Great video! I just got a trx4 and am still learning, What is the part called that has the brake caliper and brake rotor called? Also do you have a link to the front and rear set you are using, or just the name of them! Thanks in advance
Thanks! And sure, I can share what they are. But since you mentioned you just got the truck, are you looking to add weight (brass) for functional reasons, or do you just want the look of the disc brake & rotor? Samix is one manufacturer that makes decent quality brass & aluminum upgrades, Treal is another. I have a brake rotor set from each of them, Samix in the front, Treal in the back. I was buying for functional reasons, looking at the weights of the other parts to dial in an axle weight. I ended up with heavy weight portal covers in front and lighter weight in the back. If you’re buying brass for the first time, it gets pricey quickly. Do your research and consider your longer term build goals. There are complete kits available that offer savings over buying separately. www.rcsamix.com/index.php/forrccar/traxxas/trx-4/trx4-4413c2h-trx-4-brass-portal-knuckle-heavy-cover-scale-big-brake-rotor-caliper-combo-set.html trealhobby.com/products/treal-trx-4-brass-outer-portal-covers-42g2pcs-black-with-brake-motor-set
I'm thinking of getting desert lizard for the high trail due to customization of the droop. Based on your comments, for rear shocks would the 120mm versions mounted in the front hole be the best for this? Sounds like the 110mm version would be the right choice for the front shocks.
Yes, for uncompressed length those numbers sound good. But you’ll need to consider the compressed length also. I don’t have a set of Lizards to measure, but I looked them up. Assuming both the 110s and 120s are similar travel to the stock GTS shocks at 35mm travel once you get the springs setup for droop, you’ll have to keep an eye on how much tire interference you have. And in the front, with the pan hard/diff interference you’ll be hard pressed to use even that much travel. I lengthened my upper link to improve driveshaft angle, and removed LOTS of plastic with a Dremel on the diff and I ended up with about 30mm of useable shock travel in the front. I had to put limiters in to keep it from bottoming and binding. It’s a 3 way battle between link end pivots, panhard, and driveshaft universal. I like to set up the shocks so they carry the load. Flipping springs around on the lizards may change the full compressed & uncompressed lengths a few mm. I’d def start with the ones you are looking at. 110s up front, 120s in the back.
I did what u did but i found 125mm shocks and the front is still binding. 324mm link kit longer metal drive shafts and still it binds… what r u soing that im not doing?
Mine aren’t 125mm in the front. I’m at 115. I talk a little about it starting at 4:25 in the video. A quick guess to help, lengthen your top link and shorten your lower links. Go one turn at a time, alternating top then bottoms, retesting each time. This will improve your diff to driveshaft angle. I’m using stock driveshafts BTW. I can share more info about my progression and see if something helps you. High Trail stock shocks have 110mm length and 25mm travel, so full extension is 110, full compression is 85, no binding. A tremendous amount of body rub though. Fix all that, then remove the compression spacer on the shock and you get 35mm travel, so still 110 but now 75 at compression, massive diff/panhard interference not to mention tires, bumper, body, etc. up travel is limited to low 80s realistically with lots of adjustments to the truck. I see why Traxxas slapped a 10mm spacer on the shock. I thought, ok, go longer with the same travel. As soon as I lengthened the shock beyond 110, my driveshaft locked up, not when articulating but when both sides drop, like hill climbing. I started making adjustments to my upper and lower suspension links to improve diff angle and freed up about 5mm of length I could add. Beyond that and you start hanging up your drag link for steering. My current Dravtech front shocks (the ones in the video) I built by adjusting the end eyelet lengths to the extension and compression lengths I wanted (the limits my current geometry will allow) and measure 115/83. I spent quite a few hours with a Dremel to clean up, clearance, and relieve the links, diff, panhard, tie rod, and drag link to get it done. The fun part about front ends is you change 1 thing and you’re sure you’ve got it right, then discover 2 more things that aren’t working now. Good luck, hope that helps.
@@PoleKat11 i think based on what you've said my shocks are just too dang long. I either have to make longer links exceeding the 324mm wheels base kit, or shorten the shocks to 110 or 115. i dnt think i would have a wheel problem clearing the 2.2s on account of i installed 50mm axle stubs. But after 4-5 turns on the end links they jst bend and dnt work. ive upgraded to 30mm endlinks so there shud be an extra 10mm on top of the already longer shafts.
Great video. Does anyone ever talk about how far off the wheels are to the wheel arches? I just got one of these and the ratio is way off. The front wheels are way too forward and the rears are way too back wards. No wonder the wheels catch on the arches when crawling. Someone please agree with me something is off here?
I’ve always thought the front axle sets too far rearward. The links are adjustable, so you can move either axle forward or back a few mm to suite your eye. But I think the real issue with the front is the portal box king pin position is really inwards so far that it makes the tires look either way forward or way rearward whenever you’re steering (a lot of scrub). Also very few 1:1 trucks have anything approaching the level of articulation we take for granted in hobby. That exacerbates the axle position issue. I wonder if anybody has done a leaf spring conversion on a TRX4. I’m sure somebody has! That would look sweet but have to trade a ton of flex for it.
Body lift !! Great idea, I build TJs, crawlers and shy away from body lifts (anything over 1.25” anyway) but that is an awesome idea.
Thanks! It worked, minimized the trimming
Very informative. Definitely gotta come back when I'm getting new shocks!
Thanks! I've seen that Silver truck of yours jumping and having fun... Great Videos! This is such a fun hobby!
Awesome thank you! I wish I had started sooner! I love it!
Very good video I’m new to your channel
good information
Thank you
Don’t insult Tennessee like that! 🤣 I’ve only heard of it as the Carolina squat and I’m closer to Tennessee than the Carolina’s.
Great video! I just got a trx4 and am still learning, What is the part called that has the brake caliper and brake rotor called? Also do you have a link to the front and rear set you are using, or just the name of them! Thanks in advance
Thanks! And sure, I can share what they are. But since you mentioned you just got the truck, are you looking to add weight (brass) for functional reasons, or do you just want the look of the disc brake & rotor? Samix is one manufacturer that makes decent quality brass & aluminum upgrades, Treal is another. I have a brake rotor set from each of them, Samix in the front, Treal in the back. I was buying for functional reasons, looking at the weights of the other parts to dial in an axle weight. I ended up with heavy weight portal covers in front and lighter weight in the back. If you’re buying brass for the first time, it gets pricey quickly. Do your research and consider your longer term build goals. There are complete kits available that offer savings over buying separately.
www.rcsamix.com/index.php/forrccar/traxxas/trx-4/trx4-4413c2h-trx-4-brass-portal-knuckle-heavy-cover-scale-big-brake-rotor-caliper-combo-set.html
trealhobby.com/products/treal-trx-4-brass-outer-portal-covers-42g2pcs-black-with-brake-motor-set
I'm thinking of getting desert lizard for the high trail due to customization of the droop. Based on your comments, for rear shocks would the 120mm versions mounted in the front hole be the best for this? Sounds like the 110mm version would be the right choice for the front shocks.
Yes, for uncompressed length those numbers sound good. But you’ll need to consider the compressed length also. I don’t have a set of Lizards to measure, but I looked them up. Assuming both the 110s and 120s are similar travel to the stock GTS shocks at 35mm travel once you get the springs setup for droop, you’ll have to keep an eye on how much tire interference you have. And in the front, with the pan hard/diff interference you’ll be hard pressed to use even that much travel. I lengthened my upper link to improve driveshaft angle, and removed LOTS of plastic with a Dremel on the diff and I ended up with about 30mm of useable shock travel in the front. I had to put limiters in to keep it from bottoming and binding. It’s a 3 way battle between link end pivots, panhard, and driveshaft universal. I like to set up the shocks so they carry the load. Flipping springs around on the lizards may change the full compressed & uncompressed lengths a few mm. I’d def start with the ones you are looking at. 110s up front, 120s in the back.
I did what u did but i found 125mm shocks and the front is still binding. 324mm link kit longer metal drive shafts and still it binds… what r u soing that im not doing?
Mine aren’t 125mm in the front. I’m at 115. I talk a little about it starting at 4:25 in the video.
A quick guess to help, lengthen your top link and shorten your lower links. Go one turn at a time, alternating top then bottoms, retesting each time. This will improve your diff to driveshaft angle. I’m using stock driveshafts BTW.
I can share more info about my progression and see if something helps you. High Trail stock shocks have 110mm length and 25mm travel, so full extension is 110, full compression is 85, no binding. A tremendous amount of body rub though. Fix all that, then remove the compression spacer on the shock and you get 35mm travel, so still 110 but now 75 at compression, massive diff/panhard interference not to mention tires, bumper, body, etc. up travel is limited to low 80s realistically with lots of adjustments to the truck. I see why Traxxas slapped a 10mm spacer on the shock.
I thought, ok, go longer with the same travel. As soon as I lengthened the shock beyond 110, my driveshaft locked up, not when articulating but when both sides drop, like hill climbing. I started making adjustments to my upper and lower suspension links to improve diff angle and freed up about 5mm of length I could add. Beyond that and you start hanging up your drag link for steering.
My current Dravtech front shocks (the ones in the video) I built by adjusting the end eyelet lengths to the extension and compression lengths I wanted (the limits my current geometry will allow) and measure 115/83. I spent quite a few hours with a Dremel to clean up, clearance, and relieve the links, diff, panhard, tie rod, and drag link to get it done.
The fun part about front ends is you change 1 thing and you’re sure you’ve got it right, then discover 2 more things that aren’t working now.
Good luck, hope that helps.
@@PoleKat11 i think based on what you've said my shocks are just too dang long. I either have to make longer links exceeding the 324mm wheels base kit, or shorten the shocks to 110 or 115. i dnt think i would have a wheel problem clearing the 2.2s on account of i installed 50mm axle stubs. But after 4-5 turns on the end links they jst bend and dnt work. ive upgraded to 30mm endlinks so there shud be an extra 10mm on top of the already longer shafts.
Do you have a link for the rod ends you bought?
AMain has them. Frixion Rekoil +5mm
www.amainhobbies.com/frixion-rc-rekoil-shock-5mm-bottom-rod-ends-8-frxbr50/p1280208
Great video. Does anyone ever talk about how far off the wheels are to the wheel arches?
I just got one of these and the ratio is way off. The front wheels are way too forward and the rears are way too back wards.
No wonder the wheels catch on the arches when crawling.
Someone please agree with me something is off here?
I’ve always thought the front axle sets too far rearward. The links are adjustable, so you can move either axle forward or back a few mm to suite your eye. But I think the real issue with the front is the portal box king pin position is really inwards so far that it makes the tires look either way forward or way rearward whenever you’re steering (a lot of scrub). Also very few 1:1 trucks have anything approaching the level of articulation we take for granted in hobby. That exacerbates the axle position issue. I wonder if anybody has done a leaf spring conversion on a TRX4. I’m sure somebody has! That would look sweet but have to trade a ton of flex for it.
cut your nails dude!