Project: Axial Scale Trail Truck – SCX10 Custom Build

Scale Trail Toy for the Axial West Coast Challenge 2011

Back in 2011, I was invited to attend Axial West Coast Challenge (AWCC) in Cisco Grove, California. I was there to both cover the event (I was working for RC Driver Magazine at the time) as well as participate in the activities; rock crawling (with an Axial XR10) and G6 Scaling. The truck I built here is the one I used in the G6 Scaling event – a custom built SCX10 that I named Rubi (short for Rubicon). It is a 5-year old build so there has been a lot of progression since then, but at least it’s here to use for ideas. On to the build…

Chassis & Suspension
I started off with an Axial SC10 chassis. This chassis is a pretty scale to begin with and, since I knew the stock 4-link suspension system would be plenty tough for my ride, only a few suspension upgrades were added. I started off with a full set of Pro-line Power Stroke Scaler Shocks. These dual-spring shocks have threaded bodies for easy ride height adjustment and look great on the Jeep. To reduce any flex that might be present, the Power Strokes are attached up top to a set of Vanquish Products SCX10 Shock Hoops. Finally, to help traverse any tight trails, I also added a set of Vanquish Products High-Steer Knuckles and 8 Degree C-Hubs. To beef up the chassis, a set of Tough Armor Rock Guards were added to the sides of the Jeep. These guards bolt on to the stock location so no additional holes need to be drilled. Also from Tough Armor is their stout Front Bumper and Grill Guard. This is a big ol’ metal unit that not only adds weight to the front of the Jeep, but also helps protect the front during descends. To finish off my chassis upgrades, a Vanquish Products Incision Gear Guard was added to the transmission. This guard covers the spur gear and helps keep it clear of debris (or fingers!).

Electronics
The electronics used are pretty straight forward. Tekin’s FX-R ESC and 45 turn brushed motor provided the power and Thunder Power’s 40C Race Pack provided the juice. For superior control, Spektrum’s DX3R and S6020 Digital High-Torque Servo were installed. To light up the trails, Axial’s Night Vision System was loaded with a full set of thirteen lights. Since the Tough Armor front bumper was already pre-drilled, I added a Bulldog 9300XT wireless winch. This winch includes a cool little remote that controls the extension and retraction of the winch! To keep them as safe and dry as possible, all of the electronics were mounted inside cool little plastic containers I found at a local hardware store.

Body, Wheels & Tires
To me, offroad trail trekking just screams Jeep! That being said, Pro-line’s Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon body was used as the base for my crawler. Underneath the yellow body, I installed Pro-line’s Floor Pan and Interior. These help keep the Jeep clean and give it a more realistic feel. For the rollers, Pro-line’s Interco Super Swampers are wrapped around a set of Vanquish Products SLW 2.2” crawler wheels.

Details
When building a scale ride, the details are what make the vehicle. I started by using a set of IFS Manual Locking Hubs on all four wheels. These completely replace the stock wheel nuts (which aren’t so scale). In addition, Tamiya’s Body Accessory Parts Kit donated a set of wheel hexes with integrated brake discs. While not operational, they do look cool peeking out from behind the Vanquish wheels. Windshield wipers, side mirrors and roof rack are all from Pro-line’s Scale Accessory Kit, and a Universal Intake Snorkel from RC4WD was added to the side of the Jeep. Having an empty roof rack when out on the trail is a definite no-no, so I mounted some essentials in it. A jerry can, container, shovel and cooler (with beer, of course) are all from Pro-line’s Accessory kits and held in place by a few hand-made bungee cords. A pair of hand-made tow-straps are included as well as a pair of sleeping bags from BioHazard RC. BioHazard RC also stitched up a killer spare tire cover with the RC Driver logo on it. Custom ‘sponsor’ stickers were printed out and installed on the back window. A custom license plate was also printed out and stuck to the back of the Jeep.

The Trailer
Right when I thought Project Rubi was coming to a close, I found another piece to my scale puzzle. AJS Machine recently released their awesome scale trailer complete with tow-hitch and fold-down rear gate. The trailer arrived minus wheels and tires, but that worked out great as I had a set of Wagon Wheels and 1.9” tires from the Scale Doctor. These were perfect for the project! To spruce up the trailer a bit, I added a few more scale accessories including another jerry can, fire extinguisher and propane tank from TGN. These were all held in place by more scale bungee cords. Finally, a quad was thrown in the trailer, you know, in case we encounter some scale (or not so scale) dunes!

The Drive
Initially I tested the Jeep in my front yard but got bored really quick. It’s completely flat and with the low gearing it’s not fast at all. A short trip to the local mountains, however, changed all of that. With rocks, trails, dirt, sand and water to groove through, this little Jeep actually gave me something to smile about! It just looked so cool; the suspension articulation, the ‘deflated’ tires searching for grip and the awesome trailer all gave the Jeep a very realistic appearance. I even had to use the winch to pull me out of a slight situation I got myself into.

Final Thoughts
I’m a racer and have been one for a long time. I usually don’t take the time to smell the RC roses, but once I joined my buddies out on the trail, I had a completely different outlook on crawling. I must admit, while they’re not speed demons, there is a whole different fun factor to just ‘taking it easy’. There is also that massive amount of satisfaction when you complete a custom build and, not only does it actually work but it looks great too! I would highly suggest a project like this to anyone that has never tried it. It doesn’t even have to be as extensive as this; build up to it, but do give it a try. You’ll be glad you did.

Parts Used
Axial
axialracing.com
SCX10 Kit – AX90007
Night Vision System – AX24251

Spektrum
spektrumrc.com
S6020 Digital High-Torque Servo – SPMSS6020
DX3R DSM2 Radio System – SPM3100

Vanquish Products
vanquishproducts.com
Incision Gear Guard – vanquish-incision-gear-guard
Incision SCX-10 Shock Hoops – vanquish-incision-scx10-honch-shock-hoo10
High Steer Knuckles – vp-high-steer-steering-knuckles
SLW V1 2.2″ Crawler Wheels – slw-v1
VP 8 Degree C-Hubs – vp-8-degree-chub

MaxAmps
maxamps.com
Hard Case 6500mah Race Edition LiPo

Pro-Line Racing
prolineracing.com
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon – 3336-00
PL-C Interior – 3337-00
PL-C Floor Pan – 3338-00
Interco TSL SX Super Swamper Tires – 1163-14
Power Stroke Scaler Shocks – 6060-00
Scale Accessory Kit #1 – 6040-00
Scale Accessory Kit #2 – 6045-00
Scale Light Bar – 6047-00
Scale Accessory Roof Rack – 6046-00

Tekin
teamtekin.com
FX-R ESC – TT1091
T45HD Brushed Motor – TT2114

AJS Machine
ajsmachine.com
Off Road Trailer – ajs Trailer

TGN Distributing
tgndistributing.com
Bungee Cord Set – 3807
Bungee Cords, Propane, Keg Set – 3801
Jerry Can, Axe, Fire Extinguisher – 3804

Scale Doctor
Scale 1.9″ Tire
Wagon Wheel +1 Offset

Tamiya
tamiyausa.com
RC Body Accessory Parts Set (Brake Discs) – 54139

RC4WD
rc4wd.com
Tough Armor Winch Bumper with Grill Guard – Z-S0160
Tough Armor Side Bars – Z-S0159
Factory Universal Scale Snorkel – X-0407
Scale IFS Manual Locking Hubs – X-0258
Bulldog 9300XT Wireless Winch – Z-E0013

BioHazard RC
biohazardrc@gmail.com
Scale Tire Cover with RC Driver Logo
Sleeping Bags

Custom Made Parts by Tony Phalen
Bungee cords
Toe straps
License Plates

Additional Photos