Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER

[Mir2]

My video looks good to help me or at least to teach as lowering the towers ...

But really I find it regrettable to have to do that in a car RTR and more here in Europe when the car costs 420 €.

It cut the car body, it seems to me a crime.

 

[Natedog]

Yes it's a good video, modification is free. I got away with trimming much less than they did, but mine rubs a little sometimes. This hobby is good for building whatever you want, gotta choose for yourself and if you cut start out with a little at a time. That's what I did and it's working great. Bodies are replaceable and you can print anything. ;-)

 

[oldpunk]

Great pics! The kid on the left holding the AisaTees banner is mine. That was our 2nd Butte County comp. We're hooked.

 

[Natedog]

Thanks, Butte County Crawlers puts on a good time with lots of sweet gates!

 

[TLR_junkie]

How do you gain more articulation? Just loosen up the springs?

 

[Natedog]

I've limited front and rear shocks internally by 9mm, therefore I removed all preload by unscrewing spring preload collars until they touch the shock caps. It crawls great this way.

 

[northern hooligan]

I've limited front and rear shocks internally by 9mm, therefore I removed all preload by unscrewing spring preload collars until they touch the shock caps. It crawls great this way.

I asked a question about what you used and just found the ans... now I have to see if I can find the limiters here.

 

[NickDanger]

I've limited front and rear shocks internally by 9mm, therefore I removed all preload by unscrewing spring preload collars until they touch the shock caps. It crawls great this way.

Shock tuning is one thing I haven't figured out yet. Can you explain this a bit?

 

[TLR_junkie]

So you reduced the amount of down travel by 9mm and then removed all preload on the shocks, correct? This just seems all backwards to me. Can you explain the theory behind this process to me because thats almost the opposite of what I thought I wanted to do, lol.

 

[Natedog]

Pictures of preload setting on page 22, post# 431.
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vaterra-ascender/538944-natedogs-vaterra-ascender-22.html

Ascender has lots of travel in stock configuration, more than SCX10 and I'm building a rock crawler. A basher, trailing, mud truck, etc. will do fine at the stock ride height, but for technical trails and crawling, lower is better...much more stable and predictable. By reducing shock spring preload the shafts sit at or a little below mid-stroke, providing near equal up and down suspension travel. "thumbsup"

 

[CODYBOY]

Pictures of preload setting on page 22, post# 431.
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vaterra-ascender/538944-natedogs-vaterra-ascender-22.html

Ascender has lots of travel in stock configuration, more than SCX10 and I'm building a rock crawler. A basher, trailing, mud truck, etc. will do fine at the stock ride height, but for technical trails and crawling, lower is better...much more stable and predictable. By reducing shock spring preload the shafts sit at or a little below mid-stroke, providing near equal up and down suspension travel. "thumbsup"

Nicely said Nate, I usually run my crawlers at 1/2 to 2/3 droop. You are still able to utilize all of that down travel."thumbsup"
Ernie,

 

[TLR_junkie]

Ok ok, I get it. So has anyone played around with different spring rates and different shock fluids? Anybody know what fluid weight comes in the rtr k5?

 

[Natedog]

I have Vaterra upper and lower spring sets, have not played with them yet other than squishing them in my fingers. Stock factory fluid seems to be about 30wt. I drilled all four shock pistons to #55 drill bit and refilled with 30wt, works great.

Before the Butte County Scalers Bald Rock event couple weeks ago, I did some maintenance and tuning. Installed Hitec HS-7950TH servo, used FullFroceRC servo clamps then slid some tiny silicon nitro fuel line cut as spacers over servo mount screws before installation, to help hold this burly servo in place. I've been using these servo clamps for years, great price, quality, comes with good hardware!

10th SCALE SERVO CLAMPS
Set of 6 Aluminum Servo Clamps with hardware. Silver or Blue anodized versions. For use with most 10th scale servos!
Price: $12.00
Part No: FF023
Aluminum 1/10th scale servo clamps by Fullforce RC

I swapped out my front shocks that had two notches in the pistons, for another set that I drilled and it works better with the little more front damping. Now all four shocks are same and filled with 30wt oil. I also did more detailing on the body and finished some styrene work the other night. Pics to come.

 

[HDMM]

Those servo clamps are nice, might have to pick some up for myself.

 

[Sammy J.]

Now that's a lot of servo! What voltage are you going to run to it? Those servo clamps look nice. I just ordered some.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[bilinvic]

I use the FFRC servo clamps too, I use them for my fifth scale Baja as well as for my tenth scale crawlers...highly recommended.

 

[Natedog]

Those servo clamps are nice, might have to pick some up for myself.

Do it lol, they are the first servo clamps I ever found back when I first bought my nitro monster truck, good stuff! "thumbsup"

Now that's a lot of servo! What voltage are you going to run to it? Those servo clamps look nice. I just ordered some.

Buy once. 6.2 volts and it's plenty strong and fast for this truck! I ran them on 7.4v before and they are impressive! :ror:"thumbsup"

I use the FFRC servo clamps too, I use them for my fifth scale Baja as well as for my tenth scale crawlers...highly recommended.

Cool, yes good stuff!

 

[Natedog]

Few more from Butte County Scalers Bald Rock CA comp 4/10/2016...I take too many pictures... :ror:










This spot near the end of the third and last course required some tow strap or winch for most peeps




End of the day, back at the trail head! Meow!

 

[Natedog]

Ride home...

 

[Natedog]

FF servo clamp, yellow nitro fuel line (tiny size), 3mm buttonheads for new Hitec HS-7950TH. One screw is 2mm longer than the other, rear servo mount next to shock tower has more plastic thickness and can therefore take the longer screw without sticking out the other side, little more strength but prolly doesn't need it.




I messed with front steering and suspension links all night before going back to stock lengths. Shortened one of the 12mm spacers on panhard to 10mm to move front axle over a bit at low ride height, but then had trouble getting max steering in both directions through out range of suspension travel. This made panhard bar 109mm eye to eye, file and drillpress works wonders.










Shortened steering draglink from 8mm stud mount to 4.5mm to attach through Dynamite black anodized aluminum servo horn, Loctited thin non-locking 3mm flat nut (only 2mm thick nut for more clearance) on top side of arm, giving max clearance on backside just in case.




Checking new setup with all stock length linkages, new servo, servo horn.