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the Stinger
Axial Crawler Tuning Part 2
Tony Arnold -
StampedeProject.com
Last article we tested how
good the stock Scorpion could be just with key tweaks and the right
electrics. I even showed what the rig could do in a couple semi-lame
YouTube videos (see videos on my site), but there were hardly any "upgrades". That first round of tuning greatly improved performance
and made the Scorpion a real crawler, but we had a lot of work still left
with CG, tires, clearance, and tightening the turning radius. This month I
will install a box full of competition level upgrades that will make our
Axial Scorpion one nasty little arthropod.
I even consulted with some of the rock stars of rock crawling for some
tuning pointers.
-----------Call
Out-------------------
Tips from a Pro
BenderCustoms' Brad Dumont -
Low
CG and stickier tires such as Losi's Rock Claws or Proline's M3 tires
are the most critical upgrades in improving crawling performance.
Heavier oil will make the chassis less reactive and moving the
upper link mounting inward on the AX10 will reduce torque twist and
increase chassis stability.
------------------------------------------
The
Axial Arsenal
Matt Kearney at Axial knows a few things about crawling, after all he
designed the AX10 chassis. Matt suggested some Axial branded upgrades that
increase durability, clearance, and lowered CG. The front battery servo
tray allows us to mount all the electrics low and up front. Bent links
give the rear some much needed clearance. To up durability Matt suggested
Axials's aluminum shock bodies, and heavy-duty front & rear
differential gear sets. Matt
shared some other good news - Axial finally has a full set of spring rates
to tune with.
Driveshaft
Crushing Torque
The brushed Axiom/Tekin Rebel 2 combo last month was great, but... I gotta
go brushless. Medusa Research
has a very torquey 1300Kv Afterburner motor that works extremely well for
crawling when paired with a Mamba Max brushless ESC.
Since the Afterburner motor delivered enough torque to snap a
driveshaft yoke in initial testing, I used Axial's new driveshaft rings
on the replacement axles to prevent yoke pop offs and future damage.
RCPCrawlers
RCPCrawler.com owner and top crawler competitor, Brian Jones suggested
some of his RCP line of beautifully machined black anodized aluminum AX10
accessories. I used the Max
Clearance knuckles for much tighter tuning, rear Solid Stainless Steel
Straight Axles and Adapters to clear up the rear for a ton of extra
clearance and "Clockable" front axles for a little adjustment and
strength.
Pro
Line Crawling
Pro Line is on top of the crawler scene with new narrow offset 2.2
Beadlocks and a Rock Star USRCCA spec approved body. The beadlocks
accepted the M3 Moabs perfectly and narrow the overall track by about 3/4".
The lock rings on the wheels are made of a heavy alloy so you can omit or
limit extra wheel weights. No
more guessing when to stop cutting and still be USRCCA legal with you
body, Pro Line has the smallest USRCCA legal bodies available and assures
snag-free wheel travel and overhead clearance.
Parts,
Pieces, & Tweaks
The Spectrum RX/TX, JR Servo, and A123 pack stay put on the chassis.
Both Brad and Matt suggested RCCrawler.com's Axial phase 2
modification. The modification
moves the rear upper link mount inward via new drilled holes to cut down
on torque roll and rear steer, however I engineered a no-drill option with
similar results. By using the
stock steering link left over from the front battery tray install could be
used to extend the rear upper link to reach and mount up at the body mount
location and repeated the modification up front. I
also cut the stock servo mount plate in half and used those for the two
rear ESC and RX mounts. Another key tweak was a full set of Red Kreepy
Krawler tire memory foams that add weight and greatly increase traction.
The best part is installing the foams as is - no trimming.
Testing
Just as before, I did before and after testing, however this time
performance took a big jump forward. Throughout
Phase 1 testing, I could see the drivetrain straining and once I went
brushless, a yoke broke. The
durability upgrades obviously did little for performance but drastically
strengthened entire drivetrain. The
swap to sticky M3 Moab tires with Kreepy Krawler foams all bolted into
some of Pro Line's new narrow offset beadlocks made the most obvious
difference. I even skipped the wheel weights. The combination of the RCP
Maxx Clearance hubs, wider low CG battery tray, and the narrower offset
Pro Line beadlocks did create some rubbing at full locks, however more
steering and 3/4" more gate clearance room is worth the annoyance. The
Mamba Max powered Medusa Research 1300Kv motor powered through the worse I
could throw at it without a hiccup. The new Pro Line Rock Star body
allowed plenty of snag-free clearance and provided a good experimental
canvas for trying out my new Iwata Revolution airbrush.
The CG changes again mad a measurable difference with increased off
camber and direct approach angles, the tuning radius decreased by almost a
foot, the near elimination of torque roll, the bent rear links and RCP
fixed rear axle made a noticeable difference in clearing obstacles -
overall a much more confidence inspiring chassis.
Conclusion
Matt, Brad, Brian, and the rest of the gang were a huge help with all the
tips and allowed me to transform our little Scorpion into a real
completion rig. So you think we are done with upgrades? Not even close, we
have a couple chassis to test and a host of new and exciting Axial
upgrades, and I may even break out my new Proxxon Mini-mill for a few
custom parts all in an effort to make our little 2.2 class scorpion
crawler even deadlier.
See you on the rocks.
------------------
Sources: Axial - www.AxialRacing.com, Tekin - www.TeamTekin.com,
Castle Creations - www.CastleCreations.com, RCP Crawlers -
www.RCPCrawlers.com, A123 Racing - www.A123Racing.com, Medusa Research -
www.MedusaProducts.com, JR Servo - www.JRradios.com, Pro Line -
www.Pro-LineRacing.com, Great Planes - www.GreatPlanes.com, Spectrum -
www.SpectrumRC.com, Bender Customs - www.BenderCustoms.com, Kreepy
Crawlers see www.RCPCrawlers.com, Iwata - www.Iwata-Medea.com
--------------Call Out Box------------------
Scorpion Phase 2 Upgrades
Axial Low CG Battery
Mount
Plate
Axial Bent Links
Axial Aluminum Shock Bodies
Axial Heavy-Duty differential gear sets
Axial Soft springs - Front
Axial Driveshaft Rings
Medusa Research 1300Kv Brushless Motor
Castle Creations Mamba Max
A123 Receiver Pack
RCP Crawler Max Clearance Knuckles
RCP Crawler Rear Solid Stainless Steel Straight Axles
RCP Crawler Straight Axel Adapters
RCP Crawler Clockable Front Axles
Pro Line M3 Compound
Moab
Tires
Pro Line 2.2 Narrow Offset Beadlocks
Pro Line Rock Star Body
F/R Upper Link
Mount
Move
70wt Shock Oil
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- SHOWING HOW LOW THE CG IS]
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- SHOWING LOW CG BATTERY MOUNT]
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- SHOWING MOTOR]
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- SHOWING REAR FIXED AXLES]
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- SHOWING RCP KNUCKLES AND CLOCKABLE HUBS]
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- SHOWING DRIVESHAFT COLLAR]
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- REQUIRED PHOTO - SHOWS THE LINK MODS]
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IMAGE SHOWING OFF CAMBER CRAWLING AND LOW CG]
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