Wanting to change axles

[Savage 6768]

Is there a different axle that I can run on the savage ? I have seen somewhere you can swap out the savage axle for a buggy 17mm hex axle but not sure which one. I gather its just a case of finding the specs of the axles. BTW I am running the standard flux axles , is it better just to get the XL axles. Any information would be much appreciated
Cheers

 

[olds97_lss]

XL axles add width, so if that's what you want, go for it. However, the added width adds strain to your suspension and bearings. I had the standard HP short axles on mine when I got it, but when I got a set of trenchers, I had to go wider because the tires rubbed the shocks when I turned.

I think there are two sizes of axles though, the standard size cup and super HD sized cup, so make sure you get the ones you need. I use the HD sized cups/bones on my flux and my X. On my X, I use the short axles and traxxas t-maxx 3.3 tires/traxxas geode wheels that are 1/2" offset. On the Flux I use the longer XL axles with proline trenchers on zero offset rims.

 

[Savage 6768]

XL axles add width, so if that's what you want, go for it. However, the added width adds strain to your suspension and bearings. I had the standard HP short axles on mine when I got it, but when I got a set of trenchers, I had to go wider because the tires rubbed the shocks when I turned.

I think there are two sizes of axles though, the standard size cup and super HD sized cup, so make sure you get the ones you need. I use the HD sized cups/bones on my flux and my X. On my X, I use the short axles and traxxas t-maxx 3.3 tires/traxxas geode wheels that are 1/2" offset. On the Flux I use the longer XL axles with proline trenchers on zero offset rims.

Thanks for the information. Yeah I just wanted to get away from those pesky nuts as I have already lost a couple. As usual can not find any wide axles here in NZ, only ones I can find seem to be on ebay .price and delivery adds up. So after cranking the nuts hard on the wheel I notice the nuts leave a bit of the axle exposed so I thought could I be able to drill the axle and put a r clip in to stop the nut working loose ? Thoughts ?

 

[olds97_lss]

Oh geez! Your still running 14mm hubs?

Get some gel locktight. Works wonders on wheel nuts. It's all I use on RC's anymore. It works better and you tend to waste less as it doesn't run all over like the watery stuff.

Also, replace the nuts with fresh ones. After going on and off a couple times, they don't hold well.

 

[Savage 6768]

Oh geez! Your still running 14mm hubs?

Get some gel locktight. Works wonders on wheel nuts. It's all I use on RC's anymore. It works better and you tend to waste less as it doesn't run all over like the watery stuff.

Also, replace the nuts with fresh ones. After going on and off a couple times, they don't hold well.

Yes they are 14mm hubs lol. Its all the parts I have for left over for a parts build plus the wheels and tires are just to good to be left in the draw. My flux XL runs the 17mm hubs with the bigger flange nuts. Do you know what the part number is for the bigger flange nuts are ?

 

[olds97_lss]

The new HPI ones kind of suck. I've started using axial ones instead.

Old HPI Z680 on the left, new in the middle, axial 31087 on the right:

The axial's threads don't start at the base of the flange though, so they don't bite on using many threads. However, after running my flux like I stole it the past 6 months, they held on for me just fine. The teeth in the flange dig into the rim really well and make it hard to take off, but it's a very solid nut with a long nut part to go into a wrench really well, so they don't strip like the HPI ones tend to do as well.

 

[Dannywylie83_123]

I run a thunder tiger eb4 s3 17mm hex that uses a 4mm pin, i drilled the xl extended axel out so the pin would fit and then put blue thread lock on an 8mm nut at the end this stops the pin sliding out and keeps it all solid.

 

[olds97_lss]

I did something similar with some cheap extended hubs that came on my truck. The previous owner had these just stuck on the end and they flopped all over the place:

I cut them, removed the stock spacer, then drilled new holes in the hex area. Beings my lack of accuracy, each one is shimmed a bit differently, but I have 15mm or so of the neck supported by the axle vs just the last 3-4mm, so odds are, they will last a good long while. I bought a second set to put on my X at some point. I'll try and make sure to be a little more accurate with my hack saw when I cut those down. lol

When I installed these, it was because I snapped an axle at the threads. So, I have 1 short and 3 normal. For the normal ones to fit, I had to drill holes in the ends of the nut caps.

I suppose I could have used them how they were and just measured/drilled new pin holes, then got creative with heat shrink and used some threaded axle pins like the revo uses. They would have still added 4mm or so more width, but the neck where the pin would have been would have been pretty thin and more than likely caused issues losing pins all the time. So, I went the hacksaw route instead so the wheel hex holds the pin in. I still put a bit of shoegoo on them so they stay when I take the wheels off, or they fall right out.

 

[Savage 6768]

After reading your post here on the HPISF forum a while back olds I remembered I had some of those 17mm hubs so out with the hack saw and drill. Have been running the set up for a while in my XL Flux

 

[Savage 6768]

The new HPI ones kind of suck. I've started using axial ones instead.

Old HPI Z680 on the left, new in the middle, axial 31087 on the right:

The axial's threads don't start at the base of the flange though, so they don't bite on using many threads. However, after running my flux like I stole it the past 6 months, they held on for me just fine. The teeth in the flange dig into the rim really well and make it hard to take off, but it's a very solid nut with a long nut part to go into a wrench really well, so they don't strip like the HPI ones tend to do as well.

Picked up a couple sets of the Axial 31087 nuts on ebay . Have been using them on the Savage CD build. Have had not had a problem with them coming loose ( highly recommended cheers olds )

 

[Dannywylie83_123]

Ive got a set of those cheap extended hexs i like whatve both done with them i might try it but with 4mm pins i kept bending the stock ones ....heres a pick of the stock vs the thunder tiger ones ....

 

[olds97_lss]

I haven't had any issue with the stock diameter pins, but I'm not using pins that were for RC. I picked up the pins at my hardware store because I needed longer ones than what I had to use with the hex adapters. They were too long and I had to cut them down a bit. They had them in the tiny little boxes with all the small nuts/bolts area.