Asuga Horatio's Sworkz S35 T2E Pro Build
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Horatio
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Ok, so I feel like this is probably a good time to describe the shake-down run of the T2E. Firstly, this is the first time it's been run since being built. No testing has been done with this rig prior to unleashing it on to the strip. The Sweep Crusher tyres have been scrubbed nicely by the Kronos XTR, so these were an obvious choice to use.
I felt I did a pretty good job with the build, but the first run wasn't without a couple of niggly issues. First issue was the steering linkage, where it screws into the horn. The counter sunk screw goes through the top of the horn and into the ball. But it turns out that M3 thread through this ball has not been tapped all the way through. I'm certain it should be. Because of this, it means that the M3 screw, whilst feeling tight (by hand) was not actually clamping the ball to the horn properly, resulting in no steering within the first 5 minutes.
Next up, 2 screws backed out from the centre diff mount from the top, where they go through the carbon plate. This resulted in the diff trying to depart from the car, which is obviously not a good thing. I heard it develop and remedied before it ate anything.
Despite using Loctite, 2 screws that hold the steering bell cranks started to back out. As did all the centre brace screws. I began to feel like my use of Loctite was not nearly liberal enough.
Once these minor things were taken care of, the T2E came into it's own.
The surface temperature was a mild 12 degrees centigrade. The light was fading fast, but the Castle 1515 2200kv motor was very smooth and confidence inspiring. Clearly this rig had some power in it and 6S could have been a real handful, considering how light it is. I have to say though that this machine is NOT as bonkers as you might think after driving a Corally 6S rig like a Shogun or XTR.
In fact, I have to say that whilst the rig had brutal acceleration, the way this Truggy lays the power down is surprisingly gracious. No ridiculous wheelies (although it was obvious the car would flip backwards if the throttle was punched) and the steering (once it worked!) was progressive and dare I say 'tame' compared to the XTR. Where it was less than tame was coming out of turns under power, where the rear end could snap away from you without warning. The best I could do was recover the rig once it had spun a full 360. Preventing the oversteer meant being less throttle happy. So, clearly this setup is very aggressive coming out of corners. On a higher traction surface, on softer tyres, perhaps this setup would be ideal.
The chassis is responsive to input and the suspension extremely plush. Even taking excursions over the gravel in these slicks didn't phase it - provided you finesse the throttle.
Despite my speed runs of just 52mph, limited only by the 15t stock pinion and the lower internal ratio of the T2E compared to the XTR, the acceleration was, as you might expect - impressive. 1.03g would - in theory - be good enough to propel the T2E from 0-60mph in just 2.68 seconds. However, the gearing here limited my speed to a lower speed and we don't live in a perfect world. I might add that these figures were from a 95% charge on an Onyx Graphene 6S.
So - what does this mean? The T2E on 6S is very, very quick - even when using a 15t pinion. To put this into perspective, this gearing is designed for the confines of a race track. Hitting 52mph and slowing down to turn around used 1225 feet - or 373 metres. No RC track in the world is that big.
But - what if I up the pinion and go for it? I reckon a 19t pinion would easily see speeds of over 72mph, given a theoretical value of 77mph for the rollout values for the Sweeps on the T2E. When I get a chance, I'm going to find out. Ditto for the XTR, which in fairness has gearing better suited for high speed runs. The T2E on the other hand seems to be the rig of choice for outrageous 0-60mph times.
The Castle Creations MMX and 1515 2200kv motor were flawless in operation to be fair. I did not use fans and I saw temps of just 112 degrees F. On higher ratios and warmer weather - this motor will probably need cooling fans. The sensored motor setup gave smooth throttle control, especially at lower speeds. It was possible to drive the car slowly in the house without destroying the furniture. Braking was strong and I now definitely want to get the castle link so I change stuff and see what's going on. The obvious thing would be the benefit of adjusting punch/throttle curves for 0-60mph optimisation.
Overall, the T2E drives very light compared with a basher rig like the Kronos or Kraton. It is able to change direction more rapidly - accelerate and brake with less drama than either of the aforementioned. Only time will tell if this rig will be durable - it certainly seems it. Lighter rigs crash with less energy, but lighter parts tend to be less durable.
I'm working on 2 videos - one for the XTR and one for the T2E. Should see them rendered this week.
Roll on the spring!!
I felt I did a pretty good job with the build, but the first run wasn't without a couple of niggly issues. First issue was the steering linkage, where it screws into the horn. The counter sunk screw goes through the top of the horn and into the ball. But it turns out that M3 thread through this ball has not been tapped all the way through. I'm certain it should be. Because of this, it means that the M3 screw, whilst feeling tight (by hand) was not actually clamping the ball to the horn properly, resulting in no steering within the first 5 minutes.
Next up, 2 screws backed out from the centre diff mount from the top, where they go through the carbon plate. This resulted in the diff trying to depart from the car, which is obviously not a good thing. I heard it develop and remedied before it ate anything.
Despite using Loctite, 2 screws that hold the steering bell cranks started to back out. As did all the centre brace screws. I began to feel like my use of Loctite was not nearly liberal enough.
Once these minor things were taken care of, the T2E came into it's own.
The surface temperature was a mild 12 degrees centigrade. The light was fading fast, but the Castle 1515 2200kv motor was very smooth and confidence inspiring. Clearly this rig had some power in it and 6S could have been a real handful, considering how light it is. I have to say though that this machine is NOT as bonkers as you might think after driving a Corally 6S rig like a Shogun or XTR.
In fact, I have to say that whilst the rig had brutal acceleration, the way this Truggy lays the power down is surprisingly gracious. No ridiculous wheelies (although it was obvious the car would flip backwards if the throttle was punched) and the steering (once it worked!) was progressive and dare I say 'tame' compared to the XTR. Where it was less than tame was coming out of turns under power, where the rear end could snap away from you without warning. The best I could do was recover the rig once it had spun a full 360. Preventing the oversteer meant being less throttle happy. So, clearly this setup is very aggressive coming out of corners. On a higher traction surface, on softer tyres, perhaps this setup would be ideal.
The chassis is responsive to input and the suspension extremely plush. Even taking excursions over the gravel in these slicks didn't phase it - provided you finesse the throttle.
Despite my speed runs of just 52mph, limited only by the 15t stock pinion and the lower internal ratio of the T2E compared to the XTR, the acceleration was, as you might expect - impressive. 1.03g would - in theory - be good enough to propel the T2E from 0-60mph in just 2.68 seconds. However, the gearing here limited my speed to a lower speed and we don't live in a perfect world. I might add that these figures were from a 95% charge on an Onyx Graphene 6S.
So - what does this mean? The T2E on 6S is very, very quick - even when using a 15t pinion. To put this into perspective, this gearing is designed for the confines of a race track. Hitting 52mph and slowing down to turn around used 1225 feet - or 373 metres. No RC track in the world is that big.
But - what if I up the pinion and go for it? I reckon a 19t pinion would easily see speeds of over 72mph, given a theoretical value of 77mph for the rollout values for the Sweeps on the T2E. When I get a chance, I'm going to find out. Ditto for the XTR, which in fairness has gearing better suited for high speed runs. The T2E on the other hand seems to be the rig of choice for outrageous 0-60mph times.
The Castle Creations MMX and 1515 2200kv motor were flawless in operation to be fair. I did not use fans and I saw temps of just 112 degrees F. On higher ratios and warmer weather - this motor will probably need cooling fans. The sensored motor setup gave smooth throttle control, especially at lower speeds. It was possible to drive the car slowly in the house without destroying the furniture. Braking was strong and I now definitely want to get the castle link so I change stuff and see what's going on. The obvious thing would be the benefit of adjusting punch/throttle curves for 0-60mph optimisation.
Overall, the T2E drives very light compared with a basher rig like the Kronos or Kraton. It is able to change direction more rapidly - accelerate and brake with less drama than either of the aforementioned. Only time will tell if this rig will be durable - it certainly seems it. Lighter rigs crash with less energy, but lighter parts tend to be less durable.
I'm working on 2 videos - one for the XTR and one for the T2E. Should see them rendered this week.
Roll on the spring!!
VaporTrail
Well-known member
Weather at the moment is mild but wet. Pointless taking out the T2E in this.
View attachment 5332
Drizzle, fog, rain -
View attachment 5333
I needed to get the angle of the steering link level. To do this, I used 3 washers, a conical M3 washer and an M3 countersunk washer.
View attachment 5334
The mounting lugs have been removed to 2mm on the ESC mount. Fitted to the chassis, this lowers the ESC sufficiently to avoid the steering horn fouling it.
View attachment 5335View attachment 5336
3M Dual Lock and UHB clear double sided tape. Dual lock mounted the ESC and UHB used to mount the switch.
View attachment 5337
View attachment 5338
Layout of truck is weight forward, similar to Mugen configuration.
Sweep Crusher tyres are slightly bigger than Truggy tyres, but this will actually help increase the rollout value for speed runs.
View attachment 5339
So. Still no run time.
In the meantime, it's time to do some battery maintenance.
View attachment 5340
Wow...talk about idyllic scenery. I love it! The T2E is looking pretty snazzy too. I was hoping to get some runtime this weekend, but had to stay close to the homefront. Won't be able to get some runtime in next weeked due to work and my son's games. Guess it'll have to wait until the week after.
Ok, so I feel like this is probably a good time to describe the shake-down run of the T2E. Firstly, this is the first time it's been run since being built. No testing has been done with this rig prior to unleashing it on to the strip. The Sweep Crusher tyres have been scrubbed nicely by the Kronos XTR, so these were an obvious choice to use.
I felt I did a pretty good job with the build, but the first run wasn't without a couple of niggly issues. First issue was the steering linkage, where it screws into the horn. The counter sunk screw goes through the top of the horn and into the ball. But it turns out that M3 thread through this ball has not been tapped all the way through. I'm certain it should be. Because of this, it means that the M3 screw, whilst feeling tight (by hand) was not actually clamping the ball to the horn properly, resulting in no steering within the first 5 minutes.
Next up, 2 screws backed out from the centre diff mount from the top, where they go through the carbon plate. This resulted in the diff trying to depart from the car, which is obviously not a good thing. I heard it develop and remedied before it ate anything.
Despite using Loctite, 2 screws that hold the steering bell cranks started to back out. As did all the centre brace screws. I began to feel like my use of Loctite was not nearly liberal enough.
Once these minor things were taken care of, the T2E came into it's own.
The surface temperature was a mild 12 degrees centigrade. The light was fading fast, but the Castle 1515 2200kv motor was very smooth and confidence inspiring. Clearly this rig had some power in it and 6S could have been a real handful, considering how light it is. I have to say though that this machine is NOT as bonkers as you might think after driving a Corally 6S rig like a Shogun or XTR.
In fact, I have to say that whilst the rig had brutal acceleration, the way this Truggy lays the power down is surprisingly gracious. No ridiculous wheelies (although it was obvious the car would flip backwards if the throttle was punched) and the steering (once it worked!) was progressive and dare I say 'tame' compared to the XTR. Where it was less than tame was coming out of turns under power, where the rear end could snap away from you without warning. The best I could do was recover the rig once it had spun a full 360. Preventing the oversteer meant being less throttle happy. So, clearly this setup is very aggressive coming out of corners. On a higher traction surface, on softer tyres, perhaps this setup would be ideal.
The chassis is responsive to input and the suspension extremely plush. Even taking excursions over the gravel in these slicks didn't phase it - provided you finesse the throttle.
Despite my speed runs of just 52mph, limited only by the 15t stock pinion and the lower internal ratio of the T2E compared to the XTR, the acceleration was, as you might expect - impressive. 1.03g would - in theory - be good enough to propel the T2E from 0-60mph in just 2.68 seconds. However, the gearing here limited my speed to a lower speed and we don't live in a perfect world. I might add that these figures were from a 95% charge on an Onyx Graphene 6S.
So - what does this mean? The T2E on 6S is very, very quick - even when using a 15t pinion. To put this into perspective, this gearing is designed for the confines of a race track. Hitting 52mph and slowing down to turn around used 1225 feet - or 373 metres. No RC track in the world is that big.
But - what if I up the pinion and go for it? I reckon a 19t pinion would easily see speeds of over 72mph, given a theoretical value of 77mph for the rollout values for the Sweeps on the T2E. When I get a chance, I'm going to find out. Ditto for the XTR, which in fairness has gearing better suited for high speed runs. The T2E on the other hand seems to be the rig of choice for outrageous 0-60mph times.
The Castle Creations MMX and 1515 2200kv motor were flawless in operation to be fair. I did not use fans and I saw temps of just 112 degrees F. On higher ratios and warmer weather - this motor will probably need cooling fans. The sensored motor setup gave smooth throttle control, especially at lower speeds. It was possible to drive the car slowly in the house without destroying the furniture. Braking was strong and I now definitely want to get the castle link so I change stuff and see what's going on. The obvious thing would be the benefit of adjusting punch/throttle curves for 0-60mph optimisation.
Overall, the T2E drives very light compared with a basher rig like the Kronos or Kraton. It is able to change direction more rapidly - accelerate and brake with less drama than either of the aforementioned. Only time will tell if this rig will be durable - it certainly seems it. Lighter rigs crash with less energy, but lighter parts tend to be less durable.
I'm working on 2 videos - one for the XTR and one for the T2E. Should see them rendered this week.
Roll on the spring!!
Now that's interesting. I meant to comment on the washers on the servo arm; the arm on my 48.3 seemed to be lower than the servo, so the initial horn I wanted to use gave it a bad angle. I think I'll try some washers to see if I can go with my original selection. Also wanted to comment on the characteristics coming out of the turn. I suppose I could tune the diffs in the Shogun to come close it the T2E's rotation, but my previous venture down that path made it quite twitchy. I ran a 10K center, 7K front and 5K rear. Almost felt like I was driving a squirrel that had taken the little blue pill with copious amounts of nitro-grade caffeine.
Definitely makes me want to get a SWorkz.
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Horatio
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@VaporTrail
Yes, the linkage arrangement probably would have been fine if I'd direct mounted the servo. So I had to raise the link accordingly - by about 2.5mm. Cunning use of M3 conical spacer.
It's really helped. My options for choice of horn are extremely limited due to how little space there is and the fact that the linkage fits under the horn.
I'm going to get the Sworkz upgraded alloy horn as a matter of principle!
I need to replace the ball on the horn side of the linkage - or most likely I'll just drill it out and re-tap it.
There are many, great things about the T2E - the linkage arrangement isn't one of them.
Yes, the linkage arrangement probably would have been fine if I'd direct mounted the servo. So I had to raise the link accordingly - by about 2.5mm. Cunning use of M3 conical spacer.
It's really helped. My options for choice of horn are extremely limited due to how little space there is and the fact that the linkage fits under the horn.
I'm going to get the Sworkz upgraded alloy horn as a matter of principle!
I need to replace the ball on the horn side of the linkage - or most likely I'll just drill it out and re-tap it.
There are many, great things about the T2E - the linkage arrangement isn't one of them.
VaporTrail
Well-known member
I was going to use the TC servo horn, since it's a nice chunky piece, but it seemed to put the linkage at quite the bad angle. The 48.3 came with quite the slender servo horn, so I went back to using that. I do believe I have some conical spacers in the tool box; perhaps I'll try my hand at your ingenuity. The servo horn that came with the servo is also supposedly an alu version, so maybe I can even consider that.
Bummer to hear about the linkage replacement, but I suppose it's a small niggle compared to the overall. Kinda like that one girl you find at the bar who is an absolute bombshell, but also has one longer big toe than the other. Niggles, yes.
Jesus that takes me back, the little hopping honker.
Bummer to hear about the linkage replacement, but I suppose it's a small niggle compared to the overall. Kinda like that one girl you find at the bar who is an absolute bombshell, but also has one longer big toe than the other. Niggles, yes.
Yes, its got quite a honk hasn't it?
Jesus that takes me back, the little hopping honker.
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Horatio
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The 6mm ball stud is threaded only half way through. The countersunk screw M3x8 goes through the horn and into the ball stud. This sounds simple enough, but:
M3 x 8 CS screw is now M3 x 5.5 and the ball stud is fitted with a 0.5mm washer.
You can just see where the thread ends in this shot.
At the other end of the linkage, here's the detail of how I fit mine. The M3 nut is captive inside the steering bellcrank. The linkage sits on top of a conical washer and 3 0.5mm washers. This definitely works and no way this end of linkage is going anywhere.
- The screw is too long - it reaches the end of the threads before the CS head gets tight in the CS hole in the horn.
- There is no straight forward way to tighten the screw into the ball stud. It's round and has nothing to grip.
- Once it's on (you have to tighten it off the car) - there's nothing to stop it getting loose, which is far from ideal on a critical steering component. Careful application of loctite without getting any into the joint is the only way to mitigate it.
M3 x 8 CS screw is now M3 x 5.5 and the ball stud is fitted with a 0.5mm washer.
You can just see where the thread ends in this shot.
At the other end of the linkage, here's the detail of how I fit mine. The M3 nut is captive inside the steering bellcrank. The linkage sits on top of a conical washer and 3 0.5mm washers. This definitely works and no way this end of linkage is going anywhere.
Hmm.. assuming you don't have a means to tap the pivot ball the rest of the way through. Probably not feasible since you'd have to grab the pivot with pliers or similar to tap it.. I think the most efficient remedy is a different servo horn, and/or steer link? A poor design indeed they used there. The plastic horn is a bit of a letdown. Tekno gives plastic horns in their kits too.. the one included with the v1 MT410 wasn't even worth the time to install it stripped soo easily. LOL.
Horatio
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Your appraisal is 100% right.
It's almost like they designed the car, got the kits ready and thought 'oh $h1t - where's the linkage going to go' and bodged a quick fix the day before release. I attempted to cut a thread, but it simply wasn't worth damaging my M3 x 0.5 tap. The 6mm ball stud would have been mangled if I'd gripped it strong enough to cut into steel.
The Sworkz alloy horn is £20.
My work around should work and I'm not sure if all the kits are supplied with a stud like this or whether it was just a one-off with mine. Perhaps my kit was packed on a Friday.
An entirely different setup would be better, with the countersunk going in from the bottom with a locknut on top. This is what I'm looking at doing, but there's not much room to play with. As in - no room whatsoever.
That should work.. HaHa, that's what Sworkz prolly said too, LOL.Your appraisal is 100% right.
I attempted to cut a thread, but it simply wasn't worth damaging my M3 x 0.5 tap. The 6mm ball stud would have been mangled if I'd gripped it strong enough to cut into steel.
The Sworkz alloy horn is £20.
My work around should work and I'm not sure if all the kits are supplied with a stud like this or whether it was just a one-off with mine. Perhaps my kit was packed on a Friday.
An entirely different setup would be better, with the countersunk going in from the bottom with a locknut on top. This is what I'm looking at doing, but there's not much room to play with. As in - no room whatsoever.
View attachment 5403
TC and Arrma use a threaded pivot ball that accepts a hex key for tightening IIRC? Maybe you could retrofit one of those?
VaporTrail
Well-known member
Definitely points for ingenuity. No points for Sworkz. I do like how you've set that up.
I'd be in agreement. The alu servo horn from my cheaptastic amazon servo actually sits rather high. I'm thinking to do Horatio's washer set up so that I can run that servo horn. Plastic horns are a bit of a conundrum; they're not so great because they can strip easy, especially on 1/8 rigs. Their weakness can also be a positive; I'd rather strip a servo horn than servo gears.
Although if it's during a race and it causes a DNF...
Your appraisal is 100% right.
I attempted to cut a thread, but it simply wasn't worth damaging my M3 x 0.5 tap. The 6mm ball stud would have been mangled if I'd gripped it strong enough to cut into steel.
The Sworkz alloy horn is £20.
My work around should work and I'm not sure if all the kits are supplied with a stud like this or whether it was just a one-off with mine. Perhaps my kit was packed on a Friday.
An entirely different setup would be better, with the countersunk going in from the bottom with a locknut on top. This is what I'm looking at doing, but there's not much room to play with. As in - no room whatsoever.
View attachment 5403
You weren't kidding. Wow, that's cutting it by a hair. As I mentioned above, my cheapo amazon servo horn has it's arm sitting a little higher than the crown where it attaches to the servo. Initial fitment caused a rather extreme angle on the servo linkage, but with your remedy I believe I can now make it work.
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VaporTrail
Well-known member
Lookin absolutely beautiful. I gotta say...the S35 is one gorgeous piece of kit. Maybe with the rumored new release coming up, the prices will go down a little and they'll be within reach for me.
It is rather nice. Meanwhile, on this side of the world, I seemed to have stumbled upon doodoo magic with the new-to-me ET48.3. Bent shock shafts, different standoffs in the front, different shock cap bushings, a clicking diff. The PO told me he took care of it and didn't race it hard, but I see a cracked wing and a bent wing mount.
Just as a disclaimer: The clicking diff apparently was caused by low diff fluid. After coming across CCB's ET48 2.0 build thread, I found out that there was insufficient fluid in all three of my diffs. I didn't bother to check what the Tekno specs were for filling the diff, I just did it TC style. After sorting that out last night, there's no more clicking and the diffs are now smooth.
Just wanted to make that clarification. User error, apparently.
Horatio
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Just found this Sworkz 6mm steering ball stud:
Which bears the same part number 330694A - but unlike mine - it clearly has a hex. Mine didn't. Also, mine was silver in colour.
Looks more useful, but doesn't look like the M3 can go all the way through. Ideally, I'm trying to find a way of securing it with M3 lock nut.
Seeing other parts, there are thes 6mm M3 threaded balls:
These could work I reckon. No stand-off, button head straight through from the bottom, through the horn, lock nut on top?
Obviously I'll have to change the plastic horn because it's counter sunk.
Edit to add:
I've ordered this offset horn (more space under the horn:
Along with the threaded 6mm balls.
Which bears the same part number 330694A - but unlike mine - it clearly has a hex. Mine didn't. Also, mine was silver in colour.
Looks more useful, but doesn't look like the M3 can go all the way through. Ideally, I'm trying to find a way of securing it with M3 lock nut.
Seeing other parts, there are thes 6mm M3 threaded balls:
These could work I reckon. No stand-off, button head straight through from the bottom, through the horn, lock nut on top?
Obviously I'll have to change the plastic horn because it's counter sunk.
Edit to add:
I've ordered this offset horn (more space under the horn:
Along with the threaded 6mm balls.
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VaporTrail
Well-known member
Wow. That really makes one suspect that it was indeed a "Friday" kit.
Glad you came across the horn and balls. I'm sure those will work wonders.
Glad you came across the horn and balls. I'm sure those will work wonders.
Horatio
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Well, it's video time. It's rendered and being uploaded to YouTube as I write this.
Should be available to watch from about 1am GMT.
No, there's no shouting, wanton carnage, jumping to the moon. There's not even a single crash. No dirt. No damage. No slo-mo.
In fact, other than driving the Sworkz S35 T2E Pro around really fast, punctuated with periods of putting it back together - nothing actually happens.
I make up for this with 4K UHD, HDR, careful editing and banging tunes.
My only wish is that it's mildly entertaining or at least relaxing.
Should be available to watch from about 1am GMT.
No, there's no shouting, wanton carnage, jumping to the moon. There's not even a single crash. No dirt. No damage. No slo-mo.
In fact, other than driving the Sworkz S35 T2E Pro around really fast, punctuated with periods of putting it back together - nothing actually happens.
I make up for this with 4K UHD, HDR, careful editing and banging tunes.
My only wish is that it's mildly entertaining or at least relaxing.
VaporTrail
Well-known member
I'll definitely be giving that a look!
VaporTrail
Well-known member
Not a problem! I actually don't mind the straightforward videos; sometimes folks make videos about unboxing or comparisons and then they go off a tangent and ramble on for several minutes. Not really my cuppa.
Gimme a straightforward video any day!
Edit: watching now
Gimme a straightforward video any day!
Edit: watching now