James' Slash 4x4

[J.K]

Yup the shell wasn't my preferred colour scheme, but was the only one in stock at the time and I'm impatient! I'm gona keep it until its had it and then prob get the flotek one.

The bearings are an interesting issue, I've heard that the traxxas ones are pretty solid so it's surprising they're on their way out after two weeks' ownership. Mine seem to be holding up so far but haven't seen too much action due to the recent weather.

Smaller 17T pinion arrived yesterday, I as expecting an 18T but the invoice confirms chunky finger syndrome strikes again! Swapping a 20 out for a 17 may be a little too much but I'll see how it goes once the ground dries up!

[adamk]

I noticed last time i went out with it that it was slower so when i got it home i stripped it down and thats when i noticed the bearings.the drive shafts where spinning in the bearing and the bearings where solid iv also read up that the drive shafts go stiff so they dont pull out if you no what i mean by that.have you done the little mod with the prop shaft to stop dust and stones getting stuck down the middle.il try and get a photo up of mine

Also to make it faster than stock do i replace the pinion gear

[adamk]

This is mine put some stickes on top due to my dad ramming it under a car so scratched it a little

[J.K]

Looks good chap, my shell is covered in scratches now, it tends to cartwheel a lot with the new motor in!

Yup I did the driveshaft mod last week with the bit of velcro, forgot to post it up here tho!

Gearing can be a bit of a black art. Generally if you fit a larger pinion the car will have a higher top speed at the expense of acceleration. The downside to this is that the motor has to work harder and temps will increase - you don't want to burn out your motor!

So on the other hand, a smaller pinion will give you greater torque and improved acceleration but will result in a lower top speed. The motor will be working less so will run cooler.

The issue I had last time out is that the car's top speed was too high - the short course shell would catch the air and my slash would literally take off before I've even hit full throttle! The new motor was also running a little on the hot side at about 80degs so I'm hoping the smaller pinion should help a bit

Edited January 16, 2014 by James1986

[adamk]

Think cause the shell is black it shows more scratches lol I'm not fussed about top speed I like the acceleration more so a smaller pinion will be best.im dad is gettin one soon even tho he's 50 lol then in summer we are making a track down the farm where my mum keeps her horse etc.im pretty new to it I had a nitro hpi about 10 years ago when I was a teenager was pretty good but got bored as had no one to go out with so I'm pretty new to all this.only real reason iv got in to it now is cause me and my girlfriend have just had twins so I'm limited to placers I can go as I used to do a lot of mountain biking but got to stay home a lot now lol.

Iv just ordered a few bits nothing great rpm bumper,wheel bearings for spares,some washers that go on the wheel bearings and some grease

Next is tyres and shocks I think might try and sort the handling out before goin for power as such lol

What other plans you doin to yours ??

[adamk]

Would a 17 or 18 pinion be alright on a stock motor would i notice the speeds ??

[Tug]

Would a 17 or 18 pinion be alright on a stock motor would i notice the speeds ??

4x4? Yes, they come with an 18 tooth speed pinion, but on 3s it'll run hot, very hot!

[Tug]

Looks good chap, my shell is covered in scratches now, it tends to cartwheel a lot with the new motor in!

Yup I did the driveshaft mod last week with the bit of velcro, forgot to post it up here tho!

Gearing can be a bit of a black art. Generally if you fit a larger pinion the car will have a higher top speed at the expense of acceleration. The downside to this is that the motor has to work harder and temps will increase - you don't want to burn out your motor!

So on the other hand, a smaller pinion will give you greater torque and improved acceleration but will result in a lower top speed. The motor will be working less so will run cooler.

The issue I had last time out is that the car's top speed was too high - the short course shell would catch the air and my slash would literally take off before I've even hit full throttle! The new motor was also running a little on the hot side at about 80degs so I'm hoping the smaller pinion should help a bit

80 Celsius? That's your upper limit, I wouldn't venture beyond that.

You could cut out the back window to reduce parachute effect, I never got around to trying it, but apparently it works. Just don't quote me!

[adamk]

4x4? Yes, they come with an 18 tooth speed pinion, but on 3s it'll run hot, very hot!

Yes it's a 4x4 when you say 3s is that related to the lipo battery sorry I'm pretty new to this iv been lookin at getting a fan for it aswel as a lot of people are using them

[Tug]

Yes, 3s lipo. What battery type are you using at the moment?

Fans are ok, but they get clogged up very easily. Then they do nothing.

[adamk]

Iv got the standard battery that came with it which is 3000mah power cell and i went and got a 3200mah lipo last week il be getting another one soon aswel

Whats best way to keep it cool then cut holes in the shell ??

Edited January 17, 2014 by adamk

[Noj]

Gear it correctly. The velineon motor does run hot, excessive heat causes the magnets to debond from the rotor..

Invest in a cheap temp gun, from the bay, and monitor temps when running, especially if gearing/wheel size changes are made...

In the longterm, bin the stock set up and fit something better...an eighth scale set up is very popular, allowing for 3 and 4s running with no heat issues...

[DazzaClio]

i went and got a 3200mah lipo

I assume you bought a 2s lipo which is 7.4v?

Also as Noj I would invest I'm a temperture gun to monitor them.

Thanks.

[Tug]

Iv got the standard battery that came with it which is 3000mah power cell and i went and got a 3200mah lipo last week il be getting another one soon aswel

Whats best way to keep it cool then cut holes in the shell ??

Last one, this is James' thread.

Is your lipo 2 or 3s? If it's a 2s pack, I'd try running a 16/54 ratio, that's quite popular for the Slash, quite fast, but keeps the temps down.

If it's 3s, you'd know! It'd be ballistically fast!

You can cut holes to keep temps down, or just avoid prolonged full throttle usage.

I was always happy on 2s, but the urge to go faster is always there. Long term, your best option for reliable speed is a bigger combo. Bigger motor, better ESC. However, that does lead to more breakages and downtime.

[DazzaClio]

I'm learning A LOT about this parachute effect everyone talks about.:

It looks good.

As for parachute effect try running it without the shell and see what you think especially if your doing speed runs.

Thanks.

[J.K]

Last one, this is James' thread.

Hey Tuggles I don't mind, you chaps have a lot more experience than me, especially when it comes to leccy!

I went straight in at 3s which I think is the sweet spot for the slash, the new 1:8 system I've got now will allow me to run up to 4s which I doubt I'll be venturing into any time soon as she literally flies on 3! But as said, it runs a hell of a lot cooler. If you really want speed and you're still on the stock NIMH batt then I suggest trying a 2S lipo battery, it'll be a totally different animal for relatively low cost.

As said, even tho Traxxas claim the stock electrics are 3S capable, not for very long as it runs mega hot!

Not too many plans for mine now, going to get some proline Badland tyres and a new shell when it needs one! I'm going to upgrade the shocks at some stage and fit RPM parts as and when I break stuff

Edited January 17, 2014 by James1986

[J.K]

It looks good.

As for parachute effect try running it without the shell and see what you think especially if your doing speed runs.

Thanks.

Thanks chap, I'm not really a speed run kinda guy, I just wanted to try the new combo in B&Q's car park and the shell was catching almost immediately! I removed the shell which did indeed solve the issue but that's by far a long term fix. I'll get myself a Flotek shell once the stocker is knackered

[DazzaClio]

Hey Tuggles I don't mind, you chaps have a lot more experience than me, especially when it comes to leccy! :good:I went straight in at 3s which I think is the sweet spot for the slash, the new 1:8 system I've got now will allow me to run up to 4s which I doubt I'll be venturing into any time soon as she literally flies on 3! But as said, it runs a hell of a lot cooler. If you really want speed and you're still on the stock NIMH batt then I suggest trying a 2S lipo battery, it'll be a totally different animal for relatively low cost.As said, even tho Traxxas claim the stock electrics are 3S capable, not for very long as it runs mega hot!Not too many plans for mine now, going to get some proline Badland tyres and a new shell when it needs one! I'm going tonubgrade the shocks at some stage and fit RPM parts as and when I break stuff

I think he's already got a lipo as he said above, yes going lipo is defo an upgrade.

The Vxl system isn't great but I've had a lot of them systems over the years and run some in Slash's, Rustler's etc for some time and never had problems on 3s when geared correctly. A lot of it boils down to temps and gearing.

Yes I agree a Wp Sc8 with a better motor something 4 pole is a good upgrade on the standard system.

If you have bought a Slash new you might as well get some use out of the standard system while you have warranty.

I also find some of the Rpm stuff arnt upgrades ie not better than standard.

Thanks.

[adamk]

Last one, this is James' thread.

Is your lipo 2 or 3s? If it's a 2s pack, I'd try running a 16/54 ratio, that's quite popular for the Slash, quite fast, but keeps the temps down.

If it's 3s, you'd know! It'd be ballistically fast!

You can cut holes to keep temps down, or just avoid prolonged full throttle usage.

I was always happy on 2s, but the urge to go faster is always there. Long term, your best option for reliable speed is a bigger combo. Bigger motor, better ESC. However, that does lead to more breakages and downtime.

Thanks for all the advise really helped with what I want to do with it now

It's a 2s I may go and order some parts today for it I think. iv ran the lipo about 2 times didn't seem that fast but I then noticed the wheel bearings had started to seized which was my fault in the end as I didn't dry that well.im not fussed about breakages that's what it's made for

I was goin to say il start my own thread as I don't want to hijack James thread

[Tug]

Cheers, Buggles! 

 

Running it with the shell off is OK, but if you flip it, you're far more likely to break something.

 

RC4ever bought and painted a Flotek shell, then sold the car before he'd even run it! 

[Tug]

Thanks for all the advise really helped with what I want to do with it now

It's a 2s I may go and order some parts today for it I think. iv ran the lipo about 2 times didn't seem that fast but I then noticed the wheel bearings had started to seized which was my fault in the end as I didn't dry that well.im not fussed about breakages that's what it's made for

I was goin to say il start my own thread as I don't want to hijack James thread

 

He seems OK with it, which is nice.

 

The main parts you'll want in stock are bearings (get sets of these, it's cheaper.), spurs, wishbones (or fit RPM?), carriers and knuckles (unless yours are ally?) and that's about it.

 

Jennysrc on ebay are great for cheap parts, check them out.

 

[adamk]

It is cool that he don't mind

Iv ordered some bearings they should be here iv also ordered a rpm rear bumper just to make it look a bit better

Iv already put rpm front and rear arms and rear rpm hubs so far.

I got told by the shop not to go for ally arms as he said if you hit something hard they just bend unlike the plastic ones

Iv seen some bit from America I like but bit unsure about ordering over seas il check jennysrc out cheers

[Tug]

It is cool that he don't mind

Iv ordered some bearings they should be here iv also ordered a rpm rear bumper just to make it look a bit better

Iv already put rpm front and rear arms and rear rpm hubs so far.

I got told by the shop not to go for ally arms as he said if you hit something hard they just bend unlike the plastic ones

Iv seen some bit from America I like but bit unsure about ordering over seas il check jennysrc out cheers

No, never fit ally arms! Total waste of money!

Jennysrc is great, cheap prices and cheap postage!

[DazzaClio]

Running it with the shell off is OK, but if you flip it, you're far more likely to break something.:

 

I've been running my current Slash for months on a bmx track hard and haven't broke anything with the shell off it just scratches the body mount posts, its been hit hard by Savages and 1:8th buggies. It would just destroy the shell plus it jumps better without the shell as well.

Iv already put rpm front and rear arms and rear rpm hubs so far.

I prefer the standard arms over the rpm ones.

I also think all the alloy isn't needed.

I'm one of these if it breaks then replace or upgrade if it doesn't then its fine, no need to replace it.

Thanks.

[J.K]

I gave the slash a quick run today with the smaller 17t pinny. Motor temps now down to 65c - a lot more acceptable compared to the previous 85c on 20t! Very happy.

Got a set of Proline Badlands SC on the way from MS and I've fitted a Dusty Motors shroud. I'm pretty happy with how she stands for now, I think I'll upgrade the rest as and when it breaks!