Traxxas!

[Blizzard242]

I just got into RC cars.. I had no idea these little things were so damn fast!

My brothers got a couple of 1/10th scale HPI Blitz so I went out and got a 1/10th Traxxas 2wd Slash with 3s 11.1v 5000mah batteries with a brushless motor system. My parent's have a nice long driveway we run them at but I can't go full throttle on mine or else it gets so fast that it starts lifting up the front from the air resistance. It's doing like 50 or 55+mph.

Anyone else into RC cars at all? I really like the idea of these because when you totally crash em and break stuff I won't get hurt and it won't cost over 50 bucks to completely repair it with upgraded parts.

[Atrum Rosa]

Re: Traxxas!

I have a traxxas Nitro Rustler stadium truck. You can definitely expect to spend over 50$ if you whack something hard enough. The engines are nearly indestructible, but I've had to rebuild nearly every suspension component, rewire the starter system, and buy countless bodyshells and tires. Do yourself a favor and buy a nice selection of spare parts up front, otherwise the toy will end up sitting. Also, don't cheap out on the battery for the starter, it'll make a difference.

[Swindez95]

Re: Traxxas!

Well here is my E-Revo Brushless Edition.





I also have a Duratrax Evader ST stadium truck with a Mamba Max Pro and 1410 1y 3800kv motor. I use 4s Lipo in the ERBE and just a simple 2s in the Evader.

I need to look into getting a short course truck however since that seems to be what everyone races now besides 1/8th electric buggy.

[unvmyrs]

Re: Traxxas!

I know troy is into them. Aka thegreatschlotzky.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Traxxas!

I have the Slash 4x4 and love it! I also had a nitro short course truck but sold it. I had my slash 4x4 up to 58.8mph when I went to full throttle and proceeded to wheelie (yes, AT 58.8mph) then brake, and watch it catch the front wheel crooked and cartwheel for at least fifty feet, literally jumping over my head. That's on a Castle Mamba Max Pro and 4s lipo. It was geared for 87mph, but I'd need to do arrow mods to get it going that quick.

Here's a couple pictures of the body I just painted:

[firebird19_99]

Re: Traxxas!

about how much do one of these run you? (roughly)

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Traxxas!

If I added up all my costs since I bought mine, I wouldn't be surprised to see 7 or 800 bucks. There is a large cost range, largely dependent on size. You can find hobby grade stuff for a bit under 100 bucks and up to 1500+. Everything mentioned so far in this thread is 1/10 scale, with the brushed 2wd slash starting at around 225 bucks and going up to 350 for stock brushless and upgraded parts, the slash 4x4 ranges from ~375-500 depending on which version you get, and the Revo goes for 500-700+ also dependent on the version. All those prices are ready to run, but not to their full potential.

[firebird19_99]

Re: Traxxas!

wow thats a nice chunk of change. But damn do they look fun :D (so tempting)

[Blizzard242]

Re: Traxxas!

That's a pretty cool body you have on it Schlotzky. I wish I had gotten a 4x4 but the 2wd is still good. I just changed my ESC to a mamba max pro and I'm still running the velineon brushless motor. Even on 3s it's faster than anything I'd ever use it for but tons of fun. I'm happy with the Slash, but not the brushless electronics in it so much. I've had it for 1 week and I have to send in the ESC already. Have you had any cogging issues or anything with the mamba?

Almost forgot to ask, what motor do you run?

[Atrum Rosa]

Re: Traxxas!

Bah, what's with all this electric stuff? :P

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Traxxas!

The cogging is going to be present in any sensorless motor, it's just a matter of how much. Since I'm running a Castle 4-pole, the cogging is much less apparent since there are the 4 poles vs. the velineon's 2 pole. I burnt up my velineon motor to the point that the glue holding the magnet on the shaft broke and the magnet spun free of the shaft, upgraded to the Castle 2400kv, which is great for the 4x4, overkill for 2x4.. The velineon motor actually is a good one, while the speed controller leaves some to be desired. I've got a buddy with a 2wd running the sct system which is the 4 pole 3800kv and I think it's just perfect for the 2wd. Crazy torque all around, tons of speed, and it really never gets too hot. His was originally brushed though, so I can't compare the vxl motor on 2wd to it. Although I raced with a 2wd guy running the mmp esc and velineon motor and week after week, he was my only real competition, but a lot of that is driver skill. I just liked the stock stuff because its waterproof, but I'm going to be waterproofing my castle esc pretty soon here so I don't have to worry about that.

Since it sounds like you're just getting into this, my word of advice is to stay away from everything proline. The bodies are ridiculously terrible, the customer support worse. I had a proline body that cracked terribly after a small rollover 5 minutes into the first run, (stock body lasted me months before the first crack) it took them 2 months to replace it with a body that cracked in three places after a very very light rollover on the first run, and it took them 5 months to give me a refund (proline credit) which I used to buy the beadlock wheels seen above, which can't hold tires on for anything and the screws strip out much too easily both heads and threads. </rant> :P

Bah, what's with all this electric stuff? :P

I get that a lot, and to be honest, there is probably more of a hobby quality to running nitro because you get the sounds and smells, the satisfaction (or irritation) of tuning the engine (every time the weather changes) and a lot of the performance, but the fact is, electric is not only easier, but more powerful. Brushless motors have theoretically no limit to their torque output other than the battery and always make peak torque, which nitro could never do. Like I said, I had both, and sold the nitro to concentrate on electric. Nitro was fun, and I may own another down the road, but I think electric is more satisfying overall, and much cheaper to go from tame stock speeds to crazy speeds by just buying a nice battery.

[Blizzard242]

Re: Traxxas!

I actually geared down which helped a lot with the cogging.. Then for the "throttle surge" i actually had to roll back my firmware. It seemed the newer the firmware the worse the problem was. But it's manageable at 1.26 so I'm gonna keep it there. My temps have improved greatly too but I swear the thing is undergeared.. I have it at 13/86.
I know clip on motor heatsinks are cheap and aluminum diff housings are best at keeping temps down but I have the materials to fab up my own aluminum motor heatsink for free. I may give up on the idea and just spend 3 bucks for a manufactured one.

Doesn't proline make good tires? Like street fighters or something? I need some good tires because these stock BFG's just spin like crazy. The only wheely I've ever done was from going so fast the air picked it up and cartwheeled it like crazy. That was my first speedrun with the car.. Even though it flipped out real bad I loved it, especially how nothing broke. I was on 23/86 or 26/86 gearing though..

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Traxxas!

I just run the traxxas Kumho Road Ventures. They outlast anything else I've found, and have pretty good grip on most surfaces, and are cheaper than anything else. Mine will wheelie at any speed below like 25mph on my current gearing and 3s. I burned through two sets of BFGs, one S compound and one standard. They hardly lasted and had poor traction on everything. I also used some Bowties, which were okay, but wore pretty quick, and Calibers too, which were basically bald after one run on 3s in my buddies 2wd. I haven't tried the streetfighters, but after trying out the kumhos and seeing how long they lasted, I'm on my second set and don't plan on ever switching to anything else other than maybe 1/8th scale buggy wheels.

I bought a 3 dollar heatsink and saw a goo 7-10* F decrease in temps on my vxl motor, so I'd say it's worth it. Might even be better on yours since the 2wd has better air flow to teh motor.

[Blizzard242]

Re: Traxxas!

Old thread revival!

Ordered an Associated RC8.2E rtr. I was kickin *** in the 2wd short course class so I decided to start kickin *** in the 1/8th 4wd buggy class, a lot more experienced guys run in this class though. Anyone run any 1/8th stuff?

I made a short and sweet video for a couple of the guys I race with. They've got their 1/8 truggies here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyleLqOXGRw

[ssms5411]

Re: Traxxas!

Pretty cool ,looks like fun.