Building the "ALtra" Ultra RR10 Bomber

[NaZ-T]

Decided to get in some real Axialfest or Scale Ultra practice. For this session I hit up one of our most popular trails, Bell Canyon. There are two trails leading up to the reservoir, Boulders trail and Granite Flats Trail. I choose Granite Flats as its much more "Scale" for an R/C.

I wanted to see how fast I could run the trail in true Ultra4 fashion. I did stop for a few pics for the thread and so anyone that wanted to see if they can do it faster ;-) would know the route I took.


I started at the trail head and activated my GPS and started my Strava app.



I found that during the first and toughest section of the trail the Altra RR10 was slowing me down as I had to navigate obstacle after obstacle. Making sure to stay on the trail and not cheat myself by taking the easy side routes



Once up on top I was able to open the rig up and start to use some of the speed that is packed into this beast. Near the reservoir my physical condition was now the slowing my pace. I did stay in the rough stuff as I made my way around the lake, 1: to help slow the rig a bit so I could keep up better, 2: I really want to test the rig in all type of terrain, 3: the easy path is generally not the fun path



Passing the turnoff for the Waterfall



Followed shortly by the pump house



Heading around the south side of the lake



A quick stop at one of the lookouts. It's very important when trail running or competing on rocky terrain to make sure you have the proper gear. Altra Running has what you need and with their great selection, there is a shoe for everyone and every terrain



Crossing the spillway



Love getting out into the seclusion of the Utah mountains with beautiful views at every turn



I sprint through the flats and enter back down the trail. A quick pic as I enter the rough section on our decent. The way down through the rough was quite fun and had the Altra RR10 air born a few times off of some natural rock jumps.



Here are my results. I can't wait to do another run like this. It was much different then our usual leisure trail runs and I found the trail more challenging (for the rig and myself physically) when speed was added to the equation.

 

[NaZ-T]

While out on my last trail run I noticed that every once in awhile the rear tire would get hung on a rock when dropping down small vertical ledges. Not much of an issue as it never got stuck and the rig was able to pull it off with a bit of throttle. But with just a little modification I think I can make it a bit better without sacrificing any of the cosmetics.

first up I decided to pull the rear tire in just a bit. I did this by just shortening the spare tire mount a bit. I then took off a bit of weight but narrowing the rim on the spare and removing the foam. This also made the tire more flexible which will help too. I tacked the back of the tire back in place with just a bit of super glue.

 

[NaZ-T]

Getting more of my scale on. I decided to really get the front shocks to soak up the whoops and jumps and in general working the way I want. It was time to take them up another notch, by hooking up the remote reservoirs :shock:

The guys at Axial knew this would be a must have upgrade so they included them with every version of the RR10 Bomber, but it's up to the driver to hook them up.

I threw a coat of silver paint on the reservoirs to help them stand out over the stock black color from the factory. After a bit of searching I was able to find some tubing that would work perfectly. Of course I opted for red, to match my paint.

Now I need to get out and run the rig so I can get a feel for this epic tuning upgrade :mrgreen:

 

[NaZ-T]

Another Day at Lil Moab testing the Altra RR10. Spent about half the day track testing the rig, which gives me great info on how the car corners and jumps along with high speed stability. The other half of the day was spent crawling, which gives me great info on how the rig is going to work in the technical sections and low speed maneuverability.

I had a great time hanging out with good friends out in the desert. The rig handled beautifully in all testing, high speed and low speed. The rig is actually right on point for my driving style at this time. "thumbsup"

I did have a few rod end failures. During my runs and testing over the last month or so you may have noticed I've broken a few of the factory rod ends. Every single one has been during high speed testing or track racing. These are extremely hard wrecks at high speed and the repair very easy and affordable to replace. Not a single one has failed during a trail "run" (and I do run) or while crawling. So I feel if you are building for crawling or for a medium powered/speed rig you should be just fine running the factory rod ends, but if your going for big power or for a full on racing setup you may want to look at some aftermarket options.

The fleet of cars my friends and I packed out to play (notice everyone is an Axial, only the best in this crew;-) )







While out on the rocks it's very important to have a sure foot, and nothing will give you more confidence in your feet than a set of Altra Running shoes in your favorite style and color. 8)



Out testing the crawlability of the current setup. Rig is working great



A look at the bottom side of the rig shows that she gets used hard. You can see the rod ends are showing some fatigue but still hanging in there.



A high speed barrel roll at the end of the straight ripped out another rod end and sent us back to the tailgate for a quick repair.

 

[NaZ-T]

Adding more scale details!! One of the things I like about the RR10 Bomber is not only is it a great performing rig but it is also a very "scale" rig too. It's modeled after a real Ultra4 buggy and Axial didn't skimp on the details either, like the spare tire, shock reservoirs, mounts for dual shocks, fuel cell, etc.

Latest touch in the scale department is to get the fuel cell to stand out a bit more. I got it all painted and weathered and added a fill tube, made sure to mask off the Axial logo on the bottom side (it's all in the details). I'm really loving the way it turned out.

 

[NaZ-T]

Time for another upgrade!!

So over the last few months I've broken a couple of rod ends while doing some high speed testing. This is a very simple fix and also very affordable to replace, so it really has been a minimal concern for this rig. With Axialfest just around the corner and my supply of rod ends running out I decided it was time to take the links to the next level.

I know there are many of options out there for links for the RR10 bomber, but with the Altra RR10 I wasn't going to settle for just any set of links, I wanted the best links in the industry, PERIOD!!

Luckily for us Utahards we have the luxury of picking up Chaotic Crawlers RR10 links at our local shop, West Valley Hobbies ;-)

The Chaotic Crawler links are made from grade 5 titanium, with 3/16" upper links for the front and back. The rear uppers have a very mild bend, just enough to give you the clearance you need. This adds durability and has a more scale look. The front lowers are 1/4" this also adds durability and is a big plus in the scale looks (how many 1:1 Ultra4 cars have you seen with bent lower links,..... None)

The Chaotic Steering links are miles above the others. Once again made from 3/16" grade 5 titanium but this one is a 4 bend design, giving you more clearance and a better look IMO.

I added a little red spacer to the outer ends of the links for bling, it does stretch the wheelbase just a bit, I think it's acceptable to add some color to the underside of the rig.

Some pics of the new Chaotic Crawler hotness "thumbsup"

 

[Chiphead]

We missed you when we were in town and stopped in at WVH. I bought two sets of the Chaotic links for me and my sons' Bombers. Love the looks and performance gains. Good Job! "thumbsup"

 

[NaZ-T]

Playing a bit of catch up over the last few days.

Event time!!

801rcc "SRS Grand Prix" held in the beautiful San Rafael Swell in the middle of Utah. This place has some really cool overlooks and beautiful rock formations. It's one of my favorite venues on the 801rcc schedule.

The course was a fast one and tested the Ultra drivers physical condition. The first 3rd of the course was medium difficulty and I was able to keep pace with the rig navigating the course. The middle 3rd of the course was very technical and the challenging obstacles had the car at a slower pace and I was able to walk along side the car. The final 3rd was fast and had you running out into the flatter sections of desert, were the car was able to go faster than I could run.

I was able to grab the 2nd place position behind legendary driver Paul Blackner (AKA Diddy) I finished the 0.9 mile course in 25min and 57 seconds. the car performed great but a few driver mistakes handed the win to Diddy. Most importantly it was a blast to race against my friends.

Pics from the event.

Setting up and group pics



Of course making sure your wearing good shoes is important when out on the trail, and Altra Running has shoes specifically designed for trail running.
For this event I opted for the Altra Lone Peak 3.0
I do love my Altras!!



Our view from the pit area



Group shot





On course pics I stole from Chandler (AKA Smokin Camel)











After I finished my run I loaned the Altra RR10 to my friend Chewy as his rig was having issues.
A couple pics while chewy was driving

 

[NaZ-T]

After the race Diddy and I hit the course for a second time just for fun
A few pics while out on our "Fun Run"





Once the 801rcc "SRS Grand Prix" event was over and the course was cleaned up we spent the next day checking out some of the cool views and over looks.
Here are some poser shots







My Altras are once again a must have for out door recreation "thumbsup"

 

[NaZ-T]

A few weeks ago I ran the "Boulders Trail" up to Bell Canyon reservoir, and wanted to give it another run. Basically I wanted to see if I could beat my previous time of 40min. I started at the same spot and ran the same route. I stopped a few times for pics, just as I did last time.

I was unsuccessful I ran the trail in 42:32.
Two minutes slower than my previous run.

A couple things I think played into me getting a slower time.
1: I was trying to drive faster. I think trying to hurry caused me to make more mistakes
2: Because I was using more throttle, I ended up having to change a battery about 100yds from the parking lot.
3: The Water level over the spillway was higher. I spent a bit more time trying to pick the best way across, to minimize how wet my feet were going to get.
4: Photo stops. I might have taken a few more pics or just more time trying to get good pics (not sure)

Things to improve for my next run.
1: Try to drive smooth, not fast. Smooth driving should yeld less mistakes.
2: By running smoother I should get better battery life too.
3: Pick up the pace when picking lines (for both the Altra RR10 and myself)
4: Maybe take a few less pics, but that makes sharing on RCC and Facebook not as fun for those looking. :???:

Picks from the 2nd run up the Boulders Trail.

Start of the trail.





Some pics on the lower more technical half of the trail





Nearing the reservoir!





Starting the loop around the lake.



Once again I made sure to keep the car in the rough on the flat section up top.



The high speed section just before the pump house.



Just after the spillway on the west side of the lake. About 3/4 way around the reservoir



Of course good footwear is essential for trail running.
Today I picked my Altra Superior 3.0's



No pics from the trip down hill. I was trying to hustle and felt like I was running behind my previous time (and I was)



Next Run Goals: Gotta keep moving and drive smooth

 

[Pushjerk]

Hey Naz-T. What CI foams, may I ask, are you running in order to keep your speed up around turns but still maintain that bit of crawlability?

 

[NaZ-T]

Hey Naz-T. What CI foams, may I ask, are you running in order to keep your speed up around turns but still maintain that bit of crawlability?

I'm currently running CI 5.5" Double Duce with the soft outer.
I'm not 100% satisfied with this setup though. I'm still loving the Axial KR2 R35 tires but with the 1.2" wide Vanquish wheels the foams seem to slop back and forth a bit. I've been busy working on other details on the Altra RR10 (along with working on friends rigs) to worry about it much yet. I might try to make some custom foams in the future, but nothing solid yet.

 

[*Old*]

I am really jealous of your locale! :mrgreen: The rocks there are so beautiful and dry! Reminds me of Sedona, AZ which I visit annually, but my wife doesn't allow to bring the trucks:roll:.

Anyway, awesome pics, awesome rig(s), and looks like yall are having fun "thumbsup"

 

[Del Monte]

Getting more of my scale on. I decided to really get the front shocks to soak up the whoops and jumps and in general working the way I want. It was time to take them up another notch, by hooking up the remote reservoirs :shock:

The guys at Axial knew this would be a must have upgrade so they included them with every version of the RR10 Bomber, but it's up to the driver to hook them up.

I threw a coat of silver paint on the reservoirs to help them stand out over the stock black color from the factory. After a bit of searching I was able to find some tubing that would work perfectly. Of course I opted for red, to match my paint.

Now I need to get out and run the rig so I can get a feel for this epic tuning upgrade :mrgreen:

You're front shocks are going to stay so much cooler now. Nobody else at the next race is going to stand a chance :mrgreen:

 

[NaZ-T]

Hit the Lil Moab again for more test and tune.

I have to say the Altra RR10 is spot on for my handling preference.
I put about 3 packs through the rig, all at high speed. I really don't have any changes in store for the car.

A few pics before we started our day rip'n around on the rocks

 

[azTony]

What do I need to do in order to view the pics? It says "Please update your account to enable 3rd party hosting"

is there an upgraded membership that I can pay to get?

 

[durok]

They used PhotoBucket - nothing you can do. They are broken links now. This affected many threads here and elsewhere...

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/chit-chat/586512-photobucket-what-happend.html

 

[jhghah]

Naz-T,
Not like you to just leave a thread this way....
Where ya at?

 

[Browneye]

Featured thread to boot.
Looks like he updated his PB account - lots of images.
Great place to run RC cars. "thumbsup"