How to Relocate the Links on an Axial AX10 Scorpion RC Rock Crawler

The upper and lower links on a stock Axial AX10 Scorpion are installed in the outermost holes, closest to the wheels. While there is nothing wrong with having them mounted there, per se, I did a bit of tinkering on mine and found that relocating them inward nets some big performance gains. Here's how I did it.

The lower links (pictured in the article photo) and the upper links (not pictured) both use a Phillips-type screw, so no special tools are needed at all. It is also only necessary to relocate the chassis ends of them for this project, so it's done in a jiffy. It ends up being ten minutes of "wrenching" that pays off greatly in the rocks. It did for me, at least.

Removal of the links
Removing the links from the chassis of the Axial AX10 Scorpion is as simple as unscrewing them with a Phillips screwdriver. The only thing to remember is to unscrew them all so that there is no twist on the geometry when putting them back in. Once all four screws are out, set them aside where they can easily be found because they tend to get lost in the mix easily.

Relocating the links
You'll notice that there are three holes in the chassis of the Axial AX10 Scorpion to choose from when remounting the links. I went to the innermost holes on my RC crawler and was glad I did. I recommend installing both the lower links in the inner holes, and then moving on to the upper links. That way, the axle is already somewhat located and you can play with the "Y" link system a little easier. When tightening the screws, the idea is to get them snug against the metal eyes inside the arm without getting them too tight. The last thing you want to do is strip the threads.

The effect
Relocating the links on your Axial AX10 Scorpion to the innermost holes slightly shortens the wheelbase, allowing the RC to get up and over things it could not before. Since it brings the axles in closer to the chassis, it will also slightly lift the car, giving a tad more ground clearance. My personal Axial AX10 Scorpion crawled a heck of a lot better after the "upgrade", and the best part is that it's all free. There was a certain boulder-sized rock in my garden that it simply wouldn't make it up before relocating the links that it was able to climb up and over with ease after the operation, so I know it helped things out. It also tends to "bottom out" against the skid plate a lot less often. Of course, if you find that the relocation is too extreme for your application, you can always try the middle holes, as well. After all, fine-tuning our rigs is half the fun!