Brushless RC18t

[TheSteve]

As it was added to my brushless collection I thought I should post a quick picture of it...

-RC18T
-Losi Street tires
-Polyquest/Irate 2S 1800ma pack reworked slightly to fit better.
-Novak Mercury receiver (1 of 2 custom modded to 50 Mhz band - Thanks Bob!)
-And of course the best part - a Mamba 6800 - Thanks Shawn!

And of course it so totally hauls! (though not as fast as my M18 with 2S or 3S LiPo and a Mamba 8000)

I'll work on a better picture when time and sunlight present themselves.

[TheSteve]

as usual, a very bright body...

[kufman]

Cool, that is pretty much the setup I want to do when I get mine. 50MHz is a Canadian band? Since that truck is pretty much symetrical, will a rear shock tower fit in the front? That way the front shocks could be used on the outter arm holes and maybe make the truck more stable. I know you would loose the front body mounts, but maybe it is an idea that can be worked with.

[pinolelst]

VEry nice. If you have any troubles with dogbones coming out I've found that placing a thin collar around the outdrives helps tremendously.I made mine from the barrel of a pen I had laying around.The outdrives apparently flex enough for them to exit apparently and I lost 2 dogbones right off the bat until I added the collars.Since then not a one has been lost regardless of how rough I treat the truck

hope this helps

[ducati777]

@Pino can you take pictures or explain more?

@TheSteve
Nice setup, how are your run times? What gearing do you use, and can I see your battery up close?

[starluckrc]

Did you just mod where the wires exit TheSteve? The Polyquest 3S1800 fits fine in mine. Just had to back off the battery strap screws about 3 turns. There's still plenty of thread to hold and the fit is so tight, you could probably run without the strap (though not recommended).

[ElectricThunder]

That looks killer TheSteve. Let us know how wear and tear is on the drivetrain and if you find any weak spots. That's the same set up (minus lipos) that I was thinking to use when/if I get an RC18T and a mamba (mamba will have to wait till NEXT christmas probably, unless I get a job sooner). Looks like tons of fun:D. Love the bright body;)

[pinolelst]

Did you just mod where the wires exit TheSteve? The Polyquest 3S1800 fits fine in mine. Just had to back off the battery strap screws about 3 turns. There's still plenty of thread to hold and the fit is so tight, you could probably run without the strap (though not recommended).
Do you sell those packs on your site ?? I can't seem to find them

TIA

[TheSteve]

Did you just mod where the wires exit TheSteve? The Polyquest 3S1800 fits fine in mine. Just had to back off the battery strap screws about 3 turns. There's still plenty of thread to hold and the fit is so tight, you could probably run without the strap (though not recommended).

Hey Jamie,

Yep, I just changed the tap wires and primary wires to exit on top of the pack. That way it sits right down in the battery tray. When I did it I desoldered the primary positive and negative wires and flipped them 180 degrees so they didn't stick directly out the side of the pack. With the mods I still had to cut just a little of the inside chassis to have the battery sit flat in the tray. The total weight of the truck is so much better getting rid of the NiMh pack, I'm gonna go with softer springs now.

[starluckrc]

Hum.....I didn't have to do any cutting.

More packs just came in today. I'm working on getting them added to the site.

[TheSteve]

Here is a picture of my slightly reworked Irate 2S 1800ma pack.
The cells in the pack are narrow enough to fit in the RC18T with no mods to the truck but the wires running down the side of the cells makes it too wide. The PCB's at the ends of the packs are also right on the size limit.
I simply ran the wires out along the top of the pack.

As my original post states the Novak receiver has been retuned to 50 Mhz which is the 6 meter ham(amateur radio) band in US/Canada. You can use it for air or ground as long as you have a ham license. I use a Futaba 3PJsuper which has removable TX modules, so I just popped in a 50 Mhz module. Sure is nice to never have anyone on the same band, never mind frequency.

[TheSteve]

A slightly better picture of the truck - I'll post the radar'd speed when the rain stops!

[Fantom 15 gt]

Nice set-up.

[neonblingbling]

Is the drivetrain completly stock? I'm looking into getting this setup...

[TheSteve]

The drivetrain is totally stock for now. I expect it will wear pretty quick with the 6800 though and I'll be upgrading it as better aftermarket parts are released.

[TheSteve]

54km/h measured using a radar gun with 2S LiPo and mamba 6800 with stock gearing and Losi road tires.

[racer234]

I just put an 8000 system in my RC18T, and it is awesome! So far, the drivetrain has been excellent, nothing looks like it's ready to go at all. At first I was a little skeptical about putting the brushless in, but after running it all my doubts have gone away. I'd definetley recommend these systems to anyone. :D

[TheSteve]

I might pull my 8000kv motor out of my M18 and try it in the RC18t - and then use the radar gun to see if I get a 25% increase in speed...

[t-hobby]

the steve are u online what brushless system are u using

[t-hobby]

should the 8000 mamba be fast or not they seem really slow

[TheSteve]

Sure, I'm online - I'm using the brushless system mentioned above - the Castle Creations Mamba 6800 and the Mamba 8000.
http://www.castlecreations.com

[t-hobby]

the mamba 8000 in a mini-t is not fast dont know why

[t-hobby]

hey the steve instant message okay

[ducati777]

The 8k in a mini T is not fast? Ummm you must be having problems. I've seen the 8k running a 6 cell nimh and 3s lipo and both were insane.

[TheSteve]

Yep, the mamba 8K is insane, if its not way more then you ever expected then check your batteries and connections. You need good quality cells that aren't old and tired, you need decent wire(14 guage is a good place to start for a mamba) and you need real connectors, Deans ultra plugs are the way to go...

[SpEEdyBL]

If the 8k with 8 cells can't get the car to its physical limits, then there's something wrong with it. 6 cells on setting 4 might also be pretty uncontrollable.

[*Supreme Losi*]

Wholy shhhhhhh it!

Ummmm. How dangerous are LiPoly cells? Cant they be potentially deadly?

[tcolesen]

If not handled properly they are capable of puffing out smoke and going into flames. If they are handled properly and maintained, then there is very little chance of this happening.

[*Supreme Losi*]

Oh. Well, I guess I'll get some when the prices come down. So, three cells Lipo is as good as 6 Regular RC18T 2/3A cells? Is it the same size?

[tcolesen]

Depends on the brand and type you get. Some are more capable than others, hold less mah, are thinner, are wider, etc.

[starluckrc]

2 Cell lipoly is generally considered a 6-7 cell replacement.

[JugawaH]

are there any lipo chargers that are good value and decent price?

[tcolesen]

Yes. The Apache 2500 Lipo charger can charge 1-4 Lipo cells at up to 2.5amps. I myself own one and am very pleased with it.

[*Supreme Losi*]

Thanks for the answers. They're expensive!

[*Supreme Losi*]

Hey, if you're looking for a replacement motor that's just as fast but 1/6 of the price, The Epic Micro Faster motor is good. :)

[*Supreme Losi*]

bump.

[*Supreme Losi*]

I wish Castle Creations was a member on this board and would hear our plea to lower the prices!

[TheSteve]

*Supreme Losi* - if you just want to post over and over can you do it in a different thread please?

and FYI Castle Creations is *very* much here on this board and the mamba product is more then a good deal, its a great deal.

[A4DTM]

it's no use, he's been banned..
-Nick

[RC18T]

Hey guys. I'm here to revive this thread and ask a question.

Do you really have to shim the diffs before putting in the Mamba?

[standard_63]

I haven't shimmed mine yet, and it seems ok. I do get clicks sometimes, usually only when I land off a jump with too much throttle.

[TMaxxBenny25]

50 mhz???

[TheSteve]

The 50 Mhz ham band.
check out: http://rcsource.hobbypeople.net/faqs/freqlist.htm
Normally used by aircraft but its quite valid to use for surface models as well - as long as you have a amateur(ham) radio license.

[Avery4jc]

Sounds sweet TheSteve. This is what I just finished building....on the way is the competition-X 8000, JR RS310 Reciever and HS-56hb servo.

[ElectricThunder]

Sounds sweet TheSteve. This is what I just finished building....on the way is the competition-X 8000, JR RS310 Reciever and HS-56hb servo.
Very nice man! Is it me or are the axles both anodized blue and look thicker? :confused:

[Avery4jc]

They are, it is the Factory Team Version it has Anodized Blue Metal Axles, Titanium Turnbuckles, Heatsink Motor Mount, Threaded Shock Bodies, Graphite Batt. Strap, Clear Body, etc. Hopefully perfect for the 8000 on a 3S LiPo, (if I can keep the little bugger on the ground :))

[TheSteve]

Consider the CVDs as soon as you can find them. The 8000 will grind the pins right off the front dogbones in less then an hour of hard driving on a carpet track. You may also want to think about a 2S LiPo pack, its already insane, I rarely run mine full out - if you're just into insane speed runs then get the 3S, be sure you let the motor cool, its not that tough to damage from heat on 3S if you push it hard.

[Avery4jc]

Thanks for the ideas, I might look into the 2S, for that matter I might as well run an 8 cell pack, cheap and stable. :) I will sure look into the CVD's when I find them but have you run an 8000 in the FT version with the metal driveshafts?

[TheSteve]

Thanks for the ideas, I might look into the 2S, for that matter I might as well run an 8 cell pack, cheap and stable. :) I will sure look into the CVD's when I find them but have you run an 8000 in the FT version with the metal driveshafts?

No I haven't, but the factory team dogbones and the plastic dogbones seem to have the same pins at the end, thats the part that wears, not the bone itself. You may not experience the same problem, I'm driving the daylights out of the 18T on a carpet track

[Avery4jc]

Very true, every time I have seen a problem it has been with the bones actually spliting in two where they were molded together or just plain and simple "blowing" up if you will, (the vibrations flex everything until they work themselves out, but it looked like the 18t blew up). I will throw the 8000 in when it gets here along with the servo and reciever but for the time being I will probably run an 8 cell pack. Is there a good way to do that or should I just buy a few 6 cell packs and make two 8 or 9 cell packs?

[TheSteve]

I couldn't tell you, I've only run LiPo cells in mine, sold off every Nimh pack I had...(18th and 10th scale)
If you're running carpet the setup I recommend is 70 weight oil front/back, gold springs front/back - no shock spacers, CVDs, diff shims, titanium turnbuckles, outdrive cups(plastic or metal rings) Losi Foams!!! 60 tooth spur, 13 tooth pinion(with mamba 8K). And the biggest advantage - when changing the shock oil add some limiters inside the shocks so you can actually set the droop on the truck(big difference in performance!!!) I've left as much of my truck as possible in the stock plastic, its tough as heck and lighter then anything else - weight is important!


Here is a current picture of my truck(after roughly 7500 laps at the local track...) - Velcro up front is for my transponder.

[Avery4jc]

That is one sweet 18T, I don't plan on running carpet since there isn't any carpet where I live. Imagine this Fresno County is like 500,00+ people and yet the only r.c. tracks we have are one on-road track (outdoor) and one off-road track (outdoor). Oh, well I just have fun bashin' which is what this truck will be for. I can't wait for the 8000 to get here, after more research I think that I might skip on the LiPo to start out with and go with an 8 cell pack. Later I can always go with the 3S LiPo. By the way where did you get your heat sink?

[bigenginltlman]

For those of you with the 8000kv mamba in an 18t, do you have troubles keeping the front end off the ground? I've seen videos of a mini-t with a 3 cell lipo and the 8k, and it wheelied with anything more than half throttle (or so they said).

And how's the durability compared to a mini-t?