Crawler Canyon Quick(re)view: Redcat Everest Ascent Pt.2, Forensic Deconstruction

This is the second part (of at least three) of the Quickview of the Redcat Ascent RTR LCG rock crawler. It doesn't qualify as a Quickview anymore. I fully recognize that. It's too late. We're in too deep.
Get a Crawler Canyon tee! www.cafepress.com/crawlercanyon
Some links:
Redcat Ascent bit.ly/40nbC3W
IG: crawlercanyon

[@idiot_RC]

Try to find the other Fusion and run him as-is against Baseline. If you do anything else to it, it's no longer an Ascent. ANYTHING can be made great with a custom chassis or bastardizing better parts from other rigs/companies. The whole point of this platform is to be an affordable, "entry level" comp rig. That's going to be geared towards people who can't spend a lot of money and/or don't have a lot of experience building and tuning a rig from scratch. If you end up doing a chassis and a bunch of custom work on the front end, you're basically doing stuff that your "typical" Ascent customer won't be able to do. "We" need to see how good "we" can make it without doing anything more complicated than what you've already done.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

This is genuinely the perfect response, and everyone else should read it. Truly.

[@johngookinsable]

the point is thats only entry level in name. all comp rigs are built not bought. this truck will a good base for sure but stock just wont do in my opinion. just saying

[@thindigital]

To be fair in their blurb they don't say it's a comp rig, they do say it's an lcg chassis with extensive research and engineering to deliver great out of the box performance. It seems this may have been an exaggeration and the design was limited too much by cost but more importantly lack of knowledge of crawling fundamentals.

[@johngookinsable]

i can honestly say that your the only one that has dove this deep into that machine and explained it all in such fashion. l still believe the best rigs are built not purchased. we deeply appreciate your opinion and will adjust accordingly.

[@slam854]

I am new, my Ascent was ordered this weekend. Watching your entire videos to learn about the vehicle and corrections which make it better. As a newbie I will not throw a bunch of money at this hobby. I will learn and enjoy the sport. Old RC aircraft guy. Thank you for your work to improve our Crawler experience.

[@TrokaRC]

1080esc and you will be happy. Losi mini t shocks, remove stock inner replace with 30wt oil.

[@NEO-RC]

You do not need to disassemble the entire front end to change the motor. You did it the absolute worst way possible. - Remove both the front upper shock screws, lay the shocks forward. - Remove the forward passenger side front shock mount screw. (Frame/outside) - Remove the rear passenger side front shock mount screw. (Frame/inside) - Remove the 4 cross member screws and the cross member. - Remove the 4 motor mount screws - Remove the drive pin and shaft connected to the spur gear output shaft. The whole motor mount rotates forward and out to work on.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

So... you only have to remove 13 screws, then. Insane I am, as pulling the front clip is like... 2 more screws? Maybe? Anyone defending this level of engineering has to have skin in the game, as I regard it as indefensible. A simple, "yeah, the whole layout sucks" is a reasoned response.

[@NEO-RC]

@@CrawlerCanyon skin in what game? I paid for mine. I don’t get anything for free. I’m not arguing the poor design just showing much faster and easier way to swap the motor. That’s it

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@NEO-RC "faster" and "remove 13 screws" are not compatible. I'm mentally running through the different platforms in the fleet trying to think of one that requires the removal of even 5 screws to take the motor out. Stealth X is 2, TRX-4 is 3, Stealth XF is 4. I can remove the pinion and/or motor from my other FMMs without removing any screws at all (not including the mounting screws themselves.) And all you had to sacrifice to get your 13 screw motor removal is 50% of your gear reduction.

[@NEO-RC]

@@CrawlerCanyon again, I’m not arguing the poor design, and agreed, it is not as simple as others but you make sound way harder than it is. There’s no need to mess with the servo or the servo mount and disassemble the entire front end. Have a great evening 👍

[@Casitascrawlers]

We are all in the RC hobby to have fun as soon as you no longer have fun it’s time to move on.

[@JIPPERR_1]

Taking it apart and putting it back together with parts left over is just classic.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Well, they did build it with like 10 superfluous parts. You can shave half a pound with zero consequence.

[@meirdeaph]

This place rocks 🪨🗻🪨🏜

[@derrickhays3627]

Thank you for the deep dive good to see all the ins and outs of the rig, hope you completely canyonfy it then it would be a thing! As always thanks.

[@TheOtherSock-728]

With the internal spring under the piston, it works against the external spring, not in concert with it. Its functioning like desert lizards, with their springs above and below the piston, working against each other. Also functions like the PenSpringMod

[@CrawlerCanyon]

At what must be 7lbs/in, those springs are just preventing any downtravel, and acting as giant internal travel limiters.

[@ryurc3033]

If you have a rig with torque twist issues, definitely worth having a spring under the piston. I'm all for desert lizards, but some people can't make em work

[@andrewrichey7374]

Heck yeah I’m here watching second part😊

[@TheOtherSock-728]

I briefly had a a couple of older redcats. I have not desire to own one ever again. After seeing a few "reviews" praising the Ascent, I was somewhat interested. I knew I could count on Mr. Canyon to pull back the curtain. By 15:30 into the forensic , I had seen enough. What a design catastrophe!

[@bobbyspenser7304]

From watching this video I would spend more trying to make a alright rig than just building a great rig so thank you my friend for the great video

[@themountain59]

Excellent episode! I must say I am not surprised about that engineer calamity....I still remember that I was slaughtered onYT and some boards when I mentioned exactly the points out you encountered . Lets see what happens in the following 👍

[@Fortes_RC_Adv]

Super nice redcat💪💯

[@FaithSaraG]

I've put well over 150 miles on my Gen8 and not had trouble inside the portal boxes. I've seen people complain about the tiny bearings but I've never had a problem with them. The Gen8 uses a CVD style front axle instead of a U joint. I've broken one, but the pin was worn more than halfway through before it broke.

[@TheOtherSock-728]

Woo Hoo Part Two

[@CounterproductiveproductionDIY]

Your last statement was deep. I think you should show us how to make that thing perform. Take it to the next level. There are other people who could take it to that level. But you have the resources to take it to the next. Grant it, it may end up being turned into a portal axle, aluminum frame rail , 84:1 % reduction version of Baseline. But it’s all content. Some people buy what they can afford and once they are vested they have to go from there. Show us. We love what you do Mr. Canyon

[@roberttruesdell6151]

Need a drinking game when watching this guys videos! Every time this guy says superfluous we take a shot!

[@toeshifter]

There is one option you failed to offer. It’s so obvious, I cannot be the only one to have thunk it. What we have is a prime candidate for The Weekly Dumb. Put some 1.55’s up front to get her nose down. Then throw that cab in the trash and just run the bed (back half). Everyone assumes this body comes in 2 parts for a cab only conversion. It’s obvious the bed is the better half. See you soon.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

'kin' ell man, I almost blew french fry out my nose when I got to "just run the bed."🤣🤣🤣

[@toeshifter]

@@CrawlerCanyon You’re welcome. 🤣

[@jackhando5465]

My French fry did come out of my nose LMAO 🤣

[@mclarenf115]

Why is the best answer..makes you wonder if they have engineers working at Redcat. Great show.

[@toeshifter]

@@mclarenf115 It is certain that Redcat has engineers. Take this front end for example. Only an engineer could make it that difficult to get to the one part you need. Take a look under the hood of any modern new vehicle today and you’ll see what engineers do. Redcat needs a Beta program ran by Hobbyists. The best option? Just choose “Any” other manufacturer.

[@pr3254]

Finally! Someone sees the flaws like I did! Great episode!

[@payneja]

Great breakdown!! You mentioned wheel weight as it applies to sprung vs I sprung weight. Would you happen to have a previous video that discusses the benefit/importance of that ratio? Thank you for taking the time to review the Redcat!

[@thindigital]

This reminded me of the scene in saving private ryan where Tom Hanks is recruiting Oppum to the squad "Wont need that... you'll need that...... Dont need that or that, thats on upside down....." Made me chuckle 😂

[@keldonator]

So you took way more apart than you needed to... Loosen the motor mount bracket with 4 screws on the outside I did this with a driver long enough to get between shock on rail. With these screws loose I was able to take top driveshaft out and change motor. Also you can take inner spring off rear shocks without taking them off pretty easily.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

...so the front shocks still require disassembling the front end, yes? And the use of set screws through the C-hub for shock mounting is somehow defensible? How about panhard and upper link mounting to the same side of the chassis, which is how bump steer is born? How about no suspension uptravel? How about inadequate gear reduction? Hack/bodge to get to the pinion and normal-ish rear shocks will gain no points from me. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Should be Redcat's motto.

[@keldonator]

@@CrawlerCanyon I'm not defending anything lol, I'm just saying it's a lot easier to change the motor and pinion. There are actually quite a few things I don't like about mine that you haven't mentioned yet 🤣 I also like more things that you do also I think, likely because I only have 1/18-1/24 to compare to. But not for long, I'm hooked on the 1/10 now

[@fejwe]

I really appreciate this in-depth explanation of all the design and engineering here. The Ascent wasn't on my short list of trucks, and now I'm glad to know why. That said, the data on the weight distribution etc. here really made me wonder--have you done those charts for a stock TRX4 Sport or Baseline or Phoenix or Enduro RTR? I'm just curious how they all compare out of the box in terms of the CGH, the wheel weight, etc.

[@thewatcher819]

Nice content!!

[@Casitascrawlers]

Your opinion is definitely respected but if I saw a review & 100 people said one thing & a few had very poor reviews I’d read the bad ones just as I’d read the good. I can give you the receipt for having fun with this rig though you can set it up however you like but I listened to others & did some of my own adjustments & the performance as a Crawler for the money with not a lot invested is the best I’ve ever seen. 100 people can’t be wrong 😂😂 But it’s just their opinion.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

If this is the best you've seen, I have to assume you've seen one rock crawler. The engineering is bad. Just plainly bad. The performance is no better than an Everest 10, which can be had for 180 bucks-- and is also objectively awful. In direct, head-to-head competition, I would put ANYTHING in my fleet against the Redcat, including a 10" WB MST Jimny. No one who paid their own money for the Ascent will sing it praises, for there are no praises to be sung. Anyone suggesting to an uninformed person that this is a vehicle worth buying is doing a disservice to the hobby.

[@Br0rB]

That's when you have to remember that almost all of those that sing its praises have gotten them for free, and need keep a good relationship with Redcat (and others) to keep getting stuff for free. or sponsored deals, to keep their channel, and income, alive. When people who do tests and reviews rely on the good will of companies sending them stuff to make a living, they will often be far less critical than someone who gets paid regardless (journalists that get a regular paycheck) and people that paid for the product themselves. The latter can also be less critical than they should be though, as often seen in customer reviews, where they mark a product higher than it deserves, either because they haven't tried enough competing products to really be able to see what is good and not, and make a comparison, or as a way to defend their purchase. As someone who did tests and reviews for a living for years, as a paid journalist (PC World/Computerworld in Norway and others), I saw how it all changed when bloggers and youtubers started getting sent products for review. Their "rreviews" would at time differ wildly from what journalists would write/say, at a disservice to the consumers, who would be "tricked" into buying an inferior product. Simply because that is how they made/make money, and had/have little to no integrity as long as it paid/pays the bills. Customer reviews are often, but not always, just as bad. I would routinely check customer reviews for products I had tested, and they would usually be way off. I mean, that's not surprising, they would maybe have tried one or two other products in the same category, and had little to compare it to, where I would have maybe properly tested maybe 40-50 similar products. Conclusion; don't blindly trust youtubers that get stuff sent for free, or get paid by the companies sending them stuff. Use it as a source of information and entertainment, but don't make decisions based solely on what they say. I trust smaller, unpaid channels, like Crawler Canyon, way more than I trust most of the big KZbinrs, but I still watch their videos because it has cool stuff in them.

[@themountain59]

@@Br0rB ^^^^^^ that ! 👍

[@aaronwaterman6982]

Soo true..I watched an obvious great driver destroy a not great driver with a 1200 dollar rig

[@thedousehousewatercolorexp5745]

I’ve had the complete opposite experience with the Ascent. Mine has been very easy to work on and is an absolute beast with minimal mods. It competes and often outperforms rigs that are 3 to 4 times the cost. Is it perfect? Nope. But for under 300 bucks, it’s a no-brainer. Lets not forget that this is a brand new crawler and before long, there will be a ton of aftermarket support. The Ascent rocks.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Give it time. I'll leave it at that.

[@PHILLIPfry2010]

Arent lizards built the same way? I have heard the internal spring is good for side hill?

[@dezfan]

Be sure you lock tighten the screw on the pinion gears front and rear! Mine where not even finger tight! I tossed a set of Element shocks w/ Mini T springs on mine. Looking forward to an aftermarket G10 chassis with integrated shock towers. I’d go head to head (SE vs Ascent) in part 3. Part 4, do your thing either front end.

[@imemovengeance]

DSM has a carbon chassis kit

[@emanuel616]

Thank you for being honest about this rc Unlike other influencers That will make it seem like It's totally awesome when it's totally not, Going for the vanquish vrd instead 😊

[@RiceCrisp320]

That shock mounting SUCKS... Kinda kills the truck for me.

[@lastcreations8845]

fun part 2. not much oil came out. NEEDING too much work to remotely compare with baseline at this point. the shock tower to mounts for FMM is just dumb. HMM maybe... cut front tower at FMM, flip tower then redrill rear frame hole running inside out screw, match hole in frame to redrill shocktower. flip rear shock towers forward, redrill front hole in frame. flipping rear shock tower forward give you enough distance and frame height separation to redrill tower for the upper link mount ? hard to judge distance/lengths in video lol Just blabbing ideas out. great part 2 breakdown video.

[@keldonator]

I would like to see you put a 1200kv fusion se in it with a smaller pinion. I put a 2300kv fusion pro in mine with a 11t pinion and it will do okay. I want to use the fusion pro for my next project though and wonder if a 1200kv will be good enough for a trail truck or too slow. Thanks for your side of things. Oh and maybe give the stock shocks another chance, most people buying this truck won't want to spend much lol. I had to use a lot less oil than I thought I'd need.

[@jammer2150]

The Redcrap name exists for a reason, I am sure you will do your best to make this rig right. 👍💯👍💯👍

[@TyJoe_N_MattyMoe]

Did I hear you say to use the wheels/tires for a trailer? The MST 30X90X1.9 you gave me are working great on my camper build.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

That size from the MST are pretty much trailer perfect.

[@TyJoe_N_MattyMoe]

@@CrawlerCanyonI have 2 on the axle with 2 spares on the front. So far, it looks like a frog from the front, especially with the red anodized spacer I'm using for the hitch.

[@teknolem7426]

Can you explain your methodology for finding out spring rate? Im super interested. I have so many springs that id like to find out the rate of. Much appreciated. You

[@CrawlerCanyon]

You just need a dial/digital caliper and a scale. I measure the free length of the spring, say it's 50mm. I want to know lbs/in, so I set the caliper to ~25mm, so I will compress the spring around an inch. Slowly press down on the spring atop the scale. It's best to do it a couple of times and take the sorta-average. It's by no means a dyno, but it will definitely get you in the ballpark. I've tested springs of known rates and it's very close.

[@trenchpig]

Sorry if late to the party here,, but I have a few quick questions.. What rtr would you recommend to get as an upgrade path capable rig..?? I’m not sure where to start to for a build scratch rig.. is there a shopping list for what part match or work together without massive trial and error..??

[@CrawlerCanyon]

If it's only RTRs-- and let's be honest, kits are very nearly dead, as there are a grand total of four from the "Big 4" mfrs-- it's a short list. TRX-4 Sport (non High Trail,) Phoenix Portal (which will be the most expensive to outfit,) Element Enduro (now that the Builder's Kit is dead,) and I recommend zero RTRs from Axial. If you want something from them, the only choice is the Base Camp Builder's Kit. It's probably got the best gearbox Axial has ever made. The Sport is long in the tooth to be sure, and I don't really support it as an RTR. The stock electronics are passable, and it unquestionably has the best RTR tires out there, but there are no frills. It is absolutely functional, and has 7+ years of aftermarket parts out there, so you can do whatever you want with it. The Phoenix is eminently capable out of the box for a c-channel chassis fitted crawler, even though it's more of a trail truck in disguise. I would still recommend the kit over the RTR, but with how close the pricing is getting, I understand why people are buying the RTRs. It has the most frills, so it's gonna cost the most in the end. I generally tell people that a "fully-kitted" Phoenix is gonna get close to a grand. It's not hard to get there. The Enduro and the Base Camp are pretty much side-by-side, as where one has an advantage, the other has a contrasting advantage-- the Base Camp Kit has dig, but mediocre shocks; the Element Enduro has no dig but a fantastically quiet gearbox with underdrive built in, better shocks, etc. It's kinda hard to recommend one over the other. I do have a list that I put together when the Ascent came out, because you can pretty easily build something capable for the same money you'd put into an RTR to get it simply competent: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/N3QAGDRG15FC?ref_=wl_share. (it's missing the RCLions $17 link set, the1800kv Fusion, and a Radiolink RC4GS, all of which I've tried to add to the list half a dozen times each.). Total cost all-in would be ~$500.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I just spent over 30 minutes penning a response to this, and YT straight up ate it. It's gone. Forever. I do have a shopping list on Amazon that I put together right when the Ascent came out: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/N3QAGDRG15FC?ref_=wl_share. It's missing a few items because that list is as ill-behaved as my comments section apparently, and won't accept new items unless it feels like it.

[@trenchpig]

Awesome..!!! Thanks for the info.. I regrettably admit to owning a gen8 that I have gone through a dozen times and thrown too much money at.. I now am finally throwing in the towel.. and moving a different direction.. I have been looking at the phoenix but wasn’t sure of all the initial hype around it.. With some influencers only give great reviews everything they touch and others actually working for the manufacturer I was finding it hard to get a honest review or opinion that I didn’t feel was biased.. I had recently ground your channel and was pleasantly surprised to see you tell it like it is..

[@shuster1921]

I replaced the motor and only removed the front bumper and upper shock mounts?!

[@CrawlSD]

Easiest way to remove motor, remove 2 front screws for tower brace above esc. Rotate up, pop off esc. Then remove 2 front bumper screws and you have access to both motor screws.

[@roberttruesdell6151]

You don’t have to take the rail out. You just take off one side rail front screws. And just seperate it enough to wiggle the mount out

[@billycreech2473]

That's what I did wasn't that bad

[@roberttruesdell6151]

@@billycreech2473to make it even better is to cut the shock hoops above the motor mount and then it can pull right right out.

[@brettskinner5824]

God bless you for your work absolute master class review!!

[@thindigital]

I say dont do more than a fusion, compare like to like as much as possible. Having said that is there space for a link riser? Can you trim the bottom of the body to get it sitting lower or will that just make it look lower? Try the lizards full droop? Enjoyed watching you try to help this rig and get quite excited when it showed a little promise!

[@CrawlerCanyon]

With all of the bracing removed, I should be able to raise the rear links. If the body is trimmed, it won't fit the front clip and rear mounts. It would also just lower the cab, which is pretty light. I don't think the Lizards can be run inverted because of the panhard mount. They're trying to occupy the same space. But I might have a workaround.

[@thindigital]

@@CrawlerCanyon for the shocks I meant run only the spring under the piston on the shaft, long soft maybe. All these things are band aids though if the geo is off, no way to 4 link the front and everything on axle? I'm sure redcat are watching (I've seen a staff member posting on other creators reviews) so hopefully they can take notes for version 2.

[@travisneuman749]

Anyone know where to buy a spare panhard mount for the 1/10 Ascent? A buddy of mine broke his and it is different than the Gen8 apparently. Not sure where to point him for this

[@CrawlerCanyon]

You can get them through Redcat. The Fusion has an aluminum one now. Unless you mean the mount on the axle. The Ascent uses Gen9 axles.

[@travisneuman749]

@@CrawlerCanyon Thank you!! I'll have my buddy contact Redcat directly. Yes, you were correct. I was referring to the mount to the chassis

[@liquidwhat]

Maybe I have a longer screwdriver than you. But I did not have that much trouble getting her motor off. I removed wheels and just one shock and came through the front.

[@brianwinters4991]

Do you that aftermarket parts will be developed to correct these issues

[@CrawlerCanyon]

By the time you correct the Redcat out of it, you've got something else entirely. The biggest problem of the Ascent as a whole (and there are many) are the Gen9 axles, and if you replace those, what you've got is... something else entirely. You can build something better. RTRs are a poor return on investment, and Redcat RTR crawlers might be the worst offenders.

[@shaynejenkins446]

Get the DSM chassis for it. It can actually crawl comp lines after that. Its decent but is still performs more like a trail truck in stock form.

[@HVT03]

Seeing this episode i couldnt resist to remember the ICFTW Lite (the RGT 2 episode ICFTW), where a lot of things were bad and you decided that it wasnt an option to try fixing it and making something good out of it. In my opinion, the Ascent is waaaay worse than the RGT, but im curious to see what can you get of it (probably changing everything, and just staying with the axles)

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I would say that yes, the Ascent is worse, because it's trying to be something it's not. The RGT is an SCX10 clone, and the world is messy with those. As this movies forward, I don't see anything remaining other than the axles and body, and whatever this becomes, the weakest link will undoubtedly be those very axles.

[@curtisknudson8966]

Thank God tomorrow is Whellin' Wednesday

[@CrawlerCanyon]

And I dunno about anyone else, but I think it's gonna be a good one. Guaranteed not to have an Ascent in it, because the Ascent isn't on the WHEEL. So like... good by default.

[@meirdeaph]

😅😂❤😂😂❤😂😂

[@jackhando5465]

Agreed 👍

[@MrBowser2012]

I’m looking for my first 1/10 and have been leaning toward the ascent fusion but after seeing the goofy front end I am having doubts. It doesn’t seem to affect performance does it? Seems like these crawl pretty well with good tires. Right?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Terrible geo, terrible axles. It's just not well thought out. Watch the front end closely on anyone's running videos-- particularly the running of the Ascent Fusion. Compliance like a skateboard. There will always be some weak point to an Ascent, and once you've replaced every Redcat part with something better, you'll have a proper rig. The Ascent is one of the last rigs I'd recommend to anyone.

[@MrBowser2012]

@@CrawlerCanyon 10-4 thanks for the reply! I assume the ascent fusion would have all those same issues?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@MrBowser2012 it's the same vehicle with shinier pieces on it.

[@MrBowser2012]

@@CrawlerCanyon thanks again for the reply! is there something RTR around $400 you’d recommend for someone fairly new to RC but likes to tinker?

[@MrBowser2012]

@@CrawlerCanyon Ive just watched your videos on the enduro SE. sounds like you’d recommend that one?

[@blaine4914]

What size mm are those desert lizard shocks

[@CrawlerCanyon]

90mm.

[@aaronm2810]

I can appreciate you going down to nut and bolt. But you can take the motor out a lot easier that what you did their. You might have figured it out by the end of the video. But not sure as I am only partway through.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I can say that I didn't. There's no way to access the bolts without removing the front clip, and you can't rotate the FMM without unbolting the T-case. So I can't see a way to pull the motor without removing 10+ screws.

[@aaronm2810]

@@CrawlerCanyon On mine I took the 4 screws that hold the motor plate on out from the front. Rotate the motor plate forward and the shaft should pop out. When doing so you should have enough angle to slide the pinion off and get to the upper motor screw from the front. The drill may not fit but I use standard MIP tools.

[@JW-cn6op]

I took the motor out without taking anything apart.You just reach in from the front and pull the screws.The pinion I put on then installed the motor but it was off a little, so I lossened it from the top and slid it back and tightened it.

[@MrChewie1978]

@@CrawlerCanyon The two forward facing screws on the FMM, the two front screws on the shock tower(one per side) and the upper brace. Then the FMM can be maneuvered out. Bingo. Done. Easy peasy.

[@JohnSmith-os7zm]

You can take off the Pinion Gear in less than one Minute. Remove motor two screws from the back then remove the Pinion Gear after you slide out the motor with it attached.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Remove the two screws from the back... of what? Also, you simply cannot remove the pinion by removing 2 screws from an Ascent. The "best" way as described by the #redcatarmy is around a dozen. It's honestly quicker to just take the whole front clip off. But hey, I build rigs from scratch, what do I know?

[@JohnSmith-os7zm]

@@CrawlerCanyon I took my motor out in one minute with a Long Allen tool you can teach it from the back through the Suspension bars the two Allen screws that hold the motor. Then you unplug the motor and pull it out. The Motor mounts has a big enough diameter hole to clear the Pinion. Then you take a Allen to the set screw on the Pinion and you are done. I put a Hobbywing Fusion Pro back on the same way.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@JohnSmith-os7zm well, that totally makes up for it then! figure out how to get gearing reduction, proper front end geometry, fix the torque steer and bad link angles and you're set!

[@JohnSmith-os7zm]

@@CrawlerCanyon I like your videos btw you teach a lot.

[@erwinadriaensen]

30:33 William Foster at it again 😍😍😍

[@badcredentials4230]

It’s definitely as far as it can go without not being an ascent anymore in my view mate, you’ve done a good job but this blue lemon must be put to the sword by Baseline! I went the 3 gear Stealth conversion on my Redcat, but then was still left with weak axles, a frame that could anchor a ship and terrible geo, so I took what I valued out of it (Stealth) and let it go. The only way to improve a Redcat is to take all the Redcat out? It’s a real head scratcher!

[@rc-cheaposaurus]

god i do love to listen to someone thoughts flying around between chassis geometry and taste sensations of bamba god i hate the fact that i have to fully listen through all the videos on the channel to catch some really wise bits i have ar45p jumping around on full turn so thanks for the advice with injora and their round thingy, gotta find out more about alternatives to smooth it out we've heard many times 'too much flex' and 'not enough flex'. Can we maybe see the reasoning under the proper flex a rig should have in canyon terms? I hope this topic can be rambled about for an hour or so

[@BoostedTV1]

Maybe try the included 20% gears and try some brass front portals something to try and combat the front coming up.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

The 20% gears (closer to 17, actually) are in all of the running in this installment.

[@slam854]

I'm sorry to say I am one of the fools that purchased this thing. Learned a lot by watching your videos which is a time investment...but thank you. I wish to se where this goes. Apparently the Desert Lizards can't be installed reservoir down, I'm confused.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Yeah, the tops of the shocks are too big for the clearance on the Gen9 axles, so you'd have to run them right-side up. Be sure to check out the RC-TNT videos on how to fix the front end geo nonsense. I think he has the 3D files available for free.

[@user-ho5vm9rv1e]

What happened to the lil white glove?!?! Your dogs getting a lil excited out there!

[@jddd8385]

I have a question what size shocks do I get for my ascent?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

90mm.

[@jddd8385]

Thank you very much. I need a little more flex out of it. Lol.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@jddd8385 then I would say 100mm, with the shocks mounted to the same point as the links, instead of the point on top of the axle. This will lower your CG a little bit as well.

[@jddd8385]

Thanks very much brother a lot of people a heavier, shock oil and put a outside spring kit

[@jddd8385]

What shocks are you running?

[@richardparkiii8355]

This was amazingly indepth! Maybe even too much. Lol. I learned a lot from this, but mainly, Don't get the Ascent. 😅 j/k

[@urg0nnah8me]

Now, sir, do you not feel you've done the people watching this video a disservice by changing the shocks, which will alter performance, and then telling people NOT to buy something? That's not really fair, now is it? I replaced the stock springs with Losi Mini T springs and it's fully squatted now. Leave the limiter spring inside the shock where it's meant to be and it doesn't do this. You should know better than most that comp crawling isn't all about flex, so changing these shocks was not necessary and put you in the position you wanted to be in, and feeling justified in that feeling...hating the Redcat. Put the stock shocks back on it with Losi Mini T springs (soft in the front), lean the rear shocks forward to set desired height (I put the middle weight springs in the rear) and change the motor. I put the 1200kv Fusion in mine and feel it's a little slow on 3S. Not terribly so, but I would prefer the 1800kv. Cut Canyon Trails, Ruptures, Megalithics, it does well on all of these so far. I'm also interested to see your steering issue because mine has a ton of angle, which isn't common for Redcat. Can't wait to see part 3.

[@MrChewie1978]

Yeah so much Redcat hate. I've had some back and forth with him on how he took the motor out, and he still doesn't get it.. I don't think he wants to... because it's a Redcat. But meh.. I have the 1800kv in mine, gave it heaps of punch. Also did the Losi springs(removed the inners), brass up front. Actually considering putting the internal springs back in to see if I can get more side hilling out of it.

[@urg0nnah8me]

@@MrChewie1978 I changed my motor with 3 screws. I dropped the front right shock to allow my bit to get to the screws holding the motor. Take those two out, new motor in, replace the screw in the top of the shock and done. Super easy. I thought about trying a different set of shocks just like old boy here did. The flex is nice, but the stock shock towers don't allow the movement you need to set the shocks in a place to keep the front from lifting so much so I just kept the stocks. They work. I put my electronics up front and trimmed those posts where the skids are so I can fit a 2200mah 3s on the sides. I don't know what else to do to it. lol Does your steering have gobs of angle too? I'm impressed by how much steering angle it has. My gen 7 pro had almost none. lol.

[@leecalhoun6863]

@@urg0nnah8me@MrChewie1978 I put the fusion pro in mine, put putbull Kronik shocks on it, brass beadlocks, and hyrax tires with proline dual stage foams. I crawl all day with my buddies. This is my first truck but my friends all have vanquish rigs and even they loved the truck. Some people are just going to hate things for views man. The truck is awesome out of the box and even more fun with some add ons.

[@BrandonM83]

Wow. So much hate from the redcat crew

[@urg0nnah8me]

@@BrandonM83 Not at all. I like him and what he does, as I stated. I just happen to disagree in this case, and that's fine. I'm not calling him names or disrespecting him in any way. I wouldn't do that. These are all objective opinions we're sharing here and that's the beauty of this all.

[@offgridRC]

Wanted to say youre reviews are pretty awesome and very in depth. I do agree that this truck can be a pain in the ass to work on. I also am going to use some of your mods on my own. With that being said you come off a bit like a condescending engineer thats just completely discusted with a cheap RTR. At the end of the day this truck is a budget option tha performs pretty damn good in my opinion.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

It's not remotely competitive against anything price or performance wise. By the time enough money is put into an Ascent to make it passably performing, you could have bought something significantly better to begin with. Redcat is a false economy, and I will stop saying it.

[@offgridRC]

@@CrawlerCanyon I respect your opinion for what you do with your rigs. Each man, and woman should engage in the hobby however they want to. I live in the red Rock mountains of the southwest. I have kept all parts stock and have done nothing but free mods. IMO it has worked flawlessly. I will admit out of the box it wasn't perfect, but after tuning it for my needs it gets over and through just about anything.I didn't build a class 2 rock crawling course I just take it up the mountains and cliffs near my cabin. Hadn't had a problem yet, and I was even able to jump onto a redcat livestream to get some advice for shock tuning for my application. I have no skin in the game, it was the best rtr that I could afford for my application. I also live pretty close to their hq, and can get parts pretty quick if I need them. Now I am new to the hobby so maybe there's another rig at the same price point for desert trail driving, and red rock climbing. Please drop a link if you have something in mind. And if you're right on that you're right. What do you mean false economy ? I'm not super familiar with this accusation and I am genuinely curious.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

A false economy is when something has an initial low price, but in order to get that thing to work, you have to spend potentially more money than the thing is worth. I don’t think I have a particularly stringent set of tests that I apply to vehicles, tires, etc., but I do know that the Redcat Ascent, in stock configuration was basically incapable of doing any of them. It is not a particularly well thought out, and certainly not a well designed vehicle, and part of that analysis probably lies on me, because I have had access and exposure to more vehicles than most people have, so making comparisons or more accurately- not making comparisons- is impossible. When I wheel a Redcat Ascent I have to apply the same judgement that I would to any other vehicle from any other manufacturer, and from my position gleaned from my time spent evaluating vehicles, Redcat is unquestionably the very worst at it. I am very forgiving of vehicles with poor performance. If they have some sort of reason to not be exceptionally good at rock rolling. Entries from FMS definitely fall into that category- the 1941 Willys can barely crawl a rock, but it is fantastically fun to drive. The new FCX10 will never be the best rock crawling platform, but it is brilliant to look at and pretty darn well put together. When Redcat made the Ascent, they wanted to be considered an alternative to offerings from the Big 4, and so far as I can see, they’re just absolutely not.

[@offgridRC]

@@CrawlerCanyon again I respect the opinion, and appreciate the response. I still don't think there's a better option in th rtr category for th price, and I still don't have any examples. I understand that you're parameters are pretty loose but I've been able to do things with it you say it can't do. Engineering, and design aside. At this point I will bid you farewell. And we'll have to agree to disagree. I suppose it comes down to personal preference, and driving style/skill. I climb mountains with this thing and it does well. The geography may play a role in it as well.

[@offgridRC]

Also I wanted to say that after rewatching part o your first review I noticed that you're not crawling as slow as it really can when you claimed it did. I have mine on 3s and I can go much slower than that. I believe there is a level of driving style that plays into this. I do genuinely think you have a bias that is coming out pretty obviously. With all of this being said I do dig your videos, and will continue to watch them. I will stop arguing with you in this comment section. Love this hobby, and it's pretty badass that we can have this comment section to discuss.

[@neildaniels5443]

I was such a hater of panhards, until I got da BRX02 Link chassis, that just works 😊

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I think Traxxas still has the best sorted front end out of the box. Every Vanquish I've built has had to be tinkered with to get the front end straight. Axial and Redcat don't appear to understand 3-link at all.

[@MrCveedub]

Comic book guy voice "I believe you did a second quick view of the Atlas, in which you said it has never happened before"

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I routinely forget that the Atlas exists. It looks great and it drives fine but there's just something that

[@Andy_Yates]

Feeling your frustration on this one for sure. I'm with the pinned comment in that fabri-mods should be done after any head to head with Baseline. Your regular casual crawler person up to even some comp regulars don't have the tools or equipment to make parts. When you showed the Traxxas bladders, I thought would be using those in the Redcat shocks. That might be a mod that precedes the Desert Lizards. I'd love to see what you eventually can do with the FMM/t-case and axles. I weighed my Element rails w/Gatekeeper panhard mount when I switched to NWSD AL rails, and the Element rails were 173 grams. Stock C channel rails weight less than these steel rails. Do the Redcat rails weigh more than TRX4 rails? They market this as an LCG chassis but stop short of calling it a comp rig in the marketing copy. It seems anything but LCG out of the box. It may not be practical to try it in this truck, but I do wonder how the stock 550 would have done with that 1080 after seeing what the 540 was doing. The stock servo is advertised to handle 8.4V so if the Fusion SE or whatever ESC can push that much voltage, that could be a cool thing to do

[@amur6640]

A few things, this is a budget crawler that's it's market it seems like the real comp guys are getting offended by some saying this thing can hang with a 1000 or 2000 dollar rig. First thing shocks are terrible. Second thing you do not have to take the things half apart to remove the motor, remove motor mount screws and if your screwdriver isnt long enough drop shocks from top mount and rotate motor mount plat until screws are accessible (I imagine that's why they made the frame cutouts triangular so you can do this). Im currently looking at removing the panhard and adding an additional upper link to the passenger side since all the mounts are there mounting both links to the outer of the axle mount with a sleave in the middle which would give the triangulation you were commenting on . Some of the things you say are definitely valid where some seemed to be done with a pre bias. The gleaming thing I dislike which I thought you would have mentioned is the open gears.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Open gears is becoming more common than sealed ones-- if it's "comp," everything is out in the open, particularly with FMMs. Redcat is careful to never say the "comp" word, as the rig is nowhere close, and what's worse is that they're trying to convince people that it's actually an option, when the same money can get you better from ANYWHERE. The Ascent RTR costs the same as an Enduro SE, but hands you uncorrectable problems along with it. Redcat are the masters of the false economy, and the Ascent is their unofficial king.

[@Antonio.X.Alcazar]

I own one Redcat crawler. I took it apart and put it in a bin. I couldn’t even repurpose the screws for anything. #RedcatArmy

[@annasoming]

is this a lack of engineering or overly engineered? i have also never liked servo on chassis in rtr's as I've never seen it done right.. ohoh, then there's a "kit" to change it to servo on axle which causes a whole other mess. You're the first to really talk about geometry, engineering of the links vs chassis, the gear ratios in depth, which opened my eyes quite a bit. I'd both love and hate to see what you'd do with a t-hunter evo from hobby plus compared to this ascent.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I definitely lean toward no engineering. What's under the FMS chassis-- the stuff done in pursuit of scale accuracy-- that's all questionable in a performance analysis, but I get why they did what they did. It's like Redcat was just guessing. To many, I guess the rose tint on their glasses is sufficient to make them not see issues that are absolutely glaring. I've got a whole Bill Burr-esque rant already simmering for this Friday.

[@TheOtherSock-728]

It looks like it was designed by A.I. It designed an object that looks like a typical 1/10 crawler. Then, when examining the details more closely, is when things are not quite right. Or disturbingly way, way off.@@CrawlerCanyon

[@birkenstockresouler]

Thank you for saving me $300.

[@mark-mj5dl]

How about a shoot out between Baseline and the Ascent, same electronics, tires, Etc... and see what happens.

[@roberttruesdell6151]

The springs on the inside are under the piston. Also known as the Pen spring mod. It keeps the ride height lower. Granted the shocks aren’t to great with them.

[@mark-mj5dl]

As we all know, not all tires work well on all vehicles much like your videos with sky high blue and the one with the Gozzer body on it. Maybe find the proper tire and foam combo for it and run it again with this setup.

[@ninebolts]

Waiting for episode 5 when the only original parts are the servo and the cab... I think it's clear to all that this rig is junk, nobody getting into the hobby would understand the problems, nor could they fix them. I'm sure you can get this to a stage where it can play nicely with Baseline, however any further than you've already gone and it just becomes a personal challenge that you taking one and not something anyone should try at home.

[@NelaRc]

I think that is junk as it stands, and has no chance of keeping up with our test rig. Completely throw it out, or rebuild it your way , but it now is not a red cat it is something else all together it is not what it was.

[@neildaniels5443]

Jeez Louise, I would hate to be da person dat has ta assemble one a those .

[@CrawlerCanyon]

It's like putting together a puzzle.

[@erwinadriaensen]

👀

[@user-ds7lg5su2x]

you are good number ,take your best craweler with less then 200$ added to the price of rtr and run it some where else most of us run out side of homes.park desert or mountains or rocky places i would love to your video

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Prior to going LCG, I ran my first Phoenix in complete stock configuration for over a year. Had zero changed OE parts. However, the urge to drive elsewhere to wheel is exceptionally low. Why would I leave? I can’t hit all the lines here in one day.

[@nicholasstephey8475]

It would be cool if you made it the best you can with rails and test against baseline. Then do rails and make stuff correct and re-test. Even though your review kind of did verbally, but just didn’t have the visual to go with it. And running it with just the bed is a must😂😂😂😂😂

[@KBRC81]

The amount of stuff you took apart to get the motor assembly off was 95% unnecessary. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Redcat guys, let it go. The FMM in stock configuration is a puzzle box, and the design is indefensible. A pinion change should be a simple affair-- and on most every other rock crawler in existence, it is. The FMM on a Climb-N-Stein is borderline annoying, but it's still 4 screws to get the motor out. I don't know why the motor mount is the hill you guys choose to so vocally defend-- there are so many others, like absolute lack of gear reduction, insufficient rear trianglation, terrible shock mounting positions, the worst front-end geometry I've ever seen-- the list goes on. Pick another angle of attack. Spice it up.

[@KBRC81]

I’m not trying to attack, or defend the Ascent, simply giving you my experience. I removed 95% less and removed the entire fmm. Simple as that. Im not a “Redcat guy” as you so quickly project, just sharing my experience. Same for the front shocks, 95% less and they were on the table.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@KBRC81 So tell me how you got the lower front shock screws off without removing the knuckles. I'd be very interested to hear it. (edit) I know it's hyperbole, but it's in the neighborhood of 12 screws to get the FMM out. You claim "removed 95% less," so tell me how it's done by removing a single screw.

[@KBRC81]

@@CrawlerCanyon You do have to pull the upper and lower knuckle bolts, then just slide the shaft out a little, I didn’t even pull the axle shaft out completely. I don’t disagree it’s a “odd” situation but You stated you have to completely disassemble the front end to get in there. I couldn’t help but feel like you went into this wanting to hate the truck lol. Either way I appreciate the video. Happy 🦃 day!

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@KBRC81 I went into this well and truly hoping for something-- anything-- to redeem Redcat. But at every turn, it just gets worse. There is no excuse for shock mounts that go through the C-hub. If the topshaft were 3mm shorter you could remove it without messing with the FMM at all. Nearly all of the problems inherent to the Ascent could have been corrected in the design phase, before any part ever came out of a mold. The engineering is sloppy and lazy, and I can'y comprehend how people are so willing to come to its defense. The level of performance does not correspond to the amount of headache working on it/tuning it. But so long as KZbin "reviewers" keep praising it, people are going to keep buying it, which will in turn incentivize Redcat to keep churning out substandard products.

[@roberttruesdell6151]

I have never seen anyone over complicate something so badly in my life. The entire motor mount comes out in 5mins. With about 6-8 screws. We get it you hate Redcat. So just don’t review it. Since you won’t give it a chance to be good.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Methinks you've got it twisted-- Redcat never gave it a chance to be good. Combining steel flat rails and recycled trail truck axles, the surefire recipe for success!

[@roberttruesdell6151]

Listen to yourself. 90% of what you’re saying is “superfluous”.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@roberttruesdell6151 guy, there are plenty of channels doling out sponsored sizzle reels to better confirm your bias. See yourself over to one of those channels.

[@roberttruesdell6151]

@@CrawlerCanyonthe problem is your just as bad as the sponsered reviewers that just praise everything. You’re the complete opposite. You just rag on it without even giving it a chance. Just say you don’t like it and stop reviewing with all the negativity and falsehoods about taking it apart. It’s nothing as bad as you made it out to be.

[@durden.tyler537]

At this point we’re just polishing a turd…

[@2Geek2bChic]

I have to be honest.... I'm not sure I see the point of going against Baseline. You have already proven which truck is better value for the money because even with all of the upgrades and effort you have put forth thus far.... it's still not as good as Baseline which is mostly stock. Having said that.... How about Velcro to hold the body on instead of the screws? 🤓

[@roberttruesdell6151]

You don’t have to do 90% of what you did to get the motor out. It’s like 6 screws and comes out in 5 mins

[@CrawlerCanyon]

For the love of all things holy, listen to yourself.

[@ShogunGlock]

6:15 that’s what I said when I met my wife!🤣

[@mcsbikelife3829]

Man I just don’t think you have a clue

[@CrawlerCanyon]

To the cadre of Redcat loyalists who will defend this vehicle all the while turning a blind eye to everything wrong with it I say, "Ignorance is not a defense." If you think the Ascent is good on any level, you genuinely need to get out more.

[@mcsbikelife3829]

@@CrawlerCanyonok , 1 not a Redcat fan or anything but you are blowing everything way out of proportion. I’ve built and still own most of the top comp crawler chassis . With very very little work I and many many many other people have gotten this truck to work great . I’ve got 500 in to mine and most my comp rigs are closer to 2000 . The only negatives that I find are , don’t like the fact I have to loosen motor to change pinion and I hate taking front end apart for shocks. That is it , I never use stock electronics or tires so that doesn’t matter . I’ve got base camps and enduro and scx10 ii and iii etc . I’ve built those into comp rigs and built stockers up. Again very very little work this little guy will hang and do very very well . Coming into a project with such a poor attitude and blowing things way out of proportion is not good . I’ve watched a few of your videos and it just seems you are not good at setting up or evaluating rigs . When your the only one saying something and not being able to get a truck to work maybe take a step back and reevaluate . Also get a grip on video length my god man you can fit all what you say in a 10 min video but you drag it out for over a hour ??????? Look at your analytics I’d bet hardly any of your watchers watch close to all your video .

[@themountain59]

@@mcsbikelife3829 ...lol...did you actually watched the episode ?? The rig is sold as an entrance to "performance" crawling....so its a complete bust. To make it a half way decent trail truck you have to spend several hours(days) of wrenching and probably the same amount of money what the Kit costs . ...not even talking about "performance" 😎

[@MrChewie1978]

@@themountain59 Clearly you don't have one, so if you don't know.. don't talk, lest you make yourself look foolish. However, if you have one, please tell us your experience.

[@MrChewie1978]

@@mcsbikelife3829 Well said. When I told him mine performs very well against my local competition after my mods, all he could do was sledge my local competition. When I told him an easier way to get the motor out, he still called it a Ruki's cube. Dude wants it to fail, so he will make it fail. Too biased, and spreading misinformation, which isn't good, because now I don't know what to think about all his other videos... Also, his bad attitude and lack of ability to be fair and unbiased, could potentially affect Redcat's sales.

[@jackhando5465]

Ascent rtr...ready to return. Throw that thing in the deep end without a life vest...send it

[@alans4281]

You did ask. I feel you have already changed to much by changing the shocks. In my opinion removing parts or turning them upside down to reposition is fair. Even cutting parts ( trimming) is something you an do and still say it’s original. I believe if a buyer can’t fix the issues by cutting sanding and changing oil and has to buy or make parts it’s no longer the car sold. In the modern hobby as it is now people don’t even know how to solder or drill holes. Thanks for a great video.

[@billtruett8593]

I don’t know man now I just want to call it rattlecat 🫣 junkbot has better front end geometry !!!

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Honestly, Rattlecat is pretty outstanding. Another contender, auto-correct LOVES to offer Redact Accent. Not as lyrical as Rattlecat, though.

[@Danimauled]

SlapCat? Engineers slapped some "new" parts on it, to the detriment of everyone and everything.