3Racing Cactus Build

[DJR2096]

Well guys & gels, My 3Racing Cactus is here from RC Mart & I think I'll do a build thread to go along with it !
I looked at many. many kits for a 1/10 2WD buggy: Intech, Team Durango, Team C, Atomic & so on for my first new build of a 1/10 buggy since 1989!

Its a great bit of kit for the money, & I was surprised with the quality of the kit parts! It even comes with a set of AKA tyres too
I'll be running the HPI Flux Pro ESC & Motor in it (Thanks to Adrenaline models for that), Spektrum SR3100 receiver & a Power HD 1206TG sevo in the front for steering!
And so on with the build we go

Bag 1 is always a good place to start!


Chassis, front end, rear pin holders & steering bits!


Yep nice set of bearing with the kit!
Now is that what I think it is?


Yes it is !
Kit come with anodised pink parts. As nice as the anodising is................it's gotta go. off to the caustic soda it is!
I hate pink or purple anodising!


Da composite main chassis! All nice & clean out of the box!


Bet the bottom of it won't look like that soon!


Front end of the chassis is held on with 4x M3 lock nuts & 4x M3x8 flat head screws.


Screws secure from the bottom.


10 mins & some caustic soda later & that rubbish pink is gone. Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You only want the larger of the alli parts, 4x M3x8 scres & a 0.5mm & 1.0mm suspension mount RF spacers.
The RF spacers sit under the pin holder.


And screw in to the allow from the bottom. As it's metal to metal I used a little blue threadlock just to be safe.



And there we have the chassis up to now!


Time to start getting the steering rack build.
These parts came on a tree. So snip them off & give em a trim with a knife & start the build with screwing in the 4.8 ball studs.


Just like that!


& one ball stud in the left steering arm & push the M5x8x2.5 bearing in both the left & right steering arms.


Place a 3.02 shim on one of the M3x12. Do two of these!


Place two M5.7x5.5 bushings in the steering link. One in each side of the.


Push ya screws through aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand..........


Screw down you steering arms to the link! Job done!!



Now to mount it to the steering to the chassis using two M3.18 button head screws, two M5.02 shims & two M8.9.2 steering posts.


posts, shims & screw go like that!


And you should end up with it looking like that.
Check for binding & unscrew until till its gone!

[DJR2096]

Felix Law ran a Cactus with Losi shocks at the 2013 worlds.



On with the build we go!

Hinge pins, front arms, pin carrier & lower suspension mount red to go. Do a little sanding on the arms to get them to fall under
their own weight.


Push in the pins.


And secure the front pin carrier with two 2.6x6 countersunk screws.


Front bumper and screws ready to bolt the front arms to the chassis.


Place the front suspension assembly on to the chassis & screw the bulkhead down ion place.


Rear M3x16s in first


Then secure the bumper to the front end with the last two M3x16 screws.


Bag two here we go! looing for the front shock mount!


There it is. Ready for attachment.


A little more de-anodising on the M3x10x1.5 spacers. Slip them over the two 4.8x7 ball studs.


And screw into place. I'm going with stock settings for a starting point!


Put in place.


Screwing to place with the four M3x10 button screws!


Tower in place. Seems very sturdy.

[Voske]

Looks like a very nice kit, and a nice build threat.

[DJR2096]

Originally Posted by Voske

Looks like a very nice kit, and a nice build threat.

It's been a great kit so far. No grumbles from me!


Right up next is the front hubs. Again all nice clean!


Push in the two M5x10 included bearings


Screw in a 4.8mm ball stud.


Push the knuckle are pins through the knuckle arms.


Place a M5x02 shim over the knuckle arm, then a hex adaptor.


Then secure with a M2x12 hub pin.


Take your knuckles and & place in the C-hub with an M2.5x7x1 plastic spacer each side of the knuckle. Push pin though &


Secure with a M2x4 button head screw.


Left & right hubs finished


Next up...........turnbuckles!


I always take a little bit of plastic out of the ends of the ball caps just for ease of starting them off!


The supplied tool helps lots! Make four up & put them a side ready for mounting!


Time to mount the C-hub/knuckle assembly.


Two spacers each side of the c-hub, push pin though & secure with a M2x4 screw.



Snap on you four turnbuckles and there you go!

[Bluestreak]

That looks really nice fella. And the price on rcmart seems to be very good value. How good do the plastics feel??

[Mugenextreme]

looks nice but best get yourself some spare castor blocks and steering knuckles for the front of the car.