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Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER

Thanks for all the comments, and yes we'll see how the different swaybars work, cheap solution to the TT it seems.

Bought this today, looking for a better head. :ror:

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New beadlocks with CI DW foams for pitbull rockbeasts. Feels like just right amount of squish...we'll see on the trail!
 
Do the black wheels, they look good too!

I used RC4WD silver hex hub adapter:
RC4WD OEM Steel 1.9 Stock Beadlock Wheel Hexes (4)

I don't like the silver RC4WD wheel hexes because all the little machined points sticking up chewing at your finger tips while assembling wheels and tires. :evil: The faux brake rotor versions would be very nice as you can see the back side is nice and smooth because the screw heads are on the wheel side, not the hub side, but these add 2mm to width on both sides, iirc the Slash front 2wd hexes add 3mm per side? This type of hex hub makes wheel/tire assembly easier because there's no nut to hold on the other side while holding everything else in alignment. :lmao:"thumbsup" I prefer the look of the little nuts on outside, they look like lugnuts. I've drilled couple sets of HR (Hot Racing) 1.9 wheel hexes that come with 2mm hardware, to use 2.5mm hardware same as RC4WD and did not end up with the sharp edges all over that the silver RC4WD hexes have. Starting at post #172 there are pics and how to drill out wheel hubs too.

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/axial-scx-10/324677-natedogs-honcho-kit-build-9.html

I originally bought the silver RC4WD hexes just for the hardware when I drilled my HR 1.9 steel beadlocks.
RC4WD OEM Steel 1.9 Stock Beadlock Wheel Hexes (4)

These hexes needs to have the screw head area drilled from 0.173" factory to 0.177" to clear the slightly fatter screw heads of most 2.5mm screws...easy to do, but takes time and the hubs still have the sharp edges.

I now have all four mounted with RC4WD silver hubs drilled out, next time I'll buy their faux brake rotor hubs and go back to stock width wheel hexes instead of Traxxas wider hexes.

I'm using Slash 2wd front wheel hexes on my SCX10 Honcho, they snap onto the axle cross pins and stay put nicely while addling iirc 3mm width per side. RC4WD 1.9"/2.2" 6 Lug Steel Wheel Hex Hub with Brake Rotor is a great way to get hex hubs and not have fingertip eating sharp edges on the backside:

RC4WD 1.9"/2.2" 6 Lug Steel Wheel Hex Hub with Brake Rotor

FYI, the 2.5x8mm and flatnuts used on these wheels are slightly smaller wrench size than previous RC4WD steelies, I was using my 5.5mm Associated nut driver and it was too loose. Didn't find my 5mm driver and ended up 3/16" (4.7625mm) is very snug fit on the flatnuts, so maybe they are 5mm?

I also had to use my Dremel with coarse grit sanding drum and enlarge the center or the VP rings to fit onto the RC4WD wheels. I opened the inner diameter about 0.020" for them to fit together easily.
 
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Been tuning and tweaking on this thing, drilled all four shock pistons out to #55 (0.052"), left the rears this way but notched the fronts using a sharp X-Acto blade to cut straight out from the drilled holes. The rears are just right imo, but the two notches is way too much, running some Axial 30wt oil that I have lots of around. Drop test and my squishy test both say front is now under damped, but on the traiil it crawls great so I'm leaving it for now. May use Associated 60wt or 80wt in the fronts, but rears seem perfect, funny thing is it crawls great so we'll see. I'm looking for a set of stock shock pistons to drill and tune in the meantime.

Ran back to back crawling on same rocks, same lines, same temps etc. stock RTR glued tires/foams/wheels against RC4WD steel wagon wheels/kit tires (same compound as RTR)/CI DW foams. The RC4WD wagon wheels/kit tires/CI DW foams is light years ahead in all crawling (plus looks) and is my go to setup for this truck.

WTH is up with Photobucket??? I can ping it, but it keeps giving error...hopefully pics later from setup and a great day crawling in the mountains.
 
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Helper
IMG_0572


Notched front shock pistons
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Shocks are emulsion (non-bladder type) here is proper full with shaft fully compressed. The fronts were filled perfectly from the factory, but the rears were a little over filled and that is probably why I had a little oil/dirt buildup around the seals only on the rears.
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Shocks with stock springs, you can see the paint color marks for spring rate
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Trail!
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After long hike, rolled up on ma easy chair and a cold drink. The smoke from all the fires in the western US was terrible, even worse at 7000' than it was in the valley. All that haze is forest fire smoke and smog, not clouds. :(
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Crawled up the arm of the chair around to the back up top and didn't spill a drop!

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IMG_0598

Rear swaybar tinkering
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What I came up with for now, needs redone, limits compression of rear suspension due to binding and loses last 3/8" of up travel. The chassis side of the bar mount needs to move rearward about 1/4" and down another 1/4". After cycling this and testing around the yard it seems that the swaybar needs to be flipped 180 so that the arms point to the rear like the lower suspension links. This would reduce binding and angle change of the connecting links...now I see why some peeps mounted it to the bottom of esc mount. I may do that, but bought some 1/2" thick HDPE (black cutting board) to make thicker mount (drops it down lower) and move it rearward some. The mount in the pics is 1/4" thick. The swaybar definitely helps a lot to reduce torque twist.

Two screws thread into the spacer from inside the receiver box (holes not shown drilled yet in this pic) and then the four screws are tapped into the spacer from below.
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I got swaybar inspiration from lots of reading here, but the two main threads are Metalry101's Ascender:
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vaterra-ascender/512090-blaze-glory.html

and Stillsmokin875's Ascender thread:
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vaterra-ascender/539154-ascender-sway-bar-anti-torque-twist.html

My Photobucket problem was using my no Java pc...dang Java the software that is so awesome it has an update almost weekly to patch security holes.

EDIT: I have Slash Front/Rear Swaybar set and Axial Wraith Rear Swaybar kit part number AX30782 that I've been messing around with.
 
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Dude, awesome thread and even better pictures! I love my blazer too. Still stock but definitely needs a better tire combo. I'm going with GCM aluminum slot wheels which are bead locks. From what you've said, you really like the ascender tires, they just needed a softer foam to really shine? I run dirt and smooth rock and get get them to hook on the rock. Too stiff out of the box. I'd like to see your light set up once it's done. I've got a kit on order and can't wait to get it in and working. Keep the posts and pictures coming!
Ben
 
Your build should be sweet, looking forward to your thread. Yes, I like the stock tires, paired with CI DW foams for 1.9 Pitbull Rockbeast they are working well, they will soften with use. Lights are coming, I have many projects and not enough time. :)
 
Looking goood natedog great pics at least you drank half of it before trying that stunt up the chair...And one more thing your missing wheel wells..
Keep up the good work...."thumbsup"
 
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From a thread about body post options here:
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vaterra-ascender/545081-short-body-posts.html

HDMM said:
Almost positive the body posts fro the Vaterra on road cars (V100) will fit, they are like $3 for a set of 4 on Ebay.

Vaterra VTR230006 Body Post Set 1 10 V100 | eBay
Click to expand...

I receeived these body posts the other day and can confirm that they fit, same diameter etc, just need to slighty drill out the holes for the screw pins that secure them to the shock towers. Thanks for the suggestion HDMM!

After playing with different swaybars, I've found that mounting it to the ESC bracket works but greatly diminishes the effectiveness due to flexing of the ESC bracket, therefore I'm trying rear mounting again similar to Metalry101's Blaze of Glory thread.
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/vaterra-ascender/512090-blaze-glory.html
 
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