Kronos XTR How to easily remove/install the center diff on the XTR

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DaniC

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Corally RC's
  1. Kronos XTR
Hi guys,

So yesterday as I was building my XTR I took the center diff out to check level of fluid and top it up with a bit of thicker oil. In principle, access to the diff is super easy, and it does come out fairly easily but I found putting the diff back in is a real pain. So much so that I was very close to giving up and going the long route of installing the center diff without the shafts and taking the rear and front diff cases off in order to put the shafts back in place.
I persevered and eventually I managed to get the diff in, but it feels very forced. It's all due to the amount of bracing in this truck, the shafts hits the bracing which limits the angle at which it can go up, and the fact that you have to slide the diff in straight and from the top of the motor mount.
Screenshot at May 25 17-18-43.png


Have others experienced the same? Am I doing something wrong? Any tricks to make this easier?

I feel like forcing the diff in like this has the potential of bending the shafts, and perhaps that's why there's a few reports of shaft that come bent from the factory, including mine.
 
you have to rotate the differential diff cups to vertical and get one side in first and slowly get it in. it's not forced once you get the method down but at first I could see how it would be perceived that way. you can also rotate the front and rear wheels to manipulate the driveshafts so that you don't have to do it with your fingers while trying to hold on to the diff at the same time
 
you have to rotate the differential diff cups to vertical and get one side in first and slowly get it in. it's not forced once you get the method down but at first I could see how it would be perceived that way. you can also rotate the front and rear wheels to manipulate the driveshafts so that you don't have to do it with your fingers while trying to hold on to the diff at the same time
Yes, eventually that's what I started noticing, aligning the diff cups in a vertical position. And that's how eventually I managed.
You'd think a detail like this should be on the manual!

At some point I also thought about removing some of the bracing, but it's all so nicely loctited in that I just didn't want to break those bonds.
 
I did just have my center diff out this past weekend after one of the screws that holds the spur gear onto the diff cup backed out and started milling away at the motor mount. It eventually caught hard enough to lock up the drivetrain at full throttle..but I guess I've been at it so long I didn't notice any difficulty getting it back in..
I did however have a heck of a time getting it out with the drivetrain locked up🤪🤣🤣
I really don't care for the gear covers the manufacturers are putting on these rigs these days.. I mean once you chew up your finger or some motor wires, YOU KNOW not to stick anything close to the gears🤣🤣
My issue was that the cover makes it near impossible to see the diff screws that were backing out, and a PIA to set gear mesh.
Next time I have it apart, the gaurd is being deleted😎

Or perhaps modified..
 
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you have to rotate the differential diff cups to vertical and get one side in first and slowly get it in. it's not forced once you get the method down but at first I could see how it would be perceived that way. you can also rotate the front and rear wheels to manipulate the driveshafts so that you don't have to do it with your fingers while trying to hold on to the diff at the same time
I "discovered" that yesterday on my Radix 6. It's already very tight with no brace!
 
you have to rotate the differential diff cups to vertical and get one side in first and slowly get it in. it's not forced once you get the method down but at first I could see how it would be perceived that way. you can also rotate the front and rear wheels to manipulate the driveshafts so that you don't have to do it with your fingers while trying to hold on to the diff at the same time
I just had to do what this thread is about once I had the center rear shaft in the front shaft just little by little went in the center diff drive cup just take your time
 
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