Phantom21 Kraton EXB Basher Build

[Phantom21]

So my family is awesome and got me a 6S Kraton EXB roller for Christmas! Super excited after I got a chance to try out @Rolannd's K6EXB. So much more stable than the MT10!

I actually took advantage of HobbyWing's black Friday sale, so I already had a Max 8 G2 2250 kV combo setup laying around.

I went to the local HobbyTown USA and got a bunch of goodies:

1. Eco Power WP110S servo
   1. Have a WP110 on the MT10 that works great, figured I'd get a high voltage one for this rig
   2. I did have to cut off the 2 gussets in the mounting flanges to fit the Kration servo mount though.
2. Arrma ARA340061 25T servo horn for non-Spektrum servos
3. Hardened 16T Mod1 Pinion
   1. I've heard stock Arrma gears tend to strip, so I figured a hardened gear would be a better starting point here.
4. EC5 connectors for the Max8 ESC

As suggested by others, I checked the front and rear diffs and they seemed to be shimmed properly. Not much play there, but it seemed healthy. I mounted the motor, ESC, servo, and began figuring out cable management.

I also started laying drywall tape on the body, as I tend to be hard on those.

On the way are SMC Lipo alarms, a Dumbo radio, and some gens-ace-r-spam 6800 mAh 3S Bashing Pro batteries. For now I just want to get it bashing and where it takes me. We'll see if the Max8 has enough oomph for my driving style. If not, I'll consider an upgrade. I suspect I'll get RPM arms for it eventually and maybe a wing mount if that becomes a problem.

I do want to get a different body for it. I saw another thread discussing body options, one of which was a ProLine 1972 Chevy C10 body fits the Kraton 6S. I'd like to paint it like the Roadkill Muscle Truck since I'm a fan. It won't be a perfect replica as it's not a step-side, but hey it's as close as I can practically get to it. This will at least differentiate this car from my brothers!

 

[SrC]

Nice choice in rigs there.
Enjoy it.

 

[Phantom21]

Nice choice in rigs there.
Enjoy it.

Thanks! Had a blast trying by brothers.

 

[RadioHacktive]

So my family is awesome and got me a 6S Kraton EXB roller for Christmas! Super excited after I got a chance to try out @Rolannd's K6EXB. So much more stable than the MT10!

I actually took advantage of HobbyWing's black Friday sale, so I already had a Max 8 G2 2250 kV combo setup laying around.

I went to the local HobbyTown USA and got a bunch of goodies:

1. Eco Power WP110S servo
   1. Have a WP110 on the MT10 that works great, figured I'd get a high voltage one for this rig
   2. I did have to cut off the 2 gussets in the mounting flanges to fit the Kration servo mount though.
2. Arrma ARA340061 25T servo horn for non-Spektrum servos
3. Hardened 16T Mod1 Pinion
   1. I've heard stock Arrma gears tend to strip, so I figured a hardened gear would be a better starting point here.
4. EC5 connectors for the Max8 ESC

As suggested by others, I checked the front and rear diffs and they seemed to be shimmed properly. Not much play there, but it seemed healthy. I mounted the motor, ESC, servo, and began figuring out cable management.

View attachment 265199

I also started laying drywall tape on the body, as I tend to be hard on those.

View attachment 265200

On the way are SMC Lipo alarms, a Dumbo radio, and some gens-ace-r-spam 6800 mAh 3S Bashing Pro batteries. For now I just want to get it bashing and where it takes me. We'll see if the Max8 has enough oomph for my driving style. If not, I'll consider an upgrade. I suspect I'll get RPM arms for it eventually and maybe a wing mount if that becomes a problem.

I do want to get a different body for it. I saw another thread discussing body options, one of which was a ProLine 1972 Chevy C10 body fits the Kraton 6S. I'd like to paint it like the Roadkill Muscle Truck since I'm a fan. It won't be a perfect replica as it's not a step-side, but hey it's as close as I can practically get to it. This will at least differentiate this car from my brothers!

View attachment 265201

Bonus points alone for the Roadkill truck reference. Looking forward to watching this build!

 

[Phantom21]

After many trips to the hardware and hobby shops, my Kraton was complete! I finished up the fiberglass tape and shoe goo reinforcement of the body.

I struggled to get the EC5 connectors soldered onto the ESC. I had to get a higher wattage solder iron and a mini torch. That said, I did end up using IC5's as the hobby shop recommended them the second time around. I also ended up going with a Futaba 3PV radio set. The Dumbo's were out or low on stock and had a longer lead time. I also like supporting local hobby shops, even if they're a little more expensive. It's great to have a local parts supply! Beats waiting a week or more for parts every time something goes wrong.

I mounted one LiPo alarm on the receiver box, which still allows access to the screws. It's also held on with Velcro which works. I mounted the second alarm on the roll structure with zip ties. I also had to lengthen the positive lead on the Max8 ESC to reach the batteries a little more easily. Once it warms up I'll probably run an additional fan for the motor.

My first run was a little shakedown run which was a blast. With the 16T pinion it's impressively quick. It even did a burnout on the cold driveway. I only ran it to about 3.8V per cell. I do think I'll end up getting RPM mud guards to make cleanup a little easier. The rear suspension seems to get covered in junk pretty easily, even when running on just grass. Of course, this means I'll need to get RPM arms too, which I was planning on eventually anyways.

Unfortunately, the second run ended prematurely. When landing from a wheelie the front right shock standoff sheared. I didn't know this was a weak point of the roller EXB's. Since I lost the top ball bushing for the shock cap when the standoff broke and I need to place an order to Arrma anyways, I'll probably order up the Arrma RTR 3mm standoffs for now so I can get it up and running again. I'd like to upgrade to the Scorched RC standoff kit as it retains the uprated Arrma design. I think that design spreads the load better than a single standoff with studs on both sides.