Brushless Recomendation...New to R/C

Greetings to you all. I am buliding an E-maxx and am going to be running the stock tranny and diffs, but I would like to get a good Brushless setup for it. I liked the Novak 6.5 I had in my XXX-T MF1 and I want my E-maxx to move like my stadium truck did. I have and will be running dual Kokam 4800 Li-Po batteries. I am looking to spend $300-350 dollars on the ESC and moter and the setup has to pretty much be dummy proof as I am new to this. I sure would appreciate any input and a point in the right direction / alternatives to the Novak choices (HV 6.5/4.5). I want to achieve about 40-45 MPH at top speed without blowing up the tranny and diffs. Thanks.

[aqwut]

sorry, the tranny won't hold up...I killed my tranny using Two novaks SS 5800s...

[neweuser]

Going that fast with that kind of torque, you are GOING TO NEED diffs and tranny! Going 40-45 will take a nice controller and motor to move the maxx that fast! You can get a system for that amount of money, but you WILL break things!

[coolhandcountry]

Originally Posted by aqwut

sorry, the tranny won't hold up...I killed my tranny using Two novaks SS 5800s...

How did you do that? I didn't kill mine with two hv maxx. Did you have the
steel idlers? What failed?

For the batts you running a 7xl or 8xl would be a good choice. For the esc a bk 9920 quark 125b or the mgm 16160 would work. You will need to upgrade some things. Ilders cvds and such.

[glassdoctor]

I hate to suggest this, but the Novak HV may be what you want. It will get up to a nice top speed especially with the light powerful lipos, and it won't have massive "tranny killer" torque. And it's a simple no hassle system.

Keep the truck light as possible and find the right gearing and it should work well.

Aside from that I would say a light sensorless setup like a Mamba Max and a Lehner Basic 2400-2700XL. (or a cheaper Feigao 540C 9-10L) Just a thought... I havent' run that setup, but I think it would be really good for under $300 for a light emaxx.

For what it's worth I'm planning to run a 540C 9L in my old emaxx with the Mamba Max, but it may be a few weeks till I get it done. My drivetrain is only lightly modded... I run CVDs in the rear (and rear driveshaft,) and the steel idler, and the RRP slipper clutch.

[aqwut]

coolhand... First the idler went..... then I got the steel idlers... then the first gear went.... then the second gear went.... then I got the supermaxx gears.... all was with the Dual SS5800.... got it the first day it came out... 3 of them.. :)
but I'm very surpris ur maxx is holding up with the stock gears....

[neweuser]

Actually, as long as you have steel idlers, you should be fine. Coolhand, he wants to keep his stock diffs and tranny, and only cost him 300-350 to go 40-45...but we all know that won't happen. You need some upgrades to go the speeds you want man, and really no way around that. HV Maxx or not! Still need idlers, drive shafts....etc. + you are talking about 40-45 mph??? Not to be rude, but if you read some threads here, you'll soon learn it won't happen without upgrades. If speed don't matter, get the HV and replace things as they go IMO. Otherwise, you are going to spend more $$$$. Last option...save your 350.00 for your system, then later get your upgrades, then think about going 40-45! Just my two cents. But start off with a good BL, maybe a 9920 and a 8-9xl??? depends on cells? You can go BL, but you must understand that upgrades ARE NEEDED. But shop around here, read a lot, then purchase......

[jhautz]

Alot of people on this forum run some really powerfull setups and they require some extreme mods to make the rest of the drivetrain hold up. If you run a mild to mid brushless setup you won't have that much to worry about.

The steel idler gear in the tranny is an absolute must, but only $15 so not that big a deal. If you get one and install it in 2nd gear (you won't use first anymore)you will have a pretty durable tranny. http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail...rod=RCM03idler

The 2nd must upgrade is the CVDs for the tranny and the wheels. This is probably the most expensive additional upgrade that you should do right away. (In my opinion) The plastic sliders on the e-maxx just don't hold up to brushless power. When you do this don't just get the cheapos off ebay. At least get the MIP (UE is better still) or you will just wind up buying a 2nd set again in the not to distant future.

The diffs will eventually go, but the stockers will last quite a while(depending on your driving stlye). When/If the diffs go, just get some alluminum diff cups and the robinson racing pinion and ring gears in them and you will be fine. I have found that it is generally the rear that goes and the front lasts pretty well. (I still run stock diffs in my maxx. They are cheap on ebay and I just have an extra or 2 laying around to change out when I need to. Not very often)

Slipper clutch is another item that people try to ''get away with'' the stock unit. They wind up just cranking it down and locking it up or it will just melt. Locking down the slipper is probably one of the biggest reasons that other drivtrain componenets fail. The slipper is designed to absorbe the harsh shocks in the drivetrain and thus preserve the rest of the parts. I would recomend an upgrade here as well.

It takes a little more than just a motor and esc to get a good reliable brushless setup, but its well worth it. Even the original Novak HV recomends the Steel Idler gear and the upgraded slipper clutch.

For what you said you are looking for, the new Novak-HV 4.5 might be a good option. Its pretty much plug and play. they give you complete setup instructions and even a list of recomended upgrades. And from what I have heard , its pretty fast. Should get you over 40 easy.

Just my $0.02.

[aqwut]

Words of Wisdom... :)

Great advice guys! I can't thank you enough for the input. I did fail to mention that I do have the steel CVD's already. Is the consensus for the steel idler gear in the tranny? In addition, I was planning to upgrade when parts went tits up while driving. I don’t plan on racing, rather just tear around in the dirt with buddies, so I will research the setups you suggested and implement them this winter. Any more suggestions?

[coolhandcountry]

Your driving style will determine the upgrades you need as well.
If you drive it like you stole it. It will break more.

Is there any other way to drive? :027: I appreciate the help guys!