Natedog's Vaterra ASCENDER

[Natedog]

Hello Sepulveda87, welcome to RCCrawler and congrats on owning an Ascender! Start a build thread here when you have time.

IIRC the upper shock mounts are 25mm buttonheads (maybe 30mm).

The lowers iirc started with 40mm and cut down to length. Good to buy a bunch of fasteners to have on hand for mods from www.mcmcastercarr.com or similar. I'll check later and see what I used.

 

[kincer]

Hello Sepulveda87, welcome to RCCrawler and congrats on owning an Ascender! Start a build thread here when you have time.

IIRC the upper shock mounts are 25mm buttonheads (maybe 30mm).

The lowers iirc started with 40mm and cut down to length. Good to buy a bunch of fasteners to have on hand for mods from www.mcmcaster.com or similar. I'll check later and see what I used.

You mean www.Mcmastercarr.com lol but you were close

 

[Natedog]

Yes, thanks for the correction! I've edited my post to correct this.

 

[Browneye]

Lower shock screws for outboarded shocks are 32mm. Traxxas has them at your LHS. I just converted some more of them.

 

[RockTroll]

Whew! 64 pages.

Just wanted to say thank you Nate for this great post. Just discovered the crawling scene and it has pulled me back into RCs.

I picked up the Suburban Ascender last month and was starting to wonder if I made the right choice for my first crawler.

After reading the majority of your wonderful thread, I know I made the right choice.

Can't wait to try out some of the mods you have done.

Also can't wait for spring so I can get out and run some trails. Only driven it around the yard and in the house on the obstacle table I built.

 

[rkj__]

Whew! 64 pages.



Just wanted to say thank you Nate for this great post. Just discovered the crawling scene and it has pulled me back into RCs.



I picked up the Suburban Ascender last month and was starting to wonder if I made the right choice for my first crawler.



After reading the majority of your wonderful thread, I know I made the right choice.



Can't wait to try out some of the mods you have done.



Also can't wait for spring so I can get out and run some trails. Only driven it around the yard and in the house on the obstacle table I built.

I can relate. I bought my Ascender as my first crawler, after doing almost no research on them at all, which is not like me. But, after crawling around the house a bit, and reading a few threads here, I felt reassured that I made a good choice.

Enjoy your tiny truck!


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[Natedog]

Lower shock screws for outboarded shocks are 32mm. Traxxas has them at your LHS.

Yes, thanks! "thumbsup"

Just wanted to say thank you Nate for this great post. Just discovered the crawling scene and it has pulled me back into RCs.

I picked up the Suburban Ascender last month and was starting to wonder if I made the right choice for my first crawler.

After reading the majority of your wonderful thread, I know I made the right choice.

Can't wait to try out some of the mods you have done.

Also can't wait for spring so I can get out and run some trails. Only driven it around the yard and in the house on the obstacle table I built.

You're welcome! Great first truck choice, welcome back to RC and RCC. Got out for some good crawls yet? What mods have you done so far? Start a thread here when you get time, love to see what you've done so far!

I can relate. I bought my Ascender as my first crawler, after doing almost no research on them at all, which is not like me. But, after crawling around the house a bit, and reading a few threads here, I felt reassured that I made a good choice.

Enjoy your tiny truck!

Awesome, great choice too, following your thread with bumper tuck and all!

Va'Blazer is ready for Pro-line By The Fire 2019! "thumbsup"

 

[Shinchu]

GREAT thread continues...
sending this to Rick, my father in law, who just got himself his first ASCENDER! F100 BND is in-hand, ready to be tweaked into shape for PROLINE BTF 2019!!!!

 

[Natedog]

Thanks Shinchu! Awesome to hear that Rick got a F100 BND, wish y'all had come to PLBTF2019!

Rockhugger and I had a great time, loved the slide too! Made it down ok, but watched and heard several rigs fall down hard onto the slab below, better line up proper and keep the throttle on slightly all the way down.

Damatheus, congratulations great job in Show n Shine with your detailed truck that looks and crawls great, nice driving too!


Enroute, excitement builds!

Camp Ascender! Chris' honorary catdog Gracie (sp?), friendly furry little guy kept us all company.

Night city and then crawling! My Va'Blazer and Rockhugger's custom pickup body modded TRX-4.

Night time valley view

Badass old Tonka truck based rig

Dunno why the next two pics are sideways, I rotated and saved before uploading, wth?
Rockhugger concentrating on a technical line with his modded TRX4.

Casey trying and finally making a difficult line with his hardbody Sand Scorcher with 3d printed motor, accessories and the Tamiya driver, nice truck!

Steep large slab climb, then down a very steep ladder that liked to dump you right over on your lid if you weren't careful!

Thanks to Damatheus (Nelson) buddy for this action pic of my Va'Blazer descending the steep ladder! It was difficult to stay on the ladder whilst descending, made a shiny side up landing at the end. :ror:

Great pictures guys and love the video Casey!

 

[AnimalHippie]

Looks like an awesome time Nate! Glad to see we all talked you into going. Ascender looks great!

 

[Ascender'nMN84]

It makes me really glad to see you running that red and white shell after all these years. I had a couple buddies make the big trip out west and they would live stream some of the event here and there. Maybe next year....

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[Yeti.stealth]

The rocks at that place look awesome!

Good to see the Va'Blazer getting a run, scale town looks cool. All you guys must of had a great time. Wish I could of spent more time hanging out with you, would love to explore and see much more, next time.......

 

[Natedog]

Looks like an awesome time Nate! Glad to see we all talked you into going. Ascender looks great!

Yes, it was and thanks for the motorvation! :ror:"thumbsup"

The rocks at that place look awesome!

Good to see the Va'Blazer getting a run, scale town looks cool. All you guys must of had a great time. Wish I could of spent more time hanging out with you, would love to explore and see much more, next time.......

Yes, the rocks are amazing at this place!

Thanks, debated on running my K10, but had to run old number 1 because it just works so well and has the huge Blazer body that rarely holds it back. Yes, would have been nice, next time.

Visiting friend's heard of Chihuahua cats! He's got four more, they are all rescues, super sweet and very well mannered and relatively quiet for Chihuahuas. "thumbsup":ror:

Trip home, huge tailiings pile of an old mine, there are thousands of these around the west and the town of Randsburg has nice collection of old buildings, mines, opera house, and museum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randsburg,_California

The weather in the 395 corridor is amazing too. It was sunny, but super windy and actually cold on the last day!

So windy that they closed the road to all big rigs and high profile vehicles, saw several rigs on their sides, people parked at last little store 'camping'!

Moon over Mono Lake

Ran into three closed passes (two had been open this season, but re-closed due to storms day before), ice crystals all over the road that sparkled in the headlights, and snow for several miles! That's snow on the sides of the road and falling flakes illuminated by the headlights.

 

[rockhugger]

And that Burger and onion rings on the way home!!!!!!"thumbsup""thumbsup""thumbsup""thumbsup"


Glad you decided to go again Nate, it was a fun trip for sure. Meow.

Night crawling was amazing as usual, seeing all the mountain side lit up with rock lights.... awesome!!!

 

[HumboldtEF]

Yeah I'm glad you guys made it out, it wouldn't be the same without you guys :mrgreen:

 

[confuzed]

Glad to see you guys got home safe, weather was a bit wild last weekend. Was a pleasure meeting up with you guys even if it was just a brief time. My sister is really getting into these tiny trucks ..... I forsee my back up Blazer kit coming out of storage.

 

[Natedog]

And that Burger and onion rings on the way home!!!!!!"thumbsup""thumbsup""thumbsup""thumbsup"

Glad you decided to go again Nate, it was a fun trip for sure. Meow.

Night crawling was amazing as usual, seeing all the mountain side lit up with rock lights.... awesome!!!

Yes, pulled pork sandwich, BBQ sauce, handmade onion rings, four espresso shots with touch of cream for the road! Where ma cookies? :ror:

Ya, me too, fun times! Meow!

Awesome night crawls too!

Yeah I'm glad you guys made it out, it wouldn't be the same without you guys :mrgreen:

Ya, me three, was great time with y'all! 8)

Glad to see you guys got home safe, weather was a bit wild last weekend. Was a pleasure meeting up with you guys even if it was just a brief time. My sister is really getting into these tiny trucks ..... I forsee my back up Blazer kit coming out of storage.

THanks, love the wild weather, makes it more interesting. Yes, good seeing y'all again too! Sounds like a great idea!

Edit: Casey, thanks for the 3d printed parts, very nice quality and the little parts tray is in perfect! K10 is getting re-work and use it everyday.

 

[wyd]

Natedog does anyone make overdrive gears for the Ascender that you know of? Wouldn't mind trying some if available. I figure if anyone knows you would.

Thanks
Brian

 

[Natedog]

Hey Brian, nobody makes OD or UD gears for the Ascender that I know of, wish they did! Under drive would be better since the axle ratio is already relatively high. I’ve been thinking of swapping a transmission and divorced transfer case in one of mine just for overdrive and to get the motor lower and forward, but haven’t found a setup I like due to transmission ratio needs to be higher than most to compensate for the axle ratio. GRU between motor and tranny would work to get ratio proper but then driveline length becomes an issue especially since I really want to keep stock batteries position or close to it.

 

[Natedog]

I've been thinking, gathering parts, and trying some new. Trying WB4, shorter 90mm shocks, all steel 5mm diameter solid links, and a few other changes! Mocked up, master template. Upper hole was origiinal shock mount hole,dropped them down 8mm, stock aluminum cross brace would just touch top of rx fuel cell box, but that's gone now. They will get a new cross brace and rx box is getting lowered about 9mm and will also serve as the frame X brace that is being removed too.

IMG_4061


Test fit, clearance check, had to trim the tops off to clear bed cage at WB4, fuel cell going back down lower again. On a diet up high, get the weight down low.

IMG_4062


Final parts cut and drilled together with thicker material. Probably cut out the center once they're proven.

IMG_4065


Rears done for now, still contemplating how I'm going to do the fronts with all the servo mount cross brace mount holes, panhard mount, etc. Front axle, shock mounts next!

IMG_4066


WB4 rear bed mount ideas. Brass tubing on bench for another mod. ;-)

IMG_4068