10 years after - the Black Widow (TRX1) still runs ;)

[Jay Dub]

I have found on the traxxas shocks, that the diaphram needs to be inserted and seated into the shock cap first, then mounted to the shock and bled. I have used both sets of diaphrams and found them to work really well. It will be very difficult the get the shocks right if you put the diaphram in the body, and then try to put the caps on. -Jeff

[Lonestar]

I have found on the traxxas shocks, that the diaphram needs to be inserted and seated into the shock cap first, then mounted to the shock and bled. I have used both sets of diaphrams and found them to work really well. It will be very difficult the get the shocks right if you put the diaphram in the body, and then try to put the caps on. -Jeff

Jeff - yes, I fully agree. I've been spoilt in the past 15 years building top-notch on-road shocks where the diaphragm gets seated on the body first for perfectly controlled rebound and then the cap gets screwed on... this time, it's old-school, bladder in the cap first and then fingers crossed



Update I am slowly progressing on the build but I am desperately lacking time to update the thread with pics... every step takes WAY longer than I had planned. For instance, it took me about an hour yesterday to finally get the optional metal idler gear fit on its axle... they do mention in the instructions that the fit is "tight" but heck it was more than this as mounting it involved a vice, an brand new axle that was shot and went straight to the bin, a hammer, and the kitchen oven at 250degC...


Will post pics at some point, plus additional learnings as I have a few, prolly after the race weekend ie the 20th

Paul

[Lonestar]

Long overdue update... Due to other priorities, I got very very late with this car, missed the end of the indoor season and completely neglected this thread I am 99% done with the car, so here's a few pics to beg forgiveness. I'll post more tech info later on this month







and now with a couple of other cars





and a very anachronistic comparison



Paul

[Bormac]

Paul that TRX-1 looks BAD ASS!!!!! Seriously one of the best lookers I have seen. Well done.

[Lonestar]

Paul that TRX-1 looks BAD ASS!!!!! Seriously one of the best lookers I have seen. Well done.

thanks - will post more as the days go by. a bit tight on time now!

Paul

[Lonestar]

It's been a while since I've updated this.

As I'm gearing up for a vintage meet in May, I'm slowly rebuilding some the low-hanging-fruit runners so I can be ready in time with like 3 or 4 cars at least.

This car been a mild runner in the yard, it has never been raced, it's probably done like 4 packs at the very most since I finished it. So it hasn't seen much wear but there are still a few things that needed to be adressed:

1- the diff. It had NEVER felt right.
2- the slipper with the pucks. It had NEVER felt right either
3- full-sized lipo sticks don't fit in the rear-end battery box, which has an "under" and an "over" (it's an RC10 box at the front) - but luckily does not involve the bulkhead.
4- building shocks was so-so - could never bleed them properly (see above)
5- I'm using bored out Losi XX and first-gen XXX rear rims on this thing with period tires, and front AE worlds car wheels (with the right bearings it works a charm) with period tires too. Need to fit the car with proper modern shoes

And other tidbits...

so I got to work a few days ago as I'm waiting for parts for my stealth CE (here: https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=21202)

1- Diff building: my issue was, this thing was slipping no matter how tight it was adjusted. I am more than half-decent at building diffs, but that one puzzled. So I pulled it apart, if only to marvel again at how cool a structure this is built around, and how well protected the thrust assembly and its grease are. And that's the issue: the main balls had been contaminated but black grease from the thrust. After a good clean and ring sanding, degreasing, fresh balls, and a break-in, I'm happy to report the diff doesn't slip any more...

2- Slipper: ... which makes my slipper issues even worse. I've disassembled, cleaned, sanded/degreased the plates, used new pucks, and still this thing slips endlessly unless it's locked down to the point where i actually feel pretty uncortable. I mean, the coils are all continuously touching each other, AND i'm tightening it further... and even then it still slips too much for my liking.

3- Lipos - that's easy. One more AE battery cup and some servo tape is all it takes. I need an antenna holder though!

4- I am happy to report that AE shock caps fit on the TRX-1 shock bodies - the thread is a bit short, but it could work if one can find a soft spacer thick enoughthat'd do the sealing between the (too short) cap and the body. I'm thinking about using lexan scrap to do that, I will install bleeder caps shortly - which will sort out the bleeding issue.

5- Still doing some thinking about this one.

Here's where I am now - sorry, not many pics but I will add more later and fix some of the photobucket maelstrom too, I guess



Can anyone please help with the slipper:
What am I doing wrong? was anyone running the stock setup bitd? Any recommended aftermarket parts that make it better other than Jeff's clutch - which is a vintage design, maybe not as easy to work with as the newer stuff?

Thanks,
Paulk

[jwscab]

you can use this if you can find it:
http://www.teamstrc.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=661

or I found this , in stock here.
https://www.amainhobbies.com/st-racing-concepts-cnc-machined-transmission-layshaft-sptst3793ae/p185515?gclid=Cj0KCQjwqM3VBRCwARIsAKcekb2Li8mH66m58IOxl3jVJyQtUhIkn1XGGRT_QYGH-WF_uBxfyThFxqIaAhfmEALw_wcB

alternately, any modern slipper design for bandit should fit with the right top shaft.

my trx1 seemed to be OK with the rulon pegs. I may have added as many as fit in the gear, beside just a single circle of them. I never heavily raced i though. ran it with something like a 15 turn or maybe 14? been too long.

[TRX-1-3]

So to drag up the shock diaphragm issue. Yes the diaphragms are hard to find for the original shock caps. The only ones floating around out there in quantity are either for the "big bore" shocks (TRX-3) or maybe their "ultra" shocks.

I have had success with:

Bladder in cap, fill shock body until oil forms convex meniscus at top of body (piston down).

Place cap on body and screw on just until the treads mate enough to keep it on.

Tilt shock slightly (imagine that you are the air bubbles and want to get out) push piston / shaft upwards to force out remaining air (same distance for each set of shocks), then tighten the caps.


With the slipper issue. Are you using the older style "red rulon" slipper pegs or the newer style "black and more grippy pegs"? I have noticed that the old red ones that can still be found have hardened and in some cases seem to have gotten shorter, which messes up the frictional properties and causes the spring tension to "build" within a narrower window.

The red rulon pegs seem to have been press molded whereas the black ones look like they were extruded.

[Lonestar]

Thanks Joe, Mark

The STRC shaft looks like what I will have to install indeed. I need to ensure I have a top gear to drop it on, the issue is runing a metal one which is the only one that holds - they are expensive and the last one i tried to fit on the stock TRX-1 shaft I actually had to use a vice to slide on... quite a traumatic memory, really

I use the red pegs, "only" 12 of them, not using the outer ring - and indeed they are short as heck and they fill hard as a brick. Is the part number for the new ones 4685, too? Would like to give them a go before I go through the traumatic top-gear swap

For shocks - I used about the same procedure as you described. Bladder shocks for offroad , the VC just doesn't work right for such volume variations. So emulsion will do just fine, as bleeder caps seem to fit I will give them a go

[TRX-1-3]

s-l400.jpg (14.04 KiB) Viewed 1350 times

s-l400.jpg (14.04 KiB) Viewed 1350 times

51trPM3RohL._SX425_.jpg (15.12 KiB) Viewed 1350 times

51trPM3RohL._SX425_.jpg (15.12 KiB) Viewed 1350 times

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Traxxas-4685-Slipper-Friction-Pegs-12-for-T-Maxx-2-5-Nitro-Rustler-Stampede/362111217073?epid=1300555714&hash=item544f82adb1:g:yAsAAOSws8VZ4m5O

They look like turds but they work OK

[Lonestar]

I actually finished the radio install and I tried some slipper setup procedure with the shelf tires/rims... and guess what... it actually seems to work better and more consistently once heated up a bit, so I will give it a drive shortly once I have and report how this works at all in real world. Just need to glue proper tires to the recycled, bored-out losi rims I'm currently using

Mark, thanks for the link. They look like turds indeed! My main issue, though, is:
Shipping: $19.52 International Priority Shipping to Switzerland via the Global Shipping Program



Final pics coming in a few days - can't wait to drive this thing again. It does feel so solid on the bench!

Paul

[Lonestar]

Strc shaft ordered, car finished for now!

Look what i found in the stash

And a group short of three cool 2wd's

More when i have a proper PC!

[works92]

what's this RC10 on the left

[Lonestar]

what's this RC10 on the left

Just a plain-jane original Worlds car... what do you mean?

[works92]

the body suggest more than a plain-jane world...