Lipo is tempting, but the financial costs outway the benefits, especially since everything cost about twice as much in the UK as it does in the US or else where really. For what I use the truck for which is general bashing around a large flat park I dont need super powerful batteries or long run times; I just stock up on cheap Nimh packs and get the equivalent runtimes for alot less money. For you though, Lipo sounds like a sure bet as drag racing needs lots of power & punch on tap, and only lipo or A123 cells are upto task in that respect. That said, i would like some A123 cells one day, but only when the price comes down again- $100 for 10 cells in the US, but its about $140+ in the UK, so.....

No joke I looked into a123 packs the price is sick.

Yeah. The cheapest method is to buy Dewalt 36v cordless powertool batteries then open them up to get the 10 A123 cells inside- you can split them up to make two 5s packs which is perfect for RC purposes. But like I said, the dewalt batteries are very expensive in the UK, and shipping adds a load more to the price since they arent small/light items. Still, its early days for the Li-ion technology so hopefully we will see bright things in the future- just like how Lipo has developed in a short space of time.

What? That's when you need the most power :yes:

I suppose you could look at it that way, but Im happy enough with about 10-15 minutes run time, plus it gives me a chance to let the motor cool down & review any camera footage before I do another run; that way I get to spend a good hour or two in the park enjoying my self.

1515 2.5d (1700kv), 5s2p 8000mah lipo's, wheelies at 2/3's of full speed, no cool down time needed and run for maybe 45min without changing packs. Come on Neil, you know you what that sort of setup :yes: 6s is good too.

i have seen pats emaxx go too. apparently he can do a full race meet on one charge.

Of-course I want that kinda setup; I think I know enough now to be able to setup the Gmaxx correctly and choose the right parts to be able to do it. The only trouble is I dont want to sell my kidneys to be able to afford it.... All in good time, all in good time....

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n...llaMaxx/79.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n...llaMaxx/80.jpg

So, thats the driveline upgraded with UE Ultralite cases & HB 1/8 hardend diffs. Just need to see what BL systems are coming around the corner in the next few months and I'll be finished building the ultimate Gmaxx (in the UK)....

wow - looks even tougher than before (which i didn't think was possible! :smile:)

it's definitely worth of something much more powerful than that novak. :wink:

good stuff neil!

Thankyou kindly. Yep, it really is crying out for something more beasty than the Novak, 2 Novaks?.... na, I will wait and see what the new Novak system looks like- would rather have a sensored system so that its idiot proof, but I also want more power/torque for higher gearing and more sanity defying speed!

Looking good man! Still love those tires!

WOW! It look's real nice! if only i could get my e-maxx like that in less than 3 years! lol

You'd be suprized how cheaply good parts can be had if you get them 2nd hand from ebay- less than 1/2 price for a G2 chassis, and Ti skids crop up every so often for much less than new prices.

Anyway, my new BC6 lipo charger & balancer arrived today, but I made a slight boo-boo. I ordered the balancing board thing for the BC8 by mistake, so the damn plug thing wont fit into the balancing port on the charger which will only take upto a 6s lipo plug thingy. Not to worry that is forsale on ebay, and I ordered the correct item to replace it, only about £5 so no great loss.

I also have my LVC warning device, and have located a suitable buzzer/horn to add to it; would you believe the mini-speaker from a musical bottle opener works perfectly as a loud buzzer? Lovely-jubbly.

The lipos have been posted a couple days ago, so I should have them in fortnight or so. I just hope we have a nice dry summer for a change, it would be criminal not be able to go out and give this upgraded setup a proper run or 2 dozen....

Hey Neil, the truck looks good. This is the first time I have read thru your thread, god knows why I have waited so long!

What brand/type of lipos are you getting?

I did not dance with the music on the video, but I did like it, BTW.

Here is a link to the packs I bought; it seems some people havent had any issues, but as you read through the sellers feedback... I dunno what to think. I just finished charging them up a few hours ago- the packs arrived with about 3.7v per cell in them, and my lovely new BC6 charger did a grand job of charging & balancing them to 4.2v per cell in about 45minutes- stone cold almost so no bad cells or anything else going on thankfully. I have also just finished making my series connector (for the Nimhs) and parallel connectors (for the lipos); all being well I will be able to do a test run in the carpark tomorrow, see how they perform and such.

For the price they look good, even if they are 10c cells they should be ok, you have 8000mah total = 80amps. That should be fine, but I would gear the truck low and keep temping the batts as you run the truck just to be on the safe side!

Have fun with the lipos, they are the best thing to happen to electric rc since brushless!

Update:

Hoping the weather will play nice tomorrow, as I finally have the truck wired up and configured correctly at last (I hate my soldering iron, piece of £40 crap).

Got my truggy shocks, and they are stunning, so much smoother than anything else i've ever owned. Only issue that the 'heavy' springs are softer than do-do, so i need some help;

Anyone have some good suggestions for 1/8 truggy/buggy springs- I like my suspension alot stiffer than normal, so im thinking about using the longer rear springs on my front shocks. They are losi 8t fronts, but Im assuming 1/8 shocks are all more or less identical in diameter, so spring choice shouldnt be too critical.

Looking forwards to the MMM esc, I just need a suitable motor; some A-hole outbid me on the only Align 600xl i've seen for sale in the Uk on ebay, though i could just get one imported I suppose - $99 at RCPlanet. I have however been thinkig about something else, a motor that was suggested a little while back in Sikes thread about his AXIMAXX :

http://brchobbies.com/?page=shop&act...ditem&item=970 KMS 2826/04 1090kv

http://brchobbies.com/product_images...msq2826-04.jpg
http://brchobbies.com/product_images...34542_2826.JPG

Almost identical to the AXI 2826/8 outrunner, but its in the UK, so servicing would be much easier if I needed it. Any thoughts, as there is a slower version (2826/05 900kv)- which would be better for 6s lipo, or 7s2p A123 cells?... (bearing in mind my 13lb truck).

Finally, anyone done much experimenting with the cheaper lipo brands, such as Swang, ProTech, Zippy lipos etc. Im trying to avoid the really dirt cheap ebay stuff, but some of the cheaper 3s packs like I mentioned above look really nice. So much to think about....

In addition, any thoughts or experience with the Turnigy outrunnners that are equivalent to the AXi ones:https://www.unitedhobbies.com/UNITED...idProduct=4910

Less than $30 is a dream come true, but whats the catch?...

Neil what shocks did you buy and yes most of the shocks out there different diamiters, the latest trend in the buggy/truggy world is big bore shocks.

Neil, Dropped you an email a couple of weeks ago. You must had missed it. need your knowledge if you ever get time. laters.

If you got losi 8t shocks I think they're 15mm internal diameter. Kyosho ST-RR and the ofna super big bores are 16mm, Ofna Hyper ST is 14mm I think, and most of the older truggys are a bit smaller at around 13mm. So you can't get springs for just any truggy.

Curses....

I shall keep looking- there are lots on ebay so I'll just have to ask the seller for some measurements.

Team3six - didnt get any email sorry, PM me instead (hotmail likes to steal my emails and hide them sometimes..)

"Looking forwards to the MMM esc, I just need a suitable motor; some A-hole outbid me on the only Align 600xl i've seen for sale in the Uk on ebay, though i could just get one imported I suppose - $99 at RCPlanet. I have however been thinkig about something else, a motor that was suggested a little while back in Sikes thread about his AXIMAXX :

http://brchobbies.com/?page=shop&act...ditem&item=970 KMS 2826/04 1090kv

http://brchobbies.com/product_images...msq2826-04.jpg
http://brchobbies.com/product_images...34542_2826.JPG

Almost identical to the AXI 2826/8 outrunner, but its in the UK, so servicing would be much easier if I needed it. Any thoughts, as there is a slower version (2826/05 900kv)- which would be better for 6s lipo, or 7s2p A123 cells?... (bearing in mind my 13lb truck)."

Hi Neil,

I did acquire a KMS 2826/04 outrunner motor. I haven't ran it yet, but I did disassemble it and compare it's construction to the AXI brand.

The Core Iron of the Stator appears to be a lesser density. Different thickness of laminations used or something. I'm not sure. It might not affect performance much though.

The winding looks very good.

The KMS DOES appear to have Neo Magnets. Another good thing about them is, the AXI cooling fan will bolt right onto the endbell. Get it, you're gonna need it.

I noticed you're using the original E maxx tranny. Is there any way to use the Mod 1 gears with that? My Gearing is 22 tooth pinion, 40 tooth spur. Works GREAT with the AXI 2826/8 turn. 4S being the limit though. It will run on 5S, BUT after about 15-20 minutes of hard running, the motor gets so hot I can smell it. Not Good!

The AXI 2826/10 will do 5S dependably with the same gearing.

Gear it up some above the realm that you normally would with inrunners. It has the torque and will pull the taller gearing just fine.

Think "Grunt" instead of trying to wind the motor up so high. I think you'll be very pleased.

I still play with my E maxx regularly. Outside of a busted A Arm incident, it is very dependable. I don't take it easy on it either.

I hope this helps. :yes: I'll check back in from time to time.

Cheers dude!

I think I can fit some MOD1 gears -TDC57 is good at converting the old tranny to use the new 3.3spec slipper, so I may get him to make me something.

I wonder if you could get one of the new E maxx tranny input shafts, put it in a lathe, then turn the gear down to the same width as the input gear you're using?

Then drill and tap the 1st input gear from an original shaft, and attach it using set screws. Small flats ground on the shaft for sturdy landing points.

You'll have to remove the temper from the gear before you can drill or tap though. Then retemper afterwards.

Just a thought.

Hmm. Someone did a comparison between the old and new input shafts a few weeks back- it looks like if you try to trim the input shaft down to fit inside the tranny, there is no shaft left to slide into the rear support bearing. I could drill a hole there so that the shaft sticks out the back abit in theory. As for turning the input gear down... could work, but I need to look at some pics to see where the retaining pin is located exactly, otherwise there might be a risk of the gear simlpy braking apart if too much material is removed. TDC57 did a great job though, and it places the spur much close to the tranny the way he did it. Biggest issue is my lack of tools- he has a drill press, so it would be much easier for him to buy the parts, do the mod and then i just send him some $$. I am far too lazy for this hobby.... :D

The New Input shaft doesn't use a pin to secure the gear. It uses a "D" shape that's molded onto the shaft to pass the torque onto the gear. The gear is a press fit onto this "D" shape.

The new input shaft is actually longer than the original. It will have to be trimmed down to fit. There's plenty of material there to work with I think.

Check it out

A-ha.... That sounds okay then. I will have to take a look on ebay or tower for all the parts, so i will take a closer look- I dont know people arent selling 'upgrade kits' for the old emaxx if its fairly straight forward.

Any thoughts on those Turnigy outrunners? https://www.unitedhobbies.com/UNITED...idProduct=4910 While I have your attention, he he he..

The Turnigy motors look like a really decent deal. It's not "unbelievably" cheap though. If you order one, you'll see some "not so cheap" shipping cost. Still a good deal though.

There are two things I question about this model you linked to.

1. The mounting pattern. A regular 550 mounting pattern is on 25mm center to center.

2. The shaft is the wrong size to be compatible with the available gears. It's 4mm. This could present a problem.

1. I could live with that- I have perfect the art of custom motor mount fabrication a la hacksaw and files :mdr:
2. That would be a problem. I could drill out (or use a lathe) on some 3mm 32p gears, but it i wanted MOD1, I would have to go to SPD for some custom items. Hmm, thats a pain... why cant life be simpler? **grumble grumble**

I just wanted to let you know that I do to you and your totally awesome build, I now have found my inspiration for my next build!.. (yes / thank you!)… :yipi:

So I went on line and ordered up all of the parts a few days ago!.. Drained my toy account again!! (DAM YOU!!) :gasp:

But it should be as nice as my GEVO when it done.. (woo hooo) :rofl:

Thanks Neil..

P.S.
DAM YOU!!!:lol::yes:

Happy to be an inspiration!

I found some suitable springs for my shocks thankfully- they really are rather huge at 20mm inside diameter, and 22mm outside diameter, I ordered a couple pairs of the Losi purple rear springs for the 8T; should make the suspension nice and stiff. On a side note, Pro-line power stroke springs would fit too rather nicely, but they are rarer than rocking horse poo. Just need to fix the purple color with some suitable paint, or i might just attack them with some oven cleaner, and keep them clean to prevent rust:

I am not having any purple on my truck, it looks... aweful.

:lol: You have the manly purple 8ight springs now too !! I was so envious of you getting the black front stock stiff springs. I have 4 of the dark green ones rear (3.1) I could post to you if the purples are too stiff.

I know, it kills me inside, it really does, lol. Tower doesnt list them, so i had a hell of a time tracking some down- ebay came up trumps as per usual- 'Atrainhobbies' or something like that had them- $18 posted for 4 springs to the UK, bargain. We'll see how it feels once they arrive- I need to actually drive it to see what oil to run too, but thats another thing to work out entirely :/

I could never find out what the stock oil is in them so I dont really know how much thicker to go LOL If you find out let me know it will save a few steps in the experiment

Looks like front shocks have 45wt and the rear has 30wt http://www.wivoutracing.co.uk/teamlo...setupsheet.pdf

you sir, are da man ! thanks

Cheers Patrick. I think Wallot said he settled on 80wt in the end, but then again he does like to jump his maxx abit.

Selling some stuff on ebay:

Integy MSR4 piggyback shocks, 2 sets 4 shocks.
UE knucklehead towers, polished with stubby posts.
Trinity XXX heavy springs for the maxx shocks, 2 sets of 4 springs.

Shocks are sold- £40 for all 8 (~$75), which is what I paid for them originally when they were new, so Im well happy- more than covered the cost of the 8T shocks I bought to replace them.