Need Help With B44 Threaded Shock Collars

[LTO_Dave]

I just cracked the seal and started to assemble my B44 that I bought about two years ago, and I'm having problems with the threaded shock collars.

The collars simply will not thread on to the shock bodies. I tried putting some oil on the threads and o-rings inside the collars and tried using the RPM shock tool flipped upside down to not damage the anno.

Is there a trick to this? It just seems like the anno. on the shock bodies and the anno. on the aluminum collars is simply too thick for such fine threads.

Don't make me get out the pliers and hammer.

[scr8p]

Have you tried starting the collars without the o-rings first?

[THUNDERSTRIKE1]

OR maybe putting them on upside down.aka threads facing wrong direction?DON

[LTO_Dave]

Yep, I tried both of those things thinking maybe it would help start the threads, but it didn't help.

I did manage to get the two front collars on after about an hour, but I still cannot get the rears to thread on.

[Charlie don't surf]

Any chance you had another set of collars floating around your bench like for the TC3/VCS-2- they are different thread pitch- other than that I have had 1 stubborn sand grain in the collars before that will block the thread path-

[jwscab]

with fine thread fasteners, sometimes its really hard to get them started, especially with brand new threads. Couple things you can try:

now that you got the fronts on, run them up and down a few times, and then try to use them on the rear bodies, sometimes working the threads gets rid of burrs or other debris that prevents a clean engagement.

another trick is to put the nut up to the threads and spin it the wrong way until you get a definitive 'click', or the nut will raise up then 'fall' back onto the thread; then spin it clockwise. You are basically 'timing' the thread of the nut to the shock body.

only other thing I can say is to spin the nut and body somehow while holding a paper towel or other cloth against the threads to try and burnish them in and clean them out.

[RC104ever]

What I did that worked perfectly was to put the shock collars on first without the o ring, just to get them worked in. Then I put the o rings on, and they went on without a problem.

[mikea96]

When i bought my B44 a couple of years ago i had the same problem with two of the collars and i had to replace them.

[LTO_Dave]

When i bought my B44 a couple of years ago i had the same problem with two of the collars and i had to replace them.

I guess it's not just me being ham-fisted then.

I tried again today for about an hour to get the rear collars on, but no luck. I tried threading the front collars on the rear bodies and vice versa, but nothing worked.

I threaded the rears on about one turn, but they won't move any higher. So that's where they're staying for good.

This B44 kit is terrible! Besides the shock collars not fitting, these are some other problems I've had:

- The instructions are vague.
- The front gearbox cracked at the rear screw hole.
- A ballcup cracked when I easily snapped it on the ballstud.
- No thread locker was included, which is required for a lot of screws.
- The cap on the 25wt oil was loose and most of it leaked into the bag.
- The foams for the tires are waaaay to large, which makes gluing them a PITA.
- The mold release crap on the tires is hard to remove and smells bad.
- Some of the foam ballstud dust seals didn't have holes in them.
- CVA bones were rusty!
- And the amount of plastic bags used in this kit is insane! I'm talking a bag within a bag within a bag within a bag that only has two or three tiny pieces in it!


After building this kit, I honestly don't think I'll ever buy another new Associated kit.

[klavy69]

The instructions are vague.
- The front gearbox cracked at the rear screw hole.
- A ballcup cracked when I easily snapped it on the ballstud.
- No thread locker was included, which is required for a lot of screws.
- The cap on the 25wt oil was loose and most of it leaked into the bag.
- The foams for the tires are waaaay to large, which makes gluing them a PITA.
- The mold release crap on the tires is hard to remove and smells bad.
- Some of the foam ballstud dust seals didn't have holes in them.
- And the amount of plastic bags used in this kit is insane! I'm talking a bag within a bag within a bag within a bag that only has two or three tiny pieces in it!

Hey Coelacanth...heres plenty of new stuff for you in a couple weeks to choose from

Todd

[Charlie don't surf]

When i bought my B44 a couple of years ago i had the same problem with two of the collars and i had to replace them.

I guess it's not just me being ham-fisted then.

I tried again today for about an hour to get the rear collars on, but no luck. I tried threading the front collars on the rear bodies and vice versa, but nothing worked.

I threaded the rears on about one turn, but they won't move any higher. So that's where they're staying for good.

This B44 kit is terrible! Besides the shock collars not fitting, these are some other problems I've had:

- The instructions are vague.
- The front gearbox cracked at the rear screw hole.
- A ballcup cracked when I easily snapped it on the ballstud.
- No thread locker was included, which is required for a lot of screws.
- The cap on the 25wt oil was loose and most of it leaked into the bag.
- The foams for the tires are waaaay to large, which makes gluing them a PITA.
- The mold release crap on the tires is hard to remove and smells bad.
- Some of the foam ballstud dust seals didn't have holes in them.
- And the amount of plastic bags used in this kit is insane! I'm talking a bag within a bag within a bag within a bag that only has two or three tiny pieces in it!


After building this kit, I honestly don't think I'll ever buy another new Associated kit.

Man, I love my B44.1 FT kit- I have had none of these issues at all Sorry to hear about all that

[littleVETTE]

try putting some green slime or vaseline on the o-rings. it'll ride on the threads a little easier.

[Lonestar]

OR maybe putting them on upside down.aka threads facing wrong direction?DON

I'm probably missing sthing here - Don, can you elaborate?

Cheers!
Paul

[Lonestar]

In case you haven't tried yet - running an xacto blade in the threads, both collars and shock bodies, could help...

Otherwise, there's a machining issue somewhere.

When I built my 44.1 last fall I sure was disappointed by the overall quality, then again we have to keep in mind this is a 6 or 7-y old design based on the BJ4, which was a hack to graft B4 suspension parts and a TC3 tranny on a homemade double-deck chassis... I remember a guy on rctech saying that I shouldn't get too hung up on this as "the car is a bit agricultural, but it delivers the goods on the track" which is true... but still, I agree, Kyosho or Yokomo wouldn't have even thought about releasing this to market...

Two things to watch on this car: diffs and slipper, both getting loose quickly in hi-grip conditions. The slipper needs to be loctited to hold its setup on my car, the o-ring in it is a joke...

Paul

[Charlie don't surf]

In case you haven't tried yet - running an xacto blade in the threads, both collars and shock bodies, could help...

Otherwise, there's a machining issue somewhere.

When I built my 44.1 last fall I sure was disappointed by the overall quality, then again we have to keep in mind this is a 6 or 7-y old design based on the BJ4, which was a hack to graft B4 suspension parts and a TC3 tranny on a homemade double-deck chassis... I remember a guy on rctech saying that I shouldn't get too hung up on this as "the car is a bit agricultural, but it delivers the goods on the track" which is true... but still, I agree, Kyosho or Yokomo wouldn't have even thought about releasing this to market...

Two things to watch on this car: diffs and slipper, both getting loose quickly in hi-grip conditions. The slipper needs to be loctited to hold its setup on my car, the o-ring in it is a joke...

Paul

Paul is 100% on the slipper (we run them locked and w/o loctite is loosens) and I've fragged 2 diff gears tuning the preferred tight settings with the locked slipper due to drivetrain shock-