Warby's ADX-10 restoration

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Warby

"Hurry up and wait"
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Arrma RC's
  1. ADX-10
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  5. Senton 3s
  6. Senton Mega
  7. Typhon 3s
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  9. Infraction 4x4
I found this old Arrma ADX-10 on eBay Australia and without really thinking I put in a low offer. It was accepted. I’d never seen one for sale before.
Now I know it's old, very used and broken but I love a good restoration so here I go.


Before I start, here's a little bit of history on this discontinued Arrma:

Introduced by ARRMA RC circa 2013, the 2WD 1/10 ADX-10 BLX Race Buggy, was essentially the Brushless version of the original ADX-10 and came RTR with a BLX 3600kv brushless motor, waterproof ESC, ATX100 2.4Ghz radio system, Nimh Battery and charger.
The model is gear driven, on a vertical alloy plate and moulded composite chassis, with a gear type differential, coil spring over oil filled dampers, slipper clutch, dogbone drive-shafts and ball bearings.
This model was discontinued in 2015.


- source - R.C.Scrapyard


I was not very familiar with this model, so I have been doing some research and searching for parts as I normally do with an unfamiliar product. From what I can see, its similar to the Raider but with a swb, different body and I think smaller tyres. Its shares a lot of parts with the original 2wd Raider, Fury, Mojave, Vorteks and Granite. So far most of the parts I've sourced are from Australia (lucky for me) and France of all places.

I know this model is dated and that it's technology, handling etc may not be on par with newer RCs but I bought it purely to restore it to its og former glory and learn about it along the way. I will probably just display it as a shelf queen after only a couple of runs, as it’s all about the restoration and learning its story as I go.

I'm going to try and stick with the og Arrma parts including genuine Arrma upgraded parts (pre EXB parts). I may need to use aftermarket ESC, rims and tyres.
With exception of a few parts that I haven't found yet like body, battery lid, ESC and rims, most parts are still available surprisingly - Hidden at the back of old hobby shops, gathering dust, I guess. Proven as one shop advised they were having trouble locating the old stock.

As I've been adding parts in my "watch list" on eBay, the shops have been throwing me discounted offers left, right and centre. They must be happy to get rid of them.



Condition:
As you can see in the photos below, the car is a dirty mess. Looks like it's never been cleaned of maintained but generally it’s all there minus the og TX and slipper clutch cover. Not surprisingly its dirty, broken and well used which is expected for its age. It was sent to me with two TX's, but neither are the correct one for this RX. One is a HSP and other is an HPI. It still has the original ATX100 RX so if I can find a ATX100 TX for a reasonable price, I may purchase it. If not, I do have a spare SLT3.

I have connected a battery, and everything seems to work. The ESC fan was noisy so I will replace that with a 25mm Rocket RC 32,000rpm fan. It didn’t come with the og Arrma BLX ESC instead it has a rebranded Castle sidewinder SCT, which is 3s compatible, but I think 2s will be enough. So, I think that's a little win.

It was mailed to me with an old lipo battery in it, still connected, ESC powered up and the battery puffed like a popcorn bag. Very dangerous for everyone that handled it, but I won't fill this thread with that story. Refer to thread: how not to mail a lipo

The body is in reasonable condition apart from being dirty, some scratches and a burn mark on the underside, no doubt from the og ESC which probably caught on fire. But no cracks, dents or creases. The wing is rubbish, paint chipping off and the wrong colour, but I've already ordered a new one.

The rear Proline tyres are completely worn and deteriorating. It still has the og tyres and rims on the front, which are in good condition for its age. Broken frt shock cap, bent frt upper arm, bent rear shock support, worn rear hubs and axles, loose motor mount plate and worn spur. It has some other minor issues but there’s nothing that can be repaired or replaced.

BEFORE PHOTOS:
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Heaps of parts have been ordered, once stripped down I will see what else it needs.

As I progress though this restoration, I will keep the build log updated. As I work away from home for a week at a time and also due the parts wait, this build may not progress fast.

Ok, I have a lot of cleaning to do.





Parts order so far:
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I stripped the motor, and not surprisingly it is very dirty and need new bearings but will be fine. EMQ bearings ordered.

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That's awesome man! Can't wait to see it all refurbished!! Great project!! Good luck! 👍😁✌️
Yes, I'm looking forward to it. I want to go and completely strip it now, but I have work to do around the houses.
 
That’s gonna keep you busy 😝
Yes it will. One may think it would be wise to finish other projects first, but thinking is overrated. 🤪😆
 
Removed old bearings from motor. Took quite a bit of bread to budge the bearing in the end cap with the blind hole.
Gave it all a good clean, ready for new bearings.
It's actually in good condition.

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When removing the slipper and motor plate found the gearbox housing is broken ☹️. Ordered a new one. This restoration is getting $$$. 😒
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I said I wouldn't dismantle it anymore till parts arrived but I couldn't resist. 🤷‍♂️

Removed the gearbox/diff assembly and opened it up.
No grease left in the gearbox but the gears look ok.
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Diff had a small amount of what looked like grease inside. They have oil from factory. Its in good condition but one side gear is worn. I will buy a kit for it anyway. The whole assembly is made of metal, no plastic at all👍.
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Parts slowly trickling in. Although I accidentally ordered Granite body posts some how. I didn't even need body posts ???

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Motor good to go. New bearings installed.
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Found a new body at a hobby shop 2 hours away from where I live. I've never bought from them before as I didn't even know the shop existed. Didn't think I would find a ADX10 body but they have 2 in stock. I don't really need one as the old one is in ok condition but it was responsibly priced so bought it anyway.

Also ordered some more parts.

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Found a new body at a hobby shop 2 hours away from where I live. I've never bought from them before as I didn't even know the shop existed. Didn't think I would find a ADX10 body but they have 2 in stock. I don't really need one as the old one is in ok condition but it was responsibly priced so bought it anyway.

Also ordered some more parts.

View attachment 278506
SCORE!!!
Fuck Yeah Yes GIF
 
Surely there can't be many new ADX-10 bodies left in circulation. I've been amazed how many parts I'm finding. I'm sure the shops are glad to get rid of them.
 
Surely there can't be many new ADX-10 bodies left in circulation. I've been amazed how many parts I'm finding. I'm sure the shops are glad to get rid of them.
Right.....did they have to blow a lot of dust off of it? :ROFLMAO:
 
If you can hang on to it for just 10 more years, you might break even. :ROFLMAO:
Let's not talk about $ shall we 😆. I'm trying to ignore how much I'm spending on it. It's probably not worth it, but subconsciously I'm justifying it by thinking of the amount of pleasure the rebuild will bring. I'm also enjoying the treasure hunt. Finding rare parts is fun. In the process I've also found a new hobby shop within a 3 hour radius so bonus.

Although I can tell my wife is not liking the extra expenses 🤷‍♂️
 
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