Seen that exact trans and was going to pull the trigger on it but was hesitant, thanks for doing this comparison, has helped make up my mind on it. Great video again thanks for such great content for us crawler guys looking for that next rig!!
Nice comparison between both transmissions. I've seen the Amazon trans with the DIG and wondered how good it would be. Liked and subscribed! Also following on IG.
SOA on my ecto, ditched the stock plastic servo mount and added a couple brace plenty of room for chassis clearing the servo in suspension travel, I felt the steering throw was greatly improved with SOA and lowered cog,. I am liking this little transmission, I have loads of weight down low with brass links and the usual weighted chubs , injora wheels which are not wheighted but are heavier than your standard Chinese knockoff beadlock This transmission may be in my ecto in the near future, thank you for sharing. Thumbs up :)
After hearing more than one recommendation for SOA, and realizing how easy it is to build, I just fabbed up my mounts about an hour ago. I've got mismatched upper links and a steering drag link that fits, but it works, and it is indeed really REALLY good. The front end articulates a lot better, and the sidehilling is even better, if that's possible. Once a low-profile servo goes in for the dig, and I make some shorter spacers for the gearbox (I can lower the whole assembly about 4mm) I think the Ecto will be amazing.
I would. But I want to keep my quiet transmission so I’ll probly just buy the gears to cancel the overdrive. I noticed side hilling is not very good on trucks that have overdrive. They drag the rear tires along and it makes them slide downward. Overdrive isn’t good for much, if anything at all. Even climbing the front spin at their rate and the rear can’t provide traction because the rear is spinning slower
I'm genuinely surprised at how quiet the $60 gearbox is-- it's audible at higher RPMs, but slow crawls just as silently as the Stealth box. I'm probably going to put the belt drive back on , if just for the silencing. I miss machined delrin spur gears.
Very nicely done. I just subscribed and followed on IG. I have a Gatekeeper that I am working on. You've made me rethink modifying it to any great extent. I think I will buy a builders kit and use it as the modified version and maybe set it up similar to yours. There are some things that would be different since my skill at making parts isn't nearly as good as yours and I dont have a lathe. I'm enjoying the video's thus far and honestly value your choice of parts because of the experimenting you've done. The major difference is tires for me on my Gatekeeper. We have slicker rocks and most things are steeper in our mountains. Add in the roots with moss its very hard to find tires that work well on both.
I've had instances in the past where Duratrax Deep Woods work better on damp or dusty surfaces than clean/prepped ones. They remain the only tire I've deliberately bought twice.
Thanks, this is just the info I've been looking for to add dig to my Sendero HD. I'm curious if you think the aluminum section from the front drive shaft would work as an alternative to turning down the rear aluminum piece? The front aluminum piece is pretty short so I don't know if it's too short for that idea. I should mention I have the Bowhouse RC skid that lowers the Stealth transmission and allows for installation of the SCX transmission with their included spacer. That might help with your CG even a tiny bit more if it fits the Ecto too, it seems very capable already
...possibly? Next time I have the rig apart, I can see how close the two aluminum bits are in terms of length. I was going to pull the axles apart to take the pinions to the lathe so I could fit TRX-4 driveshafts... then I got lazy. I'm definitely going to look into the Bowhouse skid-- I love the one installed on Daphne. It just slides so much better than the stock TRX-4 skid.
@@CrawlerCanyon Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it. Since asking, I thought to go back to the Sendero HD manual, and it has the measurements for each driveshaft segment. The aluminum part in the rear is shown as 60mm and the front is 48mm. I am taking a chance that the 2mm difference will work and ordered that dig transmission + an Enduro driveshaft kit (ASC42040 10.99 from amain). Seems worth a shot! The Element has great steering angle, but I think I like the idea of dig better in tight turns than overdrive/underdrive if I had to chose one
@@CrawlerCanyon Just wanted to close the loop on this one for you and anyone else maybe reading this. The transmission fits perfectly with the bowhouseRC skid + included spacer (I used M3x14mm screws). Enduro front driveshaft in the rear works perfectly for this application. I also used the JX low profile servo and the stock RTR radio. I needed to trim the cab a bit to fit over the dig servo. I did the raised body mod shown in the rc-tnt video on basic Sendero mods. Without the body lift, you'll probably need to trim the X-brace on the cab. Channel 3 on the RTR radio has end point adjustment, so I made it work as 4WD / FWD / Dig (front-wheel-drive is the neutral point in the servo). Dig is awesome on the Sendero. Maybe Element will release an official dig unit for the Stealth transmission since the RTR transmitter has that channel 3 switch?
Top shelf channel , really well done. Just ordered an Enduro builder's kit 2, first foray into crawling but not RCs. Any advice on parts that should be replaced straight away as I build?Links etc... Thanks, keep up the great work.
The Builder's Kit 2 (which is what I originally wanted) has pretty much all of the hop-ups installed-- factory team links, etc. Much like the Gatekeeper kit, no wheels, tires, or body is included, so you have to sort all of that out. The kits themselves are pretty well thought out. Just the manuals are terrible.
@@CrawlerCanyon Choosing my own parts was the big appeal, often I'd get a rtr basher and end up upgrading all the weak parts. Glad to hear the chassis is good as is. Thanks.
No, no, no. The XP130 was gone within minutes. That radio was terrible when it was coming with Associated trucks 15 years ago, and hasn't gotten better since. I use Radiolink RC4 and RC6 radios with most of my rigs.
I think I'm running 7 of them across the fleet at this point. Reduction is the same as a typical 3-gear, 2.6:1 internal. Comes with an awful 87T steel spur, which I discard immediately.
Yes, the dig gearbox has no over/underdrive, so replacing the Stealth gearbox drives the front and rear wheels the same. I can say for sure that the underdrive was not nearly as valuable as the dig. In my experience, dig transforms the Ecto. Now I'll feed that through Google Translate, my apologies if it doesn't make any sense, I don't speak Italian. Sì, il cambio Dig non ha over/underdrive, quindi la sostituzione del cambio Stealth fa muovere allo stesso modo le ruote anteriori e posteriori. Posso dire con certezza che il underdrive non era così prezioso come lo scavo. Nella mia esperienza, scavare trasforma l'Ecto.
@@CrawlerCanyon ma esiste ingranaggi nel ponte come scx over/underdriver se uno li volesse mettere grazie se si cosa e compatibile o suo... qua in italia element ecco e poco conosciuto ma a me piace troppo grazie delle info
I've gradually replaced almost all of the half-height servos for dig with micros, and not a single one among them is a Reefs 99-- because the Reefs 99 is a rebadged AGFRC A20CLS that costs $20 more. IMO, the single best option for dig servos (95% of the time) is the Injora 2065 amzn.to/4gtG6c3 which is plenty strong, fast enough, uses a standard Futaba-spline horn (not 25T micro) and costs about 18 bucks each. If you want really fast action, then the aforementioned A20CLS, or the ever-harder-to-find Flash Hobby 1227.
They're all over Amazon, I bought the cheapest one I could find: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N491MS6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Just don't get the belt too tight.
I'd like to try a 2 speed in one of my Element rigs. My Gatekeeper has an actual 25% overdrive to the front axle and I can tell a difference from the stock gearing. It's not like a world of difference, but it's enough for me. I'd love to see Element come out with a 2 speed and a dig kit. According to what brand of Trans you're using, there may be overdrive gears for it online somewhere. Do you use the Lucas stabilizer or the red n tacky grease in yours?
Yessss another video I can drop a like on. The canyon library 📚 is such a grand place 😎😎😎
Seen that exact trans and was going to pull the trigger on it but was hesitant, thanks for doing this comparison, has helped make up my mind on it. Great video again thanks for such great content for us crawler guys looking for that next rig!!
Nice comparison between both transmissions. I've seen the Amazon trans with the DIG and wondered how good it would be. Liked and subscribed! Also following on IG.
Awesome review!!
Great thought experiment and awesome RC,great crawling and information,subbed you.
Awesome Video as usual!
I also went to an SOA setup on my Gatekeeper and it really helped with lowering the cog.
Thanks! I’m picking this up for my Capra, as the noise of the stock gearbox is sooo loud. This sounds so much more silent.
3-gear well and truly transforms a Capra.
@@CrawlerCanyon Thanks for the reply! I just found your channel and been binging your vids.
Love from Washington PNW ❤️
SOA on my ecto, ditched the stock plastic servo mount and added a couple brace plenty of room for chassis clearing the servo in suspension travel, I felt the steering throw was greatly improved with SOA and lowered cog,. I am liking this little transmission, I have loads of weight down low with brass links and the usual weighted chubs , injora wheels which are not wheighted but are heavier than your standard Chinese knockoff beadlock This transmission may be in my ecto in the near future, thank you for sharing.
Thumbs up :)
After hearing more than one recommendation for SOA, and realizing how easy it is to build, I just fabbed up my mounts about an hour ago. I've got mismatched upper links and a steering drag link that fits, but it works, and it is indeed really REALLY good. The front end articulates a lot better, and the sidehilling is even better, if that's possible. Once a low-profile servo goes in for the dig, and I make some shorter spacers for the gearbox (I can lower the whole assembly about 4mm) I think the Ecto will be amazing.
I would. But I want to keep my quiet transmission so I’ll probly just buy the gears to cancel the overdrive. I noticed side hilling is not very good on trucks that have overdrive. They drag the rear tires along and it makes them slide downward. Overdrive isn’t good for much, if anything at all. Even climbing the front spin at their rate and the rear can’t provide traction because the rear is spinning slower
I'm genuinely surprised at how quiet the $60 gearbox is-- it's audible at higher RPMs, but slow crawls just as silently as the Stealth box. I'm probably going to put the belt drive back on , if just for the silencing. I miss machined delrin spur gears.
I've never been convinced of overdrive for same reasons u listed watch ton of videos of it.
@@jasond1245 looks unrealistic too. i dont think full sized trucks even use it
Very nicely done. I just subscribed and followed on IG. I have a Gatekeeper that I am working on. You've made me rethink modifying it to any great extent. I think I will buy a builders kit and use it as the modified version and maybe set it up similar to yours. There are some things that would be different since my skill at making parts isn't nearly as good as yours and I dont have a lathe. I'm enjoying the video's thus far and honestly value your choice of parts because of the experimenting you've done. The major difference is tires for me on my Gatekeeper. We have slicker rocks and most things are steeper in our mountains. Add in the roots with moss its very hard to find tires that work well on both.
I've had instances in the past where Duratrax Deep Woods work better on damp or dusty surfaces than clean/prepped ones. They remain the only tire I've deliberately bought twice.
Thanks, this is just the info I've been looking for to add dig to my Sendero HD. I'm curious if you think the aluminum section from the front drive shaft would work as an alternative to turning down the rear aluminum piece? The front aluminum piece is pretty short so I don't know if it's too short for that idea. I should mention I have the Bowhouse RC skid that lowers the Stealth transmission and allows for installation of the SCX transmission with their included spacer. That might help with your CG even a tiny bit more if it fits the Ecto too, it seems very capable already
...possibly? Next time I have the rig apart, I can see how close the two aluminum bits are in terms of length. I was going to pull the axles apart to take the pinions to the lathe so I could fit TRX-4 driveshafts... then I got lazy. I'm definitely going to look into the Bowhouse skid-- I love the one installed on Daphne. It just slides so much better than the stock TRX-4 skid.
@@CrawlerCanyon Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it. Since asking, I thought to go back to the Sendero HD manual, and it has the measurements for each driveshaft segment. The aluminum part in the rear is shown as 60mm and the front is 48mm. I am taking a chance that the 2mm difference will work and ordered that dig transmission + an Enduro driveshaft kit (ASC42040 10.99 from amain). Seems worth a shot! The Element has great steering angle, but I think I like the idea of dig better in tight turns than overdrive/underdrive if I had to chose one
@@CrawlerCanyon Just wanted to close the loop on this one for you and anyone else maybe reading this. The transmission fits perfectly with the bowhouseRC skid + included spacer (I used M3x14mm screws). Enduro front driveshaft in the rear works perfectly for this application. I also used the JX low profile servo and the stock RTR radio. I needed to trim the cab a bit to fit over the dig servo. I did the raised body mod shown in the rc-tnt video on basic Sendero mods. Without the body lift, you'll probably need to trim the X-brace on the cab. Channel 3 on the RTR radio has end point adjustment, so I made it work as 4WD / FWD / Dig (front-wheel-drive is the neutral point in the servo). Dig is awesome on the Sendero. Maybe Element will release an official dig unit for the Stealth transmission since the RTR transmitter has that channel 3 switch?
Top shelf channel , really well done.
Just ordered an Enduro builder's kit 2, first foray into crawling but not RCs. Any advice on parts that should be replaced straight away as I build?Links etc... Thanks, keep up the great work.
The Builder's Kit 2 (which is what I originally wanted) has pretty much all of the hop-ups installed-- factory team links, etc. Much like the Gatekeeper kit, no wheels, tires, or body is included, so you have to sort all of that out. The kits themselves are pretty well thought out. Just the manuals are terrible.
@@CrawlerCanyon Choosing my own parts was the big appeal, often I'd get a rtr basher and end up upgrading all the weak parts. Glad to hear the chassis is good as is. Thanks.
If I can't have as much over drive as the Phoenix offers, I'd take dig for sure!
i got into this on my 10 ii builders kit lol that transmission is anything but drop in
cool vid!! big like!👍👍👍
I'd trade overdrive for the dig function all day long
I've never been convenience overdrive's all that helpful so my answer would be yes dig for overdrive
Well..I now can have 37% overdrive in my ecto..so I think I'll stick with that..awesome experiment tho..wish you could have both sadly.
Are you using the stock transmitter that came with the ecto rtr? If so how would you set up the dig to work on that remote?
No, no, no. The XP130 was gone within minutes. That radio was terrible when it was coming with Associated trucks 15 years ago, and hasn't gotten better since.
I use Radiolink RC4 and RC6 radios with most of my rigs.
How did the end product come out?
So why is nobody making 1 for the Elements ?
Hello, is this transmission reliable? what is the multiplication ratio? THANKS
I think I'm running 7 of them across the fleet at this point. Reduction is the same as a typical 3-gear, 2.6:1 internal. Comes with an awful 87T steel spur, which I discard immediately.
Can you add overdrive gears to the dig trans?
I’m 99% sure you have to do it in the axles. Eight gears inside the Twin. And with the ability to switch to 46% on the fly, I’ve never seen the need.
Will this Dig unit for on a TRX6? I've never seen one with Dig
Ciao.. informazioni ma la trasmissione col dig del scx non elimina overdriver originale del ecto? Ho hai cambiato nei ponti come scx grazie
Yes, the dig gearbox has no over/underdrive, so replacing the Stealth gearbox drives the front and rear wheels the same. I can say for sure that the underdrive was not nearly as valuable as the dig. In my experience, dig transforms the Ecto. Now I'll feed that through Google Translate, my apologies if it doesn't make any sense, I don't speak Italian.
Sì, il cambio Dig non ha over/underdrive, quindi la sostituzione del cambio Stealth fa muovere allo stesso modo le ruote anteriori e posteriori. Posso dire con certezza che il underdrive non era così prezioso come lo scavo. Nella mia esperienza, scavare trasforma l'Ecto.
@@CrawlerCanyon grazie lo consigli come mezzo di scatola per iniziare a fare qualche gara e valido secondo te come mezzo
@@CrawlerCanyon ma esiste ingranaggi nel ponte come scx over/underdriver se uno li volesse mettere grazie se si cosa e compatibile o suo... qua in italia element ecco e poco conosciuto ma a me piace troppo grazie delle info
Cant you go with a smaller survo like the reefs 99
I've gradually replaced almost all of the half-height servos for dig with micros, and not a single one among them is a Reefs 99-- because the Reefs 99 is a rebadged AGFRC A20CLS that costs $20 more. IMO, the single best option for dig servos (95% of the time) is the Injora 2065 amzn.to/4gtG6c3 which is plenty strong, fast enough, uses a standard Futaba-spline horn (not 25T micro) and costs about 18 bucks each. If you want really fast action, then the aforementioned A20CLS, or the ever-harder-to-find Flash Hobby 1227.
Why couldn’t a micro servo be used instead of a micro servo?
What is that belt drive???
They're all over Amazon, I bought the cheapest one I could find: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N491MS6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just don't get the belt too tight.
I'd like to try a 2 speed in one of my Element rigs. My Gatekeeper has an actual 25% overdrive to the front axle and I can tell a difference from the stock gearing. It's not like a world of difference, but it's enough for me. I'd love to see Element come out with a 2 speed and a dig kit. According to what brand of Trans you're using, there may be overdrive gears for it online somewhere. Do you use the Lucas stabilizer or the red n tacky grease in yours?
Red n’ Tacky all the way. I was a Mobil One guy for ages, by the Lucas really does last a lot longer.
@@CrawlerCanyon couldn't agree more
Why not have both?
With Element, the UD is in the gearbox. He has UD now, but is effectively no longer on Element Axles (SSD Diamond Pros with AR44 gears)