248LikesXray XB4 thread
02-14-2013, 12:16 PM
#1592
Crafted some FRP towers (4mm) front and rear and a top deck (2mm). I have run the front tower six packs through and it feels very sturdy. May do the battery holders too later. Once you go black... right?
02-14-2013, 12:19 PM
#1593
02-14-2013, 04:03 PM
#1595
The "upgrade" kit contains stronger shock towers and braces for both front and rear towers specific to their problem. Additionally a stronger front diff case. And finally 2 sets of diff gears.
In this regard I am still running all the original components. Broke the tab off the rear tower, glued it back on and fabbed a brace, Problem Solved. Cracked the front diff case, glued and braced, PS. The diff gears are finally giving up the ghost but some of that is due to me. I'm gonna shim and try one more time but have the gears on hand in case I need to work on the car at the track.
I bought 2 kits the day they came out and one is still unopened.
Love this car, I just wish our track was fast enough to let it fly.
In this regard I am still running all the original components. Broke the tab off the rear tower, glued it back on and fabbed a brace, Problem Solved. Cracked the front diff case, glued and braced, PS. The diff gears are finally giving up the ghost but some of that is due to me. I'm gonna shim and try one more time but have the gears on hand in case I need to work on the car at the track.
I bought 2 kits the day they came out and one is still unopened.
Love this car, I just wish our track was fast enough to let it fly.
02-14-2013, 04:29 PM
#1596
Ha Ill run the zx5 by them. When you say you had to touch up the tops, are you talking about refilling with fluid or something else? After following this thread it seems like some guys are losing diff fluid but can't see it on the chassis or anywhere else... Wonder if they need to be "marinated" so to speak, then they swell and do not require shims? Don't want to destroy the gears and would prefer running stock diffs over the metal ones.
This will be my first 4wd 1/10 so I'm pretty pumped about trying it out.
This will be my first 4wd 1/10 so I'm pretty pumped about trying it out.
So here is something about the diffs. After a few runs the rear diff had some debris inside (tiny pieces of plastic) so when I rebuilt that one I shimmed it and moved it to the front. The front one looked good so I simply changed fluids and put it in the rear.
A few more runs and it was all good until the last session when the rear diff was getting noisy and not hooking up.... that is the diff that was in the front and looked good previously. I took it apart and it doesn't look any worse than the first one with debris which was now in the front and working well. I was going to rebuild with metal gears but I think I'll just shim this one and run it again. Eyeballing fluid levels btw my scale doesn't measure to 100th of a gram. Also those 4 little screws are finally seating all the way, I expect the last bit of weeping to stop completely.
On the shocks I actually "flattened" the tops of the bodys, basically just made sure the "seating" area looked good.
So the upgrade kits, coolio, thanks Xray. A couple things though. They have an addendum instructions that tells you to cut the upper deck at the front. I would think that they are allowing the front gearcase to move a bit and absorb some shock ? Also why the extra big gears? Haven't heard that being a big issue. Nice though. And lastly I wish they had thought about a different brace for the front to support the case area. The one I fabbed up simply fit under the heads of the front case screws and the two tower to bulkhead screws, super effective.
02-14-2013, 04:35 PM
#1597
According to Xray the Upgrade kit does not come with shock towers. Only a shock tower protector. It looks to me like they are just to spread the load out over a larger area. I would think adding washers behind nuts would do the same thing. I haven't been able to run mine yet but I've replaced all the standard silver 3mm nuts with flanged nuts to help this.
02-14-2013, 06:14 PM
#1598
Just got back from picking up the upgrade kits and some springs and metal gear sets.
So here is something about the diffs. After a few runs the rear diff had some debris inside (tiny pieces of plastic) so when I rebuilt that one I shimmed it and moved it to the front. The front one looked good so I simply changed fluids and put it in the rear.
A few more runs and it was all good until the last session when the rear diff was getting noisy and not hooking up.... that is the diff that was in the front and looked good previously. I took it apart and it doesn't look any worse than the first one with debris which was now in the front and working well. I was going to rebuild with metal gears but I think I'll just shim this one and run it again. Eyeballing fluid levels btw my scale doesn't measure to 100th of a gram. Also those 4 little screws are finally seating all the way, I expect the last bit of weeping to stop completely.
On the shocks I actually "flattened" the tops of the bodys, basically just made sure the "seating" area looked good.
So the upgrade kits, coolio, thanks Xray. A couple things though. They have an addendum instructions that tells you to cut the upper deck at the front. I would think that they are allowing the front gearcase to move a bit and absorb some shock ? Also why the extra big gears? Haven't heard that being a big issue. Nice though. And lastly I wish they had thought about a different brace for the front to support the case area. The one I fabbed up simply fit under the heads of the front case screws and the two tower to bulkhead screws, super effective.
So here is something about the diffs. After a few runs the rear diff had some debris inside (tiny pieces of plastic) so when I rebuilt that one I shimmed it and moved it to the front. The front one looked good so I simply changed fluids and put it in the rear.
A few more runs and it was all good until the last session when the rear diff was getting noisy and not hooking up.... that is the diff that was in the front and looked good previously. I took it apart and it doesn't look any worse than the first one with debris which was now in the front and working well. I was going to rebuild with metal gears but I think I'll just shim this one and run it again. Eyeballing fluid levels btw my scale doesn't measure to 100th of a gram. Also those 4 little screws are finally seating all the way, I expect the last bit of weeping to stop completely.
On the shocks I actually "flattened" the tops of the bodys, basically just made sure the "seating" area looked good.
So the upgrade kits, coolio, thanks Xray. A couple things though. They have an addendum instructions that tells you to cut the upper deck at the front. I would think that they are allowing the front gearcase to move a bit and absorb some shock ? Also why the extra big gears? Haven't heard that being a big issue. Nice though. And lastly I wish they had thought about a different brace for the front to support the case area. The one I fabbed up simply fit under the heads of the front case screws and the two tower to bulkhead screws, super effective.
Ohhh ok so basically you just lapped the top of the shock body where the cap seats against it? I'll prolly end up building the shocks just like the manual says and see what happens, if I get leakage from that area I'll give your trick a go, along with the black grease on the threads. Do you think maybe the rear diff issue has something to do with possible differences between the two diff cases? Tolerance wise? The front and rear diff cases are interchangable, no? Funny that the rear diff would wear different from the front; all things being equal. Think I'll marinate the diffs in diff oil (and worcester sauce) before assembly.
Thanks for the insight, I'm still fairly new to this hobby and I'll take all the help I can get!
02-14-2013, 07:18 PM
#1599
hmm, the metal gears are .25 mm thicker. You can see the extra in the mold.
I'm not sure what I'll do, don't run again till sunday.
I badly want to open that second kit and build extra diffs with alternate oils and backups.
The front diff case is different, the part where the shock tower bolts on is angled due to the front kick.
So... anyone running metal gears want to report ?
I'm not sure what I'll do, don't run again till sunday.
I badly want to open that second kit and build extra diffs with alternate oils and backups.
The front diff case is different, the part where the shock tower bolts on is angled due to the front kick.
So... anyone running metal gears want to report ?
02-14-2013, 08:28 PM
#1600
[QUOTE=asc6000;11816561]So the upgrade kits, coolio, thanks Xray. A couple things though. They have an addendum instructions that tells you to cut the upper deck at the front. I would think that they are allowing the front gearcase to move a bit and absorb some shock ? QUOTE]
I beleive this is to allow room for the additional metal brace to fit on the back of the tower.
I beleive this is to allow room for the additional metal brace to fit on the back of the tower.
02-14-2013, 08:31 PM
#1601
im thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these .i love my durango what are some of you thoughts on this buggy over the durango you former durango owners ? i race on a small topsoil dirt track
Last edited by liquid g; 02-15-2013 at 04:09 AM.
02-14-2013, 08:46 PM
#1602
[QUOTE=Clint161;11817516]
You have to cut the upper deck because the V2 gear case is thicker around where the tower mounts. Basically where all these homemade aluminum tower braces have been fitting, they added more plastic there. So you have to trim the upper deck to allow room for this additional support.
So the upgrade kits, coolio, thanks Xray. A couple things though. They have an addendum instructions that tells you to cut the upper deck at the front. I would think that they are allowing the front gearcase to move a bit and absorb some shock ? QUOTE]
I beleive this is to allow room for the additional metal brace to fit on the back of the tower.
I beleive this is to allow room for the additional metal brace to fit on the back of the tower.
You have to cut the upper deck because the V2 gear case is thicker around where the tower mounts. Basically where all these homemade aluminum tower braces have been fitting, they added more plastic there. So you have to trim the upper deck to allow room for this additional support.
02-14-2013, 09:06 PM
#1603
You have to cut the upper deck because the V2 gear case is thicker around where the tower mounts. Basically where all these homemade aluminum tower braces have been fitting, they added more plastic there. So you have to trim the upper deck to allow room for this additional support.
02-14-2013, 11:48 PM
#1605
hmm, the metal gears are .25 mm thicker. You can see the extra in the mold.
I'm not sure what I'll do, don't run again till sunday.
I badly want to open that second kit and build extra diffs with alternate oils and backups.
The front diff case is different, the part where the shock tower bolts on is angled due to the front kick.
So... anyone running metal gears want to report ?
I'm not sure what I'll do, don't run again till sunday.
I badly want to open that second kit and build extra diffs with alternate oils and backups.
The front diff case is different, the part where the shock tower bolts on is angled due to the front kick.
So... anyone running metal gears want to report ?
Now running the new 35T gears as well.
Works just fine and adds a little reassurance
Bent