NE one run mech. brakes on Bl 8th buggy?
 

Hey guys just wondering if anyone runs brakes on their 8th buggies? Just looking at my buggy at what I can do before I get my motor/esc. I have the center brake setup I could run and a rear brake setup I could run off a dominator I have sitting around, but not sure if it would even need one if the electronic brakes are powerfull and smooth enough.

Pat

I think Joe Ling runs mechanical brakes on his. They aren't really necessary, the motor's brakes are very strong, and if they are adjustable like on the MGM controllers, then the brakes can be set to be too strong! Usually braking is smooth, and controllers sometimes use ABS braking to keep the vehicle more in control.

I wouldn't worry about mech brakes. Electric brakes are more than enough.

sounds good, less work for me :)

Although you can indeed use the brakes from the speed controller, if you are able to keep the mechanical brakes it will reduce the stress on the speed controller.
In the OFNA MBX conversion I'm working on now I am definitely keeping the mechanical brakes because I need the speed controller to make 15-minute races. I will run a fan on the controller and use it for forward only.
Another benefit of mechanical brakes is the ability to adjust brake bias, front and rear. Using the brakes from the speed controller, all 4 wheels will brake at the same rate. You can definitely drive it like that, but removing the mechanical brakes removes a tuning option from your 1/8th buggy.

Best of luck with your buggy! :003:

First off, I agree with everything you say, but I do have some concerns. I have not used mech brakes partly because the servo will be in the way of where I typically mount my battery, but lets say you can get past that. The other reason is how are you going to setup the radio to work them??? I have thought about it and can't come up with a way that makes sense. Do you have any idea how you are going to do it?

I'm not sure of all the radios that are capable, but I know JR XS3 can mix the third channel so you could have the brake movement with no other movement. Just set the throttle for 0 brake movement and third channel for all brake and 0 throttle movement. The only problem i see, is clearance on the rear brake and the motor

crazyjr has it right with one option (actually my preferred option, but my radio can't do it right now) and I'll be using another option. If you can program your ESC for forward only with NO brakes, you can use a y-adapter to your ESC and brake servo.

Once Nomadio finally releases the software update for 3rd channel mixing, I'll be using that.

Can use a y connector as well. PUt it in for the esc and servo for brakes to run on 2nd channel.

yea, Y connector is definetly easiest

If you cannot disable the brakes on your ESC, a Y connector won't stop the ESC from braking with a center diff, so the load is still there (although it may be less).

With channel mixing on the radio, you just need to make sure your ESC has reverse disabled.

Regardless, you definitely want reverse disabled for this application if you're using mechanical brakes. You do NOT want your motor trying to push the buggy in reverse while you have the brakes engaged. Ouch!

I use mechanical brakes on my revo trans and y connector does just fine

Like Batfish says, it depends what controller you're using,on my MGM16024 i have the brakes mixed on the 3rd channel with the throttle channel brake epa at zero,the MGMs brakes can't be turned off completely so channel mixing is the only way to run with no controller brakes.On BK and schulze it's OK to just use a y-cable,with BK you can just turn the brakes off,for schulze future -universals put it in forward only and boat mode.

Hi,

Indeed I am using mechanical brake because I had bad experience with brake fade on the BK9920. Also, I can't get my mind round the fact that with the esc brake, only the the centre spur is stopped but the front/rear drive shaft is still free to move.

I run my BK 9920 in forward only mode to conserve the esc a little as I live in a tropical country where heat is an issue. Like crazyjr said, I am using the third channel of my radio with program mixing to activate the brake servo.

Regards,
Joe Ling

Ok, then for those of you that run brakes on 8th scale buggies, do you run center and rear brakes or just one or the other?