Savage XL FLux: tie rods for Flm extended arm set /super long body post for school bus body

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SavageLukas

Member
Messages
16
Hello everyone,

My Name is Lukas and I am new into this Hobby. I come from Austria and bought a Savage XL FLux (used with some upgrades),and now I want to upgrade it to the flm extended arm kit, unfortunately the set does not come with the longer tie rods you obviously need to run the Sav. I have not found a set so far so can anyone help me or tell me a brand... I don´t find them from flm, maybe they don´t make any ?

Here is the set
IMG_E0672.JPG
Here is some stuff of my savage cause I just want to share it with you :)
I just changed the wheels and Body so far, hope you like it!

That´s how I got him about 1 month ago...
IMG_0518.PNG

And this is what I already made :)
IMG_0679.JPGIMG_0680.JPGIMG_0682.JPGIMG_0683.JPGIMG_0685.JPG
 
I also wanna thank you for the admission. My english is not the best as I come from Austria, it´s even worse when you hear it ?

I was really happy when I found this forum. Just a great community, I already browsed trough the forum and found out a lot of usefull informations...

I am also looking for 17mm offset rims, best would be chrome, something like ofna pirate and some big tires like the imex chevron...
6925
 
Last edited:
Just got some good stuff today from UK :) all used except the schoolbus body!
IMG_0741.JPG
52A5177E-C38C-4146-802B-0CF558D8497B.jpeg
do you like it ? I already love it ;P
don't know what to do with it. Go for a yellow school bus or a stickerbomb maybe... or airbrush some nice stuff on it.

but how to mount it on the rear ?Any ideas.. I think the gpm long body post is to short as well!
IMG_0731.JPGIMG_0734.JPG
´They will look sick together with the ford body! :)
 
Last edited:
i know a few companies back in the day made extended body mounts, anymore not a clue though, i have used round rod stock and drilled holes then use a little bigger piece like a sleeve to connect the bar on top (i am terrible at explaining lol) like this:
6938
Truck looks good! really cool they did the LST shock mod to it, and looks like they got the actual kit. those upgrades are going to be nice.
good luck!
 
If you know the length of tie-rod you need, check out lunsford. They make many various lengths of titanium turnbuckles and you should be able to find something there that will work for you. I ran those on my losi aftershock back in the day, they were tough as a coffin nail. I kept busting stock tie-rods on the front/turnbuckles on the rear. Never had an issue again after spending the $ on lunsford.

https://lunsfordracing.com/collections/turnbuckles
 
Mate that looks like a great ride!

You have to go for the yellow school bus.....but it needs to be the zombie or apocalypse version or ghost and ghoul graphics
 
So today I tried to mount the longer axles I recently got and I found out they don´t fit on my XL FLux! When I got the truck the short axles where mounted for some reason... I thought they would fit cause the XL Flux has the longer axles standard... The problem is that the longer axles are bigger as well. Maybe I don't have the right dog bone for the XL flux ?! Do I need different dog bones with bigger connection ends and will bigger ends fit into the Diff connection. I am pretty confused at the moment., pls help.... Here are some pics
IMG_0800.JPG
70F54237-0641-4F35-BC91-E0AC57BC743D.jpeg
IMG_0799.JPGIMG_E0709.JPG
I found a easy solution for the mounting problem: I just drilled 2 holes into the old mount and extended it with a piece I had left....
IMG_0801.JPG
It´s quite stiff actually....
 
Last edited:
Gday Lukas
Welcome to custom RC mate!!!!
Get yourself a set of digital vernier callipers. From now everything has to be pretty spot on.
Standard plastic has a certain amount of give and the tolerances are all pretty loose.

Once you change one part you change the whole balance and it can be tough to find it again.

I built 2 x RC boats....fibreglass with 2 stroke engines. The big one had 2 x 26cc engines bolted together on the one crank but with 2 carbs. Both halves of the engines had to be identical.....exhaust tuning, header length and curve, carb tuning...
I spent spent over a thousand hours building and testing them both till they started first pull and ran awesome!!
But the satisfaction at the end of it is worth every time you drop a screw, find it, drop it again, drop the bit youre holding in your other hand......lol
 
Get yourself a set of digital vernier callipers. From now everything has to be pretty spot on.

Once you change one part you change the whole balance and it can be tough to find it again.

I built 2 x RC boats....fibreglass with 2 stroke engines. The big one had 2 x 26cc engines bolted together on the one crank but with 2 carbs. Both halves of the engines had to be identical.....exhaust tuning, header length and curve, carb tuning...
I spent spent over a thousand hours building and testing them both till they started first pull and ran awesome!!
But the satisfaction at the end of it is worth every time you drop a screw, find it, drop it again, drop the bit youre holding in your other hand......lol

I would be so afraid driving something I spent so much money and time on...

I try to make everything as clean and correct as possible. Of course we make mistakes in the beginning but I think that´s the right way to learn it...

I bought everything I need like the calliper and some good screw drivers.... I think I am well equiped for the moment :)
IMG_0809.JPG
 
Yeah, you need the super duty bones for the flux hp/octane, but you will also need the diff cups as well if yours aren't the larger ones.

https://www.hpiracing.com/en/part/86246

quite bad news, thanks :LOL:

I really want the extention cause you will also have a much better look at the steering/caster blocks....
And they are stock so you can imagine the savage drives bad with this setup right now...

So now I need the XL flux bones and the diff cubs will also not fit, really ? o_O to change the cubs you have to open the diffs right ? Can I replace those diff cubs with no more work/exchances of parts ?

But actually I wanted to go for the extended flm arms with the longer dog bones... so I would only need new diff cubs right ? Not sure if the savage still looking good, much wider and lower...
 
Last edited:
If it was nitro, you could get away with the smaller cups and maybe find extended axles that were standard size cup, can't recall if those exist or not.

These should be a direct fit, and yeah, you have to take the diffs completely apart.

Super Duty Diff cups (need 2 pair):
https://rc4me.us/product/hpisav8020/

Super Duty bones (need 2 pair):
https://rc4me.us/product/hpisav8028/

Super Duty Extended axles (need 2 pair):
https://rc4me.us/product/hpi86249/

Naptha will break down silicone diff oil. I use 50K oil in both of my savages. Helps with ballooning when on two wheels... but mostly, just doesn't leak out very easy. :)
 
Hi mate
* re diff axle cups....yes you have to pull the diffs apart. Do-able but fiddly. You will need shims and between 10k and 100k diff oils, new seals and threadlock to put back together. Check all diff gear teeth and replace if any are chipped.
* yeah I hear you on being scared about breaking it...this build for me is about precision driving a weapon rather than a basharound
* have you looked at the wheel nut extenders? I run 10mm you can also get 15mm ones....they fit over your axle, sit on king pins, but give you much better mount for wheels with 17mm wheel nutsScreenshot_2019-07-09-16-09-34.png
 
Alright thanks guys for the information. I read that the wheel extension hex hubs are not as good/solid as the wider axles… I found someone selling me his used HD dog bones and diff cups I think I will go for them… I need a HD drive train anyway, as my savage gets heavier all the time:cool:

Why do I have to shim the diffs? Can´t I just replace the diff cups, without shimming?
And what seals do I need? I only know the ones you put between the Diff cubs and the dog bones

I also found out that the Integy caster blocks are not working together with the standard adjustable upper arm set. I had to use the fixed ones…
 
Last edited:
Remember everyone has an opinion.....but at the same time crazy to not learn from other peoples pains and frustrations.

Most of the custom bits I added needed a bit of work to fit.

You might be lucky and get away with just rebuilding your diffs with hd cups and just new oil...
My experience was that by following the instructions in how to shim the diff mine were way too tight and didnt fit snug in my diff housings. Actually wore channels in my plastic originals so I "had to?" replace with the alloy ones. I had to put shims between outside of bearings and cups to get right fit.
I spent hours getting them close fit but not tight.....too tight and the pins were bending the inside large washer and effectively turning it into a brake on the diff case. Get it right and smooth as.
There are 2 small o-rings (5x2mm?) Which go on the axle shafts to seal. There is one large washer.....change it if scratched or dented. There are also 4 x square peg spacers for bevel shafts, and 4 x small washers. There is a gasket seal which goes between gearwheel and diff case. I polished the flat surface on the inside of my diff case to ensure smooth.
Get gaskets etc on ebay....there is a hd diff gear set which includes spacers and washers.
I'm told 50k to 100k weight diff oil is about right.
Takes time and fiddly but you will understand lots more about how and why things break when you do
 
I used those "extensions" on both of my savages with the extended axle stubs do do away with the HPI flanged nut. In their original form, they did not do very well as when I got my flux used, it had them on it with short axles and they were super sloppy/worn. Considering how much of the extension is supported by the shaft, kind of makes sense why.

I modified them by cutting them short and drilling a new hole for the pins in the hex area so 80% of the hub is supported by the extended axle shaft. They seem to work fine that way.

I tried it on my flux after snapping the threaded end off one of the axles with the HPI nuts/hexes:
2018-0402-SavageFlux-Hubs-CutUncut.jpg

2018-0402-SavageFlux-Hubs-OnTruckTop.jpg

2018-0402-SavageFlux-Hubs-OnTruckEnd.jpg


Then I later bought a second set to do the same on my nitro X:
2019-0417-SavageX-17mmHub-closeup.jpg


I had to drill holes in the center of the caps as the threaded end stuck out too far.
2018-0402-SavageFlux-Hubs-Wheelnut-Drilled.jpg
 
I used those "extensions" on both of my savages with the extended axle stubs do do away with the HPI flanged nut. In their original form, they did not do very well as when I got my flux used, it had them on it with short axles and they were super sloppy/worn. Considering how much of the extension is supported by the shaft, kind of makes sense why.

I modified them by cutting them short and drilling a new hole for the pins in the hex area so 80% of the hub is supported by the extended axle shaft. They seem to work fine that way.

I tried it on my flux after snapping the threaded end off one of the axles with the HPI nuts/hexes:

This is actually a great idea, I m gonna keep this in mind for the future. At first I will go for the extended ones and see if this is enough to get the driving experience I am looking for. Step by Step :) What´s your experience about the solid rear axle carriers ?
 
What´s your experience about the solid rear axle carriers ?
They work great. Don't need the extra tie rods and if you use specific 4mm or 5mm bolts (can't recall the bolt size I used), you can get them so the threaded part is beyond the width of the carrier so the threads don't grind away on the parts and no more stupid e-clips.
 
I have not been doing anything on my savage for almost a year.
But now I wanna go on again and have some more questions as well. I hope you guys still enjoy my build ;)

I have been ordering some integy arms and 18mm hub extensions . I only drive my savage on the road. no jumbs and bashing action on this any more :/ , so I think the extension will be fine :)

Anyway I wanna finsih my school bus body. I have to cut out a lot of windows and the body material is really hard and thick. Not comparable with normal polycarbonate. Any ideas how to cut out all the windows, special tools ?

My only idea is to use a hand fretsaw, but think this would be very complex because the body is quite big/long and I have no idea how to fix the body on the fretsaw board and then cut out the windows. There is no space to move the fretsaw because it is allways colliding with the bus body....

IMG_2024.JPG
IMG_2025.JPG
 
I have not been doing anything on my savage for almost a year.
But now I wanna go on again and have some more questions as well. I hope you guys still enjoy my build ;)

I have been ordering some integy arms and 18mm hub extensions . I only drive my savage on the road. no jumbs and bashing action on this any more :/ , so I think the extension will be fine :)

Anyway I wanna finsih my school bus body. I have to cut out a lot of windows and the body material is really hard and thick. Not comparable with normal polycarbonate. Any ideas how to cut out all the windows, special tools ?

My only idea is to use a hand fretsaw, but think this would be very complex because the body is quite big/long and I have no idea how to fix the body on the fretsaw board and then cut out the windows. There is no space to move the fretsaw because it is allways colliding with the bus body....

View attachment 8094
View attachment 8095
Could use a dremel with a cut wheel. Then the small sanding wheel/drum to clean it up.
 
Could use a dremel with a cut wheel. Then the small sanding wheel/drum to clean it up.

Yeah I also think this would be the best method, I will be using some Diamond/Titan cutting wheels and the sanding wheels to clean, but maybe its better to clean it by hand., I only have bad experiences with the sanding wheels and it´s hard to find some good tools....
 
Hey savage riders,
here are some update pics of my savage.
IMG_2285.JPG
IMG_2284.JPG
IMG_2282.JPG
I think I will paint the savage body in Camel Yellow, use white springs and put on some camel stickers to get a look like this:
a36073a9e483a0d9470b289716ebdd4b.jpg

Next upgrades will be alloy bulkheads and maybe a heavy duty drive train.
My savage Xl flux still has a standard drive train and the short axles. Not sure why, but I bought it used and I think it was a conversion from a savage HP or a Nitro Version maybe... anyway the owner sold it to me as a savage Xl FLux....

Greets Lukas
 
Last edited:
Remember everyone has an opinion.....but at the same time crazy to not learn from other peoples pains and frustrations.

Most of the custom bits I added needed a bit of work to fit.

You might be lucky and get away with just rebuilding your diffs with hd cups and just new oil...
My experience was that by following the instructions in how to shim the diff mine were way too tight and didnt fit snug in my diff housings. Actually wore channels in my plastic originals so I "had to?" replace with the alloy ones. I had to put shims between outside of bearings and cups to get right fit.
I spent hours getting them close fit but not tight.....too tight and the pins were bending the inside large washer and effectively turning it into a brake on the diff case. Get it right and smooth as.
There are 2 small o-rings (5x2mm?) Which go on the axle shafts to seal. There is one large washer.....change it if scratched or dented. There are also 4 x square peg spacers for bevel shafts, and 4 x small washers. There is a gasket seal which goes between gearwheel and diff case. I polished the flat surface on the inside of my diff case to ensure smooth.
Get gaskets etc on ebay....there is a hd diff gear set which includes spacers and washers.
I'm told 50k to 100k weight diff oil is about right.
Takes time and fiddly but you will understand lots more about how and why things break when you do
thanks for the great Info! , which brand aloy bulkhead did you use for you savage, pls tell me about the replacement... ?
Can I use it with a Standard drive train and a HD drive train, both ? Have you got any pics of your build ?

I have not opened the diffs or the bulkhead so far because they have been working so there was no need to.... but when I look into the bulkhead the teeth of the ring gear have some rust on the flank.. Still seems to work fine but I have to do something about it anyway :p Can i just get rid of the rust, lubricate it and it,s fine or will the gear get rusty again soon ?
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top