Axial Newbie Concern
08-14-2016, 01:06 PM
#1
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Axial Newbie Concern
Took the plunge and got me a Axial Wraith Poison Spyder. Love the it except for one issue. Maiden run was disappointing. I never did any serious crawling right out the box. Only a few large stones and mostly hills and flatland. So I should expect great results right? The heavily praised BF Goodrich tires squash too easily for my liking which causes instant roll overs. Cornering at the least speed, meant I had to go to the Jeep and pick it up. That's fine I suppose for most of Axial fans. Not me. I'm in a wheelchair and once in awhile I enjoy running my trucks when I am alone. This time I spent more time hollering or phoning someone to help me out. What advice can you experienced crawlers offer? No, I don't want to abandon this sport.
08-14-2016, 04:30 PM
#2
Hey snort. welcome to the crawling side. sounds like you need stiffer foams in those tires. problem is that i think the tires are glued to the rims. to be able to change the foams you gonna have to get the glue off. not very easy or buy beadlock rims new tires and foams.
if it's the newer version i think it has beadlock rims so all you will need is stiffer foams.
if it's the newer version i think it has beadlock rims so all you will need is stiffer foams.
Last edited by RustedRC; 08-14-2016 at 05:13 PM. Reason: I'm an idiot
08-15-2016, 01:39 PM
#4
Well it's not as easy as saying get these ones because as you upgrade the need for stiffer foams will be easy to see. give this a read before you buy any. http://crawlerinnovations.com/foam-guide/ the weight of you truck will dictate how stiff of a foam you will need.
the most help it will need is the links, suspension and steering. they are plastic so getting metal links will add a lot of performance. as you get metal parts you will be adding weight so that alone will help keep it planted on the ground better. metal chubs and steering knuckles are a good idea to.
if you know anyone that has some spare memory foam you can make some and test it out try to add weight to the front and rear as creatively as you can. like tape some spent batteries to it just to test it out. when i got new tires they came with new foams that i think work better that the stock ones so i didn't need to get just foams. that might work for you to because the stock ones are ok but there is better ones and they come with foams. just remember don't get ones that are to hard you want tire flex on the contact surface that's where you get the bite for traction to climb tough ground and rocks. if i were you i would wait on the foams for now no sense buying something twice.
the most help it will need is the links, suspension and steering. they are plastic so getting metal links will add a lot of performance. as you get metal parts you will be adding weight so that alone will help keep it planted on the ground better. metal chubs and steering knuckles are a good idea to.
if you know anyone that has some spare memory foam you can make some and test it out try to add weight to the front and rear as creatively as you can. like tape some spent batteries to it just to test it out. when i got new tires they came with new foams that i think work better that the stock ones so i didn't need to get just foams. that might work for you to because the stock ones are ok but there is better ones and they come with foams. just remember don't get ones that are to hard you want tire flex on the contact surface that's where you get the bite for traction to climb tough ground and rocks. if i were you i would wait on the foams for now no sense buying something twice.
08-15-2016, 04:05 PM
#5
Stiffer foams will help, but since the Poison Spider comes with the Trail Ready beadlocks, try setting the wheels to 2 holes open, they may have been set from the factory with 6 holes open. The other option is to put a piece of electrical tape over the open holes, so no breather holes are open. I run Axial Rockster beadlocks, and there are no breather holes, and it crawls real well. I've also put wheel weights around the front wheels to add weight up front. The weights I use, can be purchased at any local auto parts store.
08-16-2016, 01:46 AM
#8
Yeah that will help. you just have to make sure the bb's don't collect in one spot inside the tire because it can cause bad tire wobble that can cause other problems. i'm not a fan of weight in the tires because it adds more rotational mass and that adds strain. like mike suggested you can get stick on wheel weights from an auto store and place them on your rims on the inside then put the tires back together.
IMO the best cheap way to add weight down low is to make something i call cheap tubes. take some solder wrap it around the CVD's so it looks like a spring then put it back in the axle. make sure it not to thick so it don't rub the CVD's because that would lessen your run time and drain the battery faster.
just an example how i did it in my scx10 axles.
IMO the best cheap way to add weight down low is to make something i call cheap tubes. take some solder wrap it around the CVD's so it looks like a spring then put it back in the axle. make sure it not to thick so it don't rub the CVD's because that would lessen your run time and drain the battery faster.
just an example how i did it in my scx10 axles.
Last edited by RustedRC; 08-16-2016 at 12:40 PM. Reason: adding a pic
08-16-2016, 04:49 PM
#11
You can also check out RPP Hobby, they sell Brass wheel weights that look like brake drums. They mount to the knuckles, and they're about 3 oz each, so no rotational mass. Some people worry about that, but unless you're running a high speed racer, I think rotational mass is the least of your worries. Most trail rigs run at a walkers pace.
08-16-2016, 07:39 PM
#12
In the full scale world on a car rim adding 1 pound of weight is about equal 10 pounds of rotational mass. having a negative effect on fuel performance and adding extra strain to axles, drive shafts and gears. so on a 1/10 scale 1 ounce would be like 10 ounces of force. affecting acceleration wearing out gears/lockers in the axle, gears in the tranny and will make brakes even the drag brake in a rc work a little harder. even when you go bigger in tire size that too will add more rotational mass then factor in the added weight in the wheels.
it is not easily noticeable at slow speeds but not seeing it dosen't mean it's not there. i'm not saying that it's the worst thing in the world to do. just saying there are other ways to add weight low without having unnecessary negative effects you can do it and might not ever have any issues. i don't because i did it in one of mine and it caused an axle to snap at the end of the dog bone. that's why i try to steer those that ask about wheel weight in a different direction.
give this a read and try to look at it in 1/10 scale." http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...ct-performance ".
it is not easily noticeable at slow speeds but not seeing it dosen't mean it's not there. i'm not saying that it's the worst thing in the world to do. just saying there are other ways to add weight low without having unnecessary negative effects you can do it and might not ever have any issues. i don't because i did it in one of mine and it caused an axle to snap at the end of the dog bone. that's why i try to steer those that ask about wheel weight in a different direction.
give this a read and try to look at it in 1/10 scale." http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...ct-performance ".
Last edited by RustedRC; 08-16-2016 at 07:42 PM. Reason: the voice in my head told me to
08-17-2016, 05:56 PM
#13
First off, lets agree to disagree. You have your opinion, and I have mine. You know what works for you, and I know what works for me.
They make a good point, and in the RC world, running on small electric motors, it may make a difference. We run our trucks with added weight for better traction while climbing, crawling and trailing over uneven terrain, we're not worried about mpg. I own a Jeep Patriot, and belong to the Jeep Patriot forum, and they go round and round about the same issue, bigger tires=more rotational weight=less mpg, more stress on drivetrain. It's an issue that there is no right answer. You want to run bigger, or a more aggressive off road tire, you're going to have to give up something in performance, however, in the world of small RC trucks, we can opt for a more powerful electric motor, bigger batteries, custom aluminum axles cases, titanium axles, aluminum chubs and knuckles. With all this aluminum you're losing weight in the front end, ya gotta make up for it somehow, and I did mention in a previous post that he should look to RPP Hobby for brass wheel weights that look like brake drums, and the plus is that they mount to the knuckles, so no rotational mass, and they weigh in at 3oz a piece. My wheels use 2.5oz of stick on weights, and I have an additional 2oz stuck to the top of the servo.
Now I know a lot of people move the battery up front over the front axle, good idea for traction, but now you've raised your COG. With the exception of the Jeep, my other trucks run the battery in the rear. The Jeep battery was located on the firewall, but with the added weight of a couple 12in dolls, and a bunch of scale items attached to the roll cage the weight ratio balanced out front to rear. The other trucks are also equally balanced with wheel weights and weights on top of the servo, and the battery in the stock rear position
The Wroncho II Desert Truck I'm working on, I'm going to have to remove weights in the front wheels, or I'll be breaking the front axle parts every time I make a jump, it'll be set up more like a SCT, but with straight axles in front.
Sorry Snort, didn't mean to rant on in your post.
They make a good point, and in the RC world, running on small electric motors, it may make a difference. We run our trucks with added weight for better traction while climbing, crawling and trailing over uneven terrain, we're not worried about mpg. I own a Jeep Patriot, and belong to the Jeep Patriot forum, and they go round and round about the same issue, bigger tires=more rotational weight=less mpg, more stress on drivetrain. It's an issue that there is no right answer. You want to run bigger, or a more aggressive off road tire, you're going to have to give up something in performance, however, in the world of small RC trucks, we can opt for a more powerful electric motor, bigger batteries, custom aluminum axles cases, titanium axles, aluminum chubs and knuckles. With all this aluminum you're losing weight in the front end, ya gotta make up for it somehow, and I did mention in a previous post that he should look to RPP Hobby for brass wheel weights that look like brake drums, and the plus is that they mount to the knuckles, so no rotational mass, and they weigh in at 3oz a piece. My wheels use 2.5oz of stick on weights, and I have an additional 2oz stuck to the top of the servo.
Now I know a lot of people move the battery up front over the front axle, good idea for traction, but now you've raised your COG. With the exception of the Jeep, my other trucks run the battery in the rear. The Jeep battery was located on the firewall, but with the added weight of a couple 12in dolls, and a bunch of scale items attached to the roll cage the weight ratio balanced out front to rear. The other trucks are also equally balanced with wheel weights and weights on top of the servo, and the battery in the stock rear position
The Wroncho II Desert Truck I'm working on, I'm going to have to remove weights in the front wheels, or I'll be breaking the front axle parts every time I make a jump, it'll be set up more like a SCT, but with straight axles in front.
Sorry Snort, didn't mean to rant on in your post.
