410DARC-build

[Lowie]

'llo all.
I did build and race a 410DARC last week and weekend and thought it could be interesting for others to publish the pcitures of my build.

I am a bit too busy these days to write a complete new webpage of this adventure so I hope you won't mind me dumping it overhere.

As explained earlier, time is a bit short so I'll comment the pictures in brief telex-talk. Please feel free to ask for more info if you need some or the curiosity is killing you. (Actually, please contact me BEFORE getting killed by curiosity!)

All pictures are also available in a little webalbum on my webspace HERE.


For Starters:
I have, drive and occasionally race a DEX410R. The car has allready done quite some miles as it has been run for two winter-seasons at our track in Charleroi (Belgium): the BlackCountryArena and has also competed and completed a 12h endurance-race.

So over the years it has been updated with new bearings (the original were RUBBISH!), metallic Front and Rear Diff/gearbox-holders (Tresrey), carbon shocktowers, metal parts in the servosaver, ...
I still drive however with the old axles, propshafts and slipper.
I get most of my parts from my friend Nathan (RallsRacing), who is my trusted dealer for all Durango-parts and other stuff (Bulmers cider, ... )

I'm a reasonably clean driver, rarely have to be marshalled, so rarely break something (except on the obligated exceptional off-days) ... and find myself usually Q-ing in the last half of the 4wd-drivers.

I contacted Scott and he gave me a price and paypal-address. I payed him that very evening and I think the box was send to me allready the next day.
Scott also regulary contacted me to see if the shipment had arrived.
Friendly service, warm feelings, best way to start with a new and unique car (I promised the good guy we will someday drink a fine ice-cold Duvel together and am looking forward to that day!!)

[Lowie]

- apologies for mistakes, typos, .. As you might know, I am Belgian, Dutch-speaking and did not major in English ) -

The box arrived and contained the pre-build kit + little bag with some extra bolts + slipper-adapter + very fine stickers + body + extra body as I had requested.

so here we go: my good old DEX410 (with still some racingdust from the last race several months ago (EIR 2013). Yes, I am ashamed )





the old car, with beaten down body, in front of the DARC-box.

As you can notice, I allready made an attempt off painting the first DARC-shell (I promise, I AM getting better every time.)



So first thing to do is disassemble the DEX (and un-dust the parts)

[suparajicon]

Would love to see pics of your building!

[Lowie]

having problems linking them from my webspace ???

[Gayo]

Yup, no pics C'mon Ludo!

[Lowie]

I can't find what is going wrong with the pictures.
I'll finish the report first and see how I can solve this later.

When disassembling I had troubles with a bolt that had annoyed me allready several times: The bolt that secures the right-side of the steering-servo-saver-assembly to the chassis.
It has been mounted with a drop of locktite as it should but the component in which it is bolted through the chassis is not locked so the whole lot turns.





I had to diassemble the right plastic side of the chassis so that I could use clippers to get a firm grip on the Steering axle.



offcourse this has nothing to do with the DARC but is a negative point on the DEX that is actually solved on the DARC !

[Lowie]

front drivetrain disassembled



elektronics out:



and a while later: also the rear-drivetrain disassembled:



NOTE: you can see on the last picture that I left the U-brace on the chassis. That was a mistake. I had to disassemble it later as it is needed to secure the rear drivetrain to the DARC-chassis.

[Lowie]

Now it is time to start assembling again.
Here you can see the allready painted body + manual + bag with extra bolts and slipper-adapter + the prebuild kit as it arrived, packed in bubble-wrap

mmmmm, bubble-wrap

[Lowie]

the kit now disassembled:



I then applied locktite on all bolts and applied CA-glue to the carbon side-plates



and a bit later, bolted them back on (with sticky fingers)



Also, as you can see, you only use 4 bolts for the battery-braces in this stage.

[Lowie]

I forgot the rear gearbox-holder, so disassembled it and bolted it back on the rear U-brace, without the battery-holder.





(I later found out I had forgotten to modify this gearbox-holder. this is needed so that you encounter no problems when installing the rear battery once the car is ready and wired.)

[Lowie]

As Scott wrote in his build-manual the build is a tight fit.
I did not follow the order exactly as he described in which you should mount the parts, but I doubt that this would have made a big difference. (I'll try next time )
In the end some of the parts would not align, but only just. I had to apply a bit of force here and there, also used a file on the three most rear bolt-holes in the chassis .. and everything went together just fine.
It sure won't have any loose parts as I have gotten used to when building, driving and racing tamiya-cars

[Lowie]

Front and rear drivetrain assembled minus the diffs:



(! The beer is not a part of the chassis!)

Then I transplanted the enginemount which has to be turned around, the motor facing the rear in stead of the front as in the DEX ....



.. to notice that I had missed something in Scott's buildmanual: the centre plastic diff-holder needs to be modified: the bolt has to be beveled down and a part has to be cut off to make it a slick part, again so that there would not be issues later on while fitting the batteries.

[Lowie]

Next is the slipper, which is an easy job.
ALl you have to do is taking of the rear-slipperoutdrive, mounting the slipperadapter and then the outdrive back on again and use a larger, provided bolt (especially marked with some white paint) to bolt them down.

NOTE: as said in my first post: I still use the old slipper, so with the shorter rear outdrive and longer propshaft-axle in the diff.





slipper-adapter and bolt:



adapter installed:



slipper installed:

[Lowie]

at this point I noticed that I had to re-solder the whole electronic system.



I also noticed that the batteries dropped into the appropriate slots easely. However, once the diff's are instaled it becomes impossible to dismount the rear battery unless you modify the rear gearbox-holder.

So I disassembled that part (Tresrey metallic) and sawed, filed it thinner.

[Lowie]

Now, all that was left me to do, was planning out the wiring, soldering ...
finding a place for the transponder ????







and to cut out the body to fit the chassis.

[Lowie]

pictures-problem finally solved.

! Higher res pictures can be found Here