wallacengineeri

iTrader: (1)

So I have been planning out a project that I think will be a lot of fun, however I wanted to share my ideas with the forums to see if there may be a better kit available for this project or if I should maybe look into different electronics.

The Kit: So far as I can tell there is only one Kit that really "fits the bill" for what I want to do: The Axial Yeti XL. The standard 1/10th Yeti is already a well known rock crawler/rock racer kit and so naturally the "bigger brother" XL version is an obvious choice. If this kit is used, the project name will be "The Double Yeti", a name you may recognize from a famous scene in Adult Cartoon history from "Futurama".

Potential Problems with the Kit: I am not sure if Axial was looking to cut costs on the kit or what, but thanks no almost NO aluminum parts out of the box, a lot of people report durability issues with the Yeti XL out of the box. To correct this, I plan on using aluminum hop-ups from Hot-Racing to beef up my Yeti XL in order to make it truly worthy of the title of "Ultimate Basher/Crawler". Hop-Ups will include Aluminum Rear Solid-Axle, Rear Axle Truss, Carriers, Knuckles, Rear Shock Tower/Frame Assembly, Motor Mount, Motor Plate, Front Clip, Steel Center Gear Set, Vented Clutch Plates, Front Shock Tower, Diff Cases Front and Rear, Front Skid Place, Low-Friction King-Pins, Functional Res Shock Caps, Steering Bellcrank, Steering Posts, and possibly a few other bits and pieces.

The real issue with this idea is cost. This will already be an expensive project as I am getting the Kit version of the Yeti XL so I can use my own electronics, with the aluminum hop-ups this build will easily cost me well over $1500 so if anyone knows of a better kit for this build Idea then please let me know.

So onto the electronics then. My idea was to run the setup on 4S LiPo to ensure plenty of power without overdoing it and constantly snapping and bending drive train components. I also want a very low Kv motor so that the setup favors torque for crawling and trail-running. Im basically going to be going on hikes and taking the vehicle with me. I can't seem to find an ESC-Motor combo that really fits my needs so I am probably mixing and matching for this project.

ESC: Castle Creations Mamba Monster X - Chosen for its extreme power output and waterproofing making it ideal for this project

Motor: Tekin T8 4038 Truggy Motor, either 1550 or 1350Kv - Chosen for its monstrous size and torque capabilities, putting pretty much every other 1/8th motor on the market to shame. I would consider a Maclan racing motor if they had a lower Kv option.

Servo: ProTek RC 170SBL - Chosen for its monstrous 535 oz-in at 7.4V along with its incredible 0.08 transition speed, its so powerful that its 6.0V operation mode should actually do the job just as well. I am aware that I will be forced to waterproof this servo myself, in which case I will be simply coating the cracks in the case with plasti-dip. This should be adequate as I do not plan to fully submerge the vehicle in liquids, and retains any warranty the Servo may have.

Transmitter: I am currently in the process of deciding which radio system I should upgrade to. In another thread I am currently discussing my options and have decided on either the Sanwa/Airtronics MT-S or their MT-44. Pricing and availability will dictate my decision when it is time to make the purchase. I do also plan to use this radio as my only radio for all my vehicles, including this Axial Yeti XL project as well as a racing truggy and a 1/10th drift project all planned for the future.

Details and Painting: I may get the carbon-fiber body panel kit for the Yeti XL, and then I would paint the cage white. From there I plan on getting bead lock wheels and painting them white as well. The Idea is a bright white look that compliments snow. The overall look is supposed to be that of the Double Yeti from Futurama - a large, powerful creature covered in white hair. If I cant get enough popping white from the cage and wheels, then I may instead use stock lexan body panels and paint them white instead.

Let me know if you guys have any suggestions on how to improve this project!

Dave_S

iTrader: (1)

My suggestion is to make sure it's necessary to upgrade to aluminum before you do. Plastic is more better for some parts.

wallacengineeri

iTrader: (1)

Ya thanks! I actually did a lot of research and watched alot of reviews on the Yeti XL to come to the conclusion that alot of it needed to be upgraded. The aluminum Steering Bellcrank, Steering Posts, Aluminum Motor Mount, Motor Plate, Shock Caps and Front Shock Tower are all must-have upgrades according to just about every Yeti XL owner. The Steering Bellcrank is especially terrible on the stock kit. Every owner Ive seen has broken it almost immediately, and it has tremendously bad steering slop out-of-the-box.

There are parts that I want to keep plastic for breaking points, even after I finish all the aluminum upgrades. The front A-Arms will remain plastic to take stress off the drive-train and shock tower in the event of a hard hit. The rear links will also remain plastic as well as the rear driveshaft. I also want plastic beadlock wheels so I dont send a really bad shock through the drivetrain. The stock plastic spur gear will also be used for drivetrain relief. Finally, while the rear Axle itself is planned for an aluminum upgrade, the "lock outs" or "adapters" will remain plastic to take some of the shock out of the rear axle.

Im hoping that these parts will be sufficient in providing breaking points on the vehicle that will help reduce breakage on more vital components.

frdtrkguy

iTrader: (20)

Search Tekno DB48. I think it would be less expensive and more durable than the build you are thinking about.

chainsaw10

iTrader: (1)

If you want maximum durability you can’t beat Tekno.
I built this from a Tekno short course. The Tekno eb48 buggy is the same chassis but has beefier driveshafts , cups, CVD’s. I may swap to all the 1/8 buggy parts for maximum toughness...even though my current sct/superlite setup has proven unbreakable so far.

wallacengineeri

iTrader: (1)

Awesome suggestions guys! Ya I was actually planning on running the ET48 for my racing Truggy (when the 4th generation comes around) so I am familiar with Tekno, I just didnt know how easy it was to convert! If the EB48 has the same chassis for conversion then wouldn't it be a better idea for me to just buy the EB48 kit to begin with?

From there would it be a good idea to lock the center diff with silly putty or something? Is that the Axial Yeti XL cage you have on it? Im also wondering about thicker diff fluid for the front and rear diffs for traction on trails and rocks. I was thinking 50k front and maybe 30k rear?

What wheels and tires are those? They look super nice. Im planning on runnint the Axial Oversized beadlocks and RC4WD Rock Crushers

chainsaw10

iTrader: (1)

I used a Losi Scbe cage for that build. If you want a truck that will run the big tires/wheels you’re talking about you got no to need to build from the ET48 ..you’ll need the extra wide arms for clearance. Here’s my et48.3 with truck body. I believe the yeti xl body or associated DB8 cage would be a better fit for the longer chassis. You’ll have to check sizes though. I’d love or to turn this truggy into more of a “rock racer look”
I don’t crawl at all with these, just bash. But I have 1 million weight diff over in the center



..tires/wheels on the first build pictured are aluminum 2.2 Mayhem beadlocks and 2.2 Duratrax tires

wallacengineeri

iTrader: (1)

Ok man sounds awesome. Ur truck does look killer, I love it! However, I usually run on terrain that is a bit much for the smaller 1/10th scale vehicles or 2.2 tires. I am planning on running 40 series wheels and tires kind of size so yea if I will need to build based off the 1/8th truggy rather than buggy for the clearance then I will do so. So it looks my best idea then is to buy two ET48.4 kits when that 4th releases.

I would build one of them into my monster buggy crawler/basher and use the other on the track only. Im thinking that to get the monster boggy crawling well I should probably go with long, but very soft springs to allow a tall ride hight while allowing good articulation (no idea what I should be running here). Also, super low weight shock oil such as the TLR 17.5 wt oil would be used to allow the shocks to fully extend with little resistance to keep the wheels pressed against the surface (or at least it sounds like a good idea lol).

From there, I would use either silly putty or 20 million weight X-Maxx diff oil for the center diff to lock it down, and I have decided on 100,000 weight oil for both the front and rear to improve side-to-side traction. Handling is simply going to take the backseat on my basher/crawler. Then I will probably fit the Axial Yeti XL cage over the assembly, and just install the few necessary aluminum upgrades that even a Tekno would require to handle the immense torque of a 1350 or 1550Kv setup and EXTREMELY ROUGH off-roading. However with something as tough as a Tekno truggy I would only imagine that I would need Aluminum steering knuckles and carriers, and if any of the steering components are plastic other than the saver, then those would be replaced as well. The monster tires and 170SBL servo are gonna want to snap anything plastic or composite in the steering assembly.

Finally 3.8 or 40 series PLASTIC bead lock wheels will be used with either RC4WD Rock Crushers or Pro-Line Badlands tires. Im unsure if I should maybe look into some super-soft foams for the tires (if the option even exists. Im also unsure if I should run the MX series of super-wide tires for more traction or if there would be clearance issues with the wider wheels.

What is your opinion on the motor? Should I run the 1350 or 1550Kv Tekin Truggy motor? The truck will be run on 4S at all times to prevent snapping dog bones and other drive-train components.

chainsaw10

iTrader: (1)

Do not worry about the Tekno plastics ...you are not going to break them. No need for aluminum hubs or knuckles. Don’t worry about the driveline either. Go ahead and run the big tires on 4s and the diffs/shafts will last a very long time.
You’re not going to need many upgrades or replacements if you go with a Tekno.

I’ve run my Tekno truggy quite a bit with a Hobbystar 4092 long can 1700kv motor on 5 and 6s, with 40 series rc4wd Mudslingers. No problem
Mostly I run the mx38 Badlands.

wallacengineeri

iTrader: (1)

Eh well I guess I could always just run it until I break it and then just upgrade it if and when it does break. I have a bad habit of destroying my rigs very quickly. I seem to bring RC Sparks "Skate Park Pain" level of destruction to my bashers every single day.

Basically I destroyed my old Serpent Cobra E-Truggy when I decided to take it to an off-road mountain-bike track with jumps that go pretty much vertical on take-off. I probably jumped the thing about 50 feet high on every single jump and it didnt last long. 4th jump and it comes down and smashes all the suspension connections to pieces. The aluminum towers were badly bent, the screws for the lower shock mounts busted completely out of the A-Arms, the chassis tub was partially melted from an RX8 Gen 2 fire, all of the dog bones were badly bent or snapped, and all 3 diffs were completely crunchy and ruined.

My Serpent Truggy was so broken that it would have costed as much in parts to repair as purchasing a whole new kit, so I straight up took the electronics and tires out and threw the hole truck in the dumpster. Now I am trying to work on my habit of destroying every RC that I own but yea... I need a REALLY tough bashing truck regardless lol

WheezyC

A while back I built what I thought was the ultimate Yeti XL. I ran the Tekin esc and 4038 motor on 6s. The rig was nearly all aluminum. It was fast and powerful but I broke something every run. It was also crazy expensive.

I now have a Tekno EB48SL converted to a DB48 type buggy. In 2 years of racing as a buggy and a year of bashing I have not broken any parts. Just normal wear and tear items such as bearings etc.

Save yourself the grief and money and build the tekno. You can find several SCT410 or EB48SL used for cheap.

wallacengineeri

iTrader: (1)

Ya I am certainly considering a Tekno at this point.

As for used? Maybe, if I can find a rolling chassis so Im not spending a bunch of money on used electronics.

My last used purchase did not go so well though so I definitely plan on new electronics at least and maybe a whole brand new kit as well. Ive only ever bought new once and it was a great experience so IDK, we will have to wait and see...

MikeBuzz

I have just picked up a sct410.3 unbuilt for a good price. If I wanted to go down the db48 route what upgrades/changes will be needed or recommend, also what motor would be best?

WheezyC

I'm running a tekin RX8 Gen esc and a T8i 1950kv motor on 4s. The only weak point I have ever had was the plastic shock caps. The thing is a tank!

MikeBuzz

That looks great, would love to have something just like that, what motor do you run? and also what changes have you made from the standard SCT410?