Axial Beef Tips Install

[SuperiorCrawlers]

Hey guys, sorry if this is a stupid question but I can't seem to find any help anywhere else online cause apparently it was super easy for everyone lol. I have a set of Axial heavy weight beef tips to install on my rtr capra. Every resource I've found says to "simply unscrew the shock end, install, and rescrew shock end" I have my shock off the truck, with the spring and black plastic spring retainer removed from the shock. Now for the life of me I cannot seem to get the shock end (the little piece with the ball bearing that the screw goes through to attach to the axle) to unscrew. I first tried just grabbing the shaft with my pliers and unscrewing but I can't get enough tension to stop the shaft or the rest of the shock body from spinning when trying to break the thread and unscrew the end. Am I missing something? is there some trick to it? I've looked at the manual for my truck and it didnt help much. any help is appreciated

 

[jakemaxwell806]

Your Capra has portals
The beef tubes could be for ar 44 axles

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[SuperiorCrawlers]

Tips not tubes!
Appreciate the response though! My dumbass figured it out...I was gripping the shock shaft with a paper towel in between the pliers to protect the finish but that was the whole reason I didn't have grip lol. Swapped the paper towel for some super fine sandpaper and i got the bastard right off

 

[HumboldtEF]

I see you've got it worked out but I'll just add that shock shaft pliers are super useful for tasks like this. Protec RC make a really nice one that can also install and remove the ball ends.
You'll likely find many other uses for these, I know I have.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Get yourself a nice set of shock pliers. I prefer the ones from ProTek, but there are plenty of options.

Sandpaper on a shock shaft isn't a good idea. You'll put micro scratches in the shaft which will tear the o-ring and this leads to a leaky shock.

 

[SuperiorCrawlers]

For sure, I knew it was a risky move and was careful not to spin the shaft at all while holding it..wouldn't want to have to do it like that again if I had to but it worked lol. I'll look into some shock pliers for the future..thanks guys!

 

[TheLetterJ]

Sandpaper on a shock shaft isn't a good idea. You'll put micro scratches in the shaft which will tear the o-ring and this leads to a leaky shock.

Awe, c'mon Jato, I thought you were a moto guy?! Sanding your shock shafts (with very fine paper) and leaving a visible crosshatch will actually reduce seal stiction by allowing the crosshatch to retain the tiniest amount of oil (not enough to ever drip off or make a mess) which will help it glide past the seal without getting wiped dry or leaking. It actually has a greater affect than ti-ni or dlc coating as far as reducing stiction goes as instead of relying on the polished surface treatment, the shaft/seal ride on a fluid bearing of oil. That fine crosshatch will actually make seal last longer too. Skeptical? Just ask your partner if a lubed shaft is more or less likely to tear an o-ring :lmao:

A brief explanation/video showing what I'm talking about:
Microfinish — Kreft Moto

Now, I'm not suggesting we all run out and sand our shock shafts, just saying that it's not as harmful as one might think.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Awe, c'mon Jato, I thought you were a moto guy?! Sanding your shock shafts (with very fine paper) and leaving a visible crosshatch will actually reduce seal stiction by allowing the crosshatch to retain the tiniest amount of oil (not enough to ever drip off or make a mess) which will help it glide past the seal without getting wiped dry or leaking. It actually has a greater affect than ti-ni or dlc coating as far as reducing stiction goes as instead of relying on the polished surface treatment, the shaft/seal ride on a fluid bearing of oil. That fine crosshatch will actually make seal last longer too. Skeptical? Just ask your partner if a lubed shaft is more or less likely to tear an o-ring :lmao:

A brief explanation/video showing what I'm talking about:
Microfinish — Kreft Moto

Now, I'm not suggesting we all run out and sand our shock shafts, just saying that it's not as harmful as one might think.

Good luck getting a perfect crosshatch with just the right amount of depth with sandpaper! :ror: