FTX Vantage/Carnage owners Thread

[Ant.p]

33 minutes ago, Iain .R said:

Hi I have 3300kv motor  I have the standard  spur gear   size iv just changed it to alloy   and 17t pinion and the car wont work on grass its chugging and splutters  till it bites then shoots off   why I'm going for  a lower pinion  iv got a 15 on there now  which has improved the pull off on flat road and a bit on grass (compared to the 17t ) so I'm guessing   11t .

 

Or swap the both for the two I said above.  . Which on modlesport say there compatible lol . .so im thinking the spur too big need to go down some teeth.  

 

As for changes on the carnage . I fitted the sway bar . An changed the front arms to alloy .which I think made the chassis snap when my daughter crashed it  as if been plastic the arms would have snapped I think. 

 

I changed the motor mount to the new one with the hole filled.  And if fitted a cover over the spur drive  to stop the crap going in with the spur gear . . 

Thanks, Iain. My front lower suspension arm cracked in a recent disagreement with a tree stump. I opted to replace them with the original plastic rather than alloy as assumed a similar crash would have only bent the arm and also possibly done damage to other adjoining parts as well. 
there are so many options with the gearing. It’s a bit of a minefield! The guys at Modelsport gave me quite a lot of help when I first started looking into upgrades if you’re still not sure after reading through the 260 odd pages here 🤪
I may have pressed the wrong button/clicked on the wrong post, but I was actually meaning to direct the question to Jens, as I thought his pinion gear was small, but his motor is higher KV than mine, so probably compensates for it? I’m not going to lie, the whole KV thing baffles me a bit. The bigger the number, the more RPM but with less torque/acceleration or something like that? 

[Lone-wolf]

when i order the vantage is it worth getting the 49tooth spur and pinion

[Iain .R]

6 minutes ago, Ant.p said:

Thanks, Iain. My front lower suspension arm cracked in a recent disagreement with a tree stump. I opted to replace them with the original plastic rather than alloy as assumed a similar crash would have only bent the arm and also possibly done damage to other adjoining parts as well. 
there are so many options with the gearing. It’s a bit of a minefield! The guys at Modelsport gave me quite a lot of help when I first started looking into upgrades if you’re still not sure after reading through the 260 odd pages here 🤪
I may have pressed the wrong button/clicked on the wrong post, but I was actually meaning to direct the question to Jens, as I thought his pinion gear was small, but his motor is higher KV than mine, so probably compensates for it? I’m not going to lie, the whole KV thing baffles me a bit. The bigger the number, the more RPM but with less torque/acceleration or something like that? 

Hi sorry   that's cool . 

 

I know it's odd like paper  high number small sheets.. lol . 

I think it's a twos up 13t pinion hopw that works or swap both and work . The mrs getting fed up me asking for pinions lol   how many do you need      aaaa one    the right one .      Lol 

[Ant.p]

4 minutes ago, Iain .R said:

Hi sorry   that's cool . 

 

I know it's odd like paper  high number small sheets.. lol . 

I think it's a twos up 13t pinion hopw that works or swap both and work . The mrs getting fed up me asking for pinions lol   how many do you need      aaaa one    the right one .      Lol 

I think I’ve had more RC parts delivered since Xmas just past (when me and my son got the carnage each) than I’ve had hot dinners. The experiments are all part of the fun. Hope you get it sorted this time!

[Ant.p]

8 minutes ago, Jack Reacher said:

when i order the vantage is it worth getting the 49tooth spur and pinion

I only upgraded the stock gears when I changed the motor and esc out as the originals are too soft for the extra strain. Otherwise, they would have likely lasted just fine as they were.

[Lone-wolf]

Okay worth doing as i am going brushless on it

[Redback]

18 minutes ago, Jack Reacher said:

when i order the vantage is it worth getting the 49tooth spur and pinion

no as they are all the same size, if you want speed you need to avoid all the stock offerings
e.g i can send you 5 diffrent RW racing spurs that all have diffrent tooth counts and will give you exactly the same speeds because they are all the same outer diameter and thats what counts not the teeth count.

[Ant.p]

5 minutes ago, Jack Reacher said:

Okay worth doing as i am going brushless on it

You may find that the original motor strains too much/overheats if gearing up too much, or that when you upgrade to a more powerful motor that you need to up the pinion to get the most out of it. May be a good idea to choose a motor first then look to upgrade the gearing accordingly.

[Iain .R]

2 hours ago, Ant.p said:

I think I’ve had more RC parts delivered since Xmas just past (when me and my son got the carnage each) than I’ve had hot dinners. The experiments are all part of the fun. Hope you get it sorted this time!

That I agree but when the mrs is paying lol I have lost count the parcles an stuff iv had delivered to me in the last few months lol   it's got to the stage if I come down stairs and there no parcle I'm like  WHAT   ??????? has the post been  lol .. 

[Lone-wolf]

9 hours ago, Ant.p said:

You may find that the original motor strains too much/overheats if gearing up too much, or that when you upgrade to a more powerful motor that you need to up the pinion to get the most out of it. May be a good idea to choose a motor first then look to upgrade the gearing accordingly.

I will be swapping the motor right away to a 3660 3300kv

Edited March 14, 2021 by Jack Reacher

[Ant.p]

Has anyone managed to find a good fitting, hard wearing, pre painted and affordable body shell for the carnage? I’ve been through a few now, and I appreciate you get what you pay for, but most I have tried are thinner than the original FTX ones and crumble on first impact. 
Bear in mind that we just ‘bash’ them, I’m not looking for all the bells and whistles, as even the best wouldn’t stay looking pretty for too long - as an example, on our last outing, my car flipped onto its back at quite a speed and then continued to skid a good 20m on concrete to a halt. I snapped 1 alloy body post and it transformed into a cabriolet. Sure it saved the actual car getting too damaged, but would be nice to get at least a few runs out of each body before ‘shelling’ out on the next.

[Lone-wolf]

4 minutes ago, Ant.p said:

Has anyone managed to find a good fitting, hard wearing, pre painted and affordable body shell for the carnage? I’ve been through a few now, and I appreciate you get what you pay for, but most I have tried are thinner than the original FTX ones and crumble on first impact. 
Bear in mind that we just ‘bash’ them, I’m not looking for all the bells and whistles, as even the best wouldn’t stay looking pretty for too long - as an example, on our last outing, my car flipped onto its back at quite a speed and then continued to skid a good 20m on concrete to a halt. I snapped 1 alloy body post and it transformed into a cabriolet. Sure it saved the actual car getting too damaged, but would be nice to get at least a few runs out of each body before ‘shelling’ out on the next.

have a look at the jconcepts shells, to me they seem to strongest about, if you get one that fits nice consider scrim tape and shoo goo reinforcing

[Jens]

13 hours ago, oscart2005 said:

Okay cheers, do you know if the Hobbywing Max10 5400kv combo is any good because I was thinking it would be good to make it a bit faster ?

Hi and welcome to the forum,

the Hobbywing Combo is a really good choice.

Making the Carnage much more fun to drive around.

Personally I wouldn't go for the 5400KV motor.

It limits you to use only 2S Lipos. --> Hobbywing recommendation.

 

3300KV as @Ant.p uses or 4000KV as I use would be the best choice.

Then you can use 2S or 3S Lipos.

 

I am very happy with my 4000KV choice but then 3300KV is closer to the setup of the factory FTX Carnage Brushless.

My factory Bugsta Brushless comes with a 2950KV motor (same as Carnage).

Comparing the performance with my upgraded 4000KV Carnage, I would prefer the 4000KV setup.

Bugsta: 2950KV, 12/47 pinion/spur, less performance, less battery life.

Carnage: 4000KV, 10/47 pinion/spur, more performance (2S), longer battery life.

Carnage with 3S then: madness and lots of fun.

 

I did a number of additional upgrades:

- Pinion/spur made of hardened steel

- Wheelie bar

- Wheels with 5" outer diameter and 70mm width

The new wider wheels effectively prevent flips, though not completely.

 

Here is a video of my 8yr old son mastering that Carnage beast.

But I can tell you it is major stress to the whole drivetrain.

After that weekend of filming I had the front bumper broken, all 4 CVDs bent and the body posts broken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ant.p]

2 hours ago, Jens said:

Hi and welcome to the forum,

the Hobbywing Combo is a really good choice.

Making the Carnage much more fun to drive around.

Personally I wouldn't go for the 5400KV motor.

It limits you to use only 2S Lipos. --> Hobbywing recommendation.

 

3300KV as @Ant.p uses or 4000KV as I use would be the best choice.

Then you can use 2S or 3S Lipos.

 

I am very happy with my 4000KV choice but then 3300KV is closer to the setup of the factory FTX Carnage Brushless.

My factory Bugsta Brushless comes with a 2950KV motor (same as Carnage).

Comparing the performance with my upgraded 4000KV Carnage, I would prefer the 4000KV setup.

Bugsta: 2950KV, 12/47 pinion/spur, less performance, less battery life.

Carnage: 4000KV, 10/47 pinion/spur, more performance (2S), longer battery life.

Carnage with 3S then: madness and lots of fun.

 

I did a number of additional upgrades:

- Pinion/spur made of hardened steel

- Wheelie bar

- Wheels with 5" outer diameter and 70mm width

The new wider wheels effectively prevent flips, though not completely.

 

Here is a video of my 8yr old son mastering that Carnage beast.

But I can tell you it is major stress to the whole drivetrain.

After that weekend of filming I had the front bumper broken, all 4 CVDs bent and the body posts broken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice video!

Which wheels did you choose? I’ve been looking at that as the next upgrade, as the original inserts on ours have completely perished now leaving what feels like flat tyres and the rubber is super soft - I think they are my main issue with lack of control at high speeds. Or could just be that I’m not a good driver 🤔

[Jens]

Just now, Ant.p said:

Nice video!

Which wheels did you choose? I’ve been looking at that as the next upgrade, as the original inserts on ours have completely perished now leaving what feels like flat tyres and the rubber is super soft - I think they are my main issue with lack of control at high speeds. Or could just be that I’m not a good driver 🤔

I trained my son almost every weekend the last 6 months, starting slow with the FTX Mauler, going to FTX Bugsta Brushless, letting him try my Rustler with 2S Lipos, then with 3S and ending up at the current setup.

Thinking (as being German) that in Germany he would not even be permitted to drive any of those cars.

 

That said, I think there is no such thing as a bad driver. Just not enough experience.

How long do you have your Carnage?

 

These are the wheels: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4PCS-Wheels-Tires-Set-1-10-Rc-Monster-Truck-For-Losi-Tenacity-Mt-12mm-Hex/154220196248?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

And I cut inserts from these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Armaflex-Pipe-Insulation-Lagging-Black-Nitrile-Foam-Class-O-2m/273509911546?epid=22030367669&hash=item3fae760bfa:g:Z-MAAOSwLXNbxLm5

The Armaflex pipe lagging has a major advantage. It's made of closed cell foam and therefore will never be soaked with water. And they are a bit harder than regular inserts.

( Looks like I am repeatedly posting that information  )

 

For me, it's the ultimate wheels setup for bashing, jumping and speed runs.

 

 

[Ant.p]

20 minutes ago, Jens said:

I trained my son almost every weekend the last 6 months, starting slow with the FTX Mauler, going to FTX Bugsta Brushless, letting him try my Rustler with 2S Lipos, then with 3S and ending up at the current setup.

Thinking (as being German) that in Germany he would not even be permitted to drive any of those cars.

 

That said, I think there is no such thing as a bad driver. Just not enough experience.

How long do you have your Carnage?

 

These are the wheels: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4PCS-Wheels-Tires-Set-1-10-Rc-Monster-Truck-For-Losi-Tenacity-Mt-12mm-Hex/154220196248?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

And I cut inserts from these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Armaflex-Pipe-Insulation-Lagging-Black-Nitrile-Foam-Class-O-2m/273509911546?epid=22030367669&hash=item3fae760bfa:g:Z-MAAOSwLXNbxLm5

The Armaflex pipe lagging has a major advantage. It's made of closed cell foam and therefore will never be soaked with water. And they are a bit harder than regular inserts.

( Looks like I am repeatedly posting that information  )

 

For me, it's the ultimate wheels setup for bashing, jumping and speed runs.

 

 

Only had the two carnage cars since Xmas just past, but it’s been a steep learning curve. We were not even 5 minutes into our first drive on Xmas day when we found out why you should both drive in the same direction. Two smashed up front ends including both chassis. Xmas afternoon I discovered Wheelspin models and was like a kid in a sweet shop. When the parts arrived, I then largely dismantled both and learnt a lot in the process.

we’ve been out on a semi regular basis since. If we’ve managed to use up the batteries before the cars are broken, it was considered a good day. But repairing them is good fun also, so a win win regardless.

I’ll look at the links you sent, thanks! I’m sure new wheels will make a huge difference.

which glue do you use, and is there a recommended technique for sticking them to the rims?

[Jens]

2 minutes ago, Ant.p said:

Only had the two carnage cars since Xmas just past, but it’s been a steep learning curve. We were not even 5 minutes into our first drive on Xmas day when we found out why you should both drive in the same direction. Two smashed up front ends including both chassis. Xmas afternoon I discovered Wheelspin models and was like a kid in a sweet shop. When the parts arrived, I then largely dismantled both and learnt a lot in the process.

we’ve been out on a semi regular basis since. If we’ve managed to use up the batteries before the cars are broken, it was considered a good day. But repairing them is good fun also, so a win win regardless.

I’ll look at the links you sent, thanks! I’m sure new wheels will make a huge difference.

which glue do you use, and is there a recommended technique for sticking them to the rims?

The glue is something like very liquid super glue.

You can search ebay for 'RC tire glue'.

I don't believe the different brands make any difference.

Ordered the one from CoreRC since it was the cheapest and had the fastest delivery.

Watch some Youtube videos before gluing the tires!

[Ant.p]

@Jens what size lagging? Two drop down options on the link you sent. Please can you let me know which ‘pipe size’ and ‘thickness’ you would recommend? Thanks

[Jens]

2 minutes ago, Ant.p said:

@Jens what size lagging? Two drop down options on the link you sent. Please can you let me know which ‘pipe size’ and ‘thickness’ you would recommend? Thanks

You catch me on that.

I don't remember.

I think it is 76mm, 19mm.

But don't nail me on that.

If you got time, order the wheels first and then measure.

 

Important is that outer diameter - (2 x thickness) matches precisely to your rims diameter.

In addition, I closed the water hole in the rims, preventing any water from coming in.

[Jens]

A note on flipping the car at high speed.

I set a rather extreme camber that helps a lot:

 

 

[Ant.p]

3 minutes ago, Jens said:

A note on flipping the car at high speed.

I set a rather extreme camber that helps a lot:

 

 

Like it! The rear wheels seem to have this already set by default, but will adjust the fronts to match.

Sorry, but I don’t quite follow your instructions re measuring. Are you saying you need two layers of insulation to build up to the correct required thickness?

[Jens]

1 hour ago, Ant.p said:

Like it! The rear wheels seem to have this already set by default, but will adjust the fronts to match.

Sorry, but I don’t quite follow your instructions re measuring. Are you saying you need two layers of insulation to build up to the correct required thickness?

The inner diameter of the pipe lagging should be equal the outer diameter minus 2 times the thickness.

Not sure how I could explain it better.

 

When you go across the whole diameter of the pipe laggine you have 3 "sections".

foam, air, foam = thickness + inner diameter + thickness.

 

 

 

[oscart2005]

6 hours ago, Jens said:

Hi and welcome to the forum,

the Hobbywing Combo is a really good choice.

Making the Carnage much more fun to drive around.

Personally I wouldn't go for the 5400KV motor.

It limits you to use only 2S Lipos. --> Hobbywing recommendation.

 

3300KV as @Ant.p uses or 4000KV as I use would be the best choice.

Then you can use 2S or 3S Lipos.

 

I am very happy with my 4000KV choice but then 3300KV is closer to the setup of the factory FTX Carnage Brushless.

My factory Bugsta Brushless comes with a 2950KV motor (same as Carnage).

Comparing the performance with my upgraded 4000KV Carnage, I would prefer the 4000KV setup.

Bugsta: 2950KV, 12/47 pinion/spur, less performance, less battery life.

Carnage: 4000KV, 10/47 pinion/spur, more performance (2S), longer battery life.

Carnage with 3S then: madness and lots of fun.

 

I did a number of additional upgrades:

- Pinion/spur made of hardened steel

- Wheelie bar

- Wheels with 5" outer diameter and 70mm width

The new wider wheels effectively prevent flips, though not completely.

 

Here is a video of my 8yr old son mastering that Carnage beast.

But I can tell you it is major stress to the whole drivetrain.

After that weekend of filming I had the front bumper broken, all 4 CVDs bent and the body posts broken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers it’s just that I have the vantage and didn’t want to have to run it on 3s because I don’t think I’d actually get one in there so the 5400kv just seemed like a better option for just running on 2s ?

[Jens]

Just now, oscart2005 said:

Cheers it’s just that I have the vantage and didn’t want to have to run it on 3s because I don’t think I’d actually get one in there so the 5400kv just seemed like a better option for just running on 2s ?

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089YNL95B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

will probably fit.

But check the measurements.

I presume based on the parts manual that the Vantage chassis is identical to the Carnage/Bugsta.

[oscart2005]

1 minute ago, Jens said:

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089YNL95B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

will probably fit.

But check the measurements.

I presume based on the parts manual that the Vantage chassis is identical to the Carnage/Bugsta.

Okay, so am I better off having a lower kv and having the option to go up to a 3s or just having the higher kv and always running on a 2s because I've already bought a couple 2s batteries?