Kraton What to do - Any Help Appreciated

[iball123456]

Hi,

I’m new here so hopefully I’m in the right place, I’ve been lurking for a while and found lots of the posts very helpful and interesting. The how-to info has been invaluable.

I bought a Kraton 4s in January and got the RC car bug. My son is 12 and he then got a Typhon 3s for his birthday in May. The issue i have is my Kraton has spent more time broken than running. So far it has snapped A arms in relatively slow speed crashes, it has entirely melted the rear differential, melted the centre drive shaft, broken the slipper clutch, broken turnbuckles to name but a few things. I’ve only run the car maybe 10 times in total as every time i run it, something gets destroyed. I started running it on 3s and I’ve done a couple of runs on 4s which resulted in the melting of driveshaft and rear differential. I spend most of my time waiting for spares to be delivered and the car is currently in pieces awaiting a delivery of spares which are out of stock until mid-august!

When i bought my son his car i made sure i had lots of spares for him and to date he’s had no issues at all, everything has worked without hitch. I also feel bad as I promised him lots of father son time running the cars together and to date we’ve managed it once as mine is always broken!

So, i have 2 questions, have i been unlucky with my Kraton, or is this normal? I get a bit of repair is necessary and part of the fun, but should it really break every time i use it even when just hacking around a flat playing field? I also notice my go-to shop for parts has some Notorious 6s cars coming into stock later this week, should i order one and assign the Kraton to the recycle bin? Is the Notorious likely to last a bit longer especially if I stick to running it on 4s power?

Sorry, that was 3 or 4 questions, any help or advice appreciated.

Regards

Iain

 

[jeepnut]

I don't have much experience as I just got a Kraton 6s a month ago and before that I only had a 2wd Stampede. I don't have any experience with the 4s machines, but the general consensus seems to be that they are less durable than the 6s, with a couple exceptions. There are some people on this forum that swear by the 4s machines and insist they break less than the 6s because they are lighter and plastic flexes better.

It does sound like you've had an unusual level of problems. I've run my Kraton probably about 10 times since I got it and I popped a ball end once and broke a shock end. The ball end I just reinserted and the shock end I was able to make another brand work.

I assume it's not your driving style that's contributing to this? Do you and your son drive similarly? I do know that landing jumps while on throttle can cause issues with differentials.

I'd hate to tell you to get a 6s since that's a $550 "fix" (plus batteries), but it does seem like this 4s machine is not cutting it.

 

[iball123456]

Thanks, I’ve questioned my driving style as well, but I’ve used the Typhon and driven it the same way i drive the Kraton and its still in one piece. I‘ve not really done many jumps with it either, so can’t blame it on the landings.

Incidentally, the Typhon is brilliant, I would buy one in a flash if they were in stock! My son has some proper off road tyres and some slicks for tarmac and it was easily as quick, if not quicker than the Kraton, it also seemed to handle much better. It’s amazing the difference some decent tyres make!

 

[jondilly1974]

It’s hard to say for certain, but there may be things that you’ve done to contribute to these issues. Maybe the center driveshaft was melted because you didn’t secure the battery wires. Or maybe a rock got in there. Hard for me to say.

I will say that a Senton or Typhon are always going to be more durable due to the smaller and lighter tires. The Senton also has a large body and bumpers to protect it. The trucks all have large heavy tires that stick out. So some of it is a design factor.

I still have issues running pretty much all of my rigs. Not common for me to get thru a pack without something breaking or needing serviced. It’s a part of the hobby tbh. With the level of abuse we put these things thru, it’s expected.

All that said, the 4S line does have its warts. Arms are hit or miss. RPMs are way better and not much more expensive. The turnbuckles have been brittle for me as well. I just keep them on hand now. The slipper takes a while to master. Just when you think you have it perfect, you change tires or environment and it is too tight again. Plastic driveshafts are a PITA but replacing them is inexpensive and quick. Metal shafts are much more expensive and weigh more.

But the worst of that truck is the radio and servo. If you haven’t replaced those, get on that ASAP.

 

[iball123456]

Thanks jondilly. Out of interest what is wrong with the radio and servo? What is the suggested replacement and how does this help?

 

[jondilly1974]

Thanks jondilly. Out of interest what is wrong with the radio and servo? What is the suggested replacement and how does this help?

The radio is laggy and disconnects frequently. The servo is slow and weak. You can replace both for about $50

 

[ph47mf]

My 4s has been hit and miss as well, but most of the time it's driver error, landing badly and crashing into lamp post etc. But there's still a part of me think the car could have been made a bit more durable.

The 6s line have way more options to upgrade to make it bulletproof, that's why I literally just sold my 4s and I have a 6s coming tomorrow morning, I'll let you know how I get on durability wise.

As for servo, I upgraded it yesterday and sold the car today ?, the cheap £25 servo was a lot quicker than stock though I can't comment on what it's like on the road.

Stock radio at first wasn't a problem for me as I tend to keep my car running close to me, however as you go further perhaps for a speed pass, you will soon find the radio lose signal rather frequently and then in that split second the car becomes uncontrollable, this becomes annoying when it happens for like 5 seconds every 30 seconds.

 

[slick2500]

Thanks jondilly. Out of interest what is wrong with the radio and servo? What is the suggested replacement and how does this help?

Most guys seem to like the DUMBORC radio and the DS3225mg servos.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q112TQF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fyK8EbH4MYZX8

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GK1G5FV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_EzK8EbSAVSYRS

 

[iball123456]

@slick2500 thanks for the recommendations. I can't get the Dumborc controllers here in the uk without importing which looks like it will take a long time. I've ordered a FlySky GT5 for my son's Typhon and my Kraton (I've also now got a Notorious, so ordered one for it as well).

Regarding the servo, will the one you list work as a straight swap? Do i need the 270 degree version rather than the 180? Sorry for the questions!

 

[ph47mf]

that servo is a straight swap, you can even use the original servo saver, doesn't matter about the 270/180, set the trim after you've plugged it in.

 

[iball123456]

Excellent thanks @ph47mf. Forgive my ignorance, so i can get the 180 degree version (it's cheaper) without any issues? what do i need to do to set it up once installed, or is it ready to go as soon as it is connected?

Thanks

 

[ph47mf]

you probably only need like 90 degrees so 180 is fine, for the sake of a few quid I would go for the 25kg instead of 20kg so its a bit more powerful.

take out the old one, try remember how it was installed in the first place (where's it plugged in in the receiver and which way the servo saver goes), plug the new one in (don't install it yet), turn on Transmitter the servo will self centre, set steering trims to neutral, put stock saver on and put it back in.

I'm a newbie myself and I find hiding all those wires into the receiver box more challenging than the actual installation.

 

[iball123456]

thank you @ph47mf, so does the stock servo saver work best rather than the metal one the unit appears to come with? The Typhon and Kraton look like they have almost identical set ups so hopefully it will be straight forward, i'll put the new receiver in at the same time.

I've ordered the 25kg versions for both my son's Typhon and my Kraton. Anyone know if the current Notorious 6S would benefit from this upgrade? I checked the essential Notorious upgrades section in the 6s forum and it said the standard servo was good.

 

[ph47mf]

I just left the metal one as a spare, didn't even try put on, I thought I would kill the used servo saver first.

it seems the same 15kg servo is used across the whole brand, personally I don't think it's a big issue, it's just a bit slower. I would think the 25kg would be an upgrade for the notorious as well.

 

[JAM]

Sorry for your bout of bad luck. I’ve had my issues with my K4s as well but not to the level as you have had. There are few on here with the same struggles as you and it seems that it’s kinda 60/40 love hate the 4s line up.

I like you Run with my boy and nothing sucks more than not having a truck to run at the same time so I feel you there. My remedy was to buy another truck so we now have 3 And to be fair my K4s has been down the most in comparison. I’d still 100% recommend it though. You could swap tires to a smaller variety and run on 3s if you want to play safe and reduce the risk. Still, between myself and my son there is usually needs fixing after each run.

As stated here are the top issues I’d address are in this order,

Slipper Clutch Maintenance.
-constant issue with not staying tight. Fix in this vid.

Radio
-GT5 is great choice. Did that swap myself. Game changer in control of the vehicle.

-RPM arms up front for sure.
I’m Still running stock rear with 0 issues other than some slight bend to them. I have rpms standing by.

Sealed Bearings
-I put this off out of laziness but had one go bad on the input gear which shredded the input gear and rear diff.

Servo
-Can’t go wrong with what you ordered. Stick with 180 as there is less fine tuning involved over a 270.
-Not sure if able to get there but the kimborough 124 servo saver tightens things up over stock but you can get away with stock if you want. The 124 requires trimming to fit btw. There are good discussions here if you search on it.

Pivot Ball Upgrade
-this tightens up all your turnbuckles. Less steering wobble better handling.
-to further tighten things up you can upgrade the bellcrank to aluminum or leave stock but swap bushings out for bearings. Both upgrades over stock.

 

[slick2500]

@slick2500 thanks for the recommendations. I can't get the Dumborc controllers here in the uk without importing which looks like it will take a long time. I've ordered a FlySky GT5 for my son's Typhon and my Kraton (I've also now got a Notorious, so ordered one for it as well).

Regarding the servo, will the one you list work as a straight swap? Do i need the 270 degree version rather than the 180? Sorry for the questions!

Banggood, Aliexpress and I think Rc mart sell them as well. Do you still get charged import on stuff shipped from China?

 

[Surchaufeur]

Owning an k4s on 15t its a complete tank vs my typhon who kept breaking stuff i only broke 3 arms in a year and they were justified. Broke 2 chassis becauses i kissed a tree and one metal post at high speed went trought a couple of diffs but since i got the metal diff yokes for the rear problem has been solved. Went trought a couple or motor mount because the car hates nose dart on concrete so now i have a front tbone bumper who was made for the rear of a typhon.

And one turnbuckle in a roof landing thats pretty much it for broken parts in a year i was unlucky and though my kraton 4s was cursed. You need to remplace the radio servo is okayish and the bearing the stock ines are hot crap and went they go bad they will melt stuff i run with a bit loose clutch on 15t because of the extra torque and i never melted anything
My typhon in the other hand is inferior to my kraton broke the wing and wing mount in the first 3 days while on my 4s kraton i never broke it only the wing mount once when it was -40 degres LOL so that doesn't count countless of wing landings never broke i think its because of the kraton wing being more flexible than the typhon. Broke 2 arms so yeah i can understand why people go with rpm on the 3s line because they break easy but on the 4s i find them reliable

Sorry for your bout of bad luck. I’ve had my issues with my K4s as well but not to the level as you have had. There are few on here with the same struggles as you and it seems that it’s kinda 60/40 love hate the 4s line up.

I like you Run with my boy and nothing sucks more than not having a truck to run at the same time so I feel you there. My remedy was to buy another truck so we now have 3 And to be fair my K4s has been down the most in comparison. I’d still 100% recommend it though. You could swap tires to a smaller variety and run on 3s if you want to play safe and reduce the risk. Still, between myself and my son there is usually needs fixing after each run.

As stated here are the top issues I’d address are in this order,

Slipper Clutch Maintenance.
-constant issue with not staying tight. Fix in this vid.

Radio
-GT5 is great choice. Did that swap myself. Game changer in control of the vehicle.

-RPM arms up front for sure.
I’m Still running stock rear with 0 issues other than some slight bend to them. I have rpms standing by.

Sealed Bearings
-I put this off out of laziness but had one go bad on the input gear which shredded the input gear and rear diff.

Servo
-Can’t go wrong with what you ordered. Stick with 180 as there is less fine tuning involved over a 270.
-Not sure if able to get there but the kimborough 124 servo saver tightens things up over stock but you can get away with stock if you want. The 124 requires trimming to fit btw. There are good discussions here if you search on it.

Pivot Ball Upgrade
-this tightens up all your turnbuckles. Less steering wobble better handling.
-to further tighten things up you can upgrade the bellcrank to aluminum or leave stock but swap bushings out for bearings. Both upgrades over stock.

Also use shims to eliminate the slop better than buying the hot racing bellcrank who is pricy
The kimbourgh 124 has a lot of slop i stole the spring and used it on the original saver no play now
Maybe my kraton never lands funny because i vent my tires?? it helps with balooning and at the same time air control but how i broke the last A arm and turnbuckle was when i tried front flips its a gamble doing front flips

 

[imasnyper]

My fiancé and I bought a K4s last week, our first real rc truck, and within 5 minutes on my fiancé's first run she hit a pole on 50% power and busted the front left a arm, shock shaft/spring perch, and the front gearbox cover/shock tower. Local hobby shop attempted a repair on the spring perch, but it broke again on our very next run after one tumble from too sharp of a turn(this time I was running it at 75% on the radio). I have a new one on order, so I'm hoping that will fix the problem. I hope it was still broken and was only meant to be a temporary repair. If one roll at 75% speed is all it will take to break the shocks I'm never going to be able to run a full battery through it before something breaks.

 

[Linchpind]

I just busted my chassy, front gearbox cover, and front shock shaft after hitting a parked car with my Kraton 4S. Oddly enough the front arms and servo are OK. This was the trucks 5th run. Was hoping to have more fun with it this holiday weekend, but instead I'll be waiting on parts. This was completely my fault.

This is my first RC car in 18 years. I absolutely love my 4S and can't wait to get it back up and running. I used to have a Tamiya Hornet back when I was a kid and thought about buying a Clodbuster during the pandemic lockdown until I saw a video of the Kraton running. It blows anything from Tamiya out of the water in terms of performance. its amazing how far this hobby has come since I used to run RC cars as a kid. Damn...now I feel old!

 

[iball123456]

Banggood, Aliexpress and I think Rc mart sell them as well. Do you still get charged import on stuff shipped from China?

I found UK stock of the Flysky radios so they arrived in a couple of days. Put one of them in my Notorious last night but haven't had a chance to try it out.

I just busted my chassy, front gearbox cover, and front shock shaft after hitting a parked car with my Kraton 4S. Oddly enough the front arms and servo are OK. This was the trucks 5th run. Was hoping to have more fun with it this holiday weekend, but instead I'll be waiting on parts. This was completely my fault.

This is my first RC car in 18 years. I absolutely love my 4S and can't wait to get it back up and running. I used to have a Tamiya Hornet back when I was a kid and thought about buying a Clodbuster during the pandemic lockdown until I saw a video of the Kraton running. It blows anything from Tamiya out of the water in terms of performance. its amazing how far this hobby has come since I used to run RC cars as a kid. Damn...now I feel old!

I had a Tamiya Manta Ray as my first RC car 25 years ago and I found it in my parent's loft 6 months ago which got me back into RCs. I wanted a hobby my son and I could do together and after getting the Tamiya going again we got the bug, until it caught fire!

Between us we 3 Arrmas and I've just about got enough spare parts to start my own shop, but I'm still waiting on a new slipper plate assembly to get the Kraton back up and running, I've been waiting 3 months for one now, I've got everything except the metal plates which sandwich it on the outside!