Brushless conversion

[PowerRocks]

So I am convinced to get out of nitro. I have had nitro since I was 16. Been on and off since then.

So I got a Jato 2.5, 2 years ago and last year it sat idle for the whole year.
I'm going be stripping the thing down and cleaning it. I'm pretty sure my engine is shot after sitting there for a year now. All that will be left is a roller.

I figure I will get a Polyquest 6 Ah 3s lipo. This will be mated with a MM, and a 3700 rpm/V size 540S motor. This should get me to 37000 rpm when the motor is loaded at full voltage (counting electrical and mechanical losses). I plan on using the Traxxas controller and receiver with the original steering servo. Thus I will need an external BEC. Eventually when I have more money around I will get a Spektrum 3 ch radio and receiver.

So I'm guessing that this will make the Jato a tad bit heavier than the nitro version even after all unnecessary parts are removed. I guess I could go to a smaller 3s lipo but I still want a good run time. I'm pretty sure it can hit 50 mph with the factory gearing ratios. Due to the extra weight I will be changing shock oil and springs. Also I will be locking in second gear and getting rid of the first. The mount still needs to be figured out but I have access to alot of tools.

So who here thinks my drive train will hold up? Why do people upgrade their radios from Traxxas?

I will have to purchase a charger and balancer.

Finally who thinks I will blow away my father in law Mr Peter Zicha?

I'm sure I will have other questions but for now this is it.

[lincpimp]

Well, having built a brushless jato myself, I see no reason not to just buy a rustler and put your equipment list into it. Or better yet do a crt.5. I did not think the jato was very good, due to severe lack of traction, and gearing choices were no that good either. Locking it in 2nd is a good idea, as the single speed kit traxxas sells is too low gearing. I had mine setup to do 55mph and it just was not controllable at that speed.

I guess it is a good starter vehicle, you will not really need a bec on 3s with the mm, although some here (briang) would recommend it to keep the heat down on the esc.

People usually upgrade from the traxxas am radio due to range issues and glitching, which can be worse with am than fm or dsm.

2wd is kind of fun, but 4wd is where it is at, especially if you bash on mixed surfaces. I found that the jato with the anaconda tires did not have enough traction on the street, maybe with some bowties it would have been better?

[PowerRocks]

With nitro it was uncontrollable, and would flip if the front wheels gripped through turns. I do not want to go splurge on a 4wd setup when I already have a roller that will be fine for now.

With everything already mentioned I figure I'd spend just over $500. That's a good start, to get a decent 4wd roller would cost me minimum 200 bucks more. I need to start somewhere.

[Hickoryhead]

Your right about its a good place to start. Every one has to start some where. I have had an E Jato, Rustler, and a Stampede. Liked them all. The stampede and rustlers were great. The Jato was a little better due to the weight distribution. The problem is the body. I had a Jato body on my stampede. At speeds over 53 mph (I radared it) the front ends are to light and pick up with wind under them. Crash, bang, ouch, 3 hours replacing parts. The Jato was a little better but not much. There was not as much weight in the rear end. There is a reason the VXL line has wheelie bars. 4 wheel drives are better all around. And you do have an option. sell your jato with everything for close to $200 on ebay and buy a CRT .5 for about the same on ebay. As for blowing your father inlaw away good luck. sounds like he might know a thing or 2 about brushless.

[PowerRocks]

Yea you should see his boats. That's where all his time and money has been spent.

Well I think I got my Jato figured out, The worst part is stripping something and cleaning it, maybe I should paint the parts with a good color scheme. Wonder if paint will last on the plastics.

The hardest part of this is the motor mount, too bad no one makes a 540 mount for a jato.

[jnev]

What you can do is buy the Revo motor mount from Mike (in RC-Monster store) and just drill the holes in the chassis in the correct spots. Works perfect. I actually did the same thing, except it was in my RC10GT.

[PowerRocks]

Good suggestion, I think someone else hacked one of these up to use in a Jato.

I think at work in the metal shop we have pieces of 1/4" aluminum or stainless steel off cuts (scrap metal). I'll make a drawing in cad when I have time at work, and get the punch operator to bend me 2 sets of mounts which I will have to drill and cut. I'll get two L pieces cut and bent. One will have a shorter base than the other. I'll use the shorter base to support the motor body. Thus I will have to punch a hole in it to the exact size of the motor. The longer piece is where the front of the motor will bolt up to. The piece with the shorter base placed on top of the longer piece, they will be bolted to the chasis. I will try to use the original nitro motor mount.