brand new to rc

[jackal]

ive always liked the idea or rc cars and as a kid i always like to play with them. however as of late, my idea of what they can do has evolved. in the summer time i like to play with my full size truck but in the winter, its too cold to be jumping in the mud to hook up a tow strap. anyways, my girlfriend bought me a rc bronco for christmas jokingly so i can play in the mud/snow and such in the winter without getting too cold, lol. anyways, its only 2 wheel drive and id like to make it into a crawler. is there any way that i can actually mod this and make it 4x4? i dont have hardly any money to spend on it and its only something i do in my spare time as of right now. however, if i DO need to go with a chassis and everything, can i make the body fit on the new chassis, or will i have to start with a new body too? thanks in advance.

Tony Gamblin

P.S. ive seen a lot of tubular bodies and i really like them. they look like they are made out of brake line or something like that, is there anyone that actually makes thier own chassis out of brake/gas/transmission lines???

[66shift]

Welcome to rccrawler first of all Also, pictures of your current rig would be nice. If i were u, i would jus do a search on tubers and get in contact with the builder or look in the classifieds(Suporting members only) and browse in their for a while.

[jackal]

Originally Posted by 66shift

If i were u, i would jus do a search on tubers and get in contact with the builder or look in the classifieds(Suporting members only) and browse in their for a while.

thanks, i really like the site, anyways, what should i look for? im totally new to this rc thing...but i gotta tell ya, im getting hooked..lol

[66shift]

Oh man this stuff is addicting! Well tubers are pretty intersesting for ur first crawler i would suggest maybe a HPI Wheely King or the Axial Ax 10 Scorpion, there both realitivly cheap and will get u startred in the right direction.

[jackal]

well like i said though, idealy id like to modify my current 2wd bronco to 4wd. thats all im looking to do as of now. eventually id like to build up a tubular but that wont come for awhile. anyways, here are some pics of my bronco. like i said, its just a basic 6v 2wd stock bronco.










oh ya, dont mind the chain on the back, lol. a friend and i like to be as real as possible so when one of us gets hung up, we use that for a tow strap. lol

[66shift]

well from the looks of it that truck can not be turned into 4 wheel drive these are those cheap trucks that have the motor in the back with the rear axle so ur poop outa luck i had TONS of those type of trucks and yeah they look cool but can 4 wheel like a TRUE rc. sorry man

[jackal]

well then in that case, can you point me to some posts to teach me what i need to know about building my first rig? ive looked but nothing seems to be simple enough..maybe even another website that can teach me what i need to know? step by step is what im looking for..lol. if not, what is the best way to learn???

[66shift]

well i think u should save up for the axial ax 10 scorpion. it costs 219.99 at RPP Hobby and that truck is a kit with directions so ull know how to build a crawler the right way from Scratch! Or u could get the Wheely King by Hpi and that comes with EVERYTHING u need for around 210 and its RTR!. Also u could always try Ebay, I have purchased rigs from their ALOT! Just type in crawler under toys and hobbies and i know ull find something u might like.

[jackal]

such as the axial ax10 scorpion and i guess all crawlers for that matter, what kind of battery life to you get on a full charge? thats what aggrivates me the most is after 15 min of playing, its dead and you have to wait 4 hours to go again....

[66shift]

wow thats with a nicd battery they take longer to charge and less time to run, i have a 3700 Nimh (Nickel Metal Hydrate) and with a 55 turn motor i get at least a good 45 minutes of run time when it takes about 20 minutes to charge. The hpi wheely king comes with a 1500 Nimh and a 1 hour charger (i think) but that is the route i recommend for u My dad has a Wheely King and LOVES IT!

[jackal]

well after looking at the pics and such, the scorpion seems to be more what im looking for. as for your battery, can you expect that battery pack to last a long time or do you have to buy one every couple months? if i can seriously get that kind of time out of one, then that makes this even a better idea..lol

the scorpion is a kit right? basically i build it myself correct? and one more thing, are all these pretty water sealed? i mean i know i cant go and submerge them, but if i was to go through some little puddles or some mud, would they short out?

[chrisjlittle]

Originally Posted by jackal

such as the axial ax10 scorpion and i guess all crawlers for that matter, what kind of battery life to you get on a full charge? thats what aggrivates me the most is after 15 min of playing, its dead and you have to wait 4 hours to go again....

Battery life is determined by:
1; the capacity of the battery (measured in milliamp-hours, or how many milliamps the batt can supply for 1 hour)
2; the motor you use (this is determined by the internal resistance of the motor. Most brushed motors are rated by the number of windings around the armature, a lower number usually means lower resistance. Low winding motors spin faster than high turn motors)
3; the gearing you use (lower gear ratio=less strain on the motor, means less amp draw)
4; driving style. Lay into it all the time, and your battery will not last as long.

I have a 4000 mah battery which gives me about 1 and 1/2 hours of run time with a 35 turn motor.

If you want a crawler, an ax-10 scorpion is a good beginner option which comes with complete assembly instructions, and is pretty damn capable, if you ask me. the kit does not come with any electronics, so you will need a battery, charger, speed control, transmitter and receiver, motor and steering servo.
scorpion Ax10 REQUIRES!!!
The wheely king comes with everything you need to get started, short of the 8 AA batteries for the radio. In stock trim it isn't very capable, but is still extremely fun.

As far as water goes, you should take precautions about it, but they can be made to be entirely submersible. If you get the drivetrain wet, you will need to disassemble, clean and dry all the parts. for the electronics, all your answers are here:
Water Proofing Electronics

[66shift]

Originally Posted by jackal

well after looking at the pics and such, the scorpion seems to be more what im looking for. as for your battery, can you expect that battery pack to last a long time or do you have to buy one every couple months? if i can seriously get that kind of time out of one, then that makes this even a better idea..lol

the scorpion is a kit right? basically i build it myself correct? and one more thing, are all these pretty water sealed? i mean i know i cant go and submerge them, but if i was to go through some little puddles or some mud, would they short out?

The battery will last a LONG time! My batery was 49 dollars at Hobby Town USA. The scorpion is a kit, yes it is a roller meaning that it has no electronics(Transmiter,receiver,steering servo, speed control, or motor). there are very inexpensive ways to seal your truck for water problems. go to the elecronics section and look up the post that reads "Waterproofing your Electronics" So u would have to spend maybe an aditional 150 to 200 dollars to make the truck run by purchasing and Electronic Speed Control and a Steering servo, Radio(Transmitter and Receiver) and Motor.