More Questions...

[PoRiggity]

Ok, I finally got the Clod out and messed with it a bit.. Drove it around, and man is this gonna be fun!!!!!!!! I do have a few questions though.. I noticed that the previous owner soldered a 5 amp fuse inline with the battery connect on the speed controller.. like between the ESC and the clip where the battery goes into. Any reason he did this? I already busted the solder off there, jumping the Clod If I need to re-solder it, I will. I can see this is going to get spendy.. Ive already lost the part that clips the battery in place in the battery tray of the clod LOL... Guess thats what I get for bashing it huh? My last question.. Ive got one 6 cell pack and one 7 cell pack, with the 7th cell just attaching sideways on the end of the other 6 cells, making it longer than a standard battery pack. This means that the clip for the battery tray will not work, since I assume you all know what a stock clod battery tray looks like, I won't go into detail.. Im thinking its time already to make a custom frame.. ... I have one last question... Ive noticed that there are what look to be supports that attach from the suspension arms to the chassis.. perhaps for stiffening? can these be taken off for more flex? I will go snap a pic real quick for those of you who don't know what Im talking about

Thanks for the answers.
Scott

[PoRiggity]

Heres a few pics.. and yes, I know the body is on the clod backwards in that pic.. I just set it there, so you could get the "effect"





Scott

[Destroyer]

If you mean those red things connecting to the center...no you can't take them off. They keep the axles from moving from side to side. You can drill out the inside of the shock caps to increase flex though. As for the battery you can just slide it under the rear body posts or somewhere else if you want.

Destroyer

[PoRiggity]

Thats what I figured... Ive been bashing it around the yard tonight, and its a whole lot of fun, but I can tell its going to need work before I can REALLY crawl it.. Im looking at the gecko chassis now... LOL.. Its either that, or building my own.. I like the idea of building my own though... We shall see.
Scott

[Fishmaxx]

Build your own ...............its cheaper, and more funner LOL

[SR5Dave]

Clearancing the stock shocks wont do hardly anything on the stock chassis, the servo savers on each axle hit the frame on compression, so it stops it right there... Not many options to do, lock the axles and tighten up the steering... Then you can go quite a few places; and not have invested a ton of time.

[toyofast]

Originally Posted by PoRiggity

I noticed that the previous owner soldered a 5 amp fuse inline with the battery connect on the speed controller.. like between the ESC and the clip where the battery goes into. Any reason he did this?

What brand of ESC? I do believe that some older ESC's came like that... lower models used them to help the n00bs from frying the ESC's by hooking things up backwards. Off the top of my head I thought of a Futaba brand ESC, am I right?

Tell us what brand, make and model it is...

[PoRiggity]

It is a Futaba ESC.. Im not sure on the model, because I don't have the truck here. I'll have to look it up when I get home. For the time being, since I busted off the solder on the fuse, I just attached the wires together without it, but if its needed, then I can always solder it back on.. If only I could find my soldering iron
Scott

[toyofast]

I'm pretty sure it's needed... I only remeber a few Futaba's and another brand that did this back in the day.

I'd put it back on..... but in the mean time I'd start looking for a Super Rooster to drop into it for a better performing ESC.

[PoRiggity]

Super Rooster is the eventual plan, when money becomes available.. The biggest issue I have is the price, but it aint no thing Its only money, and I aint taking it with me when I die
Scott

[SR5Dave]

You'll start makin bank and have plenty to pour in

If you still have that old futaba when you get a different ESC, I'd make a good home for it in either a stock clod or an RC10 ;) (I really like my EVX ESC, by the way)

[PoRiggity]

Im already making the good money, but right now Im paying bills kIts alright.. Im gonna do some ESC research tonight and tommorow..
Scott

[skoolbus]

If your going to spend the bucks on a brand new ESC, take a look at Mtroniks especially if you like mud, water or snow. Mtroniks makes "water-proof" ESC's. :P

Also, you can gain some turning radious on that stock clod by shaving the knuckles stops off the axle housings. Flip the truck over and turn the wheels all the way you will see the little stops I'm talking about.

If you don't want to build your own ,buy a gecko or win project freebee, I'm going to put several just like the free-bee on e-bay, they may go for dirt cheap. Just a thought.

[PoRiggity]

I'll be checking ebay Im not knowledgeable enough to know the answers to some of the questions you've got regarding the project freebee... I'll wait for them to hit ebay, or I'll go with the gecko
Scott

[skoolbus]

I'll be checking ebay Im not knowledgeable enough to know the answers to some of the questions you've got regarding the project freebee... I'll wait for them to hit ebay, or I'll go with the gecko
Scott

Well to be honest, I would like to see project freebee go to someone who doesn't already own a tricked out truck, but like I posted in the first post,

I'm going to, Give it to who-ever you guys say describes it best.

So you never know.

[4x4x4fan]

Originally Posted by skoolbus

Mtroniks makes "water-proof" ESC's.

Yuk! I've got an Mtroniks truck ESC fitted in my TXT-1, it's very poor. Alright, it does drive twin 540s like it said it would, but there's no punch from it at all, the top-end seems slow compared to the stock 3 speed wiper speed controller and the reverse barely has enough power to move the truck. And in the UK it cost £70. It's going to be replaced with a Super Rooster as soon as funds allow, I'm very pleased with the one I've used for the Clod.

The waterproofing leaves a little to be desired too. It's only waterproof because the entire ESC has been dipped in potting compound (an epoxy based substance used to seal electronics, both to protect the components from the environment and to make sure that any competition can't take your product apart and copy it without an awful lot of effort). When the ESC eventually lets go, it'll smoke lots and have to be replaced as there is no scope for repair on anything inside the potting compound. But as waterproofing goes you won't beat it.

In my opinion, if you can afford the Super Rooster and don't need the waterproofing then avoid Mtroniks unless some one you know has one that you can see working. The Mtroniks truck ESC is now at version 4 (if memory serves), mine's a version 3 so things might have improved, but from what I've seen of their recent touring car ESCs I very much doubt things have got any better.

[skoolbus]

Good points about the Mtroniks truck ESC. I'm not sure why your performance is what you describe though. However the Super-rooster is definitely a better ESC than the Mtroniks truck ESC. :o Mtroniks makes several ESC's suitable for trucks, the old version you have is good only for stock motors I believe. :? To each his own, but alot of people like to go swimming and Mtroniks are the only ones that are completely water-proof.

[PoRiggity]

Originally Posted by skoolbus

Well to be honest, I would like to see project freebee go to someone who doesn't already own a tricked out truck, but like I posted in the first post,

So you never know.

I definetly do not own a trick truck just yet As far as ESC's I am looking at both the Novak Super Rooster, and the Novak evx... Im leaning toward the evx, cuz its a bit cheaper, and I know SR5Dave is happy with his. IM not sure yet.. Either way, I'll run this ESC till it fries. One thing Skoolbus.. I wasn't sure, In your chassis that you are building, are you making provisions for two batteries? Id like to run a battery for each motor, and the EVX as you know, has connections for two batteries.
Scott