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View Full Version : How To: Maintain your VXL Rustler



JasonC
06-25-2008, 01:37 AM
used VXL Rustler showed up today.

While I was unpacking it my 3 year-old son immediately claimed it as his. :rolleyes:

Told him if it was going to be his he'd have to keep it clean. :cool:

I loosened each of the wheel nuts for him, told him which direction to turn the nut driver, and he removed all four wheels/tires.

Asked him where he was going to clean them.

He gave an enthusiastic "In the sink!" (should've seen the look on my wife's face :eek:)

Made him carry the tires into the kitchen, put his step stool in place so he could reach the sink, let him spray them with Simple Green and start scrubbing. I was enjoying watching him so much that it wasn't until this point that I thought of grabbing the camera. After the tires were clean he sat them aside.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2609343736_f119f5741b_o.jpg

Then he washed the body, dried it with paper towels and put it aside.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/2609344226_00d748f732_o.jpg

He saw some dirt "Look, right there, dad!" on the chassis and had to wipe it down. :)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2608524029_f919c11f1a_o.jpg

The tires hadn't finished air drying but he wanted to put'm back on the truck so I told him to dry them off first.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/2609365284_fcb62950f2_o.jpg

"It's not hard, dad."
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/2609365508_25596814f1_o.jpg

Once he'd (mostly) dried the wheels it was time to install them. I showed him how to line up the wheel axles and hexes with the hex in the back of the wheel and let him do the work. Then I told him he had to put the wheel nuts on. He initially tried to turn the nut the same way as when he took it off. Had to tell him to go the other direction.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/2608569115_20cf0727ca_o.jpg

JasonC
06-25-2008, 01:37 AM
With the nut on the wheel it was time to start spinning it down snug.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2609400594_aa3165347a_o.jpg

When he had it snug enough that it wanted to turn the wheel/tire, I told him to grab the tire and hold it then tighten the nut.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/2609401042_4a15540ac5_o.jpg

He installed the first two wheel nuts by hand. For the third I showed him how to put the nut in the nut driver. He liked doing it this way much better. :)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2609401488_55d6a2af18_o.jpg

He surprised me here. He went ahead and grabbed the tire so that it wouldn't turn when he got the nut snug. :cool:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2608571111_aa5642422c_o.jpg

With all the tires on it was time to install the body. I pointed to the hole on top of the body that the antenna had to go through and watched him work. He stuck his finger over the hole, flipped the body over, and started feeding the antenna wire through the hole! :lol: I expected him to fumble around a bit here, trying to feed it thought where I had pointed...the top. No foolin' this kid. :D
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2608571485_6984eea72e_o.jpg

Flipped the body over, still feeding that antenna through.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2609402884_abc0c5eed1_o.jpg

Getting the body post holes aligned with the body posts...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2609403458_3781814677_o.jpg

First body clip...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2609403946_a1a3c4ec86_o.jpg

...and the last one.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2609404246_fdba2c07a3_o.jpg

Now he's ready to drive. :) Not sure why he's holding the TX like that. He normally holds the TX with his right hand, steering with left. Told him we'd go drive it tomorrow - time for bed.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2608574107_f6707112b6_o.jpg

So tonight while he's asleep I'm swapping the VXL system into the Slash and putting the stock Slash electronics into his truck. :D

Greg B
06-25-2008, 09:47 AM
Your swapping out the electrics. How wrong dude. Just look at his cute little face ?

Those pics are priceless Jason. My 2 girls enjoy the hobby too.


Greg B.

snoowkid25
06-25-2008, 07:04 PM
Lol. Yeah incase he crashes with that power and ruins it. I am a kid but much older than your son and I got a kick out of seeing this.

bugz2002
06-25-2008, 11:25 PM
that is priceless, i hope to get my nephew in to it but his mom and dad are like no dont even think about it kevin. but i think i can bring him over to the RC side.

OldSchoolRC
06-26-2008, 11:27 PM
Very cool pics, thanks for sharing! We are expecting our first in a few months, and I'm sure that boy or girl, they'll be following their old man's footsteps too. :)

TwistedXT
07-09-2008, 02:43 PM
Thats awsome man! I hope my son gets into rc as he grows up! Glad to see your little man is taking after daddy!

I agree with the vxl swap out.. i know adults that cant handle a brushless system! Set the brushed xl5 on trainer mode and let him rip! sorta speak...

Microdriver624
08-12-2008, 01:18 AM
Hey, I just noticed that in the background of one of the pictures there's an AX 10 scorpion ARTR. Is that the one in the September issue of RCDriver?

Hyper Rusty
08-12-2008, 09:58 AM
good idea swapping out the electrics. its probably a good idea to swap out the motor for the stinger from traxxas. its a really weak motor, so he would have an easier time getting used to running it.

Taylor
08-12-2008, 11:32 AM
very true and rustler vxls are awesome they fly with that vxl, but its a lot cooler with it in the slash.