Kraton New person looking for advice...

[Kavik Kang]

I have followed RC Airplanes since I was a teenager. They would be too expensive for me to try and keep up with, but I live in the country with a big open field in front of my house and decided to get a durable RC car that should hold up fairly easily with me just running it around the front yard and not sending it on 10 foot jumps. So I've spent the last few days working it out, but from lurking in these forums reading about airplanes for years I knew it would be a good idea to lay out my plan here and find out what the experts had to say about it. I also have a question I can't easily find an answer too myself.

I am going to get the new Arrma Kraton 4S, with the battery 50C 2S batter packs and charger they sell with it (is there a cheaper/better option then this for the batteries and charger)?

I am going to get the Backflip tires from the Outcast with it, and save the ones that come with it for pavement. I already know these are compatible with the Kraton.

Then I also want to get the RPM front bumper to protect the front suspension, because that seems like a really good idea... but I only found a video of that being put on a Kraton 6S. How can I tell which parts, like a better front bumper, are compatible with a Kraton 4S? How do you find optional/custom parts that work with a specific car? From videos, it looks like the bumper that got put on a 6S has a different bolt pattern than what is on the bottom of a 4S... how do I find a wrap around bumper for a 4S Kraton?

Also, if anyone with experience sees things wrong in what I am doing here, or a better way... please let me know!

 

[jondilly1974]

The one thing I would caution is that there aren’t a lot of parts available for the 4S line yet. There will be at some point, but they are new models and parts are very scarce. If you break a part day 1, you may be waiting a month or more for a replacement.

If that’s an issue you would like to avoid, think about the 3S and 6S lines instead. They have tons of parts available.

 

[Atom #28]

I can only offer this single piece of advice: save your $$$ and get the 6s. I bought the 4s and its been nothing but problems, from the wimpy a-arms (that are on backorder EVERYWHERE until later next month) to cruddy shocks that all leaked everywhere. Just my 2 cents

 

[Grumpy Old Man RC]

My only advice is do not buy 2s packs. Buy the 4s right off and just learn to control the trigger or use the switch to throttle it back. You'll probably find no use for the 2s packs but you can run the 4s in the 6s vehicles and still get pretty good performance if you later go to a 6s truck.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I have to second @Atom #28, save up and get the 6s model. Nothing worse than wanting for something more 6 months after a purchase. ALL of the 6s models are crazy tuff!

If you are stuck on getting the 4s model, then could you tell us which LiPo brand and charger?
Arrma is pretty good about parts fitting other models within the same family (4s to 4s)

 

[Jimbobjr]

There are almost no parts that are interchangeable between the 4s and 6s models. If you live in the states Amain Hobbies has the 2018 6s Outcast for the same price f $399.00. https://www.amainhobbies.com/arrma-...r-monster-stunt-truck-orange-arad84nw/p709323 It is far and away the best deal right now. Parts are plentiful, fast, tuff and fun truck. Batteries will cost a little more but it’s not as much as you may think. I good 6s battery from Hobbystar is around $90 4s is 70. https://www.rcjuice.com/lipo-batter...-2v-6s-50c-compact-hardcase-lipo-battery.html.
You can get away with a cheap charger for a while but eventually you will want to get a good one. Chargers can be a hobby all in themselves but a good middle of the road charger is the Venom pro duo. https://www.amainhobbies.com/venom-power-pro-duo-ac-dc-battery-charger-6s-7a-80w-vnr0685/p468689. A better one would be the Sky Rc but of course it’s much more https://www.rcjuice.com/chargers-ac...ultimate-ac-dc-dual-lipo-battery-charger.html.
One other thing is the 6s models are well established and there’s a boat load of info on them. After market parts are plentiful and can improve the durability of an already durable truck. For the money the oc from amain all day long. Jim

 

[olds97_lss]

If you haven't bought a 6S yet, just know that you can run 4S in it for a more tame experience. I ran 4S in my 6S outcast for 6+ months and just recently started running 6S in it. It's definitely a handful on 6S! At least for me.

 

[Kavik Kang]

I got my Kraton 4S today, but not the batteries and charger yet. I checked all the screws I could reach, just visually and feeling them, and none are loose. I got Backflip tires with it and put those on. I noticed before and changing tires that the right front tire is noticeably pointing outward compared to the left front tire. I've watched some videos, the back tires are pointed slightly inward like the should be, the left front tire looks perfectly straight, but the right front tire is pointing out (turning right noticeably). I have found videos about how to adjust this, but not for this car of course. I twisted that rod with my fingers a little, and it would be twisting plastic eyelid like connections on either end. To try and twist that with a tool seems like it would just destroy it. Am I missing something? How do you turn that bar to adjust it? Do you have to take it off to do that on this car?

In videos of people adjusting this on other cars they just easily twist it while it is still on the car, on this care they seem locked in place. It seems like you'd have to take them off the car and crank them with a lot of strength... but that just seems wrong. This is my first RC car, I can adjust it once I know how... but I also won't be driving it above 50% power at first, so if it's not really going to matter much for me at first I don't even need to adjust it right away if I might damage it trying. I'd rather drive it at least once before bending or otherwise messing up that part, haha.

 

[jondilly1974]

You need a 5mm wrench to turn the turnbuckle. You do this while it is on the vehicle.

What you are adjusting is the toe. Most people prefer a little toe out on the front end of these cars. It helps in turning. It will wear the tires more, but you get more grip in speed turns. It’s up to you if you don’t like it that way. Change it, run it, and decide for yourself.

 

[Kavik Kang]

The left tire is pretty straight, the right one is turning out... 8-12 degrees if I had to guess. It's easily noticeable. I don't see how you could possibly adjust it while it is on the car. It seems to be welded in place. I can see the threads, but it seems as though it would take most of my strength to turn it. It would destroy the things it is mounted to if you tried to turn it without taking out. I imagine that adjusting it would take removing it from the car and use one wrench as a vice grip and another to turn the metal post in the middle. That is why I am so confused... all the videos show people easily twisting that... mine is locked in place. You could never turn it without taking off of the car. I don't think it is defective, because they on the other side is the same way. Does anyone who has a 4S Kraton know what I am talking about?

 

[nino]

Once you get it running you will adjust steering trim on your transmitter. Then it will drive straight and both wheels will have the same toe out.
And those are standard turnbuckles like on almost any RC car, it's better that they are tight than loose. You can remove them and adjust, but like I said, once you set the trim it'll probably be fine.

 

[jondilly1974]

The left tire is pretty straight, the right one is turning out... 8-12 degrees if I had to guess. It's easily noticeable. I don't see how you could possibly adjust it while it is on the car. It seems to be welded in place. I can see the threads, but it seems as though it would take most of my strength to turn it. It would destroy the things it is mounted to if you tried to turn it without taking out. I imagine that adjusting it would take removing it from the car and use one wrench as a vice grip and another to turn the metal post in the middle. That is why I am so confused... all the videos show people easily twisting that... mine is locked in place. You could never turn it without taking off of the car. I don't think it is defective, because they on the other side is the same way. Does anyone who has a 4S Kraton know what I am talking about?

Mine were tight, but I adjusted them using a 5mm open end wrench

Once you get it running you will adjust steering trim on your transmitter. Then it will drive straight and both wheels will have the same toe out.
And those are standard turnbuckles like on almost any RC car, it's better that they are tight than loose. You can remove them and adjust, but like I said, once you set the trim it'll probably be fine.

Trim does not adjust toe. That’s what the links are for. They need adjusted.

 

[nino]

You don't say.
He wrote that the left tire was perfectly straight... That means that half of the excessive toe out will go to that tire

 

[Kavik Kang]

Yes, maybe it is because I am new, but after taking it off the car to do it I don't see how you could ever turn those without breaking the entire front suspension off the car trying to do it. The car isn't nearly strong enough to serve as a mount for adjusting that, it takes most of my strength to turn it. I thought it looked good before turning the screws back in, but it is still a little off... but not nearly as much. Since I will just be doing circiles and figure 8's on 50% power for the first battery charge I will just leave it like it is for now. It is good enough now for how slow I will be going, it just seemed to be off enough before that it might actually make it hard to drive.
Oh, and thanks for the help. I like looking into it all myself and figuring it out... but it is always great to have a community to ask questions of when things get confusing like this.

 

[Kavik Kang]

So... either I loosened it by doing it the hard way at first, or just overcame my fear of putting any pressure on it while it was attached too the car... but I can do it normally now and have the right wheel looking the same as the left one now. Just "straight by sight" will be good enough for how I will be driving it at first. And it is still angled outward slightly, because the left one was and someone here said that was good, so I made it match the left one.

 

[Kavik Kang]

This is very strange, and I am absolutely certain of this I got the XV6 Front Bumper from T-Bone because I thought that would be a very good idea being new too this, to protect the front suspension. It is missing a screw by design! The kit is incomplete by design. Step #2 says to screw a single screw to connect the skid plate to the front plate... but there are two screw holes. One on each side. But the instructions say there is only one screw... and the kit is one screw short. It is missing a screw by design, and even the instructions confirm that it is missing a screw by design. The instructions say to use one screw when their are two holes on either side.... and you are one screw short. I am in the middle of nowhere, there isn't a hobby story within 100 miles of me, so I can't just go buy a 5 cent screw. I either need them to send me the missing screw or just return it. I have never in my life seen something that was missing a part by design, and the instructions even confirm that it is missing a part.

 

[Kavik Kang]

I can't believe this is happening. I spent every extra penny I had to finally do this right now, to have it at the beginning of the summer... and it doesn't work! It will take weeks to ship it back the them, and have them send me a replacement... and the way my life is, THAT ONE WON'T WORK EITHER!

It doesn't go in reverse. The troubleshooting only lists on cause... the ESC is fried. Could it be anything else? I was thinking maybe the trigger on the controller... but either way that is a "send it back" issue, isn't it? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[crimsonfancy]

I can't believe this is happening. I spent every extra penny I had to finally do this right now, to have it at the beginning of the summer... and it doesn't work! It will take weeks to ship it back the them, and have them send me a replacement... and the way my life is, THAT ONE WON'T WORK EITHER!

It doesn't go in reverse. The troubleshooting only lists on cause... the ESC is fried. Could it be anything else? I was thinking maybe the trigger on the controller... but either way that is a "send it back" issue, isn't it? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take it easy, friend. I think you'll be able to figure it out. Try to adjust the throttle trim on the radio and see if reverse comes back. Maybe do it with the wheels off the ground on a stand or similar support.

I found this today to send to a friend on Traxxas trucks that was having trouble. May help.
http://www.beatyourtruck.com/forum/...xw73NmliBWmet0X65JALVaurbtxhYJma52rCwv4lBi71I

 

[Kavik Kang]

It had already been on a stand (coffee can). I tried spinning the trim knob back and forth, but that didn't do anything. I reversed the throttle, and it reverse throttle worked to make it go forward, so I know it isn't the trigger now. The manual troubleshooting says the only possibly problem is a fried ESC... which would make perfect sense, because I am the most cursed person in the world. It will be WEEKS before I have my car now... WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to send it to them, they wait until they get it to send me another one... the whole point was to have it NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I hadn't spent so much money on things that aren't the car and can't be returned I would just send it back for a refund and forget about it. But I am stuck with it now... and won't have it for WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for ruining my summer, Arrma... after half my family died one by one of old age, and I was kidnapped and tortured for 3 days... this was going to be the first happy thing in almost a year. Thank you for ruining my summer after the last 9 months I've already had!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bicketybam]

Are you on 50% power? That's been known to screw up reverse. Put the selector on 100% and try.