sell everything, then later wish I still had the things I sold and have to buy it all over again (usually used). I have done this at least three or four times in my life, but this time I may be here to stay.
In full-scale, I drive a 1997 Jeep Wrangler (TJ). It's my second one, preceeded by a 1997 Toyota Tacoma, preceeded by a 1993 Nissan hard-body pickup. I discovered off-roading after aquiring that Nissan (used, in 1997), and have been an enthusiast ever since. However, upgrading a full-scale rig gets expensive fast, and with a family it is no where near top priority. My full-scale vehicles have never been modified past 31" tires, a 2" coil spring boost, and a little body armor. My off-roading consists mainly of muddy Pennsylvania trails and woodland obstacles. I've never had a vehicle with lockers or low enough gearing to go rock crawling, although it looks like a tremendous amount of fun. There is undoubtedly something exhilirating about going super-slow and driving over obstacles. I do not know what my future holds regarding full-scale off-roading, but the price, praticality, and accessibility of it on the smaller-scale of RC, combined with my nostaligia-lined love of the hobby, have drawn me back once again.
When people began building RC rock crawlers using TLT axles, Bender chassis, and an assortment of other parts that were specifically altered by the hobbiest, I was intrigued and did a lot of reading and research online. I was really tempted to try to build one of these rigs, but didn't have the money to invest at the time (easily $350+, all things considered), and the amount of specific parts needed was intimidating, not having a local hobby shop at the time. I never did build a TLT-based rig, and as RC rock crawling became more popular, factory designed crawler kits and RTRs began to emerge on the market.
When I recently wanted to re-enter the RC hobby once again, I decided that RC rock crawling would be the avenue that best suits my current stage in life. I live in town and don't have hardly any yard, I have two kids under the age of seven, and although I do have a local hobby shop now, the hours in which I have free time do not match up with the track hours at the hobby shop. Therefore, rock crawling in my basement was the chosen niche of the RC hobby.
This would not be my first venture into RC rock crawling. During my last stint of participation in RC, I owned a Duratrax Cliff Climber. After driving it a few times, I quickly became dissatisfied with the limited articulation the stock shocks allowed the suspension. I fabricated simple aluminum brackets to extend the shock mounts by around two inches, and installed AX-10 shocks with very light springs. After this mod, it had excellent articulation (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jb12345/4468004645/in/set-72157628516765205/), but I was still discontent with the rig. It seemed to lack power, and already had the smallest pinions that Duratrax offered. I didn't want to spring for their more powerful motors, and I generally didn't like the motor over axle setup. As I mentioned, I liked the idea of the TLT-based crawlers, and I wished the Cliff Climber had that style of drivetrain.
Before buying my AX-10 last month, I did a lot of research. In the course of this, I discovered the RC Crawler forum. It has been a wealth of information, ideas, and advice. My AX-10 rig would not be what it is (or what it will yet become) without this forum and it's members. I decided that I wanted to go with either an AX-10 or a SCX-10. The SCX-10 is fairly pricy compared to the AX-10, and when I found a slightly used AX-10 RTC on eBay for $175, I didn't think twice about clicking "Buy It Now". The prior owner even included a 7-cell NiMH battery with overnight charger. This was nice because it kept the initial cost down, and also because it taught me the importance of a log center of gravity.
Since buying my AX-10 about a month ago, I have made numerous modifications to it. It is not finished, but it is at a stopping point in the progression of it's build. I had wanted to write a build thread as I made the modifications to it, but was too excited to just get to work to stop long enough to post anything worthwhile. Now that I am at this pause in the build, I would like to discuss the modifications I have completed, including the reasons for them, how they were performed, their result, and their cost. It feels backwards, writing a build thread about modifications that are already competed, and that is why I titled this thread "My Backwards Build Thread". I hope that you enjoy reading this, and if you are a fellow newbie to the AX-10 I hope this gives you ideas on modifications you can do to your own rig. Conversly, there are numerous members of this forum who have more time and experience with RC rock crawling then myself, to include competitions. If anything I am writing is incorrect, or if anyone has pertinent information to add, please feel welcome to speak up. With that said, let's begin.
A few days prior to this past Christmas, I ended a two or three year hiatus from RC by purchasing a slightly used Axial AX-10 RTC on eBay. I have been in-and-out of RC since I got a Tamiya Stadium Blitzer for Christmas as a kid, about twenty years ago. Historically, I eventually get bored with RC and sell everything, then later wish I still had the things I sold and have to buy it all over again (usually used). I have done this at least three or four times in my life, but this time I may be here to stay.
In full-scale, I drive a 1997 Jeep Wrangler (TJ). It's my second one, preceeded by a 1997 Toyota Tacoma, preceeded by a 1993 Nissan hard-body pickup. I discovered off-roading after aquiring that Nissan (used, in 1997), and have been an enthusiast ever since. However, upgrading a full-scale rig gets expensive fast, and with a family it is no where near top priority. My full-scale vehicles have never been modified past 31" tires, a 2" coil spring boost, and a little body armor. My off-roading consists mainly of muddy Pennsylvania trails and woodland obstacles. I've never had a vehicle with lockers or low enough gearing to go rock crawling, although it looks like a tremendous amount of fun. There is undoubtedly something exhilirating about going super-slow and driving over obstacles. I do not know what my future holds regarding full-scale off-roading, but the price, praticality, and accessibility of it on the smaller-scale of RC, combined with my nostaligia-lined love of the hobby, have drawn me back once again.
When people began building RC rock crawlers using TLT axles, Bender chassis, and an assortment of other parts that were specifically altered by the hobbiest, I was intrigued and did a lot of reading and research online. I was really tempted to try to build one of these rigs, but didn't have the money to invest at the time (easily $350+, all things considered), and the amount of specific parts needed was intimidating, not having a local hobby shop at the time. I never did build a TLT-based rig, and as RC rock crawling became more popular, factory designed crawler kits and RTRs began to emerge on the market.
When I recently wanted to re-enter the RC hobby once again, I decided that RC rock crawling would be the avenue that best suits my current stage in life. I live in town and don't have hardly any yard, I have two kids under the age of seven, and although I do have a local hobby shop now, the hours in which I have free time do not match up with the track hours at the hobby shop. Therefore, rock crawling in my basement was the chosen niche of the RC hobby.
This would not be my first venture into RC rock crawling. During my last stint of participation in RC, I owned a Duratrax Cliff Climber. After driving it a few times, I quickly became dissatisfied with the limited articulation the stock shocks allowed the suspension. I fabricated simple aluminum brackets to extend the shock mounts by around two inches, and installed AX-10 shocks with very light springs. After this mod, it had excellent articulation (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jb12345/4468004645/in/set-72157628516765205/), but I was still discontent with the rig. It seemed to lack power, and already had the smallest pinions that Duratrax offered. I didn't want to spring for their more powerful motors, and I generally didn't like the motor over axle setup. As I mentioned, I liked the idea of the TLT-based crawlers, and I wished the Cliff Climber had that style of drivetrain.
Before buying my AX-10 last month, I did a lot of research. In the course of this, I discovered the RC Crawler forum. It has been a wealth of information, ideas, and advice. My AX-10 rig would not be what it is (or what it will yet become) without this forum and it's members. I decided that I wanted to go with either an AX-10 or a SCX-10. The SCX-10 is fairly pricy compared to the AX-10, and when I found a slightly used AX-10 RTC on eBay for $175, I didn't think twice about clicking "Buy It Now". The prior owner even included a 7-cell NiMH battery with overnight charger. This was nice because it kept the initial cost down, and also because it taught me the importance of a log center of gravity.
Since buying my AX-10 about a month ago, I have made numerous modifications to it. It is not finished, but it is at a stopping point in the progression of it's build. I had wanted to write a build thread as I made the modifications to it, but was too excited to just get to work to stop long enough to post anything worthwhile. Now that I am at this pause in the build, I would like to discuss the modifications I have completed, including the reasons for them, how they were performed, their result, and their cost. It feels backwards, writing a build thread about modifications that are already competed, and that is why I titled this thread "My Backwards Build Thread". I hope that you enjoy reading this, and if you are a fellow newbie to the AX-10 I hope this gives you ideas on modifications you can do to your own rig. Conversly, there are numerous members of this forum who have more time and experience with RC rock crawling then myself, to include competitions. If anything I am writing is incorrect, or if anyone has pertinent information to add, please feel welcome to speak up. With that said, let's begin.