Got my first shipment of XTM Rail parts in today

[Gee]

Originally Posted by brian015

I like it - rtr weight (with batts)?

I get 8.5lbs with a 4s lipo and a 1512 1.5d installed. Didn't think about weighing it when I had the 6s 1515 1y in it.

Originally Posted by BIG-block

Hey man, that is a nice looking buggy. How did you go fitting the 1515 motor in it? Was there enough room? I am asking because I have one of these and the 36mm motor is almost all the way against the vertical chassis. Doesn't look like there is enough room for the 1515 so just wondering if you had to grind any material away. Also what gearing are you running? (spur and pinion)


In Australia the same buggy is marketed as GV (Great Vigor) Cage but in the states it is the XTM Rail. They pretty much come with all the same gear but it does look like that there are some differences around the front and rear bulkheads and diffs look slightly different. In regards to the electronics the Cage comes with a shitty AM radio (went in the bin as I opened the box) but the Rail has the Airtronics 2.4.

The 1515 smooth can fit in it. Right against the rail (extra cooling) though. The motor mount has several holes for the top screw. I might have just gotten lucky as to which one I picked. They also indicate to use 4 screws for the motor but I only put two in. I might have been limit to which top hole had I tried 4 screws.

The 1512 finned motor was a different story. I had to shave some of the finns off the side next to the rail to get it to sit in there with the gearing I was running. Which might make a difference. I had a center differential here so I used it (didn't win the stock center diff).

I am geared at 48/18 right now.

Originally Posted by simplechamp

Are the XTM Rail wheels true beadlocks, or just simulated with a changeable ring for color?

I don't have a set but looking at the manual they are not true. You need to glue the tires on and the bead lock ring (only one on the outside) is purely for looks. Might help prevent cracking the rim of the wheels too but it looks good . They have different colors out for them I notices.

[simplechamp]

I figured they were just simulated since there looks to be only 6 screws holding the ring on, but I was kind of hoping they were real!

Thanks for that Gee. The Cage comes with a 54t spur gear nut the nitro version (not sure if XTM has a nitro version) comes with 48t spur which I already bought as I figured I wanted the motor closer to the CD. Thanks for confirming that. I might just shave a bit of material from the chassis till it fits.


Simplechamp the wheels that come with these buggies are not beadlocks and as far as the actual ring on there providing anything in terms of function isn't so. It is very thin.

Originally Posted by Gee

I had a center differential here so I used it (didn't win the stock center diff).

I am geared at 48/18 right now.

Would you be able to tell me what center differential you used? Did it fit the stock center diff mount? Sorry for all the questions man but I have to make this work on three different Rails and really need to know which direction to head in before I start to order parts.

[Gee]

No problem sorry I didn't see this sooner. I am pretty sure it is from the Kyosho Inferno. I bought a spare one along with some diffs for it of ebay a long time ago. It fit the center diff mount fine and after looking at the manuals. The Kyosho Inferno uses the 8x16 bearing the same as XTM does for the rail.

I also got the original center diff in the mail today. It does extend alot farther towards the front and rear then the Kyosho one I installed. It will definatly solve the issue I had with the sloppy center dogbone fit. I will take some pictures of it and post them when I get a chance.

Thanks man. You have helped me a lot. Anyway got the 1515 in it today. 48/16 gearing and I only had to do some minor modification to the side chassis. Gotta love hammers. LOL.

Just gave it a run in the street. Some people like to approach this kind of thing scientifically and calculate the gear ratios and what not. Not exactly my style. Instead I just whacked 4S 5800mAh 30C Zippy lipos in it and gave it full throttle. Ended up slamming into the gutter but other than some cosmetic damage to the wheels everything is fine. It has stupid amounts of torque and speed is just right with the chosen (what I had in the tool box) gearing. I was a little worried about the stock Chinese ESC holding up but it seemed like it wasn't phased at all. Temps on the motor and the ESC were in the 100F (+ or- 5) and batts were even lower after doing speed runs and little bit of grass driving in the street. Couldn't be happier.
Only thing I did notice is that the caps on the ESC were getting pretty warm. About 135F. The ESC seems to be cool like I said above but it's just the caps that are getting warm. I wonder why? Maybe they are crappy caps or could it be something else causing them to heat up. (batteries?) Might put on a few extra ones and see what that does.

Anyway might throw up a pic or two if it is OK with you Gee. After all it is your thread and once again thanks for the help.

[Gee]

Definately post some pictures up here. I justed started the thread for people to take a look at the rail. So let show em the Rail.

I've read the controllers are holding up. When I was researching the XTM there wasn't a lot on the controllers having any problem. I'd like to see some pictures of it installed.

I got a Losi Center Differential in the mail today so I put it up by the XTM center differential. Ther cups on the XTM are real long.



I was going to make a move on some tires during the last round of auctions but they got way to high. I bid on some spare parts and ended up with a body also. So here some shots with a body on it.










I also made some LED lights to see which way it is going at night. Drilled some holes in some lexan for the leds to go into then bent it so it would fit undher the alum top plate and be held by the screws. It's a proto type. This one turned out better the the one I made for the 5b.

Here's some of the highly anticipated pictures of it:

[Semi Pro]

very cool gee

what do you figure it cost you to peice together?

[Gee]

Thanks, I am liking it.

I had a spreadsheet done up with all the actual cost and shipping but can't find it. I hope I didn't over write it with the one that's named the same but empty. A rough guess with the addition of the recent center differential and body but not including any spare parts I picked up would be

$248.00 in parts
+$56.00 in shipping
$304.00 total

The frenzy of getting as many parts as I could in the first auction didn't help in keeping the prices the lowest. Not including any electronics the only part left that defines the XTM Rail RTR would be the wheels and tires. To buy those new (wheels and tires mounted) they are listed at 35.00 for two of them 70.00 for all four. The auctions they are going around 35.00 or so for all four.

[JERRY2KONE]

Thats not too bad considering what you are getting for the price. your rail looks fairly nice if that is your completed price. I like the way it looks, and we will wait to hear your opperating experiences once you have used it for a while. Seems like a pretty good deal from what you have posted so far. Nice thread Guy. By the way I think you listed all of your parts with pricing eariler in this thread, didn't you?

[Gee]

Thanks Jerry. I did post earlier what the prices where based on the spreadsheet I use to have. I just added to that total what it cost for the center diff and body that just came it. I like the kit kind of versions of stuff so the price wasn't bad for me plus I got to put most of it together. I will post on how well it holds up once I get a chance to give it hell. So far it rained pretty much every time I had it out and now it looking like a total of 10" of snow by morning and lows around the -15 mark. Too cold for these old bones.

[JERRY2KONE]

Holy crap Gee where in the hell are you located? It is usually pretty cold here in Korea by this time every year, but we are having some very nice weather in the mid 50's and it is great outside. I just cleaned out our old Caravan so we can get rid of it tomorrow. One of the local junk men is buying it for $500.

So things are good here, except for those morons up North who are shooting artilary into South Korea. Things are really heating up between the North & the South right now. I will start a post about that and leve this one to the Rail.

[mistweapons2]

thanks a lot for the pictures you gave us all. I'm new to RC and the rail was my first purchase but i want my car to go faster than 45-mph. I spent hours on-line looking for passionate hobbyist forums like this, finally founded.
I ask my self this "without changing my motor yet how am I able to increased speed" the answer was: gear changing.

I read all the comments but cant seem to find the correct parts you used as your central differential assembly on you Rail. I know your spur gear is a 48t with many circle around its outer sides and your pinion is an 18t but i need it's brand name and part number please. Did you change your stock dog-bones to different ones since you measured different length's on your centre assembly. did you had more hoes done onto the chassis for the mount to fit fine on your 48/16 gearing?

you have mention something about using "Team Losi" part's but did some research on a possible "look a Like" and found nothing. Futhermore, a Center differential and mount
from some Kyosho Inferno fit fine? you lost me.

very sorry for my late reply but I relly need you help. Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Your truly, Jose.

{;-)3

If I can butt in till Gee gets around to posting....I also have the Rail (Cage in some markets) and to tell you the truth asking for more from the stock setup is going to end in fried motor, ESC or both. Personally I think that the stock setup is pretty much on the edge already and trying to gear it up for more speed will end in destruction of something.


What I recommend you do I get the Castle 1515 (2200kv). Same as what is in the brushless Revo and E-Maxx. Then get a 48T spur gear. The 53T spur gear has all the little holes around it but the 48T is solid with no holes. Following that you will need a 16 or a 17T hardened Mod1 pinion. Rest is just bolting it all in and hooking up the motor to the ESC. You will also need to do a little minor panel beating to the side chassis to accommodate the larger motor. I did it with a hammer and it took less than five minutes to do. Actually took longer to put the side chassis back onto the car then to modify it.
The stock ESC has surprised me a lot. With the stock motor it did run a it on the warm side but with the 1515 it has been running pretty cool geared 17/48. I have even ran it on 5S (even though it is only 4S rated) and it was fine. Beeped five times too so it must have recognized the pack as 5S. LVC also seems to work fine with 5S. Didn't get much more hotter than what it runs on 4S but I only ran the 5S on road for speed runs. 4S with the above gearing is just insane for off road.


CLICK HERE for the spur gear you will need. Check out RCMonster store for pinions. They are the best in the business.

If you need more info or even pics just ask and I'll show you my setup.

[mistweapons2]

Awesome. Thanks for the info "BIG-BLOCK" dude!!!

So......Is not the stock motor better since its a 2370Kv and not 2200Kv or is it really the engineering and quality of the parts including the ESC?
(I seem people changing the motor and ESC left and right online)

Lets say I change the all the electronics, don't I have to worried about the front, central and rear deferential? what did you do here?
That would make required an different spur gear and pinion plus dog-bones!

I don't even know where to start since I have no experience hands on.

----------
I think juts changing the gears is good for now. I want to see that the change I'm doing will give me problems. beside motor and ECS upgrades are welcome in the future but not now.

PS: please post your pictures of pure AWESOMENESS and EPICNESS!!!!!!

Gratefully your, Jose


{;-)3