Kraton New person looking for advice...

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
bicketybam said:
I was thinking just a few pictures showing where the set screw is and where to push the pin out.
Click to expand...
Hence why I started a pm. Very funny, but I’m not posting it here as there’s no point, along with the fact that I’m probably gonna have to get this guys email to make sure he doesn’t run away from this dying hobby.

Ugh you know what I guess I should help anyone else struggling to take 2 screws out (or you’re just being weird) I’ll post a reply with a marked up image.
DF95AD25-0DDE-4261-BDC6-33771E8C3416.jpeg
Look hard for the yellow arrows... they’re there trust me. On the back the screw is on the drivers side and on the front it’s on the passenger side. Why? I have no idea lol. From the image below you can see that the posts are elevated enough to get an Allen driver to the screws. Mine are really stiff and I think it’s something to do with the little set screw on top? (Truth be told I’ve never taken off the brace) I would advise against using the drivers that came with the kit. The front shocks make it hard to get a good angle because the L on the head will collide with it and the bodypost as the length isn’t enough. A good MIP ball end driver is my recommendation.
46EE94D5-7A39-4ECD-8252-C5AE2BA55170.jpeg


Here’s my tool kit:
4277B5B9-833A-4DB9-B1BF-BDFD6B144B89.jpeg

Really the only thing useful here is the hex keys on the second row, along with that awesome MIP bit on the far right.
 
Last edited:
You guys are as great as I already knew you were from following RC planes as a spectator for so long. Like I mentioned once before, I am sure you guys would be willing to walk me through it all step by step, but the whole point here was to "Do Something Real" and to get away from the computer. The whole point is to not use the computer, and the whole point was that it would take many hours and days to figure out the car and fix it when it broke and it would just create things for me to do other than use the computer. But if no instructions exist anywhere in the world, then that just means the car does the exact opposite... and forces me on to the damn computer all day long to learn how to fix it. The whole point was that was something I could do without the computer.

I can't really explain what is going on here. I have been through a LOT in the last 9 months. In addition to all the other things I mentioned earlier in this thread, I also discovered something classified that already existed... and that caused me a lot of problems, too. I had been deciding between the car and a bow for something to do other than the computer. If I had known that NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD far these cars that THE POINT OF THE HOBBY IS TO FIX THEM YOURSELF... I would have just got the bow.

Someone said this is a "dying hobby"... OF COURSE IT IS!!! Half of the point of the hobby is to repair the car... AN NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! If they can't figure out why their business is dying, then they deserve to die... because the reason why is PRETTY OBVIOUS!!! NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!!

I really hope Arrma will just take this back and give me at least a partial refund so I can just get the bow instead. Cars whose gears don't last 2 days need instructions for how to replace the gears... OBVIOUSLY!!!
 
Kavik Kang said:
You guys are as great as I already knew you were from following RC planes as a spectator for so long. Like I mentioned once before, I am sure you guys would be willing to walk me through it all step by step, but the whole point here was to "Do Something Real" and to get away from the computer. The whole point is to not use the computer, and the whole point was that it would take many hours and days to figure out the car and fix it when it broke and it would just create things for me to do other than use the computer. But if no instructions exist anywhere in the world, then that just means the car does the exact opposite... and forces me on to the damn computer all day long to learn how to fix it. The whole point was that was something I could do without the computer.

I can't really explain what is going on here. I have been through a LOT in the last 9 months. In addition to all the other things I mentioned earlier in this thread, I also discovered something classified that already existed... and that caused me a lot of problems, too. I had been deciding between the car and a bow for something to do other than the computer. If I had known that NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD far these cars that THE POINT OF THE HOBBY IS TO FIX THEM YOURSELF... I would have just got the bow.

Someone said this is a "dying hobby"... OF COURSE IT IS!!! Half of the point of the hobby is to repair the car... AN NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! If they can't figure out why their business is dying, then they deserve to die... because the reason why is PRETTY OBVIOUS!!! NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!!

I really hope Arrma will just take this back and give me at least a partial refund so I can just get the bow instead. Cars whose gears don't last 2 days need instructions for how to replace the gears... OBVIOUSLY!!!
Click to expand...
Honestly, what you have is a warranty claim. It’s pretty simple. If you had bought at your LHS, they would deal with this for you. If you bought online, they may swap out the truck, depending on the seller. If you call horizon hobby, they would also take care of you.

When you buy an automobile (1:1) you have the choice of driving it back to the dealer for warranty repair, or pay out of pocket and fix yourself. They don’t give you a repair manual when you buy the car. You have to buy your own from a third party.

You also could use the web to find YouTube videos for advice, which I often do. I don’t repair all of my car issues. I pick and choose the ones I am capable of in the time available. I can brakes and easy stuff on a weekend. I don’t try to do bigger stuff, I pay the dealer.

My point is you took on a hobby that requires either of these;

A) local hobby store
B) mechanical aptitude

You don’t seem to be in a good spot either way. I hope you get your bow.
 
But it's not just the car, it's the batteries and charger that I would want them to take back, too. If the best I could do is get them to replace the car and I could just treat it very lightly for the rest of the summer... that would be better than nothing. I could EASILY figure this out with either instructions or on internet... but doing it internet is not an option for me right now. You guy's complain about a "dying hobby", and I know Arrma will wind up reading this thread, so let me try to help this "dying hobby".

The RC and gaming audience are nearly identical. I understand them very well, the RC companies obviously don't. This DOESN'T take "mechanical aptitude". Not at all. Arrma's cars are simple. That's the point of them. Anyone can work on them and fix them... if they only had the simple instructions to do so. Without SIMPLE instructions, people don't feel confident to begin even trying. They want to know they aren't going to make things worse. They want to have confidence that they at least generally know what they are doing. Without that, they feel totally and completely lost and that they will do more harm than good by trying to turn a single screw when they have NO IDEA what they are supposed to be doing or how the car is designed.

I saw the screws to remove the crossbar... but I also saw the video of how the car had been designed for easy access to the differential gears. I didn't want to start taking about the crossbar mounts only to find out later that's bad, and there is actually just a trick to pop it out. I KNOW I can fix this car... if only I knew with confidence how it comes apart. Which order to take it apart in, and which order it goes back together in. What the major components of it are, how they come apart, and the order you do it in. Between that and the exploding view, I would "know what I was doing". I would "know the path".

I am not talking about detailed schematics, I am talking about giving your customers a basic roadmap for how, and the order, of breaking down the car to the chasis. How you remove each major thing and the order you do it in. That's it. That's all the "instructions" you need to provide with the exploding view to give new people the confidence to know "this is how it comes apart and goes back together again". Then, no matter which part of the car has a problem, then know how to take apart that part of the car to get too it.

I KNOW with certainty that the vast majority of people who want an RC car get one, use it till it breaks, then discover that no instructions exist anywhere in the world so they just give up. You think "they don't want to have to fix the car". They DO want to fix the car... you just don't tell them how to even take it apart to do that. So they can't.
 
I'm so confused. When you first opened the box did you not see what was included as instructions? Right there you should have bee. I'm the phone with Horizon, asking them for some (which they would have told you none exist). Then you could have nearly packed it up, unused, and returned it. Now if you want to say that you didn't realize these trucks break, then you clearly didn't research the hobby. I'd be willing to guess that at least 80% of the people on this forum came here because of an issue they needed help with. Didn't you say you read the forums before purchasing? Not that changing a broken A-arm is hard but if you can manage to remove 2 screws and 2 pins to take the top brace off how in the world can you expect to change am A-arm which is a common repair?

I highly doubt HH is going to help you. You should list it for sale in the classifieds. I might be interested for the right price.


Combined Post (man, I hate that feature)


How do you discover there are no instuctions when you have to I'm ox it to use it? It's pretty apparent no detailed breakdown instructions exist before you even run it. That's when you decide to return it, not after you break it and can't fix it.

Let us know what HH says when you ask to return everything. Get the guy's name too. I want to send him a six pack.
 
I did notice that the manual was only a quick start guide, but assumed there would be a PDF file for this specific car on their web site somewhere when I needed it. I never in a million years would have imagined that NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD for a hobby that is about fixing the cars yourself. I never would have imagined that in a million years... it still does not seem possible.

I have followed RC planes my whole life. I understood all of this. I never in a MILLION YEARS would imagine that NO FORM OF INSTRUCTIONS EXSIST AT ALL! No wonder so few people do this. I can easily take that cross bar off now that I know there isn't a trick too it and removing those screws would be a mistake. But that's just step one.... and it took two days just to find that information.

I guess I will just focus on trying to return it now since its obvious that no form of even the most basic instructions for breaking down the major components exists. In a hobby that is supposed to be about fixing the cars yourself, that should be all the justification that is needed for them to take it back. How can they sell a product and say "you are meant to fix this yourself, but we refuse to provide any instructions at all for doing so".
 
Kavik Kang said:
I did notice that the manual was only a quick start guide, but assumed there would be a PDF file for this specific car on their web site somewhere when I needed it. I never in a million years would have imagined that NO INSTRUCTIONS EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD for a hobby that is about fixing the cars yourself. I never would have imagined that in a million years... it still does not seem possible.

I have followed RC planes my whole life. I understood all of this. I never in a MILLION YEARS would imagine that NO FORM OF INSTRUCTIONS EXSIST AT ALL! No wonder so few people do this. I can easily take that cross bar off now that I know there isn't a trick too it and removing those screws would be a mistake. But that's just step one.... and it took two days just to find that information.

I guess I will just focus on trying to return it now since its obvious that no form of even the most basic instructions for breaking down the major components exists. In a hobby that is supposed to be about fixing the cars yourself, that should be all the justification that is needed for them to take it back. How can they sell a product and say "you are meant to fix this yourself, but we refuse to provide any instructions at all for doing so".
Click to expand...
I can easily take that cross bar off now that I know there isn't a trick too it and removing those screws would be a mistake. But that's just step one.... and it took two days just to find that information.
Click to expand...

I found the info in 90 seconds. Not an exaggeration either. I went to their website to get the exploded view, looked at it and said "Huh. Remove the screw and push the pin out." You have the exploded view so for the life of me I can't figure out what had you stumped, EVEN WITH NO INSTRUCTIONS.

This hobby isn't for everyone and I'm not buying that just because you couldn't figure out how to remove the brace that no one else will either and they will run to a new hobby. Try working on an HPI Savage. These trucks are like assembling those giant Legos compared to that thing. I managed. Wasn't easy but I did. Why? Because I love the hobby and I love working on things. Peace.
 
This is also why I prefer kits, especially for beginners. They get to assemble the vehicle, learn how it operates, learn how to take stuff apart and put it back together again. Yes, it takes more money up front due to the lack of electronics, wheels, tires and body, and you also do not get the "take out of the box and run it", but you learn how to work on it so that it isn't so "scary" wondering if you will break something or put it together wrong. Also, kits come with the step by step directions of how to disassemble it and reassemble it, which I love.

My first basher was a HPI Baja 5B SS kit and I loved building it and do not hesitate to rip it apart because I always have the directions if I get lost. My first crawler (different animal than bashers) was a RTR and I didn't want to take it apart for the reason of not wanting to forget stuff and put it together wrong. My news crawlers have all been kits and now I feel confident ripping apart my new crawlers as well as my original RTR crawler.
 
I saw the exploded view too. The same exploded view that makes it look like you'd have to take apart the entire back of the car to get to the rear differential... but these modular cars are designed to be easy to work on. So there is an easy trick for getting too it, you don't have to take it all apart like the exploding view shows. There are NO INSTRUCTIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD telling you how these modular cars are put together and how to take them apart in the easy way they are designed to take apart. I can see how to disassemble the entire thing... the entire point is that they are modular and you don't have too. There is often a "trick"... but there are NO INSTRUCTIONS ANYWHERE teaching what those "tricks of our modular deisgns" are.

I have an IQ over 180 and I invented cyberspace... after someone else had already done it. I can easily figure this out using internet... it's just that the entire point was that I get away from internet and computers. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that NO INSTRUCTIONS AT ALL exist for hobby cars where the hobby is fixing them yourself! How is this even possible???

EDIT: Chevy... Absolutely!!! If I had known this I would have got a kit car and i'd be happy right now. This community and industry basically lies to the new customers telling them to buy RTR cars which are actually only for experienced people. Kits are what new people MUST buy, ONLY the kits have instructions for new people. If Arrma made kits, THAT is what I would want from them! To just trade my "RTR for experts" care for a "Kit for Newies" car. All new people MUST buy a kit!!! RTR is ONLY for experienced users!!!!
 
[/QUOTE]
crimsonfancy said:
I use this HOTA D6 Pro Smart Charger mostly. I don't have an external power supply DC but still no complaints on time it takes to charge even 2x 6s at 1c or 1.5c. It does allow for external DC to 650W which is why I bought it. I got it for $100 shipped when it came out and there are still places to find it close to that price.
https://www.amazon.com/Goolsky-Charger-Battery-Wireless-Charging/dp/B07FXN3Y9T
Click to expand...
I have the Hobbymate original MFR version of this charger using a 400w PSU and I can charge 2 4S 7000mah lipos from 3.8v storage voltage to full charge in 42 minutes. Great charger option.
Kavik Kang said:
I saw the exploded view too. The same exploded view that makes it look like you'd have to take apart the entire back of the car to get to the rear differential... but these modular cars are designed to be easy to work on. So there is an easy trick for getting too it, you don't have to take it all apart like the exploding view shows. There are NO INSTRUCTIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD telling you how these modular cars are put together and how to take them apart in the easy way they are designed to take apart. I can see how to disassemble the entire thing... the entire point is that they are modular and you don't have too. There is often a "trick"... but there are NO INSTRUCTIONS ANYWHERE teaching what those "tricks of our modular deisgns" are.

I have an IQ over 180 and I invented cyberspace... after someone else had already done it. I can easily figure this out using internet... it's just that the entire point was that I get away from internet and computers. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that NO INSTRUCTIONS AT ALL exist for hobby cars where the hobby is fixing them yourself! How is this even possible???

EDIT: Chevy... Absolutely!!! If I had known this I would have got a kit car and i'd be happy right now. This community and industry basically lies to the new customers telling them to buy RTR cars which are actually only for experienced people. Kits are what new people MUST buy, ONLY the kits have instructions for new people. If Arrma made kits, THAT is what I would want from them! To just trade my "RTR for experts" care for a "Kit for Newies" car. All new people MUST buy a kit!!! RTR is ONLY for experienced users!!!!
Click to expand...
RTR's can stress out newcomers. Especially when "one on one" support from a LHS or other local bashers are not to be found. The internet is what drives this Hobby as of late and all the RC MFR's know this and exploit it to their advantage.
I rather build than get a RTR. But Arrma RTR's are awesome and I developed the aptitude early on from Kit Building to handle all RTR's.
Most RTR newcomers want that immediate satisfaction of driving and the fun it gives. But, patience is a virtue with surface RC and more so with Airplanes and Helos.
I personally like the 6S Arrma stuff only. Support and parts train is very mature at this point in time. Its well worth the money to get the more expensive Arrma 6S rigs.
 
Last edited:
Bickety: Did you get a visit from the Defense Intelligence Agency?

I think I have found a solution that Arrma and Horizon will go for. I doubt they will give me a partial refund on a broken car and used batteries, instructions for RTRs do not exist... so I sent HH another E-Mail providing yet another option that would make me happy (I've given them several) which is to let me exchange the Kraton for an equal value kit car from another company. I like Arrma cars, and REALLY want a Typhon 6S someday... but your first car has to be a kit car. I'm thinking that they will at least do that for me, and I'd be thrilled with a kit car that actually came with instructions.
 
Zlayer said:
Send it like Rich and you’ll be replacing the Arms after the first or second jump. I’m working on a solution though??.
Click to expand...

Oh man, please let us know if you come up with something you'd be willing to sell. These A-Arms are so squishy!!!!
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 90 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Similar threads

BobArt
Granite Need advice for a slower motor setup for my daughter
Replies
4
Views
260
BobArt
BobArt
tremblayrene603
Vorteks Looking for advice
Replies
19
Views
1K
chilly81
chilly81
TotalNoob
Senton Looking for my next RC
Replies
9
Views
498
LazloZ28
L
Bhill89 Arma_4S
Kraton Kraton 4s Advice
Replies
2
Views
421
danny1202
danny1202
Bhill89 Arma_4S
Kraton Kraton 4s Advice
Replies
6
Views
442
razorrc
razorrc
Back
Top