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Would a truggy be right for me?


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Recently got a hardly used Hyper St Pro nitro without engine from the bay. They do come up, just set up a follow search. I've put a LRP 28 engine in from my Savage and it's plenty fast. handles well, plenty of power slides. Relatively easy to get diffs out and maintain, Tbone front bumper recommended, different tyres for grass. There are more things to remember/tinker with nitro and of course the noise. You'll be be best finding a used truggy. I looked at Losi but parts didnt seem as readily available. Hypers are good bashers.

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Would first need to find out what a follow search is, do not use eBay that much. But thanks for the info, gonna check that.

And yeah, of course they're noisy, but where i live, there's pretty much only sheeps, fields and the occasional military base. And their jets are louder than a nitro. :P 

Andy, 50k seems alot for just bashing about as a beginner, as i understand it? I had to read up on it, as i understand it, thicker oil ("higher number") equals more wheelie, less slip (center diff), is that right? 

edit: and yes, follow search set up. Lets hope that something pops up soon, i'm infected now. Wondering though, are there any regulations, or laws, that i should read up upon, like with my drones, or is "common sense" and "not being an ass" all that's needed to safely and legally operate a 1/8 nitro?

Edited by m4inbrain
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201471049106?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

From a quick search...

The viscosity of the fluid in the center diff WILL have a profound effect on the front to rear power distribution and wheel speed. Thinner fluid will bias the power dramatically toward the front end under acceleration and the heavier the fluid, the more you reduce the amount of differential towards the front end under acceleration. On paper, if we were driving on velcro tracks with velcro tires and there was no slippage what so ever, then the theorists among us would be partially correct, but on real tracks where we race and tires slip more often than they grip, that all goes right out the window.

And just for clarification, the car will rotate like crazy if you go with thicker fluid in the center diff. Thin diff fluid sends more power to the front end under acceleration, so the rear end maintains more traction and the front tires will spin wildly and cause the ballooning you experienced. As you go heavier in the center diff, the more the power distribution becomes equal from front to rear, making the rear wheels more likely to spin and lose traction, causing the car to rotate more in the corners - possibly too much. I used to race buggies that had no center diffs - trust me, you don't want to use too heavy a fluid in the center diff. The car is all over the place and much harder to control. 

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I searched for "hobao hyper st pro", that one did not pop up. Weird.

I personally didn't experience anything really, never driven anything remotely comparable to a buggy/truggy yet. I've read alot about "things ballooning", or "front unloading", i've yet to find out what exactly that even means. Most likely, i actually know those terms in a different language (by now, you should be able to tell that i'm not a native english speaker ^^) - but i can't really make the connection yet. I thought in fact that "ballooning" has something to do with the rubber on the rim. As in, some unwanted deformation under load/braking. 

Fun fact: that ebay car, i'd rather have one without engine instead of an upgraded race engine, as he puts it. Simply because i know **** all about how to spot wear, etc - i have no comparison to what the car/engine/shocks should behave if it's working correctly. But again, thank you - i know now that apparently the "hobao" in my search made it impossible to find something.

 

edit: well who would've thought, leave "hobao" out of the search and stuff pops up.

Edited by m4inbrain
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Ballooning tyres usually happens when one or more tyre/wheel has no load during acceleration....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18fmF5Hj_c8

If you can remove the tyres and then stick tape (like gorilla tape) on the inside of the tyre , it helps reduce ballooning. Brushless motors produce a lot of torque and very easily spin wheels, nitro tends not to be as harsh but depends on engine size and gearing. also tyre design/rubber quality. 

It is a lottery sometimes buying used nitros. You can always ask to see an image of the piston/liner, which will give an indication of use and you can sell the motor for a reasonable amount at a later date. LRP are generally good reliable, powerful engines.

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Coming to think of it.. Shock oil. I have 35wt for my drifters flying around here, i assume i should look at least at 50wt? 

I have to get things like air filter oil etc anyway, anything else that's recommended to run a nitro? So far i'm looking at diff oils at 10, 7 and 3 weight, air filter oil, after run oil, a starter set with bottle, glow starter, wrenches and screwdrivers, a stand with magnets and rotating plate and whatnot, fuel, an IR thermometer, and well, shock oil but i don't really know which one. WD40 i've got plenty, general tools as well. 

Anything else?

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This just popped up on my radar ...  Think hes open to selling it as a ROLLER  [ no electronics ] for a lessor price.  You could likely sell the electronics here or ebay simply, ... and / or trade for Nitro Gear.  Most people are eager to go the other way - Nitro To Electric.  Which I recommend a new guy to do anyhow then get the nitro stuff needed.

Defo get the CNC Alum Chassis braces he has for it - then get yourself some ST Pro CNC Shock towers  $40 USD approx for a pair - and you pretty much have an ST Pro there.

 

Edited by sputnik
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Glow starter and charger

Spare Glow plugs and plug wrench

Nitro fuel - 25% for larger engines

After run oil

Temp gauge/gun to monitor engine

If pull start engine then dont need starter box

Diff oils - depends how you like it drive, can go higher 30K, 50K, 100k, personal preference really, centre usually highest with rear lowest

Shocks - depends if you jump alot, preload spacers can help as well as thicker oil.

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Thank you, yeah, sounds like the basket i'm looking at is pretty much correct then. 

And converting something that already was converted etc, for my first vehicle, is a lot of hassle. I'll keep an eye on the hyper STs on the bay, but otherwise i'm going with the sabertooth, especially because it's new and not fiddled with already. 

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10 minutes ago, m4inbrain said:

Thank you, yeah, sounds like the basket i'm looking at is pretty much correct then. 

And converting something that already was converted etc, for my first vehicle, is a lot of hassle. I'll keep an eye on the hyper STs on the bay, but otherwise i'm going with the sabertooth, especially because it's new and not fiddled with already. 

Just make sure you can get easily/quickly/cheaply get spares, as things will break/wear. I have no experience of the Sabretooth.

You need 6V battery for receiver, can use AAs but nimh pack easier.

Edited by locky
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4 minutes ago, locky said:

Just make sure you can get easily/quickly/cheaply get spares, as things will break/wear. I have no experience of the Sabretooth.

Yeah, that was the first thing i've read up on, on rcgroups - the nitro is pretty much compatible to the electric version, with plenty spares to go by (cheap too). As i said, it's £140 for an RTR car, it won't win races, might not even last for 2 years - but it's a good place to begin with i feel like. Especially considering that i have no infrastructure for nitros, that already adds up to £90 on modelsport. 

Price wise, that's not beatable, i don't think. Hell for that money you don't even get a new engine for other RCs ^^. I do know that you get what you pay for, and not more - but that might be enough to get the hobby started.

edit: the win races part is especially true since down here the only thing RC related i saw was a modelflight club. 

Edited by m4inbrain
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3 minutes ago, m4inbrain said:

Yeah, that was the first thing i've read up on, on rcgroups - the nitro is pretty much compatible to the electric version, with plenty spares to go by (cheap too). As i said, it's £140 for an RTR car, it won't win races, might not even last for 2 years - but it's a good place to begin with i feel like. Especially considering that i have no infrastructure for nitros, that already adds up to £90 on modelsport. 

Price wise, that's not beatable, i don't think. Hell for that money you don't even get a new engine for other RCs ^^. I do know that you get what you pay for, and not more - but that might be enough to get the hobby started.

Has it just been released, as not much feedback.

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31 minutes ago, locky said:

Has it just been released, as not much feedback.

The electro version is a year old or something, the nitro is relatively fresh, yes.

 

edit: RCT8 shocks for example appear to be fitting as well, according to a feedback thread of the electric version here.

Edited by m4inbrain
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59 minutes ago, m4inbrain said:

Yeah, that was the first thing i've read up on, on rcgroups - the nitro is pretty much compatible to the electric version, with plenty spares to go by (cheap too). As i said, it's £140 for an RTR car, it won't win races, might not even last for 2 years - but it's a good place to begin with i feel like. Especially considering that i have no infrastructure for nitros, that already adds up to £90 on modelsport. 

Price wise, that's not beatable, i don't think. Hell for that money you don't even get a new engine for other RCs ^^. I do know that you get what you pay for, and not more - but that might be enough to get the hobby started.

edit: the win races part is especially true since down here the only thing RC related i saw was a modelflight club. 

Well I wish you the best mate.  I think that kit is a mistake - but you'll defo get that small price out of it - BASHING it around once you get Nitro Tuning figured out.  Ive been down this road a few times, and got the battle scars and bloodied bank account to prove it ... like I posted earlier - low ball cheapo kits made from a lot of plastic jive is doing just what you stated - getting you lured in and started in hobby - and then you'll be online at hobbywings site refilling your cart with the cheap plastic parts and bits due to breakage etc ...  its just like the analgy I gave earlier ... cheap entry printer for $15 - but then the ink cartridges last 3 weeks and cost $150.  You are not going to be saving any money going the route youre taking.

1st to go will be the cheapo stock servos, then the radio will suck and glitch, then the cheapo Rx battery they provide, then the engine / clutch.  After the stock factory glued tires delaminate - you'll be after a set of those.

 

That Hyper ST Roller @ the price the guy is offering with the electronics - where the electronics - speedo and castle motor  is worth more than that entire Sabertooth rtr kit - is by far a better option.

$120 ESC

$75-90 Castle Motor

Could write a book about the many times Ive purchased rtr kits over the last 15 or so years and regretted it every time.  As I mentioned I and several other folks here have a plethora of knowledge and experience with this ... Ive built from scratch and pieced together from kits and ebay and done Pro Kits etc ... for MANY Nitro and Electric vehicles. 

Just a few of my collection that are handy via pics ... obvi done this dance a few times ...  Not theory.

2015-11-23_0927.png

 

2015-11-17_2231.png

 

Wish that ST roller was stateside - Id grab it.

In depth Hyper ST Pro build detailed here ... if your truly seeking info on truggies ....

http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/forums/topic/206471-hyper-st-pro-eshort-course-conversion-build-2015/

 

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Oh i don't doubt other peoples knowledge here, that's not the problem. The problem is that i know myself, and also from experience, that an RC that is not what it was originally, is simply hard or even impossible to wrap your head around.

My first drifter that i bought from here was basically a souped up MST RTR drifter, which i spent weeks on to understand what is going where, and why. And that was literally just a souped up version with some alu parts here and there, different diffs etc. 

Now imagine me, someone who hasn't even SEEN a truggy in real life yet (all i saw is videos and pictures), buying something that was converted from nitro to electric. I have zero experience with nitro, some (little) experience with drift-RCs. I don't have anyone around here that i could go to if something pops up - i'm pretty much on my own. The next RC shop is almost an hours drive away. I know for a fact that i will lose interest and just give up on something like that. I wouldn't even know where to start. And, well, then there's the price - the one you linked me is £290 bucks. That's without anything. I still need the nitro stuff, as in infrastructure and at least an engine, and whatelse is needed to convert that one back to nitro. I've done that with helicopters, started with a £50 toy, then immediately spent another £250 on a hobby grade entry level heli, to then just two weeks later buy myself a 450 sized one. It was a huge mistake, and i'm not gonna repeat that. 

The one you linked me will end up at at least £450gbp for me (290 rc, 90 the infrastructure, and 70 for an engine which appears to be on the lower scale). That's alot of cash for just checking out if i enjoy a hobby, or nitro in general. 

Don't get me wrong: i know exactly what you mean, even from experience. I burned through the occasional chinese knock-off ESC as much as anyone else, i crashed cheap and cheerful helicopters which just flew like a bag of potatoes - but they did what they were supposed to. Give me an insight into the hobby (in this case, two things actually - nitro and offroad). 

edit: that being said, if something ARR pops up for £150ish quid somewhere, i'm defo checking it out, like the two STs on bay, or the trophy in the sales section here - haven't got a reply yet.

It really just is about what one needs, and i don't (yet) need the fastest, toughest truck out there. Whatever i'm buying, it will eventually be replaced anyway if i enjoy it. For just driving around on a rugby field by myself, i don't need a £500 rc. :/

Edited by m4inbrain
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I've got a little army built up.

Hyper st which I bought new about 8 years ago and ran as nitro then when I got bored of the engine never being 100% I converted it too brushless. The car it's self I can't fault . Its been into a wall nearly  full speed and only bent chassis up a fraction and snap front brace. New brace and bend chassis back by hand using a something to press on and it was sorted. Really good model and is good on mud tarmac jumps and guess upto medium  length.

 

A hyper 7 I bought pre converted too brushless. This hasn't had mega millage yet but a good load of bashing and verdict is. Its just as strong as the St being flipped  at top speed a few times and even run over by my baja (by mistake) on grass it's only good on short stuff. On medium length grass the chassis drags and had a habit of rolling over lol

And the big beast I have is a hpi baja. This is best rc experience and always draws smiles and pictures whenever it's out. I bought second hand with loads of upgrades for 200 quid! Ready to run. It need the odd joint replacing as bit sloppy but I couldn't find fault with it. And also a strongtank. Everything seems to support everything else. Its great on petrol  too ! And dosnt need constant tuning unlike nitro's this is great anywhere but the only problem is.  You need a massive open space and keep in mind the noise from it (if you do get one a fail safe and kill switch is a must)

 

From experiance I'd say go brushless or petrol if you don't like constant tuning. 

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Why the St pro?? Buy the ready to run version that way you can learn your model from new. Then as you learn you can alter set ups and stuff and IF it breaks then you can upgrade;) but being an st... it won't be braking too quickly lol 

 

Oh and any nitro  model... make sure you have a failsafe and battery's are secure. If they become disconnected the failsafe won't work as I found out once but luckily it was on little amount of throttle

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4 hours ago, fletch101 said:

Why the St pro?? Buy the ready to run version that way you can learn your model from new. Then as you learn you can alter set ups and stuff and IF it breaks then you can upgrade;) but being an st... it won't be braking too quickly lol 

 

Oh and any nitro  model... make sure you have a failsafe and battery's are secure. If they become disconnected the failsafe won't work as I found out once but luckily it was on little amount of throttle

Forgive me ... thats  a pretty good idea actually, but I forget you guys over there can still get those cars RTR ... we cannot [ to my knowledge ] Hence recommended a 2nd hand unit that had already been upgraded.  Also his budget of $250 pound... wasnt aware he could get even an 80% kits for that over there

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