Review: Yeah Racing Aluminum HD Upgrade Combo Set for the Axial Wraith

If you’re looking to do some serious rock crawling, your first stop should be Axial’s Wraith. Available in a few different flavors, this rig can pretty much conquer it all with its AR60 OCP-Axles, 4-link suspension, WB8 Wild Boar Driveshafts and BFGoodrich Krawler T/A tires. Upgrades for this truck are overly-abundant, ranging anywhere from body conversions to heavy duty axles to super-sticky tires.

Specifics
Product: Aluminum Heavy Duty Upgrade Combo Set for the Axial Wraith
Manufacturer: Yeah Racing
Product #: AXWR-S01
Average Cost: $80.00
Installation Time: About 25 minutes

What’s In The Box
Yeah Racing has put together an aluminum upgrade kit for the Wraith, including parts that are commonly purchased individually. This kit contains a sharp-looking set of CNC-machined aluminum parts; wheel hexes, front/rear axle link mounts, servo mounts, rear lockouts and front C-hubs and steering knuckles. All of the parts are individually wrapped in sealed bags and contain new mounting hardware. Except for the wheel hexes, all of these are direct bolt-ons for the Wraith (more on the hexes in a sec).

Installation
I started with the rear of the Wraith since it was the easiest to get to. After removing the rear tires, replacing the rear lockouts and rear link mount took only a few seconds with no drama. As I went to install the wheel hexes, I found that the original, plastic hexes bolt to the wheel and then are keyed to the pin in the axle; the YR hexes are standalone parts. To use these, you’ll need to get Axial’s IFD Hex Hub Conversion Kit (AX31074). Since I didn’t have this, I used the stock hex/hubs for now.

Moving to the front, I started by removing the stock, plastic C-hubs and steering blocks (work with one side at a time). Replacing these is a little more involved, requiring you to swap the bearings and hat bushings over to the new aluminum parts. When re-installing, make sure you orient the parts correctly; check the other side of the Wraith to verify the installation (that’s why we’re only working with one side at a time). If you have some available, I suggest adding a very small drop of Threadlocker to the screws that attach the C-hub to the steering knuckle. This will help prevent the screws from backing out of the aluminum parts.

Once you have that all buttoned up, switch to the opposite side and replace the parts. Also notice that the new steering knuckles have additional mounting holes. For this install, I mounted the steering into the stock-hole location; I’ll be playing with the other holes later to see how they affect the steering.

The front link mount is also a little more complicated. Start by removing the servo horn from the servo, making sure to keep the servo horn straight up-and-down. Remove the link mount from the axle with the servo and servo tray attached, then remove the servo from the tray, then the tray from the link mount. Replace the servo mounts (with the included aluminum ones), then re-install everything in reverse order; attach the tray to the new aluminum link mount, the servo to the tray and this entire assembly to the axle. I suggest adding a small drop of Threadlocker to the screws from the tray to the aluminum link mount. Once that is complete, you can re-install the servo horn.

Performance
You’re probably not going to notice much difference in performance as the stock parts are pretty solid, but if you’re heavy handed with your ride or are generally a bit abusive, you’ll be happy with the increased durability these parts provide. Being of aluminum, they also reduce a lot of flex, especially in the steering. Not only that, they look great and, thanks to the gunmetal coloring, aren’t over-blingy. I took the Wraith on one of my favorite hour-long trails, bouncing over some rocks, blasting down some dusty East Texas trails and fording a creek or two and am happy to say that I have had zero issues with my install.

Conclusion
Yeah Racing makes it easy to upgrade your Wraith with a sampling of aluminum parts in a nice small package. The price is reasonable; you’re not only getting 14 aluminum bits but also some additional mounting hardware. The parts quality is excellent and the install was pretty easy, however it would be nice if the kit came in a few additional colors. Aside from that, this is an excellent kit to start with if you’re ready to begin boosting the look and performance of your Axial Wraith.

Price: 6.5
Fit and Finish: 9
Installation : 1=Complicated – 10=Easy: 8.5
Durability: 9.6
Value: 7.5

Connect
Yeah Racing, www.yeahracing.com
RCMart, www.rcmart.com

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