RE: $500 Budget For RTR basher
I agree with choosing a brand that is popular with your local hobby shop as it makes buying replacement parts more convenient when you finally break something. If you were thinking Rustler or getting pushed towards one, see if they don't have a Slaxh VXL in stock. You might enjoy that better and if you choose to race later on, you can install a LCG chassis kit.
Posted on: 9/17/2012 8:21 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11231089

RE: What other types of SCTs are worth looking at?
[quote]ORIGINAL: bloodpuppy Just won a Ultimate Slash RTR off the bay for under 300$ think i did good. [/quote] New, that truck sells for around $520, give or take. If it's still pretty clean then you did well. Even better if the seller tossed in a LiPo pack and some spare parts.
Posted on: 9/17/2012 8:16 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11231087

RE: What other types of SCTs are worth looking at?
Do you intend to race at a local club? Are you trying to find a used truck or are you looking at new ones too? I know you were looking at the 4x4 Slash but, do you prefer 2wd or 4wd? If you're only considering used, then it kinda depends on what's available. Check the local CL ads, the ads here on RCU and Ebay. You might find something there. Put a want ad on CL or RCU and see if you get some legitimate offers. As far as the trucks go there are many great brands but some are more popular choices than others depending on what drive type you are looking for. I prefer Associated and their SC10 is available in both 2wd and 4wd. New, they start at $299 RTR and go up from there. My brother and his wife race HPI Blitz's which are 2wd. There are many similarities to my SC10 and both of their trucks drive extremely well. You can get the Losi XXX-SCT 2wd (although with brushed motor) RTR for $200. You may be able to find a better deal online somewhere if you do some searching.
Posted on: 9/16/2012 4:32 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11230360

RE: hpi rebate
Print the one from Tower and keep that for yourself. Send the original copy that was included with the truck to HPI. Those are my 2 cents.
Posted on: 9/15/2012 8:26 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229686

RE: Just ordered an Axial Exo
It think it's a fine piece of machinery. But, based on what I've seen and read from other owner's; that cage is a b**** to work around and makes accessing the electronics and battery a more complicated task than it should be.
Posted on: 9/15/2012 6:33 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229179

RE: $500 Budget For RTR basher
[quote]ORIGINAL: Speed917 Where would i purchase from ? I have one hobby store thats around 25miles away and there prices are around 30-40% higher then what i have found online.Im not sure if i can put sites on this website without getting int trouble i know some site are strict like that Thank you all for your responses !!! Im looking into all the vehicles listed, I was looking at kits but im not sure i am knowledgeable enough just yet to put one together i mean it cannot be that hard there really is not too much to these but at the same time i rather not take the risk. How hard is it to make one of these more water resistant for snow or shallow water play ? Will it cause anything to over heat ? Is it necessary to purchase a brushless system ? can you run lipos on brushed motors and still get power? Whats the maintenance one these things ? [/quote] If you choose not to shop local then you can look into these online retailers: A Main Hobbies Stormer Hobbies Tower Hobbies RC Superstore RC Planet The Barn Floor Building a kit isn't bad if you're a handy person and good with tools. Then to make the vehcile water ready you can use "waterproof" electronics like the products available from Traxxas. There are products you can buy to coat the electronics and do it yourself too. Eitherway, you need a waterproof ESC, servo and sealed receiver box. Lastly, you might as well go brushless since the initial investment really isn't much higher as reasonably priced systems can be found at hobbypartz.com. The motors are not only more powerful but more efficient and practially require no maintenance; unless you run the car in wet conditions.
Posted on: 9/15/2012 6:30 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229174

RE: What's wrong with hitec x4 charger
You have a weak link in the connectors. The Tamiya plugs are notorious for this and it can also happen if you use the alligator clips. Otherwise, your battery is on the fritz and the voltage is too for the charger to read.
Posted on: 9/15/2012 6:11 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229162

RE: $500 Budget For RTR basher
If you were considering the 'Pede 4x4 then I would look at that Bullet Shark mentioned. I'm not hot on Traxxas myself. Their biggest benefit, and this is marginal at best, is that they are so popular that everyone makes aftermarket parts for them. Otherwise, you can find a high quality, durable and capable vehicle from another brand for less. For bashers I'd look into HPI, Ofna or Axial. I'm not suggesting these brands because I believe they are "basher only brands", but rather that I believe that most of their products are good for many different uses; racing, bashing, drifting and even crawling. Ofna makes some nifty 1/8 brushless vehicles in either ARR or RTR form. The prices are better than you may think. I'll throw this out there too because it may interest you. An Axial EXO Terra is $199 for a kit. Toss in a Castle Sidewinder SCT or similar system, pick a radio from Hobbypartz along with a battery / charger and you should have a nice setup for less than your budgeted price.
Posted on: 9/13/2012 10:03 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11227980

RE: Just ordered an Axial Exo
[quote]ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator Finally finished the build today and what do ya know it's raining! But I did get to drive it in my garage, which revealed two problems. First, I think I may want to run 3s to make this thing fun. On 2s, it seems to do fine, but doesn't quite break any records. This could probably be temporarily fixed with gearing because I think it's geared low, but I'll need to run it first to determine that. Secondly is the more serious issue: the left front dog bone will not stay in the outer drive cup. It constantly falls and binds up the drivetrain and steering. It's simply too short which can be fixed by replacing it with a rear I've heard. But before I go buy anything, I'm honna try to change a few things and use some fuel tubing to see if I can't get it to work cuz the other side works fine. I'll try to upload some pics tomorrow, but it's pretty plain to tell y'all the truth. I left off all of the lexan body and some or the finer scale details (besides wing and radiator) just to keep things simple at least wild I'm still tuning it and just making sure everything works. Other than those two issues it looks amazing and is super strong looking so I can't wait to take this ring out for its first real bash! [/quote] Son of a @#$%&! Do they all do that or did QC at Axial miss something on your car? I hope my build goes well. I'll get to it eventually.
Posted on: 9/13/2012 9:56 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11227975

RE: What is it, kyosho electric 4x4?
From what I can tell, the upper rectangular block that the threaded rod screw into is a DA-27. It looks like the drive shafts (DA-24) might be tweeked too. The book isn't in perfect condition, but it has good info. I'll get it on it's way.
Posted on: 9/13/2012 9:53 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11227974

RE: What is it, kyosho electric 4x4?
It's a Kyosho USA-1. Circa 1990 or so. This was basically the only competitor to Tamiya's Clodbuster at the time. I have an old owner's guide that has parts of the cover cut away. It's free if you want it. PM me your address and I'll send it. The Chevy body looks original, but I thought they used to come with hard plastic bodies like the old Tamiya trucks. I'm probably wrong, but notice it has a hole in the hood. That's where the decorative air cleaners poked through.
Posted on: 9/12/2012 9:02 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226846

RE: Help needed fitting bigger wheels to Stampede
I assume you're talking about a 2wd Stampede. The front is narrower than the rear and Traxxas counters this by using different length axles, hexes and offset wheels to even out the track width. What size hex are your other wheels? 17mm? The stock ones are 12mm, and depending on what you're changing to, a 17mm hex conversion exists for the Stampede, Rustler, Bandit, 2wd Slash platform.
Posted on: 9/11/2012 8:09 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11225685

RE: 6S lipo for Hpi Vorza
You would want to look for 3S packs with 5000mAh and 30C as the ESC is rated for 120amps. 5000 / 30C will give you 150. If you opt for a single 6S pack, then you will still need to satisfy the amperage requirements but you can clip the connector from the ESC and solder a single connector to the two leads that exit the ESC case. As far as preference, I can't argue so much that one setup may be better than the other. I'm used to using 2 packs in my Savage so, 1 pack just seems weird.
Posted on: 9/11/2012 6:46 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11225619

RE: Which one''s best over all consider cost to start-up, spare parts
The Associated B4.1 RTR is different from the B4.1 Worlds Kit which are the only 2 variants offered. The kit features some upgrade components and the wheelbase is 8mm longer. The RTR is not a Factory Team version. I consider the Losi and Durango to be on a similar level since they are newer designs and have the unique ability to alter the motor mounting position. The Losi, Associated and Durango are world class racing vehicles and my 2 cents is that you can't necessarily go wrong with either one. Whether you choose RTR or kit depends on if you prefer instant gratification or would like to custom build your setup and choose components. RTRs will surely cost less overall. If you don't care for or need a premium race car, even for bashing purposes, then I would take a Boost over a Traxxas bandit. Simply because I believe the Bandit is overpriced for what it offers. The only advantage it has is waterproof electronics. The Boost has ball bearings throughout while the Bandit still uses bronze bushings in the hubs. A simple $25 15T-17Tmodified motor from your LHS will help it's top speed and you're still $80 or so less than the Bandit. IF you choose to do brushless power later on then you need to upgrade to the ECX metal gear set for better reliability. Currently you can get Boosts for $99 RTR. I'm Associated biased so I guess I will push the World's Kit. But, I think my advice is sound and you should make a decision based on whether you think you may eventually get into organized racing, and if you would like to build your own car. From there, you should see what the local hobby shops have in stock and what they carry the most parts for.
Posted on: 9/11/2012 10:15 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11225146

RE: Traxxas Stampede Parts Help Tranny
Or if you're feeling bold and want to go all out then you can consider this.
Posted on: 9/9/2012 10:04 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11223353

RE: Stock Team Associated b4.1
I agree, this is a world class racer. Generally speaking trucks tend to be better bashers. However, this is not to say that the B4 still can't be a reasonable basher. All terrain tires and a slight bump in ride height will help a lot.
Posted on: 9/9/2012 1:48 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222961

RE: Associated B4.1
The 17.5 would spin at lower RPMs than the 13.5. Typically, the "slower" motors produce more torque, but with 4-pole brushless motors there is almost too much torque no matter how many turns. What vehicle the motor is installed in, how it's geared, the type of battery and the size of tires will all have an effect on the speed of the vehicle. For your B4.1 a motor with KV ratings in the range of 2500KV - 4000KV will do. If you're racing you should choose a motor based on which class you prefer to run in. Usually 17.5 - 13.5 turns are common for buggies. Unfortunately there isn't a set standard for the relation between the number of turns and the KV of the motor. One brand's 17.5 may turn at XXXX KV while another brand will be close but could be higher or lower by 200KV or so. I run a 2950KV in my B4 and it's almost too quick for our local track. Like Foxy stated earlier, check with your local club to help determine which motor / ESC you should choose. If you are just driving for fun at the park then just be sure to stay below 4000KV, maybe even less than 3500KV. 2WD buggies are squirrley already and having too much power will make the car more difficult to drive.
Posted on: 9/9/2012 1:28 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222479

RE: Associated B4.1
Additionally mAh of the battery is a rating if how many amps the battery can supply. A 5000mAh battery (or 5amp) will supply 5 amps of current for 1 hour. Then the "C" rating gets factored in which determines the maximum current the battery can sustain. A 5000mAh 20C pack will supply a current of 100amps safely whereas a 5000mAh 40C pack will supply a current of 200amps. You can't damage anything by using a larger "C" because the ESC can only use up as much power as it is designed to use. However, if you try to use too low of "C" rating then you can potentially damage your battery as it will heat up trying to supply more current than it was designed for. You'll need to know the specifications of your ESC in order to determine what the minimum battery requirements are. Back to the mAh rating of a battery, having more will allow you more runtime and more current. Choose a battery that allows the highest level of each that's within your budget. If you're racing you can sacrafice some capacity to decrease weight, but you may need to find one with a higher "C" to compensate for the lower amperage.
Posted on: 9/8/2012 12:10 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221917

RE: THE Official HPI Savage Flux-HP Thread
I finished a body for my Flux. Don't ask about the colors; it just kinda ended up this way. The body was labled 1/10 and probably meant for a TMaxx or something, but it's close enough. Next time I'll get a Rubicon Unlimited body.
Posted on: 9/8/2012 11:37 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "HPI Monster Truck Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221880

RE: Stock Team Associated b4.1
They are the small gears inside the larger differential gear which allow the rear wheels to rotate at different speeds.
Posted on: 9/8/2012 10:47 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221840

RE: Associated B4.1
I think you're getting the "KV" rating of the motor mixed up with "Mah" rating of the battery pack. As Foxy explained you don't want a high RPM motor for larger cars. Most 1/10 cars run motors in the range of 2500 -4000KV depending on the vehicle and application. Small micro cars can have motors that reach 10,000KV, such as those used in the 1/36 Losi Micros.
Posted on: 9/8/2012 9:47 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221791

RE: Getting gears to mesh straight
I'm having difficulty understanding the question also. The way I interpret it is that he's referring to the hex-head screws that hold the motor clamps to the chassis plate. If you crank them down in the same spot over and over then they can create small indentations in the plate. So, when you need to shift the motor the screw tend to work their way back into the old position which can make aligning the motor and setting mesh more difficult than it needs to be.
Posted on: 9/7/2012 2:38 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "HPI Monster Truck Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221044

RE: Short Course Trucks
[quote]ORIGINAL: cumminspower5.9 Yea I think I may just stick with the AE RC8.2e and get a couple 4s lipos then. [/quote] For bashing I think a 1/8 would be awesome! SC8.2E $539 http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_1785/products_id/235683/n/Team-Associated-SC82e-1-8-Scale-RTR-Electric-4WD-Short-Course-Truck-w-Brushless-System-24GHz Apache SC $549 http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_1785/products_id/218962/n/HPI-Apache-SC-Flux-1-8th-Electric-4WD-RTR-Short-Course-Truck-w-24GHz-Radio-System It's worth considering... Apache C1 $609 http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_1258/products_id/218942/n/HPI-Apache-C1-Flux-1-8th-Electric-4WD-RTR-Desert-Buggy-w-24GHz-Radio-System For the price, it's also worth considering. Do what Syco said and mount a SC body if you prefer... http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_1258/products_id/221119/n/OFNA-Ultra-LX2E-RTR-1-8-Electric-Off-Road-Buggy
Posted on: 9/7/2012 2:34 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221041

RE: Just ordered an Axial Exo
I now own a box of Axial parts. I think the motor in the Element package is too hot and I may end up using a Trinity 2700 I have on standby. But the price seemed good and I didn't have an ESC to use and I would rather use Castle products so I can utilize the Castle-Link. This is what happens when you sell a few things online and have some money sitting in Paypal and you stay up till 1am "window shopping" the internet for RC products. I think this was a good impulse buy.
Posted on: 9/7/2012 2:17 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221032

RE: which brushless system for my nephew
I think that will be plenty. No doubt he's going to get a kick out of the increased speed.
Posted on: 9/7/2012 2:07 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221026

RE: Range issue with new losi xxxsct please help
100 yards is a good reach and I'm sure most people will have difficulty determining the orientation of their car at that distance. Try rebinding the receiver to the transmitter and see if there's any change.
Posted on: 9/7/2012 12:30 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11220406

RE: SLIPPER CLUTCH QUESTION
Sounds like crunched gears to me. As long as you have to rebuild the transmission you may as well replace all the gears with metal ones. I don't know what you have already but here are links to the diff and idler gears: Metal diff gear: http://www.horizonhobby.com/products/metal-diff-gear-powdered-hrl-slider-strike-LOSB3593 Metal idler gear: http://www.horizonhobby.com/products/idler-gear-aluminum-slider-hrl-strike-LOSB3548
Posted on: 9/7/2012 12:20 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11220400

RE: which brushless system for my nephew
It looks reasonable to me. I would stick with 2S Lipo and not try 3S. He's going to have to get used to the increased power anyway and 3S will just be a handful to drive.
Posted on: 9/7/2012 12:04 AM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11220392

RE: Please help me identify this car :(
It reminds me of a modded Trinity T-Spec because of the different front and rear arms. The more I look at it the more I'm thinking it's a Redcat or Exceed chassis.
Posted on: 9/6/2012 12:51 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Electric On-Road vehicles, race cars and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11219546

RE: SLIPPER CLUTCH QUESTION
That's a real possibility. A key indicator is the harsh sound made by the damaged gears when you try to drive the car. Or you can push it by hand and you will feel tight / gritty spots. From there you need to determine if the damage is on the extermal spur or somewhere inside the transmission. IF everything feels smooth and the car still doesn't move then it's probably just a loose clutch. Tighten it down all the way then back off slightly, about 1/4 turn.
Posted on: 9/6/2012 12:32 PM by Author "BKoz559" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11219785