RCCrawler Forums

Shinook

I got this in today and couldn't resist throwing it together. I started taking progressive photos but eventually got so focused I stopped, but I will post what I have later since I have to resize them.

Here are some things I took away for those interested:

• There are 3 similar axle tubes, 2 of them are identical, while one of them is a fraction of a mm shorter than the others. It is real easy to mix them up, so be sure to consult the 1:1 photo in the manual.
• If you bleed the shocks with the spring collar on then it will keep the proper oil volume when you screw the cap on and the piston will always remain in oil and you won't overfill it, this was pretty nice. Be sure to screw the top on with it fully compressed, it results in some negative travel but prevents lock due to shaft displacement
• The e-clips on the shocks are absolutely tiny. I've done a lot of builds and these were by far the most annoying ones I've ever had to use, they bent insanely easily and I lost 3 trying to assemble it, they only give you 1 spare. I would just preemptively order more.
• The transmission goes together really easily, but note that when you install the skid the two M2 screws that go in fore/after are different lengths, don't mix them up. These are kindof silly IMO
• Getting the slipper eliminator on was really rough, I had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to push down hard enough on it to get it on the shaft.
• There are two really similar looking transmission shafts, again real easy to mix up, but there are small differences in the manual
• There are TON of different screw lengths. They didn't really go to great lengths to minimize the different types of fasteners used and it's a little tedious at times
• e-clips can go to hell
• There are pages in the manual that look like an exploded diagram rather than instructions, you can make sense of it but IMO they should break these down more
• The manual has several omissions, all minor

The shocks are really nice, I think they are going to give Dravtec a run for their money, they are super smooth and low profile.

The transmission is really smooth, as well, very little (if any) play to notice and goes together nice. At this price point, I feel the alloy motor mount should have been included, but no real beefs otherwise. I did note that you can shift it from OD by hand without removing the transmission, which wasn't clear in one of their interviews.

The axles are nice and heavy, again smooth and go together easily.

My biggest gripe is that if you ever have to work on this thing, it's going to be a colossal pain especially the transmission, removing it isn't as easy as something like the VFD or a 3 gear, it's going to basically require disassembling the entire truck to get it out.

I will also point out that if you are a first time builder, I wouldn't recommend this as a first kit without help. Even Harley last night made several mistakes due to the wide range of screws used and jumbled instructions, some items having really similar dimensions, and very specific sizes in certain areas. This is only my second Axial kit, I built a Capra as well, and it feels a little less refined to build than something like Vanquished or Traxxas and other kits I've built, I think its fine for the target market but they'd do well to break down the assembly process a little better. I had issues with my Capra assembly as well, but at least this one came together correctly even if the instructions were a little rough.

My electronics and tires don't show up until Tuesday, I haven't found a body yet either. I'll post when I do get around to installing them, here is my plan:

- No selectable OD servo
- SHV800 steering
- Tug Buddy winch
- Noble 4 tx
- Either 3 Brothers YellowJacket or Revolver motors
- Crawlmaster Mini v1
- Castle BEC
- Ottsix varihub wheels
- Hyrax tires

Probably a Cliffhanger body, if I can find one. I've also ordered brass knuckles and the carbon chassis rails, but these are a few months out.

I'll post the few photos I have of the build process tonight after I get a chance to resize the images.