FINISH BUILDING MY BAJA OR SELL AND GET A 5IVE

[Danzzz88]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums but have been lurking for quite a while and this seems like one of the few places these days were people are posting regularly about these behemoths. 

 

I've been in the process of slowly building a brushless baja for over a year now but am having second thoughts about whether I should continue throwing any more money at it and sell it. My thinking is after watching countless videos on youtube, pretty much every baja one on there, the 4wd vehicles just seem to handle far better even though they do look perhaps a tad slow and boring at times. I feel like a bit of an idiot for throwing over £1500 so far into a 2wd roller that is not even finished that could get its ass handed on dirt by a £500 30 dnt truck or the likes. I do like the idea of 2wd and it looks fun but to be honest a lot of the videos I see are either the baja spinning out at low speed under 30% acceleration or completely turning over. I've built my baja with all the best parts I thought would make it handle and perform better like FLM extended arms, axle extenders, kraken chassis, big bore shocks ect ect.... and I put in a 20hp tp power motor to really make it fly. 

 

I guess my question is should I continue this project or sell it and by a 30 north roller or even the 30 buggy instead? I know I will take a big hit compared to how much I put into it but if I got around the £800 mark or more I would be reasonably happy to sell it for that if selling it is even the right choice. I prefer the look of the baja and it does look fun and fast in a straight line but I get the impression reading almost every forum on these cars that the people who have bajas love em, the people who have 5ives love em, but the people that have both pick the 5ive almost every single time. Also how much bigger is a 5ive compared to a baja with  extended arms and axle extenders. Is the 5ive really that much more impressive in size? And what about the Vekta. I know its apples to oranges but I feel that I can throw £3000 into this baja and it will never be as good handling, perhaps fun and durable as a 4wd. I will see I love the way it looks so far though and that matters too

 

Here is a pic of it so far minus stuff not pictured like driveshafts, screwkits and other miscellaneous bits and pieces ect. I would upload more but it says limited to 2.9mb.

 

So what do you guys think, sell now, throw more money at it and finish build and sell because people are more likely to want to buy a complete chassis, or just keep the thing, and how much do you reckon I can ask for it?

[froggy8]

tough question, i was in the same boat with my savage. i put alot of money into that then decdied to sell it and get something else. when i finished doing up the savage, it was just too nice to bash  

[QRC]

The 5ive is very impressive for its size, having seen a Vekta Kraken with one side by side, I would go for the 5ive.

 

[evssv]

hmm....well my baja dont keep rolling over thats for sure....and 2wd is mega fun....and i can give it full throttle without spinning out every time......yes it will spin out obv... but its all about throttle control.........imo I'd carry on and finish ur baj.......i have a 5 here and a baja...both have upgraded engines in them so there not exacytly slow or boring...baja has a scott finlay g32promx...the 5ive a obr34v2reed.....and essintal upgrades on both obv.....but I'd take the baj out over the 5ive as its way more fun /involving to use...imo....and i have vids on u tube of both being ragged......

Edited January 26, 2018 by evssv

[evssv]

and if u do decide to sell tbe baj....u will need to strip it bare and sell everything separately to get bak  as much as u can imo......and as everythings new/unused u shouldt loose to much

[Danzzz88]

That's some great info guys, cheers good to know that I won't lose too much if I strip it down ☺. Evssv, that's interesting that you prefer to take out your baja over the 5ive, what's your set up, what tyres are you running and do you have a link to your yt vids? 

 

Also is anyone interested in any of the parts and how much would you be willing to pay if I decide to break and make?

 

1.Flm extended arm kit and shock tower

2.Flm rear shock tower

3.IRC big bores front/rear

4.Kraken x3 chassis

5.Modified rc chassis skidplate combo

6.Complete transmission with TR diff case

7.Team chase rear shock tower supports

8.Castle conversion kit with TP5860 motor

9.Plus numerous other odds and sods, titanium reae hingepins, uber carbon rear hinge pin braces ect ect...

 

Also if I decide to keep it has anyone figured out a way to keep the lipos held down in the kraken chassis, because its enclosed the castle velcro straps wont fit all the way around the chassis. And does anyone know what pair of lipos combined 12S will fit, from measuring the bottom of the chassis I figured 45mm wide will fit but don't know if I need to allow room for expansion if they swell slightly under use.

 

P.s I s there a limit to how many photos each user can post in a topic? I know 2.9mb per post, but it only let me post 1 in the original post and cannot post anymore either in that or subsequent posts.

 

[supersavage]

I'd certainly be interested in bits and bobs if you end up splitting it though if were I you I'd try and finish building it then decide what you want to do with it. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by supersavage

[evssv]

1 hour ago, Danzzz88 said:

That's some great info guys, cheers good to know that I won't lose too much if I strip it down ☺. Evssv, that's interesting that you prefer to take out your baja over the 5ive, what's your set up, what tyres are you running and do you have a link to your yt vids? 

 

Also is anyone interested in any of the parts and how much would you be willing to pay if I decide to break and make?

 

1.Flm extended arm kit and shock tower

2.Flm rear shock tower

3.IRC big bores front/rear

4.Kraken x3 chassis

5.Modified rc chassis skidplate combo

6.Complete transmission with TR diff case

7.Team chase rear shock tower supports

8.Castle conversion kit with TP5860 motor

9.Plus numerous other odds and sods, titanium reae hingepins, uber carbon rear hinge pin braces ect ect...

 

Also if I decide to keep it has anyone figured out a way to keep the lipos held down in the kraken chassis, because its enclosed the castle velcro straps wont fit all the way around the chassis. And does anyone know what pair of lipos combined 12S will fit, from measuring the bottom of the chassis I figured 45mm wide will fit but don't know if I need to allow room for expansion if they swell slightly under use.

 

P.s I s there a limit to how many photos each user can post in a topic? I know 2.9mb per post, but it only let me post 1 in the original post and cannot post anymore either in that or subsequent posts.

 

here ya go..u may have to go bak to get to the baj vids ....

there's also my brushless dbxl and brushless baja vids awell..... ...and trust me u wont have any issues selling the bits u have as there all quality bits

baja set up...hostile mx rears with studs....km monsrer fronts....and theres only 4 bits of hpi parts left on it now so everything else is a quality upgrade like urs more or less....u may aswell carry on and finish it imo...as u wil have one bad ass baja

and yes I'd b intersted in sum bits possibly............but u should finish it

Edited January 26, 2018 by evssv

[Danzzz88]

Thats one sweet looking baja!!Loving the green accents on it. I've seen a lot of your vids before on youtube now I remember, the ones of the 5ive with lights and the brushless baja. I noticed you took the brushless conversion out and went with petrol, did you originally build it as a petrol switch to brushless, then back to gas? Whats your reasons for going back to gas, which is more fun? Lol as I was typing this, had one of your vids playing in the background on autoplay, the one with the woman walking her dog going bats**t crazy lol haha. Do you have any problems with kids or rough people trying to steal it? I know here in Manchester some of the locals are very fond of a good mountainbike.....

 

[toddfg]

What kv is the motor?


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[Danzzz88]

850KV  243 MAX AMPS 62 MAX VOLTS 15KW/20HP

[Danzzz88]

Technically motor is not maxed out unless on 15s , but need to give a bit of head room to keep it from overheating or breaking so 12s should be more than enough.

 

[toddfg]

For the full 20hp you will need to run 15s, flier/mgm territory


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[Danzzz88]

Yea but I think 15hp for a baja will be plenty, probably too much really. I wanted to put a lehner 3080 in it but it doesn't fit, at least not without drilling a massive hole in the backplate of the conversion kit or removing that piece completely. Mind you the TP is a 6 pole so should have gobs of torque to run a larger pinion. Yea was thinking mgm but they are way too pricey and my experience with escs in general is they all burn out eventually or start playing up. Plus you can get a higher rated amp and voltage rated esc from Alien power systems for less. I believe the guy can also change the endbell on the TP motors to make them sensored, something you can't do with any of the other 1/5 motors as far as I know. The thing is my heart wants a petrol baja but the amount of parts you have to buy, the noise upsetting the locals, reliability and the amount of coin needed to invest in something that puts out this much power is not worth it and they are also much heavier and top heavy if you are looking at like the 70cc plus engines.

[Danzzz88]

I'm trying to make a baja thats blisteringly fast but handles well and has just the right amount of grip to 2wd sketchy fun factor as possible, Really the way I see it is the losis handle well under acceleration because they are wasting their power output by sending it to the front wheels with less grip, so I guess with the right amount of throttle control a baja should be able to take off just as fast for the same power output independent of weight. And then the losis handle well going into a turn but I put that down to the front wheel braking so if I can get some front discs on the baja to make up for that I should have a winner there, the only place left I can see it failing to the losi if not set up right is corner exit under acceleration in dusty conditions, because off power which is how you should enter a turn there should be no difference between a 2wd and 4wd.

[Danzzz88]

The other thing I dont understand about these brushless conversions is that I'm not too sure if they are putting out the power they say they are, because if you look at the recommended max specs and actual tests of 10awg and 8awg wire on youtube they can't handle anything like the current draw these things claim to pull without glowing and turning into a puff of smoke, I don't know how MGM claims 800 amps with their £2000 esc with only 8awg wire.

[evssv]

4 hours ago, Danzzz88 said:

Thats one sweet looking baja!!Loving the green accents on it. I've seen a lot of your vids before on youtube now I remember, the ones of the 5ive with lights and the brushless baja. I noticed you took the brushless conversion out and went with petrol, did you originally build it as a petrol switch to brushless, then back to gas? Whats your reasons for going back to gas, which is more fun? Lol as I was typing this, had one of your vids playing in the background on autoplay, the one with the woman walking her dog going bats**t crazy lol haha. Do you have any problems with kids or rough people trying to steal it? I know here in Manchester some of the locals are very fond of a good mountainbike.....

 

cheers dude....yeah its a sweet baj for sure now......took a while to build it up to what it is........it started as a stock 5bss 26cc....then it went brushless for all f 1 run......then it went scott finlay g32..............I bought my dbxl brushless....used it a few times....wasn't impressed with on 8s.....not enuff imo....def needed 10s+ to make it exciting to use....but 10s+ esc`s cost ££££..........then I tried the xl2 combo in the baj......it was better as its lighter and only 2wd...but I missed the 1hr run times from 1 tank....so went bak petrol and sold the combo to sum one on here......I now have a x maxx for my big scale brushless fix......now that's fun.......much fun!!........no i don't use my rc`s locally as they attract the yobs and crackheads no doubt........so I go further afield to bash.....never had any probs with anyone apart from the odd moaner.......like the dog walker woman..............

Edited January 27, 2018 by evssv

[evssv]

35 minutes ago, Danzzz88 said:

The other thing I dont understand about these brushless conversions is that I'm not too sure if they are putting out the power they say they are, because if you look at the recommended max specs and actual tests of 10awg and 8awg wire on youtube they can't handle anything like the current draw these things claim to pull without glowing and turning into a puff of smoke, I don't know how MGM claims 800 amps with their £2000 esc with only 8awg wire.

my 780kv xl2 was apparently 10bhp......on 8s.....who knows unless u actually dyno it I guess......manufacturers can claim anything tbh and we wont no the difference .....like traxxarse/hpi saying 70-80-90mph out the box................. 

Edited January 27, 2018 by evssv

[toddfg]

I’ve got a alien esc for sale if your interested, brand new never used it as I have a mgm


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[tingtong333]

My KM Evo Baja is fast enough on 8s but it’s good fun trying to keep it in a straight line even on dry grass.

Going to try a set of Sand Paddle rear tyres on the wet/damp grass soon!?

[Danzzz88]

6 hours ago, toddfg said:

I’ve got a alien esc for sale if your interested, brand new never used it as I have a mgm


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Gonna hold out a bit til I buy the electronics til I've got the chassis complete or if I sell it, not even sure I want to keep it brushless atm, so many options and cars out there I'm spoilt for choice but not money lol. But cheers, when I think of purchasing one I'll hit you up to see if it's still available. 

 

3 hours ago, tingtong333 said:

My KM Evo Baja is fast enough on 8s but it’s good fun trying to keep it in a straight line even on dry grass.

Going to try a set of Sand Paddle rear tyres on the wet/damp grass soon!?

So do you reckon the baja is the car worth sticking with or do you reckon brushless in these 2wds is too much and would be better of with a 5ive or something, do you have both?

[evssv]

12s will b way to much........thats for big heavy 4wd 1/5th's imo..8-10s max i reckon in a baja....start on 8s....then try 10...my petrol baja has 7.5bhp and its a handful....but fun.........obv if u want ro run12s go for it....but pls we need vid of it

Edited January 27, 2018 by evssv

[tingtong333]

2 hours ago, Danzzz88 said:

Gonna hold out a bit til I buy the electronics til I've got the chassis complete or if I sell it, not even sure I want to keep it brushless atm, so many options and cars out there I'm spoilt for choice but not money lol. But cheers, when I think of purchasing one I'll hit you up to see if it's still available. 

 

So do you reckon the baja is the car worth sticking with or do you reckon brushless in these 2wds is too much and would be better of with a 5ive or something, do you have both?

I would make the Baja brushless as you don’t have go 8s or higher but be prepared to have spare rear tyres/foams handy!

Also for me I only have brushless as I can run them anywhere and I have three sets of 4s lipo’s which fit my KM Evo Baja and my Xmaxx (which is my go to truck at the moment).

I would love a 5ive but I no that I wouldn’t use it much. When me and Evssv meet up he brings his 5ive and I bring one of my brushless, we have fun whatever we’re running.

Get it finished and get it out.

[Danzzz88]

So here I am with problems again.... Throughout the entire build of this Baja I've had nothing but problems with tolerances and fitment issues for a lot of the parts. I remember when installing the brushless kit I had to literally loosen off every single bolt on the rear end, leverage stuff and wiggle it around to get things to line up, I've never had more headache building a kit in my life. My Xray T2 and old Tamiya are probably the only cars I've had that go together perfectly, weirdly thought due to the size of these 1/5 scales they would go together much easier due to what I would have thought would be less need for such high tolerances on the big vehicles, boy was I wrong, this Baja is the worst yet....

 

So this time I ordered a few bits from RC modelz and they don't seem to fit properly or at all, the rear upper ball joints by GTB have a turnbuckle that's much wider than the threaded hole in the FLM extended upper arm so don't even know which ones will fit the flm upper arms now without having to get the hostile hubs and heim set, and also when of the ball joints is binding not running smooth. The pin that holds the axle hub extender onto the driveshaft wont go all the way through even with a light to moderate bit of encouragement and don't know if I should wack it in there, worried I won't get it back out.

 

The annoying thing too is a lot of the parts are either overly tight on this car and need to loosen like 15 bolts to get stuff to lineup or they are loose and have play, like the hubs and driveshaft have some play and rattle, the layshaft moved from side to side a good few millimeters and I had to do some weird thing with the way I lined up the layshaft on the gear pin, jam it and tighten it so it was pushed over to one side to stop it, though it will probably move back when under force.

 

Anyway rant over here is a pic of the problem.

[Danzzz88]

I think I see the problem with the ball joints now, I need a set of these http://www.davesmotors.com/fastlane-flm95650-ball-end-rebuild-kit-front-ball-ends.html, it appears the FLM have a narrower hole in the upper arm than standard so they use some dual sized turnbuckle, another probably proprietary piece I will probably have to worry about been able to get a hold of in a few years. So that leaves me just the hub pin, do I wack it in or not?