RCknight

iTrader: (5)

I blew out both the front and rear plastic diffs tonight. AE diffs are bad and it seems they need rebuilt every 2-3 weeks in stock racing??? I build them according to the instructions so it's not me. The plastic ones expand under the heat and the steel ones are are heavy. I tried the lightened steel ones, they are brittle, I chipped the corners off two of them and they keep breaking diff screw hex heads off. I wish AE would start making some quality diffs. I'll pay for it and so would all the other guys at my track. I'm jealous the X-ray and Corally guys can go a racing season without even adjusting them. I like the idea of the spring steel diffs like the X-ray. They are light enough, hold up well and they can be adjusted externally. Having a diff cover would keep the s-gease in them. Please, some after market company come to the rescue!!!

Joe B

iTrader: (1)

To each his own.......Iv'e been removing the steel pins from the TC-3 and now more recently the TC-4 CVD's for years the way I described.......always tapped 'em with a hammer...never mushroomed even one of them......perfect every time.....also the IRS bigdawg bones (the aluminum ones that come with the pin cushions installed)never held up as well as the stock TC-4 CVD's for me and the guys I race with...so it can be worth while to remove the stock pins for IRS pin cushion replacements...this is why "many" people have been doing it for a long time..........Hey RCknight.....whats wrong with getting the IRS aluminum lite drives.....they're as perfect as can be.....super light.....they rarely ever need rebuilding and last nearly forever in all classes of racing (with the IRS pincushions installed)......the ones Im running right now are 2 years old and don't have a mark on them.....

BlackKat

I've already "dug" a little bit into mine from running it in my TC3

Joe B

iTrader: (1)

Obviously without the pin cushions that they're supposed to be run with...otherwise it's not really possible for plastic to eat away at aluminum

BlackKat

How about if I shink wrap the drive-pin? Will that act as somewhat of a pin-cushion?

Joe B

iTrader: (1)

.......Im guessing you were kidding?....if not.....shrink tubing would add thickness to the drive pin making it most likely not fit in the outdrive slots well (if at all),and certainly not plunge in and out of the outdrives frictionless as the suspension moved, not to mention that it would quickly tear off and start to eat into the aluminum outdrives.....you need to have delrin ,hard nylon or plastic like the IRS pincushions with a steel center pin for the reinforcement......they're no big deal to switch out.....your making way more of this than it is

RCknight

iTrader: (5)

but I don't want to mess with plastic pins. I may try the Pal Speedway outdrives when the version 2 comes out.

Joe B

iTrader: (1)

Oh........ya know their not just solid plastic right?

RCknight

iTrader: (5)

diffs balls?

BlackKat

It was my dad's idea to add a couple layers of shrink to work as a cushion. I don't know the cush-factor of shrink wrap so I figured I'd ask you guys

I'm just gonna get some steel outdrives, throw the cruddy aluminum ones in the back of the box and not worry about it

RCknight

iTrader: (5)

get the regular steel ones. The lightened ones seem brittle.

johnbull

There are much simpler solutions.

I can't understand people complaining about AE diffs in stock and 19 turn. true that with low wind mod motors they get a hammering. Also, in 5 years running competitive TC3s and now TC4s with hot mod motors I can't ever recall breaking a diff screw!

Also true that if you glue a set of plastic diffs to make a spool it will break. But let's be fair - they were never designed to be glued.

So what are the alternatives. If you run a spool. You can have the light IRS one with IRS pin cushions. They work well, but they are fiddly and the cushions have a habbit of moving unless they are glued.

You can go for a steel spool. It's a bit heavier but will run for ever with stock drive shafts - and is the cheapest and most reliable solution.

You can go for the PAL unit which looks smart but I haven't tried it yet.

Or you can go the way I have gone, which is this. IRS outdrives or spool - depending whether you are talking front or rear. Corally Assassin (RDX) drive shafts with their own plastic blades. You will need to widen the slots on the IRS diff outdrives so that the blades fit nicely, but that's a 5 minute job with a small file.

BlackKat

Joe,

I don't understand why people complain about them either (I only broke a diff-half if a straight shot to a wood board running the TC3) but everyone's been telling me to upgrade the stock diff with metal outdrives.

RCKnight,

Do the lightened steel ones break? I only need them for the rear (one-way or spool up-front)

RCknight

iTrader: (5)

Blackcat....I have chipped off the edges of my lightened steel ones in a light crash. It's my opinion the lightened ones are not very good. The big problem, if they are too tight, you will break off the hex head on the diff screw. Someone mentioned this was a runnning defect on the lightened ones, they didn't machine the inside flat and caused stress on the head, but I have not been able to confirm this yet. I'm sure AE won't say anything. I think the older TC3 steel ones are a safe bet.

S_fender

I run with the lightened steel diff since 8 month and he is really tight and i've no problem... may be your screw was the problem...