Kraton Vitavon Spline drive fitment issues.

[joshjosh]

I’ve now had multiple issues with Vitavon parts. In the past I’ve considered them well engineered, my opinion is changing, though.

The spline drives are 1mm longer than the factory, and they have a rounded end. The rounded end keeps them from seating properly in the Arrma EXB cup, combine that with the 1mm extended length, and now we have fitment issues! The most I could adjust camber to was +3, which is just bad. Positive camber should not be ran, but nothing I could do. So I messaged Vitavon with pictures and descriptions, asking for their help. They basically told me it was my problem, and didn’t even wish me good luck… being past my return window now, I was set to find the answer. The solution was I had to buy their diff cups, because they designed their parts to fit their stuff…apparently. They offered no refunds, no advice, and no support. I sent them pictures of everything working to tell them their parts needed refining, and again, no help, no response.

TBH I lost my faith in @Vitavon, and they may have lost a lot of business from me.

Factory shaft on left with flat end, Vitavon shaft with rounded end.

Vitavon shaft fitting poorly in the factory EXB cup

Vitavon shaft in Vitavon cup

 

[Tex Koder]

I’ve now had multiple issues with Vitavon parts. In the past I’ve considered them well engineered, my opinion is changing, though.

The spline drives are 1mm longer than the factory, and they have a rounded end. The rounded end keeps them from seating properly in the Arrma EXB cup, combine that with the 1mm extended length, and now we have fitment issues! The most I could adjust camber to was +3, which is just bad. Positive camber should not be ran, but nothing I could do. So I messaged Vitavon with pictures and descriptions, asking for their help. They basically told me it was my problem, and didn’t even wish me good luck… being past my return window now, I was set to find the answer. The solution was I had to buy their diff cups, because they designed their parts to fit their stuff…apparently. They offered no refunds, no advice, and no support. I sent them pictures of everything working to tell them their parts needed refining, and again, no help, no response.

TBH I lost my faith in @Vitavon, and they may have lost a lot of business from me.

Factory shaft on left with flat end, Vitavon shaft with rounded end.
View attachment 367134

Vitavon shaft fitting poorly in the factory EXB cup
View attachment 367135

Vitavon shaft in Vitavon cup
View attachment 367137

Obviously Vitavon wanted "their" customers to [ be locked in] buy their proprietary cups to mate with their shafts...
Typical these days from all industries...


Two possible solutions-

1. Either extend the ball-joints outward using (a couple of) 1mm stainless steel washers on both Top & Bottom arms to give it a bit more spacing -in the cups- to accommodate those rounded-ends of the Vitavon shafts.

Or,

2. Grind down those rounded-ends of the Vitavon shafts a bit to better match the stock EXB cups..

 

[Greengaunja]

Yeah I'm finding the same. Which is why I like the Chinese "no-name" parts from Ali Express. They clone their stuff from existing parts. Basically it simply means what you get is compatible with what you have. Sure, every once awhile there is a part with slight blemishes or a hole not tapped. But at those prices I can tap the hole myself and live with the blemish. But it does seem that many aftermarket parts don't play nice with others. I see that in my TT02 between Tamiya and Yeah Racing parts. I love that Scorched is very open about that where they know about certain issues. At least you buy it knowing you either need something else or have to make a tweak or two.

 

[joshjosh]

Obviously Vitavon wanted "their" customers to [ be locked in] buy their proprietary cups to mate with their shafts...
Typical these days from all industries...


Two possible solutions-

1. Either extend the ball-joints outward using (a couple of) 1mm stainless steel washers on both Top & Bottom arms to give it a bit more spacing -in the cups- to accommodate those rounded-ends of the Vitavon shafts.

View attachment 367147

View attachment 367148


Or,

2. Grind down those rounded-ends of the Vitavon shafts a bit to better match the stock EXB cups..

Good call @Tex Koder, I was able to do that in the front, it was the rear assembly I wasn’t able to make work.

Yeah I'm finding the same. Which is why I like the Chinese "no-name" parts from Ali Express. They clone their stuff from existing parts. Basically it simply means what you get is compatible with what you have. Sure, every once awhile there is a part with slight blemishes or a hole not tapped. But at those prices I can tap the hole myself and live with the blemish. But it does seem that many aftermarket parts don't play nice with others. I see that in my TT02 between Tamiya and Yeah Racing parts. I love that Scorched is very open about that where they know about certain issues. At least you buy it knowing you either need something else or have to make a tweak or two.

I agree, if they put on there that they require their diff cups I would not be upset. It was the troubleshooting for 2 weeks, and 2 weeks of waiting on more parts that sucked. I tried the TI shafts, and I snap those pins easily on 8S, and I’ve broken a few on 6S on asphalt. Vitavon hopefully holds the power

 

[joshjosh]

Good call @Tex Koder, I was able to do that in the front, it was the rear assembly I wasn’t able to make work.


I agree, if they put on there that they require their diff cups I would not be upset. It was the troubleshooting for 2 weeks, and 2 weeks of waiting on more parts that sucked. I tried the TI shafts, and I snap those pins easily on 8S. Vitavon hopefully holds the power

Vitavon messaged me back on the issue asking if I wanted to return the drive cups. At this point my rig is working, so I declined. I did request they make a note on their listing.

 

[Greengaunja]

Good call @Tex Koder, I was able to do that in the front, it was the rear assembly I wasn’t able to make work.


I agree, if they put on there that they require their diff cups I would not be upset. It was the troubleshooting for 2 weeks, and 2 weeks of waiting on more parts that sucked. I tried the TI shafts, and I snap those pins easily on 8S. Vitavon hopefully holds the power

I recently had a similar issue with the TT02. A big issue I had was with the aluminum propeller(input) shafts and the center shaft. I've bent center shafts. And when I was still beating around the bush with 48p 45t direct drive gearing, the torque would use the pin to cut the propeller shaft. When I went to Mod1, I need to file a notch on the shaft for the pinion set screw hold. And this is where it would just twist off.
Anyways, point is I tried making a larger bone fit the propeller cup by slightly drilling out the inside of the cup. It worked as the bone fit yet it failed because it aluminum and therefore drilling it weakened it. It might have worked for you though. as your cup is steel. As for my problem, I solved it yesterday with parts from Losi. Arrma, and some broken RC4WD shafts from my TF2.

 

[joshjosh]

I recently had a similar issue with the TT02. A big issue I had was with the aluminum propeller(input) shafts and the center shaft. I've bent center shafts. And when I was still beating around the bush with 48p 45t direct drive gearing, the torque would use the pin to cut the propeller shaft. When I went to Mod1, I need to file a notch on the shaft for the pinion set screw hold. And this is where it would just twist off.
Anyways, point is I tried making a larger bone fit the propeller cup by slightly drilling out the inside of the cup. It worked as the bone fit yet it failed because it aluminum and therefore drilling it weakened it. It might have worked for you though. as your cup is steel. As for my problem, I solved it yesterday with parts from Losi. Arrma, and some broken RC4WD shafts from my TF2.
View attachment 367184

I’m glad you got it sorted out, I love a good TT02! We convert them to 2WD and slide them around the track, they’re legit!

 

[Greengaunja]

I’m glad you got it sorted out, I love a good TT02! We convert them to 2WD and slide them around the track, they’re legit!

Every time I snapped a propeller shaft. I was 2wd too. Only the crappy way, fwd

 

[morrjr71]

I've seen similar posts from other who have had poorly fitting parts where the issues were pointed out and Vitavon doesn't seem to care. Vitavon's so-called "better design" parts have been particularly problematic: the ones that copy the original design closely seem to work better than the newer designs.