How about a Kraton Pre-Build thread? (Now a build thread!)

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jeepnut

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Arrma RC's
  1. Kraton 6s
Well, there is no way I’m going to get a Kraton before this contest ends, so if I’m going to do a build thread, it will have to be a pre-build thread. Here’s what I’m planning.

I’m trying to accomplish this on a budget, so no M2C chassis for me. I won’t be launching this thing to the moon anyway, I just want to beef it up enough that I shouldn’t have to worry about any breakages while I blast around the neighborhood. With that in mind, I've ordered:

A Kraton 6S in blue!

1590587545103.png


The starting point!

The RPM bumper.

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This truck really needs a more substantial bumper in my opinion, so this was a must. I think it will look better too!

Integy Chassis Braces in blue.

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I wanted blue ones to match the body and these were a good deal, but after ordering, I saw a thread remarking that Integy stuff is not that great. Darn. Guess I'll give these a shot and see if they are good enough for me.

Goldbat 6000Mah 50C 6S battery.

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I have a Goldbat battery for my Traxxas Bigfoot that I've been happy with. This was a good deal and came with a EC5 connector installed, so it seemed good for my purposes.

This next item is not really part of the build, but I'll share anyway.

HTRC T150 Charger

1590587991195.png


I wanted to get a dual charger or a power supply and a cheap DC charger, but I found this one for $50 shipped on Ebay, so I couldn't pass it up.

Items I'm still considering:

I'm about the pull the trigger on a Flysky FT3C on Aliexpress for $39 shipped. Has anyone had good luck with Aliexpress? I was going to try to get by with the stock radio, but I really don't want to have a glitch and wreck my new toy.

1590588153069.png


Servo Mount. No idea which one to get. As above, I really don't want to spend a whole lot, so I'd like to get by with the stock one.

Planned cosmetic upgrades:

I'd like to paint the chassis blue and use my wife's cutting machine to make an Arrma logo to mask off a black "RR" on the bottom. I think it would look pretty cool even if it will get scratched to heck pretty quick. Any tips for paint or something to protect the paint from damage?

Also, I'd like to get some neon yellow vinyl adhesive and change the color of the "RR" on the wing. I want it to look something like this:

1590588799599.png


That's what I have planned so far. I will update when I finally get it and start making changes. What do you think?
 
Frustratingly, everything I ordered from eBay for the build is lost somewhere in the USPS system. The bumper made it to Detroit and then disappeared. The braces haven't updated in the system since May 27th. The charger I ordered still sits at pre-shipment even though I contacted the seller. Good thing I'm not waiting on that and bought a charger at the hobby shop. Hopefully something will arrive this week so I can start wrenching on this beast!
 
Alright! First upgrade installed. That means this finally gets to be an actual build thread! I was able to pick up a RPM rear skid plate from a local hobby shop. I'm happy to finally have added my own touch to this beast. I also bought some Shoe Goo to strengthen the body. Haven't had a chance to start that project yet.
 

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i ordered a few things off ebay to be delivered to canada. They shipped on may 8th... tracking with upsp has been updated to the 14th then nothing. nearing on a month of no updates from usps. I will never order anything through usps ever again. Its my heatsink/dual fans. I may never get them lol.
 
i ordered a few things off ebay to be delivered to canada. They shipped on may 8th... tracking with upsp has been updated to the 14th then nothing. nearing on a month of no updates from usps. I will never order anything through usps ever again. Its my heatsink/dual fans. I may never get them lol.

Yeah, that's the issue I'm having. Apparently they have limited transportation availability and that's what's leading to extended delivery times. I can understand that, but for all of my packages, they can't even tell me where the dang thing is and won't give an updated expected arrival date. It's not like they were superstars in this regard before the pandemic, but now it's completely hopeless trying to track a package. Oh well. Could be worse things that I could be dealing with.

At least say, "Hey, we scanned it here. It's waiting on a truck to get to the next destination. We'll let you know when it's on the way."
 
Yeah, that's the issue I'm having. Apparently they have limited transportation availability and that's what's leading to extended delivery times. I can understand that, but for all of my packages, they can't even tell me where the dang thing is and won't give an updated expected arrival date. It's not like they were superstars in this regard before the pandemic, but now it's completely hopeless trying to track a package. Oh well. Could be worse things that I could be dealing with.

At least say, "Hey, we scanned it here. It's waiting on a truck to get to the next destination. We'll let you know when it's on the way."
So, funny story. I posted this earlier and got a text msg from my wife 5 mins ago that my "package from the states" arrived. She has no idea what it is. That is the only thing it could possibly be. So as brutal as their tracking is it did show up. They did not update anything after may 14th or even give me a new tracking number for Canada post. Pretty crappy system but it does work.
 
So, funny story. I posted this earlier and got a text msg from my wife 5 mins ago that my "package from the states" arrived. She has no idea what it is. That is the only thing it could possibly be. So as brutal as their tracking is it did show up. They did not update anything after may 14th or even give me a new tracking number for Canada post. Pretty crappy system but it does work.

Glad it finally showed. Hopefully my stuff finds its way out of purgatory soon!
 
More parts!

The chassis braces finally arrived.

IMG_9576.JPG


Installed!

IMG_9578.JPG


I think they look good! They seem fairly robust and I like the color. I haven't had a chance to put them to the test yet. But then again, I'm not very hard on my stuff, so they won't be getting a thorough bashing.

If anyone else gets the Integy Chassis braces, I have a tip for the install. I tried to use the stock screws that attached through the bottom of the chassis to the stock braces, but they were too long. I'm not sure if this is just an issue with the specific braces I bought or if it is more common, but the through chassis screws for both the front an rear brace would not go all the way in. Luckily, I had already added an RPM front bumper and a RPM rear skid plate. These came with longer screws to replace the shorter originals and the old screws that I had laying around worked great! Here's a picture of the difference in length. Stock through chassis screw on the left which would not work. Screw I removed when I installed the RPM parts on the right.

IMG_9577.JPG


If you want to install these braces and you don't have the shorter screws lying around from a RPM install, the number you need is AR722412. Or just go to the hardware store and pick up two flat head M4x12mm screws.

1591712780539.png


I also added the Outcast wheelie bar. Easy install! Can't wait to give it a shot. I was tired of dragging my wing whenever I did a wheelie.

IMG_9579.JPG


Finally, I built a ramp over the weekend and got some jumping practice.

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Of course, I snapped a shock end. The local hobby shop didn't have the stock parts and they don't carry Tekno, luckily, I saw on another thread that RPM Traxxas 1/10th Scale Rod Ends work.

IMG_9580.JPG


In my experience, this is partially correct. They do fit on the end of the shock shaft, but they require a bit of modification to fit in the spring collar. I had to shave down the sides with my Dremel to get proper fitment. We will see how they last when I test them out for the first time today. I'll keep the Tekno ones in mind for a possible future purchase. In the meantime, if these work, I've got 9 more left over!

IMG_9581.JPG


Well, I've almost come to the end of what I have planned for the build. The Flysky GT5 I ordered from @Slevin is due to arrive today, so I will possibly install that tonight. Also, I'm looking to get some longer screws for the servo mount. Beyond that, I guess I'll see what breaks and make little changes here and there. Maybe I'll get to the cosmetic changes I mentioned in my first post? We'll see.
 
More parts!

The chassis braces finally arrived.

View attachment 84865

Installed!

View attachment 84866

I think they look good! They seem fairly robust and I like the color. I haven't had a chance to put them to the test yet. But then again, I'm not very hard on my stuff, so they won't be getting a thorough bashing.

If anyone else gets the Integy Chassis braces, I have a tip for the install. I tried to use the stock screws that attached through the bottom of the chassis to the stock braces, but they were too long. I'm not sure if this is just an issue with the specific braces I bought or if it is more common, but the through chassis screws for both the front an rear brace would not go all the way in. Luckily, I had already added an RPM front bumper and a RPM rear skid plate. These came with longer screws to replace the shorter originals and the old screws that I had laying around worked great! Here's a picture of the difference in length. Stock through chassis screw on the left which would not work. Screw I removed when I installed the RPM parts on the right.

View attachment 84867

If you want to install these braces and you don't have the shorter screws lying around from a RPM install, the number you need is AR722412. Or just go to the hardware store and pick up two flat head M4x12mm screws.

View attachment 84868

I also added the Outcast wheelie bar. Easy install! Can't wait to give it a shot. I was tired of dragging my wing whenever I did a wheelie.

View attachment 84869

Finally, I built a ramp over the weekend and got some jumping practice.

View attachment 84870

Of course, I snapped a shock end. The local hobby shop didn't have the stock parts and they don't carry Tekno, luckily, I saw on another thread that RPM Traxxas 1/10th Scale Rod Ends work.

View attachment 84871

In my experience, this is partially correct. They do fit on the end of the shock shaft, but they require a bit of modification to fit in the spring collar. I had to shave down the sides with my Dremel to get proper fitment. We will see how they last when I test them out for the first time today. I'll keep the Tekno ones in mind for a possible future purchase. In the meantime, if these work, I've got 9 more left over!

View attachment 84872

Well, I've almost come to the end of what I have planned for the build. The Flysky GT5 I ordered from @Slevin is due to arrive today, so I will possibly install that tonight. Also, I'm looking to get some longer screws for the servo mount. Beyond that, I guess I'll see what breaks and make little changes here and there. Maybe I'll get to the cosmetic changes I mentioned in my first post? We'll see.
Looking good dude!
 
Another upgrade!

89B74B99-1A03-4DE7-AA71-9E17B1AAE8EE.jpeg

I’m looking to get an upgraded servo in the near future, but before I did that, I wanted to stiffen up the servo mount. I looked for the M3 x 30mm screws that were suggested, but could not find any locally. I could have ordered a pack off Amazon for $8, but I figured why not spend an extra $16 and get a proper servo mount? One of my hobby shops had it in stock so now it’s upgrade time!

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Installed!
 
She’s running leaner now!

I got rid of the double IC5 connectors and went with a single XT90. I don’t have any double batteries I can run in this thing anyway and the jumper cable was constantly getting beat to heck. I prefer the simplicity of a single connector.

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