webbl19

Hey there guys. Not new to RC but new to crawlers/electrics. I got this axial in a trade and am hoping you guys can help me out with some of the specs. I have a few questions. There is a capacitor on the ESC. What does that do? Also on the motor there are 3 other electronic components soldered on there. What are they for?

All i know is that it has a Rooster ESC and a Nova Motor, not sure of the size i think it is a 55t. It also has axial tires on it but i also have a set of prolines i was just seeing how the axial tires looked on it. Still need to get a good body for it, the one it came with is a really heavy plastic range rover body. Doesn't do good with that heavy body on it.

Thanks guys.
Lee

Dale Gribble

My Feedback: (4)

The ESC has a large capacitor because "A large power capacitor (Novak power capacitor) is used to smooth this ripple out so that the average voltage available to the ESC is close to the battery voltage. This serves to not only protect the ESC electronics, but will also increase the RPM's available during partial throttle."

Here is everything you wanted to learn about the Power cap from Novak- [link=http://www.teamnovak.com/tech_info/power_caps/power_caps.htm]http://www.teamnovak.com/tech_info/power_caps/power_caps.htm[/link].

The other components soldered on the motor are capacitors to help filter electronic noise generated from the motor. Otherwise, the noise generated from the motor's spinning would travel down the motor power wires and possibly interfere with the ESC and/or receiver circuitry.

cgflores

You got a good rig man. Just test it on rocks and see how well will it do and if it is on your linking or not then start with some costum mods. Noticed that you maybe using a stick pack..change it to saddle pack Nimh or lipo and mount on front axle.. These will give you a better perfomance.. you might be interested on a newly painted body. Just posted it in ads section. Its a JConcepts rock steady body for comp or just for bashing. just check the details in there.

webbl19

so far i like it. i need to find a good place to go though. not very rocky around where i live. and yeah it uses a stick. as soon as i get some funds i am going to take a trip up to the LHS and see what kind of things i can get for it. looking for a older style truck body like a chevy C10 or something.

is the novak 55 a good motor?

i guess the guy i got it from won a couple compititions here in kansas city.

cgflores

Thats one of the most common brushed motors and yes, its a good one. but it has to depend also on what kind of ESC and battery do you have.. I bought most of my parts and upgrades online which is way a lot cheaper and has everything that you need than going to LHS. There are so many great online store that you can shop around like TCS, RPP, RCP and not to mention Ebay. . Goodluck.

webbl19

It has a rooster ESC and traxxas 3 channel set up and he gave me 2 batteries, one is a duratrax 1500 and the other is a venom 1700 or 1800 i dont remember they are just nicd batteries. i was looking at the lipo packs but they are expensive.

I am planning on adding another servo to the rear and making it 4 wheel steering. I have a couple RC parts cars that have some servos on there all i need is the links.

Also i have seen that someone here put the steering links on the inside of the axel and turned the servo around. is there any kinks in this setup or does something else need to be changed for it to work?

cgflores

Get a Dig..more fun.. rear steering is not comp legal as far as I know.

webbl19

i have tried to look into what a dig is but i cant quite understand what it does. what does it do?

and how can i tell if my diffs are locked?

hilltop crawler

Is rear steer really not allowed in comps? I just got my first crawler and it's an axial ax-10 with rear steer. i bought it used. I want to change it to a dig trans eventually butmaybe sooner than i anticepated if this is true

webbl19

http://www.rcslot.com/blog/usrcca-ru...-crawling.html i dont know i found this and i dont see anything about 4 wheel steering.

webbl19

http://www.usrcca.com/rules2008.pdf here you go i found this, says no limits to steering config

oh i guess the first link is basically the same thing. doh

i dont know the difference in the classes. looks like the super crawler class is the only one that you can have 4 wheel steering, the others say only 2

hilltop crawler

It might not be a good idea for me to jump right into super class.

webbl19

seems like there are a lot of rules. im going to have to go check out one of these competitions.

cgflores

Check that link under 2.3.4 in 2.2 class. Since you have the 2.2 rig, you might wanna reconsider spending on rear steering and find out that its useless.. There are a lot of best performing digs out there. I personally use the S3R dig which gave me no problem and has all steel internals. You can get HR dig too at a lower price. All you need is a High torque servo and a 3 ch 3pos radio like DX3R or a modified TQ3.

djzachtyler

My Feedback: (4)

I answer to the question about what a dig unit is... it allows you to either lock, disengage(freewheel), engage the rear wheels of the truck in order to be able to maneuver the front of the vehicle across rock faces without having to go into reverse which would lose you points in a comp. The dig bolts directly to the tranny. I use a DNA dig unit which is one of the better digs available for the AX-10 IMO, I did alot of researching before installing mine, and in the end,the most commonly used dig on a comp rig was the DNA (or VF with the older models) thry run aroung 100-140 bucks new, and are built tough as heck. you will need a second HiTec mini servo that will mount on the dig, and a radio with a 3rd channel that has 3 positions to get the full functionality. you will also need to use a shortened rear shaft and mirror your tranny for a dig to work.

if you are looking to turn your AX-10 into a true comp rig, start saving, it can get expensive god only know my crawler cost me more than any other vehicle I own, but it is well worth it now that it is finished.

here are some of the mods/ hop ups I have just to give you an idea:

1) CKRC "rockstar" Chassis with a delrin skid plate - has better triangulation reducing torque twist, the delrin slides over rough surfaces reducing snagging. torque twist is a crawler's tendecy to twist when under power with a higher torque motor. also offers a slightly lower COG since the configuration uses saddle pack batteries that get mounted on the front axle on either side of the servo. more weight up front will make sure your front end stays well planted very important!!!

2) Losi Threaded aluminum shocks with double white (super soft) springs & 30 wt oil- There are other shocks out there too, just be sure to ditch the plastic stockers they are crap and notorious for the caps popping off. soft springs and light oil will make sure you have smooth articulaiton and also that your tires will crawl uneven surfaces better, the heavier weight oil will keep the mmovement smoother and slower too.

3) diff lockers - Locking the diffs is important in comp crawlers, you do not want to have a wheel get bound, and then as a result have one in the rear start spinning backwards losing you points. comp crawling is forward only.

4) Aluminum links & the Axial Delrin high clearance link end kit - these will stiffen the triangulation, and offer more solidity to your ride I suggest using the high clearance (bent) ones in the rear, also they make clear delrin tubes that look like thick soda straws which I recommend getting to put the aluminum links in, Aluminum has a tendancy to get bound up on rocks, where as delrin will glide, plus it will keep you nice shiny aluminum links from getting all scratched up... Also the reason you want the Axial Delrin link ends is simple, they are cheap and easy to replace. you WANT your crawler to have a "break" point in the exent you have a bad tumble. the little link end will fail, and is a 5 minute 50 cent repair... I just recently saw a guy usng aluminum end,take a tumble and snap the axle mount and put himself on the bench...

5) Holmes Hobbies 35 Turn Handwound motor - Holmes makes some of the BEST brushed motors out there for crawling, I recommend them HIGHLY!! the lower the turns the more torque that is produced... not as good for trail rigs, but the absolute best for technical runs and rock piles! higher turn motors like 55 turns, is a faster motor, better suited for trail runs.

6) Axial slipper clutch - I recommend this especially if you have a torqey motor like I do... the slipper prevents the pinion from chewing up my spur when I manage to get my wheel bound up.

7) Panther Cougar Tires & MDX aluminum Beadlocks - These are the best of the best crawlin tires, and are uber soft and have more grip than even rock claws, or flat irons!. the majority of guys you will see winning comps probably use these. I also keep a back up set of the losi tires, they are a solid runner up to the cougars. The aluminum beadlocks, are just a personal preference since they add more weight. speaking of weight you want more in front than in the rear. the easiest way to add weight to your rims is those stick on tire weights from the local tire shop. free and easy to use. I 14oz front and 10 oz rear. that is my preference, and believe me I can get my ax-10 to crawl some pretty incredible places.

8) Saddle pack NiMh batteries - since I use the Rooster crawler and a brushed motor, I lik NiMh batteries much more I just do not trust the volatile nature od a LiPo given the tendancy of a bad move to send my rig sprawling down a hill... LiPo if damaged can burst into flames... not going on my 1000+ dollar rig... plus the NiMh packs add some extra weight to the front, and also help keep COG nice and low!

9) HiTec servos - you want the best and that is HiTec period. I use a HS-5955-TG coreless digital for steering and a HS-225-MG for my dig unit. HiTec has been the most reliable servo I have ever owned, plus they have a lifetime guaranty, so how can you go wrong...

10) MIP CVD shafts - they are the best hardened steel CVD available for the AX-10 and are safe to use as steel is alot harder than aluminum and will not bind up on rocks so much. the only thing is for a dig unit you have to get the shortened MIP shaft for the rear, and it is seldom available. I am currently using a Traxxas shaft in the rear since it was easy to cut and fit to my Dig. as soon as I can get the MIP shor bone though, I will be using that in my rear too... if you cannot get MIPs the traxxas shafts are worlds better than the axial shafts.

11) last but not least you will want a good 2.4 GHz radio system Like a SPektrum... the DX3R is your best bet if you want to run a dig since it has a 3 Position 3rd channel. I have the DX3S currently, and sadly the aux channel is only 2 position, so I am not getting full functionality of my dig till I sell off my second DX3S, and get a DX3R. the reason you want a 2.4Ghz radio is simple no glitching, and you will want to set your servo end points.

a note on atriculation - you will see some guys who can nearly twist their crawler into a full 90 degree angle... here is where the saying "form over function" applies... I admit it looks way cool that you can stand your crawler on one axle while the rear is still flat, but believe me when I tell you this is a USELESS feature, and will end up getting you into more trouble than you bargained fore in the way of getting stuck... on a good comp rig you want 60 degrees of articulation twist comfortably, and no more that 80 degrees when pressed hard

that is all I can recommend, and believe me there are numerous other hopups, and manufacturers, hop ups, and other stuff you can do which is what makes the AX-10 such a fun model... just when you think you have it dialed something newer and better pops up... I just like to share my billions of hours of time resaech and field testing that I have put into my AX-10 to make it a true "comp" rig... [sm=punching.gif]

Oh last suggestion... AVOID integy parts for the AX-10..... They are not of the best quality, I am not going to knock Integy, but have seen wayyyyy too many guys with broken integy stuff on their crawler...

hope this helps any newcomer to the AX-10, and anytime you have questions, or need advice, please feel free to PM me!

hilltop crawler

Thanks for all the detailed info. I was looking at a set of panthers today at the hobby store and those are some soft tires. I need to shed these stock rock lizard andrun those on my axial.

webbl19

I only have 2 sets of tires, i have the rock lizards and a set of prolines, the prolines are much better then the rock lizards, i need to go the the hobby shop and look around at stuff.

djzachtyler

My Feedback: (4)

definately do that!!! I would try to sell off the other tires and get the panthers though... trust me when I say they make THAT much of a difference!!!!

hilltop crawler

I went to pick up some Cougarsandended up buying a set of hb rovers cause i liked the side wall tread, oversized diameter, and still affordable. I don't have much expierence in rc crawling however these tires are way better than the Rock Lizards. Maybe not the softest but seem to have a ton of traction on the rocks.