Tired of Notched Bearings? The Solution - KDE Direct Thrusted Bearing Blocks

[slamdance]

I do a lot of flip exercises on my trex 500, and without these thrust bearings the radial bearings will be gone after about 50 flights. I don't crash much(knock on wood), but angular slop becomes a real issue. No more worn radial bearings after this upgrade. However, I do pull the bearings and regrease after about 150 flights(3 weeks for me), because of grease loss and dirt/contamination. It's very easy to "chase" the bearings out with a spare shaft.

[williamhorton]

Do the KDE upgrades strengthen the frame enough to make it more durable in a crash? Do the KDE parts, especially, the bottom frame support bend easily in a crash? I nosed it in and had to replace the frames because they cracked. I figure if the frame is ridgid enough, it will withstand some abuse. I also had to replace the bottom frame support. The frames cracked where the battery support tray is and where the motor mount is.

[Lighty]

Originally Posted by williamhorton

Do the KDE upgrades strengthen the frame enough to make it more durable in a crash? Do the KDE parts, especially, the bottom frame support bend easily in a crash? I nosed it in and had to replace the frames because they cracked. I figure if the frame is ridgid enough, it will withstand some abuse. I also had to replace the bottom frame support. The frames cracked where the battery support tray is and where the motor mount is.

Looking at buying the main block bearings and the bottom plate, is it worth it or is it purely for cosmetic reason the bottom plate that is?

cheers

[joshd]

that kde direct upgrade kit looks great , but honestly , 165 bucks (US$) so about 10 dollars Aussie ) sorry could not help the dig .. anyway thats a lot of money when compared to simular products i get from ebay such as
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tarot-Met...ht_1649wt_1111

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/160692938...ht_1544wt_1111

i always try and support local industry and i assume Americans do but there is no local manufacuring left in Australia as nobody wants to work for 20 cents a day like the chinese.

i will buy a few products to check them out as i love a new product , you really need to maybe get the price down ? by the way we have here a aliminium smelter Alcoa ,not far from here (melbourne Australia) it is constantly on the news trying to survive and not getting shut down and going off shore . i assume you have the same issues , do you make these products in USA.

I have no Doubt the quality would be better ,
Josh

[Turttle]

Yeah kde set ups are on the heavy side lol but the power is sure there.But any way I like the ideal of the bearing blocks but honestly Imo I think a one peice bearing block even though it may add an ounce is the way to go.One peice just make things that much stronger and durable with no flexing of the carbon fiber frame.Or limited by quite a bit.I run the helioption they are light and have been great I just think its a better design to run a one peice block............Hint hint

[nbells]

I got the bearings for the 500 pro and now one of them sounds like its rumbeling a bit .... can I purchase the bearings or do I have to renew the block as well ?

[taoY]

If by rumbling you mean the bearing is not smooth then you can just replace the bearings. http://www.kdedirect.com/BearingsandFasteners.html

[PharmD]

OK, so I have one of the metal bottom frame plates. The landing gear screw broke off in the hole and I can't grab it with anything. Being so small, it's tough to get out. How can I get the broken screw out without damaging he threads inside the hole? Thanks for your time.

[KDE Direct]

Originally Posted by PharmD

OK, so I have one of the metal bottom frame plates. The landing gear screw broke off in the hole and I can't grab it with anything. Being so small, it's tough to get out. How can I get the broken screw out without damaging he threads inside the hole? Thanks for your time.

That is tough - I'm not always successful trying to do this, but your best friend is heat in this case. Try heating the Aluminum with a torch to expand the material and relax the threads (and any threadlocker) and then I usually try and machine a small slot (with a Dremel cut-off wheel, the ultra-thin kind) into the screw and then use a tiny flat-head screwdriver to back it out. Not always easy and usually not successful, but from time-to-time, I get lucky.

The other option is to drill it out with a 2.0mm drill, retap this to M2.5, and then use M2.5 screws to bolt on the landing gear. Won't work by hand-drilling this, as the drill will want to walk into the aluminum rather than the steel of the broken screw, so you'll need to use a drill-press or mill typically to get it done properly.

After all this, we do offer our standard 30% crash-replacement discount on a new item if you need to replace the piece. Feel free to contact us at sales@kdedirect.com and we'll get you taken care of.

[PharmD]

Originally Posted by KDE Direct

That is tough - I'm not always successful trying to do this, but your best friend is heat in this case. Try heating the Aluminum with a torch to expand the material and relax the threads (and any threadlocker) and then I usually try and machine a small slot (with a Dremel cut-off wheel, the ultra-thin kind) into the screw and then use a tiny flat-head screwdriver to back it out. Not always easy and usually not successful, but from time-to-time, I get lucky.

The other option is to drill it out with a 2.0mm drill, retap this to M2.5, and then use M2.5 screws to bolt on the landing gear. Won't work by hand-drilling this, as the drill will want to walk into the aluminum rather than the steel of the broken screw, so you'll need to use a drill-press or mill typically to get it done properly.

After all this, we do offer our standard 30% crash-replacement discount on a new item if you need to replace the piece. Feel free to contact us at sales@kdedirect.com and we'll get you taken care of.

OK. I'll definitely try it. The slot sounds like my best bet. Thanks. I'll keep the discount in mind if I don't have any luck.