Kraton My first diff shimming and fluid upgrade.

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Jeremy15086

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Arrma RC's
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I am going to shim my diffs and change the fluids. I have 30k for the rear, 500k for the center and 100k for the front... I meant to get 50k for the front. I figured I'll just take a little stock fluid out or just top the front with 100. Not sure if those are too much for LSD diffs. I thought maybe I'd lower the LSD settings on them with the heavier fluids. Any suggestions for a rookie at this?
 
Those heavy oils with LSD plates will give you very little diff action and make the truck handle poorly. Even with open diffs it will reduce steering and increase rear power transfer way too much for my liking. I think the stock oil setup is about right if you're running close to stock V5 power, at least for how I drive.
 
The important questions is; What are you trying to accomplish?
 
I am going to shim my diffs and change the fluids. I have 30k for the rear, 500k for the center and 100k for the front... I meant to get 50k for the front. I figured I'll just take a little stock fluid out or just top the front with 100. Not sure if those are too much for LSD diffs. I thought maybe I'd lower the LSD settings on them with the heavier fluids. Any suggestions for a rookie at this?
Definitely do some research. You're gonna end up with a straight line car at those weights.
 
To be honest right now it turns too much. I'd like to drift it better and do some jumping flips and medium to heavy bashing. It almost does a standing back flip as is on a "stock" Spectrum set up and a 15 tooth pinion. But it basically spins out very easy when I try to drift. Still getting use to it so I am taking it easy with the throttle until I get more familiar with it. I will probably take it to a track near by and occasionally a skate park. Also, I am going to be converting it to a "XL" with the Mojave chassis. I already heard the diffs clicking today with hard turns so I am shimming them and checking levels or changing the fluids before running it again.
 
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But it basically spins out very easy when I try to drift.

Does that mean the rear end breaks loose too easily or that you get too much wheel spin caused by diffing out?

If the former, heavier oil in the rear will tend to make the problem worse. If the latter, heavier oil will probably make it handle more the way you want. I prefer lighter oil because I like to go into corners off-power or lightly on-power, maximize traction and minimize understeer. Drifting will probably require a very different set up.
 
Those heavy oils with LSD plates will give you very little diff action and make the truck handle poorly. Even with open diffs it will reduce steering and increase rear power transfer way too much for my liking. I think the stock oil setup is about right if you're running close to stock V5 power, at least for how I drive.
+1 !!
Absolutely true.

60/500/30 is ideal for standard RTR "Open" diffs. Not EXB LSD 29mm diffs.
If it were me, I would make the Rear diff fully open with the LSD to Open "Shim Conversion" kit. I would like an open Rear diff. Much more controllable, easier to steer. I feel that was Arrma's original intention. Arrma also makes an optional Open EXB diff (complete)
 
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Shimmed the rear tonight. Used 2 on one side. It wasn't very loose but nice and tight now. The fluid was just slightly low so I just added some 30k. I figured it would tighten it up just a little. Probably going to do something similar with the other 2 fluid wise and get some more drive time in with it to figure out what to change if anything.
 
I am going to shim my diffs and change the fluids. I have 30k for the rear, 500k for the center and 100k for the front... I meant to get 50k for the front. I figured I'll just take a little stock fluid out or just top the front with 100. Not sure if those are too much for LSD diffs. I thought maybe I'd lower the LSD settings on them with the heavier fluids. Any suggestions for a rookie at this?

This is one I spent weeks researching and lots of frustration for me on my Oct 2020 K6S EXB purchase. Stock all LSD and the back end would just spin out too easy...and I did play with lighter fluid changes...and changing the f/r LSD oil weights. After PM'ing people like JonDilly and Rich D. and a few others with the first ver EXB, I found pleasure going their route. However, I got replies back from full LSD owners happy with their lighter diff setup. Really came down to my bashing style and my goal as one person said above.

I ended up as 50/500/20k with LSD/LSD/open plates at max/max/open. I changed the rear to open and shimmed correctly as the older vets did back in 2019-20. I know by reading that LSD center should not have 500k fluid so if it is locking more or whatever I do not know...BUT so happy with how it runs now although those are heavier weight for the f/c.

My goal for all my rigs 3S or 6S is the be able to drift in corners under power on the dirt and when coming out of a turn with the front pulling the rig in the direction I am pointing. I have exactly what I wanted and it's pure fun. My first month with the K6S was frustrating to get the diffs right until I opened the rear.

You do not have to do this but after tons of PM'ing YT'ers, users here, and tons of reading I felt open rear was the direction for me and has paid off...not for all so test and play to find your liking.

Best of luck!
 
500K does seem like a heavy fluid for the center, but if it works it works. I just recently installed EXB LSD diffs in my BLX Kraton and am running stock fluids (10K/100K/10K) for now and have been enjoying it but my benchmark was the stock BLX diffs which IMO aren't good as factory for the power these have on 6S. Definitely should come with a heavier fluid IMO. I do plan to experiment with different fluids over time so that's good info to have on hand.
 
Done all of them now. 2 out of 3 diffs were basically empty. The rear wasn't too bad. I only shimmed the rear with 2 on one side and the front with 1 on one side. I topped the rear off with 30k which increased the weight to probably 15-20k, I put 500k in the center which was maybe 1/3 rd filled with stock 100k so that's probably at 300 ish now and the front was the emptyest one and I basically filled it with 30k. Ran it briefly tonight on wet pavement and it is perfect! Power slides nicely and wheelies like a maniac but super controllable! I am going to check all the diff screws again tomorrow and make sure they are tight... then bash the hell out of it! 😎

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So I took here out for a good bash today and rode it hard until the rear diff started clicking. 🙄
I broke it down when I got home. First thing I realized is it was way emptier then I realized. I filled it when I opened it before but it was the first time doing it and I didn't realize there must have been a lot of air in it because it looked full but it was still basically empty even though I had "topped it off". Once I took it completely apart I found the bottom spider gear was chipped and it was skipping because the pieces were getting in the gearing. I'm not going to rebuild it with a chipped gear so it's off to the LHS tomorrow... hopefully they have it in stock. 🙄🙏

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Also, the rear diff isn't limited slip. Does that mean this is an older version?
 
So I took here out for a good bash today and rode it hard until the rear diff started clicking. 🙄
I broke it down when I got home. First thing I realized is it was way emptier then I realized. I filled it when I opened it before but it was the first time doing it and I didn't realize there must have been a lot of air in it because it looked full but it was still basically empty even though I had "topped it off". Once I took it completely apart I found the bottom spider gear was chipped and it was skipping because the pieces were getting in the gearing. I'm not going to rebuild it with a chipped gear so it's off to the LHS tomorrow... hopefully they have it in stock. 🙄🙏

View attachment 199124
So I took here out for a good bash today and rode it hard until the rear diff started clicking. 🙄
I broke it down when I got home. First thing I realized is it was way emptier then I realized. I filled it when I opened it before but it was the first time doing it and I didn't realize there must have been a lot of air in it because it looked full but it was still basically empty even though I had "topped it off". Once I took it completely apart I found the bottom spider gear was chipped and it was skipping because the pieces were getting in the gearing. I'm not going to rebuild it with a chipped gear so it's off to the LHS tomorrow... hopefully they have it in stock. 🙄🙏

View attachment 199124
Also, the rear diff isn't limited slip. Does that mean this is an older version?

Also, the rear diff isn't limited slip. Does that mean this is an older version

that is def the LSD diff, looks like that didn't put the LSD plates in it though. I wonder if that was related to the clicking you were hearing.....
 
No, it isn't an LSD diff. It has 3 spacers instead of the LSD plates. That is really the only difference anyways. This is exactly what I have...

M9WWCJH29DRBWRD88B8PZD8AJ2TX9PZTWD9HAJQZZZK6PWXRZJ.jpg
 
Lots of confusion and conflicting documentation on the LSD diffs. I've been involved in several threads on the subject. I had to get educated when I put the EXB LSD diffs in my BLX Kraton.

We should really just call them "EXB diffs" and then state the configuration to avoid confusion. You have EXB diffs in an "open" configuration from what I'm seeing. No star plates would indicate "open" to me.
 
Lots of confusion and conflicting documentation on the LSD diffs. I've been involved in several threads on the subject. I had to get educated when I put the EXB LSD diffs in my BLX Kraton.

We should really just call them "EXB diffs" and then state the configuration to avoid confusion. You have EXB diffs in an "open" configuration from what I'm seeing. No star plates would indicate "open" to me.
Yes, exactly. Some of the earlier runs of them had these. Now they apparently have LSD's in the rear.
 
I don't have much experience but, I can say that I really like the factory setup on the lsd diffs, 10:100:10
Maybe im missing out on a better combo but with no experience and not knowing what to look for.. I can say it wheelies on command, handles very well and is pretty controllable.. but again I don't know what would be better or worse for EXB!?
 
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