slayer arms

[bentrocker]

Right now I am running a short wheelbase e slayer and have broke 4 front a arms. Are the slayer pro arms any stronger? Do you think boiling the arm in water will help their durability?

[Cameron]

Did RPM make arms for the Slayer?

[bentrocker]

No ,wish they did. Broke another this afternoon. They keep breaking where pivot ball threads into the arm.

[BomberSTi]

slayer pro arms are longer. ive had mine for a year plus and haven't broke a arm on mine and i have had some pretty nasty wrecks from high speed wrecks to jumps to just being stupid and haven't broke one yet (knock on wood). lol

[Cameron]

The only time i ever had a break out there i had the pillow balls backed out to widen the stance a bit. When i buried them in i never had a break there.

[fallonguy]

Are the slayer pro arms any stronger?

I don't think they're any stronger but they are wider and you would have to replace the axle shaft and turn buckles to use them as well as all the a-arms. The slayer and slayer pro use the same push rods.

[bentrocker]

I am in the process of building a slayer pro with a e-revo chassis. Just hopeing that the slayer pro arms might be better than the slayer arms.

[fallonguy]

Did RPM make arms for the Slayer?

I emailed RPM about making a-arms for the slayer years ago and they said their is not enough demand for them and because they are all different they would have to make 8 molds they wouldn't be making them.

[Cameron]

I emailed RPM about making a-arms for the slayer years ago and they said their is not enough demand for them and because they are all different they would have to make 8 molds they wouldn't be making them.

Makes sense, im a bit lost as to why they (traxxas) designed the Slayer with unique A-arms on each corner. Such a break from the norm compared to most other vehicles.

[bentrocker]

I think I may try boiling them next time.

[Cameron]

im curious what boiling arms will do. i know with wings it makes them nearly indestrucable but VERY flexible... I would hope the flexibility doesnt transfer to arms as well. that wouldnt be good.

[bentrocker]

I would think that some flex would be good so that the arm bends instead of breaking. Also too much flex is a bad thing.

[Cameron]

I have a proline 1/8 buggy wing i boiled for shiggles and i can touch the ends together, and it snaps right back to straight when let go. the arms are a different material though for sure, im really curious what effect boiling has on them.

[bentrocker]

This is the method I used to boil my slayer pro arms. They have been holding up great to some hard bashing. I copied ths from urc.

The concept of boiling plastic parts goes back to the material that the parts are made from, which is mostly nylon impregnated plastic, specifically Nylon 6 or Nylon 6/6. The process is better known as conditioning. It does not make the part any stronger overall, it simply allows it to be more flexible, and absorb impact better. "Tougher" would be a better description that "stronger".

Nylon 6 or 6/6 has the ability to absorb moisture, more so than polymers like polyethylene. As a result, the introduction of moisture into the finished part can reduce the brittleness. Be careful though, if the part is brittle due to low moisture content, this will be a good way to increase flexibility. However, if the problem is more related to material degradation during the molding process, conditioning the parts will increase flexibility, but only temporarily, and the brittleness can return over time, once the part is put into use. Murphy's Law says that this will probably happen about half a lap before you do a cart wheel over a big triple

Assuming the part is sound coming out of the mold, it will reach equillibrium naturally through exposure to the atmosphere. If the parts are left in open air, especially in a humid environment (like your spare parts bag in the hot, humid summer months), the process of moisture absorption will occurr by itself, but it will take longer. Conditioning simply accelerates that process.

If you're interested, and like to read techincal papers, there's a very detailed explanation of this process here.

If not, below is the "reader's digest version"...enjoy.

Conditioning plastic parts

Originally by Plasticar

Adding water to the gears works because the material used to make them is nylon. Nylon absorbs moisture, which makes it more flexible and resistant to impact, both of which help it be less likely to break. A common trade name for nylon used in hobby and sporting goods is Zytel, but there are many other brands also.

It is not recommended to actually BOIL the parts, as the higher heat can degrade the material. Rather the suggestion to bring the water just to a boil, then either pour it into another container, or take off the heat and add the parts to sit is a better one. It doesn't take very long to improve the toughness of the gears (or any other nylon parts). 20-30 minutes should be plenty.

This method will not work with any other types of plastic. Delrin, Lexan, none of these are improved in this method. Fortunately, most of the structural parts in RC cars are nylon.

This process does happen naturally, but takes 6-9 months in open air. Once the moisture has been put into the part, it will continue to adjust the level, but this is a permanent condition, as it is mearly accellerating a natural process.

The nylon gears and other parts will not melt in the boiling water. They don't melt until over 200ºC, so unless you have them sitting on the bottom of the pan on high, you are OK. Rather, it is the hot water itself that is the problem. If the water is hot enough for long enough, it will start to break down the plastic itself.

A few mintues on the stovetop should be no problem at all, but you are best as described to remove from heat and let the parts sit in the very hot water that way. That will be more than sufficient to properly condition the parts.

BTW, the majority of the black plastic used in the chassis, drivetrain, suspension pieces is probably nylon and can be conditioned this way if you like. Any of these parts will be harder to break, but will be more flexible. Eventually they will get that way on their own, you are just speeding up the process for your own benefit.