Savage Flux Fixed . . . Finally

[JasonB]

I have spent the last 14 months trying to get the bugs out of my Savage Flux and make it the best it can be. I think I have finally worked all the kinks out, and there are no more issues to fuss with. Here is a list of what I would consider to be essential upgrades (I am sure opinions will vary on this topic).

Transmission: The 29T and 32T gears (HPI 86084/86098) inside the tranny tend to wear out quickly. I sealed up the transmission with RTV Silicone and added a small amount of lube. Also, make sure you buy the hardened 18/23 (link) if you don't already have it. Related forum (link)

Diffs: The 10x16 bearing is the weak point here. One fix is to use the Vorza Flux Diff Case. Related forums (link1) (link2)

Rear Hub Carriers: The tie rod link on the rear hub snaps off during barrel rolls. This can quickly become a nuisance. Best Fix, IMO, is the Integy Rear Hub Carriers (link)

Spur: Tired of buying pinions? The metal spur quickly wears down the metal pinion. Chuck it and get a plastic one. The plastic spurs will last for several months of hard use, they are dirt cheap, and you will never need to replace a pinion again. (Plastic Spur) (Bushing)

Pinion keep falling off?: Put some red Loctite on that sucker and it will never come off again. You can also reverse your diffs; related link above.

Lower Shock Mounts: The little plastic balls at the base of the shocks quickly ware out. The HPI Racing Balls are much stronger and will last for a very long time (link)

Rims and Tires: I think you will have a hard time finding a better combo than Badlands on 1/2" Offset Rulex Rims. The tires will easily last for over a year, if you keep them off the asphalt and concrete, and the rims are nearly indestructible. Learn how to tape your tires and un-glue them from the rims when the time comes; there are plenty of how to's on the web. For me the acetone method of removal is the easiest. (Tires) (Rims)

Tires falling off?: This is usually caused by one or more of the tires being severally out of balance which is generally due to one of 2 things; insert is ripped and bunched up or there is sand inside the tire. To eliminate sand getting inside the tire, I left the vent holes sealed up on my new rims . . . problem solved. This will make for a slightly bumpier ride, so another fix is to punch a couple of small holes in the perimeter of the tire to allow the sand to escape at high RPMs (sound crazy? check this out -link). Taping the tires may help eliminate ripped inserts, but those are a less common issue. If you already have sand in your tire and don't want to punch holes in it, you can either un-glue them and re-mount or Loctite the tire nuts as a quick fix. Also, make sure you crank those tire nuts down tight.

Is your Flux LOUD?: Do the Spur and Transmission mods above, set your mesh correctly, and you will have the quietest flux possible. You will not believe your ears.

ESC keeps letting the smoke out?: Stay off the brakes!, get mechanical brakes like the Savage X has, stick to 4S lipo, or buy a bigger ESC? I have found that when driving off road, brakes are rarely needed; I never use them unless I'm doing mid air corrections during a landing. My first ESC took my lipos with it when it failed

Keep that sand out: Sand getting into your bulkheads? Put a thin layer of grease between the lower plates and the bulkhead, and the sand will stay out for good!

Want to go stupid fast or get back up to speed with a lower KV motor: Get the High Speed Idler Gear for the Tranny and WATCH YOUR TEMPS (link)

Body Clips: Tired of fussing with those body clips. Get some with pulls, you will love em! Or, you could always make your own with small tie raps. (link)

Battery Boxes: Tired of fussing with those lids? Get rid of them and use velcro straps instead. I picked up a roll of double sided velcro from Lowes and cut my own (2 per battery box to ensure they never fall out). There are plenty of velcro straps on the market to choose from; the Vorza Flux straps would probably do the trick. (link)

Tired of doing Wheelies?: Move those batteries forward in the boxes to shift the center of gravity - put the foam inserts in the rear of the trays instead of the front. You can still do the wheelies, but they will only happen when you jamb the throttle.

Lipos: There are no end of opinions on what the best battery is. Get the best you can afford, but don't get ripped off by overpriced lipos. I just bought the 3S/6000 Turnigy Nanotechs (link). One of these gems is actually powerful enough to jump start your 1/1 car (believe it or not). I actually did this with a pair of my 3s/5000/30C Zippys when I ran my car battery down while chargeing them up. Hobby King has tons of lipos and general RC stuff to choose from, and they now have 1 cent shipping if you buy $100 from their USA warehouse.

Charger: You need a good charger. Again, no end of opinions on what the best charger is. I have the iCharger 208B. Progressive RC has plenty of decent models to choose from and excellent customer service. Don't forget to buy a power supply. (link)

[thzero]

Taping definetly helps control the ballooning. Best stuff I've found is Gorilla tape... extremely sticky.

I do agree about the hardened 18/23 gears, and about the Integy rear hub carriers.

[josh9mille]

Thats a good list! Thanks for posting it. There is a bad side effect of taping the tires, and that is you lose some of the in-air control.

[lincpimp]

You did not touch on balancing your tires, this is the 1st mod you should do to any rc, period. I did my own testing with balancing and taping with a set of badlands and maximizer beadlocks. The difference was amazing, I picked up speed, the straight line and turning stability was greatly improved, I can imagine bearing wear was greatly diminished, and it just made driving the vehicle so much nicer. Plus temps went down on the motor esc and batteries. All you need is a cheap prop blanancer, some sticky tire weights, and a hot glue gun. Maybe I should do a writeup. I can balance a set in less than 10mins.

[thzero]

Writeups are good.

[Semi Pro]

Originally Posted by lincpimp

You did not touch on balancing your tires, this is the 1st mod you should do to any rc, period. I did my own testing with balancing and taping with a set of badlands and maximizer beadlocks. The difference was amazing, I picked up speed, the straight line and turning stability was greatly improved, I can imagine bearing wear was greatly diminished, and it just made driving the vehicle so much nicer. Plus temps went down on the motor esc and batteries. All you need is a cheap prop blanancer, some sticky tire weights, and a hot glue gun. Maybe I should do a writeup. I can balance a set in less than 10mins.

agreed! ballanceing is a must, tires last so much longer and come unglued much less often when in ballance

[JasonB]

No reason to re-invent the wheel. Click Here

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by JasonB

No reason to re-invent the wheel. Click Here

Interesting vid, but he does not cover cleaning the tire bead prior to assembly or cleaning/scuffing the wheel either. The mold release agents used on the wheels and tires can be thick and will compromise the ability of the glue to bond correctly.

Squirrel is not the authority on this stuff, that has been proven before on this forum.

Also, the "putty" he recomends is not the best stuff to use to balance a MT tire, or bigger. You will be using a ton of it, and it comes off easier.

Looks like I really need to make a vid. I can see the "Pimp does RC" video series being a big hit!

[JasonB]

Looking forward to your tutorial linc!

[josh9mille]

There are 2 things that are guanteed to happen when I watch a Sqirrel vid, and thats either I am going to fall asleep or I laugh my ass off.

[_dV]

I use blutac to balance my wheels. I just take a dogbone out, spin the wheel, see which part sits at the bottom and counter balance with blutac until that part of the wheel doesn't sit at the bottom anymore. Very easy to do and I've never had a piece of blutac come loose. Definitely worth doing.

[mothman]

Originally Posted by lincpimp

Interesting vid, but he does not cover cleaning the tire bead prior to assembly or cleaning/scuffing the wheel either. The mold release agents used on the wheels and tires can be thick and will compromise the ability of the glue to bond correctly.

Squirrel is not the authority on this stuff, that has been proven before on this forum.

Also, the "putty" he recomends is not the best stuff to use to balance a MT tire, or bigger. You will be using a ton of it, and it comes off easier.

Looks like I really need to make a vid. I can see the "Pimp does RC" video series being a big hit!

Linc, so what is the best putty money can buy? really interested to try this tire balancing.

[ljoncp]

Originally Posted by josh9mille

There are 2 things that are guanteed to happen when I watch a Sqirrel vid, and thats either I am going to fall asleep or I laugh my ass off.

Squirrel somehow manages to make every video, no matter how simple the topic, last 10 minutes or more.

And then he makes a part 2

Originally Posted by JasonB

Looking forward to your tutorial linc!

+1

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by josh9mille

There are 2 things that are guanteed to happen when I watch a Sqirrel vid, and thats either I am going to fall asleep or I laugh my ass off.

Yeah, I find them amusing till he gets something way wrong, or leaves out a vital step that will really throw a noob for a loop... Noobs consider him a pro... That can lead to all kinds of issues.

Originally Posted by _dV

I use blutac to balance my wheels. I just take a dogbone out, spin the wheel, see which part sits at the bottom and counter balance with blutac until that part of the wheel doesn't sit at the bottom anymore. Very easy to do and I've never had a piece of blutac come loose. Definitely worth doing.

I have had wheels (MT and larger) that required 1/8 of an ounce to get balanced well, and lead is the smallest way to get that weight on. Plus the lead wheel weights with the sticky back are very easy to use.

Originally Posted by mothman

Linc, so what is the best putty money can buy? really interested to try this tire balancing.

I use the lead wheel weights for full size cars. They come in strips, broken up in 1/4oz increments. I usually cut those 1/4 oz segments into 4, and start with one of those across from the heavy side. When I am finished I use some hot glue to really hold the weight on. I have not had any come off. I also clean/degrease the inside of the wheel, and scuffing the plastic will not hurt either.

Originally Posted by ljoncp

Squirrel somehow manages to make every video, no matter how simple the topic, last 10 minutes or more.

And then he makes a part 2



+1

Yeah, I will setup the flip recorder my wife got for our baby when I balance the next set.

[Jahay]

yep... the last time i did any balancing, my weights came off...

Nice write up Jason!