ARKTOS 6x6 - Fusion Mini16 Brushless!!

[WRXronald]

PIcked up and Arktos 6x6 -- grossly under-powered unless all you want to do is crawl, just my opinion.

Squeezed the Mini16 in, went with a 12t pinion (stock is 11t, 0.4 modules) --- the Mini16 is 2.3mm shaft and the 12t pinion is 1.98mm bore (one I had on hand) so I got a 2.3mm drill bit, bored out the pinion gear, and the Mini16 comes with a flat spot so I was able to get a drop of quality CA in there and its holding beautifully so far!!! Other than that fit is pretty standard, had to add my own Rx and splice and solder in standard servo plugs and all the lights, etc, took a good bit at the table.

Couple pics and a quick test run... I really am not into the stock wheels and tires --- didn't even run them once. Up for grabs if anyone would like them lol.

Keeping it stock until stuff breaks -- was kinda disappointed to find bushings throughout??? But metal gears throughout too -- an oxy moron approach lol.

Anyways -- this run is on 2s, can use 3s and found no heat in the motor at all yet -- that's good cuz there not really any room for a fan, etc unless cut a channel thru bottom of cab floor and put a fan tunnel or something.

Goal is for FAST 2nd gear for mud/snow thrash and crawl torque -- so far I am super impressed with Fusion performance -- it IS all that who knew lol. Jk I know everyone loves it that uses it. I plan to submerge it soon, in mud too. Its already been a good bit wet once but the lipo went low as I forogt to charge it and the stock one can't hang. This vid is on 2s 1000mah graphene lipo cells.

Putting 1.0 Fling Kings on but honestly they are as small as the stock tires --- and now that i've seen the bigger FCX18 tires on here and they work ok enough -- why not go another round up and run some 74x27's lol ---- 1.0's --- should look Mega Truck outrageous!!!

Will at least post pics of the Fling Kings if I don't run them at all -- I may just turn around and sell them if I can get the 74mm's working well enough.

Other than that -- she runs REALLY smooth at high speed - I think it can handle 3s power - no sure how long the bushing situation holds out though.

With FCX18 K10 wheels and tires!!! -- looks cool if you ask me!

Added metal driveshafts as well -- simple enough to complete the "all metal" drivetrain components topic.... we'll see how well plastic housings hold up -- but so far they seem decent quality just needs bearings.

 

[WRXronald]

ahhhh junk! LOL the saga of transmission failures that is my life continues.....

Who knew... ARKTOS 6x6 not up for brushless!?! I mean it lasted a couple of runs, sort of. Truth is these Fling Kings are EXTREMELY grippy -- not sure it might have grenaded itself stock even in low gear who knows.

Anyways it went out pretty easy with a single click driving yesterday and I knew it was not a good sound -- -it kept driving but as soon as I put Fling Kings on and drove it for this vid, it was toast quick.

Dismantled center transmission and its worse than expected -- sheared several steel gear teeth right off inside the drive gear. Not he spur or pinion and that means a brass pinion gear held up better than the internal steel gearing?

And that means forget -- no sense in repairing or replacing this transmission, getting the metal case, etc --- if the teeth aren't up to the challenge -- may as well start shopping around for some custom fit transmission.

Going to maybe try the Injora 370 single speed transmission I think its for the TRX4m. Should at least be able to get the Mini16 mounted in that trans easily --- not sure about fitting in the 6x6.

I'm not married to the flatbed hauler portion of the truck so if it has to go for fitment, I can live with that.

Here the drive when it finally went for good -but honestly the "1st click" I heard on last drive and took it kinda easy the rest of that run until the next day today when I shot this vid and it roasted entirely......

As weak beans as the rig was with the stock 280 brushed motor --- I don't see how a person could have hauled a rig thru tough terrain on flat bed without running into power shortage or gear breakage issues, but I guess maybe i'm just hard on stuff. The Fling Kings REALLY stick into tocks and get completely loaded and bound hard --- I think you can see at the end of this vid where the rear tire was 100% bound up and not able to turn another tiny bit inbetween a few rocks.... that sure did it! Any more driving with the Mini16 would have to be on 25% max throttle and even then I think it could possibly break a gear.

ah well, toys break, I fiddle, that's my life now I suppose life, nothing lasts forever!

 

[ferp420]

i have had really good luck with the mini 3 gear trans i have 3 of them running brushless outruners and so far so good
there all plastic though

the utb 18 seems like it has a stout transmission but i havent tryed 1 yet my next build lol the trx4m still seems kinda small

Redcat Racing 68025 Gear Box EVEREST-16 68025 | eBay

Redcat Racing 68025 Gear Box.

ebay.us

 

[ferp420]

thats the last 1 i could find my last 1 i got from redcat but it looks like they discontinued them also also came in the exceed maxstone 16 and the vitarra slick rock the redcat everest16
so this might not be a good way to go since they discontinued them

 

[ferp420]

i forgot the ecx temper and barrage and the rgt also use the same transmission and they do sell gear sets and aluminum cases for them
heres a link to the temper New ECX Complete Transmission 1.9 Barrage Temper Gen 2 Doomsday Kit ECX222003 | eBay

 

[WRXronald]

thanks, curious if those will be too big, same with the Injora, won't know till I see them. They Arktos Trans is tiny and squeeze fitted in there, not much room for a different fitment so I appreciate having a few different options.

This one for a TRX4 looks decent -- hardened steel gears, but I think TRX4 is mod 0.4 -- same as FCX18 K10 and no issues with the hardened steel teeth in the metal trans on those trucks. Then again Mini16 may just be the most powerful system around for these little trucks and can't fit that in a FCX18 transmission.

MN 3-gear alloy transmission also has hardened steel gears but I doubt it can fit in the ARKTOS. I know in a day or so if the Injora is even close to fitting..... was hoping with the Mini16's 2300 Kv and up to 3s that there's still a decent top speed and a decent crawl speed.

 

[ferp420]

i dont know what your working with in there and i have never herd of that model so lol maybe some pics would help

i will try to get some pics of my mini set ups next time im in the uhhumm studio lol

 

[WRXronald]

Scale is so hard once your down in 1/24 and 1/18.. it's all same. If you know the Mini16 there's a pic of it up under the truck in the above replies.

Will try to get more pics out as I'm fitting the new trans and pics of the sheared Arktos 6x6 transmssion gears.

 

[ferp420]

the old 1/18 the losi mini everest16 the nylint 16 is more what the size of todays capra18 the trx4m and the scx24 and the fms and redcat ascent18 are the old micro size like the trail trecker size
so mini the scale is all over the place lol

 

[WRXronald]

Screw this rig.

I just spent half the night tinkering cutting hacking insanely to get the Injora transmission (really nice tranny with super tight tolerances -- I do think these gears would have stood up to the Mini16!) but it doesnt matter.

I got the tranny, I use the skid plate made for that transmission and got that hogged in there too in place of the stock Arktos skid plate --- it took A LOT of fitting and checking and fitting and drilling and cutting and more fitting and more drilling and more cutting. ayayajahiaiaa!!

Then I finally got it all in, all put back together and working right --- set it on the ground and spin it up for the first run, and GRENADE the rear-end because guess what.......

I forget this has a counter-rotating transmission ---- yep the rear output spins opposite --- so if you put a basic single speed single direction transmission in there --- YUP, front and rear are rotating in opposite directions. UNREAL.

I was going to try and flip the pumpkins --- but I'm telling you I BARELY touched the throttle and one of the rear ring & pinion gears blew up like it was made of butter. I mean it didnt even TRY to hold up.

So now I could probably flip a pumpkin --- or see if its even possible to get the front rotating same as rear --- but WHY even bother? If the axles are that weak too.... whats' the friggin point.

This rig SUCKS. Metal drivetrain my arse --- its weak as the plastic ones if you ask me.

 

[WRXronald]

Alright I'm chill again... up all night but got it all worked out.

I swapped the rear axle pumpkins so they rotate same as front now and work proper with a standard axle output shaft front/ rear.

Also the blasted rear end was luckily just a sheared cotter pin screw from driveshaft to rear pumpkin. Those 1.5mm cotter screws aren't strong and seem will be the next failure point.

Pics shortly. And a run vid if these cotter pins will hold up!!

It's not that fast anymore with the 24:1 injora gearing bit could go up to 3s to get more speed I suppose. At risk of more carnage of course!

 

[Whats_a_dickfer]

The FMS FMT24 and FSC24 have 370 motor 2 speed transmissions, might be worth considering. They do look pretty wide though.

 

[WRXronald]

I ordered 9.6:1 high speed gearing -- hoping it can fit this trans.. we'll see. On 3s that should get ok enough speed to at least walk the trail.

On another note, I had a BLAST thrashing it in the river and 100% submerged for a hot sec... I did get too deep about 10 inches over its head and lost radio signal... I went to reteive slipped on the bank and wasted my tailbone lol falling in the water. Such an old fart i've become.

It kept on ticking until later that run I had it all bound up and finally I snapped a rear plastic four link in half and that was it. It really did great up until then and went thru some mad terrain, mud, river, rocks, etc, albeit just too slow on the trail.

Going to fab a set of all stainless steel rods and aluminum four links for the rig to continue beefing it up...... Will take a hot minute as I just finished up fresh mods, stance, tires/wheels on the long wheelbase MN82 Brushless LC70 --- its EPIC and going to have a new vid coming soon dedicated ROCK crawling with it.

 

[WRXronald]

Got the Arktos all worked out and now I can actually say ITS EPIC!!!!

All stainless steel 4 links and driveshaftd... handmade links by me with alloy ball heirs.

Injora Single speed 370 trans custom fitted with Fusion Mini16 brushless 2in1.

9kg alloy servo

De-flatbedded!!!!

Massive 76mm DJC MUD tire upgrade on 1.0 steel stamped beadlocks!!!

Have to switch the rear links and driveshafts all around to get enough separation on the rear axles so the giant tires don't rub into each other...

EPIC 3s speed test, Rock Crawl test, and quick MUD RUN at the end.....

 

[high plains drifter]

Wasn't aware you had quite that much of a crawling playground there. The snow hides a lot of it. Nice driving and video.

 

[WRXronald]

Wasn't aware you had quite that much of a crawling playground there. The snow hides a lot of it. Nice driving and video.

Thank you High Plains!! Its not half bad terrain for the little trucks and nothin' beats a 30 second walk to the trail (lol or a 30 second walk of shame back to the bench when they break!)