Don't Add weight to crawler - Steel Axles Housings For Traxxas TRX-4

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[@KevinTalbotTV]

I quit my job and made $100,000 on ebay last year. See how you can too! kevin-talbot.teachable.com/p/kev-s-ebay-course

[@JeffreyGreen]

I quit my job and made $6.26 on ebay last year!!! I can show you guys how for $50 less than Kev!!!

[@BlvlWmpower]

Greenroots Family Rc Yep, but you aren't agreeing to act a certain way for the communists with hypersonic missiles aimed at all our countries, either.

[@TheRealSullyShow]

the weight on your axles will seriously improve your forward climbing ability. driving sideways you have to remove weight from the top

[@alfalso434]

Definitely need a dual stage foam. I use the ProLine dual stage foams in my trucks and they made a huge difference with stability. The tires can then keep traction and the closed cell inner foam supports the added weight. I've seen some good reviews on the crawler innovations as well. They are def worth a look.

[@andresdejesus]

Yeah that's what they are you should change the foam out to closed cell foam it's a much more sturdy foam that could stand up to the weight I think eBay also has it or Amazon and you don't have to worry about water so much because it is a closed cell foam

[@KurNorock]

It's all about tuning. You can't expect to just make one change and have it all work out. If you increase the weight of the vehicle you need tires with stiffer side walls to counter the issue you are having. Also, the fact that you have portals lifting the housings up higher makes a difference. If you didn't have portals that extra weight down low probably would have allowed a steeper angle. In full sized rock crawling rigs you generally want them as light as possible. But that is only because you can't do much about the weight of the axles, and the weight of your engine, body, fuel tank, tools, gear, and passengers, is going to make far more difference anyway. But in these lightweight scale RC cars, the weight distribution is all wrong due to the nature of their construction. So instead of making them as light as we can, we have to increase the weight as much as we can as low as we can. To get an idea what I'm talking about, if we just took a full sized rock crawler that weighs 4,000 pounds and scaled it down to 1/10th scale, it would weigh 40 pounds. These RC crawlers are hard pressed to weigh 8-10 pounds, and most of their weight is in the motor and batteries which are mounted high.

[@slomorico8711]

Just as with an actual vehicle, you need to adjust tire pressure as you increase load weight. Firmer foams would be a good start

[@OH-Hobbies]

Stiffer foams, as others suggested, doesn’t allow the tire squish, conform to the rocks your trying to climb. However, dual stage offers you great side support from its inner stiff, closed cell foam, but the outer foam is open cell softer, which allows the tire to compress, and conform to the shape of the rocks for great grip. You have to vent the tires, and use a soft sticky tire as well. Might I suggest crawler innovation dual stage foams, comp cut inner, and pit bull tires. Rockbeast XOR’s, are identical size to the stock traxxas canyon trails.

[@jessebellis7092]

Whicked vid love it !! I'm buying a TRX 4 Tomorrow !!! I'm so excited !! Your the best !!!! Love your vids as always !!

[@capturetoday67]

Checking this out for my TRX4 and I’ve just realized it’s been almost exactly one year since you posted this😄 Cheers and thanks for sharing Kev!

[@outskirtscustoms]

Your tire deflection can easily be corrected with some foam in the tires or switch to a slightly stiffer tire. The weight can be a help if properly compensated for.

[@newfanerelichuntersgr4906]

Stiffer foam in the tires. Offset wheels, maybe 5'm or so to give it a wider stance. Great videos mate.Subbed

[@newfanerelichuntersgr4906]

**5 mm

[@rorylobban4789]

I really enjoy your content Kev mate. Your probably my favourite you tuber. Specially when your telling lazy jealous haters to " get off your arse and do something!" Love it the most!

[@MrRicard75]

Thanks Kev I wouldn’t have thought the weight would have done that. As always you make great vids I love your channel!

[@3props_does666]

As some of the others have mentioned, crawler innovations foams! You can even get them to match the weight of the truck. I would also agree with Bill Cox, stiffer springs to help reduce body roll. Of course, you should do these "mods" separate to see which makes the bigger difference. Good luck!

[@canadianoutdooradventures3596]

Can't wait for more bashing videos! Love the slash 4x4 and also can't wait for an upgrade series on that(hopefully) like idk rpm stuff and show the new driveshafts etc or xmaxx bashing or ones day getting a brushless erevo!

[@SebastianLong]

My brother has the TRX Tactical Unit. We added some melted wheel weights from vehicle wheels and put it in the front bumper and fake winch sitting in water. I think it was 370 grams of total weight. That is all the weight we have added and it side slopes the same but the forward climbing has improved 10 fold. The thing is you have to find that balance between adding too much weight and not enough. We currently have to add maybe 150 grams to the rear bumper to keep it from doing an endo when he backs up. Im pretty sure that is the max we will add as far as weight goes. The other thing we are doing is mounting some 11 mm hub hexs where the original is 8 mm. Will give it a 6 mm total wider stance, should help with side sloping. I personally feel like anything more would be to much and the tires will contact the body to much.

[@alexhopkins2016]

im glad u put the music back in

[@OH-Hobbies]

I watch your videos all the time. I didn’t take the time to read all the comments on this problem you were having. I will tell you this, you need dual stage foams for great sidewall support, and vent your tires,(if you don’t plan on running through the water). Also, I would recommend crawler innovation “lil nova’s” comp cut inners, soft outers for the front, and medium outers for the rear. I don’t think your rig is that heavy, but always one density firmer for the rear, than the front. Go to their website, read and learn about the benefits of crawler innovations dual stage foams. Lil novas for the 1.9” , and double deuces, for 2.2”. They come in a variety of sizes, make sure to get the correct size, and foam densities, for the weight of your vehicles. Their comp cut inner feature, makes them better than proline’s dual stage, in my opinion, and I’m sure it will be yours as well, just from looking at the design.

[@imemovengeance]

Crawler Inovations make the best foams. They have a 2 stage that is unreal!

[@archerash6695]

I agree..brass portal covers all around, and brass rims. Brass rings in the front only.. Im gunna run some tests myself to see what is the best combo. Printed inserts help with sidewall.

[@rausundfern]

Maybe you have to use harder tire foams! Look for crazy crawler in Germany... Thanks for sharing this vid btw!

[@rcOhio]

Yep, added weight is above the center of the wheel. Oh well, it didn’t change by much and you’ve got some nice durable housings! The front pinion gear was funny, I noticed it a fraction of a second before you mentioned it!

[@gregwheat2356]

Firstly, the weight increase is intended to help on hill climbs primarily and it works well. Furthermore the off camber effectiveness that's shown here as being slightly worse would be negated by a stiffer tire foam etc. You will then see that the off camber test you did shows more weight is better and the hill climb ability with a heavy front axle makes a massive difference.

[@timfreeman3178]

Makes sense to not add weight sometimes and keep'em light. I would try different tire foams and try it to see if that improves the side hilling capability. I kinda like the portal axles,but I think the Traxxas TRX-4 looks like it would be a better trail rig.

[@ajlalla898]

Try some different foam inside the tires. Those look a little soft maybe some that are firmer.

[@ExocagedRC]

Aj Lalla was about to say the same thing. The tire roll can be the issue here.

[@litdrag5480]

I’ve done small experiments but not like what you’re doing please keep up the experiments I like to see them all😁

[@greenwarrior256]

I have putted marbles into my front tires, after removing the foams out of it. That marbles do make strange sound when driving, but helped very well climbing stairs and else. Next i will maybe try aluminium wheels in front to maximize the climbing skill.

[@TheKeeganc]

Thank you!! You saved me some money and a lot of time not replacing this!!

[@tomandrews5392]

Kev I just did a experiment a bone stock TRX 4 long wheel base and no body I got on a side slop 41.76 degrees on a clime I got 47.8 degrees.. I used a 3/4 in. 5 ply. plywood 4 feet long (ok I know what your thinkin use the metric system ) as a American I am trouble with the metric system so it is what it is....I will be adding 2.2 mm wheels with Proline G8 compound rubber Hyrax tires with Crawler Innovations duel compound foams in side ...I will get back to ya after that to see if there was improvement...Great channel I watch your channel daily....Keep it up...

[@joeschmo2393]

Awesome videos kev, killing it as usual

[@cwthemachinist]

Hey Kev, try installing some dual stage tire foams. Closed cell foam down close to the rim and open cell soft foam out at the tire. They're just for crawlers.

[@urg_beast1864]

Awesome vid kev, very interesting as always

[@not5tock5.0]

I was thinking about doing aluminum axles, I'm happy you did this video so I know it actually doesn't make it better! Great video!

[@u_t_d_s_h-1_a]

Hey, You forget that as a car travels through troughs or steep inclines, it isn't always level, one side of the front might be at a 38 degree incline which is the point where your red truck kept tipping over, but the back remains at a 22 degrees, so that the weight at the back counter balances the slant at the front and keeps the car stable. The much bett err incline at the back, sort of compensates for the lower inclines at the front parts, and that enables it to still remain on its wheels without tipping over.

[@joshuakermode1299]

When are you getting your E revo?? I got mine 5 years ago I've only broken a handle full of parts, I just bought and installed them. If you run 6s make sure you get steel axles.

[@camrowdrone6497]

Love watching the old videos Kev 👊🏻👍🏻

[@billcox87]

try Crawler Innovations dual stage foams kev, they are the best, plus adjust your shocks to comp for the xtra weight and you will notice a HUGE difference, yepper!!!!!!!!!

[@hyster16t]

changing to diff housing doesn't add weight to the chassis for the shocks to cope with.

[@billcox87]

that is true and I know this but stiffer shocks will help with body roll and to help push down on the new heavier axles

[@bobzilla9p0]

LOL just saw second video. Kevin please redo this exact experiment on 2 stage foams for comparison. Keep the side walls from rolling over while giving plenty of "flex" to the outer tire tread area to wrap around and grip. I have messed around with EVA foam along with open cell outer foam sheets (15mm to 25mm thick) and making low cost custom 2 stage wheel foams. While can be cheap it is a lot of work compared to spending $32 USD on 2 pairs of Crawler Innovations 2 stage foams. It makes more sense and cost effective to build your own on larger wheel sizes like 2.8 or 3.8 (40 series).

[@marcochavanne]

@@hyster16t correct. There is a BIG difference between sprung and unsprung weight.

[@lemons3738]

seems like you would just need stiffer tire foam. maybe 3 thin foam strips. could have harder foam on the outside of the tire to stop side wall flex with a softer inside/middle foam strip to try and let the tire still grip.

[@shenmisheshou7002]

My experience matches yours. I think the only good weight to add is in the wheels (metal) and in the outside portal cover. The wheels will be neutral (half the weight above the axle centerline, half the weight below) and all of the portal axle cover weight will be below the axle centerline. If weight is added, you really need to use a dual foam in the tires. As your experiment shows though, too much weight is hard on lateral traction. Even with dual foams, the tires will roll under at the wheels, and that is bad because the contact patch on the tires deforms. I also recommend either heavier springs than stock, or increasing the spring pre-load. The preload needs to be set so that three wheels just remain on the ground when the forth shock fully compresses. This will reduce the body lean some and body lean is a serious issue with portal axle trucks. Just my opinion to be sure.

[@Vtecman85]

Wouldn't stiffer foams also help without the steel axles so same results? And would the stiffer foams let the truck down a little when trying to climb over rocks ect?

[@Fa8io99]

Learning by doing....thats the best way. One more please :)

[@HappyDude1]

Wel it depends on the surface and the angle If you go upwords the weight presses down on the tyre and it keeps it from tipping over But you have to pull that extra weight .... and on a side angle you can tip over more easy or slide off with that extra weight. I think keep it light like a real car Just ad soft tyres with a lot of grip

[@BlueDroneBlues]

That grey front piece I see you putting back on. They didn't give you a metal version on this kit of that as well?

[@jessebellis7092]

I had the same problem with my truck after I got meta axles for it !! So I put stiffer foams in it !!

[@Aykutreyes]

Thanks for what you do Kevin

[@alpinglow]

In regards to scale, what's real-istic? A newbie RCguy here, seeing 4x's in regards to scale not perfection! Enjoy your vid's! Easy to follow and not annoying!!!

[@gilbertgarcia4042]

Adding more wait to the front works better. As for the tire problem you need a 2 stage wheel sponge. That will work the best for that problem.

[@davidboyd4026]

Your RC videos are the best☺

[@BIGGBULLxxx]

I agree with what EXO cage RC says below try the dual stage foams

[@collian1]

I love the technical terms!

[@rajbadwal85]

Hey Kev, compleatley unrelated question. I just up graded my brushed FTX Carnage to a brushless set up. The ESC says water proof but I'm assuming the brushless motor is not water proof? Is there away to make it water proof? My RC car doesnt go swimming like yours but I do run it even when it's been wet so it gets soaked. Cheers mate

[@ExocagedRC]

Nice test, get a set of dual stage CI foams and see if anything changes. I’m about to try a set of steel housings just to reduce the chances of breaking it doing stupid stuff.

[@KevinTalbotTV]

Do you have a link or part number to witch ones?

[@ExocagedRC]

I do have to say doing it while driving was the best way to do this test.

[@hugh383mason]

I was yelling at my screen,the pinion!!! You forgot the pinion gear!!! And then you noticed and got it in there. Lol Good job anyway brother!!

[@ryanbailey3448]

You need better foams and shock tuning. More weight will definitely help your crawler.

[@joshbuckland2783]

Kev, I don’t make the same mistake twice. I make it 4 or 5 times just to be sure

[@tomv3361]

Lol

[@polishguywithhardtospellna8227]

ha ha ha, you're golden mate!

[@DirtyRC101]

That was so spot on =)

[@grasshoppercb]

I noticed it right off, I was talking to my phone, put the pinion gear in Kevin, haha. We have all did stuff like that, no worries.

[@wadecaton4017]

If you have a redcat gen7 pro, take those tires and try them on the TRX4. They're a harder foam but soft tire. Or just find some dual stage foam.

[@nate0765]

I'm thinking that the extra weight will let the truck flex over rocks easier, and like everybody else says maybe stiffer foams.

[@tomlucasrccrawlers9108]

Pretty much what everyone is saying....you gotta tune the foams to the weight of the rig. Crawler Innovation makes a great two-stage foam called Deuces Wild and for a 12+ pound rig I'd go firm in the back and medium in the front. That'll stop the tire-foldover. If you do alot of trailing and water crossing they have a closed cell foam that'll side hill even better called Lil' Nova's. You make 200k a year...you can afford them. It's just pocket change for you at about $12 a pair.

[@NotStephenColbert]

You should try out some of the tires that are inflatable. I have heard that running with air and not foam makes a good bit of difference. They make some that can be purchased on ebay that have a fill valve and are inflated like a basketball or bike tire.

[@gumbywwf83]

Kev, i'm keen to see this same test with a wider wheel base. throw in some 8mm spacers.

[@imissgoogelvideo]

How much of a difference did the wider MIP axles make?

[@going24pro]

dual stage foam will get the most performance out of you additional weight and overall increase your performance of your trx4. they are a must for the additional weight theory. The theory is correct but only when the tire pressure is set correctly with the dual stage foams

[@Legendairy2]

Cant half ass an upgrade. Adding weight means you need to change out tires and foam, or at a minimum the foam. Having all that side wall roll is terrible and what is causing part of the issue side sloping. My TRX-6 has the same problem in stock form, tires/foam are shit for it's weight. Do the proper upgrades together and retest. Also don't forget that most who are adding weight to the front axle arent doing it for side sloping, they are doing it because the front axle constantly unloads on hill climbs. Added weight is designed to help keep the front tires planted and pulling. Just watched your follow up, glad to see you swapped out the foams to get the proper results. Different tires would also yield more improvement. That would be going all out tho, just doing the foams as you saw made a massive upgrade difference.

[@zeekmx1970]

Mine came with all metal axel houses and portals and connection rods, I think my drive shafts are plastic, there are plastic diff covers but I don't dare remove them. Because of the reason you demonstrated in the video. lol Factory shocks, Factory Wheels, Factory Rims, No changes to rear shock angle, is what I'm set to. I don't know what my final weight distribution is yet because I'm not ready to test for that yet. Installing FPV first. No Interior yet. Snow plow fun yet metal rusts.

[@helis9019]

Be very careful adding weight, there are a lot of disadvantages, 1 and I think this is the main disadvantage, the extra weight requires more torque to drive the machine, More torque to the wheel causes it to rear over backwards, also you get more torque twist, AND like you said more tire deflection. 2: Adding weight, to especially axles makes it hard for them to jump up ruts etc, sometimes you are better to put weight down very low on the frame, rather than axles or wheels.3: REDUCING weight high up is much more advantage e.g removing the roof rack off a Defender make the biggest difference of all. ALSO a lot of people wind the suspension to get more clearance on the chassis, you are a lot better fitting softer springs and lowering the height slightly, so as the body rolls it lowers the bottom side springs which in turn lowers the Center of Gravity.

[@lotust251]

nice video and cool test. I have added no weight to my TRX4 as of yet.

[@malthebryde0368]

Nic vid man i love your vid's!❤️😄👍🏻

[@izzzzzz6]

But it might help going up and over objects, there is always a trade off somewhere.

[@MrKassNova]

Putting on firmer tires will help make it work. If ypu put all tht weight on with roo soft tires you will get too much tire roll and will shift that weight down slope on the lower tires making them more likely ro roll over and in effect shift that weight downslope making your rig tip over.

[@GoatBastard]

Good upgrade!

[@MrRickTic]

Yelling at the screen "THE PINION GEAR!!" lol

[@rctrooper7261]

As far as weight is concerned, it is up to you. some people prefer weight like myself and others go light. It mostly depends on the type of crawling you want to do. There doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way it just simply depends on how you crawl. I actually run more weight up front and less in the rear of my crawlers. I just strictly do crawling though. If you want your speed and crawling just stay light but check out Crawler innovation foams.

[@Thenormalguy_real_one]

Man ever time I buy parts for my carnage the always are used and it says new on the thing

[@averyosborn2670]

The red body looks awesome

[@dirtydsrc]

Tire side walls folding over that bad under weight is no good. A couple of ideas. Try different wheel and tire combos. Take the brass hub weights off. With the weight of the axil spanning over both wheels I don't think you need the brass weights any more. Find wider wheels to stretch the tires out to stop them from folding over so much. Clearly as you said the tire sidewalls can't hold that weight very well.

[@koens4433]

dual stage foams for sure I recommend crawler innovations medium foams.

[@RcHobbySteve]

If you had stiffer foams such as (crawler innovation) foams that don’t let the tire fold you’ll see a big difference

[@scottdashnaw2345]

Good deal..love those new axles

[@rctrooper7261]

What type of tire foams are you using Kevin? I recommend Crawler innovation foams. You can find info on youtube. (Introduction to the Lil' Nova Foams by Crawler Innovations) hope this helps brother.

[@CD-wx7rw]

You’re the best youtuber ever

[@allyoucando8486]

going straight to climb can help but as you say side crawling is part of the trail and the weight the crawler more high to get more damage worse

[@Acorbisal]

Kevin, put Crazy Crawler Foams in it?!

[@BlvlWmpower]

The CG is the center of the wheels. You can reinforce tires with harder foams so the sidewalls don't fold.

[@KevinTalbotTV]

cg of the wheel is obviously in the middle but not on the truck

[@WIDGET738]

😂 *LOL @ how you seat a bearing!* 🤣

[@jakekocourek378]

during class, i was watching you vids and i had the volume off so i wouldnt get yelled at and i said to my friend i knew your intro, when you do the make a 100k profit a year one, i said it with no volume and i turned it up a bit and he was like, you watch him way to much, lol :)))

[@yoyosfpv823]

When you take those apart like you did you have to make sure you get the cables adjusted properly or that will happen. Tires are giving to much

[@jeffreeves3367]

Different tires and/or inserts, plus shock adjustments will help. For the more advanced undertaker, not me; relocation/positioning of the shock will help. Hope you do a vid with new foam! I have the Bronco Vaterra Ascender. More weight will help if I the TIRES and Foam are matched to the overall weight.

[@jeffreeves3367]

P.S. thanks for the vid I just subscribed

[@oniken2008]

Keeping the weight down low is actually more for going uphill and downhill. That's coming from real world, full size rock crawling. I would assume that when it comes to RC rock crawling it would be pretty much the same theory. Not only that, but I would venture to say that seeing as in real vehicles, the vehicle weight, suspension, drivetrain and tires all have to work together. Make one tiny change from what worked before, and it no longer works as well. That "happy medium" where everything works together MUST BE FOUND in order to get a vehicle to do what you want it to do exceptionally well. I'm just now starting to dabble with RC rock crawling but I've raced both real cars and RC cars. In my personal experience, just like with the real deal, when racing RC, everything has to work together. I would assume that the same would be true for RC rock crawlers.

[@MikeMac90]

I think the axles will be more for uphill and down hill climbs not much for side angle. Great videos though!

[@dannywilcock5529]

And what would happen if you added a little more camber on the front wheels

[@andresdejesus]

Bill Cox thank you very much that was the name I was looking for thank you Bill crawler Innovations foam

[@Andrew-er5cf]

Where did you get the body for that Traxxas TRX-4?

[@garlicbreadbeans]

love you kev good work. you should get nitro slash. very good fun

[@818sfastestrc]

Did you end up with better foams?

[@rcpayne6416]

Try putting duct tape around od, improves the side walling quite a bit for awhile, but wears quickly

[@juantabby4787]

Retest with new foams or what?

[@SunTzu2024]

Stiffer tires and it would’ve outperformed no problem. Also adding weight gives you an advantage in the dirt it gives your tires more bite especially on a hill climb

[@mattgates881]

Proline makes 2stage foams or crawler innovation makes some as well

[@haroldhargrave6503]

It helps going up but wider will help the side???