Posted: 2/5/13
Your Axial Racing vehicle is designed to handle a lot of abuse. It is amazing what the SCX10, Wraith, Ridgecrest and other Axial machines can handle. As with a full-size vehicle, maintenance is key. With proper maintenance, your Axial Racing vehicle will be highly reliable each and every time you use it. Below are some suggestions to properly maintain your Axial vehicle.
Cleaning
Clean your Axial Racing vehicle after each adventure. A few rags and brushes are all you need for most cleanings. A thorough cleaning will allow you to spot any damage and address. Your Axial vehicle will also perform better when it is clean. Electronics will run cooler, parts will spin smoother and faster and the vehicle will generally perform better when clean. Moving parts will also last longer when clean as dirt and grime between parts increases wear and friction. You can use easy to find WD-40 for most cleaning. The WD-40 will not only clean the parts, but it will protect the metal hardware from rusting. The plastic parts will also look new.
Bent or Broken Parts
You will be amazed with the amount of abuse your Axial Racing vehicle can withstand, but off-roading is tough on equipment and parts can be damaged. Before and after runs, visually inspect your vehicle. Look for any bent of broken parts. Inspecting your vehicle often will allow you to obtain parts before your next adventure and it will allow you to service parts that need attention before they fail and damage other components.
Wheel Nuts
Your Axial rig's wheel nuts have a high quality nylon locking material built in and a lot of surface area to grab on the wheel. The nuts do a great job of staying secure, but should be checked and properly tightened before each run. The wheel nuts will also eventually need to be replaced.
Driveshafts
The driveshafts are attached to the transmission and axles with set screws that pass through the driveshaft and through the shaft it is attached to. The design is extremely strong and reliable, but the set screw should be checked frequently. It is is loose, new thread locking compound (use only medium strength thread locking compound) should added to the threads on the set screw. If the end of the driveshafts is at all loose on the plastic main body of the driveshaft, the driveshaft should be disassembled so that the screws inside the driveshaft tubes can be tightened.
Drivetrain
The drivetrain should spin freely with no binding. The best way properly test the drivetrain is to periodically remove the pinion gear from the motor and roll your Axial Vehicle by hand. There should be very little resistance and it should roll smoothly. If you suspect there may be a problem, disconnect the driveshafts and spins each axle by hand. This will allow you to isolate different parts of the drivetrain and identify if something is wrong and wheere the problem is.
Spur and Pinion Gears
Carefully inspect each tooth on the spur and pinion gears. Remove any dirt and debris trapped between teeth. If any teeth are visibly damaged, the gear should be placed. Proper gear mesh should also be checked. The common way to set gear mesh is to place a small piece of notebook paper between the gears sliding the motor into position and then tightening down the two motor screws. Double check the teeth are making full contact and are not too tight or loose.
Slipper Clutch
A loose slipper will wear out prematurely, so listen carefully when crawling. If you hear the slipper squeal when the truck isn't binding, it may be too loose. If the slipper never slips even when the truck is caught in an obstacle, it may be too tight and not protecting the drivetrain as it's designed to. Longterm maintain of the slipper may require the slipper pad to be replaced. If the pad appears to be glazed or otherwise damaged, it should be replaced with part number AX30412.
Steering and Suspension Links
The steering on any off-road vehicle gets subjected to a lot of abuse. It's often the first to take a hit. Check the ball joints and brush away all dirt found in and around the joints. If the parts are excessively dirty, they will need to be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned. If the ball joints are noticeably loose, they should be replaced. Parts tree AX80018 contains 16 inner part of the ball joints. Check and maintain the suspension links in the same manner as the steering links.
Tires
Tires should be cleaned between runs. One of the best products for cleaning and refreshing your Axial Racing tires is Simple Green. Spray the tires with a generous amount of Simple Green on each tire and scrub each tire a wide handheld scrubbing brush. Lightly and carefully rinse each tire. Make sure not get water inside the tire. It is essential that you do not soak the tires. After the tires are dry, if the tires are glued to the rims, check the bond all around the bead on each side of each tire and wheel combo. Check the entire circumference.
Shocks
The cleaner your Axial shocks are kept the longer they will last--specifically the seals. Dirt will accumulate under the shock body right where the shaft enters and at the bottom spring retainer. Thoroughly remove all of this dirt and grime. Check that the mounting hardware is snug and cycle each shock to make sure the operate smoothly. Listen to each shock. If you can hear air passing through the internal piston (a squishing sound), the shocks should be rebuilt. Pay attention to how the shocks feels. The shocks shouldn't bind at all, but they also shouldn't have a noticeably lack of resistance--a sign the shock is low on silicone fluid.
Hardware
Screws can loosen over time. Checking the hardware now will go a long way towards preventing problems next time you hit the trail. It doesn’t take long to go through all of the hardware on any Axial Racing vehicle. Make sure the screw heads are completely clean and free of dirt. This allows your wrenches fit and not strip out of the hardware.
Wiring
Between runs, check all of the wiring. This includes the motor wires, battery wires and the speed control and steering servo wires. Inspect the insulation for damage. Any damaged should be repaired with heat shrink tubing or replaced. None of the wires under the insulation should be exposed as uninsulated wires can short and cause severe damage.
Antenna
The condition of the antenna will greatly impact the range capabilities and overall functionality of your radio system. Confirm that the antenna is not damaged and make sure the antenna is not in a position that it could be damaged.
Steering Check
With a fully charged battery installed, turn on the radio and then the vehicle. Prop the vehicle up so that the tires are off the ground. Check the steering works smoothly in both directions. Make sure the steering doesn't bind in either direction and easily returns to center.
Transmitter Batteries
Axial Racing 2.4GHz transmitters use four AA batteries. If the batteries are depleted, the green power light will start blinking. If this light is blinking, the batteries should be replaced with four brand new AA batteries.
