Choosing a motor and ESC for your Wraith - Gearing Added!

[MiniMorris]

How will this combo work? and if i waterproof the esc will the systerm be waterproof?? this is the system squirell uses for his toyz for tots build and says it is waterproof but i want to make sure...

https://www.ckrccrawlers.com/castle-...tml#googlebase

[Harley]

Originally Posted by MiniMorris

How will this combo work? and if i waterproof the esc will the systerm be waterproof?? this is the system squirell uses for his toyz for tots build and says it is waterproof but i want to make sure...

https://www.ckrccrawlers.com/castle-...tml#googlebase

Not a good choice at all. That guy has a good knowledge of RC but that is not a good choice for a Wraith unless all you want to do is drive fast on pavement and dirt. It is not a good choice for trails or crawling.

[MiniMorris]

Originally Posted by Harley

Not a good choice at all. That guy has a good knowledge of RC but that is not a good choice for a Wraith unless all you want to do is drive fast on pavement and dirt. It is not a good choice for trails or crawling.

Ok, well i dont want to scakrifice speed to be waterproof so tell if u like this idea... get a Traxxas waterproof VXL-3s and a Tekin 13.5 Redline for speed and when i want to go in the water i can slip in a holmes 27t sport brushed then i only need to buy 1 esc! only down side is VXL-3s isnt very programmable.. (at all) But, do you think that esc will have enough ampage and all??

[Harley]

Originally Posted by MiniMorris

Ok, well i dont want to scakrifice speed to be waterproof so tell if u like this idea... get a Traxxas waterproof VXL-3s and a Tekin 13.5 Redline for speed and when i want to go in the water i can slip in a holmes 27t sport brushed then i only need to buy 1 esc! only down side is VXL-3s isnt very programmable.. (at all) But, do you think that esc will have enough ampage and all??

The VXL doesn't have drag brake which is a big problem. The mamba max pro would be a better choice. You will have to waterproof it yourself.

[scubba]

I but a timbuk2 setup with a 13.5 turn motor how do i get it to work ??

[scubba]

for my axial wraith sry new at this.

[Harley]

Originally Posted by scubba

I but a timbuk2 setup with a 13.5 turn motor how do i get it to work ??

There are probably better places to get tech support on that system. There may be a thread specific to it already. Try the electronics section. There have been issues with getting it working correctly before.

[MiniMorris]

Originally Posted by Harley

The VXL doesn't have drag brake which is a big problem. The mamba max pro would be a better choice. You will have to waterproof it yourself.

But i thought the mamba max pro couldnt run brushed motors???

[Harley]

Originally Posted by MiniMorris

But i thought the mamba max pro couldnt run brushed motors???

It absolutely can.

[MiniMorris]

Ok, well i dont trust myself waterproofing.. scared to mess it up..

[MiniMorris]

Also is the on mamba max, is the fan waterproof??

[SamuraiTrapper]

Hey Harley, thanks for all the info here. I just read through all the pages, and I think I'm more confused now than before, lol. I was originally looking into the Novak goat/18.5 set-up, but due to all the issues with Novak, I am going to stick to brushed. I'm replacing my Novak Rooster crawler ESC with the BR-XL, and the HH 35T TorqueMaster(finally found somebody with the BR-XL in stock, lol). I'll be running 2cell lipo for now. I'll be mainly crawling/trails with this set-up. Like I said before, I have read through the pages and have not seen anything on this specific set-up. could you recommend a gearing set-up, or point to a post # for me to look at? I see lots on the 13.5T and such, but not on my set-up, and I don't want to fry my new motor. So I'm going to want to gear it UP a little bit?

[bang-on]

Pro4, RX8. (3s) Insane combo, and yes fully upgraded-but this is okay as I like to wrench and have the bucks to get what I need. Wouldn't go any other way now. With the Pro4, there is no trimming link mounts, bolt and go. FAST.

Rolled with a buddy using a 550 SC motor, 2 pole and noticed his was a little slower-so I hooked him up with 3s and

Noticed the difference on the Slow torque stuff, but his set up was still impressive and stayed cool as well.

[Harley]

Originally Posted by SamuraiTrapper

Hey Harley, thanks for all the info here. I just read through all the pages, and I think I'm more confused now than before, lol. I was originally looking into the Novak goat/18.5 set-up, but due to all the issues with Novak, I am going to stick to brushed. I'm replacing my Novak Rooster crawler ESC with the BR-XL, and the HH 35T TorqueMaster(finally found somebody with the BR-XL in stock, lol). I'll be running 2cell lipo for now. I'll be mainly crawling/trails with this set-up. Like I said before, I have read through the pages and have not seen anything on this specific set-up. could you recommend a gearing set-up, or point to a post # for me to look at? I see lots on the 13.5T and such, but not on my set-up, and I don't want to fry my new motor. So I'm going to want to gear it UP a little bit?

Try a 84/16 to start and adjust from there if needed. You have a good setup picked out.

[Doozie32]

A lot of good info on here for sure! I figured I'd chime-in and share the set-up I'm running which continues to amaze me and my friends in the club I belong to; Mid Michigan Crawlers. First off, I decided being waterproof wasn't a concern for me as I didn't want to be limited on choices for the optimal set-up. Also, I've seen a few guys running "waterproof" Traxxas XL-5 escs that stop working in the water and mud. It's just my opinion, but I also prefer rust-free bearings :-). The esc I run is a Mamba Max Pro, its been rock solid and the programing options can't be beat, not to mention the 7amp internal, switchable bec. The beauty of this speed control is that it works great in crawlers, but down the road it can be used in whatever you want pretty much because it can run sensored or sensorless, brushed or brushless. I have a friend who runs one in his Savage on 4s. It can handle up to 6s and 550 brushless motors too! As far as a motor the clear choice to me was a Novak Ballistic 13.5t brushless 540. AWESOME low speed crawling torque and decent high end speed, it all depends on how you program the esc and gear ratio. I'm running a 4:1 ratio right now, which is stock for the Wraith. Also, the Ballistic motors' stator can be changed out for about $40, so if you don't like the speed or torque or lack there of it can be easily changed. Anything from 4.5t to 27.5t is an option without buying a new motor! For a servo I went with a water-resistant, high voltage Savox 1268sg rated at 347oz/in at 7v, since my esc has a switchable bec, I can also use servos rated at 6v or even 4.8v. Since I've found Savox servos, they're all I use and I've been in the hobby for 25 years. And last but not least, the battery I'm using is one of the new Traxxas 2s lipos. It has a 25c discharge rate and a 7600mah capacity. I've been getting almost 4 hour runtimes and if you move your battery up front just ahead of the dashboard, it actually fits so well it supports the frame slightly! :-) As far as the rest of the truck, I'm using XR-10 wheels so is have the adjustability of running weights for crawling or none for bashing on Hot Bodies Sedona tires which have turned out to be great tires. Other than that, I went through the tranny and replaced all the plastic gears and spur/slipper with Robinson Racing hardened steel. The new Gen3 Robinson slipper for the Wraith is awesome! It handles brushless power with ease, no more on/off effect like the stock slipper gives. Again, these are just my opinions, hope this helps someone! Not to toot my own horn, but I have yet to see a better set-up for this truck for crawling ability. Ryan

[2500hdon37s]

Originally Posted by MiniMorris

Ok, well i dont trust myself waterproofing.. scared to mess it up..

email HolmesHobbies they have a waterproofing service.

the same waterproofing system he uses to water proof his own esc's
Holmes Hobbies / Holmes Bikes :: Service and Labor :: Electronic Epoxy Weatherproofing

[Speedweigand]

Originally Posted by Doozie32

A lot of good info on here for sure! I figured I'd chime-in and share the set-up I'm running which continues to amaze me and my friends in the club I belong to; Mid Michigan Crawlers. First off, I decided being waterproof wasn't a concern for me as I didn't want to be limited on choices for the optimal set-up. Also, I've seen a few guys running "waterproof" Traxxas XL-5 escs that stop working in the water and mud. It's just my opinion, but I also prefer rust-free bearings :-). The esc I run is a Mamba Max Pro, its been rock solid and the programing options can't be beat, not to mention the 7amp internal, switchable bec. The beauty of this speed control is that it works great in crawlers, but down the road it can be used in whatever you want pretty much because it can run sensored or sensorless, brushed or brushless. I have a friend who runs one in his Savage on 4s. It can handle up to 6s and 550 brushless motors too! As far as a motor the clear choice to me was a Novak Ballistic 13.5t brushless 540. AWESOME low speed crawling torque and decent high end speed, it all depends on how you program the esc and gear ratio. I'm running a 4:1 ratio right now, which is stock for the Wraith. Also, the Ballistic motors' stator can be changed out for about $40, so if you don't like the speed or torque or lack there of it can be easily changed. Anything from 4.5t to 27.5t is an option without buying a new motor! For a servo I went with a water-resistant, high voltage Savox 1268sg rated at 347oz/in at 7v, since my esc has a switchable bec, I can also use servos rated at 6v or even 4.8v. Since I've found Savox servos, they're all I use and I've been in the hobby for 25 years. And last but not least, the battery I'm using is one of the new Traxxas 2s lipos. It has a 25c discharge rate and a 7600mah capacity. I've been getting almost 4 hour runtimes and if you move your battery up front just ahead of the dashboard, it actually fits so well it supports the frame slightly! :-) As far as the rest of the truck, I'm using XR-10 wheels so is have the adjustability of running weights for crawling or none for bashing on Hot Bodies Sedona tires which have turned out to be great tires. Other than that, I went through the tranny and replaced all the plastic gears and spur/slipper with Robinson Racing hardened steel. The new Gen3 Robinson slipper for the Wraith is awesome! It handles brushless power with ease, no more on/off effect like the stock slipper gives. Again, these are just my opinions, hope this helps someone! Not to toot my own horn, but I have yet to see a better set-up for this truck for crawling ability. Ryan

I developed a migraine about halfway through trying to read this... next time maybe spread it out a little.

How can you stay out of the water?

FYI for guys stuck with the VXL... if you gear it low, real low like 12-14/87 the motors magnetic resistance to rotating acts like a halfass dragbrake. It's not "good" but if you have none...

The VXL/Velineon combo is still quite capable on 3s in training mode. You get double the throttle/brake resolution and still have adequate power. I have this problem crawling with big power. It'll start to flip and I'll grab a whole lotta reverse trying to save it and launch off the rock pile, noob mode fixes this.

Have any of you guys noticed that Harley is one of the most patient people on the web. I am simply amazed that this thread still sees so much action. Especially since almost all there is to know is covered in the first 3 pages.

I give Harley an "attaboy!" for his relentless efforts on this thread in particular and the forum in general. I'm sure this website has cost him many a gray hair.

Harley if you PM me you paypal address I will seriously send you $7.99 for 6 of the coldest Heineken's you can find. I don't know how you do it.

Now back under my rock
Later,
Speed

[Harley]

Originally Posted by Speedweigand

Now back under my rock
Later,
Speed

Haha, sometimes I don't know why I do it either Something about crawling is an obsession to me.

[dogzpolo]

I'm thinking of having a mamba max pro with a tekin 13.5 redline motor. i will probably have to upgrade tranny gears and drive shafts but i was wonder if i should run a 2s or 3s battery and how many mah. i would like to get the longest run time i can without ruining the motor or breaking a ton. and what would be the best gearing fo that set up too

[Harley]

Originally Posted by dogzpolo

I'm thinking of having a mamba max pro with a tekin 13.5 redline motor. i will probably have to upgrade tranny gears and drive shafts but i was wonder if i should run a 2s or 3s battery and how many mah. i would like to get the longest run time i can without ruining the motor or breaking a ton. and what would be the best gearing fo that set up too

It's all personal preference. Gearing depends on what you want. Stock is 4:1 so if you want a little better low end then gear down, which is also good on the motor. A 30c pack or better of any mah should be fine. More capacity the longer the run time of course.