Kraton Recommended Arrma Kraton & Talion Upgrades 2024

[slick2500]

Yeah if you are just running a standard 6v servo a bec is not necessary but I would run a glitch buster, they are only like $6.

Also remember that a bec is not waterproof so you have to find a way to make it waterproof. Leading Edge Machine makes a really nice machined aluminum waterproof case for the Castle BEC.

 

[nulli]

Hobbywing UBEC 10A
https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/products/ubec-10a?variant=1013205920

 

[nulli]

I hate the new receiver box. The only good thing is its size, otherwise it's poorly designed shite.

First of all there's no hole for the aerial but it has a mount for the antenna tube and it's in a wrong place.
Then there's the foam seal but that's a female dog (nigh impossible without modding) to install even with only 2 wires let alone 4-5.
Lastly, what a "pleasant" surprise to switch the lid screws to M2.5 (not included) instead of the M3 ones on the old lid.

 

[EAGLELITE]

You could get an LRP motor fan or Castle Creations blower.

The Arrma Kraton is a fine R/C out of the box and very capable to hold up to even the hardest of bashing sessions. There are a few things that can be done to further improve the Kraton making it stronger, faster, and more durable.

If you're just getting a Kraton there are a few things you'll need to get started.

Required items for a new Arrma Kraton

Batteries - You could run NiMH packs in the Kraton but you'll be doing yourself a dis-service as to really get the power, speed, and run time that the Kraton can really deliver you're going to need to run LiPo batteries. You can use the following LiPo setup:

• 2x2S LiPo packs
• 2x3S LiPo packs
• 1x4S LiPo pack
• 1x6S LiPo pack

There is a great "Budget LiPo of choice" ongoing thread if you are unsure what battery packs to buy.

Battery Charger - One of the best bang for your buck chargers would be the Dynamite Prophet Sport Duo. It will charge both NiMH and LiPo batteries and can charge two batteries at one time which is really a must have feature for the Kraton as many will be running dual batteries.

LiPo Sack - Just buy one! A LiPO sack is super cheap and offers a great deal of protection to charge and store your LiPo batteries.

4x AA Batteries - These are for the transmitter and I'm a big fan of Eneloop rechargeable batteries. Either the Panasonic Eneloop or Eneloop Pro (higher capacity, longer run time).

If you're new to the hobby, I would also strongly suggest checking out the Tools for getting started in RC thread.

Now on to the upgrades to make your Arrma Kraton even better!

Most Recommended Upgrades for the Arrma Kraton

Wing Mount - Without a doubt the most likely item to break first out of the box is the wing mount. If you don't like the wing then go ahead and remove it, but if you want the wing then buy the RPM Wing Mount. RPM products are guaranteed forever. If you break it, they will send you a free replacement.

Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) - I'm going to say it, the stock BLX 180 ESC is questionable at best or just out right bad at worse. There are plenty of threads here on the forum documenting the numerous issues with this ESC. To Arrma's credit they have been on the ball replacing any bad ESC's within the warranty period.

That said if you don't want to mess with replacing the ESC each time it burns up, has other issues, or chance damaging your other electronics (battery, servo) then adding a new ESC would be best. Tekin, Castle Creations, and even Hobbywing make great alternatives and buying one of their combo's (ESC and motor) could give the Kraton even more speed and/or power!

Note: The BLX 185 could potentially fix the issues with the BLX 180 ESC, but the 185 has yet to be released or tested.

Servo - You can go one of two ways to improve the servo issues on the Kraton, the best option would be to do both.

1. Upgrade the servo to something like the Savox SW-1210SG (powerful, steel gears, and waterproof), Savox SW-0231MG (a bit weaker than the SW-1210SG) or Hitec HS-7955TG. It is recommended you get either a Glitch Buster or External BEC when running these servo's.
   
2. Upgrade the servo mount, the stock plastic mount flexes a lot causing more strain on the servo. The DIY Kraton servo mount upgrade or the one piece aluminum servo mount will remove the flex issues.

Bearings - This isn't a surprise really as there aren't many RC's that are shipped with high quality bearings, or in some cases no bearings at all. In the case of the Arrma Kraton it's both, the bearings that are used aren't very good and there are even bushings used in areas (steering). A bearing set from Fast Eddy Bearings will be a massive upgrade over stock and what I would recommend!

Bumpers - If you're really bashing your Kraton then you'll probably want a good durable bumper. T-Bone Racing make a very durable front and rear bumper for the Kraton. TBR bumpers are also guaranteed forever. If you break it, they will send you a free replacement.


If you have other suggested upgrades, please share below! Let us know how your Arrma Kraton is holding up.

What’s the best castle heat sink fans combo to get ,,,and do I have to remove the motor to mount it,,,,I notice a lot of them snap on.. i have the new 2018 talion,,,absolutely love it...thanks woody.

 

[slick2500]

What’s the best castle heat sink fans combo to get ,,,and do I have to remove the motor to mount it,,,,I notice a lot of them snap on.. i have the new 2018 talion,,,absolutely love it...thanks woody.

Don't get the Castle motor fan it's worthless without an actual heatsink. Same concept as a car radiator, imagine if they just has the fan blowing on the block it would do absolutely nothing.

I would go with the Yeah Racing fan setup https://arrmaforum.com/threads/arrma-outcast-heatsink-dual-fans.5163/

It is much easier to attach the heatsink and fan if you at least pull the motor mount and center diff assembly as it gives you better access to the motor.

 

[SamT]

Hey guys is there an online store that sells a range of different brands upgrade parts for the Kraton under one roof? I’m getting bits sent to Australia but the postage is adding up to more than the parts as I’m using so many different suppliers. I’d rather place one bigger order and combine shipping.

 

[erock]

Thanks for doing this , a treasure trove of info all in one spot I wish this was here when i started my project , would have saved me countless hours scouring !!!

That servo you suggest isn't waterproof ? Depending on the upgrade path you take (e.g. one piece at a time like me) you would need an external BEC with that servo if you are going to run the stock ESC . I 'm about to install an xpert 6601 on a few others recommendation , Some people are also running the xpert 7701 with good results . They have good speed , good torque , are high voltage and REALLY waterproof (IP67 rated). It's important to note that stock servo arm isn't exactly a direct fit . I guess it's an extremely tight fit . I'm waiting to see what others come up with for this .

I see some people are able to bash the crap out of their Kraton repeatedly with all stock electronics and some people can't make it through a battery pack without burning $%^& up . I'm just finishing up a complete rebuild fresh out of the box .

It's also a good idea to shim the diffs (part # TD310475) and not a bad idea to replace the diff pins with hardened steel while you're in there. I used McMaster-Carr part # 3009a262 http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/122/3758/=11k1ygt. I tried 2.25MM from the same place and it just wouldn't fit properly. I'm not sure why.

I can't say one way or the other about that charger as i haven't used it but for less than $20 more you can get the HiTec X2 AC Plus http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXFLVA which will do BOTH ac/dc with this adapter http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXFUUR&P=ML

I wish there were more videos on repairing and upgrading, Like I'm about to rip apart the front end to try and replace the steering bushing with bearings . Hint Hint @Thomas P

Keep up the good work !

I agree with u totally about videos for upgrades/repairs...that front end is bit of a challange! The arrma tv channel is not categorized, if it were that would help

 

[XtremeRCLadsonSC]

Here's a peek at my wild and crazy creation for one of my good customers who likes to let me try new and crazy ideas for making him one off mods on his cars to go and beat the next guy racing him on the street.
Let me know what you guys think.
It's a 31:34 pinon spur combo. 8s setup.

 

[erock]

I'm looking for a roll cage for my kraton. Do you have any suggestions? Which roll cage fits on kraton?

Tbone racing makes one

 

[Sramga4]

Hola, usted sabría si AR310854 GEARBOX CASE SET HD encaja bien en el kraton v1, muchas gracias de antemano.

 

[Sramga4]

@XtremeRCLadsonSC, oohhhhh a beast, I would love to get a fixed central crown like the one I see in the photo, where could I get it?

 

[jamesbcn]

lots of interesting upgrades in carbon and 7075 for Arrma: https://www.pos-modellbau.de/shop/

 

[arrmaracing]

lots of interesting upgrades in carbon and 7075 for Arrma: https://www.pos-modellbau.de/shop/

They any good

 

[arrmaracing]

Hey guys is there an online store that sells a range of different brands upgrade parts for the Kraton under one roof? I’m getting bits sent to Australia but the postage is adding up to more than the parts as I’m using so many different suppliers. I’d rather place one bigger order and combine shipping.

let me know if you find a place. I normally go to amain, towerhobbies, rc planet, or I always try the aussie websites. The only aussie website I know that stock what they have on their website is familyland.com.au

 

[JuanDLAT78]

Hola, usted sabría si AR310854 GEARBOX CASE SET HD encaja bien en el kraton v1, muchas gracias de antemano.

"Hello, do you know if (linked gearbox) fits Kraton v1, Thanks."

@Sramga4 Lo traduci por ti, aver si alguien te ayuda.

I don't know much about Arrma Yet. Don't own one yet. But I figured I translate, see if anyone else can help.

Edit: Well, never mind next post down was from him in english. I'll still leave this up just in case.

 

[Sramga4]

[QUOTE = "JuanDLAT78, post: 60103, miembro: 6212"] "Hola, ¿sabes que la caja de engranajes se ajusta a Kraton v1, gracias?"

[USER = 2837] @ Sramga4 [/ USER] Lo traduci por ti, aver si alguien te ayuda.

No sé mucho sobre Arrma todavía. Aún no tienes uno. Pero pensé que traducir, ver si alguien más puede ayudar.

Editar: Bueno, no importa que el próximo post mar de él en inglés. Debo dejar esto por si acaso. [/ QUOTE. thank you very much friend

 

[Pjs0123]

I'm looking for a roll cage for my kraton. Do you have any suggestions? Which roll cage fits on kraton?

@Roman I know it’s been a long time since you posted this question and probably already have gotten an answer but check out T-Bone Racing. They offer an external roll cage for the Kraton.
https://tboneracing.net/collections/kraton/products/tbr-exo-cage-external-roll-cage-arrma-kraton

 

[antigacho]

Check the new Markhor RC Designs shock towers.

Looks awesome!! but $127 Australian dollars (aprox $96 USD) + international shipping to Mexico is too much for me,
so sad.
anyway, this is the shock tower upgrade that I would choose if I could pay for it.

 

[arrmaracing]

I just bought a Kraton a week ago. I love it! Arrma says not to use the 14t pinion except for speed runs. I thought I saw a YouTube video where a guy put the 14t in and was bashing the hell out of without overheating the electrics. Does anyone know if this is true? Can I use the 14t without a problem if I just keep an eye the motor temp?

14t should be fine with the stock spur if your running the v3.

 

[arrmaracing]

I just bought a Kraton a week ago. I love it! Arrma says not to use the 14t pinion except for speed runs. I thought I saw a YouTube video where a guy put the 14t in and was bashing the hell out of without overheating the electrics. Does anyone know if this is true? Can I use the 14t without a problem if I just keep an eye the motor temp?

14t should be fine with the stock spur if your running the v3.