Mugen MBX5 Buggy Forum v1.0

[the rock]

Originally posted by celittca
feel really fed up setting the brakes and the throttle. I am currently using the stock setup. or do you guys think it might be the screws that on brake pads are too long? :(

Whats the problem?

[IBEXrax]

Originally posted by celittca
feel really fed up setting the brakes and the throttle. I am currently using the stock setup. or do you guys think it might be the screws that on brake pads are too long? :(
Are you talking about the screws that HOLD on the brake pads? How long of screws are you using?
I used the SiG3x16 B/H screw and it does not seem too long?

I too can get frustrated while interpreting the translation from the Asian manual.
It might help to look at another, although it be European, translation for assembly instructions.

http://www.twf8.ws/new/tech/car/mugen/mbx5/mbx5build/mbx5-index.html

Look at steps 38 and 39 for linkage set-up.

Note: I have not been happy with the stock brake set-up.
I don’t like the way the brakes hang-up and then slowly release.
I am going to try release springs this weekend.
What you do is cannibalize a ball point pen for the spring, and then cut the spring up to fit a few coil between each brake pad at the attach screws.

[OldskoolGT]

Originally posted by IBEXrax
When you are bicycling up on two wheels and about to go over on your lid: Toe-out adds stability!

Snicker Snicker.

That toe-out out becomes toe-in in that situation, so its not really toe-out any more. :)


Rock,

Look in the "Hot News" forum here and there are come cad renderings of the new GS buggy.

[IBEXrax]

Originally posted by OldskoolGT
That toe-out out becomes toe-in in that situation, so its not really toe-out any more. :) Yup. Ya got me on that one. :) :)

[hung_kuen]

I dont know i should have done with out this forum:D

My clutch sticks a littel to the clutch bell,i cant spin it freely ....
Is this normal with alu clutches ? i have no previous experience with them...
I have no problem running the car at idle or anything it just dont feel right that it doesnt spin freely...

[Raydee]

Hey guys I just picked up a MBX5 and I wondered if I could use standard three shoe Mugen clutch shoes instead of the supplied Alum ones? What other spare parts should I stock up on that break normally?

[winning edge designs]

Raydee, I actually prefer the black, or white clutch shoes, over the aluminum ones. The aluminum give better bite, but it also tends to wear in a way that causes them to hang up, from flash, etc. Go with the white shoes and 1.1 springs and see how that does.

The important thing we need to realize, is, all this talk about any manufacturer being perfect, or knowing what they are doing, etc., isn't really correct. What any good manufacturer does is have a large knowledge base and make "educated guesses" based on what they know, for something they haven't even tried or done yet, other then in CAD. It's all about compromises, design limitations, manufacturing expenses, new ideas, marketing and things like that..............If any company KNEW for sure what was THE BEST, they would never make changes, upgrades, be able to obsolete thier own cars a year or two later, etc.

I remember people saying the TC3 took so long because A/E wanted it perfect and didn't want to be like other manufacturers. But they changed the chassis and arms less then a year later, as well as other things....Not to pick on A/E, they are great, this is just one example, but it happens all the time................Nothing's perfect and even engineers have "opinions".......:), lets Race!, Jim

[Mudvayne]

Alright, I'm pretty sure that I've got the gear mesh perfect, my question is do I have the clutch bell gear set in a good place. I looked at several pictures in different magazines and they all seem to be assembled this way. So here is a couple of pictures I hope came out alright that may help yall tell me if I did a good job or not. Thanks in advance.

[Mudvayne]

One last one, I hope they help. It was kind of hard to get the camera right up in there.lol

[Mudvayne]

If yall will notice, I've got the spur gear set towards the back of the clutch bell gear rather than right in the middle. This is how I've seen it in the magazines so I did it that way. Should I move it right towards the middle? I just want to make sure I get this right. Thanks.

[fezzy]

That is absolutely fine, Aslong as its making maximum contact with the spur then you can't go far wrong, And from what I can see in the pics you've done just that.

[nitro22]

Ya looks good. You don't have to put it in the back or front. Just as long as all the spur hits the clutch bell it's good to go. Hold your spur and wiggle the bell back and forth. You want just a TAD of play.

[tkbr0wn]

Is that a Standard or Metric TAD. I would suggest setting the mesh using the strip of paper method rather than using the often confusing TAD measurement

[OldskoolGT]

A TAD of play is too much. 1/2 a TAD is actually the right amount of backlash for the gear to have. :)

[tkbr0wn]

Can anyone give the conversion factor between 'A tad' and 'A smidgen'

Thanks

[the rock]

my easiest conversion is I imagine the thickness of a hair. :)

no more, no less... ever

[winning edge designs]

A "Tad" is a "skosh" more then a "smidgeon", I think. some have told me that a "Tad" is a lot less then a "bit", but more then a 'teency little". I think it's fair to say that a "Tad" is definately not "Much", but is significant compared to a "slightest little eeeck"..............The scientific measurement for a "Tad" is about 1.5 sheets of standard loose leaf paper, roughly 33% too much, so basically you need 66% of a "Tad".


Ouch, my head hurts, LOL.....Jim

[the rock]

so does mine :p

[celittca]

alright, i'm on my 5th tank of breaking in my C5 with 063 pipe. Running rich as hell and car moves as slow as it can. I am jsut wondering if with a good tune what's like the top speed I could get out of the stock gearing?

p.s anybody got a better brake setup?? mine's stock and it's soooo bad

[the rock]

probably about 45-50mph. You must have the brakes set up wrong... these brakes work GREAT!! Especially if your not even on the gas yet.

[winning edge designs]

celittca, just be sure that sucker is getting over 180-190 degrees during break-in. Overly rich, or "rich as hell" may be too cold and cause premature wear. It's important to heat cycle the engine a few times and then keep it hot enough to properly expand all those parts inside for best break-in.

An engine that is so rich it won't accelerate, will likely "4 stroke", or fire erratically, causing damage as well.....................carefull, Jim

[the rock]

yeah celit... Id start leaning that puppy up if your that rich and cold. By the 5th tank I usually already have it tunned and pumping. I go 1 tank idling above the ground with a good heat cycle, second tank in the air again using small amounts of gas, 3rd tank on the floor never more than half throttle, easy running. 4th tank run it to full thottle periodically but careful. 5th tank im using all the RPMs... the 6th leaning the motor out and getting it to its sweat spots, 7th and 8th tank its on fire!!!

Change your plug after the breakin, and keep the initial as a spare.

Make sure you get the heat cycle though... very important. I make sure I get it to 200 my first tank, all my motors run like a charm.

Good luck.

[celittca]

oh my god.. I am on my 5th tank and the temps are below 150 F :( :( I am scared to lean it out although I leaned out 1/4 on 3rd tank. I guess I gotta lean it out to make the temp about 200 f

help all !!!:mad:

[OldskoolGT]

There's nothing to worry about when leaning out your engine if you keep an eye on engine temps. Lean the engine out until the throttle response becomes crisper and the buggy can go faster than you.

[winning edge designs]

celittca, don't be too worried, it's just important that you get it a bit warmer, but not too hot. The blubbering cold break in procedures came form the 50's-60''s-70's, when small engines had ringed pistons and/or cast iron sleeves/cylinders. Those engines needed lots of oil during a very long and arduous task of seating the parts. The difference is cast iron takes WAY longer to break in and the new engines use a tapered fit, which is VERY picky about temperatures.

You'll find an engine broken in cold will be very free, with good top end rpm, but not much bottom end punch.....This is because the engine has been broken in tighter(130-160 degrees) and raced at normal temps(200-270), allowing too much clearance and lower compression.

Strange thing is an engine broken in too hot, will give the same symptom, but rather then wearing from being too tight, it has happened from burned off oil supply(temp), or low oil supply(lean).......Hope this helps, Jim

[celittca]

thanks everyone for the replies. Today I was running my x5, all I gotta say I am amazed at the speed of a C5. :) :) :) Handling is really good on the X5 although I was just doing high speed passes. :) :)

[NoleC5]

This is a great auction for anyone looking to get an MBX5. For established racers, this would be a great backup car or parts buggie. Great condition, well maintained. Thanks for looking

Ebay # 3170453067 - Racers Edge Shock Towers (front and rear) for MBX5

Ebay # 3170451765 - MBX5 rolling chassis (lots of spare parts, new
unpainted pro line crowd pleazer body, craddock brakes

[the rock]

Gents:

Im trying to find some stiffer rear springs. What do you recommend?? Or where can I buy soft, medium and hard so I can play around with different settings.

Im having a hard time nailing two turns and im going to stiffen the rear up.

Thx

[nitro22]

http://www.nitrohouse.com/parts,_mbx-5.htm (http://)

Light blue =soft. Grey=med. White=hard. And the Thundertiger blue IMO is slightly stiffer then the white.

[the rock]

are these the right or same ones??

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXT925&P=K

Thx

[the rock]

or these:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCWV4&P=7

[the rock]

thx nitro...

I just dont know if these from towerhobbies are a different length or diameter.... I just have everything set up with them and it makes it easier for me.

but if they are different from nitroshouses then Ill just get them from nitrohouse.

thx

[nitro22]

I thought they were Mugen springs. The Kyosho run the same as far as white being the stiffest. You could call them and ask. Ace hardware hobbies has all the same stuff and one of them have a 1-800 number and also take pay-pal.

[guswiththemugen]

I was reading about Mudvaynes problem with his clutch bell gear. Remove the engine and spin your bell gear, if it is tight it has nothing to do with the mesh between your spur and clutch bell. It may have something to do with your flywheel. Tighten your flywheel and re-assemble your clutch and bell gear, see if it is still tight. Sometimes if you dont tighten your flywheel enough it doesnt leave enough room on the engine shaft for the bearings, bell gear and washers to be tightened without binding. If you drive it like this the washers will wear and the cluth bell will free up but your flywheel will most likely free up soon after! Hope this helps.

[fezzy]

I was told that Kyosho/OFNA Springs will not fit with the Mugen shocks as they are a larger bore than other manufacturers, And that you will need to buy the Mugen ones.

[the rock]

thx nitro and fezzy....

[Bus Driver]

That is true on the springs.

[the rock]

so the Mugen springs are a larger bore?

[Rekker]

I am looking to replace the stock ackerman plate on my MBX-5.

I know Ratzas plate can be installed one way to keep the stock steering geometry or flipped over to reduce bump steer.

Do the Racers Edge or Fioroni plates do anything to reduce the bump steer also?

Thanks :)

[fezzy]

The Mugen branded springs are indeed a larger bore to fit big bore shocks with a 3.5mm shaft.

Hi BTW everyone, Not get my Mugen yet... Soon... Soon...

I do have the Mugen Option front hinge pin brace and ackerman plate already though:D

[OldskoolGT]

The Racers Edge ackerman plate is like the Ratzas plate and has the bumpsteer fix.

[Rekker]

Thanks Oldskool.

I was hoping that was the case as it's the Racers Edge components that I like the look of best.:cool:

[Raydee]

Is there a problem with the front hinge pins on the MBX5? My buddy told me that they are a bit too long and need to be shimmed or they will wear the plastic parts very quickly.

[the rock]

well you could look at it that the hing pins are to long... but ... the real problem is that the front and rear hinge PLATES are to thin. you can replace those plates with the after market mugen part. www.mugenseiki.com

or place some small washers to make up for the extra space...

[hung_kuen]

I used o-rings to take up the extra space... works perfect:)

[Godspeed]

Hi there, which side of the optional mugen ackerman plate should be fitted facing up? Is it the flat side or the side with the grooves? Thanks.

[the rock]

the flat side up. The nuts go on the bottom on the shimmed side.

[Godspeed]

Yo rock, that's wat i did...but the nuts (SN3) are supposed to be on top and the ball ends (C0801C) screwed below according to the manual. Are the nuts supposed to fit into the grooves? If thats the case, the flat side should be facing downwards? :confused:

Cheers.

[the rock]

yo god...

i just looked at my girl and your right... sorry.... the shimmed side faces up and the nuts are on the top, flat and ballends on the bottom

:D

[Godspeed]

Hey Rock, thanks again...your a great help. Cheers. :)

[fezzy]

Hi Guys, Looks like my X5 will be on its way anytime soon, Just been reading through the manual and TWF8 review, I was planning on building it as the manual suggests with the recommended base setup, Any comments on this?. The only things I where going to change is not using the O-Rings on the front/centre diff and using 5k front, 7k centre and 1k rear, Anyone tryed this combo?. Also after what I have read on the ackerman plate I intend to shim it, TWF8 say by 3mm under the ballstud itself, This about right?.

Oh, Any other general build tips?

Thanks alot guys

[celittca]

hey guys, I have a stock mbx-5 with C5 and RB 063 pipe. What's the speed I am suppose to be in?? Nowadays my monster trucks loooks so slow....:D :D

[OldskoolGT]

celittca,

I'd guess your buggy could probably do around 45-50 mph. With that C5 it can certainly go faster, but the gearing is holding it back.



Fezzy,

The only useful thing I can think of for building up a X5 is to screw the lower pivot-balls all the way in. If you want to run the front end wider, you need different axles in the car.

[drew840]

i was at the track today and saw this other guys Mugen buggy that had front and rear tension rods that looked just like those on the kanai. Has anybody seen these...??? I thought he said they were Mugen upgrades>>> does anybody know the part number???? or does anybody else make some that fit the Mugen?? Im also looking into what other aftermarket upgrades to get????? Does anybody make a bigger radio box for the mugen??? I think i might get stainless steel screws from rc screwz .com but someone told me be careful where you put them because under high stress they will snap easier!!!! is this true??
hope this makes sense to someone.

[the rock]

hey drew,

I upgraded.. (depedning on your application, it could be a downgrade) my sway bars.

Are his sway bars black? If they are its most likely MBX-4 front and rear sway bars. Thats what I have.

It was defently an improvement on my car. I can take harder turns at a faster speed. I use to flip easier. The softer sway bars are more forgiving for my track.

[the rock]

.

[tpeep]

Hey fellas , I'm getting a MBX5 in a couple of days. What are some of thefirst hopups I should get?

[IBEXrax]

Hey Tpeep,

Check out this:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Mugen_X5_Info/m_1492016/tm.htm

---

and go here for detailed assembly instruction:

http://www.twf8.ws/new/tech/car/mugen/mbx5/mbx5build/mbx5-index.html

---

[the rock]

Gents:

Will a Trinity "AAA" 5 cell 800 MAH last well on the X5 with the high torqe servos? Its really small and can save a lot of room in the radio box.

thx

[winning edge designs]

Rock, the 800 mah will be good for up to 30 minute mains, maximum. But they will work best for less then 30 if you run Two high power servo's and a personal transponder.

In 1/8th scale off-road it's more about consistency then weight. So 1100 or 1200 mah is the way to go. I fit a JR synthesized reciever (kind of big) and a 1200 hump pack in my car no problem...........Jim

[the rock]

hey Jim... thx

Im not trying to save weight... im over that weight saving rampage :) besides the MBX-5 is the undesputed lightweight anyways...

I was just trying to open up some space... I have the set up you have now... it fits fine... a little tight.. but just fine...

Its just that I bought this battery and I didnt know it was 800mah rolleyes: ... I will stick it in my gt or something...

;)

[OldskoolGT]

Rock,

The OFNA "brick pack" is probably the smallest 1000 MAH battery packs around. You can probably fit two of them in battery side of the radio box.

[the rock]

;)

thx

[celittca]

I broke my center diff's gear. One teeth is missing. What should I do? what's the size of the stock spur gear? What are the options:(

[fearlessone]

i know this has been asked im sure but dont feel like
reading through 100 pages.

I was thinking about getting an MBX5 and want to know if there are any weak parts on it? It has CVA's like hyper7 pro doesnt?
Or are they actually universals? The pictures look like CVA's.
And do they bend or break as easy as ofnas?

Right now i have a hyper7 pro and my CVA's break and bend
after awhile.

[Rekker]

So far, the only thing I have broken (or rather, bent) is the front shock tower which I have replaced with Racers Edge.

I have also heard that the steering ackerman is easily bent and the front lower arm support can break where the mounting screw is counter sunk.

I have had a few interesting crashes and have to say this is one tough buggy:D

[the rock]

this buggy is a tank... just buy new shock towers and a new lower hinge pin plate (upgrade from mugen). You could also replace the ackerman plate. I personally NEVER bent mine... but I replaced it anyways after MANY hard hours.

celittca

just buy a new stock spur gear... and make sure your pinion/spur gap is not to big. the spur shouldnt break like that.

[IBEXrax]

Originally posted by fearlessone
know if there are any weak parts? I crash my MBX5 a lot. I have yet to make a clean 5 minute run since I started my 1/8 scale buggy campaign seven months ago last August. Failing eye sight and dwindling reflexes stemming from self abuse that spans over half a century, has given me a unique first hand knowledge of Mugen’s hardy design. With a growing resume that includes now twenty weekends racing, my list of broken parts includes only one rear body mount and one front drive line cup. My most proud moment occurred last weekend when I finally bend the Ackerman-Servo-saver plate. With the 2 to 3 degrees toe-out produced by the bending of the plate, my buggy had a very quick turn-in; just right for the tight little track I was racing on last week end.:D

---

[celittca]

the rock/ where are the best places to order mugen parts on net??

[the rock]

www.nitrohouse.com

[celittca]

i dont' think nitrohouse ships to Canada at all:( :( :( :(

[Hudler]

Hi, have a couple of questions about the x5. What bodies fit the mugen mbx5? Are any of the ofna prepainted bodies any good for this buggy? Which model hyper or 9.5 fit it better? What wheels do you use with the buggy, I have read that some of the 1/8 scale buggy wheels do not fit the mugen properly in the rear. Any truth to this? Thanks.

[speedydave]

Hey guys. I've got some spare captured ball ends from my MBX5 (the ones that go on the steering link between the servo and the bellcrank), and I want to use them for the rear camber links on my XXXNT, but I need balls for them. I don't have any calipers, and I'm not sure what size ball I would need. Does anyone know, or would someone who has calipers be willing to measure for me (in mm)? Thanks.

[mbx5]

after 2 months owning the mbx5, not even races. Just bashing around and this happend

center CVA fall out
spur gear missing 1 teeth
rear CVA pin fell out
rb exhaust copuling broke ( my fault ?? )
proline wheel crack
turnbuckle broke
turnbuckle rod end screw broke


so riight now I need to get a turnbuckle ( where can I get one ?!?!?! ) There's like no LHS carries MUGEN parts. IT's so sad to live in Canada.

one more question, yesteryday I looked at my friend's hyper 7 and his dogbones and turnbuckles are so much thicker than my mbx5. The kanai 2 is also a lot more beefier. ( i kinda feel sad when I saw those ) Did Mugen did this to save the weight of the buggy????:(

[FlyinRazorback]

Originally posted by mbx5
after 2 months owning the mbx5, not even races. Just bashing around and this happend



Why is it that people think racing is harder on buggies than bashing?

[the rock]

Originally posted by FlyinRazorback
Why is it that people think racing is harder on buggies than bashing?

exactly.... Bashing is harder on cars than racing. Ive been racing my mbx5 for about 5 months now... EVERY weeknd... and I have not broken ONE piece (besides the front hinge plate) ONLY time ive busted something is when I BASH!!! For instance... doing full speed off one of the burms... it launches about 40-50 feet long... and ive bent shock shafts, shock barrels, and the bottom shock plastic piece.

This buggy is touph as nails...

mbx:

center CVA fall out - ??

spur gear missing 1 teeth - TO MUCH PLAY

rear CVA pin fell out - MANTAINANCE.. OR WITH A DREMEL PUT A GROOVE ON THE PIN.

rb exhaust copuling broke ( my fault ?? )

proline wheel crack - THAT PRO-LINE WHEEL WAS AFTER MARKET AND COULD HAVE BEEN ON ANY BUGGY.

turnbuckle broke - IF YOU NAILED SOMETHING HARD ENOUPH TO BREAK A TURN BUCKLE... WOULD HAVE HAPPEND TO ANY BUGGY... CHANGE TO TITANIUM.

turnbuckle rod end screw broke - BASHING WILL DO THESE THINGS....

[mbx5]

I guess racing is not that hard compare with bashing. :D Bashing is like messing around with the buggy.

Anyways, where can I order some replacement parts online? i tried acehardware, nitrohouse won't ship outside of usa.:(

[the rock]

do you know anyone in the states that can send them to you???

[auto2]

good point, racing is a controled enviroment. bashing is a big question mark. Like today, I sware I never heard the mack truck coming !

[IBEXrax]

Hudler,
Stock Mugen body works fine. ProLine makes a MBX5 body too. I ran a Ofna 9.5 pre-painted body and it looked great. But, the mounting holes a too close to fit the X5. I had to trim the front so much around the shock tower that the nose quickly broke off. Any industry standard 17mm wheel will fit the 17mm MBX5 hubs. But, the thing is; the X5 hubs are only 3mm deep; where as most buggies have 4mm hubs. Kewl thing is; The X5 kit comes with four 1mm big bore shock spaces that fit nicely into the foreign wheels you happen to have. Just trim off the little ID tab and the 1mm spacers pop right into the hex. You just need one on each rear wheel to clear the rear camber link when you are adjusted to full travel.

mbx5,
Too bad you can not enjoy the discount pricing of Nitrohouse. But, you can get any Mugen part from the North American/Canadian distributor.

Mugen Racing
20525 Crescent Bay Dr.
Orange
Lake Forest
California, 92630
United States
Phone: (949) 707-5607
Fax: (949) 707-5614

Order online through Mugen Direct

http://www.mugenracing.com

---

[the rock]

and you can look up the parts here:

www.mugenseiki.com

[mbx5]

thanks for the replies...:)

so what should I do to make ofna wheel fit at the rear of my buggy??

[OldskoolGT]

Nothing. Ofna wheels (the dish wheels) fit the X5 with no modifications.

[mbx5]

I have those 5 spoke ofna rims and they suck, can't fit the rear. It will rub bad...:(

[needinpower]

MBX5,
IBEX says it all here

Originally posted by IBEXrax
Any industry standard 17mm wheel will fit the 17mm MBX5 hubs. But, the thing is; the X5 hubs are only 3mm deep; where as most buggies have 4mm hubs. Kewl thing is; The X5 kit comes with four 1mm big bore shock spaces that fit nicely into the foreign wheels you happen to have. Just trim off the little ID tab and the 1mm spacers pop right into the hex. You just need one on each rear wheel to clear the rear camber link when you are adjusted to full travel.

[nitro22]

Last year I ran a TTR and a Hyper 7. At the end of Summer I went to a MBX5 and bought a slightly used kanai 2. IMO you will not find a stronger buggy. The kanai 2 is as tough but the arms break easier.

[the rock]

yeah ive read k2 owners say the x4 was more durable than their k2.

[mbx5]

oh really? this makes me really happy then I really can't wait til there's races in my area and enjoy the buggy. :)
I heard the ackerman is the weakest part on the x5, should I go ahead and buy a 5mm one for backup?

[the rock]

well thats all luck... i ran my buggy for about 3 months with the stock ackerman plate and never even bent it. But I went ahead and upgraded to the 5mm one anyways. The weakest part I think is the front hinge bottom plate. Upgrade that piece... its on the mugen site... oh and get the 5mm shock towers...

[mbx5]

the rock/ what's the part # for the front hinge plate?;)

[the rock]

E0119

http://www.mugenseiki.com/menueefi.htm

But... www.racinghardcore.com JUST finished their titanium lower arm support piece.. and Titanium shock towers.... I should have mine in 1 week or so.

They havent posted pics but call and talk to Jennifer...

[Apis]

hardcoreracing's website has no products for the x5. Please provide more infor where to get those ti hardware.

[the rock]

yeah they sure do. they dont have it posted on the sight... but call them and they can tell you what they have.

shock towers
front and rear hinge pin plates
servo plate
chasis (should have it ready)

i just bought titanium products for my x5... and ive been billed.. so i know they do have it.

[FlyinRazorback]

Hey rock, how much are they wanting for the Ti front hinge pin plate?

[winning edge designs]

I don't think the Ratzas guys have Ti parts yet, alot of money for very slight difference in weight or strength, no? Other then thier towers and steering rack/ackerman plate, they do have new Chassis braces that I have on my car, very sweet, eliminating the sloppy ball cup arrangment.........ratzas dot com.....Jim

[FlyinRazorback]

Originally posted by winning edge designs
I don't think the Ratzas guys have Ti parts yet, alot of money for very slight difference in weight or strength, no? Other then thier towers and steering rack/ackerman plate, they do have new Chassis braces that I have on my car, very sweet, eliminating the sloppy ball cup arrangment.........ratzas dot com.....Jim

I wasn't aware Ratzas was making Ti parts. I figured Hardcore would since they have them for everything else.

Jim, are the Ratzas guys planning on making a front hinge pin holder?

[the rock]

Originally posted by FlyinRazorback
I wasn't aware Ratzas was making Ti parts. I figured Hardcore would since they have them for everything else.

Jim, are the Ratzas guys planning on making a front hinge pin holder?

Let me check my invoice tomorrow and I will give you the price on the front hinge plate from hardcore.... Ratzas doesnt make titanium... only hardcore right now. they also have ti radio trey now, center diff brace, front upper brace, even the ti ackerman plate with the 3mm to eliminate the bump steer.

the ti front hinge plate is actually a little heavier the the aluminum 5mm mugen piece.... but MUCH stronger... ti is the way to go there.

I bought the shock towers, front and rear hinge protectors from hardcore.... I already have the Ratzas ackerman plate.... dont need more strenth there... but need more strenth on the front hinge plate.. Ill give you the price tomorrow...

I also have these:

E0120 Al. Front Tension Rod
E0121 Al. Rear Tension Rod

from:

www.mugenseiki.com

under "Whats New"

[Dingus]

Hate to spam the thread, but I've got tons of stock MBX5 parts on ebay right now. My user id is dmong2 or just search for MBX5 and I'll ship internationally.

[OldskoolGT]

Titanium sounds like the right material for that front hinge pin plate. 6-4 Ti is around 50% stronger in tensile strength than 7075 aluminum (IIRC). Definitely worth the small weight increase over the aluminum part.

[the rock]

Originally posted by OldskoolGT
Titanium sounds like the right material for that front hinge pin plate. 6-4 Ti is around 50% stronger in tensile strength than 7075 aluminum (IIRC). Definitely worth the small weight increase over the aluminum part.

agree...

the ti front hinge plate costed me $30.

[mbx5]

These are the new option parts to replace E0112, E0113 right???

E0118
Al. Rear Lower
Arm Support
MBX-5
E0119
Al. Front Lower
Arm Support

[the rock]

yes... id get the shock towers as well....

[mbx5]

what do you guys think of the Fioroni 6mm shock tower??????

Are the Fioroni stuff for mbx5 any goood???? :confused:

[winning edge designs]

The Fioroni stuff is very good, but it's usually priced as well as it works........Just a matter of price versus quality, imo. Most of the other brands work as well, but cost much less.

On the hings pin brace, I haven't seen one from Ratzas yet, but i'll know after RC PRo this weekend in Kissimmee Florida!....ttyl, Jim

[nitro22]

I have used thier stuff in the past and it has been great. I have thier chassis braces on right now and just ordered the front and rear shock towers yesterday. You can't go wrong IMO.

[dirtslinger95]

$535+shipping

[BOWTIE1]

any1 have a sweet set up for the mbx-5?? on a small track a few jumps but real rough track and tight turns....... thanks for the help

[toddzilla]

anyone know if an mbx5 center diff will work on an mbx4-xr?

thanks

[BOWTIE1]

should i wouldnt see why it wouldnt....

[mbx5]

I broke quite a few parts on my mbx-5 :( :( :( :( Where can I order parts for my x5?

www.nitrohouse.com
www.acehardwarehobbies.com

Anybody know where else? mugenracing.com??

[Dingus]

Check my ebay auctions, my user id is dmong2

[speedydave]

What's everybody's maintenance schedules like? I haven't been racing my MBX5 for a while ($$ and got sick of the maintenance, lol), but when I did, I did a full rebuild every other raceday, including de-burring the aluminum clutch shoes. The thought of selling the buggy has run through my head several times (I'm racing a Drake right now, and I want another T-Maxx to play with, and possibly race). Buggy is fun, but it's screwing with my 1/10 driving, and maintenance, honestly, sucks. Opinions?

[masshybrid]

Speedydave: ditto.

Maintenance is horrible. I know that it is part of rc, but it gets to the point where it stops being fun. After running my xxx4,b4, and now a xxxs for the winter, electric is looking better and better. Granted, I break more parts, but I'm not sitting around troubleshooting about a problem with the car either.

But then again, none of these cars can jump a 40 ft. set of doubles at 40mph and keep going .

[the rock]

everything has its trade off!!!

[karl kobernus]

I check my buggy after each race (clutch shoes, bearings, bushings and all arms and carriers for play) and replace as needed. As for shocks and diffs they get serviced or tuned for just about every different track that I go to.

As far as electrics go.............. the only thing that I have that can keep up with my MBX5 is my XXX4, but it doesn't sound as cool,jump as well or as far and only one of the tracks near me races the XXX4.

I would run the MBX5 every weekend if I had the time.

[speedydave]

I hope you guys know that by 1/10, I mean gas truck. :)

[winning edge designs]

I'll agree, maintenance isn't much fun, but is a needed evil. Troubleshooting is actually fun for me, since i'm an automotive master technician i've got an almost self abusive completely obsessive need to find the problem, no matter what.....haven't been stumped yet, :).

I have compared my XXX4 and my 1/8th scale(Mugen,Kyosho,etc,etc.) and the XXX4 is always fastest, by a large margin, even on gas specific tracks with huge straights. The margin is even bigger on electric style tracks, like Minnreg in Clearwater for example. At the boggy creek track i'm usually a full second, or more faster then the 1/8th scale TQ time............The outright speed on the XXX4 is far superior, but it doesn't have the cool engine noise and doesn't take a beating as well..................They all have thier place, imo, Jim

[the rock]

Gents:

Got my ti parts!!! :)

I will post some pics soon...

[the rock]

here's a preview of the ti parts before instalation.

[the rock]

the front hinge plate is 2mm. The stock aluminum piece is 3mm. They did this to keep the same weight... but it makes me wonder if it will be as touph as the 5mm aluminum.

the shock towers are 3mm.

Even if the 2mm is as touph or toupher than the 5mm aluminum I dont like the idea that its only 2mm. The hinge pins dont fit nice, unless you add washers. Even if it would have been much heavier I think it would have been fine... a nice tight fit would have been nice with an undestructable plate. They actually sent me two front plates and left out the rear one... GOOD... Ill see how stacking the two 2mm ti will work up front....

:cool:

[BOWTIE1]

nice ti parts.....

is any1 having a prob with clutch bell berrings...i keep blowing mine:(

[winning edge designs]

Weired, the Ti parts are thinner, even the towers? I'm surprised they went that way, i'm thinking the Ti will still bend easily if they aren't any thicker, even with a higher tensil strength?

I've blown a few clutch bell bearings too, but only on tracks with really big jumps. Another way they blow is if they don't have enough free play to allow the clutch bell to float......Check it out and see, Jim

[the rock]

the shock towers will still be much stronger.... its the front hinge plate im not to sure about.... But then again.. I have NEVER broke a titanium part in 15 years.... the great thing about titanium is that it has memory... if it bends... it goes back to its original shape... unlike aluminum and steel.

as far as the bearing.... put as many bearings you can fit in the clutch bell. I think you can add like two more un-flanged bearings inbetween... so you will have a total of 3 to 4 bearings... I did this and my problem went away on many cars. The stress on the bearings is distributed threw out 4 bearing , instead of just two. Less stress per bearing = less bearing failure...

[Jeff Cain]

So if the stock front hinge plate is 3mm and the ti is 2mm, why not use them both at the same time to equal the 5mm aftermarket piece? Maybe the ti piece is designed to reinforce the 3mm piece, not replace it...

[BOWTIE1]

ok thanks for the input on the bearings i did look at it ....it does have a lil play to float back and forth just a lil... just strange after 3 tanks it will blow the bearrings just in my x5 and not in my h7 they last 4 ever it seems....

[OldskoolGT]

The stock shock towers are also 3 mm.

It wold be interesting to see how the ti towers compare to the CNC aluminum parts which are 66% thicker and made my wallet 20% lighter. :)

[the rock]

Originally posted by Jeff Cain
So if the stock front hinge plate is 3mm and the ti is 2mm, why not use them both at the same time to equal the 5mm aftermarket piece? Maybe the ti piece is designed to reinforce the 3mm piece, not replace it...

well I was talking to one of the guys involved in the design and it was designed to replace... but theres no reason why it cant reinforce.... They sent me two of these so I will use two Ti plates to equal 4mm.

[the rock]

Originally posted by OldskoolGT
The stock shock towers are also 3 mm.

It wold be interesting to see how the ti towers compare to the CNC aluminum parts which are 66% thicker and made my wallet 20% lighter. :)

the shock towers are the same weight as the 5mm... but will be stronger... But to tell you the truth I cant imagine bending the 5mm CNC.... ESPECIALLY since I dont bash the car. One thing that does give me a peice of mind though is the memory the ti has.... like carbon... will just bend back and not stay bent... especially for the front plate. :) And after a big crash im always checking to see if the towers are lined up... or if the bottom plate is straight after my runs.... wont have to do that anymore..... I have to admit though... yes it was expensive (compared).

[winning edge designs]

Maybe i've just had some misfortune, but i've bent and broken titanium turnbuckles in 1/10th scale. I've never used Titanium in 1/8th scale though...........Hinge pins have been the worst for me, titanium ones bend all the time in 1/10th scale electric and gas, drill steel pins are much stronger, with titanium placing between aluminum and steel parts. I suppose ti would be good were steel is to heavy and aluminum is too soft, just not sure how the thickness vs strength works out. For example, is 3mm ti much stronger then 5mm aluminum and is it 10%, 30%, or 50% or so stronger?.....hmmmm, Jim

[OldskoolGT]

I've managed to bend a couple of Ti hinge pins on my 1/8 buggy. The weight savings is impressive though considering how big those lower suspension arm hinge pins are though. I wouldn't reccomend them though just because they wear out kind of quick.

[the rock]

winning... yeah im not to sure on the differences... oldschool seems to know more in that department. i guess ti WILL eventually break or bend with enouph force... ti can also loose its mind (memory) ;)

the guy at hardcore did tell me that 3mm of ti is as light and stronger than 5mm aluminum... BUT 2mm ti against 5mm CNC... hmmmmm....but im stacking the two 2mm ti plates.... should make it pretty much unbreakable.

[karl kobernus]

I bent the ratzas front shock tower last weekend at the rc/pro race in orlando. Of course the track was like racing on concrete. I'm not sure what to replace it with. Wouldn't doubling up on the ti shock towers put more stress on the bulkhead, having that break before bending the tower????

[the rock]

i meant im just doubling up on the front hinge pin plate with two 2mm ti pieces to equal 4mm. But NOT on the shock towers.

the standard 3mm ti shock towers from Hardcore will be stronger and will be your ticket!!!

www.racinghardcore.com

they dont have the mbx5 parts updated... they are lagging in that department... but drop them a ring.

[winning edge designs]

Karl, I raced that race and also broke some stuff, the track was brutal. I actually had my engine move and tear up a clutch bell(it was tight, yikes!) The same impact toasted my reciever which took the last two rounds to diagnose(intermittant).....I haven't bent A Ratzas tower yet, but I have seen it happen to bobby Moore in really voilent impact were it's likely Nothing would survive!................i'd stick with the Ratzas parts, imo.


oldskool, rock, i've noticed extreme wear of the pins and plastic that rides on them as well myself. Titanium is much more abrasive then aluminum or steel, which is why it's expensive to machine, very hard on CNC bits, etc.

I really am convinced that the whole Titanium thing is more about how cool and high tech the name sounds, more then performance, especially considering it's cost vs performance.

I've worn out 2 or 3 pairs of dogbone pins per car without ever bending a Ratzas aluminum tower (6 cars so far)........Jim

[karl kobernus]

My engine also moved in all 3 heats and one of the guys that came down with me toasted 2 center diffs because of it. I also went through 2 receivers. That track was not kind to the buggies.
Jim--How did you do at the race? I ended up third in the I main. I didn't think that was too bad for me, being I've only been racing for less than a year. Got my 63 whole points. If you don't plan on going to round 2 you will be missing out on a good track.

[karl kobernus]

I do plan on staying with the ratzas towers and ackerman. I have the Mugen stuff for the rest. Ratzas did say that they were working on making the hinge pin mounts and chassis braces. I did get some brass bushing insead of the plastic ones that after the races were hella sloppy. Hopefully these will last longer. I'll let everyone know. I'll post a pic of them later as well.

[the rock]

Originally posted by karl kobernus
I do plan on staying with the ratzas towers and ackerman. I have the Mugen stuff for the rest. Ratzas did say that they were working on making the hinge pin mounts and chassis braces. I did get some brass bushing insead of the plastic ones that after the races were hella sloppy. Hopefully these will last longer. I'll let everyone know. I'll post a pic of them later as well.

karl:

very interested in those brass bushings!!! Did you have them made or what did they come off?

And stick to what you think works best for yourself. Ive been racing RC for about 15 years and still have one ti peice to bent... I cant count on my toes, fingers and hairs how many CNC aftermarket etc parts ive bent and broke. So for my personal experience its beyond being cool, ti has saved me money and headaches in the long run To tell you the truth I prefer carbon on the towers.... On my X5 I left the hinge pins stock.... just my .02cnts ... cheers!!!

:cool:

[cpittmx]

Originally posted by winning edge designs
Weired, the Ti parts are thinner, even the towers? I'm surprised they went that way, i'm thinking the Ti will still bend easily if they aren't any thicker, even with a higher tensil strength?

I've blown a few clutch bell bearings too, but only on tracks with really big jumps. Another way they blow is if they don't have enough free play to allow the clutch bell to float......Check it out and see, Jim

yeah i think its weird also especially considering the stock ones were too thin and you had to shim the pins so the arms didnt move back and forth.

[the rock]

well I JUST finished the installation on the front plate and towers. I see why the plate is thinner now. First of all the aftermarket mugen plate is not 5mm... its like 3.8 or 3.9mm

The ti plate is like 2.2mm, but it doesnt have the groove that lets the plastic bushing enter the plate. In other words when you put the bushing on its not flush with the plate. So to the hinge pins its like if the ti plate was 3.2mm thick, the bushing is 1mm thick. So in reallity its just about .5 thinner that the CNC mugen piece when its all said and done. BUT still to loose on the bushing and hinges for my taste.

So what I did is that I put two 2.2mm plates together... total thickness is 5.4mm, including the bushing.... now the hinge pins dont reach far enough for lock the e-clip... so all I did was with a dremal... I grinded the hump of the plastic piece on the other side of the hinge pin... and WALLAAAAA.... Is fits like granny underwear now. It honestly couldnt be snugger. Im VERY happy now... and have tons of strenth... Ill send some pics in a while!!!

[the rock]

heres some pics

[the rock]

otro

[the rock]

one more

[the rock]

rear

[the rock]

the 8 hour maintenance!!! before and after

[the rock]

.

[karl kobernus]

I got the brass bushings from Lance Norrick. The guy who is hosting round 2 of the east pro series race. A complete set for front and rear. I think he charged me $25 or 30. You can contact him through this website for his track. www.victorylanekarting.com they need a small bit of hand fitting to fit into the aftermaket pieces, but I think that they will wear better.

Karl

[Bus Driver]

ok guys here a trick for you.DO NOT USE METEL IN PLACE OF THE PLASTIC BUSHINGS.This was a great design.The enginer put them there so they will wear.They wear out and nothing else does.You replace them very cheap.

To take some of the slope out of there use the small o-rings that you did not use in the diffs and put them on the hinge pins before the e-clip.Then add alittle shoe goo and your all set.This make them nice and snoog and wont bind.

[Bus Driver]

If you guys really want these things hardcore raceing products has them all ready to go.

[winning edge designs]

Karl, I ended up qualifying in the L, ahead of 5 guys in total! I bumped up 4 mains and during the warm-up of the 5th main my battery went dead, so it would have been nice to have gas truck in between for maintenance time. Running all the lower buggy mains back to back was weird....After finishing 2nd overall(east coast) and winning one round in RC Pro earlier i'm a bit dissapointed, but that's gas racing......................Jim

[karl kobernus]

Allright I guess I am going to have to change from the ratzas shock towers. After today's little fiasco of the front left tower arm getting all discombobulated, I think I am going to take Jim's advice and go with the Ti towers. Is hardcore still doing the part trade-in deal?? I hope so.

On a different note I finished 5th in that race that your pack died in. Hope to see you at the Charlotte race.

[karl kobernus]

Here's a pic of the buggy in action

[the rock]

Originally posted by karl kobernus
I think I am going to take Jim's advice and go with the Ti towers.

That was my advise Karl... ;)

Im not sure if Hardcore does a trade in on other company products... as I understand it its with there own hardcore products. But give them a call... you never know!!! It sounds like your the perfect person to put these ti towers to test.

good luck

[thndrchckn93]

Hey guys, hows it going? I am thinking about getting this buggy. Is it worth the price, or should i just get a RTR? The guy that im buying it from only wants $475 shipped. If I do end up buying the MBX-5, what engine should I get for it? I really dont want it to be a high-dollar engine, but it has to keep up with them. I was thinking about getting the MX-3 radio, but Im not sure about the servos. What are some high-torque servos for less than $80? Is there anything else I would need for the buggy, or anything that needs to be hopped up on it? Thanks, Scott

[karl kobernus]

Thunderchicken,
IF you can find a guy that will sell you an MBX5 for $475, BUY IT, then run away quickly before he wants it back. As for a motor, several of the guys at the track I run at use the OS-RG .21. I am also thinking of buying one of these motors. It's only about $110, has a ton of low end power and it still has a decent top end. I wouldn't use it for tracks with long straights, but it is great for small to mid size tracks. For servos, try hitec. You can get a high speed/torque metal gear servo for about $80-90, that would be the 945 I believe.
Hop ups.......the MBX5 is pretty much ready out of the box. If you had to upgrade anything, the first thing I did was the front and rear chassis braces and the rear mount. Those will help with the chassis flex. Second, perhaps shock towers and the ackerman brace. Then the front lower hinge mount. After that I think it's pretty much eye candy.

Hope this helps you out and not confuse you too much.

Karl

[thndrchckn93]

Thanks Karl

[nitrojunkee]

I just got my x5, and plan on racing this season. What does anybody reccomond on purchasing as far as a replacement parts stash suggest? I want to have the spares im going to more likely break on hand. Any suggestions?
Mark.

[Hudler]

I have a new x5 and am ready to start building. I have a couple of questions to start, and I know some of this has been discussed earlier, but its nice for us new guys to get the most current info. Firstly, I am only using the kit supplied diff fluid. 1000 and 3000. If I use 3000 for the front and center diff, should I still leave out the s3 o-rings? Should I at least use the o-rings in the front? Also would shoogoo be ok for the brake pads, I also have tire glue, which would you use. Any help is appreciated, Thanks.

[NoleC5]

Originally posted by nitrojunkee
I just got my x5, and plan on racing this season. What does anybody reccomond on purchasing as far as a replacement parts stash suggest? I want to have the spares im going to more likely break on hand. Any suggestions?
Mark.

nitrojunkee, the only parts that I have broken more than once were the front lower A arms and front shock shafts. I think these would be great parts to keep on hand. Also might not be a bad idea to pick up some of the parts that are made to ware out (plastic bushings for hinge pins and plastic bushings that go inside the shocks on the upper monnts). These parts are made to ware out over time and can be replaced to "freshin" the buggie up.

I the the cradock brakes are a good idea to pick up as well. They last a lot longer, stop better and you don't have to use the "blue" pads. The only two other optoin parts I would pick up would be a ratsaz acerman bar and a set up chassis braces (ratsaz, mugen, fironii, ect.).

[speedydave]

Hey, what servos are you guys running? I took a break from running my MBX5 for the winter and just ran my Drake, and I'm going to start running my MBX5 again, but I need new servos. One of my friends is trying to get me to go KO, and if I did I'd get the 2173 for throttle. Does anyone have any experience with that servo? I've got some pretty specific requirements for throttle servos for me (mainly that they're metal geared, coreless, and analog, plus have decent speed and torque). I was also looking at the Futaba 9402 for throttle. The KO is $90 at stormer and the Futaba is $80 at Tower. If I had the money I'd probably just go for a 94357, but I've heard people say that they had motor problems with their 357's, and I really don't feel like having my first runaway, especially with my buggy. I pretty much have steering figured out though (Futaba 9350). Thanks!

[masshybrid]

Originally posted by Hudler
I have a new x5 and am ready to start building. I have a couple of questions to start, and I know some of this has been discussed earlier, but its nice for us new guys to get the most current info. Firstly, I am only using the kit supplied diff fluid. 1000 and 3000. If I use 3000 for the front and center diff, should I still leave out the s3 o-rings? Should I at least use the o-rings in the front? Also would shoogoo be ok for the brake pads, I also have tire glue, which would you use. Any help is appreciated, Thanks.

Using the supplied o-rings in combination with the supplied diff oil makes for a very tight diff. It would be comparable to running 10k in the front and center( without o -rings.) I would suggest building one diff with o-rings and build one without o-rings just so you have an idea of just how tight they are.

Shoe-goo will work fine, that's what I use.

[Techspert]

Guys,

What is the upper arm position (part E0111a,b,c,d) for?

If I use E0111a will I have a tighter steering radius and less push in a turn or more?

My problem is that I have a LOT of push when in a slow speed turn. It is VERY frustrating !!! Everyone else seems to turn on a dime. I have learn the technique of using some brake when approaching a turn, but even when going slow in the dirt and trying to turn around, my turning radius seems very wide. I have adjusted the turn radius on my 3pj so as to not excessively strain the servo but I always seem to have some sort of push effect going on. Please help.


Thanx.

[thndrchckn93]

Ive started to build my buggy but I have ran into a little problem. I'm not sure what step but when you have to put the axle into the hub and slide the hex on and put the pin in, the hole seems to be less than 1mm off. It doesn't come out far enough. I have compared it to the other three axles and it looks exactly the same, but when I stick this one through there the hole is off, with the other three its not. Anyone else have this happen to them? What should I do?

[masshybrid]

Originally posted by Techspert
Guys,

What is the upper arm position (part E0111a,b,c,d) for?

If I use E0111a will I have a tighter steering radius and less push in a turn or more?

My problem is that I have a LOT of push when in a slow speed turn. It is VERY frustrating !!! Everyone else seems to turn on a dime. I have learn the technique of using some brake when approaching a turn, but even when going slow in the dirt and trying to turn around, my turning radius seems very wide. I have adjusted the turn radius on my 3pj so as to not excessively strain the servo but I always seem to have some sort of push effect going on. Please help.


Thanx.


Are you using the supplied o-rings in the front diff? If so take them out.

[Toiffel]

OK, it's late so this might sound dumb, I've been working on my buggy and I ran in to a dilema..... the failsafe doesn't fit (mpi failsafe) any ideas where should I install in, or maybe there's a micro failsafe that will fit??? Any help much appreciated.
Thanks.

[IBEXrax]

Originally posted by thndrchckn93
It doesn't come out far enough. I have compared it to the other three axles and it looks exactly the same
Check to make sure that the bearings a seated completely in the carrier.

[IBEXrax]

Originally posted by Toiffel
the failsafe doesn't fit (mpi failsafe) any ideas where should I install
I installed my MIP between the wing stays.

[IBEXrax]

Originally posted by Techspert
What is the upper arm position (part E0111a,b,c,d) for?
Raising and lowering a suspension link attach point (in this case the inside upper front) changes the roll center. In the case of the front upper arm shaft, a change in height is proportional to a change in roll center. Moving the shaft up raises the roll center and the chassis will roll more. The more the chassis rolls, the more it will want to turn.

[Toiffel]

Ibex
Sorry I still can't figure it out, can you post a pic so I can see where to put the failsafe?? How do you protect it??

[Toiffel]

#1

[Toiffel]

...

[Toiffel]

2

[Toiffel]

Does anyone know if the aluminum ackerman 5mm made by Mugen fixes the bumpsteer problem??

[OldskoolGT]

Toiffel,

Mugen's part doesn't have the bumpsteer fix. Ratzas and Racers Edge do have the fix on their CNC ackerman plates.

[cpittmx]

engine question...I was looking into picking up a P5 for my X5. I have noticed several versions of this and not sure what the differences are. For instance on nitrohouse they have a top P5 and a rex P5. Does anyone know what the difference is? Also noticed the JP modifieds and im assuming thats a company that takes the P5 and mods it? Is the JP worth the extra money? Does the mods significantly reduce the durability of the engine? Im just racing local clubs and I'm sure the regular P5 is good enough, but faster is always better:D Last year I ran the OS VZB, and I'm still happy with that engine, but thought that I would add a second engine to my arsenal.

[Toiffel]

1

[Toiffel]

2

[Toiffel]

yup, I forgot to mask the windows, but I'm going to use some chrome vinyl to fix that!!!!

[ddierking]

Heres a pick of my new X5 with a Wasp 26. Unfortunately you can't see the glitter in each of the colors. Much brighter in person.

http://home.centurytel.net/cny24038/mymugen.jpg

[masshybrid]

Mugen, the multi colored Seiki,
Had a very bad paint job.
When all the Kanai's saw it ,
They would even say it glowed.


That is one unique paint job.
:D

[Toiffel]

ok now it has windows

[Mudvayne]

Well, it's been a while since I have posted here because once I completed my mbx5 I bought me a savage .25 and started messing with that. It's been a while since I've completed it, but I finally decided to blow the dust off and start breaking this sucker in. I've got the O.S. .21 vz-b engine on it by the way. I had to use a heat gun just so that my starter box would even crank it up this engine was so tight. Man, the factory settings are super rich but I leaned it out just enough so that I could drive it around the yard slow and gradually move up in speed. I'm using some directions that I got from the O.S. website to break it in and it seems to be working great. I've got about half a gallon in it so far and it seems to get better every time I run it. This sucker is super fast! I had no idea.lol I've never ran it on the track yet just on my property which is short grass. Anyway, this engine whines up so high at open throttle but it keeps going faster and faster. Anyway, this weekend it will hit the track and I will let yall know how it goes. Oh, and I found out the hard way that this thing does not handle well at all in rocks. The guys where I work wanted to see it run and all we have is a rock drive way so I won't be doing that again.lol Man, you can put this thing in a turn and open up the throttle and it will sit there doing donuts in 1 place very fast. Yeah, it's definately going on a track the next time I run it because I can't wait to see how it runs and handles on a real surface with traction.

[cpittmx]

Can anyone tell me if there is a difference between the Novarossi P5, Top P5, and Rex P5. And, If so what are the differences?

[OldskoolGT]

They are all the same now. The only difference is the head color.

[Mudvayne]

I figure with all the money I have into my mbx5 it would be a good idea to have a fail safe on it. I understand that there are a number of different brands out there but can any of yall recommend a good one that would work well with the mbx5? Thanks in advance.

[Toiffel]

I need help, still can't figure out where to fit the failsafe!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can anyone post a picture????
Thanks

[Toiffel]

OK this is what I'm going to run this summer:

MBX5 (lol)
RB WS7II
THS one piece 86 pipe
THS Air filter
Ofna 1400 hump pack
Hitec 5925 Digital Servo for Steering
Hitec 625 Throttle & Brakes
KO Mars Radio
20% Byron
Nylon clutch shoes
Stock Set up

[MBX5_RacerX]

I mounted my fail safe on top of my reciever box lid. I had to drill a hole through the lid to route the wires. Then, I put some shoe goo over the hole to seal it. It works good, and was a simple solution. I can maybe get pics this weekend.

[the rock]

Put it here Toiffel... were my temp guage is located. My fail safe is in my box :)

[Toiffel]

Originally posted by the rock
Put it here Toiffel... were my temp guage is located. My fail safe is in my box :)
Thanks Rock, what failsafe are u using?? And how do I protect the failsafe from dirt, and that stuff??

[Toiffel]

Can anyone explain the difference between the white and black mugen shoes??

[the rock]

Originally posted by Toiffel
Thanks Rock, what failsafe are u using?? And how do I protect the failsafe from dirt, and that stuff??

Im using the venom.... and have also used the ofna which is smaller, but I like the venom one. I have it on 7 cars and not one problem with any.

Well I dont have a problem of getting it to dusty their. I suppose if you have a problem with dust their you can wrap it in ceran wrap, a balloon, condom. Nitro makes them kinda sticky and messy though. Maybe just wrap some electrical tape around it....

[Toiffel]

Originally posted by the rock
Im using the venom.... and have also used the ofna which is smaller, but I like the venom one. I have it on 7 cars and not one problem with any.

Well I dont have a problem of getting it to dusty their. I suppose if you have a problem with dust their you can wrap it in ceran wrap, a balloon, condom. Nitro makes them kinda sticky and messy though. Maybe just wrap some electrical tape around it....
And how do you fit everything inside??? I've tried and can't seem to fit it in there???

[the rock]

here are my positions.....

I have a JR R135 receiver, and a medium sized 5 cell... flat hump on top

[the rock]

and ive slightly cut my covers to get a good fit

[ddierking]

Dynamite makes a micro fail safe. Its what I have in my MBX5. The part number is DYN2553. It fits great in the receiver box.

[Mudvayne]

Well, I just ordered the venom failsafe and am probably going to put it where rock says. I'll figure something out like maybe just putting a balloon over it to keep the dirt and fuel from getting on it. Tomorrow will be the first day I will finally have this thing on the track. I can't wait!

[the rock]

Well, I just ordered the venom failsafe and am probably going to put it where rock says. I'll figure something out like maybe just putting a balloon over it to keep the dirt and fuel from getting on it. Tomorrow will be the first day I will finally have this thing on the track. I can't wait!

hey Mudvayne:

what receiver are you using and what battery pack?

[Toiffel]

here are my positions.....

I have a JR R135 receiver, and a medium sized 5 cell... flat hump on top
Thanks Rock, I finally made it fit, no cutting needed, I just had to re-arrange the wires and everything fits!!!!

[the rock]

Thanks Rock, I finally made it fit, no cutting needed, I just had to re-arrange the wires and everything fits!!!!

GREAT!!!

Now that I remember I cut it because I USE to have my receiver the opposite way and the servo plugs on the receiver were in the way... :rolleyes:

[cpittmx]

They are all the same now. The only difference is the head color.


ok..thanks for the info.

[Toiffel]

Hey guys what do you think on my custom decal?

[Toiffel]

I'm getting there, tomorrow picking up pipe and going to break in motor!!!!

[Mudvayne]

Hey Rock I'm using the receiver that came with the JR xs3 radio (RS300) and am using a dynamite 1100 NIMH 5 cell hump pack, so there is no way that this failsafe is going to fit in there. I'm thinking I could just get a battery pack similar to yours and just stick it right in the battery case. I'll have to figure it out. I might take a ride to my local hobbyshop and see if they have anything once I receive my failsafe.

[Techspert]

Hey guys what do you think on my custom decal?

Nice, how did you do it?

[Toiffel]

Thanks, I had to re-create the logo and then I printed on clear, I used metalic silver with black outline, I did on a digital printer.

[masshybrid]

Thanks, I had to re-create the logo and then I printed on clear, I used metalic silver with black outline, I did on a digital printer.


Those decals would look really nice on my buggy too. ;) hint hint hint

[rc10gtisthebest]

I am about to upgrade my RR to a X5 (finally, LOL) and I plan on running a CMB EVO2R engine. And i was surfing the thread and saw that many of you guys agreed that RatZa's was probably the best company for Towers/Ackerman.
What do you guys think of the Eck-Tek Parts and the Fironi (sp?) parts

Thanks,
Todd

[masshybrid]

I am about to upgrade my RR to a X5 (finally, LOL) and I plan on running a CMB EVO2R engine. And i was surfing the thread and saw that many of you guys agreed that RatZa's was probably the best company for Towers/Ackerman.
What do you guys think of the Eck-Tek Parts and the Fironi (sp?) parts

Thanks,
Todd

If your converting your rr to an x5, that is impossible. If your replacing your rr with an x5, congrats. Though the rr is still competitive, it's nice getting new toys. I don't have any of these upgrade parts( I make my own), but they are nice and expensive. Personally, I would say go with the Ratzas, because they come in black. As for the cmb, I hear they are awesome. Keep us posted on the engine. Good luck.

[rc10gtisthebest]

If your converting your rr to an x5, that is impossible. If your replacing your rr with an x5, congrats. Though the rr is still competitive, it's nice getting new toys. I don't have any of these upgrade parts( I make my own), but they are nice and expensive. Personally, I would say go with the Ratzas, because they come in black. As for the cmb, I hear they are awesome. Keep us posted on the engine. Good luck.


no no no, I know that They can't be converted. ;) I was talking about replacing it. LOL..

Right now I have a CMB LSI Evo2 in my RR and it'll tear up any RB (C5's included).

Anyways, Any other comments on Aftermarket parts?

Thanks!

[masshybrid]

I would upgrade the ackerman plate,front hinge pin brace, and rear chassis brace. The first two are prone to bending and breakage, while the latter will stiffen the chassis up considerably.

As for the CMB, how many gallons so far? Any probs with the carb?

[rc10gtisthebest]

The CMB probably still only has about 2 gallons. It's got the Flatside on it. And I love it. Holds tunes better then my RG, SBK, or V99b. But due to alot of complaints, CMB has dropped the Flatside carb and they have a std style one.

[rc10gtisthebest]

i forgot. As far as Manufacterer of the parts I might buy, I'll probably my Fioroni. I have a few of their stuff already and their great...

[Toiffel]

Those decals would look really nice on my buggy too. ;) hint hint hint
Sure let me know!

[masshybrid]

Sure let me know!

Need any parts for your x5?

[Toiffel]

Need any parts for your x5?
I don't have a single spare part, so whatever you have is good!!

[masshybrid]

I don't have any spare parts either, but I can machine parts. I made a rear chassis brace and a front hinge pin brace so far. I've got a program and material for some ackerman plates, just waiting for an open machine at work.


Well, these days are far and few: I drove 1 and a half hours to drive the buggy at a bmx track that I used to race at. 3/4 gallon of fuel, one glow plug, and five hours later, I came out victorious with no broken parts whatsoever.

[Toiffel]

Hey that's a nice track!!! I'm still breaking in my RB WS7II, hopefully I will be able to hit the dirt next week, opening season is May 2, but I want to get everything ready before that day.

[Mudvayne]

I finally got my mbx5 on the track this weekend. The track I was on is designed for 1/8 scale buggys so there are huge jumps and long straights. This thing is extremely tough. A few times I would land just short on the quadruple and really smack down hard and not one thing would break. The only mishap I had was my wheel flying off but that was only because the nut had backed it's way off. I guess that's why it is important to check that every few runs.lol The engine is now tuned perfectly. It's sounds as if it is running too lean the way it whines up. This thing screams and is extremely powerful from low end to top end. Right now it is running at 140 degrees after a full tank really opening this engine up on the straights. This is the O.S. .21 vz-b by the way. The guy's at the track were telling me to change the differentials oils to a 5000,7000,1000 combination and to get me an airtronics 358 servo for the steering and I will enjoy it 75% better because I have to admit I was not too impressed how it turned in the corners even after I put some toe-out on the front wheels. I've got the stock setup which I believe is a 3000,3000,2000 combination (I can't really remember what is was) which everyone out there was saying sucks because they could tell my diffs were slipping a little bit and not doing there job the way they are supposed to. I hear that the stock setup for the oils in the instructions truly do suck and now I see why. I could tell that most of the buggys were handling alot better than mine on the corners but I hope those modifications really help because that was the only reason I could not keep up with them. Other than that I love this thing, I could not keep my hands from shaking my adrenaline was pumping so hard.lol So what do yall think? Will those couple of mods really do the trick? I mean it sounded as if they knew what they were talking about but they all had the kanaii's out there. Thanks.

[masshybrid]

They told you right. I have the same diff setup and it seems to work good, though more time on the track would help. As for the servo, a faster/stonger servo is like night and day.

[the rock]

I think the servo will make a bigger difference. I dont know how rough your track is but what I did was put 50% oil in the back with white springs (stiffer), and it helped my steering a lot. These X5's seem to have a little of a push through turns.... power slides also help... but like mass said, practice practice practice...

[Mudvayne]

Cool, I'll go ahead and try that setup then. I currently have a Hitec 645 servo for the steering but it is pretty slow, I would prefer something faster. Another question, I'm currently running with the O.S. T-2030 blue pipe only because I could not find the T-2050 pipe. I found one finally. Is it worth buying? I like the idea of it being a single peice and I heard it actually makes the engine run a little better. Also, and this could just be because I'm paranoid, the front of the chasis is bent upwards slightly, but it looks like it could have been this way originally. I took a few hard landings on the nose and was just hoping a did not bend it up, I'm pretty sure it's normal though.lol Thanks again, I'm going back to go and clean it up again because man I didn't realize just how messy these things can get.lol Oh well, that's what off road racing is all about.

[Toiffel]

Cool, I'll go ahead and try that setup then. I currently have a Hitec 645 servo for the steering but it is pretty slow, I would prefer something faster. Another question, I'm currently running with the O.S. T-2030 blue pipe only because I could not find the T-2050 pipe. I found one finally. Is it worth buying? I like the idea of it being a single peice and I heard it actually makes the engine run a little better. Also, and this could just be because I'm paranoid, the front of the chasis is bent upwards slightly, but it looks like it could have been this way originally. I took a few hard landings on the nose and was just hoping a did not bend it up, I'm pretty sure it's normal though.lol Thanks again, I'm going back to go and clean it up again because man I didn't realize just how messy these things can get.lol Oh well, that's what off road racing is all about.
Yup that's the way the chasis is, you didn't bend anything!!

[Mudvayne]

Yep, I figured I was just being paranoid.lol I'll say it once again, this thing is one tough buggy. Well, looks like I've got a little work ahead of me with rebuilding all 3 diffs. Oh well, I built the kit so it should not be too hard and take too long.

[speedydave]

Hey guys..I haven't posted here in a while, since I haven't been running my MBX5 for a while. I'm going to be getting my MBX5 back together to start racing again since outdoor season is starting again. How many of you have used an RB WS7 (first version, not WS7II) in your MBX5's, and what were your clutch setups? I really like how snappy it is with aluminum shoes and either 1.0 or 1.1mm springs, but I hate the maintenance you have to do with the aluminum shoes. If I have to, I'll continue to do it, but is there an alternative to the aluminum shoes that will last longer and be just as snappy? I used to use black mugen shoes and 1.1 springs with my MBX4, and it sucked compared to my MBX5. I've heard of people using Kyosho clutch stuff on the MBX5...anyone tried this? Comments? Thanks.

[OldskoolGT]

Mudvayne,

Definitely buy the T-2050 pipe. I have found that it works well with RB, Novarossi, and Picco engines. You might also want to check the tightness of your servo saver. Too loose and you will lose steering. And don't forget to ditch the 4 small o-rings in the front and center diff.

speedydave,

To use Kyosho clutch parts (shoes and springs) on a Mugen, you need to use a Kyosho flywheel because the pins in the K flywheel are bigger.

[Mudvayne]

I'm done with rebuilding my diffs with putting #5000 in the front, #7000 in the middle, and #1000 in the back. Man, does anyone else notice that the fluid smells like rotten cabbage once they have been used before?lol I've ran about a gallon through my buggy so far and I did notice that the fluid had turned dark but I know this is normal, I did not know that this stuff wreaked afterwards.lol Anyway, I have a cosmetic question. The only thing I like better about the Kanai is the green spoiler and rims. Does anybody make this same green color that would work with the mbx5? I could only find yellow from pro-line. Not that this is important I just love the green that's all and how it shines on the track opposed to the dull white. Thanks in advance.

[masshybrid]

I too like the green color ( reminds me of a Kawasaki ). Not really sure of the color selection but you could try some Rit dye.

[rc10gtisthebest]

I finally ordered my X5 should be here by next fri. (i hope)

You can also pick up some of those Ofna Green Side Guards... Those would look nice with the Green Theme...

Can't wait to get my buggy!!!!
-Todd

[rc10gtisthebest]

Here's the URL to the green stone guards..

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCWV7&P=7

[OldskoolGT]

Those will not fit well on the X5. Kyosho/Ofna 9.5 guards are shorter than the X5s and the screw holes are in different locations.

[Toiffel]

How do I install the ackerman brace to eliminate bumpsteer??

[rc10gtisthebest]

How do I install the ackerman brace to eliminate bumpsteer??

I dunno. I hope you find out so I can set mine up with no bump steer.. LOL

Toiffel, BTW i got the graphite plate in.. Please leave feedback..

[royfan33]

To get rid of the bumpsteer for the stock akerman link, stack 2.5mm of washers between the link, and the bellcranks. That will do the trick. Either that or get a Racers Edge or simular that has the fix built in.

As for a green X5, is that even legal? ;) Too Kanai like for me!

[Mudvayne]

Well, I found some yellow ones from pro-line so I may give that color a try, I just can't stand white, it's just too plain. I just got my 2050 pipe in and man is it beautiful, I can't wait to try it out this weekend!

[Toiffel]

How do I install the ackerman brace to eliminate bumpsteer??
I just the racers edge ackerman, do I install upside down??

[Toiffel]

Thanks I figured it out.

[Toiffel]

Take a look

[Toiffel]

Number 2

[rc10gtisthebest]

So where's the Cheapest place to buy an X5 online? My LHS wont have their shipment in until the 17th (I was told 9th) and I 'had' dibs on one of those cars.

But I want my buggy bad so I've canceled that order and want to find a mail order with it. I dont wanna spend more then the $530 my LHS was asking..

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
todd

[masshybrid]

Stormer has them for 550, which is more than you want to spend, but they are in stock.

[rc10gtisthebest]

Team ETR Racing (http://www.teamsakracing.com/) has them for $528. Are they a good company and can they be trusted?

Thanks,
Todd

[masshybrid]

Give em a shot. They have all of the upgrade parts as well.

[jmm]

Nitrohouse has them for $529. That's where I got mine.

www.nitrohouse.com

[Mudvayne]

Well, I rode my mbx5 at the track this weekend with the new diff fluid setup and with the airtronics 358 steering servo. Man it's like night and day it handles and corners so much better. I was a a track with about 7 other guys who all had the kanai's. All they could say was how bad my buggy sucked yet I was still kicking their butts. I run an O.S. vz-b and use Sidewinder 30% fuel and I could not ask for a better combination. I have over a gallon in this thing and it still seems to get better with every tank. They were all like "that stuff is going to ruin your engine, use blue thunder, and that engine sucks, it's only going to last you maybe another half a gallon or so, the servo you have sucks also, get you a futaba digital servo, also that JR xs3 sucks get you an m8." All these people talking down on my gear yet here I am riding out on the track and they could not keep up. I just don't understand people. It seems like every track I go to everyone has different opinions. Like another track I went to last week was just the opposite and talked about how bad the kanai's are. I think the kanai and mugen are both great and I would be happy with either one of them. I guess I just need to ignore them and just find out what works myself. So far I am happy with what I got. 1 complaint, the bump steer, but I'm ordering the upgraded part to fix that this week. Just thought I'd fill yall in on that update. 2 thumbs up for the mbx5.

[masshybrid]

Yeah, don't worry what the other knuckleheads say. Because, if your beating them , next thing you know, you'll go back in a couple weeks and they'll all have Mugens.

I've "READ" the same things about the vz-b also, that it doesn't last long. Time will tell. Keep us posted.

I had the XS radio, and it doesn't have the functions the M8 has, but it works just fine.

[OldskoolGT]

Definitely keep us updated on how long your VZ-B lasts. Heck, just run 4 gallons through it next week and tell us if your engine is still holding up. (I want answers now!!)


What's the M8 got that the XS3 doesn't? I don't recall my M8 being crystalless. :) The only feature that the XS3 lacks compared to the M8 is servo speed control, which I found completely useless.

[speedydave]

Nitrohouse has them for $530.

Linky (http://www.nitrohouse.com./mugen,_mbx-5.htm)

[MBX4RR]

What kind of starter boxes do you guys use. I was looking at the Team magic X5 or some of the better ofna one's.

[masshybrid]

The M8 has abs, servo speed curves, and a bunch of other useless bells and whistles( just like my Mars R) . Not to mention, the M8 is ugly. Just like I said, the JR is just fine.

[Mudvayne]

I use the Thunder Tiger Pro starter box and love it. It's small, light, and has plenty of power to crank up my vz-b just by touching it on the wheel real quick. Alot of people may say that this one sucks but I love it and that's all that matters.