Sharkys Rubicon JK

[6sharky9]

As I near completion of the honcho build and test; ive learned a lot about what improves performance on the scx10 and will pass on the bare minimum to the rubicon as upgrades.

Some of the parts I used on the honcho will not make their way onto the rubicon however as I feel they aren't really needed to get the performance from the vehicle as ive gotten with the Honcho.

So what will not make it on the rubicon you may wonder.

Rear aluminum truss.
Aluminum servo mounts.
Aluminum servo arm.
Universal front axles.
Aluminum motor heat sink.
Aluminum motor plate.
Home made rear upper links.
Aftermarket shocks

Q.)So why not use these items again????
A.) you simply don't need them to get performance from your scx10.
They are nice pieces to have and in the back of anyones mind they
feel more satisfied having upgrades as such as I do on the honcho.

But in reality none of this was needed to gain the performance ive found in the truck.

The best performance gained were basicly free or at a very minimal cost.

A short recap of what gave me my best performance gains parts wise.

1.) A brushed 27T motor with adjustable timing.
2.) 16T motor pinion.
3.) Axial 1.9 beadlocks
4.) Home made lower links
5.) Home made upper steering link
6.) GPM lower steering link
7.) Saddle pack 2s lipo battery

These upgrades have solidly proven to improve the "PERFORMANCE" of the SCX10 Honcho with not a single doubt.

So what else has improved performance then????

All the custom mods ive done to the Honcho.

1.) Removing the rear X brace.( gained down travel and articulation)
2.) Removing the front battery mounting assembly (gained down travel and articulation.
3.) Mounting the saddle pack batteries on the rock sliders.( Lower COG and improved balance.
4.) Centering the ESC more center of the chassis ( improved balance)
5.) Shock hoop bracing..(better stability and tracking)
6.) Balancing the truck.(all around improved performance)
7.) Custom Upper shock mounting (gained stability and articulation)
8.) Adding weight to the beadlock wheels.( massive traction gain)

So this is what has made a huge difference in performance to my Honcho so far and ive still a few more things to do to it that will find their way onto the Rubicon as well.

So why didn't I mention a servo?

A.)Other than the fact the stock RTR servo uses a plastic bushing rather than bearings their is nothing wrong with the power of the stock servo.
Unless you plan to use very large tires or add a large amount of weight to your rig you simply don't need a servo upgrade right off the bat...use it till the bushing wears then consider a Hitec 645MG or the Savox 0251 in the 35 dollar range ( the savox being the more powerful of the 2).

Why not upgraded shocks?
A.) Its known the factory shocks leak but their is a solution to fix the problem...I noticed when the factory shocks did have oil in them they performed quite surprisingly and perform as they were designed to perform...Some suggest using no oil at all and I personally don't believe in this giving the shock the performance they were designed for..Use 10-15 wt oil all the way to the top and bleed the shock for best performance.

Why not upgrade the driveshafts?
A.) this is one of those subjects that seem to fall under a must have first upgrade and I disagree to an extent..If you run a 3s lipo with a super high torque motor and big tires and consistently jam your tires between rocks and pull that trigger hard to try and get out then I say change your driveshafts...If you run a 2s with say a 27t or maybe even a 35t with your RTR 1.9 ripsaws or maxxis trepadors then you do not have to change your driveshafts as a must have upgrade..I use a much much stronger 27T mod motor and have jammed my tires to where when I hit the trigger I wouldn't move and ive done this several times on purpose with zero issues with the stock drive shafts.

We all have out wants and needs as I do but consider this thread a guide for newcomers and those on a budget who wants more performance and in some cases will be more capable than that costly bling bling rig.

As with all things pieces and parts will wear out and you can decide if you choose to upgrade with more bling or replace with factory parts but in all what ive mentioned will give you the best performance and that's what sets the scx10 apart from the others.

I failed to mention tires for a reason..we all run on different terrain and types of rocks..so to say this tire or that tire is best would be a bullet to the head so to speak.
Find what works best in your area and that's the best tire for you.

If you use an RTR AE-2 ESC then use it till it burns up..but only use a 2s lipo and don't use a very high c rating..stay in the 20 to 25c range for reliability.
It provides more than enough power and is a castle creations built product..again keep your battery c rating low.

Same with the stock radio..use it till it fails..its a decent RTR radio.

The RTR motor the same thing; its not the most powerful but it gets the job done with what most will throw at it as a new owner... then use a rebuildable motor with timing adjustment after it burns up..you wont be sorry you did.

[Johnnysplits]

Originally Posted by 6sharky9

don't use a very high c rating..stay in the 20 to 25c range for reliability.
..again keep your battery c rating low

I personally agree with everything you said until I read this. Having too low of a C rating can kill a lipo depending on amp draw. A low C rating has nothing to do with reliability either. All of my lipo's range from 30C to 65C for various vehicles and are hammered on constantly. They all get charged at 3C and they all balance perfect with every charge cycle. If you want to run a 20-25C lipo, I would say that it should have a capacity of at least 3600mah.

[6sharky9]

Most advertised ratings are usually nominal numbers...A 25c will burst at 50 amp or maybe 55 amps..If im not mistaken the stock esc is a 60amp esc...why would one want to send 70 0r 80 amp bursts or more into an esc rated at a max of 60 amps under heavy load which these trucks are under a lot of the times.. It may take it a little while but I feel it burns out your esc much faster..Most of the "stock" esc failures ive read about; the owners used a high c rating...Im sure there may be normal dud esc,s as with a lot of electronics but this is my findings.

I might be incorrect but thats the thoughts running through my head on that subject.

[Johnnysplits]

The motor is what draws power. Neither esc or battery "push" power. If the motor draws more amps than the esc is capable of delivering, the esc burns up. If the motor draws more amps than the battery can put out, the battery gets hot, puffs, and possibly causes permanent damage. The amp rating of the motor will determine what amp rating the esc should be as well as the battery. The esc's amp rating should be at least 25% higher than the motor's amp rating, and the amps out from the battery should be at least 25% higher than the esc's amp rating. This will keep everyone happy-happy.

[Johnnysplits]

So, how about some pics of your rig!

[6sharky9]

Heres some pics of it..right now it has home made lower links and steering links and I moved the battery to the front like the stock honcho was and a deans battery connector...Otherwise its factory stock.

[6sharky9]

Side by side with the Honcho

[6sharky9]

leaving for tennesse in the morning so wont be making any changes just yet and still have to finish the final touches to the Honcho first anyways.

My first changes will be to use the stock shocks that I removed from the honcho due to them leaking badly but have since been relieved of that problem.

The Rubicon shocks are leaking as well so it will be a quick swap over but with a small change..I will elaborate more on that when I start on the project.

Id like to comment more on my saying I wouldn't use the motor heatsink and the aftermarket motor plate.

Its not really something you need but in all honesty it has shown to be an asset concerning motor heat.

The motor I use does not and has not ever been overheated but heat is an enemy to these RC motors.

I can honestly say ive seen a a decent drop in temps even though I had no heat issues.

It did allow my being able to safely drop another gear on the pinion and still keep temps under control.

So I may use this on the rubicon as well.

[Johnnysplits]

Where are those shocks leaking from? The cap or the shaft?

[6sharky9]

The Honcho and the rubicon leaked from the top cap...I find that odd as most complain about the leaks on the bottom ;but I have no leaks from that area at all.

I just used Teflon tape to seal the top cap and so far so good..i compressed the shock I fixed well over 100 times by hand and not a single sign of it leaking anymore...so hopefully
they hold up on the rubicon...if not then I do have another new set of losi shocks.

[Johnnysplits]

Originally Posted by 6sharky9

I just used Teflon tape to seal the top cap and so far so good

That's usually the best fix

[6sharky9]

Got bored ;so did this for fun.

[6sharky9]

Wishing I brought one of the trucks with me out of town but oh well.

Been doing a lot of thinking as to everything im going to do to the JK and cant wait to get back to finish the honcho so I can get started on it.

I may go ahead and make some of the more easier changes ;not requiring parts to get me started.

[6sharky9]

Originally Posted by siggzdgv

The amp rating of the motor will determine what amp rating the esc should be as well as the battery.

Ok ty...I must be doing ok so far with the honcho.

Using a mod 27T that's way more powerful than the stock motor and cant even get the battery warm and the motor barely warm..no battery puff ups and getting above rated amperage from the packs when charged..Using a 25c.

The motor runs negative timing for max torque

Trinity/EA motorsports 27T armature.
Trinity Experimental Mod 7x1 can and end bell.
Trinity full silver brushes.
Trinity Purple Brush springs.
Ceramic Motor bearings.

Not sure how many amps it pulls but its a beast on the torque end with the timing set like I have it and was a speed demon with 24 degrees of positive timing.

[Johnnysplits]

Get yourself one of these and you can test everything...All-Battery.com: "Watt's Up" RC Watt Meter & Power Analyzer WU100 Version 2

[6sharky9]

Well I had a good time in the Smokey Mountains of TN but headed back home in the morning to get back to the builds.

Hoping to make this JK as great a performer as the Honcho but spending a lot less money.

So for those interested stay tuned for the start of the "Ultimate Sleeper"

[6sharky9]

I put my stock 20t pinion back on the Rubicon to make it as close to stock as possible.

The only changes from stock now are the home made aluminum lower links, the steering links
and I moved the battery to the front as on a stock honcho.

I took the JK to a spot of mine and ran out a battery then switched to the weighted wheels/tires from the honcho.

All I can say is; this is a very noticeable difference in traction and this will be the first mod in this series of "sleeper" mods to the JK.
If you haven't added weight to your wheels I highly recommend it.

Keeping with the "sleeper" theme; I will be using the stock wheels/tires and adding a total of 3.5oz per wheel as I did on the honcho.

Ill be using the stock foams as well.