Axial SCX10-II 2000 Jeep Cherokee kit (AX90046) build report/review Part 1

It has been about half a year since I actually built this kit, but as it is my main RC, I still wanted to do a write up on it. This is Part 1 of that write up.

Intro
I had a first taste of RC crawling with the FTX Outback Mini, I liked it and I wanted more. After doing a little (well, a lot really) of homework, I decided to buy the Axial SCX10-II 2000 Jeep Cherokee kit (AX90046). I chose the kit version as they give you good insight in how your rig is put together, which saves you a lot of time puzzling when you have to replace or want to upgrade a part. Another advantage is that you don't pay for electronics that you will probably end up replacing anyway. Also, I like to build almost as much as I like to ride, so going with a kit is pretty much a no-brainer for me.
The SCX10-II platform was chosen because it has good parts support, both from manufacturer and 3rd party, guaranteeing you can keep your rig running for years to come and giving you tons of tuning options to adjust it to your personal preferences. And of course because it has proven itself to be a very capable machine.

Parts etc. used

• Axial SCX10-II 2000 Jeep Cherokee kit (AX90046)
• JX DC5821LV waterproof servo
• Surpass Hobby Platinum 3100KV sensorless brushless motor
• Hobbywing EZRun 60A Waterproof ESC
• Radiolink RC3S transmitter
• Radiolink R4EH-H
• Tamiya PS-4 (blue) and PS-5 (black) paint
• Loctite 243 threadlocker

The motor and ESC were bought for another project, but I ended up using different parts for that, so these were what I had available and seemed like a decent enough starting point. But I knew they would have to be replaced sooner or later to make the most out of this rig. At first I was planning to use the waterproof servo that came stock my HPI Bullet Flux MT, but after reading up on crawling a bit, I decided against using it and opted for the stronger JX.

Axles
After the usual ignoring of the advice to check if everything is complete, the manual starts you off with building the axles. The instructions are clear, the fit and finish of the parts is good, so putting them together is a breeze. But once I got to screwing on the differential covers, I noticed that the quality of the hardware provided with this kit is not what you'd expect in this price range.
Grease and thread locking compound are supplied with the kit, but I chose to substitute the latter for my own trusty bottle of Loctite 243. The little bottle supplied with the kit looks similar, but after a very frustrating experience with a ARR (where the threadlocker used seemed more like a cyanoacrylate adhesive), I wasn't going to take any chances.
The AR44 axle housing is the same for front and rear, the difference is made by the fitting of C-hubs and steering knuckles to the front and lockouts to the rear. This immediately gave me some ideas for 4 wheel steering mods, but I shouldn't be getting ahead of things. All in all the building of the axles is pretty straightforward, the only real point of attention being the angle at which the C-hubs are mounted.

Links
Next up are the steering and suspension links, again, pretty straightforward. The included links are non-adjustable (without using shims etc.), so it is just a matter of screwing everything together. The hardest part being screwing the threaded ends all the way into the unthreaded plastic rod ends. Once the links are put together, it's just a matter of attaching them to the axles in the right place.

Finished axles, links & shocks

Shocks
While doing my homework on the SCX10-II, I noticed that there are quite a few people reporting that the shocks that come with the kit are not exactly the best there are. Well, they are what I have available so I'll just use them and see how they hold up.
The building of the shocks isn't very different from other RC shocks I built. Grease up sealing o-rings and make sure to properly de-bur all parts and it should be ok. Right off the bat I notice that these shocks do not have shock diaphragms, but use a o-ring to achieve a seal at the top end. No big deal, other than a little extra care and attention required during assembly.
The springs supplied are different for front and rear, as the battery pack on the SCX10-II is placed over the front axle. Axial included a bottle of 30wt shock oil, which I used for all four shocks, there's plenty of oil left over afterwards. I took a lot of care building the shocks but I was not thrilled with the results, could those complaining people on the internet be right? On the internet I found all kinds of solutions, like running the shocks empty (save a few drops of oil to keep them lubricated) and drilling additional holes in the shock pistons. These didn't seem like very good solutions to me. So I decided to fit them as they were and rebuild them once the entire rig was put together. That way I'd have a better idea of what would need to change for real world use.

Click here for Part 2
Click here for Part 3