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Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER

Last edited:
Nice write-up lots of helpful tips Your rigs look good and look to be working good also thanks for all the info.
 
Well that was a darn good read.

After I've fitted some proline shocks to mine if the twist continues I'll definately be doing the sway bar mod.

Great write up, just need mine to arrive now........this week!!!!!
 
Went for crawl gtg this weekend, several people showed up, course was laid out for about 50 gates and then fun began. Several people also brought their go fast vehicles too!




"walking the dog" :)






Brushless Bomber RR10 on 6S ;-) home-made heavy gauge aluminum panels wrapped in self-adhesive safety blue reflective material, this really pops in person but hard to catch in pictures!




Found this old automotive axle with welded on side-gear up in the rocks just above high water line, must have been for boat loading or recovery?









Post crawl clean up and inspection found that the stock servo even with a bearing is getting really sloppy! Servo output shaft has several degrees of free slop rotation and couple millimeters of up and down movement. Time to install Hitec HS-7950TH.
Note the distance between front of tire/frame rail and tie-rods/front of axle housing.



 
Thanks man, we are lucky for the great rocks here! This area is mostly granite, decomposed granite, hard-packed dirt and then lots of sand down closer to the water. There are tons of great hiking and mountain bike trails in this park too! "thumbsup"
 
Back to your front shock mod. Have you found that limiting the extension has effected your ability to crawl up over a blunt object? Basically didn't it lower your front ride height and you lost ground clearance? I was bored as had some 7mm spacers and limited my shocks but noticed it obviously lowered the front end. Just wondering if the trade off is worth it. I also drilled out only one shock piston hole but it's too big. Even with 40wt oil there isn't much dampening anymore. I may get a set of the aluminum vaterra shocks for at least the front. Did you ever fix the dampening on yours because I remember you slotted your holes and didn't like it but found it still crawls great. I'm still snowed in and will be for months so I was just wondering. Probably should have left it alone and had more time with the sway bar to see if I needed the shock mod for my skill level or not. Thanks!
Ben
 
The shock limiting mod does decrease the ability to crawl over a blunt object (cresting the rock/hill) a little, but I've found the trade-off to be worthwhile. Yes, it lowered my front and rear 9mm (3/8") and I cranked the spring pre-load adjusters all the way up so that they bottom against the shock caps. At ride height it sits about middle of the shock shaft travel (about 50/50 travel) which is good. You could always lower it to try (spacers were only $4 to do all four shocks) if you don't like it, then lower it only 5mm all around and try that. For where and how I usually crawl, it's working great. At Axialfest my Honcho SCX10 was running 1.9 Ripsaws and very low stance, but I made it everywhere that others did and when the side-hills and climbs were steep I did better and usuallly didn't need winching or any recovery because I stayed shiny side up. Some obstacles required throttle to clear the top, but sometimes they required that anyways.

How big did you drill out the one shock hole? I've not changed my front shock pistons on Ascender #1 and they feel under-damped, but heck it crawls great so for now I've left it with two notches per front piston. Rear shock pistons are drilled out with #55 bit (two holes per piston). Ascender #2 all four pistons are drilled #55. :)
 
I drilled it out to 1/16". Smallest drill bit I had. Figured only drilling one hole wouldn't be too much or as much as slotting both holes. So you really run the preload adjusters all the way backed off huh? Seemed way droopy but I get how that drops center of gravity and should help with side hill and steep climbing. I'll try it out for sure. I can't wait until summer!!
I've been playing with it in my basement and out on my plowed driveway and now that I've got the 2 speed smooth I can tell it'll be a lot of fun crawling with that option for more wheel speed. You need a 2 speed at least on one of your trucks just to try it.
Ben
 
1/16" single hole is prolly about same as one slot that I made, you should be fine with that in front shocks. I'd buy a #55 but to do the rears though.

Yes I really run zero preload on all four shocks, you're correct that it helps with side Hill and climbing steep ascents and descents.

Yes I'd like to get two speed for one of them, could use more wheel speed sometimes. Saw Billc's Bomber with two speed tranny, Mamba Monster esc and Holmes brushless and 6S yesterday too. :ror:
 
Looking good Nate, sounds like you got your truck setup how you like it. Now you just need to break and replace, can't go wrong with a 7950."thumbsup"
 
Thanks, yes it's good to go...going to swap some 1.9 HR steel beadlocks with Axial Trepadors and CI DW foams on for next crawl. I want to compare the two tire/foam setups especially on the wet/dry granite and decomposing granite rocks as well as side-hilling. Still need to bake my other set of Vaterra Swampers off stock wheels for a third set to try the other CI DW foams I have for 1.9 Proline TSL XL.

Break and replace, yes and 7950s have done well so far. "thumbsup"
 
Forgot to say that I was cleaning up after crawling, looking and thinking...there appears to be enough room on the floating battery tray to lower it about 0.25" front AND rear. It would require a shorter dogbone link in front (or maybe drill new hole higher up in the battery tray) and the rear would require either drilling mounting holes higher up in the tray or fabbing lower pivot mounts on the chassis.

Battery Tray Mounts and Strap: ASN (VTR231038)
Battery Tray Mounts and Strap: ASN | HorizonHobby
 
Natedog said:
Forgot to say that I was cleaning up after crawling, looking and thinking...there appears to be enough room on the floating battery tray to lower it about 0.25" front AND rear. It would require a shorter dogbone link in front (or maybe drill new hole higher up in the battery tray) and the rear would require either drilling mounting holes higher up in the tray or fabbing lower pivot mounts on the chassis.

Battery Tray Mounts and Strap: ASN (VTR231038)
Battery Tray Mounts and Strap: ASN | HorizonHobby
Click to expand...

Thanks...I definitely need to look at trying this. Right now my sensor cable rubs on the top of the battery tray. I notched it to reduce the rubbing but if I could drop the tray below it would be a lot better and it would get the weight a little lower.
 
You're welcome, I was going to look through my parts to see if I have any little left-over dogbone link like the stocker, but shorter. It's already really short so not sure if it would work to cut and screw together two Vaterra ball-ends or not. Drilling new holes may be easier, free and work just as well. Might have to grind front bottom edge of tray for upper suspension link clearance and rear of tray for driveshaft clearance, but looks like there's plenty of plastic so that it won't be weakened. Would definitely help sidehill and climbing.
 
Great idea. I may look at it myself when I get a minute and see if I can make it happen! I'm already keeping up with my local modded axial guys but kinda want to really leave them behind with my fat a$$ blazer just because lol. Every little mod helps for sure!
Ben
 
Thanks, the free/cheap mods are the best, do it! I love taking my Vaterra Blazer where the Axials go and sometimes where they can't go lol. Only limitations for it are the width and huge front overhang...requiires a whole new approach to driving.
 
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