Need some help/recomendations
 

I am pretty new when it comes to Rc, as I dont have much knowledge. I have been having a blast with my AX-10 though. I kinda cheaped out on electronics the first time and now I'm looking to upgrade but need some help choosing. I currently have a novak xrs sport esc, 645mg servo, tq3, and 6 cell saddle packs, and an integy 45t motor geared 14/87. It works ok, but I know it can work better. One thing to keep in mind is that I'm a poor college student so I cannot drop a whole lot of coin. Here is my ideas and was wondering if they are good choices or not. I only want to upgrade the servo, esc, and motor.

mg964r servo
http://www.jpcustomrcs.atomicshops.c...75/5381533.htm
OR
9805BB servo
http://www.jpcustomrcs.atomicshops.c...75/4748364.htm

sidewinder, cc bec, 35t warrior (do I really need a cc bec with this combo?)
http://www.jpcustomrcs.atomicshops.c...75/5671621.htm
OR
Traxxas XL-5 esc (would I need a cc bec for this one)
http://www.jpcustomrcs.atomicshops.c...75/4725170.htm

Will a 6 cell saddle pack be enough to handle all of this? I want to stay with NiMh/NiCd, because I dont have the money for LiPo. Should I replace my 45t or just gear it lower, it seems pretty easy to stall and the 645mg doesn't seem to have much power.

Thanks for all the help.

I think the servo is the one thing you should spend the extra money on. If you have to save up a little longer to get a 7977TG then I thing you should. I use the Novak Rooster Crawl Combo with 8 cells and I have plenty of speed. I even went to a higher spur (90T) to slow it down some. I wouldnt get the Traxxas ESC cause it has zero drag brake (this is why I like my Rooster Crawl). I dont run a bec either. Hope this helps!

I would get the sidewinder and a CC BEC and also a castle link. Hold off on the servo till you can get a really good one. The BEC set at 6.4v will really help that servo perform better. If your running the stock gearing and getting stall then step down to a 12t pinion, or up to a 90t spur. If you lose to much wheelspeed gearing it down then when you can volt up to 8 cells. "thumbsup"
Oh if you have the coin to you could get the towerpro servo too. Its a good servo. The reason I said hold off is because you said you were broke.

Make sure your new ESC has a drag brake though.... you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

get the rooster crawler for the price it has a built in bec, and you can get the combo (with motor) for like 110$ at most places.

An option that nobody has listed is the Tekin FX-R. You can get the speed control and 55t motor for $115. I dont know if that is out of your price range but thats what i run with a hitec 645mg and it works great for me. I run a 6 cell pack with 19/87 gearing and still have plenty of torque and good wheel speed. That way you don't have to buy another battery.

Which towerpro servo? the mg964r or the 9805bb?

I think I'm going to just get the novak rooster crawler esc and 55t combo

I would get the 945R. Why the novak combo? The FXR is a way better setup. I have both and If I would have known better I would have never gotten the Rooster. The Tekin is one you can run for a long time and it will grow with you wee as the Novak is what it is and will need to be replaced if you ever want to upgrade to higher voltage. Plus the FXR is programable and tiny. Trust me if you want the best "brushed motor" esc you can't go wrong with the Tekin FXR."thumbsup"

I certainly agree with Bigflex as far as the FXR combo. Although I like my Rooster crawl and will only replace it when (or if) it dies, I would rather get the programmable ESC. Tekin and Novak both make great products so either way you will have a good combo.

I would recommend the Tekin FX-R and keep your current 45T integy for just at $100 ( I used to have a Mamba Max Esc and love the Tekin way more)... Great drag brake on the Tekin.

Get a CC BEC for around $25 this will help your 645MG perform much better...

Gear your rig down and volt up with an 8 cell NIMH saddle pack. This will give your torque and wheelspeed. Holmes Hobbies has them for $12.00 a piece. http://holmeshobbies.com/product.php?productid=141&cat=21&page=1

Just remember you can't go to big with the spur on an axial.

So for about $140 you will really notice the improvement...

OK, I'm thinking about buying the FX-R esc and keeping my 45t motor, gearing down to 12/90, and keeping the 6-cell for now. Do I need to have the special tekin hotwire thing to program the esc, or is it possible to use it without it? Can you change anything without the hotwire?

Fxr
 

I am a noob also, just got the fxr last weekend from holms hobbies he's running a sale right now plus he's a huge contributor. I looooovvvvve the fxr onbord programing (witch is why I chose the fxr not the sidewinder) with the 2 butons and it's easy once you play with it. I got a 55t homes integy (witch is awesome) because am planing on going 3s lipo some day. However I should have probebly gone with a 45t for now with my 7.2 nimh

You will not be disapointed. As for programing. It is super easy. Just follow the directions and you will get it setup with no problems."thumbsup"