I do not have any personal experience with Rock Pirates, but the best mod for me has been Anti-Foams in the front and brass steering knuckles. These two have made my Ecto crazy capable. I would agree with catching the rear arms is a challenge. But I have been working on learning how to drive it. Very different from my Trx4's and Scx's. I have only had mine for a month.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

That’s another vote for the antifoams! I think it’s time to try them out! Thank you for the feedback, learning to drive it is definitely key with this rig, you’re so right 👍

I run mine as more of a belly dragger style, desert lizard shocks or Amazon knockoffs in full droop, it gets those trailing arms almost parallel to the ground and they won't catch on things.

I'm running a combination of Rock Pirates and IERC parts. Have RP front and rear shock towers which look great and give a S#&t ton of shock mounting options. I watched their vid on the shock towers where he punched new holes for the body posts. Wasn't grooving on that option so just cut the stock ones and mounted them on the front tower and matched up pretty close to stock body post holes. Liked the look of the IERC sliders a touch more than RP and the mounting method for the trailing arm. Anyway, found the same thing with the trailing arms and at first blamed my driving, but found it was usually the arms. Was toying with the idea of losing the trailing arm/sway bar and going with standard links. Days just got shorter so might tinker and see if that would work or not.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Hey thanks for the tip, I’ll look into IERC now! I agree, no feeling the idea of putting new holes in the body and repurposing the stock posts is a great idea. If you come up with something while tinkering over the next weeks lmk 👍

I put on the rockpirates sliders, great upgrade. All the other upgrades are ssd products, brass and axles. A 46kg servo helped out to.😁😁👍👍

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Great simple list! Sounds like a recipe for a solid rig. I’m thinking rockpirates have my business 👍

@kellykuretich6366

Жыл бұрын

@Sonoran Scale Studios also ssd 8 hole steel wheels, crawler innovation dual stage foams and proline crawler t/a. If you go to driving drew on you tube and watch his last video, that's us crawling palmer park.

I have all rock pirates stuff on mine. Love it

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

So many good reviews for RP products……I need to reach out to him.

I just picked one up and it’s crazy capable out of the box with good tires. I run Hyrax tires.

I put a trx4 axle on the rear and used IERC shock towers to get the truck to squat more. Metal trailing arms don't slide as well as the plastic arms. With the trx4 axle on the rear you will need to add overdrive gears to the axle and turn the transmission around so the overdrive goes to the rear.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

interesting setup, so the rear runs on a portal which allows for additional sag to flatten the arm angle out? That’s a very cool build you have, I bet it performs really well

@serrated13

Жыл бұрын

@@SonoranScaleStudios Yes its keeps the arms out of the way and keeps you from getting hung up on the rear dif. As well I like the IERC shock towers more than the Rock Pirates, they make great stuff but thier rear towers dont let you lay the shock down enough to make any diffrence.

I've had the ecto for a few months now, awesome crawler!

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Do you have the yellow or the green? And did you choose to install the increased overdrive gears or leave it as it came?

@kellykuretich6366

Жыл бұрын

@Sonoran Scale Studios the green one and left the gears the way it came. Watch the last video from driving drew on you tube. That's my wife's ecto actually, I'm just the mechanic. 😁😁👍👍

I just got one and was thinking high clearance links if at all possible.

My Ecto has Rock Pirates Shock mounts & I have the sliders but haven’t installed them yet. Bigger tires definitely help it but I don’t have many issues with mine hanging up. The price on the metal arms has held me up from getting them.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Yes exactly, even if there wasn’t a gain I would consider the arms at a more reasonable cost. At no gain and high price tag it makes it tough to argue the need. I’m leaning towards a combo of rockpiratesrc and IERC. For sure some ruptures as soon as I can find them. Been playing with the TRX4M the past few days, then I’ll be back to the Ecto

i put club 5 high clearance links on my senduro hd id imagine they would bolt right on to this thing their heavier more durable and more big around than the stock links and plus increases breakover angles quite a bit

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Thanks guys this gives another viable option! Especially when more than one person is shouting them out. 👍

Rock Pirate RC products are absolutely awesome. I have their products on both my Ectos. Also look into IERC. Another great company with some awesome products for the Ecto.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Awesome feedback, I’ll definitely check out IERC before I buy. Thanks my friend!

I have the IERC sliders and shock mounts. Combined with the ruptures, I think it crawls pretty well. Liked the rock pirates stuff, didn’t want to make new holes in the body. We should meet up and swap controllers. I’m in Buckeye.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Nice, that’s quite a few IERC referrals. Where did you find the ruptures? I’ve been hunting 1.9’s for 6 months it feels like hahaha. Most definitely, buckeye is an hour or less for me, would be fun!

@joestrebig6144

Жыл бұрын

I had my hobby shop (AZRC Hobbies) order them through Amain. It took a few months, but they finally showed up. I didn’t mention this earlier, but I have yet to have the trailing arms get hung up with the IERC sliders.

They may hang up on everything, but that may be because they boost rear travel and drop the axle lower than a 4 link. I was wondering while watching why I haven't noticed this problem on my gatekeeper, but realized it probably has something to do with the Capra axles I swapped on when I got it. I think the alloy trailing arms will not slide nice. Maybe you should try to cap the bottom and sides with some thin stainless, and secure it with the shock and sway bar bolts. I have been using some stainless sheet that I harvested from a dead toaster, it's pretty easy to work and slides nice.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

That’s a good idea, way more economical and if it doesn’t help not much lost. Thanks Michael 👍

Having same issue. Was thinking high clearance links and trashing the trailing arms. Don't know how ppl say they don't have the issue. Running Dessert Lizards with Rock Pirate shock towers and sliders. Have 2.2 Pitbull Tires with anti-foams.

@quentinsilas5912

8 ай бұрын

What length high clearance links are they?

It's more geometry and the lack of flex than the trailing arms in my experience. If your slow crawling and not rock bouncing you would benefit from removing the rear sway bar. Second tip would be matching the upper links to a knightrunner. Get a knightrunner link set and run the upper links into the second screw on the frame rail matching a stock knightrunner.

I think better tires and foams will help tremendously, that seems like the majority of your issue imo. Aluminum will drag harder than plastic over rocks. Also keep in mind you’re trying to drive a straight axle truck over major boulders here, you’re gonna be dragging those if it isn’t the trailing arms.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Great points! Have since gone to trenchers with 2 stage foams and Rock Pirates shock mounts to change the geometry a bit. Less hangups and smoother slide now 👍

Mine has axial yeti arms on my ecto, made by vanquish! I can show you how I built it if you’re interested.

I flipped the stock sliders over (and swapped side to side). I made a little bracket to reinforce the trailing arm mount. I'll put my FB post link in a reply to this comment...just in case YT won't allow it.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Hey perfect, that’s some innovative thinking and I like the idea. Thanks for sharing 👍🤜

@JPWirt

Жыл бұрын

@@SonoranScaleStudios, as expected YT wouldn't allow the link. They worked really well. They were flush with the bottom of the frame and the bottom of the body. You just have to trim off the antenna tube support and they're completely flat.

@JPWirt

Жыл бұрын

@@SonoranScaleStudios You can see them here, but after I had already switched to rear links. kzread.info/dash/bejne/f2Zo0LeretHQidY.html

Finally....removed the trailing arms. Replaced with Hard Core RC high clearance links. If you're running Rock Pirates shock towers, makes the transfer easy with some spacers on lower and upper shock mounts. Anyway, tested her tonight and wow!!! Gained some flex, but made it up a spot I had not made when running trailing arms.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info!

😲🥰🤩💥💯👍👏👏👏

It looks like you are dragging the body as much as the trailing arms…. Maybe tuck the body, or get sliders for the body to tuck into.

@SonoranScaleStudios

Жыл бұрын

Great suggestion. Have the Rock Pirates sliders ready to install. We will see how they go!

Wax the trail arms with surf wax