HB Lightning RR Forum v3.0

[Tim'sLosi]

I have launched my LP1 off of a sheet of 4x8 plywood held in the air by my neighbor. I would guestimate 10-12 feet high and landing occured 20-30 feet away. Bent the rear shock tower and slapped the chassis hard on the ground...stalled the engine. Kept running it and then bent the tower into shape until I could get a new one. Tough buggy, I agree.

[CRSMP5]

ramp did not break... buggy did.. aka when it got loud.. after ramp moved

[Danno]

Well I figured out how to get my os rg 21 up to temp . Ran it at low throttle through the grass till it came up too about 200-210 , then ran it mid-throttle on and off on the pavement to cool it back down . Did this for a full tank (this is after 4-5 tanks idling rich ) Let it cool , tweaked the carb 1/8 of a turn , ran another tank , let it cool for about 3 more tanks . Still a little rich , but getting some power , I must say , this thing is impressive for such a cheap motor ! What does this motor like to run at when broken in ? I figure if I keep it under 250 `ll make it last for awwhile ? nly bad thing was I used RR shock towers to save weight , had them all polished up and pretty , hit a crack in the parking lot flipped it over and bent the rear one and scratched the heck out of it .....

[Saboteur]

HB parts are in the LHS :) Will post pics when I get them.

[mandt131]

hi was thinking of turning my lightning 2 rr into a truggy has any1 done this yet dont want to go and get lightning stadium as my mates got 1 and just think it would be cool to be differant need to know about hub adapters and the other bits involved it would be a great help if any1 has pics as well
many thanks

[CRSMP5]

dude.. buy the stadium suspention for it.. extensions suck.. ive done it.. tried it.. and own both.. stadium all the way!!

[Jackyl]

Stadium all the way? WTH :D A buggy will eat the stadium, I know because I've done it a guy at my local track has a stadium pro and I raced him and I took him off the line and throughout corners and jumps with my lightning buggy.

And if your going to say the stadium is a monster truck class well it's unlimited monster truck class. And I've seen plent of dom's and Jt's at the tracks I go to smoke stadiums. Don't get me wrong they are a great entry level hybrid but all in all it's not a full out hybrid. Stadium Pro 600bucks? Full out Hybrid 1200+

And as for in the straights nobody can touch the guy with the ek4 :D till a corner comes up then everyone passes him up :D then we get passed in the straights that thing is crazy stupid OMFG fast!

[CRSMP5]

what engine did he have in it and what ya got in yours?? he needs to spend some time on it.. cause my stadium turns faster or same lap times as the buggies do.. i actually do 1-2 sec faster with the stadium over my pro1 or pro2 buggy...

[Jackyl]

Then your buggy isn't setup right. A buggy should all out wip up on the stadium. granted the engine size that I had was a hot .21 and they all had .26's and bigger. and it is a tight track with only one straightaway.

[Fatdaddy]

well my stupid cast steering nuckeles gave out last week during practice. i had to cough up $60 to replace them :(

[Jackyl]

60 bucks? jesus what are they titanium?

I've beaten the hell outta my cast knuckles and they are still going. I've striped one out.

[Fatdaddy]

60 bucks? jesus what are they titanium?

I've beaten the hell outta my cast knuckles and they are still going. I've striped one out.
no, they are the 7075 machined aluminum ones.

thankfully i found a $20 off of $50 coupon for towerhobbies. got them in today. hopefully i can race this weekend if the weather holds up :)

[CRSMP5]

7075 steering knuckles.. dynimite makes a set for the gs storm.. like 24$ exact fit for hb buggies..

[Jackyl]

I was wondering if the aluminum chassis braces will work from the ofna hyper 7 on the lightning RR? I found a good price on a set of them for the hyper 7 but I didnt want to buy unless I knew that they will work.

From comparing pictures between the hyper 7 braces and the lightning pro braces I think that they will work.

thx.

[PhillyB]

60 bucks? jesus what are they titanium?

I've beaten the hell outta my cast knuckles and they are still going. I've striped one out.


the fioroni ones are 80-90 most places.

[CRSMP5]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/bodies/lightning/family/4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/bodies/lightning/family/7.jpg

[Saboteur]

Well my stock .21BB is in again. The Picco went to the MGT and SHREDDED the 2speed reversing gear. Ah well. LOL. Shoulda left it in the buggy.

[Danno]

Nice progressive shocks ya got there , how does that work ?

[CRSMP5]

the gs storm spring set work great.. http://www.hotbodiesforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3 i have no idea where the original posting is on these threads.. think its in v2, there is link to place where i can find it with ease.. cost to do buggy is like 20$ and gives you plenty of options stiffnesses for pretty cheap.. what you do is run a softer small one with stiffer big one so in small dips and stuff the softy is in use, then big jumps the stiffies are more in use..

[upgrdman]

I put a Novarossi/TOP engine in my buggie, the box says "PT-21 P7T/N Buggy Long Stroke" ... the few papers it came with don't say anything about good running temps...

What should I try to keep it under? What would be optimal?

Thanks,
--Farrell F.

BTW, with a 15T clutch bell, this thing hauls ass... omfg. I would love to see it with a 2-speed transmission. Anyone know a 2-speed that will fit the HB Lightning buggy? Will it just drop in, or are mod's needed? Thanks again...

[CRSMP5]

the hb lightnign street with stadium center diff holders... parts list is in the lightning street section of the above forum.. for the 2-speed..

temps.. basic is 230-250f

[Saboteur]

Anyone using those Ofna extension axles? I think I'll get those for my HB and make it into an MT. The MGT failed me with redthreadlock on most of the vehicle and I can't be bothered with receiving new parts. It's too much on the car. The Bug was the best at offroad so I'mma give it a try making an MT conversion. If anyone did this what shock tower mounts did you get?

[mandt131]

Anyone using those Ofna extension axles? I think I'll get those for my HB and make it into an MT. The MGT failed me with redthreadlock on most of the vehicle and I can't be bothered with receiving new parts. It's too much on the car. The Bug was the best at offroad so I'mma give it a try making an MT conversion. If anyone did this what shock tower mounts did you get?
HI IVE BEEN TRYIN TO GET INFO ABOUT BUILDING A TRUGGY OUT OF MY 26 POWERED HB LP2 BUT ITS A STRUGGLE HOPE YA HAVE MORE LUCK THAN ME :confused:

[mandt131]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/bodies/lightning/family/4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/bodies/lightning/family/7.jpg
HI COULD YOU TELL ME IS THAT A HB LP TRUGGY I SEE BESIDE YA BUGGY IF SO WOT BITS DID YA USE
THANX

[Saboteur]

Well I've ordered the Ofna extension axles, both 15mm and 30mm. Mostlikely the 30mms are better for the job and make the car wider. I'll also be getting taller body mounts, using the 13T CB or lower if I can find one, and gettin rid of the side guards.

[Saboteur]

Also, gonna use thicker diff oils. Gotta use that.

[CRSMP5]

thats a hb lightning stadium..... can just buy a hb truggy..

else you will need arms, upper arms, tie rods, cvds, bones, chassis, rear brace, 2xring and pinions, 50t spur, center diff holders, rear cvd...

[Saboteur]

I'm just using the extension axles and tires. Not gonna spend $300+ for a new car. Here is what Im doing.

[Saboteur]

Another shot.

[Jackyl]

I actually like the way it looks with the mgt body on it. It looks to scale almost. Like a baja truck. other than the body posts stickin' out.


Also and alternative is to just pick up some savage upper arms and lower arms. replace the hb buggies outdrives in the diffs with savage outdrives "direct replacement" and then use the arms on the buggy with savage bonez. everything is direct fit. And it's alot cheaper than buying a lsp.

Savage upper arms 2x
Savage lower arms 2x
Savage outdrives 4x
savage dogbones 4x
savage uprights 4x
savage knuckles 4x
Savage kingpins 4x
Savage bearings 8x
Savage turnbuckles & tierods 4x "2 front/2rear"

And the most important part the spur gear from the lsp and the center diff holders.

That right there will net you the best low bang truggy/hybrid you can build buy.

[Saboteur]

I'll try the stock 46spur and 13CB to see how it works. And if not, I can always try a slightly taller spur. The tires I'm using aren't so big. They are like Tmaxx sized.

[upgrdman]

CRSMP5, so does that mean the 2-speed from the Lightning Stadium will drop right into my Lightning Buggy?

Thanks,
--Farrell F.

[CRSMP5]

the 2 speed from a lightning street.. not stadium.. stadium is 1 speed, and a set of center diff holders from the stadium as i do no tknow if the small cut out on the buggy chassis will clear the 2 speed.. the stadium pieces will raise the center diff 1/8" for saftey..

[mandt131]

Well I've ordered the Ofna extension axles, both 15mm and 30mm. Mostlikely the 30mms are better for the job and make the car wider. I'll also be getting taller body mounts, using the 13T CB or lower if I can find one, and gettin rid of the side guards.
DO THEY GIVE YOU BETTER SCOPE ON WHEELS OR DO YOU HAVE TO STAY WITH BUGGY RIMS WOULD BE COOL FOR SAVAGE/T-MAX FITTINGS SO HARD TO FIND RIMS IN THE UK FOR A 17MM HEX

[Saboteur]

Any MT size wheel with buggy hex size will work. Pretty much 17mm is the standard size for them.

[mandt131]

Cool Will See Wot I Can Do Its Just I'm Also Tryin To Build My Nitro Mt2 As Well Miss's Keeps Sayin No To Spends But I'll Get There Going To Have A Nose In Cml(large Distributer In The Uk) And See Wot I Can Do.
Ps Looks Cool

[mandt131]

I'm just using the extension axles and tires. Not gonna spend $300+ for a new car. Here is what Im doing.
WHERE DID YOU GET AXLE EXTENTIONS FROM AND WHAT MAKE ARE THEY HOW MUCH SORRY FOR QUESTIONS BUT NEED TO FIND A UK SUPPLIER IF POSS MAKE AND PART NUMBER FOR THE 30MM

[mandt131]

thats a hb lightning stadium..... can just buy a hb truggy..

else you will need arms, upper arms, tie rods, cvds, bones, chassis, rear brace, 2xring and pinions, 50t spur, center diff holders, rear cvd...
MISS'S WONT LET ME SAYS THAT 5 NITRO CARS IS ENOUGH SO I HAVE TO CONVERT MY LP2 TO A TRUGGY OR SELL A COUPLE OF CARS TO PAY FOR A LSP :eek:CANT DO IT NEED TO CONVERT LP2 ITS THE ONLY WAY :mad:

[mandt131]

Any MT size wheel with buggy hex size will work. Pretty much 17mm is the standard size for them.
HAVE BEEN SEARCHIN UK SOURCES BUT NO LUCK ON FINDING EXTENSTIONS BUT HAVE FOUND THAT HOBAO PIRATE RIMS AND TYRES SHOULD FIT JUST NEED TO GET EXTRA WIDTH ON MY BUGGY TO FIT THEM :D

[turd-furgison]

i still have the stock .21bb engine in my buggy and i was wonderig what tuned pipe set you guys would suggest... i mostly just bash but i do go to my local track sometimes and its a very short tight track... i was thinkin about one of the ofna one piece pipe sets,are they any good..would i be able to even notice a difference in power compared to the stock pipe? any suggestions would be great, thanks again

[mandt131]

i still have the stock .21bb engine in my buggy and i was wonderig what tuned pipe set you guys would suggest... i mostly just bash but i do go to my local track sometimes and its a very short tight track... i was thinkin about one of the ofna one piece pipe sets,are they any good..would i be able to even notice a difference in power compared to the stock pipe? any suggestions would be great, thanks again
THE PIPE THAT COMES AS STANDARD FOR THE LIGHTNING 2 RR/PRO IS A VERY GOOD PERFORMING PIPE ITS ABOUT THE BEST FACTORY PIPE GOING I USE A HYPER 7 OUTLAW PIPE ON MY LIGHTNING 2 PRO GIVES WICKED POWER CHANGE IF YOU CAN HANDLE THE EXTRA NOISE CAUSE ITS F***ING LOUD YOU CAN GET THEM OFF E-BAY ABOUT 25 BRITISH POUNDS

[upgrdman]

CRSMP5, thanks... just to clarify, are these the exact parts I would need to buy, to convert to a 2-speed?

"Hot Bodies 2 Speed Gear & Transmission Lightning Street"
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJBM9&P=X

"Hot Bodies Clutch Bell Lightning Street"
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?&I=LXJBM8&P=V

"Hot Bodies Gear 12T/16T Lightning Street"
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJBM5&P=X

"Hot Bodies Center Gear Housing Lightning" << NOT SURE?? Is this the "holder" ??
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHZJ4&P=Z

Is the above all I would need? Well, I assume that 12T/16T is more user-choosable, as a 13T/18T would also work, no?

Thanks again,
--Farrell F.

[Saboteur]

http://www.ofna.com/newproducts.html Its at the bottom.

http://www.ofna.com/images/new-axleextensions.jpg
OFNA Wheel hub Extensions -- Now Shipping!!
A wider stance allows for greater control. Extend the width of your buggy or truck with these hot new wheel hub extensions in 15mm and 30mm lengths. These fit 8mm axles only.

#30058, 15mm Wheel Hub Extension
#30059, 30mm Wheel Hub Extension

Hub Extensions Detail

I'll try the HB 50T Spur if they have it also or the Ofna one. Otherwise I heard the 46 or 47T will work fine if I can probably get a 12 or 11T CB.

[CRSMP5]

"Hot Bodies Center Gear Housing Lightning" << NOT SURE?? Is this the "holder" ??
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bi...p?&I=LXHZJ4&P=Z

thats the one for the flywheel its a clutch nut.. you need #c8150 which is for the stadium..

as far as the cb gears.. no idea.. never tried it, all i know is the gearing is goofy, there is one set that does not seem like it will work properly, or its 2 sets and the other is correct.. i cannot find a different gear to make the gear ratios the same.. i posted this all in the lightning street thread on www.hotbodiesforum.com with greater description..

[upgrdman]

CRSMP5, ok thanks, found the thread. I guess I will just buy all 3 sets of clutch-bell-gears, and try them on. Will it be obvious... or will I only notice after a while and the damage has been done. Will it be something really obvious like the gears don't want to even come close to meshing tightly... or what?

Also... How so those gears go onto the clutch bell? Am I missing something, or what? I'm new to 2-speeds...

Thanks,
--Farrell F.

[upgrdman]

Oh, and it seems like TowerHobbies is out of stock for some of those parts... and my LHS does not carry the HB 2-speed. Does anyone know any other good online sites that might have it, and are known for shipping in a timely manner?

Thanks,
--Farrell F.

[CRSMP5]

tower was the only place i have ever seen with the 2 speed stuff.. so no idea.. i have yet to meet anyone to do it..

my guess would be hard to set the gear mesh, something on one of the gear set ups will make it hard to set 1st or 2nd gear to mesh the same as the other.. the other gear set will be easy.. but ive never done it.. so canot say.. rember if you tilt the engine.. aka where its not set 100% properly in line with lets say the center driveshaft, the gears will be in a angle on the spurs.. setting gear mesh on a 2 speed is much harder then a single speed due to this..

the gears thread onto the cb, make sure to use loctite..

[Jackyl]

http://i10.ebayimg.com/02/i/03/9c/8d/8c_1_b.JPG

They are being sold for the Ofna Hyper 7 Pro. I would like to buy a set but I can't find any info if they will fit or not and I don't have the money to just burn like this.

Can someone help PlEaSe

[Saboteur]

Just stick to the HB alum braces. Those work and I like mine. Inexpensive too. :)

Welp, I'm still waiting for the extension axles since those are still on backorder. How annoying is it to get these Ofna parts...honestly. :mad:

[Jackyl]

I'm still looking for braces other than the hot bodies braces. Will the kyosho Inferno MP 7.5 braces work on the HB Lightning RR ?

[Saboteur]

I wouldn't go for other braces. As stylish as they are many of them do not fit. They a bit longer. Save your $$/time and just get HB braces.

[upgrdman]

I took apart my rear differential last night, cleaned the grease out and put some 1,000 oil in it, and re-installed it. But now when I turn the rear wheels clockwise, the front wheels turn counter-clockwise. :) I feel so dumb, but I don't know how to fix this... toss me a bone?

Thanks,
--Farrell F.

[gr8taz nitro]

all you need to do is flip the rear diff around inside the case and problem solved.

[Danno]

I took apart my rear differential last night, cleaned the grease out and put some 1,000 oil in it, and re-installed it. But now when I turn the rear wheels clockwise, the front wheels turn counter-clockwise. :) I feel so dumb, but I don't know how to fix this... toss me a bone?

Thanks,
--Farrell F.
I`ve done that................just make sure you flip the right one , or your buggy will be really fast , in reverse !!

[upgrdman]

OK cool :) I found removing the rear differentail to be a pain in the a** the first time around! I ended up removing the whole rear end, with the wheels and shocks and shock-tower, then dissassembling most of it... any easier way?

Thanks,
--Farrell F.

[CRSMP5]

turn the hingpins around so the eclips are facing towards the rear ot the buggy, remove the 4 screws and 2 from the bottom and the rear case can be removed and diff slipped out..

[fanke19]

Hot Bodies Jump Start HPI Roto Start Motor Failure

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I posted it in a different thread also. I have a Hot Bodies Lightning Pro 2 that I use a Hot Bodies Jump Start on. Today the output shaft broke on the starter motor. It's not a serviceable motor, so I want to replace the motor, but I don't know what kind to get. Any help would be much appreciated. I tried contacting HPI, but no response yet. Thanks guys.

[CRSMP5]

i left ya a reply in the other thread.. but so its here...

ive seen people rewire the unit, put a better switch on it and a stock motor for on/off road stuff, may need padded as some are shorter then others to fit the case.. but i thas to be rewired as they draw more current..

[rsparks]

Hi,
I just recently bought a HB Lightning 2 RR. This is my first 1/8 scale and Im only 17 and still work part time so thats why I got the RTR. Im not new to the hobby, Ive been racing for about 2 years. So far from what I can tell, the only thing im really missing out on besides a setup are the diffs, tires, and true race-worth motor. The motor will def. have to wait. But I was looking more into the diffs. I dont see a need for the Kyosho diffs, because after some reasearch Ive learned they only provide superior advantage on smooth tracks, I dont get to race on very many smooth tracks with my nitro cars. I was just thinking hardened diff gears, new pipe, tires, and I have servos and my radio stuff to put in it. What I really need is a setup. Also, where are you guys buying aftermarket parts for this car? Ive looked around on the web but havent been very successful in finding anything. Thanks in adavance.

[Duster_360]

Welcome to the forums! Here's a link to a site that has many of CRSMP5's mods and experience with the HB buggies, plus that of others. Don't see setup specifically, but there's some setup advice on a LP1 that should help. Also follow the link and dnload the Xray buggy manual. Its a great reference and explains in detail what all the adjustments do (thanks again to CRSMP5).

http://www.hotbodiesforum.com/forum/index.php?showforum=1

[CRSMP5]

honestly.. there are no real aftermarket parts per say.. there are alot jumping on the lightnign stadium aftermarket though, king headz, vertigo performance are making pieces that will also fit the buggy.. most stadium stuff is the same except longer suspention/main chassis.. most of the other parts are identical to the v2 buggy except the front suspention c hubs..

tires.. the best thing i can say is goto teh track you plan to race at and see what they are using..

hardened diff gears.. savage ones are 100% proper fit and readly avaliable

pipe and engine combo are of choice.. i see alot of people going with things like p5s and rb ws7s...

[rsparks]

The King Headz towers and stuff fit the buggy? I saw vertigos graphite radio tray but it didnt really look like it was the same part. Im just trying to see what everyone is doing. Im going to pick up a set of crime fighters next week. I will order the gears. Does anyone know if the Jconcepts Kyosho body fits this buggy? Im just trying to get this buggy to be able to keep up with all the kyoshos and mugens. I think its very capable, and Id just love to see the mugen guys look soo sad because ther 500 dollar car wasnt good enough..lol.


P.S. I cant find the xray setup guide..where is it?

[CRSMP5]

shock towers the pro version is just fine... the ones king headz makes is for the stadium which is different.. same for vertigo.. also you can double up your stock towers..

the radio tray is the same... the cf one vertigo makes is really really sweet.. ive never owned cf till i outfitted my lsp with it..

[rsparks]

Ok, I think im going to order the radio tray. The only problem I had with the pro towers is the color..lol. My paint scheme is blue, oragne, yellow, and white...lol purple is kinda random...but I'll get over it. Thanks for the help.

[upgrdman]

I was noticeing that the inside of my tuned pipe is yellowish from the exaust stuff, and was thinking about spraying some nitro cleaner into there to help clean it out... i know it will just get dirty after the next tank, but like for when I want to clean my car up like new I think it would look better :)

My only concern is weather or not this would be safe for the engine...? I was gonna put the straw into the actuall exaust pipe, so that i don't blow in anything from the outside of the pipe. Is that ok?

Thanks,
--Farrell F.

[Saboteur]

Welp, the HB is goin up on ebay soon. Going with its radio (no servos) fuel bottle, Ofna/Picco .26, THS buggy, stock .21 BB engine with two mugen shoes and springs, 4mm shock towers, and F/R alum braces. Total will be $400

[CRSMP5]

remove the pipe from it if your goign to clean it.. then your 100% sure nothing gets in teh engine..

[tryin]

Finally broke my first part! One of the rear wing holders snapped off (the little post that the hole in the wing goes over). It was easy to find because it had the clip in it. I am going to try some super glue tonight, if that doesn't work I guess I will have to get a new piece. After two gallons of hard bashing abuse, this thing continues to amaze me. I am actually gaining respect for the .21 that came with it as well. If it only had a little more bottom end.

[CRSMP5]

your working too hard.. drill it and use a washer an dbolt it into place :)

pm me i have a few of those clip style parts sitting around also if that will not work for you..

[Danno]

I drill a pilot hole and run a sheet metal screw in to hold mine on .....
Hey ! I qualified 7th out of 13 this weekend and was holding 5th in the 20 minute A-main till the screw that holds the tie rod to the hub broke , fixed it and still finished 10th ! (3 DNF`s) Oh well had a blast and that`s the main thing .

[upgrdman]

i just got my 2-speed tranny in the mail from tower hobbies, and although im still waiting for the clutch-bell-gears to arrive (back ordered) i was curious... the tranny doesn't act as a differential anymore... is that normal?

and do i need to apply any oil to the spur and cb gears when i install it to reduce friction? right now with my stock center diff i just use some 3-in-1 household oil, but I don't know if it helps or not...?

and to set the gear mesh for a 2-speed do you just use the sheet of paper method?

thanks,
--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

oil bad as it attracts dirt..

yes the 2 speed eliminates the differential

well in a way yes paper to set gear mesh.. BUT if the engine is not at a perfect angle to the center of the buggy, 1 of the 2 gears will not be meshed correctly..

[upgrdman]

ok, thanks crsmp5. so do i need to apply anything to the gears to help prevent problems... ??

thanks,
--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

no ive alway srunt hem dry.. i dont want a attraction of dust/sand/dirt/rocks else it will chew the gears up..

[tryin]

your working too hard.. drill it and use a washer an dbolt it into place :)

pm me i have a few of those clip style parts sitting around also if that will not work for you..

Will have to go with this idea as the super glue works until a couple of crashes and then it is broke again. Thanks for the idea! I may never have to buy anything for this tank (well I could use some new tires and wheels)!

[pimpingee]

Hi, new to this this forum. Can I get an honest unbias opinion? I have a really nicely hopped up Associated Monster GT w/ over $1100 invested that I am looking to sell or trade for a nice buggy. If you guys had a chance to trade for a lightning pro w/ a .21 os motor, and some hop-ups or would you sell the MGT for around $550-600 and get a different buggy? What buggy would you recommend for a 600-700 price range (roller) I have electronics and a .28 motor waiting. Thanks, G

[CRSMP5]

well 1st off.. i say unless a pro version no tworth it.. 2nd off, you can buy used pro version on ebay for under 400.. as a roller under 200.. your loosign your butt on the mgt IMO

[upgrdman]

Well I finally got all the parts for the HB 2-Speed Transmission in the mail, and now I have two problems/questions...

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/2speedtransmissionproblem.jpg

[CRSMP5]

well since it is not a center diff you only use one brake, position on the front, use the rear brake linkage though to get it on top of the plate..

hmmm did not know about the cb bearing.. ofna uses a really small bearing, so i say take it to the LHS and size up a bearing for it.. i dont have a lightning street manual to even look at and dont own one to know..

[Danno]

The dual disc pro front brake might be a good upgrarde then huh ?

[CRSMP5]

you can make one with all your parts you have... all they do is glue one of the pads to both sides of the middle one.. all you need is longer screws.. use shoogoo or some type of rubber cement, ca cristalizes and will let the pad rip off..

[upgrdman]

ok, and just curious, does my clutch bell need two bearings? one on the innder side and one on the outter side? or just one??

EDIT: oh and about getting longer screwes... the screws seem pretty long right now... would just not screwing them in as far be ok?

thanks,
--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

no they need to be into the plastic all the way, if not it will fall apart due to stress.. and for the cb to run true, it will need 2 bearings else it will wobble and chew up the gears..

[upgrdman]

well i got it all working, except I was an idiot and put the dual brake in the rear... so the disk brake rode with my flywheel, so it stalled when I took it off the starter box or applied brakes... lol

and i was in a rush because it was getting dark, so i just removed the second brake, and used the origional, shorter screws... man the braking power of just one brake sucks... oh well. tomorrow i will reassemble it all.

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

i tried to get you to move the brakes to the front.. LOL... ofna has same issue with 2 speed and tryign to put the brake on the back side..

[upgrdman]

ya i know, crsmp5... and skimming quickly through this thread was a stupid idea on my part :) well i put the dual brake in the front, but its not working at all properly. the middle brake caliper with two pads doesnt want to move freely without significant force... i think perhaps the two pads are not aligned properly... probably my crappy worksmanship. and the outter disk seems like its hugging the bog-bone-receptor tightly... wont move without significant force either.

so i think im just gonna order a new caliper and set of pads, and maybe another disk too incase the one i have is an anomoly.

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

give it a few runs and the disk will loosen up..

the pads and calipers do not come glued or anything, so you have what you would receive from hb parts anyways.. now.. if you feel its your workmanship, i say try again.. if you wanna loose a titch of rotating mass and never have to deal with pads and such again, take a look at vertigo's cf brake disks.. they do not use the stock pads, just the stock calipers and they work great..

[upgrdman]

hum. about the hot bodies two speed transmission... how do you remove the bearings... i need to rearrange some of the shims so that the CB gears get more contact with the 2 spur gears (are they still called spur gears in a transmission??)

sadly, i tried to remove the 8 screws that hold the spur gears on, and they ALL stripped! (im a fscking idiot for not stopping after i stripped the first one...impatience is going to kill me some day) is HB using standard (non-metric) screws or something? my 2mm driver stipped them all. they didnt even budge...

and is the speed at which it shifts adjustable at all?

thanks,
--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

are there any engine mounts that will let me move my engine about 3mm more towards the rear? that would fix my problem with the 2-speed as well...

EDIT: and if there is no other way to move the engine back a little, does this sound reasonable/logical... Making the four holes in the chassis for the center diff/transmission into slots with a dremel, and then using slightly longer screws and locking washers. I would rather not do a dirty hack like that though :) but i just spent a small fortune on this 2-speed, so I really want to use it.

[CRSMP5]

get a savage flywheel.. its thinner and will move the cb back ;)

as far as i know they are metric screws.. i expect they used a hell of alot of loctite..

2nd gear can be adjusted via a 2mm set screw.. look up hpi savage instructions on hpi's webpage and look at how its 2 speed is set up, has the same type of adjustment...

[upgrdman]

thanks yet again, crsmp5 :) i got the clutch shoes off and the retaining nut off fairly easily, but the actual flywheel doesnt want to budge at all. i tried using a rubber mallet to help convince it to come off, but it didnt help at all.

seems like tomorrow i'll be off to find some battery-terminal pullers i read about here:
http://www.rcnitro.com/rn/articles/ht_anyclutch2.asp

:)

[CRSMP5]

yep thats the best way to pop it off.. make sure to put the screw in the end of the crank 1st though.. thi sway you dont mess it up on accident..

[upgrdman]

well the flywheel eventually came off, but the battery-terminal-puller didnt help at all. they kept slipping off. perhaps it was just the cheap $4 constrution of the puller i got...but i couldnt get it off so i took it to the LHS and he just used two pieces of wood and a little tap...made it look so easy :) i wonder why when i used a rubber mallet it didnt work... but oh well.

the thinnest flywheel they had was an OFNA vented one, and it worked out well, giving the CB gears more contact with the tranny... not perfect but good enough i think.

After a little run (one tank-full) I noticed two problems :(

First, I noticed that when I touched the clutchbell it wobbled a little, so I removed it and found out that one of the two bearings appeared to have commited suicide:

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/destroyed_bearing.jpg

this happened to me once before as well, when I got my TOP engine, but before having this 2 speed tranny... what's causing the death of the bearings? does my TOP engine put too much stress on them?

before this happened i ordered some rubber-shielded ball bearings off of ebay so that they will last longer than the metal-shielded one my LHS sold to me...they arrived in the mail today. looking at the auction page, i see that "Bearings are made of Chrome Steel and can rotate up to 49000 rpm" ... is the rpm going to be the problem if i install these new bearings? what does a good TOP engine go up to (rpm)?

--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

oh, i almost forgot:

my second issue was that i noted a little crack in the flywheel. i think this happened from when i was using vise-grips to hold the flywheel as i tightened the clutch nut.

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/flywheel.jpg

will the little crack be an issue, or will it just be a cosmetic problem?

lastly, i removed the air filter so i could clean it, and it pulled the carb venturi restrictor thing out... i didnt even know it had one on. if i recall correctly, the restritor decreases your top speed and acceloration? is it a bad idea to run without the restrictor installed? i would love to get the most possible out of my lovely TOP engine... unless this would have any negative side effects (other than the obvious difficulty of controlling a very powerful car)

thanks, and sorry for all the pics... just wanted to make sure you guys can fully understand me.

[CRSMP5]

you would change how the air flows into the engine with out the venturi.. id keep it as it works like a velocity stack on a real car..

no idea why the bearing died on you.. thats a bad thing.. check the temp of your cb and see how hot it is, maybe the shoes are slipping creating too much heat.., or it was just a POS bearing to start off with.. what did you find for the odd ball cb bearing size and all?

keep a eye on the crack on the flywheel.. if it starts to get bigger, like lets say the aluminum starts to open up due to centrifical force, it will do some major damage if it came flying off the engine at full tilt..

those cb bearings should NEVER exceed a few hundred rpm.. rember when the engine revs up the clutch hooks up and well the bearings are not turning, as its 1:1 with the engine rpm to make the buggy move..

[ajoiner490]

Hey guys, I just picked up an HB LP2 off a buddy, and I was curious as to if any of you have some decent setups? I have searched and searched numerous forums and can only find a blank setup sheet for a K2... I'm looking for the Amezcua setup that was popular for a while, along with any other setups you may have. I appreciate it, and if you could email them to me at: w0230878@selu.edu, that'd be great. If you don't have the time to email, post a link or post it here. Thanks,

-Adam

[CRSMP5]

take a look on the http://www.hotbodiesforum.com/ i know some have been discussing buggy set ups..

[upgrdman]

crsmp5, thanks for the reply. the bearing size for the HB 2-speed CB i have is 5x8. tonight i plan to take my buggy on a nighttime run, and i will be sure to get both glow-plug and cb temps...but this will be nighttime... maybe 65-75F ambient temp. tomorrow i will also run it, and im guessing it will be about 75-85F ambient unless im blessed with an overcast day. i'll post again with the temps...

--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

hum... i was just reinstalling the CB onto the pilot shaft, and it seem like if i use enough shims to get it perfectly shimmed inner and outter, (enough shims between the inner bearing and the clutch nut, and enough shims between the outter bearing the the cb nut) or maybe even one additional shim, it makes the CB hard to turn... is this normal? do people just run them with it shimmed close but not perfect? the shims are not too wide, so i dont think they are contacting the outter shell of the bearings...

i was going to just run it with it shimmed closely... so that it will move a _little_ front and back when i have the CB nut perfectly tight, but dont know if this is a good idea. perhaps doing this is what killed my other bearings...

thanks,
--farrell f.

[ajoiner490]

Thanks, but I couldn't find much there either. I looked there yesterday after reading a few posts regarding that site. I'm thinking I'll just find a good K2 setup and suit it to my needs. I appreciate the help though :).

-Adam

[CRSMP5]

take a look at the lightning stadium set ups also.. basically diff oils would be the biggest differance...

i think a savage flywheel would cause you the least amount of issues, but if the shimming is that tight, that would have wasted the bearing... also thanks for the bearing size.. ill add that to the 2 speed post.. :)

[Danno]

Ok , so I buggered up my center diff housing , what others will fit ? My LHS doesn`t stock them and that is about the only spare part I don`t have , oh , it`s a pro 1
Thanks , Dan

[Blacktiger]

If you mean the diff cup, the savage ones will fit.

[CRSMP5]

savage ones are garbage.. browns has the center diff holders though.. mugen/kyosho diff cups are far better then savage ones..

[upgrdman]

well i took my buggy out, and ran it a bit... at first it wasnt meshed close enough and it lost grip with the tranny.... so i redid the gear mesh, and it was a little too tight... and i could notice the engine struggling and the typical sound of improper gear meshes. it didnt seem like it was too badly set, but i did stop the engine... i noticed the CB not rotating very freely, so i called it a night. today i took the CB off, and the inner bearing was destroyed, and more surprisingly, it looks like the clutch shoes were _really_ stressed :( look at where they connect onto the flywheel...

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/clutchproblem.jpg

not good... when i have more time i'll go to the LHS and buy new shoes. i also ordered new tranny and cb gears since both are a little stipped. i think im gonna ditch this 14/18 CB... perhaps its the one that has issues? i'll try the 12/16 CB gear which i also have... but im eagerly awaiting the 13/18 arrival... its currently on back order :(

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

well that sux.. but improper mesh does add alot of bad tension to things like cb bearings...

[upgrdman]

well i removed the clutch shoes and i noticed one of the posts was loose... it practically fell out... so now its a 2 shoe flywheel ;) ... i bought a different flywheel, installed new shoes and the old springs, tried on the 12/16 CB gear and it doesnt work well either... doesnt want to mesh very close to the tranny... i think the dogbone for the rear wheels is getting in the way :( ... and the 13/18 CB gear is still on order at towerhobbies :( god damn...

can ANYONE confirm any of the CB gears to work with the tranny well? i thought people have done this before... i didnt know i would have to dremel stuff to get it working... the engine mount holes weren't wide (slot-y) enough, the bigger of the two gears in the tranny wont fit until you dremel away some of the metal thingy that the servos mount onto... dunno the proper term. with the stock or even most aftermarket flywheel the gears dont get much contact... if i would have know i would have never wasted about $150 in parts ;(

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

like i think i said at the beginning.. no one i know has ever tried it.. all i had was a list of parts thru reserch.. but that did not even tell me of the odd bearign and such.. its sad thats its been such a issue..

[upgrdman]

yeah, i was not blaming anyone, just venting some of my anger... mostly at hot bodies for not supplying parts quickly.

everywhere i look HB parts are on back orders half the time, not just at TowerHobbies. i hope they get their act togeather or this will be the last HB product i buy.

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

so how is the 2 speed delema going?

[Jackyl]

You woudln't want to run a 2spd on a buggy, if for any reason the bug would go backwards or a rock would get in there it would trash it. Now if you could get the ofna 2psd assembly into the unit then that would be a better solution as those gears are metal not plastic. Just something to think about. If you do get it going let us know how it works out! or better yet POST A VIDEO :D

[CRSMP5]

the Hb gears are metal.. the ofna i have has plastic gears..

[upgrdman]

I'm still waiting for HB to ship parts to TowerHobbies, the 13/18T CB gear is on back order. So it's collecting dust at the moment :(

I'm taking the time to make some new headlights, as my old ones used huge ugly 10mm LEDs...here's a pic and movie if anyone wants to see my old one:

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/bright_leds.jpg
http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/buggie_nighttime.avi MPEG4, 8.4MB

if you can't see the movie, you're missing the mpeg4 codec. visit www.divx.com and download the free player/codec. Ignore all their marketing about purchasing the pro codec/player...

I got 100 blue 9,000mcd LEDs and 40 white 20,000mcd LEDs, all 5mm :) EBay rocks...

I'll post pics and perhaps another movie when it's done, probably thursday.

--Farrell F.

[CRSMP5]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/indoor/6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/indoor/5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/indoor/3.jpg

[upgrdman]

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/LED_Headlights_Stage1.jpg

:)

[upgrdman]

Each LED draws ~20mA, so at 32 LEDs, that's 640mAh. Since my reciever battery pack barely lasts an hour (hour and a half at best,) I will be using a seperate battery pack. For now just a 8pack of AA's, but I would like to soldier togeather a real pack, using smaller cells eventually, if this all works out nicely. Or maybe I'll just go down to a 8pack of AAA NiMH's...might be small enough.

I really want to make a case for these lights tho, so that dirt and rocks dont kill em too quickly. Something that can be sealed and tolerent of nitro cleaning spray... I got a board of Lexan X10 from Home Depot for the window in the case for light to come out of... now I just need to figure out what to use for the body of the case. To make it as water-proof as possible, I vision a brick of black plastic, with a recessed part (carved away with my dremel) for the lights to go into, then a rubber gasket, and the lexan window screw'ed into the black plastic base. I just don't know where i can get a brick of plastic to start dremeling at. Any ideas?

--Farrell F.

[CRSMP5]

hey... i got a solution for ya on the batt situation..

how about a 2300mah batt pack?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/lsp/2300mah_batt/batt006.jpg
if you have a v1 buggy it is a perfect fit
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/lsp/2300mah_batt/batt003.jpg
a 8 pack of rechargable duracells, 2300mah ones is under 20 with tax..

go see a glass shop.. they may have a brick of plexyglass or something.. BUT LEDs should be rock resistant and such since they are a plastic type material, not glass or anything like that.. wish i could think of the actual name of the material used, i say install them into a tube, aluminum, where you can swedge them into a conical shape at the end of the led so it put th elight ou tproperly... pick up a book on fiberoptics to understand the conical idea for refracting the light beam..

[upgrdman]

that battery pack is huge! whare size cells are those? C? D? since my AA's are 2400mAh and a hell of a lot smaller, I think I'll stick with them. and the AAA NiMH's i have are 800mAh, which i might go with later on, since that should last for a tank full of nitro. and if i look around, i'm sure i can find some AAA NiMH's that hold a little more juice too.

as for the material in LEDs, it's epoxy, if i recall correctly.

as for the aluminum tube... i must be missing something, because i do not see how the light will get out. cutting holes into the tube, and inserting the conical shaped refractors?

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

they are AAs.. LOL..

no LEDs are not epoxy.. they are a Light Emitting Diode (sp), they are made from the same materials normal diodes are made from, just translucent.. diodes are made from 2 materials.. just cannot think of the names of them.. also fyi i have a ee degree.. ;) just been too long since i messed with that stuff..

ok.. think of how a flashlight focuses light.. if you did a conical aluminum tube off the tips of the LEDs, you could get a light pattern to be effective..

[upgrdman]

LOL, I guess it's just that the pix were shot up close, so they looked huge, at least to me :)

By epoxy I mean the housing... the "plastic" part. I've read that it's epoxy many times. As for the materials used for the actual ligth-emmiting part, Wikipedia to the rescue:

"A normal diode, typically made of silicon or germanium, emits invisible far-infrared light, but the materials used for an LED have bandgap energies corresponding to near-infrared, visible or near-ultraviolet light."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LEDs

About the aluminum tube... ahh yes now I understand what you mean... at first I thought you were talking about the under-lighting that I plan to makes later on, basiclly just a home made version of something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4395161289&category=20709&tc=photo

but mounted inside a clear tube to keep it away from dirt and oil.

and i kind of figured that you were an EE, or at least heavily interested in the area, doing research on your own. you're a pool of knowledge.

--Farrell F.

[CRSMP5]

yea for the plastic tube idea for "neon effect" you really need to get a book on fiberoptics... can only bend it so much till the light refraction messes things up.. but yea thats a nice way to keep the led away from things and have a nice effect..

a sheet of plexyglass with the bottom blacked out, top side chromed, edges bare and lets say wording on the bottom would also be real sweet.. this is a idea ive had for savage TVPs for a while.. use a sheet between the tvp and the engine and stuff to get a nice night effect..

[dyslexic]

for a housing you could try radio shack they have a nice array of project box's that may fit what your looking for. also they have chrome houseings for leds that work out nice for headlights they also help focus the light somewhat like CRSMP5 was talking about.
I watched your vid and I like the amount of light your putting out but your current setup looks extremly vulnerable, hope to see what you come up with for version 2

[upgrdman]

Well the resistors and toggle switch arrived today, so I soldiered it all togeather, and took a few pix, and make a little movie:

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/LED_Headlights_Stage2.jpg
http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/new_led_headlights.avi MPEG4 ~7.7MB

As for the underlights that i will make later, i don't think i will need to do any refraction, because i have thought of a different placement for the lights. i think it would be easiest, and look really cool, if i just mount a ellipse of the LED's aiming downward and slightly outward, to create a blurry circle outline around the car. kinda like this little mockup i did in the gimp (like photoshop):

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/buggy_idea.jpg

EDIT: My drawing skills are really poor, and in the above pic the ring of LEDs looks way too low, and the Wing would cause a nasty shadow. The ring/ellipse of LEDs will be mounted high enough so that the wing causes minimal shadowing. I had enough trouble trying to draw with the right perspective, so just know that it will be mounted higher than it looks :)

what do you guys think?

--Farrell F.

[upgrdman]

i just thought of another cool idea for the underlights/rimlights :) ... make it blink, like 1 seconds on, 1 second off while the engine is idleing, and gradually make it blink faster as you go to full throttle... full throttle being like 1/20th on, 1/20th off.

that would be so freaking cool. all it would involve a Y-splitter connected to the reciever, and one end of the Y fed onto a homemade circuit board for processing.

something i will definitly have to look into!

--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

I just found the perfect enclosure for my headlights/stadium lights... when it arrives, and after adding the lexan window, i'll post a pic. it should arrive in 3-5 days.

if no one cares, let me know. i dont want to annoy anyone.

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

i wanna see.. LOL..

[Tim'sLosi]

It would be cool to epoxy a few leds into the fuel tank to light it up! Into the top and epoxied real well to prevent air leaks. Maybe one into the pipe at the far(cooler) end so the stinger lights up.

[CRSMP5]

upgrdman, today i got my NIB 7075 pro2 chassis from ebay, was 19$ shipped to me.. i sat down, reconfigured my old ofna 2 speed, 14/49 and 18/45 for gearing and got her installed with out havign to redrill chassis holes!!! im working on building a custom short wheel base LSP for tight tracks, but have blazing speeds for those long straights.. :D

[upgrdman]

awesome. looking at the pic of it at tower hobbies, are those gears plastic/nylon? would that handle some bashing ok, or would one need to be careful with it?

in any case i think i'll give the HB tranny one last shot. towerhobbies finally got the 13/18T CB gears in and shipped them too me (havn't arrived yet) but the actual 2-speed tranny is still on back order.

in a truly stupid act to get the badly eaten tranny gears off of my first tranny, I tried cutting slots into the screws to use a flat head screw-driver to pry em out... and it didnt work. the aftermath of all my poor dremeling yielded a tranny that looked like ****, and probably wouldn't be too reliable, so I tossed it. an expensive lesson indeed... when will i learn :)

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/lsp/amr_project_v2/2sptrug002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/lsp/amr_project_v2/2sptrug004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/lsp/amr_project_v2/2sptrug005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/CRSMP5/lsp/amr_project_v2/2sptrug003.jpg
i had to turn these parts around, redrill them so they lined up with the chassis holes, the cb is real real close to the fuel tank, i still have not played with the brakes yet.. im assuming i will have to mod the drive cup a titch to have the disk sit far enough back on it..

[upgrdman]

I just checked the backorders page on towerhobbies, and it shows that my tranny is in stock! yay that means it will ship today or tomorrow!

and my enclosure arrived today! tomorrow i will do the slight modding and installion into enclosure. i'll post a pic as well.

--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

on closer inspection of the enclosure, it looks too big. would make my buggy look like a joke :( off to mouser.com to look for another enclosure.

[upgrdman]

my 100 pack of white LEDs (same ones i used on my new headlights/stadium lights, i just bought more) arrived today. tommorrow i get off of work at 9pm, so i'll have time to get soldiering, and make the ellipse.

I ended up buying a perf board, some diamond-coated cutting wheels for my dremel, and cut away. man these wheels are sweet, slicing through the perf board like a hot knife to butter. two LEDs of each color, white and blue, and a resistor for each pair will be mounted onto each mini-perf-board... sorta like in this shape:

= 8 8

this way, just like with my headlights/stadium lights, i will be able to select the color i want at will.

I think the best way to assemble the pieces into an ellipse will just to use some regular sewing thread, and sorta loosly sew the edges of the perf boards togeater, with room for some moveing. Then mounting it all onto a ellipse-sharped brace, and encased in clear, flexable tubing.

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/LEDellipse_stage1.jpg

will most likly post more pics tomorrow.

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

sweet...

[upgrdman]

Well I started to soldier togeather some of the pieces, but man it's a pain in the ass... the little LEDs tilt while i try to soldier them on... i have to bend the leads outward to get it to hold its position, and even that doesnt work perfectly.

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/LEDellipse_stage2.jpg

and at first, i was playing around, and ended up with a fried led :) ...

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/friedled.jpg

--farrell f.

[CRSMP5]

opps.. LOL.. your not supposed to let the majic smoke out.. if ya do, electrical item quits working.. 5.5 years of education and thats the one thing they did not teach.. how to put smoke back in... LOL..

[upgrdman]

Well I really wanted to find my ring or ellipse to use when making my rim lights, and the only thing I found, that I thought could withstand the occassional flip over was a damn garden plant stand... metal is like 1/4 or 1/5 inch thick! :( a bit heavy, but since the rim lights portion is mostly a for-show thingy to brag about with friends, and wont be on for all of my rides, i dont think the weight will be a big problem... (the headlights/stadium lights will be installed all the time however). perpare for a good laugh...

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/LEDellipse_stage3.jpg

i figure if nothing else, its a damn strong roll cage. ;) :D

my cordless dremel only had enough juice to cut off two of the three legs, so later on today or tomorrow i will be chopping off the third leg, and taking lots of time to smooth out the lumps left behind from the leg removals. i bought a few extra bits to help out with the cutting and smoothing. diamond-coated cut off wheels, 2 different high speed cutting pieces, and some grinding stone stuff.

--farrell f.

[dyslexic]

looks interesting so far
why are you useing 9.6volts instead of 3V?
also what type of resistor are you using to drop the voltage?

[upgrdman]

I wanted to power as many LEDs as possible in series, and my LEDs are rated for a forward voltage of 3.0-3.4V. If i used a 3V power source, it would be very dim, and I would have to use a resistor anyway, because LEDs do not linearly resist current, so even with a 3.0 or 3.2V power source, it could fry itself. 9.6V would have perfectly powered 3 LEDs in series at 3.2V, but that would be without a resistor, which is bad. So I wired two LEDs in series with a 160ohm 1/8th watt resistor, aiming to provide the LEDs with approx. 3.2V 20mA.

The LEDs draw a considerable amount of power, because they are insanely bright. 32 LEDs drawing ~20mA each is ~640mAh. So rechargable 9V batteries wouldn't last very long at all. And that fast of a drain on a normal 9V battery might be unsafe...? So I want with an 8 AA cell NiMH (1.2V) pack. I would have loved to put even more LEDs in series, but then I would need even more AA cells, or go to AAA which hold significantly less energy.

--farrell f.

[dyslexic]

ok but why not go for a series parralel circuit?
just asking questions since I'm thinking of rigging up a led lamp to use as a work light when at the track that will run of a 12v gel cell.
trying to get as much info as I can before actually building it.
I can wire your house with no problems but electronics i'm strickly amatuer.

[upgrdman]

um... it is a series parallel circuit. 2 LED powered in series, with a resistor, and each, uh, string, is then wires in parallel to the power source. here a crappy picture of how it works:

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/crappy_drawing.jpg

--farrell f.

[dyslexic]

ahh ok I got pic helps quite a bit, now I see why you need the resistors.

but couldn't you just add a 3rd led in series and lose the resistor? or is ther something i'm missing here.

[CRSMP5]

the resistor stabilizes the voltage.. BUT why not add a resistor between the batt and the 1st parallel circuit? brain fade.. i know there has to be a reason, just cannot think of it..

[Jackyl]

crs, I would imagine that adding a resistor on the + side that would drop the voltage to what is needed to power the leds would be larger than what is currently used. also, using multiple resistors offers redundency. If one resistor goes out the magic smoke is only let out of those 2 leds instead of all of them. How far off am I upgrdman?

[dyslexic]

ok maybe i've just been working with AC for too long but why do you need toi stabilize DC current from a battery with a liner voltage drop? I mean it's not like the batts are suddenly going to spike in voltage, other then the inital surge when it's turned on I just can't see the voltage doing anything but dropping over time.

if there is something i'm missing here then by all means expose the flaws in my logic. or is it that i'm being too logical?

[upgrdman]

first, im no electronics pro... i'm just barely an amature. so take the following with a grain of salt. in may be innaccurate.

voltage is not the big factor with LED's. i hear that you could shove 30V into an LED and it would love it, but i should note that the person that told me that is of unknown reliabilty.

however, i have read many many times, its the current (amps) that is of big importence. using resistors are one way to limit current, and they are cheap and not horribly inefficient. i hear they make special led powering devices that can limit voltage and current very well, and with very good efficiency. i asked in an electronics usenet groups of such a thing, but i soon ened up way over my head, and settled for resistors.

--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

oh, and in responce to crsmp5's "why not add a resistor between the batt and the 1st parallel circuit?"

because voltage is not the problem, current is. (i think)

if i understand things correctly, it's because not every chain wired in parrallel will end up drawing the same amount of current, so the LED strings that are composed of LEDs with slightly less internal resistance will allow too much current to flow through them. this is why i provided each and every string of LEDs with it's own resistor...so the other LED's would not have any (as much?) influence over the amont of current allowed to flow through the LEDs.

uh, or maybe im confused beyond belief, and need to be taken out back and shot.

--farrell f.

lastly, for anyone interested in how to power LEDs, i got most of my information by googling around, and thess pages in particular were very helpful:

http://wolfstone.halloweenhost.com/TechBase/litlpo_PoweringLEDs.html
http://members.misty.com/don/ledx.html

[upgrdman]

The new headlights are all done! First a few pictures of it finished, and a few while it was being built. In case it's not obvious, i had to cut out the entire back of the enclousre and screw on some thick lexan to make a window.

http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/LED_Headlights_finished.jpg
http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/LED_Headlights_Stage3.jpg

i intended to put the battery pack into the headlight's enclosure, but the batteries were a little to tall. I will make my own custom pack designed to fit. Aftering making my new pack, the jack sticking out will be a charging jack... as you can see in the second photo, the charging jack is all ready to go, but is just tucked inside since the battery pack is presently outside.

i made a little movie of it, if anyone wants to see. it's approximatly 7.7MB, MPEG4 AVI.
http://www.cgartwork.com/misc/new_headlights.avi

what do you guys think?

--farrell f.

[dyslexic]

looking good, they are really brite. I watched the vid and I see you still have a few mounting issues to work out but the stadium lights look good.
Have you considered mounting the encloursure behind the shock tower? or going with some thing a bit smaller? and maybe placing the batts on the right side mud guard?
you may also want to consider useing sub-a cells for the weight savings.

how long does that batt pack last with your current setup?

I'm going to be starting a similer project in a few weeks myself except i'm going to use mine as a desk lamp or overhead light source for my R/C building area in my basement.

[upgrdman]

well if i put the enclosure behind the shock tower, then the tower will be casting an ugly shadow :( and like i mentioned in the movie, if i mount it directly above the tower, it will look really weird, and probably affect the aerodynamics more significantly (although i have no idea if it would have a noticable effect).

as for smaller: i wanted something really bright, like what i have now. I'm looking into luxeon LEDs which are insanely bright... a single luxeon star 1 would be equivalant to my entire array of LEDs... maybe even more. but they cost a little more than buying the equivalent amount of regular LEDs and setting up an array. besides, im new to electronics, and wanted as much soldiering expierence i could eek out of a project without making it look ugly.

about the battery situitation: the battery was only place there for the movie/pictures to demostrate the new headlights. today i bough a bunch of 800mAh NiMH AAA cells, and will soldier them togeater. they are just the right size... i can soldier them in a decent shape... something like: |||||||| as opposed to the weird shape i though i would have to make it into. 800mAh isnt much, since each of the 32 LEDs draw 20mA, or 640mA in all. But since I don't plan to do very long runs at nights, i think it will last quite nicely for two or if im lucky, three tank fulls. For longer runs I could just attach another pack externally, into the charging jack, and it will act like two battery packs wired in parallel.

--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

UPDATE: The new CB gears arrived today! YAY! Installed them at about 1AM, went to a huge empty parking lot, and man it's sweet. it ran very nicely, didnt eat the gears up. they still look like new excpet for the slightly worn off black coating of course. the speed is... frightening. I dont dare hold the throttle down for more than a second or it takes like 30 feet to stop, even with the wheels locked the whole time, and using appropriate tires on pavement. Tomorrow if i get up early enough I will be the only one at a near by park with huge soccer fields... nothing to get in the way. Then I can really let her rip! If not to many people are there (i expect it to be desserted as it has been in the past during mid-day hours) i will pull out my DV camera and tripod. since i will be running on grass, with pavement-style tires i will have significantly decreased speed and stopping power, but with the vast space i think it will still be fun.

i do not know how long the pack i bought yesterday would last, but it's rated for 1400mAh, and with a load of 640mA, i think it would put out decent power for 90 or 100 minutes.

--farrell f.

[upgrdman]

oh, and i almost forgot:

Dyslexic: As for your project, I would reccomend looking into Lexeon LEDs. And I can reccomend the ebay store i buy my LED's from. they're dirt cheap, and i've never had problems or defective LEDs from them. only negative is they're in hong kong, so it takes about 2 weeks for the LEDs to arrive to me in california. but i got like 100 white leds for $10 or $15, same for blue ones. damn cheap. the sell luxeon ones as well, but as expected they cost more. like $10 each. but it's worth it, in my opinion, if space is an issue.

if you are interested, i'll post a link to the ebay store.

[CRSMP5]

sweet.. sounds great..

[dyslexic]

sounds good I'd like to take a look at them.

I currently have 100 5mm white LED's 11000mcd that I plan on using for my work station light, I'm thinking of setting it up to run off my 12v 5 amp power supply or just using an old 9 -12volt power brick as I have several of them laying around. still trying to settle on a design but I deffinitly want it to be portable and brite.

[upgrdman]

dyslexic: 11cd sounds good enough... what current and forward voltage are they rated for? my 20cd ones are rated for 3.0-3.4V FW @ 20mA. just curious. you said "power supply" so im guessing you're not going to use batteries, so efficiency will not be exteremely important, but just in case.

the ebay store i use is:

http://stores.ebay.com/LCK-World-Trade-Centre

looking there it seems like they raised their prices some, but they still seem very good. for example:

$22 ... 100 x 20000+MCD Ultra Bright 5mm Led
$35 ... 100 x 26000+MCD Ultra Bright 5mm Led
$10 ... 1x LUXEON STAR III WHITE LED (65 lumens!)
$30 ... 1x LUXEON STAR V WHITE LED (120 lumens!!!!!!)

crsmp5: well im off to the park now, just wanted to check this thread first. i'll also write a little page on how to get the hb 2speed working on the lighting, with several pics. i'll upload it to my site, and post a link so if you want, you can update your other theads on hbforums etc.

--farrell f.

[dyslexic]

I may connect them to a 12v gel cell battery or the power supply or go a different route with the plug in transformer.

These are the specs for the leds I purchesed also from ebay about 15$ with shipping.

Specifications
# Size (mm) : 5mm
# Emitted Color : WHITE
# Forward Voltage (V) : 3.2 ~ 3.8
# Reverse Current (uA) : <=30
# Luminous Intensity Type Iv (mcd) : 11,000
# Life Rating : 100,000 Hours
# Viewing Angle : -10 Degree ~ +10 Degree
# Absolute Maximum Ratings (Ta=25 Degree)
# Max Power Dissipation : 80mw
# Max Continuous Forward Current : 30mA
# Max Peak Forward Current : 75mA
# Reverse Voltage : 5 ~ 6 V
# Lead Soldering Temperature : 240 Degree ( < 5 Sec)
# Operating Temperature Range : -25 Degree ~ +85 Degree
# Preservative Temperature Range : -30 Degree ~ +100 Degree

I also piced these up 10mm Blue leds for another project I have in mind

Product Description

* Emitted Color : OCEAN BLUE
* Size (mm) : 10mm
* Lens Color : Water Clear
* Peak Wave Length (nm) : 465 ~ 470
* Forward Voltage (V) : 3.2 ~ 3.8
* Reverse Current (uA) : <=30
* Luminous Intensity Typ Iv (mcd) : Average in 5000
* Life Rating : 100,000 Hours
* Viewing Angle : 20 ~ 25 Degree

Absolute Maximum Ratings (Ta=25°C)

* Max Power Dissipation : 80mw
* Max Continuous Forward Current : 30mA
* Max Peak Forward Current : 75mA
* Reverse Voltage : 5~6V
* Lead Soldering Temperature : 240°C (<5Sec)
* Operating Temperature Range : -25°C ~ +85°C
* Preservative Temperature Range : -30°C ~ +100°C