Granite Handling: Making a more Nimble Granite

[AimlessRC]

Current setup:
2019 Granite 4x4 BLX 3s
Stock shocks
Front 60wt(810cst) tallest spacer
Rear 50wt(710cst) smallest spacer
Rear diff 15k cst
Front diff 30k cst
Stock 15t pinion
Hot Racing balls in all pivots and shocks
Hot Racing rear driveshafts.
.5mm washers behind hexes
20kg servo w/stock servo saver
Slipper 2 turns out
Punch 1
Trim 100%
Re-calibrated esc
Stock tires, vented, plugged rims

Undesirable Characteristics (clay, grass, asphalt):
Too grippy in corners with ANY throttle. It would rather flip over than turn on power. Let off the power and it turns on a dime, but cocks inside rear wheel, so on-power mid corner tends to diff out and balloon.

Undesireable Characteristics (dirt, gravel, jumps):
Front bottoms out on larger jumps.
Truck is unpredictable in 90 degree turns, sometimes turns in perfectly, sometimes oversteers, sometimes understeers.


I tend to run indoor clay and outdoor dirt in the same day. My guess is a lot of my problem is... well that its a Granite... but all joking aside... tires?

I feel like bumping up to 70 or 80wt in the front shocks may help the cocking a rear wheel and bottoming out... and maybe running even thinner oil in the rear diff would help on-power turn-in?

I know this is hard to diagnose and articulate without handing someone a transmitter and say "have at it."

I feel the truck is 90% there on any track I run on... just slightly more inconsistent on dirt.

Any tips?

 

[bicketybam]

Current setup:
2019 Granite 4x4 BLX 3s
Stock shocks
Front 60wt(810cst) tallest spacer
Rear 50wt(710cst) smallest spacer
Rear diff 15k cst
Front diff 30k cst
Stock 15t pinion
Hot Racing balls in all pivots and shocks
Hot Racing rear driveshafts.
.5mm washers behind hexes
20kg servo w/stock servo saver
Slipper 2 turns out
Punch 1
Trim 100%
Re-calibrated esc
Stock tires, vented, plugged rims

Undesirable Characteristics (clay, grass, asphalt):
Too grippy in corners with ANY throttle. It would rather flip over than turn on power. Let off the power and it turns on a dime, but cocks inside rear wheel, so on-power mid corner tends to diff out and balloon.

Undesireable Characteristics (dirt, gravel, jumps):
Front bottoms out on larger jumps.
Truck is unpredictable in 90 degree turns, sometimes turns in perfectly, sometimes oversteers, sometimes understeers.


I tend to run indoor clay and outdoor dirt in the same day. My guess is a lot of my problem is... well that its a Granite... but all joking aside... tires?

I feel like bumping up to 70 or 80wt in the front shocks may help the cocking a rear wheel and bottoming out... and maybe running even thinner oil in the rear diff would help on-power turn-in?

I know this is hard to diagnose and articulate without handing someone a transmitter and say "have at it."

I feel the truck is 90% there on any track I run on... just slightly more inconsistent on dirt.

Any tips?

Get a different truck.

 

[Jerry-rigged]

Get two Granites. Set one up for indoor clay, one for outdoor offroad.

Or better, get a ET410 for the indoor clay. And save the Granite for the outdoor dirt.

 

[AimlessRC]

Get two Granites. Set one up for indoor clay, one for outdoor offroad.

Or better, get a ET410 for the indoor clay. And save the Granite for the outdoor dirt.

Im a 1 truck kinda guy. I know the chassis isnt designed for short course... but the durability so far has me sold on learning with it.

I'll keep poking it until it does what I want... or my finger starts bleeding. Haha.

 

[razorrc]

Truck handles great! Setup tips in this video --

I think your diff fluids are WAY too thick. Stock is 10k front and rear, which should be plenty.
Your shock oils are way too heavy too. Use the spacer settings in my video.

What does trim 100% mean?

 

[AimlessRC]

Truck handles great! Setup tips in this video --

I think your diff fluids are WAY too thick. Stock is 10k front and rear, which should be plenty.
Your shock oils are way too heavy too. Use the spacer settings in my video.

What does trim 100% mean?

100% expo, throttle and steering trims 100%. (STX2 Radio)

40wt in shocks heavy enough?

I didn't want the car diffing out when off-kilter, hence the heavier oils in the diffs, seems to have it under control for the most part, but the 'cocking a leg' in grippy tight stuff and going a** over tea-kettle when pushed hasn't been fun either.

Next tear-down I'll swap back to 10k in the diffs and see how it does. Your truck looks like it handles on rails!

 

[razorrc]

Do you mean throttle and steering trims at neutral/centered with the arrow? That's where they should be (50%).

The thick diff oils will make the truck not want to turn. It will go straight great, as all 4 tires are launching the car straight in unison, but it will suck when trying to rotate through the corner, as the inside wheel won't be able to turn slower than the outside wheels.

Try stock 500cst oil. 40wt doesn't really mean anything, each brand translates to a different cst. That's why Arrma specifies in cst, which is an actual viscosity measurement.

Try the spacers I mention, your arms should be about level when looking at it from the front/back.

Are you running 2S or 3S? 3S might overwhelm the front end under braking.

As for the unpredictability in 90 degree corners, that's the dumb servo saver. Try a stiffer one or a solid plastic servo horn.

 

[AimlessRC]

Do you mean throttle and steering trims at neutral/centered with the arrow? That's where they should be (50%).

The thick diff oils will make the truck not want to turn. It will go straight great, as all 4 tires are launching the car straight in unison, but it will suck when trying to rotate through the corner, as the inside wheel won't be able to turn slower than the outside wheels.

Try stock 500cst oil. 40wt doesn't really mean anything, each brand translates to a different cst. That's why Arrma specifies in cst, which is an actual viscosity measurement.

Try the spacers I mention, your arms should be about level when looking at it from the front/back.

Are you running 2S or 3S? 3S might overwhelm the front end under braking.

As for the unpredictability in 90 degree corners, that's the dumb servo saver. Try a stiffer one or a solid plastic servo horn.

Not the those... the ones that go max-min.... must be rate, not trim.

Im confused as to what you mean on the spacers. Is the large one the clip or the big ring with the double R on it?

 

[jondilly1974]

Truck handles great! Setup tips in this video --

I think your diff fluids are WAY too thick. Stock is 10k front and rear, which should be plenty.
Your shock oils are way too heavy too. Use the spacer settings in my video.

What does trim 100% mean?

Good driving. Seems it’s a little front heavy still as it lands nose down a lot.

 

[razorrc]

Not the those... the ones that go max-min.... must be rate, not trim.

Im confused as to what you mean on the spacers. Is the large one the clip or the big ring with the double R on it?

Front: one large clip
Rear: double RR from the front + one thin clip

That’s it for spacers. For the throttle, yes set dual-rate to max and calibrate. For steering, turn as high as possible before you hear the servo straining. It will give a slight whining sound with the wheels in the air at full lock.

Good driving. Seems it’s a little front heavy still as it lands nose down a lot.

Thanks, it’s slightly nose heavy like all 4x4’s tend to be, but you also want to match the slope of the landing pads on the jump when you land. You don’t want to land flat horizontal on those slopes.

 

[jondilly1974]

Thanks, it’s slightly nose heavy like all 4x4’s tend to be, but you also want to match the slope of the landing pads on the jump when you land. You don’t want to land flat horizontal on those slopes.

I guess when I’m jumping my Granite and Typhon it’s usually for flips and such off a ramp. I will head over to the track soon to see about smaller jumps with mine and see how they behave.

 

[Edward Grant]

Lol

Get a different truck.

 

[drjim]

Do you mean throttle and steering trims at neutral/centered with the arrow? That's where they should be (50%).

The thick diff oils will make the truck not want to turn. It will go straight great, as all 4 tires are launching the car straight in unison, but it will suck when trying to rotate through the corner, as the inside wheel won't be able to turn slower than the outside wheels.

Try stock 500cst oil. 40wt doesn't really mean anything, each brand translates to a different cst. That's why Arrma specifies in cst, which is an actual viscosity measurement.

Try the spacers I mention, your arms should be about level when looking at it from the front/back.

Are you running 2S or 3S? 3S might overwhelm the front end under braking.

As for the unpredictability in 90 degree corners, that's the dumb servo saver. Try a stiffer one or a solid plastic servo horn.

Thanks for explaining the diff oil in terms I can relate to.

Never heard it said like that, but it makes perfect sense.

 

[Nadeau]

Convert to a senton chassis, longer wheel base improves control 100% see if you can find lockers for the diffs, convert steering bell and all links to aluminum replace all bushings to bearings Where possible

 

[museguy]

Truck handles great! Setup tips in this video --

@razorrc great video.
I love your channel! Sorry to bump an old thread.

I have been using my Arrma Granite 4wd 2S at an outdoor dirt track; the dirt is very fine, like silt. If I drive slowly, I can position the car as I want. When I pick up speed, the rear end gets tail-happy and difficult to control. I am a newish driver, and I'm unsure if the issue is my driving skills or the RC.

Are you using the stock transmitter in the video? As long as I am going slowly, all is fine. As soon as I pick up speed, even the most minor throttle or steering inputs upset the chassis, and I swing back and forth. I thought about getting an aftermarket transmitter (G7P, a great review on your channel!) to adjust the inputs.

Thank you!