Axial EXO Terra Build – Part 1 – Differentials

Scale vehicles have become the hot ticket lately. They not only look like their full-scale counterpart, but also perform like them too. Axial has just released their awesome EXO Terra buggy, a 1/10 scale buggy complete with roll cage, interior and other realistic parts. In my opinion, this is the thing our industry has been waiting for. Follow along as I build one for you complete with helpful hints.

The Build – Part 1
We will be assembling both the front and rear differentials. The build is exactly the same on both so when you’re building one, you can build the other the same way.

Build Notes:
There are a TON of plastic parts trees that you will need to work with…in no particular order. Make sure you have a large work area.

In the first step you’ll be working with some diff oil. Keep some paper towels handy to clean up any mess.

HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS! I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to have the right equipment to build this car.

Start off by sliding a red o-ring over all 4 of the outdrives. Slide it all the way down to the base.

Take the outdrive bearings and pop them into place on the diff housing.

Slide the outdrive through the diff housing, flip the housing over and slide another red o-ring over the outdrive shaft. Work it down as far as it will go.

Take the larger sun gear and slide it down over the output shaft. The sun gear and shaft are keyed, so make sure you align the flats before installing.

Lock the gear in place with an e-clip. BUILD TIP: This step drove me crazy as it was extremely difficult to get the e-clip into place to snap it in. Place a drop or two of the diff fluid on the top of the shaft/sun gear before dropping the e-clip into place. SO much easier.

Slide two of the smaller sun gears onto the pin and drop down into the diff housing. Make sure the sun gears are facing each other.

Take the large outdrive bearings and slide them into place over the diff gear as shown.

Take the available two outdrives, feed them through the diff gear, flip the diff gear over and attach another red o-ring. Slideit down as far as it will go.

Slide the larger sun gears over the outdrives like you did in an earlier step. Remember, these are keyed and the flats need to be aligned before installing.

Secure with an e-clip. These e-clips are much easier to get at so you won’t necessarilly need any fluid to hold them in place.

Install the diff gasket as shown.

Fill the diff housing up with diff fluid as shown. Rotate the outdrive a few times to make sure the fluid seeps down into the whole housing. Refill if necessary.

Take your assembled diff gear and attach to the diff housing. The diff gear pins should line up with the slots that the sun gears slid into. Bolt the diff together with the 2x10mm screws.

Easy peasy. Set your diffs aside.

Part 2 – Assembling the front gearbox and suspension.
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