Kraken Vesla Gasser by cmbscx10

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cmbscx10

cmbscx10

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Messages
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Location
Ramona, CA
Upgrade 1
Expensive AF but after taking the cage of twice i could care less how much it cost. I'll install and make tethers this weekend.
These Taylor RC bits better be uh better than my POS DDM ones and my MIP's I've had since 2004.

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Last edited:
Ferrebee88 said:
The DDM bits are absolute garbage... especially the round hexes. The tip broke off the first time I used it and I have broken several of their normal hexes.
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100% Agreed. If i recall i mentioned in another thread that i bought a set of DDM back in maybe 2014-2015 and they are honestly just as good as my MIP's. I bought in the last few months some of the shorty ones and i immediately threw them away. Way of the world i guess. I'm just glad i didn't break a tip or round a screw out.
 
Upgrade 2
Presents arrived yesterday. I like to overbuild for peace of mind. I would rather have a Big Block trans behind a 4 cyl if you get my drift. After extensive research I decided to go with a 100% Kraken RC Big Bore Transmission. Many many factors went into the decision but the main one for me was the fact that if anything happens, I can literally drive 25min to Kraken HQ to "discuss".

Kraken RC Vesla.5 Big Bore Transmission Case

Kraken RC Vesla.5 Big Bore Hardened Gear Set For Gas-Electric (Diff-Drive-Idler)

Kraken RC Vesla.5 Big Bore Layshaft

Kraken RC Vesla.5 Big Bore Hardened Gear Set For Gas 51T/25T

Kraken RC Hardened Steel Bevel Gears Set for Vekta.5/Vesla.5

Kraken RC Tranny Plate – Stock

New Diff Case, Outdrive, Bearings filled with Team Associated 1,000,000 CST diff fluid

Grade 12.9 hardware used throughout as I cannot find the grade Kraken uses

** The trans was built to accept any future engine Hint! Hint!
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Kratonwatch said:
Unwrap those bits and let us see them in all their glory! Nice going with this build
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Ha Ha! Thank you and here you go. I wanted to like most did and go with the 3 piece Taylor Trans so i am sure some might want to see the Kraken RC BB offering. I can say this sucker is a machined art piece. Will give feedback once i find time to build it.

The rest is normal affair items so i left them in the package

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Kratonwatch said:
I just spent too much money on gears, tower to tower brace, other trick support braces etc to justify this. This is a beaut
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I hear you from the mountain tops. I am picking my Upgrade Battles based on how comfy my couch is. I almost never upgrade before an initial run or two which i will do with the stock gas motor and trans to feel the car out but no way the stock trans would last behind a Taylor RC 35c V2.
 
Upgrade 1 Part 2
TZZ Full Set Titanium alloy Quick Release body posts. No directions other than pics which is on par for today. By mistake I used the front pins in the rear side cage and didn't notice until i tested out the function. Other than me the install went as predicted.

Notes:
Because of vibration and not wanting to loose these expensive pieces I swapped side cage nuts to locknuts. They come with a flat washer (Needs to be a fender) and a regular hex nut in titanium of course.

They don't come with Tethers so i made my own and stuck with the Green theme. I use empty holes on the Shock Tower and mounted them with a M5 Bolt. The Clips are flimsy AF. Think paperclip flimsy. If they fail i will swap them out for normal steel ones.

Nice kit but not worth the $$ IMO. Bling is great but i prefer function. Too bad these are the only ones available.

Upgrade 3
Forgot to mention. My Vesla has the Green Theme, Vekta TT is Blue and Vekta Buggy is my color of choice in Orange.
Outerwears Crankcase/Flywheel Cover - Green
Outerwears Pull Start Cover - Green
Outerwears Kraken Vekta Shockwears (Set of 4) - Green ** Sure wish they made Vesla specific ones but better than nothing

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Until i get some run time i will only be running a rear swaybar.

In the meantime, i noticed this area is where a lot of arms break from the YT vids i have watched. I believe the arms have been updated by Kraken but i am not 100% of that. For me an open space causes flex and i am going to try a simple plug made of 1/2" Delrin scrape as an experiment.

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cmbscx10 said:
Until i get some run time i will only be running a rear swaybar.

In the meantime, i noticed this area is where a lot of arms break from the YT vids i have watched. I believe the arms have been updated by Kraken but i am not 100% of that. For me an open space causes flex and i am going to try a simple plug made of 1/2" Delrin scrape as an experiment.

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Great idea , can't hurt anything to try. Don't see why it wouldn't help.
 
Changed my motor hardware to Grade 12.9 and had to take off the slipper. What a pain in the D*ck. I used zipties to hold the assembly together then tightened, checked alignment, tightened etc. I used a piece of rubber hose instead of a screwdriver as per the instructions.

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My belief has always been that open space causes or promotes flex no matter what the material it is. You need flex but you also need rigidity and suspension is no place to reduce that.

The Vesla manual has the Front Shock bolts as BH M5x30mm and the Rear Shocks as BH M5x30mm. Not knowing the grade Kraken uses for bolts, at every opportunity I get i change hardware to the best grade I can afford to help reduce failure points. High grade bolts are typically stamped on their grade.

Front Mount pic. The 30mm bolt doesn’t even come close to the end. So, in order to be consistent as the arm thickness is the same Front or Rear I changed these to 35mm. The Rear Shock bolts were 35mm.

If this were a race vehicle I would change them to 40mm and run a locknut.

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Upgrade 4 - Kraken Vesla Skid Guard
Installed a Kraken RC Vesla Skid Guard. Kraken did include new bolts for the install but as i always do i replaced them with Grade 12.9.
** Incase anyoen was curious there was loctite on the steering post bolts

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Upgrade 5 - Dual Springs
Primal RC Raminator MT Mega Shock Billet Spring Retainer
Primal RC Monster Truck V3 MEGA Shock Chrome Upper Spring
** I tried the Stock Kraken Front Spring at first instead of the Primal RC one but it was way way to stiff. Probably like the Kraken Super Duty Springs.
I am looking forward to testing this setup

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TZZ Titanium Quick Release Follow up
I am a total dumbass. Taking the cage off was superfast until i realized that the back half of the cage is supposed to stay in place. Durh! So, my opinion now on the TZZ Titanium quick release is that it is totally NNOOTT worth the cost.

The panel side pins in the back cannot be pushed in far enough due to the side panel being installed to release the front half of the cage. You have to or at least i did, back off the side panel mounting screw enough to let the pin sit flush with cage so you can pull up on the back half. Probably doesn't make sense but it is a POS system. I should have just cobbled one together using Vertigo stuff. I can't believe this cage is used on the Baja 5B and nobody has come up with a better cheaper kit.

No instructions and maybe it is me but i release the Orange Circle Clips and try an lift the cage up leaving the back half still attached to the chassis. You can't because the Red Circle Clips/pins are there. Pull the Red Circle Clips and the pins are still in the cage due to the panel. I could not pull the cage apart enough to get the two cages to release from each other.

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Upgrade 6 - Roof LED's
Kraken RC LED Bar w/Kraken LED modules. Ordered a 5to1 splitter harness, LED control module and some spiral wrap to clean up the wires.

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Upgrade 7 - Rear Body Panels
Didn't like the open area of the back cage and the Vesla doesn't come with them so i made my own out of Lexan .03. Plus i needed a place for more stickers.

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