i was thinking today, and thought if there was a way or connecting both shock towers with some thin aluminium. THat would help support both shock towers correct?

You could get a long rectangular piece of aluminium, sit it on top of both shock towers (so its stretching from one to another. Drill 2 holes either end so the body posts can slide through and sit in their original place, and mount the shock towers as low as posible to hold the aluminium in place. Wont be pretty but it could work???

I know the shock towers bend a lot, my carbon fibre PRC wing mount which helped strengthen the rear shock tower, broke on a small roll over due to the shock tower flexing so much. I am going to make a replacement wing mount, with a similar design in aluminium when i can be bothered to do it. I may do one for the front while i am at it.

I was thinking of connecting the shock tower from the back of the shock bolt to a hole in the tvp with tierod ends.

hmmm i may look at that idea when i get home. Thanks for the tip

i put tubes from inside nut to inside nut on the shock top bolts. from front left to rear left, and front right to rear right. cured the bending. tube just sits over the nut

What kind of tubes? pics?

yea i would like to see pics please... a little confused by your explaination...

Anyway just bought a few things... Want to keep all this up to date. I also need to think out loud and work out what else i need to get...

Purchased today...
- 2x 47t HPI Plastic Spurs ( i thought i would give these ago before the centre diff upgrade. Im tired of changing pinions and would prefer to change spurs.
- Gorilla Tape - hopefully this works better at strapping my tyres
- 40 series Moabs - only for jumping
- Axial over size in black - only for jumping
- Extra 29t idler tranny gear - i feel that i have been lucky as no gears have broken in the last 7 runs :) apart from my pinion
- Extra 32t drive tranny gear
- Extra wheel nuts

Things to order. Starting with the most vital:

- SHD Drive shafts
- SHD wheel Axles
- SHD Diff Axles

- Ofna spider centre diff 46t
- RCM Universal CD/Motor Mount
- 12t pinion
- Custom centre drive shafts
- Custom Plate For RCM Mount to bolt too.
- 80k CD diff fluid

- GH Steering assembly
- Racers Edge alloy servo horn

- Full BOCA Bearing Upgrade (not sure which ones) but im not going to skimp on quality here. my bearings are failing pretty quickly

ICE HV 160 ESC (MMMXL)
Hyperion lipos
- 1x 5s 5000MAH+ 35C
- 2x 2s 5000MAH+ 35c
= 9s

-GH Bulks? dont want to add more weight if i can help it. I think the Diffs will need to be soild so no movement is incurred when using 9s. I have a feeling my diffs will be the weak point.

- Decent Hyperion Charge duo

Anyone else see anything i should be adding which i do not have already?

Gorilla Tape has been working great for me. Its a bit heavier, but its got some grippy glue.

i hope to try them first on the Moabs... and when i have a bit of time, i will bake the badlands of the SPIS and retape them.

im in the process of tearing the truck down completely as its time for a full service... As we have had some very nice weather, i am doing my rebuild outside. Its a bit of a mess but here is my temporary outdoor workstation

http://i878.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/DSC00430.jpg


I found that all most of my bearings require changing or a clean. So i cleaned the ones which work and corrosion x'ed them.

I found one of my diff bearings had seized!!!! Very bad!!! So i think its nearly time for a full Boca Bearing upgrade...

Also here are pics of my pinion which completely disintegrated...


http://i878.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/DSC00431.jpg



And i also somehow destroyed my fronot pinion of my so called "BULLET PROOF" Diffs gears!!!

http://i878.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/DSC00428.jpg


Here is both from a front view...

http://i878.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/DSC00433.jpg


I have now managed to buy a replacement single BP Pinion from ebay from a guy called ianwhorlow (uk ebay name) He is amazing! i asked him if he could do it and he said sure. Charged me 9 pounds! I am happy with that considering you cant get them separately from HPI... I will call HPI tomorrow and tell them about it, hopefully they will send me a new one!


I also bought 4 new drive shafts and 4 XL SHD Drive shafts for 30pounds which i am quite happy about... considering they have a UK Value of around #80 Pounds!


Hopefully this will be running by next weekend

You really think those Integy SHD shafts are going to holdup better than the factory shafts? Or is that a price decision?

sorry im a little confused where you got integy from? I dont use integy, but if there is one product i may consider it would be the rear tie rod deletes.

im getting the HPI SHD Shafts... They are very strong, its just when i cart wheel, it causes them to bend...

What do you think is the easiest way to bend these shafts straight again?

Sorry - I did a Google search for SHD shafts, and it showed me some integy shafts for the Savage.

Hello Jahay, I might be able to help you on the pinion issue ^^

As my mugen spur literaly ate my RCM pinions, I tried 4-5 brands (my setup is MBX5T + NEU-Castle 1520/1Y + 6S + 15/46 gearing) :

RCM : fragile, already use after 6-8 batteries
losi : stronger than RCM, but already used after ~ 20 batteries
Robinson Racing : already used after 20 batteries
Castle Creations : currently testing
HPI : currently testing
NOVAK : currently testing but seems to be stronger than all previous.

==> try the NOVAK pinions ! You can find them on Ebay under 3 pinions package like 19-20-21 for example.

For your diffs, try to shim them, the mesh has to be good, and the diff must not have right-left play (mesh must be constant).

I know Nuz! Im going through pinions every 5-10 runs!
Im trying a 17t hpi pinion on there now (havent run yet) but once this fails, ill prob be looking into doing my Centre diff conversion. I will look into novak pinions then.

Thanks for the help!!! im happy it isnt just me experiencing Pinion problems... Most people dont seem to have these problems...