Creality Ender 3/PRO UPGRADE - HOW TO Install Linear Rails (X, Y & Z Axis)

[@psmithrpm]

Wow! Now that's an installation video. I've never seen such a clean and simple explanation done so perfectly well. I don't even own an E3P, and I watched the entire episode! Thank you for what you're doing!

[@justinsfunthings8263]

haha same here

[@Jamesbond22855]

I made a DIY Z axis linear rail set by CNC cutting my factory plates, adding dual Z, adding very short solid bed spacers leftover from the rollers, and I can now reach 271mm in my Z axis!

[@dannelson8556]

I take issue with the videos claim that linear rails do not improve print quality. The only reason you wouldn't see any improvement to your print quality is if your print quality was already maxed out at 30 mm a second On the other hand where you really see a huge benefit with linear rails is when you want to push the limits of the machines speed capabilities. If you're happy printing it 30 mm a second then there's no need to upgrade to linear rails, on the other hand plastic wheels start to have real issues when printing speeds start to exceed 60mm/s On the other hand linear rails combined with clipper firmware and input shaping allows you to significantly increase your print and acceleration speeds It's not uncommon to see E3 v2s outfitted with linear rails printing at 120 to 150 mm a second with accelerations in the range of 3,000 to 7,000 and get the same quality They were getting at 30 mm a second. In other words Linear rails on the Ender 3 will allow you to increase your print speed and acceleration to the point where the stepper motors start losing steps. A stock E3V2 with plastic wheels can barely handle acceleration of 300 on the other hand an E3V2 with linear rails can handle accelerations of up to 10,000, of course at those speeds you really need to lighten your y-axis or you're going to start skipping steps. Going to linear rails and Klipper has allowed me to reduce the print time on some of my prints from 12 hours to just about 5 hours. So if you're happy printing at 30 mm a second or 60 mm a second with degraded quality then there's no reason to upgrade to linear rails, but if you want to maximize the speed and quality potential of your printer then linear rails are essential

[@felipenavas]

The main difference come from the X or Y axis? Do you track the before and after installation acceleration difference?

[@suivzmoi]

@@felipenavas Z axis mod has the most advantage because it eliminates gantry sag which is a major weakness of the single Z lead screw design. the next is Y axis mod because the original design only loads one edge of the POM wheels leading to uneven wear demanding more frequent maintenance. rail mod will reduce bed weight. although this mod using a single rail does not inspire the best confidence because you are relying on a single MGN9C to sling almost 2kg of bed mass. i don't think that is a good idea and will prefer dual rails on the sides of the Y extrusion.

[@TheDefpom]

Well presented video, but I do have to wonder why bother doing it if the print quality doesn’t really improve and it requires more care and is noisy?

[@silent16932]

It makes the difference at higher print speeds.

[@enlightendbel]

As far as I've been able to figure out from my linear rails is that they support faster printing and maybe a tad less energy consumption by the whole thing running smoother. The motors don't have to apply quite as much torque on rails as the friction is considerably less. But the print quality doesn't improve and in fact, surface quality is likely to decrease. Linear rails are about as hard as you can get hard couplings for motion, so pretty much every little bit of vibration and every little bit of resonance is translated to the print surface. Linear rails remove some vibrations from the system, but they translate the ones you can't really get rid of (stepper motor steps and lead screw imperfections for instance) directly to the surface of the print. And the vibrations they remove were already smoothed out to near non existence by the rubber wheels and much softer axial couplings. And those also smooth out stepper steps and all other vibrations in the system to a much less defined extent. As they are far harder couplings and translate every bit of vibration to the print, you also need to, as the video stated, take far more regular maintenance into account. But, this only matters for artsy printer users that want nice smooth surfaces they don't have to do much aftertreatment on. That's why I maintain that artsy users should stay away from FFF and go with resin printers instead. I personally don't care about surface quality in the slightest as most all my prints are mechanical and the precision and speed linear rails provides when your main focus is printing max print volume sized parts is what I need. For speed and component focused users, they are great, for purely artsy people, who tend to not be all that technically savvy to start with, I really wouldn't recommend.

[@trevormallow2788]

Linear rails need no adjustment like the eccentric nuts. Also, they won't be affected by dirt etc on the extrusion. They do make a difference in my experience

[@ruckus226]

@@trevormallow2788 I am installing these now to be honest and I printed with the x axis rail prior to upgrading my z and the print was amazing. I’m upgrading my z now

[@Dutch3DMaster]

@@ruckus226 Same, only did X in the beginning, it was much better.

[@-Gunnarsson-]

If you want a super lightweight carriage. Buy x2 abit longer alloy profiles. And x2 rails with 4 blocks on them. ( each one should be close to the corners but with some space). Get a carbonfiber plate with same size as the bed. Cut away as much as possible. Make sure there is some overlap to drill the 4 leveling holes. The blocks are now holding the weight basically. So the carriage dont need to be as strong anymore.

[@helge1104]

Hi Rui thanks for an honest and informative video. This helped and decided my choice. Anyway I've found this modification is not for me, Mostly because I do not see the big gain in this modification, and that video is so informative that it provides answers to things one usually lack the knowhow to ask for , and in no way promotes a product that is one-sidedly focused only on selling, But is so that the viewer can conclude on their own . THANK YOU.

[@Dutch3DMaster]

Biggest gain is mainly a more maintenance-free operation of the printer. You only need to keep them clean and lube them every once and a while, as opposed to make sure the rollers are not to tight but not to loose either, which can be a very narrow area between overtightening and having them to loose.

[@dannelson8556]

Actually the video is wrong. The only reason you wouldn't see any improvement to your print quality is because your print quality is probably already garbage. No amount of bed leveling or linear rails is going to fix a poorly tuned machine. On the other hand where you really do see a huge benefit with linear rails is when you want to push the limits of the machines speed capabilities. If you're happy printing it 30 mm a second then there's no need to upgrade to linear rails, on the other hand plastic wheels start to have real issues when printing speeds start to exceed 60mm/s On the other hand with linear rails and clipper firmware installed you can print upwards of 120 to 150 mm a second and get the same quality you were getting with the stock wheels at 30 mm a second. Linear rails on the Ender 3 will allow you to increase your print speed and acceleration to the point where the stepper motors start losing steps. A stock E3V2 with plastic wheels can barely handle acceleration of 300 on the other hand an E3 V2 with linear rails can handle accelerations of up to 10,000 of course at those speeds you really have got to lighten your y-axis or you're going to start skipping steps. Going to linear rails and Klipper has allowed me to reduce the print time on some of my prints from 12 hours to just 5 hours. So if you're happy printing it 30 mm a second then there's no reason to upgrade to linear rails, but if you want to maximize the speed and quality potential of your printer then linear rails are essential

[@rondlh20]

The belt paths are very diagonal, which will result in a non-linear translation from the stepper movements to the carriage movements

[@NackDSP]

That's the first thing I noticed. Total design failure. Why would they do that? Was it installed wrong?

[@Dutch3DMaster]

@@NackDSP Probably not. The stepper motor for the X-axis should be utilising an idler just like the Y-axis does because even with the spanner angled down so it's as horizontal as possible compared to the carriage but it's unfortunately not. I use sort of the same lineair rail mod for the X-axis and its ehm, exactly the same, and I am not happy with the idea because of exactly the thing you and Ron DLH mentioned.

[@Brav01_Designs]

Comprei este kit para a minha ender V2, apesar de saber que é para a pro a frame é a mesma, no entando este kit trás mais dores de cabeça do que vantagens, vale mais o kit do BLV do que este

[@JohnKlopp]

Pretty good install video, but if someone goes through all of that, they might as well swap out the crappy hotend for something like the Phaetus Dragonfly BMS and replace the extruder with a bmg clone.

[@ryanhumberger5781]

Currently installing this same kit to my Ender 3 Pro. A couple things I have found- The kit is missing (4) bolts & t-nuts for the linear rails. The power supply bolts are way to long- my upper one bottomed out and I had to trim it back to 25mm. The lower bolt didnt hit anything so I left it as is. I designed and printed my own alignment tool for the Y axis fitting onto the 40x40 profile. There was no mention of a Y axis offset for the linear rail so I set it to 25mm off the front of the extrusion. The M3x8mm long bolts are entirely to long for the right side Z carriage & the X carriage on the gantry. This has me at a dead stop as I need to get M3x6mm long bolts. I have also noticed the bent steel plate that holds the Z nut the stackup is off by .5mm and I am out of adjustment. Also the 90 degree bent piece must be slightly off as when it is tightened you can see the stepper motor move. So this will require me to tear apart the gantry to grind the slots out further. In my particular case at the bottom of the vertical rail my Z rod is 25mm +0 -.02mm consistantly. At the top, with the gantry fully raised and the nut adjusted to the best of my ability the Z rod is 24.45mm +/-.02mm - measured with digital calipers. I was able to get the assembly to move smoothly by loosinging up many of the screws and working the unit and slowly snugging them up. However I understand since this is running at an angle my E Steps will be odd at best. I intend to tear down and grind the slots out to make it precise. I also noticed one of the linear rails, oddly enough the smoothest one, had a slight bow to it. This is the one I used for the X gantry since it was the smoothest. I will update as I get it all fixed and installed. If you are doing this mod dont expect to be done in 25 minutes. LoL.

[@red_kirby1]

UGH I had the same issue with my X and Z M3*8 screws being too long. The X axis plate can't be tightened down and I am stuck waiting for the M3*6 screws I just ordered. Did you message Creality to pass along your feedback? I just sent them an email.

[@ryanhumberger5781]

@@red_kirby1 I did not bother. I wound up just ordering a screw assortment so I had plenty for this project and others.

[@draytonPW]

Great video! But I feel like this would be a lot of work and money for no noticeable improvement in print quality.

[@DreadPirarateAndersen]

instead of getting a new belt, on some models just change the X and Y belts... the "New" Y belt just needs less tension than before, because it's a little bit shorter.. but it's an option in some cases

[@eggshellcarvingart]

Hello! very interesting and informative, I love it! I have a question: I have a very old CR7 3D printer, but right now the motherboard has deteriorated, I bought a new ender 3 clearity v4.2.2 the question is that I did not take into account the power supply of the board, that is: 24 volt power is written on the new dress and 12 volt power supply on the old one. so I have to buy another 24 volt power supply or does this board have the function of working on both voltages> 24 volts and 12 volts ??? thanks for the reply in advance! Best regards, George!

[@avejst]

great walkthrough 👍😀

[@freedom_aint_free]

Does this kit works for an Anycubic Kobra that is basically a Ender 3 clone ?

[@Deneteus]

You might has well have upgraded the tensioners while you were at it.

[@JosephLorentzen]

Are there other copy cat printers that would benefit from this kit?

[@clostridiumtetani9947]

If i don't install the Y axis rail what do i change in Marlin for the Z axis?

[@Dimitris1963]

Hello! Is there a Kit for the Ender 3 V2 also?

[@davidmorgado3755]

Very good video!

[@option350z]

Nice Vid!

[@Nathan1975Liggy]

Will they fit Ender3 Classic

[@danmckenna8127]

I think you would just have to drill holes in the bed too connect it

[@plazma123456]

The music gives me how its made vibes

[@Chipageo]

Hello. did you try print high speed with linear rails? and what was the result?

[@oldtimeengineer26]

The links no longer work for the rail kits

[@trevormallow2788]

Great video. However the issue with the hotend adapter is unacceptable. The kit is manufactured by creality for the ender 3/pro and the part doesn't work? Completely invalidates the whole kit. And that right z plate is a joke. There should be dual z axis to help keep the gantry level at all times.

[@Zacksss]

Will linear rails help with elephant foot?

[@JeremyBaucom]

I wouldn't think so. That's more of a slicer/printer calibration issue.

[@ruiraptor]

Hi Zach, the elephant foot is an issue caused by the first layer not perfectly calibrated. If you have the elephant foot issue, re-adjust your bed leveling/nozzle to bed distance.

[@Mrtickleberries]

No it will not

[@DJmurderbazz]

im just sad... all 4 rails i got are slide realy poor. 2 of than that mutch that they stuck, even if i accelerate realy hard and fast, ich checked if I montate than bad but efen away from the profile they stuck as hell...

[@Jnec7777]

Просто твои рельсы были в транспортировочной смазке и нужно было промыть в бензине или ацетоне каретку, после смазать силиконовой смазкой! После этой процедуры каретка бегала бы без усилий под собственном весом

[@teetat1]

Accepted all guide ,but you're didn't use 90 degree angle iron for alignment any all axis your result will be tilted.

[@Mrtickleberries]

Doesn't seem like this upgrade is worth the money or effort on a moving bed printer

[@makewithmegma]

💕🔥👍

[@UnwellGaming]

disliking purely because 0:24 seconds into the video they ask for a like and subscribe. I only like and or sub to channels that i find deserve it and not because you ask for it BEFORE the video is even got past the intro. :((

[@ameliabuns4058]

I watched this entire video waiting for a comparison ;-; should've read the title better

[@ruiraptor]

If you check the end of the video (24:10) we show a couple of prints where we compare the before and after and also we talk about some of the pros and cons.

[@ameliabuns4058]

@@ruiraptor oh sorry my bad. i do wisht hat someone tried this on a good corexy printer since those printers have their Y axis fly around

[@ameliabuns4058]

Oof I've heard banggood is a good way to flush money down the toilet tho

[@ruiraptor]

The kit in the video is sold by banggood but is manufactured by Creality.

[@mujotagani1049]

my brotha, you don't annunciate the p in pneumatic. just neumatic

[@NAANsoft]

Very throughout!

[@markusmaeder1388]

With www.thingiverse.com/thing:2974225 and some other parts on my Ender 3 Max I didn't loose build volume on X and Z. I will mod Y soon.

[@alexchliwnyj5941]

Amazing how much money is spent on these printers with upgrades that aren't going to make much of an improvement. Why not just buy a better printer in the first place?

[@warriorsofradiance7100]

That's a fairly odd statement, you obviously have no idea what you're talking about... thats pretty sad.. let me guess by a prusa, right?

[@alexchliwnyj5941]

@@warriorsofradiance7100 No just the opposite, the Prusa is for people who just want to print and their printer is not their hobby. They are buying an expensive tool that has a reputation for ease of use and reliability. A bed slinger will always be slow because of the moving Y mass so no matter how much you upgrade you can't overcome physics. While you can improve print quality it will always be slow. There are so many channels pushing upgrades.... only to conclude at the end, "I guess the Benchy looks about the same, so the upgrade worked and you should buy it." CoreXY has much better mechanics and you can print much faster. I got the TronXY X5SA-Pro which is a full metal frame with metal rollers( not linear rails, but a vast improvement over rubber rollers), 32 bit controller, 24 Volt power supply and touch screen. Almost forgot it came with auto bed leveling. You get a lot for your money and don't have to upgrade everything. Next install Klipper firmware on the Raspberry PI that your are already running Octoprint on and you can print fast with high quality but Klipper is more technical than Marlin so a bit of a learning curve. Get an accelerometer and tune Klipper to handle the mechanical resonances resulting in better print quality even faster. Build a high flow hot end and print faster yet. You have a bigger, much faster and very reliable printer without upgrading everything. This weekend I picked up a used Ender 3 Pro to use as a test mule for hot end concepts. It is solid, much heavier than I expected and a good value, but it is an entry level design optimized for cost and all components were optimized for cost.

[@warriorsofradiance7100]

You do know prusa is probably the shittiest old tech in the industry an they fail just as much as any printer. You're just not going to hear about because they keep it as quiet as possible. If you're needing an autobed leveler you're trash at 3d printing. Tronxy is hot garbage, always has been. Core x/y machines are nice but not necessary, if all you care about is speed buy a Resin printer, of which I run/own several.Sorry bud but ender 3s are really good printers. I run a farm of enders do maintenance once a month. Very few failed prints, if any. But I've been at this for 8 years, used wooden framed printers an custom built as well as the super expensive. I'll take a stock ender 3 an make ya look like an amateur. Tell ya what send me your ender 3 because it's so trash..

[@3nigma.3nc]

Such a pointless upgrade. Way overkill. FDM printers aren't CNCing metal.

[@CGOCPFTF]

Wheel nerd

[@tokin420nchokin]

I dont think its pointless on the x axis if your going with a direct drive, other than that its prob overkill.

[@IIBLANKII]

Honestly not pointless if we account for the uneven wheel wear of the y axis. The x and z axis wheels evenly wear out, while the y axis wears out on the bottom more then the top because well duh gravity pulls the wheels onto the bottom edge. Not to mention the z axis upgrade helps with alignment and sag. And even z axis twist if you have a direct drive extruder. X axis linear rail would be nice for faster speeds. Overall its a great upgrade for what it is. And considering the accuracy of some printers reaching into the 10th or hundredth of a mm its still fairly accurate for the average consumer.

[@henkpunt4159]

With this upgrade, along with the creality Sonic pad/klipper firmware I'm able to print at 150mm/s without the wear on the wear on the wheels. The rails are more easy to maintain. I don't think it is pointless