I got a Trail King too now.

[rob bark]

Well at least it's not a massive charge on top of what you already paid!! Bit cheeky them asking for more money To deliver tomoz!!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk

[m4inbrain]

Tell me about it lol. 

 

I'm busy over the weekend anyway, so it's not that bad, but generally it's ridiculous. I paid for express delivery already, and now they want to charge me £12 again to actually do what i already paid for (express delivery). 

[m4inbrain]

Out for delivery. 

 

[m4inbrain]

And there it is. Sadly i don't have time right at this moment, so a small peek is all that i get.

 

 

Package arrived safely and intact. 

 

 

There's stuff in the box, too.

 

 

And updates as well.

 

Now, i haven't opened any bags, just peeked into the box and manual, but the first thing that strikes me is the flamboyant blandness of the box. I mean, fair enough, the star of the show is of course the chassis, but come on. It's an expensive(ish) piece of kit, at least some effort would be appreciated. 

 

Of course, it's a minor thing, as mentioned it's the truck that really counts, but it is a little disappointing. The manual is good though, and the updates are appreciated (by the looks, extra hardware too). 

 

Bought so much stuff over the last few days, that now that the kit arrived i figured out that i forgot to order blue loctite too, my old bottle is empty/dry. 

 

Well. Might use purple loctite, or amazon prime some. Looking forward to building it.

[m4inbrain]

Did have loctite, assembled both axles (couldn't wait) - got pictures too but as a reminder for myself, M3x6mm screws non-existant, diff cover partially not properly drilled out.

 

And i must've made a mistake somewhere, the rear axle doesn't run smooth but rather "crunchy". Not sure what happened there, you can't really assemble anything wrong there. Will post pictures and more detailed description once back.

[m4inbrain]

Okay i'm a bit at a loss here.

 

Maybe @toyolien and @Pistonhead can chime in. Assembled the axles as the manual wants me to - step by step. I know this, because i did it three times now. I can't get them to run smooth, it seems like the ring gear doesn't sit right? Here's what happens: i assemble the axle, put a toothpick (for the lack of an appropriate tool) through the "pinion" to spin it, and it's smooth for three turns - then it turns crunchy and basically breaks the toothpick if i try to force it. A bit (quite a bit) of force gets it over that point, after which it's smooth for a few turns again. 

 

I might be stupid and did the same mistake three times in a row, but at this point i'm not entirely sure where the problem would lie? I tried loosen the "C-Clips" (holding the locker in place over the bearings), i tried them tight(ish, it's plastic after all), nothing's helping. 

 

Now, it's my first (real) kit, so there's absolutely the possibility that i'm missing the obvious, but i'm at a loss. Gears are greased (though, not overly so anymore, since i constantly dis-and reassemble it), so that can't be it. 

 

A tiny bit frustrated, not going to lie. After searching for M3x6mm screws for 30 minutes thinking i've accidentally somehow dropped them, just to figure out that they don't exist in the first place (and no mention of that either, in fact i only realised it after reading that Toyolien had the same problem) plus some holes in the diff cover not properly being drilled out and now the axles not working smoothly.. I don't know. I'm trying to not get a little disappointed by talking myself into thinking that i'm simply too stupid to follow 10 simple steps to assemble the axle, but that can't be the solution here.

 

Edit: did you guys shim the locker/diff?

Edited September 23, 2019 by m4inbrain

[toyolien]

They'll be fine when you have the drive shaft attached. Without it in you'll naturally push the pinion into the ring gear when you spin it by hand. Try pulling on the pinion shaft and turning it. Is that smooth?

 

Also I didn't need to shim the diff. 

Edited September 23, 2019 by toyolien

[m4inbrain]

25 minutes ago, toyolien said:

They'll be fine when you have the drive shaft attached. Without it in you'll naturally push the pinion into the ring gear when you spin it by hand. Try pulling on the pinion shaft and turning it. Is that smooth?

 

Also I didn't need to shim the diff. 

 

That's weird. I now took everything apart for the fourth time - all the way to step one, starting by checking the 7 or so screws on the ring gear. Re-assembled it to the point where the "C-Clips" go back on (what are they called?), if i tighten them down nothing spins at all. If i have them loose, things are somewhat smooth if i spin from the axle on the left shaft, they're completely stuck if i spin them from the right shaft (or vice versa, forgot). The locker/ring gear itself moves probably half a mil inside the casing left to right (i can't tighten those C-Clips down since the amount of force needed to spin it can't be right). Now, this is one thing where i could be to blame, i don't know how tight these C-Clips need to be, my laymans brain tells me that there's screws, so you put them in properly (properly as far as the plastics allow, i do keep that in mind). It also tells me that the locker shouldn't be able to move like that. Now, it might be all totally normal and i have different expectations of what should happen, but i'd like to be sure that i did a step correct before going to the next one. 

 

Edit, this is what i mean by play in the diff. Is that normal/fine?

 

 

Edited September 23, 2019 by m4inbrain

[toyolien]

Difficult to tell from the video but that movement doesn't seem right. I don't remember mine being like that. Check that you've pushed the bearing in the axle housing fully. The one that the pinion gear slides through. That needs a good push to seat it. If it's not in far enough that'll be why it's locking up.

[m4inbrain]

Yeah, everything was seated correctly. 

 

Shimmed it, it's now smooth. Maybe i got the "monday" version of it.

 

Lost basically the entire day on that, so transmissions gotta wait until tomorrow. 

[toyolien]

Glad it's ok. Sometimes builds go like that. Stick with it 🤙

[m4inbrain]

Of course, not gonna throw it in the bin now.

 

Just a bit miffed, hoping the rest goes smoother tomorrow.

[mond]

I'd shoot SSD and email with that video. That amount of slop can't be right.

[m4inbrain]

Fair point, did - i also have trouble with the front axle now, it's basically the same just with slightly less slop, but it stays crunchy even after shimming. I just don't get it, i can't be that stupid. I did shoot them an email with that video though, asking for advice, just in case i am indeed not capable of following simple steps. 

 

I did indeed also assemble the transmission ("hm, lets have a brief look at how this goes toge... - wait, how is this already 2am in the morning, and why is this transmission assembled?"), everything went smoothly and indeed felt quality. 

Edited September 24, 2019 by m4inbrain

[Pistonhead]

I’d double check the bearings, if I remember correctly, similar, but different sized bearings are used in the lockers and inner pinion. That or the lockers and ring gears have been machined out of tolerance, it’s unlikely that it’s the pumpkin itself at fault 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Pistonhead

[m4inbrain]

I measure every bearing before i put it on the truck (eyesight isn't the greatest), it's the correct bearings. Or at least the ones the manual calls for.

 

I messaged SSD, i'll see what they say, otherwise i'll have to improvise or something. I got it to run somewhat smooth by shimming, i'll take it for now to be able to continue building.

Edited September 24, 2019 by m4inbrain

[Pistonhead]

Couldn’t see properly from the vid, but I assumed the slop was the locker inside the bearings and not the bearings inside the caps?

[m4inbrain]

That's correct, the locker is moving between the bearings. I can't tell if it's the casing being warped, or the locker itself being machined wrong (as in, if the distance from where the bearings are sitting is correct, or the locker is "too short"). I shimmed it on the outside of the bearing for now, pushing the bearing onto the locker/ring gear. 

 

Like this.

 

 

Circled where i shimmed, pushing the bearing to close that gap there. Can't be arsed opening the lockers again, did that all in all like 10 times now (both axles together) - i'm done with those tiny bolts.

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by m4inbrain

[Pistonhead]

I’ll pop one of my diff covers off and have a look for you

[m4inbrain]

Cheers mate but don't worry about it. They're working now, and i assume once the driveshaft is on preventing the pinion from pushing in slightly, it'll all be smooth. 

 

Inconvenient, but can't be helped - i'm happy as they currently are. Have to remember to take pictures, every time i want to i sit down and bam another piece done (and all the time gone). Hmph.

[Pistonhead]

I did that, built the links, then started to put the chassis together and forgot to take pics until i had the trans in and the axles hung lol

[m4inbrain]

Sigh.. Sat down, stood up 3 hours later. But now i'm forced to take a break, servo/ESC haven't arrived yet so i can't continue for now (well i could, but i'd rather wait). Built the chassis itself to the point where the shocks are mounted, and servo is supposed to be installed - which as mentioned, hasn't arrived yet.

 

A few curiosities though. First: the springs do seem pretty stiff, are there softer ones available? And, more importantly - maybe @toyolien could chime in because he got the same motor - how hard should it be to "push" the truck? I can only compare it to my TRX4, which i can push easily back and forth - this one, it feels like the dragbrake is set to 100%. Fair enough, there's not much weight in the truck currently (none, really) - but should it "roll" to some degree? As is, it doesn't roll - at all. I can push it with quite some force, but as mentioned i can only compare it to the TRX which rolls way easier? I'm not (yet) concerned, it's a strong motor and the gearbox has quite a lot of gears which all need to be moved, i'm just curious about it. 

 

Also, how do you guys fill/bleed the shocks? I'm not used to crawler shocks other than the TRX4, which have a small recess in the thread to let out oil/air when screwing the cap on. The Trail King shocks do not, once the cap is just slightly threaded, you can't really force air/fluid out? 

 

Apart from the axles, everything went together beautifully - and i absolutely did not put the links in, then took them out because i had them back to front, put them back in, then back out again because now the uppers were mounted where the lowers were supposed to be and the axle was sitting, lets say.. creatively fashionable? No. 

 

One caveat i do have though: it's way more plastic rubbish than need be. And i don't mean the truck, i mean packaging. I'm not an eco-warrior, but this amount of plastic bags and sht is ridiculous, that could've been done WAY better. Someone should've realised that once you have plastic bags in plastic bags in plastic bags, you're doing it wrong. Again, i'm not a hippie or a fan of Greta whateverhernameis, nor am i a militant green guy - i'm just a normal lad, and i'm a bit flabbergasted by the amount of rubbish i have to dispose of after building a little bit.

[mond]

I'd look at some videos on YouTube on how to bleed them. Way easier than trying to explain something that's a mix between logic and black magic. Some of it depends if they have a bladder or not.

[toyolien]

It shouldn't roll easy. There is quite a bit of reduction in the gearbox so will require a fair amount of effort to push. That's good for low end control and drag brake so don't worry about that, as long as there is no binding anywhere. 

[m4inbrain]

4 hours ago, mond said:

I'd look at some videos on YouTube on how to bleed them. Way easier than trying to explain something that's a mix between logic and black magic. Some of it depends if they have a bladder or not.

 

They don't, i've bled bladder style shocks on my Losi before, and the TRX4 shocks with the recess - these, i'm not entirely sure. Probably right though, should watch a video.

 

In other news, SSD got back to me - i asked about the axles "smoothness" when assembled, and if the locker is supposed to have that much movement inside the casing. They told me that it's known for hypoid gears to not run smooth in both the Trail King and the SCX10ii while assembling - they become smooth once you install the drive shaft. I can see what they mean (the drive shaft preventing the pinion from moving), and apparently it's normal for CNC cut gears to sometimes require some "bedding in". I can't tell, i can only go by what they tell me (which is to take the shims back out since they can lead to problems and use plenty of grease which i was doing anyway). 

 

They didn't specifically answer in regards to the movement of the locker (i added the video as well). 

 

So, i'll probably take their advice, take the shims back out and see how they run with drive shafts installed. Didn't do that when i was checking before. Getting tired of the diffs already, so much effort to take a washer out.

 

 

3 hours ago, toyolien said:

It shouldn't roll easy. There is quite a bit of reduction in the gearbox so will require a fair amount of effort to push. That's good for low end control and drag brake so don't worry about that, as long as there is no binding anywhere. 

 

That's what i thought, i wasn't really worried -  just wondering if it's normal, this build for me is as much fun as it is a learning experience. Cheers.

 

Any infos on springs? 

 

edit: nevermind, found them. For people interested, softer springs:

 

http://ssd-rc.com/soft-springs-for-pro-scale-90mm-shocks.html

Edited September 25, 2019 by m4inbrain