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Thread: All Metal Clod Gears?

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Old 11-08-2006, 03:55 PM   #1
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Default All Metal Clod Gears?

I have never run anything but the plastic gears. Has anyone had experience with the aluminum units. I got them with some axles I purchase and am wondering if the aluminum gears cause glitching since it is all metal to metal contact. Is grease needed?
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Old 11-08-2006, 05:39 PM   #2
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I don't really know but I'd pm some r/c god like DirkDiggler...
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Old 11-08-2006, 07:04 PM   #3
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you can use them and yes you grease all gears no matter what they are made out of
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Old 11-08-2006, 07:15 PM   #4
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I doubt they will cause any glitching, especially with grease. If you are running a tq3 your are gonna have glitching anyway
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Old 11-08-2006, 11:59 PM   #5
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Well, assuming you got the gears from RC4WD, it's a horse a piece. I heard some bad things about the run-out of the gears, and a certain batch being out of round, like an escentric. Some one dial indiated their gears and found the run-out to be over .005" plus. Stock Clod gears dial indicated less then .002". But that's not every set of gears. Apparently the quality of the alum. gears varries a lot. Something I last heard RC4WD was looking into correcting.

I ran a full set of alum. gears in my Clod and they were not what I expected. The first time I ran the axle free with a motor in it, they made all kinds of terrible noises. I was told they needed to break in, which after a couple packs they sounded a little better, but still not that smooth. I eventually ditched all the counter gears, but kept the locker, due to some trouble I had in the end, which I will get to in a bit, after running a mere 4, maybe 5 battery packs through the truck.

Whatever you decide, make sure you do not run a steel pinion gear! Steel vs. alum. is bad. Steel wins. My 1st counter gears eventually were eaten alive, throwing chips everywhere. My pinion gear mesh was perfect, and I was running some medium grease on everything as well. I began to notice some excessive sounding back lash when getting out of the throttle, and sure enough, the gears were toast. I was later told I needed to run a softer pinion, made from brass, or aluminum to match the gears. I guess I should have known, but didn't consider that. No telling how hard the aluminum gears were upon the install. Who would have thought??? Up till my problem, I had never heard anything bad about them, and never heard any special requirements for pinionns to match. I guess it's a live and learn lesson.

I have some pictures of the carnage.



That shine is not from the camera flash either. That's alum. shavings!





The teeth are literally destroyed. The profile is gone and they are sharper then a shark's, after less then 1 hour of running.



Personally, I wouldn't bother running them anymore. I don't how well the stock gears hold to, say brushless out-runners, but I never heard of any problems with the pullers, racers, and those who built high speed brushless Clods. Suppose you guys would know better then I. I don't see a really good reason to need alum. gears. More rotational mass, more weight, although it's in good spot, and more money. Better spent somewhere else, in my mind.

Now days, with just the locker alone, I'm still not to impressed with my truck's gear noise and mesh. Next time, I'm just going to buy a locker that uses the stock differential ring gear and call it good. Can't fault Tamiya's quality control.

So, maybe it was my fualt, maybe not. If you do run lube, run white lithium grease. I was told aluminum gears don't even need grease, but if I had to run some for piece of mind, that is what I should use.
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Old 11-09-2006, 03:17 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewmp6
yes you grease all gears no matter what they are made out of
I don't run any grease in any of my rigs. It just atracts dirt. No need for lube.
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Old 11-09-2006, 03:31 AM   #7
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I ran the RC4WD units with stock aluminum pinions and in about 4-5 packs they looked worse than photos above.Switched to plastic gears and kept the aluminum locker and had no issues.Much smoother also.
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Old 11-09-2006, 08:32 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cblake187
I ran the RC4WD units with stock aluminum pinions and in about 4-5 packs they looked worse than photos above.Switched to plastic gears and kept the aluminum locker and had no issues.Much smoother also.
yep I have those gears still and they are really bad,
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Old 11-09-2006, 08:37 AM   #9
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Thanks guys.
I don't know which gears I have. I do know that one of the gears is a blue aluminum. They look nice but I'm afraid that's all they are good for. I am going to buy some plastic gears and just keep the alum. spool.
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Old 11-09-2006, 04:20 PM   #10
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I have all aluminum from RC4wd as well. The top gears, not the locker are suppose to be their revised peices that corrected some of these issues with quality. They sent them to me stating they were revised and to test them. I have my cases packed with heavy duty moly-lithium black automotive grease. I haven't had problems but don't plan to take the cases apart unless I have a problem. So I can't tell you how they are holding up.





Last edited by cheapjeep2; 11-09-2006 at 04:27 PM.
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Old 11-19-2006, 08:30 PM   #11
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The old saying, don't put steel gears against aluminum!

And don't use TQ-3's!
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Old 11-19-2006, 09:23 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXT-666
The old saying, don't put steel gears against aluminum!

And don't use TQ-3's!
Only steel in mine is the pinion and i can control that mesh.
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Old 11-20-2006, 08:05 AM   #13
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I run all metal and SO FAR everything is cool. I lubed them (not too much) and I run an 8/9T pinion combo with 55T's. They are RC4WD and I'll keep you guys updated as to the wear. Comp in Co. this Sunday so we will see!!
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Old 11-20-2006, 08:17 AM   #14
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Well....I just didn't trust the metal to metal set up.

I ended up buying the stock plastic gears and kept the alum. spool in the gear case. I don't really see a benefit in using ALL aluminum in the cases.
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Old 11-20-2006, 08:42 AM   #15
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It doesnt matter what DD runs, hes goin down, down,, down!!!
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Old 11-20-2006, 09:16 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FinishLineRC
It doesnt matter what DD runs, hes goin down, down,, down!!!
On your girl, girl, girl.
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Old 11-20-2006, 10:49 AM   #17
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Ouch!!! Im just gonna have to let my girl answer for that one......and she will. She might like you but theres one problem....she likes hair!!!
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Old 11-20-2006, 04:34 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FinishLineRC
Ouch!!! Im just gonna have to let my girl answer for that one......and she will. She might like you but theres one problem....she likes hair!!!
Are you sure? you ain't even grown any pubes yet!
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Old 11-21-2006, 10:13 AM   #19
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At least my voice has changed!!!
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