Kraton Just another Kraton rookie ;) (Bumper, lubing, updates)

[MGV]

Hi there folks!

As a starter of RC and as an owner of a brand new Kraton v4 I need some advice and tips

Sometimes I kind of wonder if I have taken on too much. This machine is awesome but also scary. I’m not used this kind brutality and as a beginner I yesterday did a huge piloting error. I was driving in the backyard and freaked out during a tight medium speed cornering and breaking. As an impulse reaction due to lack of response from the car I for some reason managed to hit the throttle and accelerated car straight into the house concrete wall. I thought I had killed it.. but no… It’s still alive and with only minor damages. A small crack in the front bumper and scratched body shell was it. The car can for sure take a beating!

Anyhow I realised the need of some more practicing hours and fore sure a new front bumper Witch leads me to the question of what bumper to fit. I’ve read several posts on this forum and understand that the bumper from T-bone racing is the way to go. They’re sold out at the moment and I need one quickly. Other suppliers that got good bumpers?

What is the basic things that I need to update on my V4? Skid plates? I see that many here do a lot of stuff with their cars. But as a beginner?

I also wonder if you lube specific parts of the driveline. The manual does not say anything of lubing driveline, bearings and so on. My guess wold be to carefully consider what to lube as the oil retracts dirt and sand..?


Thanks

 

[DoNoHarm]

Right on with the lubrication. Keep the ring and pinion greased (check every 15 to 20 packs or so) and bearings are all down to preference. I just don’t care about them and replace them every year. Others take them apart every x amount of runs, lubricate them, then put them back in.

 

[Hammer Down]

Welcome to the fam! ?

I like RPM bumpers they also make a rear skid plate.

 

[MGV]

Right on with the lubrication. Keep the ring and pinion greased (check every 15 to 20 packs or so) and bearings are all down to preference. I just don’t care about them and replace them every year. Others take them apart every x amount of runs, lubricate them, then put them back in.

Thank you for the tips. If you got sealed bearings there is no point lubing them? Only the the open ones that need maintenance?

Welcome to the fam! ?

I like RPM bumpers they also make a rear skid plate.

Thanks. I'll check out the rpm.

 

[arrmadillo]

RPM and Tbone are both good front bumpers for the K6S, most have their preference, get the one you like the most.

 

[Harlon]

I have TBR front and rear bumpers on my krwton and honestly, I would go with RPM. their fit and finish is better and their customer service is better. TBR has zero customer service. For instance, when I installed my front bumper, I stripped the screws out because their tolerance was sub par. I needed to know if I could purchase a set of new screws from them or get all the sizes. After many email, they completely ignored me. That in my opinion is a poopy company.

 

[Droste78]

For the rear skid plate, look at scorched parts. They make a titanium rear skid plate that also helps stiffen the chassis in the back. Haven't bent mine since putting it on.....could be getting lucky as well I guess......

 

[Mixelplix]

Just know that with the RPM front bumper you'll need to buy a different hinge pin retainer on a V4. The description on RPM's website gives you the part number you'll need.

 

[MGV]

Do I need to buy extra parts to make the RPM bumper fit the V4?

What does text below mean?

Version Notes: If you own a V3 or newer Kraton running a #AR320432 front bumper, you will need to swap it with the front bumper / hinge pin retainer from #AR330230 before our bumper will work on your truck.

Just know that with the RPM front bumper you'll need to buy a different hinge pin retainer on a V4. The description on RPM's website gives you the part number you'll need.

You just answered my question The front bumper included inn #AR330230 works as a hinge pin retainer?

 

[nino]

I took a piece of scrap plastic (plastic link from an old RC), drilled 2 holes and Bam! hinge pin holder
RPM bumper working out great for me.

Bearings... Heh, I have Fast Eddys sealed bearings and the other day I discovered that 3 out of 4 of the outer wheel bearings were completely seized. Took them apart, cleaned, filled with thick grease so nothing else can get in. I wash my Kraton with a hose, though. Probably didn't help.

 

[Hammer Down]

The front bumper included inn #AR330230 works as a hinge pin retainer?

Yes

 

[DoNoHarm]

Thank you for the tips. If you got sealed bearings there is no point lubing them? Only the the open ones that need maintenance?

In theory but sadly sealed bearings still let dirt and water in after awhile, so you end up needing to take them apart (Like popping the seals off) and lubricate them every so often. Personally I just run them until they get real bad and just replace them... I couldn’t be bothered to re lubricate bearings that’s way too tedious for me, and they still end up lasting a little over a year.

 

[Dmcgroggan3]

Hi there folks!

As a starter of RC and as an owner of a brand new Kraton v4 I need some advice and tips

Sometimes I kind of wonder if I have taken on too much. This machine is awesome but also scary. I’m not used this kind brutality and as a beginner I yesterday did a huge piloting error. I was driving in the backyard and freaked out during a tight medium speed cornering and breaking. As an impulse reaction due to lack of response from the car I for some reason managed to hit the throttle and accelerated car straight into the house concrete wall. I thought I had killed it.. but no… It’s still alive and with only minor damages. A small crack in the front bumper and scratched body shell was it. The car can for sure take a beating!

Anyhow I realised the need of some more practicing hours and fore sure a new front bumper Witch leads me to the question of what bumper to fit. I’ve read several posts on this forum and understand that the bumper from T-bone racing is the way to go. They’re sold out at the moment and I need one quickly. Other suppliers that got good bumpers?

What is the basic things that I need to update on my V4? Skid plates? I see that many here do a lot of stuff with their cars. But as a beginner?

I also wonder if you lube specific parts of the driveline. The manual does not say anything of lubing driveline, bearings and so on. My guess wold be to carefully consider what to lube as the oil retracts dirt and sand..?


Thanks

Welcome
You don't need t worry about Lubing the drive line. Open and Dry metal shafts and gears are fine and in the center diff also. But in the actual front and rear diffs they should be greased up from the factory. Some 100% Blood grease works as a replacement.
I have both a T-Bones Thrasher bumper on my Kraton and a RPM bumper on my Talion. Both are great and have there advantages. I like the plastic and fitment better of the RPM, it doesn't attach to the front hinge pins at all... while the T_Bones comes with its own hinge pin block that attaches to the front pins....which is fine and works well..but you then cant upgrade to a aftermarket Aluminum hinge pin up front. So for that reason (flexibility) I recommend the RPM.
Only three Must do Upgrades for a v4 IMHO
-New radio....you will find the stock v4 one responds slow and that can cause issues when trying to do arial corrections....Try a Dumbo Rc one off Bangood for like $30....works great
-Aluminum Servo mount....make sure your steering end points don't go to far AND a plastc mount will give some...better steering get a Metal one....plenty of options out there. I have a video on it "3 Sons RC" on youtube where I go over it and how to set your endpoints.
-Aluminum Chassis Braces (Best is M2C, or JBIRC), the plastic ones will snap with a bad landing and can cause other issues.

Honorable mention (RPM Rear Skid Plate...youtube video hehe)

Everything else is break then upgrade type stuff
RPM Arms, Set your droop (I have a video on that too)
Wheelie bars help absorb some rear hits and protect the wing
RPM rear wing mount...you will break yours and the RPM one...cheap part...its the cost of playing with a 6s
Jim's Bearings as you take things apart or the old ones crap out...stock are not rubber sealed

The truck will take a lot but if you land just the wrong way you will break stuff....own it, learn and move along. Too many people get on here blaming the truck.

but you can get away with just the minimal stuff for starters....or just get a bumper and just replace what breaks. I still have both sets of Front RPM arms ready to go on because I have not broken the stock ones.
Welcome and bash on brother

PS: if you don't have a big enough yard or road to use it....and maybe your skills are not great (like mine) don't even use it where you can make a slight miscalculation and you smash it! my 2 cents

 

[Droste78]

Welcome
You don't need t worry about Lubing the drive line. Open and Dry metal shafts and gears are fine and in the center diff also. But in the actual front and rear diffs they should be greased up from the factory. Some 100% Blood grease works as a replacement.
I have both a T-Bones Thrasher bumper on my Kraton and a RPM bumper on my Talion. Both are great and have there advantages. I like the plastic and fitment better of the RPM, it doesn't attach to the front hinge pins at all... while the T_Bones comes with its own hinge pin block that attaches to the front pins....which is fine and works well..but you then cant upgrade to a aftermarket Aluminum hinge pin up front. So for that reason (flexibility) I recommend the RPM.
Only three Must do Upgrades for a v4 IMHO
-New radio....you will find the stock v4 one responds slow and that can cause issues when trying to do arial corrections....Try a Dumbo Rc one off Bangood for like $30....works great
-Aluminum Servo mount....make sure your steering end points don't go to far AND a plastc mount will give some...better steering get a Metal one....plenty of options out there. I have a video on it "3 Sons RC" on youtube where I go over it and how to set your endpoints.
-Aluminum Chassis Braces (Best is M2C, or JBIRC), the plastic ones will snap with a bad landing and can cause other issues.

Honorable mention (RPM Rear Skid Plate...youtube video hehe)

Everything else is break then upgrade type stuff
RPM Arms, Set your droop (I have a video on that too)
Wheelie bars help absorb some rear hits and protect the wing
RPM rear wing mount...you will break yours and the RPM one...cheap part...its the cost of playing with a 6s
Jim's Bearings as you take things apart or the old ones crap out...stock are not rubber sealed

The truck will take a lot but if you land just the wrong way you will break stuff....own it, learn and move along. Too many people get on here blaming the truck.

but you can get away with just the minimal stuff for starters....or just get a bumper and just replace what breaks. I still have both sets of Front RPM arms ready to go on because I have not broken the stock ones.
Welcome and bash on brother

PS: if you don't have a big enough yard or road to use it....and maybe your skills are not great (like mine) don't even use it where you can make a slight miscalculation and you smash it! my 2 cents

I am not the best driver....I break stuff...alot......

Don't be discouraged! I give my rigs all they can take, sometimes in the wrong way. I do get alot luckier with my outcast 4s than my kraton. Not sure If it's just flexy-er(technical term), or if the extra weight of the kraton makes that big of a difference.

 

[MGV]

I’ve just ordered the rpm bumper. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get it across the Atlantic to Norway. Hopefully it’s worth waiting for. Meantime I’ll run the car on safer places

I’ve been checking out some of the sealed bearings. Are all of them prefilled with grease? Avid has a lot of different bearing types to choose from… While Fast Eddy has one type of sealed..?
What about the stock ones? What’s in them from the factory? Some lubed with oil and others with grease?

 

[nino]

Most of them come with some light oil.
Recent thread on bearings:
https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/how-long-do-sealed-bearings-last.20793/