Rovan baja which parts should I upgrade???

[mini ant]

Hi all

 

I have a rovan baja AS1. 

 

I just wanted to know which parts I should upgrade and keep spares off.

 

I did read about changing the steering to Sym Steer Push-Pull Steering (don't think mine has it a std but don't know) 

 

Shock boots? 

 

So yeah any things you all recommend. 

 

Thanks much appreciated? 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by mini ant

[Bajadre]

prpb best getting some spare arms ,do the cage mod so easier to work on, defo airfliter cover with winter now etc tbh the baja steerings fine as long as the servos decent not sure on the rovan ones bro i always went with hi tec servos on mine and last but not least a kill switch if you havent got one 👍

[Nitroholic]

The first mistake Baja owners make....is to mod and upgrade BEFORE they start running the car.

 

There are so many shiny bits, so many people running upgrades, and so many ways to empty your wallet....but....most of them are not going to make any difference to your fun.

 

As Bajadre mentioned....modding the cage so it's easy to take off is a good idea. You will be taking this off quite regularly, and it just makes life a lot easier when you do. Also, an outer wear air filter cover is another very good thing to have. It will increase filter life, increase filtration, and generally reduce the need to clean muck out of the foam filter element. Very good idea.

 

As far as parts that break...well...really for me it was just accident damage. When you stack a Bajua at any speed into something solid, its going to be breaking stuff. I broke a few front A-Arms, clipping things, found the rear uppers went before the lowers...but the rear upper arms adjuster threaded rod snapped more than the plastic. Usually sheared off flush, so I used to carry a pair of spares. Aside from that...the only spares I carried with me were screws, bolts and clips.

 

As far as upgrades and mods go, drive hte buggy...and find the things that don;t work well for you...or things you break more than once....and upgrade where you need to.

[mini ant]

Hi 

Thanks for the replys. 

 

Great information I don't want to upgrade things for the fun of it so I will just get some spares as and when stuff brakes. 

 

Would you recommend changing the arms to alloy or should I keep them plastic? 

 

Is plastic better as it brakes rather than alloy that bends or brakes something else? 

 

I will get some service items then. 

 

Few questions there:

 

What weight diff oil? 

What weight shock oil? 

Whats the best spark plug to get? 

 

Oh what do you use to spray over your rc cars after you clean them to stop surface rust? 

 

Oh all ready got kill switch just got to fit. 👍

Thanks 

[Nitroholic]

I always stuck with plastic a-arms.

 

Several reasons for doing this:

 

1) Weight. The alloy arms add weight, and unsprung weight at that, which is not desirable for handling or suspension performance ....but more importantly...

 

2) Plastic flexes, and if you hit something hard and unyielding, will flex. If you fit an alloy arm that is strong enough to withstand an impact..all that force will then go through either the upright or the suspension and arm mounting point, breaking them instead. Replace them with alloy ...and something else goes! In a crash, the kinetic energy has to go somewhere, and I was always of the opinion that a cheap sacrificial link in the chain was a damn good idea. Plastic arms are plenty good enough, perform perfectly well and are cheap enough to replace if you have to.

 

Oil weight questions.....I don't answer.  These are personal choices, depend on driving style, and to be brutally honest....I get fed up with folk asking for a full setup for their Baja to make in handle perfectly before they even take it out and use it. Set your self a baseline, then go drive the car. HOW you drive will determine what you need. There is no magic formula, and every setup will be a compromise. The trick is to find what works for you and be prepared to experiment. For some reason, though, folk assume the stock setup is wrong.

I have seen recommendations ranging from 3k to 500k .....and in each case, it was perfect for the owner.

Same goes for shock oil.  HPI spec 5W oil .... but you will find folk recommending all sorts of stuff. Again....who's right? well...everyone.

 

Spark plugs? I use genuine NGK CMR7H plugs. Generally works well unless you have a motor tuned to need something else. Avoid 'cheap' options...and be aware there are a lot of cheap rubbish plugs pretending to be NGK plugs, so buy from a reputable stockist. With an occasional clean, a plug should last a long time.

[mini ant]

Thanks for the reply. 

 

I will get some oil and standard arms then. 

 

A filter cover. 

 

Also what you spary over them after a wash to stop the surface rust?

Wd 40, duck oil????? 

 

Thanks