Traxxas Stampede Forum

[Vato Loco]

Why do you want posi? That's going to make your truck turn like crap. Best way to get posi, is to get a proball diff that way you can lock it or unlock it or anything in between! I use a real thick lithum grease in my diff, it gives me just enough to do what i want but allows the truck to still turn real well!

[justinspankey]

well i want to lock my diff because it for a custom pede im making and i i have some ideas that you guys will see once all done but anywasy just a question i kind figured what it meant by everything else you wrote but why use the term posi?

[mikestoys]

Why do you want posi? That's going to make your truck turn like crap. Best way to get posi, is to get a proball diff that way you can lock it or unlock it or anything in between! I use a real thick lithum grease in my diff, it gives me just enough to do what i want but allows the truck to still turn real well!

i agree... i locked my diff with JB weld and while it hooked up great out in the desert on loose sand, it got choppy on cornering in hard packed dirt

[silver wolf]

heres my stampede its something different.


http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=5/14907533382.jpg&s=f5
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=5/14907541462.jpg&s=f5

[SS Pede]

Look cool.

[fastrc]

your wheels are on backwards

[Vato Loco]

nice!

[silver wolf]

i like my wheels on backwards

[rigrishracer22B]

anybody know how many Ohms the xl1 esc should be given :confused: think its the esc gets blisterin hot on one batt runs and it is real sluggish on starts and real slow But the batteries have the same run time

[Vato Loco]

What batteries are you using? How many turn motor? What gearing? and what surface are you running the most.

[rigrishracer22B]

venom 3300 3000 and towers 1900 1500 batts 17 turn venom fireball and i think the gearing is 15p / 87s and I run on a 50degree banked dirt oval

[justinspankey]

hey does anyone if there are 17mm hexes that will fit the stampede axle i know there are some for the maxx trucks by OFNA so would that mean the the regualr OFNA buggy 17mm hexes would fit the pede?

[fastrc]

Why do you want posi? That's going to make your truck turn like crap. Best way to get posi, is to get a proball diff that way you can lock it or unlock it or anything in between! I use a real thick lithum grease in my diff, it gives me just enough to do what i want but allows the truck to still turn real well!
Or if you want the diff locked instead of spending 50 bucks you could put silly putty which I have heard works well for locking the diff and isn't permanent.

[Vato Loco]

venom 3300 3000 and towers 1900 1500 batts 17 turn venom fireball and i think the gearing is 15p / 87s and I run on a 50degree banked dirt oval
It should run cool if thats the set up your using.........Is your motor overly hot too? 17T is right at that's ESC's limit, It just might be the Stock ESC.
http://www.******.net/members/vato
Why they do tis is beyond me? ******= ******

[fastrc]

I was just wondering what a good pinion is on an 87t spur running a 12 turn motor on a stampede...i'm thinking 13 or 14t but I would apreciate any opinions.thanks

[Vato Loco]

I just got done with my 3rd and final design on my Rusty Pede!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0785.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0783.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0780.jpg
I'm very pleased with the design. Right now it's a roller, soon to live a life of speed :eek: My wife said I should make rollers to sell........I'm not sure if they would sell? any Ideas?

[justinspankey]

man that is awsome and once again well done. Just in my opinion they would sell really well, just dont over price them and it will be sweet dont sell it as rollers but just make the chassis and shock towers and stuff
Justin Clarke

[Vato Loco]

That's what I'm going to do is make bare chassis with shock towers f/r! as soon as i finish my son's and my new chassis I'll get to work on two of them to sell to see how much I can get for them?

[GKH]

'Just about to order my Electric Stampede RTR... Here's what I am starting out with.. (as posted on the other forum)

Stampede RTR
Dynamite Vision Peak 2 Charger
RPM Front Bumper
RPM Front and Rear Bearing Carriers
(8) DuraTrax 5x11mm Bearings
Kimbrough Spur Gear 48P 87T
Traxxas Heavy Duty Body Clips
Traxxas Body Washers
CA Glue (thin)
(2) GP3300 Radio Shack Batteries

[Vato Loco]

Bumper? Your going to need a Bumper!
Also a good Metal Gear servo!

[GKH]

Bumper? Your going to need a Bumper!
Also a good Metal Gear servo!

Indeed! RPM Bumper is on the list. :) Metal gear servo is upcoming, too! :D

[Vato Loco]

Sorry my bad;-)

[mikestoys]

I was just wondering what a good pinion is on an 87t spur running a 12 turn motor on a stampede...i'm thinking 13 or 14t but I would apreciate any opinions.thanks

im runnin that setup... 12turn with 14/87 gearing... runs hard... has decent bottom end and strong top end without heating up badly...

[GT Freak]

vato, put me down for 1 pede chassis :cool:

[rigrishracer22B]

I would buy a roller chassis just take the shocks and tires off :D

[Vato Loco]

I'm almost done with my two rigs! when their done I'll start work on two of them! I have several people wanting the two chassis! I might put them on e bay to see if they fetch enough to be worth my while i have a hard time setting a price. If and when I have time to figure out how e bay works! Or have a privite auction? hell I don't know yet;-)
they will be sold as a chassis only! It will be assembled with the bellcranks and front bulkhead installed. I'll see if I have a pic to post that is close to the way they will be made and sold!
Found a pic, The rear shock tower is giong to be a little diffrent but over all this way and the bellcrankes with bearings will be installed!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0794.jpg

[rigrishracer22B]

what kind of lexan and tools are you using if you dont mindme asking :)

[Vato Loco]

XL10 Lexan 1/4" thick, as for tools Drill press, table saw, scroll saw, Chop saw, cordless drill, Dremal, and assorted hand tools...........Not all polys are equal! I've used a other brand polycarb, and it was weak and frail! GE Brand LEXAN is the best! It cost more but it's of better quaility.

[rigrishracer22B]

IM glad you said ge lexan is the best because my dad races dirt limited latemodel(steel block latemodel) and we have a whole bunch of old lexan spoilers thanks

[Vato Loco]

becareful cutting it! this stuff is trickie! I explane here: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=483387#post483387

[rigrishracer22B]

thanks where do you get your lexan
:)and how much does this chassis weigh is it lighter or heavier than the stock chassis

[Vato Loco]

I got my lexan from home depot. as for weight? Have no clue haven't weighed it. Haven't noticed any changes in speed, also the looks at the LHS is worth the trouble of making the chassis! Dang, turn marshals turn my truck over slower cause their to bussy inspecting the chassis!

[rigrishracer22B]

how big are the sheets of lexan

[justinspankey]

what spur/pinion combination would you guys recommend for maxx size tires and a 19t motor??

[Vato Loco]

how big are the sheets of lexan
The smallest that Home depot in my area carries is .225"x30"x36" for $72.00. If you look around on line and localy you can find smaller sheets. before it went out of business, I had a local sign/Plastics shop that sold all kinds of plastic sheeting! They had a scraps bin that they sold the stuff by the pound! just look around and lexan can be found.

[SS Pede]

what spur/pinion combination would you guys recommend for maxx size tires and a 19t motor??
Probably like 15/87 or 16/87. With 2.2" tires I'd say 17/87, but I think you'll need lower gearing to move the bigger rubber.

[fastrc]

Anybody seen the new stampede. Looks crappy and expensive to me...I wish instead of coming out with all of this new stuff that is gonna cost more and people are just going to upgrade- that they would just bring back the kits.here is the link http://www.traxxas.com/products/electric/stampede2006/trx_stampede.htm
edit-I do like the idea of a halfway decent speed control coming stock

[Vato Loco]

Got a little further with the rigs! Their running!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0944.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0943.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0949.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0948.jpg

[Vato Loco]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0960.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0959.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0966.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0954.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0953.jpg

[SS Pede]

Wow Vato, that truck looks awesome!! Sorry if you've already answered this question, but is that truck widened or just lowered?

[Vato Loco]

widened.

[rigrishracer22B]

what is a good brushless system to put in the pede

[fastrc]

I am thinking about doing a super wide conversion using rear fast lane machining extended a arms and duratrax evader st front arms. I already have a wide conversion using the duratrax arms but I had to modify the bulkhead and arms to fit right and since i already have the modified bulkhead it would be simply a bolt on operation and then coming next is a longer wheelbase. just thought it would be neat to tell yall....

[SS Pede]

what is a good brushless system to put in the pede
I have a Novak SS5800 system and love it. You can get a refurbished one from Novak at a very good price. http://www.shopatron.com/product/product_id=NOVR3005/135.0.7565.7521.0.0.0

There are other more powerful systems that would be great too. The SS5800 it good for low 30's in terms of speed. Perhaps mid 30's on 7 cells. Novak has a few faster systems (the GTB ones). LRP/Reedy offers some systems too. And there are many "sensorless" systems (as opposed to sensored like the Novaks and Reedys) that will be quite powerful as well. The new Mamba systems are promising.

fastrc - good luck on the widening, let us know how it goes.

I finally drove a couple packs though my truck yesterday (I've been busy). I lowered the body posts half an inch because I like the look better. For the rear posts, you can just remove the 4 screws and re-attach the posts with just two screws in the lower pair of holes on the shock tower. That moves them down half an inch and it's super easy. I cut down the front to match that half inch. I cut the whole posts off at the base, cut half an inch off the bottom of them, and screwed them back on where they were with a couple self-tapping screws. I was too lazy to drill pilot holes so I just used a bit of muscle. :p So far the new mounts have survived some upside down crashes without problems. :)

[aminoelmo]

Hi everyone (thanks for the tip about the forum ss pede)

I´m kinda new to types of wheels and tires, the suggestion on the other forum was to use moabs or m2k´s instead of modifying to Maxx tires, if I wanted bigger tires, I looked up the moabs and found the proline tires on ebay, but couldn´t find anything about m2k´s. I basically drive (abuse would be a more appropriate word) my pede absolutely off road and ruin the shocks in a few runs, so which wheels & tires are ideal for this application? I´d imagine if I raise it a bit more without having to change the shock absorber stock config I might be able to avoid some damage to the a-arms, before I can get aluminum ones! Haven´t broken any yet but I can see it coming...tie rod ends also seem fragile when running on construction sites...

One thing I want to avoid though it slowing down initial acceleration because of heavier tires

[SS Pede]

Here are the Masher 2000's: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXUM93&P=ML

I have the Moabs like I said and they don't seem that heavy. It's a different rubber than the stock tires, might be lighter. The M2k's shouldn't be that bad either, it's the same rubber compound and about the same size tire. You may still want to change the gear ratio because the tires are taller, but that's no big deal and it depends on what motor you're running. The tall size will increase ground clearance a bit.

Surprisingly I've never bent a turnbuckle or anything. Caster pins are another story... :p

There also seems to be a Pede thread going down in the Electric Monster Truck forum. I guess you could check that out too depending on where the action is.

[Vato Loco]

I moabs! Love the moabs!

[Vato Loco]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1046.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1043.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1042.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1041.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1038.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1037.jpg
:eek:

[aminoelmo]

In your opinion, based on your knowledge and extensive experience:

A) Which parts should a Stampede owner always have in stock for repairs? (e.g. shock absorber repair kit).

B) Which parts should be upgraded in order to have the Stampede in optimal mechanical condition (tires, aluminum bumper?)

I know it'd be great to have full aluminum chassis, arms, etc. but I really mean 'must upgrade' parts

And third, what's the best setup you could have for a Stampede (include approx costs if possible). Would it be easier to just buy some of the original parts and get all the good stuff separately?

PS: waiting for my first set of moabs to arrive anytime now!

[z-man280]

PS: waiting for my first set of moabs to arrive anytime now!

there is a BIG upgrade already!!! Must haves? i would grab a set of caster blocks, part #3632 (L & R), $4.00,steering blocks, #3636, $3.00/pair, a couple extra spur gears, $3.00 each, part # varies on teeth, a set of body mounts,# 1914, $5.00, outdrives, #4628, $4.00, and possibly a bulkhead, # 2530, $6.00. If you break anything lese, its pretty much a fluke, or you lost chicken with a crown victoria. These trucks are tough, but all have their limits.
the obvious, bearings, will help it tremendously as well, the trans is bearing equipped already, so you just need them for the axles. Many switch to the nitro hubs to allow the larger bearings to be ran, 5x11 vs. stock 5x8. I personally have killed a few 5x8's in a stampede with a hotter motor in it, the bigger bearings just have more mass.

[aminoelmo]

What do you think of the 4628X output yokes? I'm beginning to notice a problem that I think might be related to the plastic output yoke on the right side...I still need to take it apart but it does seem like a part that could be taking some damage from rough riding.

As for the bearings (this will be fun for you) I'm absolutely ignorant of where they go or what they do...can you tell i'm a beginner? I like to think I'm a great driver though!

[z-man280]

What do you think of the 4628X output yokes? I'm beginning to notice a problem that I think might be related to the plastic output yoke on the right side...I still need to take it apart but it does seem like a part that could be taking some damage from rough riding.

As for the bearings (this will be fun for you) I'm absolutely ignorant of where they go or what they do...can you tell i'm a beginner? I like to think I'm a great driver though!
hey, everyone is a beginner at some point..yes, you could run the steel yolks, howver, with my slipper set correctly, i havent had one of the nylon ones fail...yet. rule of thumb, set it to slip, which you will know by the high pitched squeal, for about 2 feet from a dead stop, full throttle take off, with a full charge pack. It also acts as a traction control, in a sense, and with the grip those moabs have, you might want a bit of "give" in the drivetrain now more than before. Imagine landing from full throttle with a tire spinning full speed, and for a split second, full STOP! thats what breaks things, so with the slipper, it allows that "give" in the driveline, so it doesnt break things.
Bearings, well, they go right here( see pic). you will have two, one inner, one outer, that support the stub axle.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/P7250085Small.jpg

i hope this helps,
Ron

[aminoelmo]

It helps a whole lot, thanks very much for all the info, really helpful! Now I can see why the bearing upgrade would help.

I'll do this change as soon as I receive my replacement motor.

Another question, if you don't mind, I noticed my front shock absorbers stopped working the way they're supposed to (car relying 100% on springs), but I've opened them and don't see any of the rings/diaphragms/etc. damaged, can it be they only need oil? I thought they had been damaged for sure because I abused them in the last couple of runs before the motor died so I got the repair kits, but now I'm not sure what the problem is.

Something else I'm noticing on the car is that the front right tire is vibrating excessively when it reaches high speeds, I've been looking for the problem but can't find anything evidently wrong, just in case you have any suggestions. Direction is set straight, nothing looks bent or broken...

[z-man280]

well, lests start with the shocks..are they not coming back to extended position after they are compressed?? If this is the case, look for a bent shock shaft. The oil's primary job is to provide compression and rebound damping,..or in other words, it slows down the spring, both when compressed, and when it goes back to its original position. If your shock seems to "spring back" faster than the others, it could be low on oil. Follow your manual on re-building. I found 20 wt oil on all four corners seems to work nicely for running, and mild jumps,( under 4 ft. verticle) and heavier oil if you jump higher. On that note, one BIG upgrade i forgot is to repalce the stock caps with aluminim ones, as the stockers can pop off.
Vibration? sounds to me like a out of balance tire. First, take tire off and shake it. I know, sounds silly, but could have sand/dirt in it. second, is it seated on the rim? on both sides? third, do you have foam inserts, and did it "bunch up" in the wheel? if all these check out, set the tire back on the spindle, and spin it. does it vibrate just spinning it? you may have to expeirement with taping a screw or other small weight on the inside of the wheel to find a nice balance point. Of course, i am sure there are other ways to do it, but thats the low-buck way, then just epoxy or glue the desired weight on the wheel.

Ron

[z-man280]

Some pics of my pede w/ moab's, which will make their way over to project Tami-a-pede! :D Cant find a decent body anymore, :mad: so she got an old Losi XX4 truck conversion kit body...trimmed, but i think it looks better than the stocker, but not as good as the old pro-line F150, that body rocked :)
recently laid off, so got the time to work on "tami-a-pede" again , but its gonna be low-buck... :(
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/P7250086Small2.jpg
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/P7250087Small2.jpg
and of course, the 4WD Stampede being built...."Tami-a-pede"
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/pede51.jpg
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/pede5.jpg

[aminoelmo]

[QUOTE=z-man280]well, lests start with the shocks..are they not coming back to extended position after they are compressed??

Yeah, they don't come back to extended position, they stop about half way but the rods don't look bent...I'll follow the rebuild process with the same parts and just replace the oil with the 30wt I bought to see if that fixes the problem.


"Vibration? sounds to me like a out of balance tire. First, take tire off and shake it. I know, sounds silly, but could have sand/dirt in it. second, is it seated on the rim? on both sides? third, do you have foam inserts, and did it "bunch up" in the wheel? if all these check out, set the tire back on the spindle, and spin it. does it vibrate just spinning it?"

I really hope it's the first option you mention, which would be solved by installing my new super duper moabs!, but yeah, I don't see any other posibilities...I really thouht it might've been something else like a problem with other steering components, since these tires aren't really old...

[aminoelmo]

Looks like a powerful car, what do you use for the engine/esc?

Re the bodies, I've heard that there are shops where you can have a replica of practically any body made to fit your car, is this true? I'm sure it has to be expensive. It has to be a pain to try to do it yourself though.

[z-man280]

thanks, Tami-a-pede will get problaby something on the lines of a 16-17 turn motor, esc is an old novak. Not sure on the body thing, but yeah, its got to be pricey to make one for ANY car...( ouch$$$$$$).
Let me guess, its your left front tire?
My stockers vibrated bad, but only one. The left front. Moabs are nothing short of wicked as far as traction goes, when the 4x4 is done, they will go on that right away. They made the stock stampede climb and hook up like crazy!
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/P7240052Small.jpg
as for the shocks, something must be bound up in them if the shock shaft isnt bent.

[aminoelmo]

Can anybody tell if these are aluminum shocks? They look like they're made of metal

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stampede-billet-threaded-shocks-4-pcs-RED-silver-coils_W0QQitemZ270009726966QQihZ017QQcategoryZ4402 8QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[aminoelmo]

Check these out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-XL-5-Stampede-12T-Titan-550-Motor-Traxxas_W0QQitemZ220010656822QQihZ012QQcategoryZ44 028QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-XL-5-Stampede-ESC-XL5_W0QQitemZ220010656210QQihZ012QQcategoryZ44028Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[justinspankey]

the shocks i beleive are alum. and the new Xl-5 Esc and 12t motor from the new pede look sweet

[tony093]

do you guys have any idea what website to order a mip stinger exhaust for my pede. thanks

[z-man280]

MIP, part # 3030, 360 stinger exhuast, nitro stampede.

http://www.miponline.com/stingers.html , hope that helps.

~Ron

that site just shows you the MIP number, but i am sure if your LHS can order it for you with the above part #. ( around $60 retail)

[aminoelmo]

I ended up going for the big bores...I'm putting more money in this 1/10 car than my 1/1 car

Do you think the tie bar does a big possitive difference?

Engine really has to be next upgrade, but that'll have to wait a bit. Has anyone here ever upgraded to one of those $300 engines and $300 esc's? The pede would have to give me 100mph for me to take that step

What's the best nitro truck to have for a stampede owner in your opinion? You know, you already have a good off-road truck, so something like the jato would seem like a good option...seems kinda fast though, which is exciting and scary at the same time, the risk of destroying it is much higher

[Vato Loco]

I ended up going for the big bores...I'm putting more money in this 1/10 car than my 1/1 car

Do you think the tie bar does a big possitive difference?

Engine really has to be next upgrade, but that'll have to wait a bit. Has anyone here ever upgraded to one of those $300 engines and $300 esc's? The pede would have to give me 100mph for me to take that step

What's the best nitro truck to have for a stampede owner in your opinion? You know, you already have a good off-road truck, so something like the jato would seem like a good option...seems kinda fast though, which is exciting and scary at the same time, the risk of destroying it is much higher
Sorry to say but ALL RC Cars and Trucks are money pits! worse than a 1/1 boat. The tie bar reenforces the front a arms and bulkhead and keeps them from breaking. Yes is a very important inprovement! As for the Brushless set ups speed is a good reason to go this route, but the best reason is the Motors are stronger durability wise! Harder to kill way less maint. and cheaper to maintain! You go through less motors that way!
Nitro is more Maint. than electric! and when a motor goes south more expensive to replace!JMO.

[aminoelmo]

Got a question...I'm installing an XL-1 (getting started on ESC's), I got it hooked up they way it should but the truck starts running and doesn't stop...I'm sure someone here knows how to deal with this issue!

[aminoelmo]

Proportional adjustment, but I think there's another problem now...when wheels are not touching ground they seem to be running at full speed, but on the ground the car's having a really bad start off speed and a good top speed...almost like when I tried the 28 tooth pinion with the 78 tooth spur...but now I'm back to factory settings on 18/86...does anybody know if the settings on the xl-1 could be causing this? I really don't know what does what on the xl-1 controls...I don't want to burn this motor

Update: I'll try adjusting the proportional control and the slipper clutch, it's probably the clutch, I hope

Final update: slipper clutch adjustment did it...and the shock absorber problem was fixed by adding a few more drops of oil to each one

[Steve323]

My neighbor just bought a used stampede for $20 (Perfect condition, hobbico charger and 2 duratrax batteys) :D Steal of a deal, the person who he bought it from (my friend) didnt really no the true value of it all. Well, hes getting a better charger and some gp3300 but I have aquestion. First, when he goes from reverse to throttle to wheelie (yes i kno your not supposed to do that :p ) It goes out of control and cannot hold a wheelie. My brothers rustler can wheelie like that fine...any suggestions?

[aminoelmo]

Is there a problem if you constantly run the slipper clutch really tight and the ESC at full power? Z mentioned the impact when jumping, but other than that, can it overheat the motor/ESC with regular 15 min run times? Seems to me it's the nicest way to run the car if you want off-road traction and not speed...

I'm waiting for several parts to do a considerable upgrade: the moabs (still not here), RPM gear cover, big bore shocks and lights. Upgrades already made are: aluminum bumper (small), xl-1 and spring socks. Will send pix once it's completely upgraded and ready with the new body I'm working on.

[Vato Loco]

Is there a problem if you constantly run the slipper clutch really tight and the ESC at full power? Z mentioned the impact when jumping, but other than that, can it overheat the motor/ESC with regular 15 min run times? Seems to me it's the nicest way to run the car if you want off-road traction and not speed...

I'm waiting for several parts to do a considerable upgrade: the moabs (still not here), RPM gear cover, big bore shocks and lights. Upgrades already made are: aluminum bumper (small), xl-1 and spring socks. Will send pix once it's completely upgraded and ready with the new body I'm working on.
The biggest problem with tighting down the slipper all the way is you run a greater risk of stripping your Idler gear(This includes the alum one too) and Main planetary gear. I've done that a lot! Keep a 1/8- 1/4 turn, or gears you will strip!

[silver wolf]

Never have I striped a gear with the slipper tight although I still use brushed motors with hot setups.

[Steve323]

Does anyone kno of a way to make wheelies more controllable?

[Vato Loco]

wheelie bar? http://www.swami-rc.com/WheelieBar.htm

[rigrishracer22B]

doin whillies stripes idler gears so get the alluminum

[aminoelmo]

Just got my moabs (bought them glued to dish rims), haven't tried them on the car but I'm noticing something that might be an issue, there are two wheels that have the pastic shape to fit the hex hubs, but the other two wheels come with bearings in them already....do you know if these will fit somehow? Seems like this will be an issue....worst case I'll change the wheels, but if you have any ideas...

I'm getting the alum idler gear, I love running with tight slipper clutch!

[Vato Loco]

Just got my moabs (bought them glued to dish rims), haven't tried them on the car but I'm noticing something that might be an issue, there are two wheels that have the pastic shape to fit the hex hubs, but the other two wheels come with bearings in them already....do you know if these will fit somehow? Seems like this will be an issue....worst case I'll change the wheels, but if you have any ideas...

I'm getting the alum idler gear, I love running with tight slipper clutch!
It sound as if you order the nitro Front wheels! The bearings fit in to the rim! Totaly diffrent set up! Plus your front and rear rims on a stock pede should have diffrent offsets! the rear has a shallow offset while the front has a deep offset! There are ways around your problem you can go with a nitro rusty/pede front end replacement http://www.ultimatetraxxas.com/rustler_5.html

[z-man280]

I'm getting the alum idler gear, I love running with tight slipper clutch!

ok, time to find your next weak link, either the diff, or the planetaries. I run my slipper a bit loose compared to most probably, but i can still wheelie the truck...suspension and gearing. Weight transfer is awesome, and the moabs grab HARD! Of course, if i back up, and hammer it, it will wheelie hard enough to flip, but from a dead stop, it will carry the front tires about 2 inches off the ground for about 6-8 feet,........power wheelies look so cool! :D

[aminoelmo]

It sound as if you order the nitro Front wheels! The bearings fit in to the rim! Totaly diffrent set up! Plus your front and rear rims on a stock pede should have diffrent offsets! the rear has a shallow offset while the front has a deep offset! There are ways around your problem you can go with a nitro rusty/pede front end replacement http://www.ultimatetraxxas.com/rustler_5.html

I'll probably have to not use these rims and switch the tires to the stock rims since I just bought the RPM80372WB Front Bearing Carrier upgrade, but it isn't that bad since I paid like 21.50 for the new moabs on these rims which I thought was a good deal

Using the nitro hubs helps with the steering though right?

[aminoelmo]

ok, time to find your next weak link, either the diff, or the planetaries. I run my slipper a bit loose compared to most probably, but i can still wheelie the truck...suspension and gearing. Weight transfer is awesome, and the moabs grab HARD! Of course, if i back up, and hammer it, it will wheelie hard enough to flip, but from a dead stop, it will carry the front tires about 2 inches off the ground for about 6-8 feet,........power wheelies look so cool! :D

To change the diff and planetaries to alum we're talking about the $60/$70 upgrade right?

Like this one:
http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail.php?prod=Qualitycomponentspedediff&cat=30

Also, if you stiffen up the rear shocks with higher density oil it should help right? I'm sure the diaphragms (and maybe the shafts) wouldn't like it but it'd probably work

[silver wolf]

I dont know what all the fuss is about I NEVER stripped anything before even with my two motor rustler!

[Vato Loco]

I'll probably have to not use these rims and switch the tires to the stock rims since I just bought the RPM80372WB Front Bearing Carrier upgrade, but it isn't that bad since I paid like 21.50 for the new moabs on these rims which I thought was a good deal

Using the nitro hubs helps with the steering though right?
What I did to make rim buying easier, is to widen the front A-arms so I can use the same offset rims front and rear. Also this option gave me more shock mounting posistions! It's not a very expensive mod!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0780.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0783.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_0628.jpg
I used the rear A-arms up front!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1046.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1041.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1019.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/CMHCMH/100_1015.jpg

[aminoelmo]

That's a great looking truck.

I tried installing the rims taking out the axle pins and was able to run the car without a problem (front end looked funny though) , but it's very hard to tighten the wheels and to take them off! Very hard!

Problem was, it was even harder to take the tires off from those wheels, it'd probably be easier to take the tires from a real car off from its wheels using your hands (tough glue!).

Anyway, I gave the moabs the first drive this morning and they're the best, I'm really happy I ordered a wheelie bar a couple days ago!

Pros: tight grip, faster speeds overall, better steering, slightly higher ground clearance, nicer looking, could climb rocks and obstacles I couldn't climb before, landings seem to feel a bit better (3-4 ft jumps)

Cons: full steering at high speeds rolls the car over for sure (extended alum arms are starting to be more attractive to me now), stock rims get scratched easlily because the moabs are thinner than the stock tires.

I could use smaller shock absorber springs to have a little bit better control right? Rustlerizing the pede. I'll also try using lower density shock oil (will bring it down from 30 to 15w)

[Vato Loco]

Using the rear a-arms up front is cheaper than the alum ones and lighter! For the stock plastic shocks I used The three hole pistion in all shocks with the holes bored out to 1/16" and 30wt oil in front and 40wt in rear, with losi lite blue shock springs in the front and A@E MGT Red springs in the rear! That worked great for me. also brake and slow down before you turn;-)end of roll overs!
BTW: If it ain't scratched It ain't Used!

[aminoelmo]

Thanks a lot for the advice, the moabs have made a big difference and I need to adjust my driving technique.

What would you recommend for ESC/motor upgrade? I think that's my next step...I'm looking for more power on tough terrain, speed doesn't concern me too much with this truck.

Another question, how does using batteries with more cells affect the car? Longer runs, higher power, or both? And, do these need to be custom made or are they being sold anywhere on the net?

Thanks again

[Vato Loco]

More cells= faster runs but shorter run times Less cells= slow speeds longer run times! as for motors, if you can afford it go BL right off! It saves you a lot of money in the long haul! your not rebuilding motors all the time and replacing them as frequent! I've got over 1 1/2 years out of my current ss5800 motor! only replaced the bearing! also the BL's are more consistant run to run!

[aminoelmo]

Something like this? Is this a good price?

http://cgi.ebay.com/NOVAK-3004-Super-Sport-Plus-ESC-Joins-SS5800-Motor_W0QQitemZ120015162124QQihZ002QQcategoryZ3406 3QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm not doing it right away, but it does sound doable if it's worth it.

I've seen a couple of races in online videos where brushless electric cars race side by side against 3.3cc nitros, I think it was an e-maxx racing a revo and an lst2...does a motor like the SS5800 take your pede up to that level or does that require an even better motor?

[Vato Loco]

Now if I were to get a new system for my Rusty Pede,
Sensored would be this: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMAC7&P=7 Because it can take 6 and 7 cell batteries! Novak can't take 7 cell with out thermaling! but i'm not sure if the A@E one thermals to with 7 cell?
Sensorless would be: http://www.starluckrc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24_39&products_id=162 And run this set up on 7-8 cells! it's rated for 12 cell! Wow!
now these are my choices! i have a sensored now! ss5800 and on 6 cell it runs great, but on 7 cell its way cool but the thermaling gets on my nerves! So the next go around I do will be the 5700 mamba maxx also its cheaper too. I want to see the diffrence!

[aminoelmo]

Is it normal to have to unscrew the steering servo and allign it into centered position after a good beat up ride? It seems after a few good jumps the steering shifts to one side and I have to adjust the steering trim all the way to the contrary to make it be centered. Can the steering be upgraded? I've also noticed that sometimes when you go in reverse at full speed you loose steering control (without touching the steering wheel) and it starts shifting to both sides like it was completely uncontrolable. I'm sure if you use the wheel it'll turn, but it doesn't stand straight.

In regards to the XL-1 ESC, should you check the proportional control frequently or does it stay at the setting you left it at? I really just set it at full the first time and have never taken a look at it again so I'm just wondering...

[Steve323]

^^^You just wrote the same two questions I went on here to ask, lol. Anyone have the answers?

[Vato Loco]

Is it normal to have to unscrew the steering servo and allign it into centered position after a good beat up ride? It seems after a few good jumps the steering shifts to one side and I have to adjust the steering trim all the way to the contrary to make it be centered. Can the steering be upgraded? I've also noticed that sometimes when you go in reverse at full speed you loose steering control (without touching the steering wheel) and it starts shifting to both sides like it was completely uncontrolable. I'm sure if you use the wheel it'll turn, but it doesn't stand straight.

In regards to the XL-1 ESC, should you check the proportional control frequently or does it stay at the setting you left it at? I really just set it at full the first time and have never taken a look at it again so I'm just wondering...
As for the steering issues the weak a$$ Traxxas servo is junk :o ! get a Hytec 645mg that is a good fix for the steering :D ! As for the Traxxas ESC the setting can some times get screwed up with real hard hits :eek: , also a low battery cell in the radio it's self will cause all kinds of havoc :eek: ! When you can afford it change the electronics. The basic Traxxas system is ok for a while :rolleyes: but it slowly go's away and the Traxxas radio system and electronic will get on your nerves ;) . I replaced my system with a Airtronic MX3 radio, Hytec 645mg servo and the novak ss5800. that in it's self has made 100% turn around in my truck alone :D ! Chris

[rush freak]

here is a few pics of my pede beater
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/gotsavage/DSC00759.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/gotsavage/DSC00758.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/gotsavage/DSC00757.jpg

thats the new body that came on my 06 pede

[HPI Racing]

Anyone know of any black screw kits for the Stampede?

[aminoelmo]

Are they REALLY better than plastic ones? I mean, in theory they should be stronger, but, has anyone bought one of these and haven't had the need to replace it in a really long time? I'm thinking of replacing my damaged spur with an 87 alum if it's really worth it.

Also, does replacing the bearing hubs for aluminum fix the problem of bending the 3740 pins? I hadn't even noticed until I changed the stock hubs for the rpm plastic hubs to take 5x11 bearings.

Thanks a lot for the advice on steering and radio upgrades. Both parts are giving me problems right now, and the steering is fixable but the radio is acting up on me and I sometimes loose control of the car (I hit a brand new Nissan Almera yesterday,thankfully the suspension did it's work and the pede just went underneath). What's the worst accident you've had with your RC? (in real life terms = where you had to pay somebody to compensate the damage)

[microrcdude]

no i dont think its worth it at all... buy the kimbrough spur gears, aluminum spur gears may sound good in theory, but think about how much friction will be created between the spur and pinion gear.

[Vato Loco]

Are they REALLY better than plastic ones? I mean, in theory they should be stronger, but, has anyone bought one of these and haven't had the need to replace it in a really long time? I'm thinking of replacing my damaged spur with an 87 alum if it's really worth it.

Also, does replacing the bearing hubs for aluminum fix the problem of bending the 3740 pins? I hadn't even noticed until I changed the stock hubs for the rpm plastic hubs to take 5x11 bearings.

Thanks a lot for the advice on steering and radio upgrades. Both parts are giving me problems right now, and the steering is fixable but the radio is acting up on me and I sometimes loose control of the car (I hit a brand new Nissan Almera yesterday,thankfully the suspension did it's work and the pede just went underneath). What's the worst accident you've had with your RC? (in real life terms = where you had to pay somebody to compensate the damage)
Worst accident? I would have to say running in to my 7yr old son! We we're running our trucks two years ago and I hit him going 30+ mph in the ankle! lucky for him my truck didn't break! LOL :D Kimdrough spur gear and robinson racing absolute pinions have worked the greatest for me!

[aminoelmo]

Is it possible to run a 13t pinion with an 87T spur gear for stronger traction? Using stock ESC/motor. I'm buying the brands you recomended instead of the alum.

[microrcdude]

yeah use a robinson racing pinion and a kimbrough spur. The gearing you mentioned would give you tons of acceleration. What surface do you use your truck on?

[aminoelmo]

Rough terrain, rock climbing and a lot of jumping (which by the way was how I ruined the spur gear, 5´ jump). I don´t race it in any tracks and don´t do high speed driving (had enough of it after trying to use 28/78 using the stock motor and burnt it). So I´m looking for the best acceleration and traction I can find. I purchased the robinson 13 and 15t pinions and the kindrough 84 and 87t spurs. I´still looking for a motor upgrade but I´m not sure what I should buy, I´ve seen some videos of the ss5800 and they seem interesting, but I´m also looking at their newer models (5.5, etc.). Also considering the Lehner, mamba, etc. It´s just difficult to make up your mind when you really don´t know.

[microrcdude]

oh, something i didnt tell you earlier is that the kimbrough spurs are a little more noisier than the stock spur, but thats just its way of telling you it works haha. What is your budget for a motor and what ESC are you running now?

[aminoelmo]

I'm currently using stock motor and XL-1. Budget I'd say under 300 total.

[microrcdude]

so 300 for a brushless motor and ESC?

[aminoelmo]

Right...I think, unless I'm completely out of range and dont' really understand how much they cost

[microrcdude]

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGDP6&P=7

Thats probably one of the cheapest and easiest ways to go Brushless. The system works incredible and is faster than most compitition stock motors.

[Vato Loco]

I'm going to try this set up next........http://www.starluckrc.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=162

[aminoelmo]

What's the criteria you can use to determine if a brushless motor is better or more powerful than another one? KV? RPM? Amps? e.g. is a castle creations mamba 7700 less powerful than an 8000?

[microrcdude]

correct. usually it will tell you what it compairs to in "turns" and the lower "turns" it has the more powerful it is

[fastrc]

Today I was driving my stampede on a construction site and it was fun with the p-94 12turn monster wire with m2k tires and 14 87 gearing and the coolest thing happened that I have ever done....I was driving and saw a bulldozer front end loader and thought I'd drive it into the bucket just to see what flips or what it will do and it went into it and came back towards me doing 2 backflips and landing on the wheels. It was sooo awesome and I tried it but could only get 1 flip when i tried it 3 more times but then blew a spur and quit bc I didnt bring any spares.

[microrcdude]

lol sounds like someone needs kimbrough spurs now

[aminoelmo]

Has anyone tried these Intellect 4.2amp batteries? They seem to have the lowest cost in that amp range, actually the only other ones I've seen are the ones from Batteryspace.com and they're over $60 a piece.

[microrcdude]

i was thinking about importing a ton, and if i do so, i could sell for like $40-45 a pack

[aminoelmo]

Is anyone planning on getting the Novak 3.5 when it comes out next month? Do you think it's gonna be significantly faster than the 4.5?

[microrcdude]

ehh not that much faster. I like the brushed stuff myself, but then again i mainly race my cars.

[aminoelmo]

I was running the car yesterday and after a couple of mishaps realized that the aluminum bumper does not effectively help reduce damage if the parts supporting it are plastic! The screws were bent and the screw wholes in the bulkhead were ruined, what I'm wondering now is, if I change the bulkhead to aluminum, does that force me to get an aluminum chassis and shock tower? It does make some sense, once you have more resistant parts as part of your setup, the plastic doesn't interact so well with those. The full FLM package sounds tempting and I'm sure in the long run it's definitely a good deal, but once you started buying parts separately you can't go back (I bought the ext. a-arms).

I read in the desc. for the alum bulkhead that it has screw wholes to make the 4wd conversion easier...is it easy to make this conversion or is it a pain?

[microrcdude]

What aluminum bumper was it? We have been running the RPM Wide front bumper, and its protected the chassis from some incredible hits, including a 2-story fall right onto the nose, nothing harmed except a body clip lol. Check it out, its like $8 or 9 bucks, and it will pay itself off within a few runs. I also HIGHLEY reccomend a stainless steel screw set from www.rcscrewz.com as they are some of the strongest screws on the market.

[aminoelmo]

I'm using one that isn't manufactured by any particular brand, bought it on ebay, it's all alum but it's the same size as the stock bumper, very durable, but doesn't protect the a-arms. I'll take a look at the rpm one, and thanks a lot for the advice on the screw set, I'll buy it right away. I was looking for a screw set anyway to have a decent inventory of replacement screws.

[microrcdude]

ive had incredible service from them and they ALWAYS take care of me. my brother has had that RPM for 2 years, and he hasnt broken anything in the front end of his R/C

[aminoelmo]

I just got my set of a-arm extensions for front and rear arms, really excited about it but I'm trying to figure out if I need to use different turnbuckles or anything extra. I'm going to be so dissapointed if I need to wait for additional parts! Turnbuckles? Camber links maybe?

[microrcdude]

well if you have to buy turnbuckles, id buy the following:
-Lunsford titanium turnbuckles
-associated ball studs
-RPM rod ends

Thats what we got on my brothers car and it works really well. All are avalible on Tower.

[aminoelmo]

Thanks for the advice, do you know what sizes I'd have to get? On the package for the front extended a-arms it says I have to use 62mm and 90mm, but there's nothing on the package for the rear extended a-arms.

Also, the threadless screws that use e clips don't seem to fit the lower wholes in the caster blocks...do you know if you need to use different caster blocks? I'm assuming you have to buy the FLM ones...

[microrcdude]

if they are included with the FLM kit then yes you probably will need the FLM caster blocks.

Does the stock rear "camber link" fit on the FLM kit?

[aminoelmo]

I didn't try to install the rear ones actually, but I'd assume I'm gonna have a problem...

Actually, I didn't realize you could replace your camber links for adjustable turnbuckles until I saw pics of other 'converted' cars last night, which makes the length adjustable. I'm not sure how to calculate the length of turnbuckles I'd need though, I'm using everything stock except for the a-arms right now, although I'm definitely going to need to get the caster blocks but I don't think those should have any impact on the length for turnbuckles. Titanium definitely sounds like the way to go!

[microrcdude]

the best part is, if you buy from lunsford, if they EVER bend, they will ship you a new one free of charge. THough ive bashed the **** out of all my cars and ive never seen a lunsford bend.

[aminoelmo]

I´m thinking of getting these, to use instead of the HPI 93342 90mm turnbuckles FLM recommends, if my math is right these are 2.16mm (longer so I don´t see how that could be a problem:

http://www.lunsfordracing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LUNS&Product_Code=11082&Category_Code=3-5MM

That´s for the long ones, and for the short ones:

http://www.lunsfordracing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LUNS&Product_Code=11073&Category_Code=3-5MM

Which should be about 1.52mm longer than the recommended traxxas 3139 62mm turnbuckles.

The rear "extended" a-arms fitted just fine...??? but they also measure the same 4" as the stock a-arms..I guess there are no extended rear a-arms and this applies only to the front ones.

I just installed one of those headlight-stop light systems from Steamy Concepts and it looks great!

[microrcdude]

There you go! Their "punisher" line is also really good

[aminoelmo]

Do you know what size of ball studs I should get? And would you stick to rod ends or switch to ball cups?

[microrcdude]

id go with ball cups, i feel they "hold" better and are more accurate than rod ends. I know Associated sells a bag of all sizes of ball studs, id pick one of them up

[aminoelmo]

What maintenance should one give to a motor to prolong its life? Brushed and brushless.

I've noticed for example that after running the car about once or twice a day for 15 days the motor starts smelling like it's starting to burn. I know gearing has a lot of influence on this, but I was just wondering what steps you could take to prevent a total burnout, even after you've made gearing mistakes...maybe there's no way back! I've got another stinger ready to be installed and destroyed before I buy a real upgrade.

Speaking of gearing I'm trying 13/87 tonite with brand new robinson and kimbrough parts! Too bad the 4.2Amp battery isn't here yet, will be running the 3amp.

[microrcdude]

i would spray the motor with motor cleaner. Take it out once a week and spray all the junk out of it. If you have bushing blaster or any bushing lube put a few drops on the two bushings

[aminoelmo]

Thanks for the advice. And what motor cleaner do you use? Can you use a real 1/1 car motor cleaner or do you mean something like wd-40, or do you mean something completely different?

I tried the 13/87 setup tonite and the results were great, the only interesting thing was that wheelies happen a lot more frequently but last less time with front wheels up....traction on tough terrain is way better, I haven´t tried top speed but I´m sure it´s gonna suck on that. I had the rear suspension at lowest so that might´ve been the reason....

[Vato Loco]

Don't use wd40! that will kill your motor! Been there done that;-)
Duratrax motor cleaner spray is good! If brushless no cleaners just air!

[microrcdude]

i use Dynamite's Motor spray. ive had good experience with it, and Jimmy Babcock(pro driver for losi and trinity) told me to try it, and ive been satisfied with it. Just make sure when you use it to use it in an area with alot of air flow, as the stuff is pretty fumy

[BIGDADDYV]

A buddy of mine just bought one of the new XL-5 Pedes and all he wants is greasy speed on the black top .. we have a great wheel and tire configuration and he wants to keep the stock 12t motor and esc . So basically the quesiton is this, what gearing should we put in it to give it that BOOYOW speed he is looking for .... Also does pitch matter . Thanks in advanced folks ...

[aminoelmo]

Does anybody know the thread length on the 3642 stock screws?

I'm buying Lunsford ball studs and I'm trying to figure out if I need short or medium sized studs to replace the camber links with punishers and cups. It seems the stock screws have a 5mm thread and the small studs have a 5.4mm thread...just want to be sure, they're expensive for what they do!

[microrcdude]

Yeah the thread length is 5mm so go ahead and get the small studs.

[Adanmtxt1]

A buddy of mine just bought one of the new XL-5 Pedes and all he wants is greasy speed on the black top .. we have a great wheel and tire configuration and he wants to keep the stock 12t motor and esc . So basically the quesiton is this, what gearing should we put in it to give it that BOOYOW speed he is looking for .... Also does pitch matter . Thanks in advanced folks ...

One of the advantages of the new Pede is the slipper clutch it uses (I have the new XL-5). Unfortunately, it requires a specially-molded spur gear that makes it impossible to get a kimbrough gear like with the old one. So, we are stuck with the choices of Traxxas gears. You (or your buddy) would need to get the smallest spur gear, the 76-tooth gear. The pinion needs to be a 48-pitch gear, so anything you can get. I forget what is stock (at college), but you want might want to get a few. Try one with a few teeth higher, and check to make sure you dont overheat.

[calyakker]

Couple questions...What kind of performance gains could I expect going from a cheap 6 cell 3000mAh battery to a 7 cell GP3600mAH in a totally stock XL-5? I know the XL-5 comes with a 12t motor but really it doesn't perform like a true 12t. Don't get me wrong, it's definately faster that the old pede's so my question is would it be worth it to put a 12-15t 540 size motor into it and if so what's a good motor? BTW what is the difference between a 540 and a 550 motor anyways?

[microrcdude]

another thing you can do is buy a Robinson Racing pinion set. for $11 you can buy 5 or 6 pinions, its a really great deal

[BIGDADDYV]

does anyone know the limit on the xl-5 esc ... just incase we dont get the speed he wants from the gearing changes .....

[microrcdude]

i believe the limit is 15turn. An orion machine wound motor would be perfect for bashing

[aminoelmo]

Are there any aluminum hub carriers available that'll take 5x11 bearings? Also, what are the best bearings out there? Duratrax stainless any good?

[aminoelmo]

Vato Loco, about the MX3 that you suggested as a radio system replacement/upgrade, I saw the description of the item on Tower but wanted to ask you if there are any significant benefits compared to the TQ system. I know that signal must be a lot better, but based on the description it looks like it comes with some extra features.

[Killerush]

Couple questions...What kind of performance gains could I expect going from a cheap 6 cell 3000mAh battery to a 7 cell GP3600mAH in a totally stock XL-5? I know the XL-5 comes with a 12t motor but really it doesn't perform like a true 12t. Don't get me wrong, it's definately faster that the old pede's so my question is would it be worth it to put a 12-15t 540 size motor into it and if so what's a good motor? BTW what is the difference between a 540 and a 550 motor anyways?


I just bought a new Stampede for my daughter and I opted for the 7 cell 8.4v pack. You can tell a huge difference from a standard 6 cell. Wheelies like crazy and is really quick.

[microrcdude]

Are there any aluminum hub carriers available that'll take 5x11 bearings? Also, what are the best bearings out there? Duratrax stainless any good?
I like the RPM carriers alot better than aluminum carriers. I feel Duratrax bearings are good, but theres other brands out there as well with good bearings. i like to run the Acer Racing bearings in my cars.

As for the radio, yes that radio has alot better reception than the stock TQ system. It comes with extra features that will allow you to make more changes to your truck via the radio. if you feel that down the road you may get into racing, buy it now, its a crazy good deal

[Vato Loco]

Vato Loco, about the MX3 that you suggested as a radio system replacement/upgrade, I saw the description of the item on Tower but wanted to ask you if there are any significant benefits compared to the TQ system. I know that signal must be a lot better, but based on the description it looks like it comes with some extra features.
The FM signal is way stronger! your less likely to have someone on your channel! But if you can afford the crystaless radio it is better deal! But as for the MX-3 I love it!

[BIGDADDYV]

i believe the limit is 15turn. An orion machine wound motor would be perfect for bashing

I sincerly hope its not 15t since it comes with a 12t ...... Hes probably going to end up going either brushless, I just wanted to know what options we have with this application ....

[calyakker]

15t is correct. The traxxas website says the esc is rated for 12t 550 motor and 15t 540. I didn't know there was a difference. What is the difference between the 550 and 540?

[aminoelmo]

Thanks Micro RC and Vato, I´ll get the rear RPM carriers with the Duratrax bearings...I think this upgrade might´ve helped me prevent a problem, too late now...the stub axle just broke off from the plastic part, the inner pin cracked! I think it might´ve been friction because of the stock bushing! The car stopped running so I normally thought ´I just have to tighten up the motor screws´ but then I picked up the car and the right rear wheel fell down!

Does anybody know if there´s a MIP Shiny CVD Kit for extended FLM Pedes? I might just replace the stub axle right now but I´m also looking at the benefits of having a CVD kit.

The radio upgrade sounds like a really useful upgrade, distance is causing erratic behavior in my car, funny thing is it got worse after installing the alum idler gear, I think I read something about this problem somewhere else...

Anyone got the Novak 3.5 yet?

[calyakker]

Aren't you supposed to change to a plastic top gear if you go to an aluminum idler? I was told if you didn't it would cause radio interference because of the metal to metal contact which is what it sounds like you're having.

I can't imagine the 3.5 in a pede.

[Vato Loco]

More Grease On The Gears!

[silver wolf]

Just put the mamba maxx 4600 in my stampede and on the second pack i tosted the deriln idler gear and next thing to go is the planitary case i think.

[aminoelmo]

I can't imagine the 3.5 in a pede.

Do you think it can take the power? I'm seriously considering getting a 4.5...but I don't want any parts to melt!

[microrcdude]

id say 5.5 is what i would go with for good speed and runtime

[calyakker]

id say 5.5 is what i would go with for good speed and runtime

Yep...I know someone with the 5.5 in their pede and it's fast enough. I've driven it and really like it. Lots of torque and fast but easy enough to control. It's my next purchase.

[aminoelmo]

Vato, how come the MX-3 HAS to come with servos? Do you know if you can just buy the TX and RX? I don't understand where you could use them if you use a hitec for steering and an ESC...spares?

[aminoelmo]

Microrc, what gearing would you recommend to use with the 5.5? I've got 13/87 right now with the stinger and it's obviously lacking power...so maybe the 5.5 will work fine with this current setup...

[Vato Loco]

Have no clue to why, but I got the one servo. I don't use it so no big lose though!

[microrcdude]

Microrc, what gearing would you recommend to use with the 5.5? I've got 13/87 right now with the stinger and it's obviously lacking power...so maybe the 5.5 will work fine with this current setup...
Id stick with that. You might also wanna try a 14 pinion and maybe even an 84 spur.

[aminoelmo]

What do you guys think of the Integy fan/heatsink kits for the 540/550's?

Also, does anybody have any recommendations on how to readjust the body height? Just trim down the body mounts and use some screws on top instead of clips? Lower mounts that fit would be a dream I'm sure

[Vato Loco]

Your body mount Idea: http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68046
as for the heat sink, i got a integy fan it works great!

[aminoelmo]

Thanks a lot for the info...

I wonder if there's a significant difference between the regular fan and the super fan...I'm not even sure the super fan will fit, it looks too long...

Is it hard to hook up the power for the fan?

Do you know a good solution for battery straps or hold downs? I'm switching to FLM so I need to do something about that...

[Vato Loco]

the fan plugs in to the bec port on your RX and as for the straps I think I heard of people using gorilla straps!

[aminoelmo]

Does the MX-3 come with a BEC port?

I shouldn't have any problems hooking up the MX-3 with a novak GTB right? The GTB comes with a 6V BEC port but I'm not sure if the MX takes that connector...

[calyakker]

Any of you guys have any experience with the 4K batteries from Maxamps? Pretty good deal if they're of decent quality.

[Vato Loco]

Does the MX-3 come with a BEC port?

I shouldn't have any problems hooking up the MX-3 with a novak GTB right? The GTB comes with a 6V BEC port but I'm not sure if the MX takes that connector...
you'll have no problems!

[aminoelmo]

Has anyone tried the Tower Glue Debonder? Does it damage tires? My moabs need to be reglued properly to be balanced and I also need to paint the rims so I'm looking for a good solution to separate them. I used the 0.000001 seconds CA glue so that was my mistake, you don't have any time to set them right!

[Vato Loco]

try finger nail polish remover! It may ruin the chrome on your rims though!

[BIGDADDYV]

OK folks this is where Big Daddy comes to save the day .. You need to go to your local hardware store and and look for a 3M product ... its called 3M Adhesive remover its a citrus base so it wont stink up your entire house and as far as i know it hasnt taken any chrome off the rims . I could be wrong about that but if you saturate a q-tip and use it wisely you shouldnt have much problems ... Its also great for stickers and other things your kids may have plastered up around your house ..... ;-)

[SS Pede]

Any of you guys have any experience with the 4K batteries from Maxamps? Pretty good deal if they're of decent quality.
I've heard that they are decent quality cells. Probably not quite up to snuff with the latest IB's and GP's, but reasonably close to the same performance.

[aminoelmo]

What benefits do you get from using LiPo batteries? Longer runs? More power? Longer lifetime? And what cons do they have aside from price!

Waiting for a bunch of parts to arrive in the mean time to continue rebuilding the car...

[microrcdude]

more power, longer runtimes.

Hey when are you gonna get some pics of your truck? i dont think youve shown us any

[aminoelmo]

Testing to see if images show...

This is the ´in progress´ version of my pede! You can also see some of the new items I still have to install, once I receive the rest of the stuff I´m waiting for...

Right now it´s:

Stinger motor and XL-1 ESC
RPM front bearing carriers
Stock tires w-chains and moabs
Big bores w/spring socks
Custom wheelie bar
Alum front bumper
Robinsons and Kimbroughs
RPM gear cover
Lights
Intellect 4.2Amp
BatterySpace 3Amp
Stainless steel screw set
Stock servo
Stock radio

Lots of new stuff coming!

[Toothypaste]

Hi,

I have a stampede with an 8 cell 3700mah battery and a titan 550 motor. Great runner (i would recommend this as great setup for speed :D and it is much cheaper than buying a modified motor and a pathetic 6 cell gp battery pack and much faster) but the gears do not like it. Can I just confirm that this would make a solid gearbox for 12 cells- aluminium/steel diff, and the aluminium idler gear (with the complimentary drive gear)? Have i missed anything?

[Toothypaste]

aminelmo]This is the ´in progress´ version of my pede! You can also see some of the new items I still have to install, once I receive the rest of the stuff I´m waiting for

Nice chains :) where'dya get those?

[aminoelmo]

Thanks, you can get them at www.pjsstuff.com. They also sell them on eBay. Had to slightly adjust the chains (took out two or three links on each) to fit to the tires. I'm sure you can also adjust them to be used on the moabs easily. They also come with some additional chain.

[Toothypaste]

I have just tried to open my tranny to find out what died and I ...errr....can't do it. It looks like i need to get the axles out of the tranny first but I can't see any way of doing that. Any ideas?

[BIGDADDYV]

there are set screws on the output shafts that need the smallest allen key you have to be able to take them off .. if that still doesnt work you may have to take out the set screw under the yolk but using your flat type wrench with the slot in the center of it to remove the yolk and the then s phillips screw driver to remove the screw ... Either way its not as difficult as it may seem ... Grab a drink and some chips, turn on some decent tunes and HAVE AT IT ... :D

[aminoelmo]

Check this out:

http://www.traxxas.com/products/electric/stampede/blueprints/030401_stampede_trans.pdf

You need to use the small hex tool to remove the small screw on the side of the output yoke and that releases the yoke. You need to unscrew it about 2-3mm then use a plier to pull the rest of the pin out. If you already took the other screws out (the ones that hold the transmission box together) you're done.

When you're putting everything back together need to pay attention to the different screw sizes because some of them look almost the same but have different lenghts, you'll need to see the pdf's/manual to verify positions. Also need to remember to put the plastic that covers the hole at the bottom so you don't get dust in the tranny.

Hope this helps

[aminoelmo]

Big Daddy- had a really hard time removing the glue from those tires/rims. I tried everything, hot water, nail polish remover, paint remover (couldn't find the 3M but used another strong one that melted the toothbrush I was using!). After hours I spent trying to do this, I came to the conclusion that the only way to remove a good amount of CA glue from tires/rims is by using a cutter carefully (protective glasses so you don't end up with a piece of CA inside your cornea) and with a LOT of patience (CA melts the foam insert together with the inside thread of the rim, making things very complicated).

The only better solution would be to replace the rims and tires! The cutter did the job just fine and the tires are reasonably balanced now after all.

[Toothypaste]

there are set screws on the output shafts that need the smallest allen key you have to be able to take them off .. if that still doesnt work you may have to take out the set screw under the yolk but using your flat type wrench with the slot in the center of it to remove the yolk and the then s phillips screw driver to remove the screw ... Either way its not as difficult as it may seem ... Grab a drink and some chips, turn on some decent tunes and HAVE AT IT ... :D

Thanks to both of you. It looks like i have the 'old style'. I have taken the two mini screws out of each output shaft so i need to take that annoying ball thingy off that is blocking my way to the big screw. What do you mean by my 'flat type wrench'? I bought this second hand so i wont have the tools that traxxas supplies with the truck.

[BIGDADDYV]

ok then find a small screw driver to to pop hte U-joint (yolk) out from the white plastic part of the drive line and you should see the screw inside .. Then its all easy peasey like lemon squeezie ....

[Toothypaste]

So I pretty much just bend the plastic bit open and take the joint out?

[Toothypaste]

Ok I opened the tranny (sure something broke in the process but dunno what ) and got to the diff to find one of the screw heads was destroyed.....soooo i cant open it. But i now know it is the diff which ate itself so i typed out the part numbers for the whole diff section on the traxxas website and I got nothing! Any idea where i can get the whole diff from?

[z-man280]

i am assuming you bought this used...go to the traxxas site, click products, then electric..select your stampede, not the new one, go to parts list, and open the pdf file. or go to the manual, which includes parts list. it wil give you everything you need.

i personally would just open the page, and give you a link, but i cant seem to open it, i updated my adobe to 7.0 and now i get a white screen of nothing, and it locks up my mozilla...sorry.

Ron

[aminoelmo]

Once you got those part numbers you can buy from www.towerhobbies.com, www.buytraxxas.com or www.ebay.com

[z-man280]

oh, by the way, if it tore the diff up,...ya need to set that slipper properly. typically idle gears in the trans will fail first, but i have seen diffs tore up from it as well. I had a first gen. stampede, NO SLIPPER, and it would eat idle gears and diffs faster than Rosie falling off the jenny craig wagon.If by chance, your model stampede doesnt have a slipper... order one now!

if it does, heres a good starting point- set your truck on the floor in front of you. place your hand on the truck to hold it in place, GENTLY compressing the suspension. Pull the throttle. Did it slip? no? too tight. with your slipper hole exposed, loosen the slipper nut one full turn. repaeat process until it slips. it will be obvious. ok, now, let the truck accelerate away from you..it should slip for about 2 feet, then make positive contact on the rulon pegs and hook up. adjust either way accordingly to reach that 2 ft. mark. do this with a fresh pack, and a high traction area, such as carpet. this will ALMOST all but end your stripped gear/broken gear issue with your stampede, and is a general setting for all models with a slipper. i have used this method on my T4, on my other two stampede, my E-Maxx, my evader,...you get the point,..with no failure. want your pede to wheelie? it will, just roll it back a bit, you will here the slipper engage, but will still loft the front end.
note: if it slips more than 2 ft., then obviously tighten, but only 1/2 turn at a time.
~ron

[francesco]

Wow, what you write is much better than the manual. Keep it up, z-man.

I am still looking to sell my almost new Stampede. But with the speed controller died after just two weeks, it is hard to sell it. What a good product!!

[z-man280]

Honestly, i cant understand why you had so many issues with it. You stated earlier that your XL5 died ,..but said it was due to the wetness of your field you were running it in. You cant blame failure of that to the product. Your manual clearly states not to run it near or in wet conditions. Electronics and water do not mix-bottom line.
You seen my video, i ran my stampede hard, but, with things set correct, and DRY, i didnt have a problem. If you tore gears up, thats driver input, sorry. If you burnt up a ESC due to letting it get wet, again,..driver input error.
I hope this doesnt come off harsh, becasue that is not my intention, but if you want to run it in that manner, i suggest a waterproof esc, ( lrp makes a nice one) and sealing off your receiver and servo. You motor can get wet, and in fact, back in the old days, we use to break them in by running them underwater.....of course, now we have much better methods.
Honestly, i am really surprised at how many are having trans/diff related failures. The slipper clutch is there for a reason, and it is to protect the drivetrain. If you choose to ignore that, and set it up with no slippage, SOMETHING WILL BREAK! and that is not the fault of the model. Not just Traxxas, every company takes great lengths in testing their product, making sure it can take the user abuse it will be given,..and in those conditions, it will. However, if you seem to think that all the engineers have no clue, and alter what they designed, then failure is your fault. If you jump it off a 2 story roof and it breaks, NOT their fault.

Come on guys, this isnt brain surgery. Grab a small rock, and tap it with a hammer, you could sit there for a very long time, gently tapping away. Whack the hell out of it, and OMG! it broke! SAME rules apply to r/c.. beat the snot out of it beyond what it was desinged for, it will fail.

[Toothypaste]

haha Nice metaphor. But first things first- I did try traxxas but the part number came up with no results!? Anyhoo i think i found a diff from towerhobbies. But sorry for being dum.....what is a slipper? I think the reason I don't know is because I don't already have one in my tranny. Oh and i am ordering an aluminium idler gear too. Despite my problems, very happy with the truck. I do lots of jumping ( and It goes high! ) on all of the stock parts so maybe that might have contributed to gearbox wear? ( Don't know really)

Thanks for your help z-man.

BTW if i get the aluminium idler gear with the placcy drive gear, wont that just mean that the drive gear dies instead of the idler?

[aminoelmo]

...what is a slipper? ... I do lots of jumping ( and It goes high! ) on all of the stock parts so maybe that might have contributed to gearbox wear? ( Don't know really)

BTW if i get the aluminium idler gear with the placcy drive gear, wont that just mean that the drive gear dies instead of the idler?

The slipper clutch is the small spring with the locknut that tightens up the spur gear. If it's really tight it's almost the same as not having the slipper clutch.

Jumping hurts the car a lot and what I've ended up doing is upgrading most of the parts that have broken. Even if you improve your jumping skills things will brake, but I guess it's part of the RC car experience, being able to repair it, etc.

You can try to run the car with the two metal gears (with a good amount of grease as Vato had indicated) and you really shouldn't experience really bad radio problems, actually I was only able to notice these issues when the car wasn't moving. But I did just order the top gear in plastic and was also wondering the same thing...it might be just a great idea to sell more parts lol. There's probably a good explanation.

If you want to start doing really aggressive/crazy jumping you'll really have to re-evaluate your whole setup for chassis, arms, bulkhead etc as I'm sure the tranny won't be your main issue. I want to beat the heck out of mine so I'm switching to FLM/Lunsford following our fellow peders advice. Jumping affects the stock servo a lot too, it isn't very strong.

[francesco]

Honestly, i cant understand why you had so many issues with it. You stated earlier that your XL5 died ,..but said it was due to the wetness of your field you were running it in. You cant blame failure of that to the product. Your manual clearly states not to run it near or in wet conditions. Electronics and water do not mix-bottom line.
You seen my video, i ran my stampede hard, but, with things set correct, and DRY, i didnt have a problem. If you tore gears up, thats driver input, sorry. If you burnt up a ESC due to letting it get wet, again,..driver input error.
I hope this doesnt come off harsh, becasue that is not my intention, but if you want to run it in that manner, i suggest a waterproof esc, ( lrp makes a nice one) and sealing off your receiver and servo. You motor can get wet, and in fact, back in the old days, we use to break them in by running them underwater.....of course, now we have much better methods.
Honestly, i am really surprised at how many are having trans/diff related failures. The slipper clutch is there for a reason, and it is to protect the drivetrain. If you choose to ignore that, and set it up with no slippage, SOMETHING WILL BREAK! and that is not the fault of the model. Not just Traxxas, every company takes great lengths in testing their product, making sure it can take the user abuse it will be given,..and in those conditions, it will. However, if you seem to think that all the engineers have no clue, and alter what they designed, then failure is your fault. If you jump it off a 2 story roof and it breaks, NOT their fault.

Come on guys, this isnt brain surgery. Grab a small rock, and tap it with a hammer, you could sit there for a very long time, gently tapping away. Whack the hell out of it, and OMG! it broke! SAME rules apply to r/c.. beat the snot out of it beyond what it was desinged for, it will fail.

I get your point, Traxxas is fantastics. All faults are the drivers. That is beautiful, go Traxxas!!!

I drove it after rain on my driveway (blacktop almost new), it got into problem with the XL-5 ESC. My fault. I drove regularly but speedy on my driveway, and spur gear, steering servo having problem, my fault. How long do I have the truck when all these things happen? Less than two weeks!!!! How often do I drive the truck each day? Less than one hour!!!! This thing is not cheap, I hope you agree on that. I certainly did not expect the truck can do anything heavy and in fact, I doubt one can even put too many eggs on top of it. Nice try z-man.

[z-man280]

whatever,..........there are literally THOUSANDS of people who have these trucks that dont self-destruct on them as your did. im done with this thread.

[francesco]

Bye bye, z-man. We will miss you.

[aminoelmo]

I think what makes the Stampede a great car is the fact that it's one of the most upgradable cars in the market. The stock setup is good for basic driving and some mild bashing. The only accidents I've had where parts have broken have happened because I pushed the limits (jumped too high, crashed it at top speed against concrete, bashed over big concrete rocks, made incorrect gear changes, etc.).

I used to spend a lot of money in Nikko, Radio shack type of cars before and once I had any kind of accident that was it, it was the end. The Stampede can be turned into a pro car, it all depends on how much you're willing to invest...and how good of a driver you can become!

[francesco]

How do you upgrade this car? I would like to consider that option before I decide to get ride of it.

[aminoelmo]

Well, based on the parts that have broken in your car (correct me if I'm wrong):

Spur Gear - get a Kimbrough spur gear:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXS459&P=7

ESC - Depends if you want to keep using brushed or switch to brushless motors, plenty of options available at Tower. There are ESC's that handle both like the Novak GTB.

Bulkhead - upgrading the bumper to an RPM bumper will help prevent this problem but you can also upgrade to a Fast Lane Machine aluminum bulkhead which you can buy at www.rcbros.com or www.fastlanemachine.com, which is practically unbreakable (lifetime replacement warranty).

Steering Servo - switch to a servo that has more torque power. This is a good option, Hitec HS645MG:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXUZ89&P=ML

Caster Block - you can switch to Fast Lane on those too but I think you have to drill the bearing cariers since they're originally designed to fit the Nitro Pede.

Some of this stuff may seem expensive (such as an ESC that's worth more than the car!) but in the long run, if you want to be serious about the hobby, it's a lot cheaper and better.

You can do many more upgrades, start with the things that are giving you problems, then continue upgrading other parts to improve performance. I'm not an expert so this is all based on the hours of work, research, advice from the forum and experiences with the car in the last 3 months.

[Toothypaste]

So far so good I haven't broken anything by jumping. And with all the stock parts too! What a great little truck. :D

[microrcdude]

Bye bye, z-man. We will miss you.
something you should know about being here.....be kind to other members.

[z-man280]

something you should know about being here.....be kind to other members.
dont sweat it,...he didnt like what i had to say. He admitted running it in wet weather, and full throttle squirts down his driveway, hard turn, then back to full throttle and cant understand why his truck broke. Full throttle, sharp turn, full throttle...lights the inside rear tire, then when back to straight, it grabs traction...dont take long for either that, or reverse/forward slams to loosen the motor enoguh to chew the spur, and water to an ESC kicked up from the tires to an exposed chassis like that will destroy things. he cant handle hearing that. no big deal.

[mdrevo]

look...lets just cut out the bs..you were running in the rain ...thats like me running my revo in a pond but i didnt cry like a baby.. i got another one.....but any hoo...when you wanna sell it ...i'll give you 50 bux for it then you will no longer have a headache....

[francesco]

look...lets just cut out the bs..you were running in the rain ...thats like me running my revo in a pond but i didnt cry like a baby.. i got another one.....but any hoo...when you wanna sell it ...i'll give you 50 bux for it then you will no longer have a headache....

Wow, hero. I got another one too, but a LST2, no revo sorry. I don't have any problem so far, yes not a single one. Wet or not wet, hard drive or soft drive, and I has run it in some much tougher places.

z-man, you made up your own facts about how I drive and made me look like "crying like a baby". Very nice work.

I only appreciate good products and do not tolerant bad ones. I do have the right to question the quality of the Stampede given the trouble I had for just two weeks. And please don't assume other people can't see which product is better. It is not hard to put two products together and compare them.

Discussions are good and tips are better. Just pointing finger to the drivers, laughing at other people and even making up facts are very bad. In my opinion, very bad.

[z-man280]

hey pal, i was TRYING to help you out . If you had that many problems with the stampede, i would have taken it back, called Traxxas or something... I assumed this was your first truck, and obvioulsy, its not, so i do apologize. I guess from personal experience, i had had really good luck with the stampede, so i found it unusual that you had so many problems, but that was my fault to assume that.

being you only had it a short time, i would contact Traxxas, you should get the ESC replaced, and if you could elaborate, what is the servo doing? Unfotunately, the servos are not super strong in those, does it seem weak?? or is it "twitching"?
you mentioned earlier that you had a spur gear issue. did it strip as well?

again, sorry.

[francesco]

Well, based on the parts that have broken in your car (correct me if I'm wrong):

Spur Gear - get a Kimbrough spur gear:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXS459&P=7

ESC - Depends if you want to keep using brushed or switch to brushless motors, plenty of options available at Tower. There are ESC's that handle both like the Novak GTB.

Bulkhead - upgrading the bumper to an RPM bumper will help prevent this problem but you can also upgrade to a Fast Lane Machine aluminum bulkhead which you can buy at www.rcbros.com or www.fastlanemachine.com, which is practically unbreakable (lifetime replacement warranty).

Steering Servo - switch to a servo that has more torque power. This is a good option, Hitec HS645MG:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXUZ89&P=ML

Caster Block - you can switch to Fast Lane on those too but I think you have to drill the bearing cariers since they're originally designed to fit the Nitro Pede.

Some of this stuff may seem expensive (such as an ESC that's worth more than the car!) but in the long run, if you want to be serious about the hobby, it's a lot cheaper and better.

You can do many more upgrades, start with the things that are giving you problems, then continue upgrading other parts to improve performance. I'm not an expert so this is all based on the hours of work, research, advice from the forum and experiences with the car in the last 3 months.

Thanks very mcuh. This is very helpful. I have already replace the caster block and bulkhead when they were first broke. I will stay with the stock parts as they are much cheaper. I am still using the old spur gear by tightening the motor and made it closer to the spur gear. I opened the transmission as well and tighten every thing. It was running fine for few days until the speed controller broke. Given the price to replace it, I am not sure which way I should go. The alternativeis is to get a better product, for example E-Savage. This one is hard to decide. I am looking for something I can run on my blacktop driveway more quietly than a nitro one.

[francesco]

hey pal, i was TRYING to help you out . If you had that many problems with the stampede, i would have taken it back, called Traxxas or something... I assumed this was your first truck, and obvioulsy, its not, so i do apologize. I guess from personal experience, i had had really good luck with the stampede, so i found it unusual that you had so many problems, but that was my fault to assume that.

being you only had it a short time, i would contact Traxxas, you should get the ESC replaced, and if you could elaborate, what is the servo doing? Unfotunately, the servos are not super strong in those, does it seem weak?? or is it "twitching"?
you mentioned earlier that you had a spur gear issue. did it strip as well?

again, sorry.

I am sorry as well. I was a bit too upset with the Stampede I have.

It is a good idea to contact Traxxas directly. I have not contacted them yet but did brought it back to LHS, where I bought the truck, for help.

The steering servo was turning to full right when I turned on the truck. I fixed the problem by losing up the servo saver and readjusted the wheels positions before I tighten it again.

[z-man280]

K, let me give ya a bit of what i do on mine..yeah, that servo can be a pain, i would recommend a high torque unit. The little brace that goes in front of the hinge pins.....get one!! saves on bulkheads.Also, the rpm front bumper. Pick up a good quality spur gear, and make sure you have gear mesh right. This is critical. easiest way...slide a strip of paper in between the gears, tighten the mdown to each other. then, roll the spur to release the paper.you want that spur gear to barely "rock" before it moves the pinion.
Again, make sure your slipper is set right,..this is critical!!! Oh, and if ya had it two weeks, they should send you a ESC, but contact them NOWWWW!!!!!

[Toothypaste]

Thanks very mcuh. This is very helpful. I have already replace the caster block and bulkhead when they were first broke. I will stay with the stock parts as they are much cheaper. I am still using the old spur gear by tightening the motor and made it closer to the spur gear. I opened the transmission as well and tighten every thing. It was running fine for few days until the speed controller broke. Given the price to replace it, I am not sure which way I should go. The alternativeis is to get a better product, for example E-Savage. This one is hard to decide. I am looking for something I can run on my blacktop driveway more quietly than a nitro one.

Oh by the way, if you want to change truck, I wouldnt go for the e-savage. Despite the fact that it is an e-zilla with a different bodyshell, the e-maxx has many more available parts and hop-ups.

[aminoelmo]

Well I think, still in my semi-newbie status, that any truck will give you problems and parts will break.

See www.beatyourtruck.com

Reason why using the Stampede to build a strong truck is a good option IMO is because of its price and availability of parts to upgrade. If you get a Savage or a Maxx, the truck itself is gonna cost more than double and replacement/upgrade parts willl cost the same or more.

It's your call.

[Toothypaste]

I ordered a big list of pede parts from tower yesterday. They emailed me a 20 dollar discount off a 50 dollar order! But I am anxious about being charged loads of customs charges ( I'm in the UK ).

Got rpm bearing carriers (no bearings yet cos I recently got some new small ones )
New diff
Aluminium idler gear (and top gear)
HPI 90t spur gear
and an esc mount (I previoulsy had to mount it on my 8 cell battery which didn't do the ESC any good!)

I think i must have a first gen stampede ( well I can't find a slipper anyway )

So will probably be a very short time away when I break my next diff or something like that.....sigh

[Toothypaste]

Well I think, still in my semi-newbie status, that any truck will give you problems and parts will break.

See www.beatyourtruck.com

Reason why using the Stampede to build a strong truck is a good option IMO is because of its price and availability of parts to upgrade. If you get a Savage or a Maxx, the truck itself is gonna cost more than double and replacement/upgrade parts willl cost the same or more.

It's your call.

Yes good point. People spend thousands on their e-maxxs to get a truck which may still not be as simple or a strong as a full aluminium stampede, for which a full aluminium set will cost about 150 dollars!

And at the end of the day, a brushless in an emaxx will not be as fast as a brushless in a stampede.

[z-man280]

Yes good point. People spend thousands on their e-maxxs to get a truck which may still not be as simple or a strong as a full aluminium stampede, for which a full aluminium set will cost about 150 dollars!

And at the end of the day, a brushless in an emaxx will not be as fast as a brushless in a stampede.
gotta dis-agree with ya,...E-MAXX is 2 spd. when 2nd gear hits, they are goooooooooooooonnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

grab a slipper to put on your truck toothy,.. well worth the investment, and comes with great installation instructions.

[aminoelmo]

Just out of curiosity, when you upgrade an E-maxx's motor, do you have to use two motors? It comes with two titans right? So for example if you wanted to switch to a 5.5 setup, do you need two? Or is there a mod to use just one and keep having the 4wd?

[z-man280]

the E-maxx shares a spur gear,...i.e., BOTH motors drive the same spur gear. the brushless set up uses the existing motor mount , EITHER side, and drops to one motor. sharing the common spur gear allows it to go to BL, and unless i am wrong, keep the 2 speed as well.a single 5.5 with 2 spd moves a Emaxx quite nicely..

[Toothypaste]

gotta dis-agree with ya,...E-MAXX is 2 spd. when 2nd gear hits, they are goooooooooooooonnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

grab a slipper to put on your truck toothy,.. well worth the investment, and comes with great installation instructions.

Yeh but for a lightweight truck like the stampede you can get a fast system for (yes im qouting a mamba max) 220 dollars. To get an emaxx to a similar speed you need lots more power.....so either like two brushless systems of a hv system. So it's more expensive....but yes ure probably right. And there is a quad brushed 900 motor setup for the emaxx which will go 50 mph +!! :wow:

Ok so I found out what a slipper is. Surley it just ....errmmm.....slips when you put some power in?

[z-man280]

yup! go back up to post #685 on how to set it properly. i have been using that EXACT method for almost 15 yrs. with no issues.

[francesco]

Yeh but for a lightweight truck like the stampede you can get a fast system for (yes im qouting a mamba max) 220 dollars. To get an emaxx to a similar speed you need lots more power.....so either like two brushless systems of a hv system. So it's more expensive....but yes ure probably right. And there is a quad brushed 900 motor setup for the emaxx which will go 50 mph +!! :wow:

Ok so I found out what a slipper is. Surley it just ....errmmm.....slips when you put some power in?

You also need to consider the driving system as well. Motor is just 10% of the story. For Stampede, I don't think the stock parts in the driving system can take on the maximum power the stock motor offers (except short period of time and no sharp turn). How about the servo and the speed controller? The price for replacement of these two items is close to $100. So upgrading them costs a lot more. Add all these things up, you can buy a pretty good high-end Nitro to electric conversion truck that has much better design and durability.

[aminoelmo]

Well you could probably also buy a real H2 or Jaguar and install a custom made radio system to control it remotely. You're still going to have to replace parts that will break.

Is there a high end rc car (new) available for a hundred dollars and change?

I think the Pede has the perfect price for what it comes with and what it does. To me, part of the whole RC experience is to break it and be able to upgrade it, it allows me to make the car an achievement of mine and make it unique. I don't want to have an RC car that only needs batteries to be recharged and that's it. It's boring.

I still don't get the problem you had with sharp turns and spur gears, I can't find a reasonable explanation to that. Maybe the pinion gear just wasn't tight enough (due to the lower adjustment screw not being tight enough) and it wasn't grabing the spur gear, since you fixed the problem tightening it. Had the spur gear been ripped, you wouldn't be able to fix that problem easily, you would've had to take out the spur gear and invert its position to grab the 1/3 of the tooth that probably didn't get ripped on the other side of the gear.

Overall point like somebody already said, this car is one of their best selling monster trucks and it aint' because it's crap. If you definitely don't want to keep it, just get a different one, don't mortify yourself trying to convince us that it's a bad car.

[francesco]

Well you could probably also buy a real H2 or Jaguar and install a custom made radio system to control it remotely. You're still going to have to replace parts that will break.

Is there a high end rc car (new) available for a hundred dollars and change?

I think the Pede has the perfect price for what it comes with and what it does. To me, part of the whole RC experience is to break it and be able to upgrade it, it allows me to make the car an achievement of mine and make it unique. I don't want to have an RC car that only needs batteries to be recharged and that's it. It's boring.

I still don't get the problem you had with sharp turns and spur gears, I can't find a reasonable explanation to that. Maybe the pinion gear just wasn't tight enough (due to the lower adjustment screw not being tight enough) and it wasn't grabing the spur gear, since you fixed the problem tightening it. Had the spur gear been ripped, you wouldn't be able to fix that problem easily, you would've had to take out the spur gear and invert its position to grab the 1/3 of the tooth that probably didn't get ripped on the other side of the gear.

Overall point like somebody already said, this car is one of their best selling monster trucks and it aint' because it's crap. If you definitely don't want to keep it, just get a different one, don't mortify yourself trying to convince us that it's a bad car.

Hey,
I was just try to point out two facts: 1. Upgrading the motor is not enough. other parts need to match up with the motor. 2. Hops up parts are over priced so the upgraded truck could be much more expensive than a truck that more suitable for the racing or bashing situation you desire.

Of course, if you don't care about them, it is not my business and I have no doubt your enjoyement and capability for building the truck.

I am deeply sorry about complaining the problems I have encountered with my Stampede and I will not repeat my mistake again HERE.

[z-man280]

francesco, you got pm

[aminoelmo]

Changing subject...

Wanted to share my joy, just received the FLM ext chassis (which by the way comes with battery straps), rear ext arms, front bulkhead, the Lunsford turnbuckles I was missing, Duratrax stainless bearings, CheckPoint bearing treatment, RPM rear bearing carriers, Novak 5.5R brushless and Airtronics MX-3...that means I'm going to bed at 3am for sure with sore hands! Lots of work to do...also got the replacement axles (car had been inactive since they broke!)

Any advice on setting up the 5.5 and/or the MX-3 would be greatly appreciated!

[aminoelmo]

Does anybody know the RPM on a traxxas 20t stinger?

[BIGDADDYV]

I dont but i can tell you this. if your not looking for a butt load of speed you can totally trash one of those motors to NOOOOO End .. they are kinda like a TIMEX of the RC world .... I think i still have one that works from like 10yrs ago ....

[aminoelmo]

Does anybody have any hints on how to mount the ESC and radio receiver on a FLM ext chassis? Plastic ties?

[SS Pede]

Can you zip-tie it vertically against the rear shock tower? The stock tower has a couple slots in the sides that are quite convenient to thread a zip-tie through. Do you have a different shock tower though?

[aminoelmo]

I will check...I'm using stock towers right now haven't switched those to FLM yet...

I'm having another problem now, a bigger problem I think, I can't get the 5.5R to do reverse! Not sure if it's something I'm missing in the config of the MX-3...I'll tell you something, this thing is FFFAAASSTT

The problem might be when you chose the profiles in the GTB, I really don't know how to switch from one to another

[BIGDADDYV]

check the site . I think they have a Q&A forum here ... if not just call Novak, their customer support is TOP SHELF .. LMK how it goes with it I may be getting the 5.5 VERY VERY SOON .... :D

[Toothypaste]

I'm not keen on getting a gtb simply because they can only take 6 cells :(. I'm after a properly bashmatically (I know it isnt a word) fast setup.

[BIGDADDYV]

I'm not keen on getting a gtb simply because they can only take 6 cells :(. I'm after a properly bashmatically (I know it isnt a word) fast setup.
SUPER ROOSTER :D its the bashmaticallyisticest ( still not a word but really fun to pronounce ) ;)

[aminoelmo]

Vato, would you be able to post a picture of your steering servo setup? I´m having trouble setting mine right and I know you have extended arms and a hitec so maybe you can help me out with that. Mine´s locking too hard when the wheel turns completely, and the other wheel doesn´t turn enough. I think the turnbuckle position and the type of servo plastic piece make the difference.

I´m still unable to get the GTB to do reverse, I´ll be calling novak and maybe airtronics tomorrow to try to fix this. I think it might be something in the transmitter. When I´m programming the ESC it turns the green led on when pulling the trigger, then it blinks green when pushing it in reverse, so the ESC is doing all it´s supposed to do...weird.

I´m also facing a lot of interference problems when using the metal top gear, I´ll definitely have to take that out and put the plastic one in.

[aminoelmo]

The reverse problem's fixed now, I wasn't waiting long enough when entering the profile selection mode so I was just changing Min Br. settings. Only thing now is that it's taking too long to switch between forward and reverse, so if I pull the trigger then push it immediately it won't do anything for a couple of seconds then switch to reverse...anybody knows how to change this? I think it's something in the deadband settings....

[aminoelmo]

Here´s the new version of my Pede. I just ran it for the first time and the speed is incredible, almost out of control depending on where you run it, and it doesn´t get hot at all (ESC has its own fan and I added an Integy to the motor). Right now I´m using 15/84 gearing. Had to stop after 5 minutes since I broke the servo saver! I´m struggling with the long time between forward and reverse (slow response), will probably call tech support tomorrow for some help. If you do reverse then forward it doesn´t have a problem, it´s only the other way around so it must be settings - or maybe it´s just the way it works. I hope I can post a video sometime soon so you can see the incredible speed and power.

Enjoy the pics!

[francesco]

Fantastics! I have not seen such show car before. Very nice. I wonder if you can get the gears and the drive shaft in metal (I could not find them).

[BIGDADDYV]

Nice ride .. :D

[aminoelmo]

Fantastics! I have not seen such show car before. Very nice. I wonder if you can get the gears and the drive shaft in metal (I could not find them).

Thanks very much Francesco, and sorry for the past discussions...

This is the differential:

http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail.php?prod=Qualitycomponentspedediff&cat=30

The transmission case:

http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail.php?prod=FLMaltranny&cat=30

And this replaces the shafts, it's a Constant Velocity Drive system, but right now it only fits standard sized a-arms. FLM is supposed to be working on an extended version of the CVD:

http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail.php?prod=MIP1219&cat=30

All very expensive accesories as you can see! Then again, expensive is kind of a forbidden word in RC..."it costs a significant yet reasonable amount of money to make the investment for what you get"

[aminoelmo]

Nice ride .. :D

Thanks Big Daddy, still need to fine tune it but we'll get there. Once I get the mechanical components all done I'll move on to making the car look nice, I'm thinking of getting one of those parma Titan bodies and maybe nicer rims.

With the power and speed I'm getting I'm thinking I could probably use the Maxx tires...and I don't mind using lower gears.

The servo config is still a pain, can't dominate it.

[aminoelmo]

I think I found the right servo x horn to go with the Hitec (several options come in the box), so steering is a lot better now, but I still have a problem, when the car has the wheels turned to one side and you slightly hit something hard with the tire that's fully turned, it stays in that position afterwards and you have to readjust the servo horn...this doesn't sound right...this would mean that when I'm bashing I'm going to need tools all the time to correct this problem...more torque? I only see one stronger option available from Hitec...but this one shouldn 't be bad, it's a few times stronger than the 2018.

[Toothypaste]

Yeh what a pede! Im quite a way off but that is pretty much what im aiming for in my pede. My order came from tower so my pede works again! And I tried using the metal idler on the metal drive gear and have had no radio problems :D. When a diff dies, is it the casing that goes or the planetery gears (despite being metal).

[Toothypaste]

I think I found the right servo x horn to go with the Hitec (several options come in the box), so steering is a lot better now, but I still have a problem, when the car has the wheels turned to one side and you slightly hit something hard with the tire that's fully turned, it stays in that position afterwards and you have to readjust the servo horn...this doesn't sound right...this would mean that when I'm bashing I'm going to need tools all the time to correct this problem...more torque? I only see one stronger option available from Hitec...but this one shouldn 't be bad, it's a few times stronger than the 2018.

I also had this problem. I just used a different screw in the servo, a longer one. I found that the old screw had worn the thread out so the longer screw gets to the fresh thread. Something to try anyway.

[aminoelmo]

I'm trying one of the stainless steel screws which was a bit longer and wider so we'll see, so far so good...

Anybody knows a good alternative to replace the tamiya style connectors to the battery? A bad contact just ruined my test drive...melted the connector doing a wheelie, it was loose on the battery side I think. I also just experienced something I hadn't been through before, one of the rear tires was detached from the wheel, so there you go, there's my solution to unglueing tires, grab the car in the air with a powerful motor and run it at full throttle, just be careful cos the tire might fly out!

These 4.2 batteries from Intellect run really nice if any of you were thinking of getting one.

[aminoelmo]

I was able to use different connectors and fixed the problem, plenty of options available at the electronics store.

I drove the car for about 10 minutes and had to stop because I ripped the idler gear (haven't replaced it for the alum one yet although I got it already), but the test drive was wonderful, this ESC/motor setup is really strong, uncontrolable acceleration and top speed (I'm glad I didn't get the 3.5!!). The integy motor fan got destroyed pretty fast, need to buy a fan with stronger blades, but the heatsink is definitely helping getting rid of he heat. The ESC came off the mount so I'll get something stronger than the stock double sided tape.

[rigrishracer22B]

is the reciever in the stampede a futaba brand???

[aminoelmo]

is the reciever in the stampede a futaba brand???

It´s an Airtronics, the one that comes with the MX-3 kit. The antenna wire is too short by the way, it barely reaches the top of the tube.

[rigrishracer22B]

ok thanks

[Toothypaste]

I was able to use different connectors and fixed the problem, plenty of options available at the electronics store.

I drove the car for about 10 minutes and had to stop because I ripped the idler gear (haven't replaced it for the alum one yet although I got it already), but the test drive was wonderful, this ESC/motor setup is really strong, uncontrolable acceleration and top speed (I'm glad I didn't get the 3.5!!). The integy motor fan got destroyed pretty fast, need to buy a fan with stronger blades, but the heatsink is definitely helping getting rid of he heat. The ESC came off the mount so I'll get something stronger than the stock double sided tape.

Try double sided sticky foam- like tape, but it sticks:D. Might be called adheshive foam or summit.

I also replaced the tamiya connectors on my battery. I used deans plugs. The only problem was that I am by no means good at soldering. So I got the connectors in with massive lumps of solder and insulated it with electrical tape. Was getting a great boost but my solded has disintegrated already so the need to solder has come again......anyone got any hints for how to solder? And if I leave the solder to cool for bout 10 mins will it be stronger than if I just tape it up a minute after soldering?

[z-man280]

toothy,...look no further than here for your Deans dilema....

http://forums.radiocontrolzone.com/showthread.php?t=223908&highlight=deans+tutorial

[Toothypaste]

Cheers! That is exactly what I needed. Many thanks. BTW when he says 'tin' does he mean solder?

[z-man280]

yuppers.."tinning" means covering it in a thin coat of solder.

[francesco]

Fantastics, I am going to tear my connections all off and try this. It looks fun. Where do you get those tools?

The LRP is running very very nicely. I am very happy with it. Thanks for the advise.

[z-man280]

a "3rd hand" can be had at most electronic supply stores, hardwares, and hobby shops,..also big dept. stores should have it as well. botmund did an excellent job on his tutorial, very well thoguht out, explained excellent, and pictures are first rate.

Francesco,...did you go with the LRP i recommended???:D

[rigrishracer22B]

has anyone bought the new stampede yet

[BIGDADDYV]

has anyone bought the new stampede yet

my buddy and i have both got new E-Pedes ........ They are pretty neat .. I like the color change best ....

[Toothypaste]

Soldered my deans on and the method works!!! its great...it only took me a few mins to solder everything!

Ran my pede today twice on a 3700mah 8 cell battery. Got a 40 minute runtime of jumping and bashing out of one battery! The titan 550 23 turn must be really easy on the current!