Cleaning and reviving Traxxas drive Half & spine shafts part #1951

In this write up I will be providing instruction on how to clean and revive those dirty stiff axle sliders in Traxxas vehicles.  Over time dirt and mud gets caught in the slider and the axle will not work properly.  Instead of replacing these items I will show you how to clean them.

First, remove the wheel from vehicle.

Remove pin and washer from sub axle.

Next, remove bolt that hold the camber link.

Drop the axle down and remove the stub axle.

Now that they are separated, using a sharp point hobby knife scrap the inside tracks.  This will remove the hardened mud and build up.  Do this for all the tracks.  Periodically through this cleaning I will slide the axle up and down and it helps remove the buildup. 

Use Rubbing alcohol and water if needs be to clean the parts thoroughly.  Also, I have found that a little sand papering will help as well for those hard build up areas.

After you have cleaned them were the slide very easy then apply a very small amount of oil and wipe the area clean.  The parts should not be oily just enough oil to clean the surfaces.  Too much oil will attract dirt.  The axle should be loose enough to where it will not hold on by itself if the vehicle was tipped. 

Re-assemble in reverse order.  

Basic Soldering Techniques

I have helped so many people solder in my years of RC so I thought I would make a write up on how to solder wires onto a Deans type connector. This seems to be the most common type of connector. These techniques can be used on any type of soldering job. I encourage anyone that is in the hobby to learn how to solder. Soldering is needed a lot and being proficient at it will only help the hobby be more enjoyable First, gather all the parts you need. Have your iron heated up fully before starting.

I will be using strippers, tablevice, and solder.

First, strip your wires so there is about a 1/8 inch of bare wire.  Apply solder to the bare wire so the solder seeps into the wire as shown.

Then add solder to the prong/plug.  This is where people make the mistake.  They try to solder onto a prog without having solder molded onto each piece.  Make sure it latches onto it and not just sitting on like a bubble.  If it’s bubbling then your iron may not be hot enough.

After solder is added to each point then go ahead and apply heat with the iron and wait to the “Bonding” of the solder occurs.  This is where people often don’t let the solder adhere to each item enough.  You will see the solder mold into one piece instantly once enough heat is added.

After this then use the shrink tube that came with the plugs and shrink over the wire.  Note, make sure you put the shrink on wire before soldering or you will have to remove your solder job to put it on.