The sounds of plastic and metal parts hitting rocks

[FJC_GUY]

I have this obsession right now with tinkering with the TRX4. It seems like I'm changing something every time I run it.

That said I went out and beat on it for 2 hours today. I've got to say I'm really liking the way this little piggy moves. I need to sort out the spring situation, it seems like I cannot get my preload right. It's either too much or not enough.

Looking at a set of full-sized shocks at work yesterday I think I'm going to build a collar so I can cut down one of the other coil sets I have and have a customizable progressive spring rate setup. I'm working on the collar in Fusion right now so we'll see how it goes.

Couple of videos from today's testing. Still running the 3D-printed wheels and the Hobbypark Chyrax tires. Honestly for running on rocks that are smooth and just above freezing temp-wise, and the water was up last week so the dirt is all damp, they do pretty good for a set of $20 tires and foams. You can see in the videos that I twist on those things and between them and the 3D printed wheels I haven't lost a bead yet.

First video is my favorite rock from 3 different angles. I love finding a line that challenges me then running it until I can nail it 90+ percent of the time.

Second one is just clips of different lines I play on, some I execute, some I fail. I like to include both.

 

[Tunedfrog]

It certainly sounds better than a Xmaxx smacking a picnic bench...

 

[FJC_GUY]

It certainly sounds better than a Xmaxx smacking a picnic bench...

Having made some bad noises with my Vorteks I won't argue that.

 

[Doom!]

Light posts make pretty good sounds too.

 

[Out4lox]

It certainly sounds better than a Xmaxx smacking a picnic bench...

I’ve never heard that exactly, but your statement rings true to me!

 

[Mtbmatty]

Don’t forget about mailboxes, if I had a dollar for every person who told me “ I was speed running my new (insert model here) and I clipped the mailbox….

 

[Chubaka]

Having made some bad noises with my Vorteks I won't argue that.

My favorite is a 3s stampede smacking a metal stop sign at midnight.

@FJC_GUY you have a nice peaceful spot.

 

[FJC_GUY]

My favorite is a 3s stampede smacking a metal stop sign at midnight.

@FJC_GUY you have a nice peaceful spot.

The river is finally down a bit since the weather hasn't been either dumping rain or warming up enough to melt mountain snow. I'm hoping to get out this weekend now that I'm finally feeling a little better.

 

[Mtbmatty]

Definitely looks like an amazing place with endless lines. I love how these trucks can drive on 3 wheels and stay balanced.
Ours has only been out a few times, but I also changed out the rear springs, we’ll see if it helps. I switched to the white springs which is also what is stock in the front. I may be trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist, but the rear end is super light, especially running a shorty battery up front. I weighed it for laughs and it is 7.2lbs according to the bathroom scale. I wasn’t necessarily unhappy with how it was, but it is definitely softer than before. Quick change if it bombs out….

 

[FJC_GUY]

Definitely looks like an amazing place with endless lines. I love how these trucks can drive on 3 wheels and stay balanced.
Ours has only been out a few times, but I also changed out the rear springs, we’ll see if it helps. I switched to the white springs which is also what is stock in the front. I may be trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist, but the rear end is super light, especially running a shorty battery up front. I weighed it for laughs and it is 7.2lbs according to the bathroom scale. I wasn’t necessarily unhappy with how it was, but it is definitely softer than before. Quick change if it bombs out….

When I put the "spare" on the back bumper I wasn't sure how much of a difference it was going to make in performance but figured it's easy to remove the tire and adapt the swingout to hold something else if it didn't work. Overall I might have lost a little sidehill angle but it actually helped on steep descents.

What I have found with weight is how much you need depends on where and when you are running. Mine runs most things better, and articulates better between 10-11lbs. It climbs steep inclines better at that weight but for step up type obstacles it can be a hindrance and lighter is usually better.

On the smooth river rock in the winter it needs weight to stick, especially when everything is damp, but in the warmer, drier weather it sticks better and can be lighter.

Long story short there is no "perfect weight". The terrain and climate you run in makes a big difference in how the truck performs so it's more about what works for you and when.

Also keep in mind that because I'm a 1:1 offroad guy and have been my whole life I like the truck to articulate fairly realistically. The best way I've found to get that look isn't to add a bunch of axle weight but to add weight to the frame forward of the front axle and behind the rear axle at frame height. I relocated my servo to where the forward battery tray sits normally and then zip tied strips of adhesive wheel weights next to it. On the rear I have a 3d printed "fuel tank" that sits between the frame rails and is a great platform to hold weight.

 

[Mtbmatty]

When I put the "spare" on the back bumper I wasn't sure how much of a difference it was going to make in performance but figured it's easy to remove the tire and adapt the swingout to hold something else if it didn't work. Overall I might have lost a little sidehill angle but it actually helped on steep descents.

What I have found with weight is how much you need depends on where and when you are running. Mine runs most things better, and articulates better between 10-11lbs. It climbs steep inclines better at that weight but for step up type obstacles it can be a hindrance and lighter is usually better.

On the smooth river rock in the winter it needs weight to stick, especially when everything is damp, but in the warmer, drier weather it sticks better and can be lighter.

Long story short there is no "perfect weight". The terrain and climate you run in makes a big difference in how the truck performs so it's more about what works for you and when.

Also keep in mind that because I'm a 1:1 offroad guy and have been my whole life I like the truck to articulate fairly realistically. The best way I've found to get that look isn't to add a bunch of axle weight but to add weight to the frame forward of the front axle and behind the rear axle at frame height. I relocated my servo to where the forward battery tray sits normally and then zip tied strips of adhesive wheel weights next to it. On the rear I have a 3d printed "fuel tank" that sits between the frame rails and is a great platform to hold weight.

Have you changed springs, or just adjusting your preload? I can see why adding weight up front for you would make sense to help offset the spare tire.
I have no plans to add any more weight at the moment, unless I feel it’s needed to increase performance. Other than metal beadlocks, I added front and rear brass diff covers, and have been happy with the performance.

 

[FJC_GUY]

Have you changed springs, or just adjusting your preload? I can see why adding weight up front for you would make sense to help offset the spare tire.
I have no plans to add any more weight at the moment, unless I feel it’s needed to increase performance. Other than metal beadlocks, I added front and rear brass diff covers, and have been happy with the performance.

I've played with preload a lot. Right before the last time I ran it I added a set of coils from a Redcat Gen8 in the front and took all the preload out. I only ran it that way once but the dual springs with no preload was promising.

 

[Mtbmatty]

I've played with preload a lot. Right before the last time I ran it I added a set of coils from a Redcat Gen8 in the front and took all the preload out. I only ran it that way once but the dual springs with no preload was promising.

When I put the new springs on the rear the other night I also moved the shock position to the forward most position. I moved it back last night and tightened the preload collar a bit more to 10mm. It feels better, but we will need to run it and see how performance is. With the shocks mounted farther forward it felt to soft like there may not be enough support, I feel better about the change, as I was skeptical after initially switching things around. This feels like it will be a more productive place to start.

 

[FJC_GUY]

When I put the new springs on the rear the other night I also moved the shock position to the forward most position. I moved it back last night and tightened the preload collar a bit more to 10mm. It feels better, but we will need to run it and see how performance is. With the shocks mounted farther forward it felt to soft like there may not be enough support, I feel better about the change, as I was skeptical after initially switching things around. This feels like it will be a more productive place to start.

My plan is to draw up some collars for the shock and try a dual rate setup. The Redcat springs are noticeably softer so I plan to install the stock spring, collar, then cut the Redcat springs down a little at a time to shorten them and continue testing.

It was a project I planned on doing over the winter but with not being able to be outside much this year I flipped to my diecast projects and haven't touched my RCs in a couple of months. Weather is looking up though so I'm getting the RC itch.