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Great advice! Thanks everyone!

Thanks NJhopper. I'm using the original pinion and bevel gears so I think I'm going to replace and rebuild and do something like the frogshot mod to prevent the diff from seperating. Hopefully will work. Cheers!

Hi all, having the seemingly very common problem of my diff skipping in my restored Mud Blaster. I'm using the dogbones/axles from the re-release and I'm getting some slipping probably due to the sideplates flexing. I'm considering doing something like the frogshot mod (http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=24674&sid=3142) but not sure it'll work with the new axles. One of the cups has a pin sticking out of it that slides into the other cup. The frogshot mod doesn't really look feasible with these cups unless I cut off the existing pin and then drill out a new hole for the locking screw and that sounds like a risky operation. Any suggestions? I could maybe glue it as is or maybe flatten a part of the pin? The other option I'm considering is creating some kind of external bracket to put pressure on the plates and keep them from flexing but I'm thinking the plates will just find another place to flex... Thanks in advance!

Having the same problem...Just rebuilt my vintage MubBlaster (same chassis/gearbox) and I'm getting a cracking noise under hard acceleration while cornering or on bumpy terrain... Starting taking the gearbox apart last night and it looks like the spur gear is maybe a little damaged so I thought maybe the mesh was off. Did you manage to solve the problem you were having?

It's definitely sturdier than in it's original form. That CRP Chassis system really stiffens up the chassis. Only weak point I'd say is the gearbox.. Anyone know a bit about the thorpe system? Can you replace just certain gears or do you have to replace the whole gearbox?

Thanks guys Those tie rods were a bit of a headache actually.. the rod ends were very difficult to thread and after all that didn't fit on any of the ball studs I had. I'm actually using 2 rod ends from the original setup on the servo saver with the red ball studs I got with the YR dampers. And traxxas parts I bought at my LHS for the steering block. If you plan on centering the servo, any 2.5" rods will do really. I wouldn't recommend the losi ones I used. As for the dampers.. Very nice product. Great price and comes with a bunch of spare parts and springs. Only problem was that the factory assembly was horrible! 3/4 shock ends were installed crooked and one of the adjustable rings on the shock body was upside down. I've also heard they're prone to leaking but can't attest to that myself. I'd say great for a shelf queen, maybe better off with a better brand name if performance is a concern.

Hi everyone, I finally finished my Mud Blaster restoration/updating project after about 2 months of part hunting and restoration. (good part of that was waiting for parts ) The truck was bought new in 1991 and sat in various garages or basements since. Mostly thanks to my mother arguing with my father not to throw it out.. Got lucky with the ESC which snapped in perfectly underneath the esc plate custom mod to fit 7 cell battery...used esc mounts and gearbox metal bearings Here's a basic rundown of the upgrades/replacements: Full CRP chassis support system / Includes reinforced rear shock mounts, rear body mount supports and front shock tower supports CRP reinforced rear wheel adapters Brat re-issue rear drive shafts (replace original hex dogbones) Brat re-issue rear suspension holders (replace original plastic holders) New diff gear Teflon-coated sealed bearings (wheels and gearbox) Yeah Racing 80mm aluminum dampers all-around New Tamiya stock 540 motor Traxxas XL5 waterproof ESC Traxxas waterproof servo / Servo saver Spektrum DX3E radio / SR500 Rx Custom-built waterproof receiver box (built from original Acoms receiver) New Tamiya Pin Spike Tires Brat re-issue chassis (colour preference) Losi adjustable tie rods Everything else is original. Truck was in great shape when I started and really only needed dogbones and tires. I wanted to make a good, reliable basher I could hang on to for another 20 years. Still have the original body (and paint job ) but I have a body in the works. Also took on 2 other new vehicles in the last 2 months so my budget has been slim.. Finally got to take it out this weekend and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with it's performance. In fact, it's actually as fast as my stock slash and handles great. First time out had soft shocks all around and I couldn't get it to roll even at top speed. Yesterday went out with medium shocks on the rear and did have some traction rolling so looks like soft springs all around are the way to go. I do have one issue to solve though.. I'm getting a popping or clicking sound when accelerating hard. Mostly during heavy cornering or over bumpy terrain. Thinking it's the gearbox slipping or possibly the dogbones. Will be taking it apart this week to inspect for damage. I can almost remember it doing that when I was a kid but I smoke a LOT of weed so....kinda foggy Any ideas?

I just completed a complete updating/restoration of my original Mud Blaster. Finally took it out this weekend for some fun in the snow and loved every minute of it - Especially since it took about 3 months to complete. I'll have some pics uploaded to a new thread tonight. Feel free to give a shout if you have any questions. Biggest change for me was upgrading all the electronics to Traxxas waterproof components as well as the complete CRP chassis kit (huge improvement) and sealed bearings all around. Makes it a great basher and as fast as my stock slash! As for the rear brace, there's a member on this board that has a lot of aluminum replicas for sale. Good luck!

My first hobby-grade RC was a Falcon circa 1989 Wish I still had it. Let me know if you're ever selling one... I just finished a complete restore of my 1991 Mud Blaster which seems like a little-known model too. Basically a Blackfoot with Brat body.

I just purchased 2 sets for my Mudblaster restore... Shocks are very nice and the extra hardware is sweet. Can't attest to leakage yet as I'm still assembling but one BIG disappointment was that the shock ends were installed crooked from the factory. Still hoping to avoid rebuilding them so I hope they won't bind as is or else need to replace 3/4 shock ends. Spares are provided with the shocks - but still... Another slight issue I'm having is that the eyelets on the shock caps are quite large in diameter and finding stand-offs that actually fit has been impossible to date. The full sets include pillow ends but these have about a 1/4" standoff built-in so it angles the shocks significantly. Can't say I would buy them again but def have some value depending on your needs.

It'll be a stressful learning experience in any case.. Thanks for the tip.

Decided to write a quick message to year racing regarding the poor assembly... We'll see what kind of response I get..

I know.. It seems like a quality product, buy why assemble it if you're not going to do it right? Would of been perfect had they not come pre-assembled.. Any advice on how to remove them? I've seen a trick with duct tape or else using wire cutters to grab the first thread.. Thanks again!

LOL!! I don't blame you for a second James... I would have done the same thing. Looks like re-threading is the way to go. Thanks for the advice. Seb

It's a few degrees for sure... The shock ends are fitted with some alum eyelets that allow some rotation and I wonder if this would compensate enough. Would hate to fill them and then find that they bind though.. They did supply some spare parts so I do have a fresh pair of ends to try alternatively.

Hoping someone can help. I just ordered 2 sets of aluminum shocks from Yeah Racing and 3 of the 4 shock ends are installed crooked. These come pre-built. Is this acceptable? Or should I remove them and hope I can rethread them? I'm a novice so would appreciate any help on this. Thanks!

Have to agree with you on that.. My brand new Slash is giving me dirty looks from across the room while I obsess over an old beat-up Tamiya This was my first ebay experience as well and I'm totally hooked! My first RC back in the late 80s was a Falcon.. wish I still had that kickin' around...

I'm currently restoring a 1991 Mudblaster and I'll have spent $200+ when all is said and done. Keep in mind the body and paint alone are about 50$ and electronics were the next major expense. Most of the spare parts, chassis, screw bags, hop ups, etc were relatively cheap ranging from $1-15. A re-issued Subaru Brat kit goes for about $120 on ebay so if I didn't have an affinity for my 19-year old kit, I would have likely saved by buying a new kit and even upgrading it. Could have fixed it for under 50 but I wanted to modernize it a bit. The truck will be 90% new when complete. With the exception of the electronics and the body, most mods are vintage or re-issue parts as to stay true to the vintage nature of the truck. All found on ebay.. Here's a rundown of the parts I've ordered (prices do not include shipping): New chassis parts tree (grey) - $8 New rear axle set from frog/brat - $15 New set of Tamiya Pin Spike Monster Tires (4) - $18 Full set of Yeah Racing blue teflon coated bearings - $10 2 sets of Yeah Racing 80mm aluminum dampers (with extra steering components) - $27 CRP reinforced rear shock mounts - $6 CRP front shock tower support (missing 3rd piece to attach to rear shocks/mounts so decided to fabricated custom brackets to connect to frame) - $6 Losi Sport adjustable steering rods 2.5" (to work with centered servo) - $6 New original diff gears - $1.50 New metal transmission bearings 850 - $2 New updated metal rear suspension holders (from Brat) - $2 4 screw bags - $10 New Tamiya 540 motor - $5 Traxxas XL-5 waterproof ESC - $28 (I love ebay!) Traxxas TQ transmitter and micro-receiver - (gift) Traxxas weaterproof receiver box - $2 Only items left to purchase are: Aluminum rear body mount brace - $35 (with shipping) Body - $40 Items to be re-used: Most of the transmission assembly including metal gears, spacers, motor mount Front and rear arms front shock tower Rear body mounts Front bumper Original Acoms Servo Hope this helps.. PM me if you have any questions.. Seb

Thanks for the heads up Bill. Decided to go with the front chassis supports and rear shock mounts only.. going to fabricate a bracket to connect the front supports to rear of the chassis. For anyone looking for restoration ideas or parts, I'm just about done ordering my parts. Here's what's on the way: New chassis parts tree (grey) New rear axle set from frog/brat New set of Tamiya Pin Spike Monster Tires Full set of Yeah Racing blue teflon coated bearings 2 sets of Yeah Racing 80mm aluminum dampers (with extra steering components) CRP reinforced rear shock mounts CRP front shock tower support (missing 3rd piece to attach to rear shocks/mounts so decided to fabricated custom brackets to connect to frame) Losi Sport adjustable steering rods 2.5" (to work with centered servo) New original diff gears New metal transmission bearings 850 New updated metal rear suspension holders (from Brat) 4 screw bags New Tamiya 540 motor Traxxas XL-5 waterproof ESC Traxxas TQ transmitter and micro-receiver Traxxas weaterproof receiver box Only items left to purchase are: Aluminum rear body mount brace Body Items to be re-used: Most of the transmission assembly including metal gears, spacers, motor mount Front and rear arms front shock tower Rear body mounts Front bumper Original Acoms Servo Can't wait to put it all back together!!! Thanks for everyone's input!

lost the chassis kit on ebay unfortunately.. maybe I'll be ordering that rear brace sooner than planned Mooter.. anyone have a lead on a chassis kit? The rear shock mounts and front shock tower support seem easy to find but part #1624 Rear body support is nowhere to be seen.

Thanks, Mooter. I'm watching one on ebay right now... doesn't seem to be too many full kits around which is why I have to wait till feb for the rear brace Took most of the truck apart last night and it's looking pretty good. Don't think I'll need to replace any gears and it looks like the shocks are salvageable.. Anyone know a good way to remove the rust from the springs?

Can anyone help me figure what's the best grease to use to repack the transmission? I read somewhere about using automotive diff grease. I'd like to find something a my local hardware store since our lhs is pretty slim on supplies at the moment.. Thanks!!

Hi everyone! I'm a new member and I'm getting back into RC after almost 20 years. I've got an SC truck coming this month and decided to finally take on rebuilding my 1991 mud blaster that's managed to stick around all these years. The truck is in pretty good condition - all things considered. As far as I can remember and tell, it has a stripped rear dogbone (BIG surprise... : | ), the rear shock tower is broken (good old duct tape still holding strong 18 years later!) and the tires have cracked and need replacement. I'm going to completely rebuild it using a new frog chassis (never really cared for the red plastic) and updated rear axles. I've also ordered a variety of steering parts and several screw bags. I'm hoping to use electronics from a traxxas slash since they are pretty affordable and waterproof. Picked up a new silver can motor for now ($5) and I'd like to order one of those sweet alum rear shock tower braces I've seen here in the forum. All that leaves are shocks, tires and a body. And perhaps strengthening the front shock tower. Anyway, that's the plan. I'm kind of a newb so I'd love to hear some of your ideas or suggestions and definitely feel free to post some pics. One question I have is what shocks will fit. Thinking maybe I can use slash rears shocks. Thanks!! ps. will upload some before pics soon..