XXX-S Forum v1.0

[ronb]

Bummers!!!! Just heard today from my lhs that the new losi sedan won't be shipping until the end of July. :(

[SteveP]

Ron - just got a look at one. Very nice car. I can't say how it drives because it was one of the team driver's cars, but just on looks alone, I think it's going to be MUCH better than the SW. Now all they need is a nitro version... :D

[ronb]

SteveP -
Did you get to see it run? Did it seem to accelerate well? Did it seem to handle cornering fast? Was the driver running the normal tires run on that track? Was it all stock, or did he have threaded shocks, graphite pieces? Did he have to add weight?
I don't expect you to have all these answers, I'm just curious on specifics. Thanks :)

[SteveP]

LOL!! ;) Ron, no I haven't seen it run yet, but it's apparently doing pretty well in the hands of the team drivers right out of the chute. I like the contruction of the car much more than the old one. Piece of cake to change the spur gear (nightmare on the old car) very rigid chassis design, the suspension looks strong, and the drivetrain and diffs seem to be very smooth. Doesn't mean much until it's on a track, but that'll be happening shortly.

[SteveP]

P.S. Not sure on the weight, the molded pieces don't appear to be graphite but are still VERY strong, and it includes standard shocks. It appears the threaded shocks are going to be an option, until a more loaded version becomes available at some point in the future (don't hold your breath :D )

[ronb]

SteveP - Thanks for your info. I have read and looked over the pics of the three rags on the XXX-S several times. I keep thinking I'll read or learn some more details. I guess I really won't know what I want to know until I build it myself. And of course the first time on the track will be interesting!

[Coconut]

I noted that Horizon already list all the graphite pieces at their sitebut "on order";so maybe Losi's going to do it to us again. I e-mail them that I hoped they were not going to release a new optioned cdar every three months;but release a upgrade kit.

[ronb]

It's the 21st, has anyone seen the new puppies on the shelves yet? I just got a copy of Horizon's Tork "newsletter" and it had it on the front cover with a good looking body and a new article inside on it. Losi's home page says their in production with a picture of a warehouse with dudes stuffing Losi boxes! It's got to be getting around within the next few weeks! :D

[SteveP]

I think they're already on the way to hobby shops. I haven't been to our LHS recently, but I think they're on the way. I would guess they'll be available before the end of the month.

[GeorgeK]

Hey Guys,

Well, some of them have finally hit the shelves (and bounced right off apparently!). I stopped in at Ultimate Hobbies in Orange, CA after work this evening to get some batteries, and asked them when they were expecting the XXX-S to arrive. They told me that 6 of them had arrived that morning, but were all sold immediately (for about $180 apiece). They said they were expecting more this Friday (sorry, I forgot to ask how many).

Does anyone know if this car kit will come in more than one variant? Ultimate said that they only knew of one. If I decide to get one, I'm wondering if I should wait for a kit that has a lot of nice optional parts for a good deal (similar to the way that the TC3 comes in at least three variants).


Regards,

George K.

[ronb]

There's only one kit for now. But we're all expecting a "Kinwald" or "Spashett" edition down the road. That's the way Losi pretty much have done it in the past. I hope they do what Associated and others have done and end up with two or three different configs. to choose from. :D

[chizzler]

i should be getting one tomorrow, ill let you guys know :)

[TeamSin]

I put one o lay-a-way today at my LHS. $219 not bad. I cant wait untill next week!!!!!!1

[ronb]

chizzler must have gotten his car, he's not here! I'm expecting mine tomorrow-I'll let you know (hehe). In other words, if you don't here from me tomorrow, I'll be on my bench-assembling!!!! :D

[007yoshi]

SteveP- why did you edit the first post? Bad language? :)

[chizzler]

yeah guys, here it is!!!
i didnt post earlier because this car is a killer to build...

total time including mounting tires...11 hrs. :eek:

here's my pix, body is still inthe process :)

[chizzler]

RONB is totally right, i didnt get here due to the time spent on this beast! :D

here are some of my thoughts...

LIKES!:
:)smooth/simple layout overall
:-)major areas easily accessible when you need it most
:-)unusually very quiet single belt drivetrain
:-)entire drivetrain is covered by molded chassis
:-)very roomy (esp. to a tc3)
:-)stiffezel :D chassis!
:-)droop adjustments!
:-)exceptionally fast fun!
:-)nice body and tires w/ molded inserts included
:-)somewhat bulky but very sturdy
:-)cool looking without body
:-)drives flawlessly!

DISLIKES:
:(manual can be confusing at times for a beginner
:-(need new shock design
:-(no holes in chassis are pre-threaded
(this is what takes forever, you need to pre-thread everything, and with the supplied allen drivers you will get the worst blisters trying to thread chassis holes!)
:-(included allen wrenches no good for the job (the smaalest one stripped on both sides on their first turn of the screw!)

TIPS
-get good allen drivers, luckily i had them.
saves a lot of time and pain!!
-make sure the shock bodies are threaded correctly to the other end of the shock assembly. mine were slightly off and i had to work them a little to correct the problem

TEST GEAR:
Airtronics M8 w/standard servo
Peak Aurora 9T triple
Novak Atom
trinity 2400 team spec cells

my car planted some MAJOR power with this setup.
make sure you gear right with this car!!!!
my esc was HOT with a 19 tooth pinion(recom. 17 :)) after about 2 minutes

tires at first were a little slidey, but as they wear they seem to get better

that is all i can say for now, only time will tell what else will happen, right? :)

oh, and i know the esc is supposed to be mounted on the other side of the motor, but i was too lazy and got anxious about running it outside before dark. the wires were too short from that position so i just placed it were the receiver typically goes and the receiver above the servo!

(copyright by chizzler) :D

[ronb]

Thanks for your notes chizzler . I got mine Friday, but didn't get a chance to start building. I did, of course check out the manual. I'm an old Street Weapon dude, so I was real impressed with the "less" steps that are needed for the new XXX-S.
BTW, hot scoop from SirSpeedy and the RCRacing News site - the XXX-S TQ'ed the stock AND Mod class at the 2001 ROAR Nats !!!! :D

[ronb]

Oh, anda..., the XXX-S won first, third, and fourth in Mod!!!! :D

[chizzler]

yeah ronb, i saw those standings.

i wonder where all the ae guys were?

i still dont know if i am going to convert from my tc3 to which i have loved since ITS release.

im racing next weekend, and if the xxx-s runs well, it will become my new car!

good luck building it :D :D :D
(see my tips!)

[GeorgeK]

Ok guys,

I caved in and bought an XXX-S last Friday. As my other post implied, I *was* going to wait and see what other kit variants came out, and also wait and see if people like yourselves reported any typical new kit problems, but I just couldn't wait -- my current car is an ancient Yokomo YR-4 Special, for Pete's sake!

First of all, I'd like to thank Chizzler for his informative posts -- I agree with most of what he says. My only disagreement is that I didn't find any problems with the shock design. Keep in mind though, that I'm comparing them to my 5+ years old YR-4 shocks.

Here's some problems that I had, and tips so that you can avoid them. Note that I'm only going by my own experiences with *my* kit, so I don't know if the problems are wide-spread or not. I did send an e-mail to Losi detailing the problems, so I'll let you know when I get a response.

1) My kit came with the wrong length turnbuckles for the rear camber links. The instructions show the long turnbuckles for the front and rear camber links, and the short turnbuckles for the steering linkage. However, I got only one pair of long turnbuckles, and two pairs of short ones. I went ahead and used the short ones for the rear camber links, but with the recommended 1 degree negative camber, only about 1/8" of each turnbuckle end gets threaded into the plastic ball cups. With the long turnbuckles, it would be about 1/4", so I suspect my setup will be somewhat weak and prone to stripping or breakage. I'm hoping that Losi will send me a pair of long turnbuckles.

2) For both front spindle carriers and both rear hubs, the hole for the set screw, which holds the hinge pin, was not bored all the way through to the hinge pin hole. I found out the hard way on the first spindle carrier, because I was tightening until the hinge pin stopped moving, but of course, this never happened, since the set screw bottomed out in its too-shallow hole. Therefore, I ended up stripping that hole -- Doh! Not to worry though -- the hinge pin, though meant to be held by the set screw, also had grooves for E-clips. And guess what? Some spare E-clips from my YR-4 fit perfectly on the Losi hinge pin! Anyway, my tip is to check your spindle carriers and rear hubs to make sure the set screw holes go all the way through. I drilled the holes the rest of the way through on the other three parts, and those assembled with no problem.

3) On the rear hubs, the hole used for mounting the ball stud for the camber link was also not bored all the way through. If you don't drill them out, you may not be able to tighten the ball studs all the way down. Also, the real problem may be that the shaft of the ball stud is too long, because after I drilled the holes through and installed the ball studs, I noticed that the tid of the threaded shaft protruded very close to the cup-shaped part of the rear CVD's. In fact, on one side, the ever-so-slightly protruding pin on the CVD joint was audibly clicking against the protruding ball stud shaft, so I ended up having to remove the ball studs and filing down the threaded shaft just a touch (1/16").

4) I noticed that the motor plate assembly (after connected to the motor) was *very* tight fitting in the chassis... (deleted the rest of this paragraph on 7/30 -- I think my original assessment was completely wrong on this item, so I've deleted it to avoid confusing others. Further examination and Chizzler's explanation, below, now lead me to believe there is no problem here)

5) This one is not so much a "problem" as an observation. I noticed that the Losi website claims a "neutral driveshaft angle" (which among other reasons, was one reason I chose this car), however, after finishing assembly, I noticed that all four drive shafts (when viewed from the top), angle from the outdrives towards the center of the car. Using the optional longer wheelbase configuration (basically, moving the arms outwards by one 0.060" spacer at each corner), I was able to "straighten" the driveshaft some. The rear ones seem to be almost perfectly straight, but the front ones remain angled to the rear a little. The manual mentions how the wheelbase setting will affect handling, but I'm hoping the effect will be minimal (especially not noticeable by a relatively unskilled driver like myself). I'm going for the maximum efficiency (and hence speed) by trying to "straighten" the driveshafts as much as possible. I also noticed that in this configuration, the wheels no longer quite match the pre-marked wheel holes in the included body, so I'll need to cut the holes slightly further apart. Is anyone else planning on running their XXX-S in the long wheelbase configuration?

Finally, my last issue, which is most likely no fault of Losi's. After completely assembling the car (I think I took about as long as Chizzler, too), I noticed that the drive train was making a faint but noticeable clicking sound. After eventually getting around to removing the idler pulley (thus disengaging both diffs, too), the noise persisted, so it appears to be between the pinion and spur. As I mentioned earlier, it took me awhile to notice the problem in the motor plate, and I noticed it only after I started trying to find the cause of the noise. That's when I noticed that due to the protruding motor screws, the motor plate was not flush against the chassis. In fact it was tilted, since the two motor screws are off center in the motor plate (to produce the cam/adjustment feature for the gear mesh). Anyway, after I fixed the protruding motor screws as I mentioned earlier, the clicking persisted. I tried a couple of different 26 tooth pinions (since I'm running a stock motor, and that's what's recommended for these), and the noise persists. I also tried relatively tight and loose mesh (and everything in between). Perhaps the spur gear got damaged by the earlier incorrectly aligned motor assembly (and thus pinion)? The problem could also just be an improperly matched or low-quality pinion. The two are old ones that I just happened to have lying around. I think one is an Associated, and one is a Robinson. Neither pinion nor the spur have any obviously visible defects, but who knows?... Also, I've heard that some spurs and pinion from different companies are not compatible with each other. I mean I know they have the same pitch and all, but sometimes the shape of the teeth varies by brand. I suppose that my best bet would be to get a Losi pinion, right? Do any of you have a recommendation for a pinion that I can use on this car? Thanks a lot, and sorry for getting so long-winded on this post.

Regards,

George K.


P.S. Chizzler (and others), did you encounter any of the same problems that I did?
[ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: GeorgeK ]

[ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: GeorgeK ]

[ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: GeorgeK ]

[ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: GeorgeK ]

[GeorgeK]

Oh yeah, one more thing:

Besides liking the same things that Chizzler mentioned, I also liked the fact that the car body came with pre-cut pieces of masking tape that fit each of the four "windows". That's the first time I've encountered a car body that came with those. Mind you that the last time I painted a body was probably about five years ago (no, it's not because I'm a good driver, it's because I just recently got back into the hobby). Do very many bodies come with pre-cut masking tape these days? If so, which brand of bodies? For that matter, who makes the bodies for Losi? The reason I ask is that I always considered the masking part to be one of the most tedious parts of painting the body (that's also why I always go for the simple, single color paint jobs ;) ), so I really liked this step-saver.


Regards,

George K.

[TSR6]

I just got mine built the other day.. i love it so far... but i have yet to run it. I still need an esc.

[SirSpeedy]

George-

I have not yet gotten my car completely together, however on the issue of missing or incorrect parts, you need to speak to Bill Goldsmith at Team Losi. He is the customer service manager. He will set you up with whatever you are missing.

Once I get my car together, I will try to address some of your questions more in depth.

[chizzler]

ok im back :)

GEORGEK-

1. your rear links that you got in the kit are actually the correct ones!! yay!
my kit came with both of them, the long and short. i used the long ones mainly because when i finished that particular "bag," i noticed the extra links in a separate baggie and there was a little note that stated it had to be changed to the littler ones. :rolleyes: No big deal though. Just set them up the same as the manual(measure the one end of the ballcup to the other ballcup, dont match the middle link, and it should be the same)

2. I also screwed the set screw in too far. The only thing i noticed is that once you screw it in there is NO feeling of it stopping at all. I think it just lodges in there, not actually "locking" as like, say a tc3 ( to which you KNOW its stripped :)) i was able to screw it in and out several times, but the set screw always still held the pin.

3. I should have mentioned that whole ballstud thing also :)
When you screw it into the mount, it sends some of the excess material to the bottom of the mount, which then rubs against the cvd.
SOLUTION- simply just screw in the ballstud and then take an exacto knife and chip away that extra stiffezel stuff under the mount where the ball stud portrudes before you mount it on the car!

4. The solution to the motor.....
Look at the motor clamp. On the under side of it there is a groove. The groove should be offset from the middle of the clamp. This groove should face the motor!!!! Simple as that!
I didnt realize it until i began to freak out about it being difficult to move the motor also. I dont understand why Losi didnt mention that???????

Final Issue- Note #4 above. If youve got that wrong then youre going to have a heck of a time setting the gear mesh!!!!!!!
if you have that clamp on backwards, when you begin to screw the clamp down it will ever slightly slide the gear mesh apart. If the clamp is on correctly, it should be fine!

the idea is to-
-set the motor into place.
-set the gear mesh/adjust and turn motor
-then set the clamp "CORRECTLY" :) over the motor
-screw both screws down evenly while it slowly locks the motor into place.

how does this sound? :)

[ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: chizzler ]

[chizzler]

The clicking sound is from the improper gear mesh...

Oh, and George, HPI bodies all come with precut masks :D

[GeorgeK]

Chizzler and SirSpeedy,

Thanks for your feedback on my problems. I also talked to a tech support guy at Losi (sorry SirSpeedy, I don't recall if his name was Bill or not) and he seemed very knowledgeable and was polite as well. Here's what I found out:

1) I mentioned the discrepancy in the pictured turnbuckle and the one in the kit, and my concern about them being rather short, and he said "no problem", just give him an address and he'll ship me a pair of the long ones. Chizzler, your kit must have come off the production line before mine, because I didn't get the extra "baggie" like you did. The short turnbuckles were the only ones in my Bag E, so as you said, they must have decided that the short ones were sufficient.

2 & 3) The tech support guy said that they knew about these problems. However, it wasn't that the holes didn't go through all way due to a short hole. Rather, he explained that the holes were merely plugged by flash from the molding process, and they haven't come up with a good way of removing it, yet. At any rate, they consider it to be a fairly minor problem, that they said they would address in some sort of note at their website eventually.

4) Chizzler, I also noticed that the motor plate clamp had its groove off-center, and I initially mounted it correctly as you state. However, I removed it and replaced it several times, and I may have gotten careless later on (that happens at 3:00 in the morning :)) Either that or I just slid the motor plate into the chassis crooked. At any rate, I don't think my original assessment about the motor screws being too long was correct. After further examination, I noticed that even with the screws protruding as they do, they should not touch the chassis, because the big round cutout in the chassis is large enough that the lip of the motor plate can actually rest flush to the chassis while the motor screw heads will simply stick out into the large round cutout. About the only problem that I notice now regarding the protruding motor screw heads is that depending on how you have the motor/plate turned when you insert it into the chassis, they can hit the chassis and make it a little bit more difficult to insert. Once all the way in, though, they don't appear to contact anything. Also, the tech support guy said that he had not gotten any reports of the problem as I described it. Sorry if my original post caused any confusion :( )

5) The tech support guy agreed that the driveshaft angle is not perfectly neutral, but they were merely calling it that, because it was darn close to neutral, and certainly more neutral than other car kits. He also mentioned that being that close to neutral, the kits drivetrain was already much more efficient than with other car kits.

About the pinion gear -- the tech support guy said that it shouldn't matter what brand of pinion that I used. He said that all 48 pitch gears had identical, standardized tooth shapes, so any brand would suffice. When I talked to a couple employees at my LHS, Ultimate Hobbies, one of them said that he thought any pinion would work with the Losi spur. The other employee said that the Robinson pinions didn't work well with the Losi spurs. He said he always uses Trinity pinions for his Losi spur, but Ultimate doesn't carry Trinity spurs. I ended up trying a Kimbrough UltraMesh pinion which they said also works pretty well, and should be very quiet, since it's made of plastic. I've never tried a plastic pinion before, since I assumed that they would be weak, but I've decided to give it a shot. I'll let you know how it goes...


Regards,

George K.

[GeorgeK]

A note to you modified racers out there:

I posted this separately, so it wouldn't get buried in my other long posts, but here's something else that the Losi tech support guy told me. Although my particular motor mount problem has not been reported, he did mention another motor mount problem that *was* reported. He said that the current design has some sort of limitation such that for *extremely small* pinions (used for the very lowest turn modified motors), it was difficult or impossible to get proper gear mesh. He said that to remedy the situation, Losi was planning on releasing a larger spur gear. He didn't specify whether it would be the default spur for the kit, or whether it would be an option to purchase later.


Regards,

George K.

[GeorgeK]

Smooth, quiet gear mesh -- finally!

Chizzler, I did try your suggestion about making sure that the motor mount bracket was turned the right way, but the gears were still making a slight clicking sound with my two, original metal pinions. Then I switched to the Kimbrough plastic UltraMesh pinion that I mentioned, above, and now it is sooooo quiet (maybe even more quiet than my YR-4)! So I don't know what was causing a the problem with my old pinions:
- too old and worn?
- rusted or corroded? One showed a very, very slight amount of rust, but I buffed it up using a very fine wire wheel attachment on my Dremel. In fact, after getting the clicking sound with the original two metal pinions as they were, I then tried buffing both pinions, just to make sure, but that didn't help.
- "wrong" brand of pinion?
- maybe metal on plastic is just naturally louder than plastic on plastic?

Anyway, I don't know which other brand of pinions work or not, but the Kimbrough UltraMesh definitely works well (as far as being quiet and smooth). I still don't know how they'll hold up to wear... Although if it does wear out faster than the spur, maybe that's a good thing, since pinions should be cheaper than spurs, and easier to replace, right? And, spare Losi spurs might not even be available for a while.


Regards,

George K.

[ 07-31-2001: Message edited by: GeorgeK ]

[NTRacinGuy87]

In addition to what Chizzler said a long time ago.... when you convert to your XXX-S you don't have to retire your TC3 you can convert that to rally! then you would have on and off-road tourer's! I dont have a on-road track around here and I wish they did :) I love to look at those on-raoder's and racing them... that would be awesome. I'm aalso a Losi fan as every car I have is Losi so theres no doubt that the XXX-S is a winner in every aspect.

[chizzler]

th xxx-s can EASILY be converted to rally form!!!!

as a matter of fact, it already looks like a rally machine to in addition to a tourng car ;)

[chizzler]

hey GEORGE, about the smaller pinions....

im running a 9 turn so it does need a smaller pinion. i used an 18 tooth which meshed fine, but then i switched to a 16 tooth pinion, there was a great amount of space between the pinion and spur. i can see where you are coming from with the lower wind mods. because he pinions may be too littleto get clos enough to the spur. But then again, why run a slow of a wind as i am? :) LOL!
i plan on going up to a 12 turn to test some more, and to see if it is more efficient

[NTRacinGuy87]

Has anyone here ever converted a TC3 to rally? I'm with Chizzler when it comes to the XXX-S, I think it would be better than the TC3 on-road rather than off-road becuase it has belt drive and that would be a major problem if you drove it off-road. It also doesn't have all of the duribility parts the TC3 has.

[ronb]

Thanks for all your informative posts guys. I'll be starting my build this weekend and I'll keep all the tips in mind. ;)

[chizzler]

ok, i have noticed a strange vibration/rubbing sound when the steering is turned at any angle, but not when the car is going straight.

so far i have checked the diffs, and they are fine. possibly something with the cvds or even belt, i dunno.

if you guys experience this LMK, or otherwise im still going to have to keep checkin :)

[ASTROCREEP RACING]

I am currently developing aluminum hop ups for the xxxs....I have in the works so far batt hold downs with xxxs engraved,shock towers, arm pin braces , wheel hexes and a motor mount with an intergrated heat sink.What else would you guys like to have for your xxxs? arms????

let em know

Dave

[ASTROCREEP RACING]

I am currently developing aluminum hop ups for the xxxs....I have in the works so far batt hold downs with xxxs engraved,shock towers, arm pin braces , wheel hexes and a motor mount with an intergrated heat sink.What else would you guys like to have for your xxxs? arms????

let em know

Dave

[chizzler]

ok, i have solved the dilemma after many hours of stressful tests.

it was actually very simple after all.....

the long screw that holds the shocks in the arms on the front end of the chassis were not tightened down all the way into the arms :rolleyes:

if they arent tightened all the way they rub against the wheel when you steer. theres very little clearance!! :rolleyes:

[GeorgeK]

Some observations and questions after my first outing...

1) At some point during the evening, one of my front shock's plastic ball cup popped completed off the ball which is screwed into the front arm. The plastic ball cup ended up dragging on the ground and getting a fairly big flat spot worn on it, which then made it fit too loosely, so I've had to replace it. I would recommend that you put a washer between the head of the screw and the metal ball to prevent this. I should have remembered this old trick, but forgot...

2) The battery hold down bar is too loose for batteries in the stick pack configuration. My batteries popped out twice during my very first run -- once after one minor bump from another car, and once when I hit a "dot" and flipped. For now, I just stuck a rectangle of bicycle inner tube rubber under the battery, and this appears to make it snug enough for now. This is my first car with this type of battery hold down (my Yoke had a funky plastic box for the battery to sit in), so I'm not familiar with "tricks of the trade" for this configuration. Does anybody have any suggestions? Maybe rubber or foam on top of or under the battery? How about some posts or something between the batteries and the outer edge of the chassis?

3) Although my car was apparently running more efficiently than my old YR-4 (much better top speed and about the same acceleration), my motor was getting very hot -- significantly hotter than in my YR-4. After a run, I couldn't even keep my finger on the motor for one second! I was using a 26 tooth pinion, as per the manual. Here's my setup:

- old stock motor (Peak Nightmare)
- Tekin G-12c ESC
- various battery packs (one Time Warp, one 2400 mAh Rocket Pack, a couple of old Elite Speed matched packs, a couple other packs of unknown brand) The motor ran hot on all packs.
- stock spur gear
- the track is a fairly grippy indoor asphalt surface. Most people use some Paragon tire compound. I applied a light amount on my second run only, since I was kind of interested to see how the car performed without any compound
- I was using firm Yokomo slicks with medium Yokomo foam inserts
- I checked the drive train, and it seems very smooth. The belt is not too tight.
- The wheels/tires aren't rubbing on the body or anything.

After my first two or three runs, I was concerned about the motor heat, so I asked the guy who runs the shop at So. Cal. Raceway, and he said that I should start with a 25 tooth pinion and go from there, especially since I had an older stock motor, according to him. So I tried my next two runs with the 25 tooth pinion, but the motor got just as hot. In fact, it seemed to be even hotter than it was with the 26 tooth pinion! Does this make any sense? What size pinion do you guys think I should run?


Regards,

George K.

[SirSpeedy]

George-

If you race at SoCal, I would highly recomend you go and introduce yourself to Brian Kinwald, Todd Hodge, Adam Drake, or really any of the Losi R&D guys. They have spend 100's of hours with that car at that track over the last year and a half.

As far as gearing, I am not too sure about that motor, and what it is based on to recomend a starting gear ratio. I would recomend picking up a Peak Spifire, or a Trintiy P2K, and then starting with a 25 tooth pinion. If you get a Reedy MVP, or a Green Machine 3, then I would suggest a 22 tooth, since these motors posses a higher RPM powerband.

See ya...

[chizzler]

my 2 cents would be to try the 25 tooth pinion first.
that is the suggested size to use in the manual!

from there try to go 26 and see if you can get away without frying your motor, then gear higher, etc.

[ 08-03-2001: Message edited by: chizzler ]

[GeorgeK]

SirSpeedy,

Yeah, I briefly thought about talking to those guys. I've seen Brian there several times, and have just stood there in awe when he drives. The other guys, I'm afraid I wouldn't recognize. I've heard that these team guys are usually quite friendly and helpful, but I can't help but feel awkward and intimidated at the notion of asking them for help -- it seems akin to walking up to Michael Jordan for basketball tips or Tiger Woods for golf tips. On the other hand, they might be very motivated to help me, lest my poor driving and car setup cast a dark shadow on the reputation of the XXX-S :p.

When I need to buy my next motor, I'll definitely look into some of those ones that you recommended, but I guess I don't want to just throw away my current two old, but still functioning motors. BTW, my other motor is a Trinity Midnight, and come to think of it, I think the Nightmare might be Peak's dyno-tuned version of the Midnight. Thanks for the recommendations, though, and for the gearing tips.


Chizzler,

Interesting, what you say about the manual. That is now the second thing you mention which is different between your XXX-S kit and mine (the other difference was the different length rear camber link turnbuckle). My manual (on p. ii) specifies a 26 tooth pinion for a 24 degree stock motor. My owner's manual has "P/N 800-0163 BLU" printed on the lower right corner of the cover -- is yours a different version? More importantly, I wonder which is the later (and presumably more accurate) version... At any rate, I'll go ahead and give the 27 tooth a try, too.

Also, I might try going with a 23 tooth pinion, simply because that will give me a 7:1 final drive ratio (42/23 * 88/23), which is what I used to have on my YR-4 (35/15 * 78/26). Tire/wheel size is the same on both cars, since I just mounted my Yokomo tires/wheels on the XXX-S using the larger hex adapters which were included in the kit.

Once again, thanks for the tips, guys!


Regards,

George

[GeorgeK]

More gearing info, from www.teamlosi.com: (http://www.teamlosi.com:)

Richard Trujillo's Stock Class ROAR National Set up using a Reedy MVP motor and standard diff:

88 tooth spur
27 tooth pinion

Also note that the track was described as being smooth asphalt (although it was outdoors instead of indoors like at So. Cal. Raceway).


Regards,

George K.

[wjj]

Does anybody know where i can purchase this car? Horizon hobby have it on back order, but i was wondering if there was any stores that have it in stock?

[chizzler]

wow george, good thing i told you or you could have been burning up motors! ;)

[SirSpeedy]

Chizzler-

You have that theory backwards.

You start off with a pinion lower than optimum...say a 24 or 25 on this car....and then work your way up....not down....until your laptimes begin to climb, then go back down a little...

GeorgeK-

The powerband of the Midnight 2/Paradox is similar to that of a P2K. I would say that a 25 is the way to go at SoCal.....Trujillo may have ran 27, but the track at Speedworld for the Nat's was VERY wide open and flowing. Not much at all like the typical track layouts at SoCal.....

If you go to www.teamlosi.com, (http://www.teamlosi.com,) and click on "Talk to the Team", you will see pictures of each of the Losi R&D guys.....

Later...

[chizzler]

ooops! youre right sirspeedy, what WAS i thinking! :D

i meant to try the 26, if it works, then move to a HIGHER pinion

im used to going down a pinion from stock at my track, because its usually tight and technical.

[GeorgeK]

WJJ,

One of my LHS's, Ultimate Hobbies, is where I got my XXX-S. They have a website, www.ultimatehobbies.com, (http://www.ultimatehobbies.com,) but they only show a limited number of items there. However, you might want drop them an e-mail or give them a call (number listed on website) and see if they'll sell you the XXX-S over the phone. They have the best price I've seen ($180), and you can trust them (I've been doing business with them for over 5 years). I have no idea what their shipping rate is (hey, they're local to me :))


Good luck,

George K.

[GeorgeK]

Sir Speedy and Chizzler,

Thanks for the additional tips about gearing. Sir Speedy, like I said, I was out of the hobby for several years, so the Midnight motor that I'm referring to is the original Midnight (not Midnight 2). Yeah, I guess it's pretty ancient, eh? :( Anyway, my motors (that one and my Peak Nightmare, which was purchased around the same time) being as old as they are, are probably quite a bit weaker than the new ones, so maybe that's why they're getting so darn hot, and maybe that's why I may need to use a smaller pinion than what you guys are able to use. I'll try out some more pinions next Thursday.


Regards,

George K.

[chizzler]

george, i had a midnight also that i ran in my tc3 before i got rid of it that particular motor.

i never really noticed it getting hot like you say. how are the brushes/comm?

[GeorgeK]

Chizzler,

Well, I don't know much about brushes or comms. If I need to replace the brushes, I usually just ask for a recommendation from the guy behind the counter. I've never had my commutator cut, since I've never had a motor with a removable endbell (only stock motors and one cheapo mod motor -- I think it was a Speed Gem). However, I do occasionally clean the comm with a comm stick.

The comm looks smooth and clean, and doesn't seem to be too worn out. The brushes look normal (not discolored or worn excessively).

Chizzler, I know that messed up brushes or comm can degrade performance, but can they also cause heat problems?


Regards,

George

[SirSpeedy]

George-

The main issue with an comm in poor shape, is the motor will have a high amp draw, which leads to inefficiecy.....you may not be making enough power to pull the ratios that you are trying to run...

[balapan]

hello all,
i'm new in this hobby, and just bought my first rc-car, the xxx-s.
So forgive me if i'm interupting somebody with beginners questions.
I just need some helps or suggestions.
my setup is: esc: Novak TC2, receiver JR133, this one came with JRX3 Radio. I still don't have a servo. Motor is Team Orion RS Stock.
1. where can i put the power capacitor of the TC2? the manual of TC2 strongly suggest that i use it, but i don't know where to glue it in the chassis.
2. any suggestions for servo? (under $40)
3. and pinion for stock motor?

i really appreciate any help.
thanks.

[chizzler]

1. dont glue the power capacitor!
try to use double sided tape and mount it against the molded drivetrain in the middle of the car sideways. itll be weird but it should work
2. just get a standard jr servo, it should work well!
3. start by using a 26 tooth pinion, the motor can get very hot with it any higher!


more thoughts on the xxx-s after race day:
-i ran my p2k in this sundays race with a 27 tooth and after the five minute race i touched it and it burned me really bad!
but the motor took the abuse!
-two of the kit tires wore out on me in 3 runs!
-the car could easily been the fastest, definately it was the smoothest out there in a field of tc3's, a schumacher, and pro 2.
i only ran 2000's all day, wish i could have had some higher capacity :rolleyes: :)

[SirSpeedy]

So how is it going?

Kind of quiet here for a couple days.

Everyone's cars working good?

[chizzler]

yeah speedy, mine is still running strong, and the belt still looks good.

the only problems are the set screw that holds the hinge pins on the arms in place have finally given up and stripped...
but i just got some e-clips like george previously did.

hows yours?

[SirSpeedy]

Glad to hear that.

I haven't had any trouble with those setscrews.

I have ran my car quite a bit, I think I have come up with a good starting setup for hot asphalt. It is a little quicker than the kit setup, with more cornerspeed, and much more steering...

I am going to a ROAR Florida State Series race tommorrow, where we run H13 spec tires, so I will be working on a low bite setup for the car.

Keep me posted if you need anything.

[chizzler]

hey sirspeedy, let me know what some good tires are to use on hot asphalt as well as how youre running gearing......

im in the process of using some schumacher "take-offs,"
but not satisfied with them on the xxx-s, they seem to work better on my tc3.

i burned out the kit tires in three runs(races), thats why i ask, and after the races my motor is steamy geared at 27 teeth
(a p2k)

[SirSpeedy]

Hey chizz-

For hot asphalt, I like the Take Off CS-37's, with a Yokomo Firm insert. You could also try HPI 35R's, or Yokomo 138G-H.

I have not ran stock yet in my car. I will see what some of the stock guys run this weekend for you. I am gearing an 8x2 at 18/88 though.

[chizzler]

hey, those are the same tires im running!

i guess its just the inserts that are hasslin' me, im using yokomo medium inserts.

looking forward to hearing what you find out!!

[TSR6]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to mount my TC2 speedo. Does anyone have a C2 or TC2?? How did you mount it, and where did you mount that capacitor? Do you have pics?! :)

Thanks :)

[chizzler]

mount it horizontally on top of you cyclone with the servo tape sticking towards the drivetrain, that worked for me!

[SirSpeedy]

chizz-

It seems like all the stock guys were in the 6.5:1 range in stock....just ask what the guys at your track are running for a final drive, and then do the math to compute those numbers to your Losi car. The Losi manual covers this on the page in the front with all the suggested ratios.

A firmer insert will keep the tire from overheating, but it will also let the tire roll around quite a bit, and make it wear unevenly. A firmer insert will make the contact patch of the tire heat up more, but it will not cause any abnormal wear, as long as the compound is correct for the temp.

[balapan]

Is anybody have tip on where to mount the transponder? hopefully not in the body.

thanks.

[SirSpeedy]

Put the Rx on top of the servo, or stand it up beside the belt tunnel, and mount it behing the servo.

This is place to put it.

[ronb]

Check out the Losi site today!!!! The home page has an anouncement of some new hopups for the XXX-S. They now have all graphite parts for the major chassis pieces, including one tricked out/cut out graphite chassis that's a full ounce lighter!!! :D

[ronb]

Well I started this thread over a month ago when we were all chomping at the bit to get a hold of a XXX-S kit. It looks like I'm the last one in this forum to run one. I just finished mine last night and raced it today -
First thing in practice I broke a rear hub. I must have hit something hard, but nothing that I saw. I was pretty squirrely right off. I was getting used to the track (we build up a different temporary parking lot track each weekend) as well as this new car. Anyway to break something that quick, and not without an obvious serious incident, it was pretty unnerving. I hardly ever broke anything on my Street Weapon.
In the first heat I had a self unduced problem with my setup - my power cable to the battery was too long and kept getting wedged between the right rear wheel and the chassis.
The second heat was smooth and clean. One of the few races I remember not hitting a barrier. the car went where ever I wanted it to, but not twitchy at all.
The A main was the same. I laped the field twice (ok, there was only two other cars but heh, bragging rights are hard to come by these days).
Nothing against my competition, they were fairly new drivers, but my laps and run times showed that I could probably move up to Pro Stock.
So to sum it up, I'm considering my early break an anomaly, my Street Weapon will be mothballed, and I'm looking forward to being competitive. Well, hmmm, come to think of it, I just lost my last excuse! :D

[chizzler]

thats stinks that you broke something soo quick!

anyways, since my race i have completely broken it down to rebuild, i took it apart, and never put it back together..... i guess i should get back to it soon! :rolleyes:

[socalgeno]

OK, about ten years ago, I used to race my tamaya falcon, grasshopper, clodbuster, etc., and had a great time. Since then, I had completely gotten out of r/c all together. About 3 months ago, I decided I needed something to do, and thus decided to 'get back into the game'. Did some research and found that the game had changed, ENORMOUSLY!
Needless to say, I want to go on road this time out. Did some research and about a month ago, purchased and built my XXX-S. The kit was altogether too easy to assemble. Yes, I did have the same confusion with the axle camber as GeorgeK, but got by it. Assembly time was about 8 hours, and a couple six packs. I have been to the SoCal indoor track twice. The first time was my third time running the car. Needless to say, my driving needs improvement, but found the handling of it awesome. My setup is:
-Yokomo 138G w/ med. inserts
-27 pin gear on a P2 motor. Yes, this does run hot so I put an Associated blue heat clamp on it.
-Aerotronics Sport w/ an A01 speed controller. Yep, the wires tuck nicely under the drive train sheild.

Oh yeah, I'm currently running ni-cad 2400 packs. They did fly out of the car a couple times. Then I put velcro on the underside of the battery holder. No problems since.

All that said, I need some advice on batteries. Talk to me about 2400 vs. the 3000 and what to use to race in. Also, motor maintenance and building. Anyone know the issues of the mags for the setup and quick tips on these topics? Oh yeah, I found that I paint really well, so if any of ya need a painted body, just holla.
:p

[Gutter Ball]

Ugh...methinks me made the wrong choice getting the Street Weapon instead of the XXX-s :/ The LHS offered it to me for $150, the XXX-s was $225....now I'm getting some cognitive dissonance!

[ronb]

Oh man, in my report yesterday I forgot an important detail - I said I broke first thing in practice, did any one wonder how I got it going to race the rest of the day?
We all know spare parts are hard to come still yet. Well the lhs owner let me open a kit and borrow a hub. He said he was going to bust one open anyway to build it up for display. But I thought that was way cool that he fronted me one to race. Mucho gracious Dave!!!! (of Action Hobbies - Tulsa, OK).

[marvi]

do you guys know if losi will come up with a xxx-s "factory team" version, like the tc3?

[ronb]

I would bet a Coke on it. It's Losi tradition to come out with a "driver" edition as soon as someone wins big with one. I suspect a Spashett or maybe a Lemuiex Edition (sorry if I missed spelled your last name guys). These dudes are pro factory drivers-and they've already won big with it.
All graphite, titanium turnbuckles, threaded shock bodies, real race tires (dreaming). :D

[SirSpeedy]

About two years after the original kit.

The Francis truck is one year, seven months after the original kit debuted. Pretty quick on that one.

[atm92484]

I went out to my LHS today. They had a XXX-S on the shelf for $219. Those cars look really nice. I want one but don't have any place to race it. :(

[marvi]

2 more years? i guess ill have to wait before i sell my tc3. i got my tc3 about a year before the factory team came out. our racetrack is unmaintained asphalt and the xxx-s sealed drivetrain might really work there. i keep destroying tc3 spur gears whenever pebbles get into them, even if i clean it after every run.

[corkex]

Anyone planning on running their XXX-S on carpet? I saw a setup on the Losi site for carpet with foam tires and it says to use plaid compound tires. I'm an off-road guy so I don't know much about tire compounds for on-road. I've never even heard of a plaid compound, is there such a thing and who makes them? Any other tuning info for running carpet would be greatly appreciated.

[asociatedman14]

i cant wait until tommorow around 2:30 im getting a xxx-s! at 199.99 you cant beat that. well my only question is are the body mount in the same place as the tc3?
thanks,
Drew

[Smitty]

About how long is the belt? I want to convert my car and I need a bigger belt.

[chizzler]

no, the body posts are MUCH wider apart than most tc's.

[balapan]

ok, I just bought Team Orion Touring Chrome 9X3 and put it in my xxx-s, the esc is novak TC2, JR servo and receiver (XR3) the batt. is 3000 mah stick pak, and I followed the manual for setting up the car.
Now, the car is too fast for me to control (the tires spins a lot). It seems that the car has way to much torque in it, especially when accelerates, the pinion gear is 19tooth, I haven't tried to gear down/up yet, any suggestions?
The other thing is I tried using different slick tires, but it didn't help to control the car. btw, I'm running it in street and parking lot.
At first it kinda fun, especially when showing it off to my friend, the car can do some nice trick (unpurposefully) which only the car with a reverse esc can do.
anyway...
(is it just me, or? this car is FAST!!!)

[primuswoostinkinhoo]

i got my xxxs last friday put it together in about 3 hours, had all my gear in it in a total of four and ran a battery pack thro that day. there was some noise coming from the drivetrain so i took a look and the belt tensioner thingy was rubbing the spur gear so i took it out and bent it a tad and now the thing is like in stealth mode, very quite. accelerates nicely i think, i like the way it drives. i do hate the stock losi turnbuckles they are such a pain with that tiny lil part u are suposes to turn them with. cant wait to get some lunsfords. i didnt really like the stock tires so i didnt even mount them and i used some ssa take offs i love these tires. 3 days after i got mine my cousin got one too, we just painted his today if u would like to see pics go here www.angelfire.com/ab6/xxx_s_s (http://www.angelfire.com/ab6/xxx_s_s) i think we did a good job for not being artistic at all. well i love the car and cant wait for the onroad indoor season to start around here, i plan on picking up a switchblade pretty soon here for that too

[Grudly]

Just finished building my XXX-S today and ran a couple of my crappy 1500 packs through it... this car is awesome! I have a question though, the spur gear in my car doesn't look straight, it wobbles a little when it spins and it looks as though the belt is almost rubbing against the belt tensioner bar thingy. I've noticed along the right side of my belt there is a slight buildup of some sort of lubricant, is this normal? Maybe my bearings were a little overlubed and it's starting to show up on the belt.
Do your guy's spur gears wobble a bit too, or are they straight?

[Grudly]

I got another question too... When my car is turned off and I give it a little push, it clicks pretty loudly, is this normal? I've only run nitro trucks before, so this is all pretty new to me.

[chizzler]

for the clicking noise when you push it with the car off = NO!
thats definately a bad sign of the gear not meshing properly. the xxx-s is VERY sensitive to the gear mesh, you may ruin the spur having it too loose(thats what it sounds like to me is that you have it too loose)
with the gm3 try using a 25 tooth pinion, those things fly like bats anyways, you might not need any more than that, but if you need more try a 26 or what the manual suggests for stock, which is a 27 tooth pinion

As for the wobbly spur, try tightening the 2 screws that hold it together. if that doesnt work, disassemble it all and try to redo it and make sure everything is seated correctly

[Grudly]

Thanks Chizz... I'll take it apart and try to get it straight. =)

[grimlock3000]

anyone know of a place to buy the xxxs kit for cheap online? i was planning to buy a b3 buggy, but i think i might have more fun doign straight onroad with the xxxs.

[chizzler]

ive seen 199.99 the lowest brand new... :)

[grimlock3000]

$200 isn't bad, anyone know where to order the kit online at the price? Horizon Hobby and a few other places I have found are $220+.

[TSR6]

It should sell for around $220. That is what I have seen other than a few exeptions..

Troy

[socalgeno]

$179. @ Ultimate Hobbies, Orange, CA. Just added the graphite chasis and alum. cvd's. Me XX-happy now. :D :D

[adobo_man]

i'm planning to buy one and i just wanted to know if i need any other tools or some better parts so i don't have to install them later. Anyone?

[chizzler]

definately get some hex drivers......
it'll make youre life way easier for the smaller screws

1/16" and .05" sizes will do

[adobo_man]

just got my xxx-s and i need some advice on what motor, esc, batteries, charger, etc., basically everything not included in the kit that i need to make it run. I don't want to spend an extreme amount of money but i do want to get good performance out of this car. anyone?

[balapan]

This car is quick.
How about using stock motor? such as P2K, Reedy MVP, Orion Chrome Stock.. etc. They are priced around $ 25.
Charger: I have good experience with Duratrax peak charger. The price range from about $ 50 and up, this charger will handle both NiCad and NiMH.
Batteries: 2400 or 3000 Mah, I use Trinity 2400 stick pack (about $ 35 at Hobby People) 2400 Integy stick pack (about $ 40) for stock motor. Or, if you want, you can buy it at Promatch (http://www.promatchracing.com) for around $ 40 - $ 60 and you'll have "Pro-look" side by side battery in your car. I use Deans Ultra Plug for all connections.
If you plan to race, you can invest in battery discharger, too. I use Deans bulb discharger (around $ 25, kit).

I'm sure others have more/better ideas, too.

Have fun with the car!

[maxxximus]

Some posts asked "where to mount these things?"
Here's how I did mine......

[maxxximus]

The Stratus Fear body that comes with the XXXS is very soft. So soft in fact, that if your buddy with a TAO2 and an inferiority complex opts to smash you from the side.......the body will fold inwards and nearly cut the servo wire. Thought I'd share this horrible story with fellow XXXS lovers.

[Ras Thavas]

Chizzler and GeorgeK, thanks for the informative build tips. Even after reading the warnings I stripped the set screws for the rear hinge pins. I did better with the front ones. I think it is a flash problem also. I was real careful about building this car, and after reading your posts about the ball stud problem I checked the hubs and noticed the set screw hole was not open on the back where the set screw will contact the hinge pin. I opened the hole on the front hubs with an x-acto knife and did not over tighten them. Opening the hole did not seem to help on the rear ones though. Maybe I was not as careful, it was late and I have been building this car every night since Sunday, and fighting a cold at the same time.

I also had a slight problem with the gear clicking noise. I had checked the mesh then tightened the motor clamp down. I did not re-check the gear. I ran it down the street a few times and noticed the clicking. I re-checked the mesh and the pinion had backed away from the spur. I tried adjusting and tightening it a few times and it seemed to back away every time. You have to hold the motor in place while tightening the clamp to make sure it does not move. I think it is probably because everything is so new and the motor plate is a tight fit in the chassis and the clamp presses it further into the chassis when you clamp it down. I think it will be less of an issue as the parts wear into each other.

I also did not like the shocks. Anyone know of a better alternative?

It is fast. I used a P2K Pro and a Tekin G-10 and blasted it down my street a few times. I also used a 27T Robinson Ultra lightweight aluminum pinion. The motor was a little hot. It might be slightly overgeared but I think I can live with that.

If It does not rain this Sat. I will race it and post my impressions.

[chizzler]

i havent tried any other shocks, but i believe the josh cyrul threaded shocks from the street weapon can be fitted on this car :)

[SirSpeedy]

What is wrong with the shocks?

Most peopel really like them. Super easy to build/bleed.

[Ras Thavas]

I don't like the way they mount on the bottom. I can see them popping off. Putting a washer on will keep it from dragging the ground but it still will not be seated right.

That collar that holds the spring on will be a weak point also. After you take it off and on about a dozen times to try different springs, it will strip, causing you to replace it. No matter how careful you are plastic threads will not hold up.

[SirSpeedy]

They don't pop off that often. You have to hit something, and a washer will keep the on in that case. I very rarely find one popped off.

As for the collars, you should be changing spings from the bottom. Remove the bottom mount, and snap off the lower spring retainer. Replacement collars are pretty cheap, and threaded shocks are by far the way to go in the long run. That is if you plan to set the tweak the car on a regular basis I guess.

[NMT_RACER_BOY]

FOR those who have or driven both XXX-S AND a pro 3
which do you think is better?

[maxxximus]

I own the XXXS and have driven my buddies pro 3. Both are good handling cars. However, I found the XXXS to be more predictable. The pro 3 seemed more "twitchy" to me. Of course (as we ALL know) everyone drives differently and you might like the way the pro 3 handles and call it nimble instead of "twitchy".

[NMT_RACER_BOY]

what about the side to side
weight balance???
Wouldn't the pro 3 be better?
unless recever + ESC + servo +motor has the same weight as a six pack battery cells.

DO they get tweaked very easily???

[chizzler]

just because the PRO 3 uses batteries down the middle of the chassis does not mean that it will be balanced out evenly whatsoever..........
even if either car was to be out of weight proportion, i highly doubt you would notice ANY difference......

[Ras Thavas]

XXX-S vs Pro3.

I have been racing a Pro 3 in stock class since April. Today was the first day I raced the XXX-S in stock class (the Pro 3 is my Mod car now).

The XXX-S is fast. Faster out of the box than the Pro 3. It is probably as fast as my Pro 3 was in stock class (I'll list my Pro 3's hop ups at the end of the post.) I'm sure I can get even more speed out of it with some motor experimenting.

Handling - I had problems with the rear end breaking loose on the XXX-S. It was worse in a right hand turn than a left hand one (perhaps because the car is heaver on one side). I also thought It did not transition into the turns as smoothly as the Pro 3.

Maybe I am just not used to the car yet, but in my opinion the Pro 3 is better in the turns than the XXX-S. This is my initial observation after only 1 race. I suspect I can get this car to handle better with some experimentation.

XXX-S - P2K-Pro motor, Multiplex Profi Speed servo, Tekin G-10, Stock setups recommended in the manual, Sorex tires, Yokomo inserts.

Pro 3 - Silicon Nitride Diff Balls, Aluminum CVD bones, Multiplex Profi Speed servo, Bunch of titanium screws, lundsford turnbuckles, Aluminum heat sink motor plate.

Without body or battery my Pro 3 is 75 grams lighter than the XXX-S.


As far as I can tell so far nothing broke, and I had a few wrecks. I am about to tear it apart a little for a beter inspection. I did notice the screw that goes into the right side of the spur started to back out, and I know I put thread lock on it. So, I put a lot of thread lock on it and it appears to be staying put.

I guess it's also worth mentioning that I won the A-main with the XXX-S.

[NMT_RACER_BOY]

WOW!!!!
I never thought anyone in this board was nice enough to tell me that much about the differences. THANK YOU :) :D :)
On what surface do you run your cars on?
Do you think pro3 is better?

[Ras Thavas]

Ok, after a tear down inspection I noticed nothing broken, and the diff's were stil in proper adjustment. I also noticed I had about 3 degrees toe in on the front. I never checked it after I built the kit (was short on time trying to get it ready for todays race). I adjusted the toe in so it was at one half degree toe in. Maybe this will improve my transition into the turns. I am also going to swap out the P2K Pro for a GM3 Pro.

[Arnoud]

:p I just raced my XXXS in Stock classes two times (improved about 10 places in using this car....) and now broke my suspension arm. I am therefore now looking at some of the Graphite parts. Does anybody of you use them yet? What is the weight improvement when using the Graphite chassis (if possible in gram)? Are the Graphite parts easy to get in f.e. the US (in the Netherlands they did not yet arive)? Is there a (Titanium) screw set available for the XXXS yet?

Indeed a lot of questions. They are mainly posted because the XXXS is not "the most used" car here in The Netherlands, but I want to show my fellow drivers that I made the best choice in choosing this great car! (And not decided to use either a HPI or Corally as most local drivers do (newest choices are XRay and Tamiya TRF 414M)) When I Look at the weight of the car I find that it is "very" heavy (about 1650 gramms instead of the 1525 grams of my Xray (...)) which should influence the cars efficiency offcourse.

Thanx,

Arnoud

[Ras Thavas]

Losi's web site says that the graphite chassis is over an ounce lighter that the regular one. That is not a very precise figure, so I guess it as at least 28 grams lighter. I wonder what the overall weight savings would be if you used all the graphite parts they are planning to make?

Don't know about the titanium screws.

I tried to get the graphite arms from my lhs and they said they can not get them yet.

[SirSpeedy]

All of the graphite parts have been released.

Losi released the graphite components first. The only parts that are not yet available at this time, is the one-way, and the 64 pitch gears. My LHS has had all parts on the wall for a few weeks now.

If your LHS says they cannot get them, they are misleading you. An item may be backordered for a day or two, but all parts are in full production 24/7.

Arnoud-

Lunsford in non longer producing the "Ti-Screwz".

[Ras Thavas]

I called the hobby shop in Florida where I bought the car while I was on vacation there. They had most of the graphite parts. Superior Hobbies 407-834-9299.

[primuswoostinkinhoo]

ive raced my xxxs twice now, first time i took 3rd in the b second time 2nd. thats in stock rubber on carpet, first time i used a gm3 second time it was an mvp. im running sorex 28s on the back and 24s on the front stock springs i think 80wt all around but i have no clue its in a mystery bottle. and now i have my tc3 back which i never got a chance to race so ill be runing that also this sunday to compare the two. paul lemuix has raced a few times at the track im at that guy is insane fast, then theres brian jucha and araon alexander who both will be there pretty much every weekend. so im racing with some good guys although i dont race in the same class as them i do race in the same building lol

[Ras Thavas]

You talking about the oil that came with the kit? have no clue either....don't think they mentioned what weight it was in the instructions anywhere.

[SirSpeedy]

Ras-

Superior I my LHS.....pretty kool eh?

The kit oil is 80wt. Losi uses colors to identify their oil, so if you forget what you are running, you can identify it when you go to change it, and 80wt is clear. If you look up the pn# for the kit oil in the back, it does say 80wt.

[NMT_RACER_BOY]

SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The XXX-S is only 299.99plus tax
at my hobby shop!!!!

THAT is cheap!!!!!!!!!!
If the pro 3 is more expensive I am going to get the losi

[adobo_man]

hey nmt_racer. you are getting jacked. i've seen two shops that have it for $180. in fact, i got one of them. call go to ultimatehobbies.com and call them.

[SirSpeedy]

He is in Canada dude.

[adobo_man]

oh, my fault. sorry nmt_racer. so what does that convert to in dollars?

[NMT_RACER_BOY]

Maybe $210 dollars?
BUT I wouldn't need to pay shipping or custom

ARE orion stocks better than trinity stock motors?

[Ras Thavas]

I raced the XXX-S for the second time yesterday. I got about half of my steering transition problem fixed by replacing those 5mm x 8mm bushings on the steering bellcranks with 5mm x 8mm bearings. This car still seems a little sluggish to transition into the turns, and wants to swing the rear end out on tight turns. I was not the fastest out there this time. There was a TC3 that was a little faster. He beat me in the main and I took 2nd place.

[balapan]

I also have difficulties to tune the car so the rear end will not swing entering a turn, for now I either sllooowww the car down or hit the brakes. The latter is not preferable because somehow the car will swing a little out of control either to the left or right.
Anyway, still the car is quicker than my TC3.
I have a question, though, when I fill the shock fluid, is the shock supposed to compress or de-compress ? mine going inward (compress)..??? am I doing something wrong? can somebody help?
thanks..

[SirSpeedy]

Losi shocks are non-pressurized.

Just build them to the instructions. They should drawn in slightly when you pull them out, and push out slightly when you push them in.

They really want to hang out in the middle somewhere....

[Arnoud]

:D Yesterday a to easy C-final winn. Reason: I could only ride one of the three qualifyers. The car broke down in one of the qualies.

To get more steering I did put my front shocks more on the outside. Aggressive steering is, however, still not one of the things my car does.

[SirSpeedy]

To get more total steering try shortening you rear camber link one hole. Go to the #2 hole in the tower.

[MrGreen]

Hey all,

I just put together my XXX-S. Only problem I have is it seems my spur gear is wobbling about .5-1mm worth of travel as it spins. And it sounds kind of 'harsh' as I give the motor juice. This is just sitting on my kitchen table, with the belt tensioner off. I've taken that whole section apart and reassebled several times and I can't get rid of the wobble. Any suggestions?

ps. I ordered from Ultimate Hobbies (by calling them) and they gave me the good price no problem. They didn't call me to confirm shipping charges like they said they would, but it turns out shipping was cheap and they sent it out right away so in the end I'm quite happy.

[Arnoud]

:) Try running your XXXS for about one baterie pack on a stand (no lioad) so the parts can run in. My car used to do the same and is now extremely smooth!

[Ras Thavas]

Well I melted my rear differential on my XXX-S in Saturday's race. Everyone check your diff's. I had mine set to what I thought was very tight.

[Arnoud]

:D On November 25 we will be driving the Losi in a 800 Rounds (about 4 to five hours) carpet indoor race. I am now trying to make a quick change system for the car. It is most likely going to be a long screw set at the batterie plate with a feather system to get it on the Batteries, since the clip system is likely going to take to much time for the batterie changes. Any suggestions how to improve the car for this endurance race?!

I have asked Team Losi for some input, but have not yet heard anything from them.....

[MrGreen]

It's me again, with the wobbly spur gear. Nothing seemed to help, and I can't seem to track down what it might be. I'm coming from a Pro3, which had a silky smooth drivetrain, and this XXX-S just feels "rough" with all things leading back to the wobbly spur. I'm starting to convince myself that the spur itself may be the problem....

[Arnoud]

:p You've probably already tried (over and over) loosing and thightening the screws holding the gear. Might help in the end. Changing the belt tensioner might help as well. I've herad that some tims the belt tensioner runs against the gear and needs some adjustment. Maybe when you put the small metal thing in the gear this needs to be done again (sorry do not know how to explain this properly to you/ in real English)

[MrGreen]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm quite sure it is the spur gear piece however. The wobble is consistant, which would not be the case if it was just aligned wrong. The spur and the drive pully must not be aligned exactly, which means it must be warped slightly. (since it's a single block of plastic) I'll pick up a new one and see if that fixes it.

[ivannaxray]

I am looking at the XXX-s, but i am going to wait til i read the car action december issue to make my decision. I was wondering if the belt tensioner is a common problem, or is it just a serious problem in a couple of cars. I was also wondering if Losi was doing anything about this problem. One final thing, i am an off-road racer looking at getting into on-road, and was wondering how simple it is to adjust/tune the car. I also have no clue about the whole anti-squat thing. What exactly is anti-squat and what does it do? One final question what is the advantage of of a front one-way diff? Is there even an advantage. Thanx for your help.

[SirSpeedy]

I have built several Triple X-S kits.

There is no tensioner problem that anyone is aware of at Losi. I have had no problems personally.

Setup is as complicated as you want to make it.

Anti-squat has the same effects in a sedan as is does in your offroad car.

A front one-way will make the car more aggressive. The front tires will only be responsible for steering the car, and not for braking(slowing down) the car. This make it easier for the front tires to do there job.

Did I miss anything?

[ivannaxray]

thanx for your help but i have a couple explanations for lack of a better term.
my off-road truck is a Losi Junior T and i don't make an honest attempt to make sure all the linkages are the same length or anything like that. (mostly because i don't know how) so that is why i ask elementary questions. I was also wondering do most people use one-way diffs or do they just slow down? One final question seeing as how i don't adjust the setup on my car i was wondering what should i change if my car has a tendency to turn right far better than it turns left. (oh by the way i built my own chassis because the stock one broke) I never even thought that my chassis may be tweaked or built incorrect.

[Ras Thavas]

Anyone who uses roll out to determine gear ratios, I have created an interactive spreadsheet for the XXX-S that simplifies the process. It requires excel 2000 (may work on 97). E-mail me at matai_shang@mindspring.com if you want a copy.

[adobo_man]

hey guys, i need some help. i stripped the top of my droop screws while threading them into the front bumber. now they're stuck in the bumper. neither side is sticking out of the bumper. anyone know how i can get these screws out?

[futureal]

ivannaxray: I have to agree with SirSpeedy here. I have not heard of any belt tensioner problems with the XXX-S, and I certainly haven't had any on my own car.

As far as tuning goes, the XXX-S is as easy -- if not easier -- to tune than the Yokomo and HPI touring cars I have recently driven. Access to all of the major parts (diffs, belt, spur, etc) could not be simpler.

adobo_man: Try taking your nut driver, setting it inside the screw, and then applying a turning force while the driver is at an extreme angle. Sometimes this will let the driver engage the screw even when it is mostly stripped. If that fails, you could try using a drill with a very small bit to drill out the screw, but that would probably just mangle the bumper. Luckily, I don't think bumpers are too expensive...

[ricderf78]

just built it and loved it. One belt design WOW. I ran it pretty easy though.P2k with the 28 tooth pinion. GM v 12 ESC novak fm XXL receiver. Trinity 3000 cells

[ivannaxray]

A guy at my local hobby shop was wondering how easy it was to change the belt.

[MDawson]

Originally posted by ivannaxray
A guy at my local hobby shop was wondering how easy it was to change the belt.

The car is quite accessible and getting to the belt is rather easy. Due to the ease of getting to the front and rear diffs, and the cars modular nature - the job can be accomplished in about 10 minutes.

Questions about the XXX-S, check out the FAQ at http://www.fictionlab.com/losifaq/index.htm

[ivannaxray]

thanx I will let the guy know next time I see him

[Arnoud]

:D MDawson, great page. Do you know of a manufacturer who makes a screw set (titanium) for the Losi XXXS?

[MDawson]

Lundsford used to make ti screws but got out of the business this year. So far, no one has stepped up to take on that market.

You can check with you LHS to see if they have old inventory of ti screw sets for other cars and piece some together.

Yokomo and Integy have ti screws but they are metric.

[ivannaxray]

Congratulations to all the XXX-s as it won the best overall TC in the Dec. issue. It really was good to see a comparison of all the cars and their strengths and weaknesses. Of course a Losi vehicle dominated, when don't they?

[diesel757]

Hey Dawson nice site! can't wait to get my xxx-s. been waiting about five weeks now. distributor is on back order i guess.

can any one suggest what tooth pinions to pick up? i'm running a novak atom, p2k, 2400 cells.

what weight oil is everyone running in their shocks?

[MDawson]

Diesel,

Start with the box setup with 50wt all the way around. You might also want to try Rons setup which can be found in the Team Losi site.

[Arnoud]

Is there a swaybar that fits the XXXS?!

[ivannaxray]

Here's a rookie question what is the purpose of the swaybar. (sorry but I am just getting into RC touring and don't fully understand all the tuning "accessories")

[Arnoud]

:D


Anti-roll bars are used to stabilize the car from excessive chassis roll (which occurs when the car leans through the turns by centrifugal force). Anti-roll bars are generally used on smooth, high traction tracks.

Front.
If your car tends to oversteer use a front bar. This will decrease front chassis roll and decrease steering throughout the corner. This will give more rear traction.

Rear
If your car is understearing: try a rear anti roll bar (sway bar). The rear anti-roll bar will decrease rear chassis roll and decrease rear traction. This will give your car more steering.

Trust this will help. Did to me when reading this!

[RC-Nitroguy]

I just got threaded shocks and nitride shafts. I think they are a worthy upgrade. I am still trying to figure out the purpose for getting graphite except that its lighter, its not a worthy upgrade for me even thought my towers are graphite plus my 3000s fit. My next upgrade is a one way Diff for the front.

[adobo_man]

does anybody know how to tighten the diffs on this car? i think mine are too loose because when the car is on the ground, the belt spins but the wheels don't but when i pick up the car, the wheels turn just fine. all help is appreciated. thanks.

[RC-Nitroguy]

Simple Take apart the front and rear and rebuild the diffs you have set them so there is almost no slip. so when you hold one of the wheels and the spur gear then turn the wheel on the opposite axle till you hear a popping noise (belt skipping on pulley) then you know the diff is tight.

[adobo_man]

thanks nitroguy.

[Dj Kumara]

Anyone,

how do you work out the gear ratio on any tc? Or atleast the xxx-s?

[TSR6]

First, Divide the spur gear teeth by the pinion teeth ( example 88/23) then multiply it by the internal ratio ( losi xxx-s is 1.83)

So the formula for the XXX-S would be S/P * 1.83 ( S= spur, P = pinion )

-Troy

[ronb]

If anyone has a Lunsford titanium Screw set for the Street Weapon that they would like to sell, please let me know. I'l like to put them on my XXX-S. Thanks

[adobo_man]

does anybody have any suggestions for good hop ups that have helped their car dramatically?

[diesel757]

does anybody have any suggestions for good hop ups that have helped their car dramatically?

WHEELS AND TIRES!!!!!!!:D

Shorter losi front shocks will make proper ride height easier to achive.

depending on where you're run'n, different springs and 50wt oil helped me. check out losi's web site for set-up sheets and check out speedtech.com for aluminum suspension hopups and good deals on bodies and tires.

[JimmyMac]

Hey where do you guys race in VA? Just wondering. I'd like to race some TC's. I live in NC. blahblah blah....

[AETC3]

Hey, I want a xxx-s soooooooooo bad. This will be my first r/c car, so can someone tell me if I should build this car, even though its my first car. It doesn't look that hard, but my cuz got a Pro 3 and we tried to build it. He tightenened the things that turn the belt to much and they broke. I really need some feed back from you guys so that I can make a decision on wheter I should buy this car or not. I have heard that its a really, really good car. Anyway, what car is better in overall performance, a Pro 3 or a XXX-S? thanx a lot guys.

[RC-Nitroguy]

The XXX-S is a better performing car compared to a pro3 and if it is your first kit you will enjoy building it due to its simplicity. Also since its your first kit and you are deciding on getting a race kit its best to go to a Hobby store where you bought it from and get some info on tracks to go practice running it even though its still fun to drive around in a smooth surface parking lot. :)

[diesel757]

Hey where do you guys race in VA?


At debbie's r/c world in va beach. Just parking lot racing for now, but they have plans on building an asphalt track in the near future.They also have a pretty nice offroad track(big). Electric and nitro welcome. 1/10 and1/8 offroad classes

There is also an indoor track in Hampton, carpet I believe.

BTW where is Goldsboro, near Camden?

[diesel757]

Here's a few things I learned about the kit:


When you are putting your kit together, be very careful with the set screws in the suspension arms. The holes aren't quite drilled all the way through. Try getting a 4/40 tap, it's easier than using the "cutting screw" included in the kit. Now use the drill bit that came with the tap, and just using your fingers to work the bit to free up the hole. Now use the tap to thread the hole while looking through the hole where the pin goes so that you don't bottom out the tap and strip the hole. Pre-tapping all the holes is the key to an easy assembly. If you can, pick up some allen(hex)drivers. You can get these pretty cheap(2-3$) at Sears. Look for the precision screw drivers. A small jewelers file set will also come in handy.


Hope this helps.
rob

[AETC3]

is the manual for the losi xxxs easy to understand? thanx

[diesel757]

ya, pretty much. If you have any problems just come back here. there are some good threads in this forum and knowledgable people too..

Don't forget to retighten you diffs like the manual suggests. Read through the manual first, I know it's a hard thing to do but try.

[lambert23]

Will be getting my xxx-s by the end if the week i was wondering what tools I will need as well as which size body will fit? 190mm? What radio do I need I would like to run a super rooster esc so what radio and servo set up would I need?

[diesel757]

Lambert


It's 190mm. I would suggest getting some good hex drivers and nut drivers with thin walls. I just bought a set of six integy hex drivers online for $25.99(0.05" 1/16" 3/32" 5/64" 2.5mm and 1.5mm)and a set of integy super thin wall nut drivers for $24.99(, 3/16", 1/4", 11/32" the 3 most common sizes for American car kits). I would also reccomend getting a 4/40 tap as I said in a previous post and some better tires.

As for the radio it depends on your budget. A jrx3 would be a good place to start in the mid-price range. Definitely go with a FM radio, much less glitching and swopping crystal with other people(if you race) will be easier. Hitec servos are IMO, the best bang for the buck.

this is where i ordered online from
speedtech (http://www.sslorder.com/speedtechrc/1.html)

[JimmyMac]

Goldsboro is like 3 hours from Hampton I beleive (they have an indoor and outdoor off-road track). I raced at Hampton once last month (thanksgiving weekend.) Seems to be a nice tight track. It was just finished the day I raced there. Hopefully they already have the barriers in place so no-body can cut corners. I heard of a new track opening in VA. Beach. Indoor carpet. Suppose to have their first race this weekend. I'm waiting for more info to decide if I'm gonna make a road trip or not. Like AMB timing or not hehe.

I don't have a XXX-S. I race a Yokomo Special. Awesome car. But I'm looking to get a second car to fiddle with. XXX-S is my pick. Just trying to get all the tips right now for it so I'd know what to do with it. First thing on my list is the graphite chassis and front one-way (fits my driving style.. hell I own a yok with dual oneways!) I'd probably do the roll center mod. And a few other things. Anyways, let me surf... take it easy!

Jimmy Mac

[Rockhead]

What size hex drivers do you need for the XXX-S? I can only find 1/16" mentioned in the on-line manual...

What kind or tires are working best on carpet? I take it I shouldn't even bother with the stock treaded tires that come with the kit?

[lambert23]

A futba Fm junior peka radio ,novak xxl fm reciver a Hitec/RCD HS-605MGJ Ultra Torque Servo MG Futaba. and a Associated F1 Pro Reverse esc! I am putting it in a losi xxx-s that I just happened to find when i can home for christmas break a bit early. LOL:)

[diesel757]

I think you only need three; .05, 1/16, 3/32

[lambert23]

xxx-s come with full bearings?

[diesel757]

full bearing except for the four that go in the steering bellcranks. they use plastic bushings there. Pick up some when you buy the kit, although I still use the stock ones with no problems.:D

[diesel757]

anyone know when lunsford is going to offer a turnbuckle kit for the xxx-s?

[pro2superroosterman]

Does anyone have any suggestions on building a xxx-s because im getting one for christmas and the last thing i want to do is screw up real bad. I normally mess up when i go to something new. Like my first battery pack i fried and my first charger blew up, so i really think i could use some help.

Also what shock oil wt. comes stock with the xxxs

[pro2superroosterman]

What are the sizes of the nutdrivers that go with the two sizes of pinion gear screws. And what are the most needed nut drivers. I think i'll get a set of them but maybe i can just get a few and save some money and get a new motor or body.

[pro2superroosterman]

hey kilruf in goldsboro do they ever plan on redoing the indoor oval I heard they had. I live in Raleigh and raced at chapel hill last summer, and we really need a tc track around heard during the winter. Im getting a xxxs for christmas and I wont have any where to race it

[JimmyMac]

Sorry, but I wish they had redid it... well they did... but it's now an Indoor Offroad track! :( hehe But I still enjoy racing my truck there!:D My main thing is touring cars. And since Chapel Hill is now out of season (I too race there with my yokomos), I have no where to race my Yokomo except Virginia (hampton rc, hobbytown usa, debbies), Mooresville NC, and a couple places in SC. Nothing local. All the tracks are 3 hour drives for me. Sucks, but oh well, if I wanna race TC... I gotta do the road trip. Infact I just got back from the Hobbytown USA opening race for their indoor carpet track. Didn't do too good there. But I'll be heading back to Virginia next weekend for a trophy race at Debbies. Another 3hour drive :( Oh well, it's a hobby and I wanna race TC's!! hehe...

Can't wait to get my XXX-S. I love my Yokomo, but I want another car to fiddle with. Do you have the RCCA mag that had the review(s) of the XXX-S? They have alot of tips for ya. Also you can check out Xtreme RC Cars and R/C Car magazines. They had articles on them as well. One even had some (pro) tips for them.

What did you race at Chapel Hill Pro 2? Was it a Pro2? hehe. Chris Cash had a nice XXX-S there. Make sure you get some foams to race at Chapel Hill when they open again. Anyways, let me go... been a long day....

Jimmy Mac

[diesel757]

jim mac

couldn't make it out to the new track today. was it held in pembroke mall (corner of indep. and va beach blvd.) or down further where there shop is? tell me how was the track? I can't wait to race my xxx-s.

[pro2superroosterman]

Hey kilruf thanks for the info. I did race a pro 2 the last 2 races of the season out in chapel hill. Also I have the rcca that has the prototype xxx-s but I think im going to order the mag. where they actually reviewed it because that is where all the tips on building are at. Next year i'll finally have my car so i'll be able to go race in mooresville, and hampton, and rosewood.

Maybe next year at chapelhill there will be a big group of xxx-s guys. How crazy would that be?
Well i gotta go do some christmas shopping
Thanks

[JimmyMac]

Diesel The track is next to the hobby shop. Or I should say it's next to Roses. It's where Farmfresh (what they told me) used to be. So it's in the same complex/shopping center. The track is a small size (compared to outdoor tracks). It's real RC Ozite I was told. They use fuzzy balls on the cars to count your laps (lame, they are different colors.) Bring your own table, or pit on the floor. They have outlets, but make sure you have an extension cord and/or power strip. Foam tires. TC's (stock or mod), Mini (Mini Z or Micro RS4), and electric (truck or buggy or whatever.) Hmmm I think they will race every Saturday from now on. I'm think it's registor at 11 with races at noon. Got out of there before 6pm. They ran 3 heats and the mains.

Pro2 What color was your car? I was the black and blue "81" car at Chapel Hill. Just look on their website and you'll see me :D You are lucky that you are closer to Mooresville. Mooresville is a very very very nice indoor carpet track. Only problem with them is they only race TC's on Friday nights. So I can't make it out there to race (only did it once during Thanksgiving holiday.) Saturdays they race oval. How lame is that hehe :p Let me know when you start racing. Oh yeah, don't buy Jaco/Proline foams. They chuck too easy. I was told to use Yokomo foams. They are pretty good. (my jaco's chucked too easy.)

Anyways, let me head out... gonna finish up my Micro RS4. My XXX-S might be on hold....

Jimmy Mac

[pro2superroosterman]

My car was also 81 i had a orange silver and black integra body when i raced the second to last race of the season. At that point I only had a 17turn but still came in second in the B main. Then the last race of the season, I had a d4 10 x 2 I killed even the guy with the xxx-s, chris I think, but then someone hit me through the first turn, and caused my speed control to fall off and go into my tires, and my reciever wire on the speed control got cut off and now my speed control is at novak and im getting a new one. But for christmas I'm getting a xxx-s and a P-94 so then I should be fast. I think I may go up to hampton some time in January but I'm not too sure yet.
later
John Eves

[StevePond]

New graphite conversion for the XXX-S


http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63926

[highx]

Lunsford Ti turnbuckles part #lun2072. $27. I think this is correct? I usually go to the Horizon web site since they list all avaliable and unavailable parts for all LOSI cars.

[diesel757]

any one tried the low roll centers for the front or rear yet?

[teamnobodyrc]

excellent ???? i've done the mod myself, haven,t been to the track for practice. not sure how it's supposed to help. anyone know????? and yes i know they are available through speedtech, but i'd like to make sure it'll work for me before i plop $$40 for the set.:p

[teamnobodyrc]

went to the track for practice. loved the mod!!!! car handled better overall, but most noticable improvement IMO was it carried more corner speed. i'm still using the box set-up FYI. i tried four different compounds of tires and there was little difference. been using kit tires from my TC3 with firm inserts and it workes great for me. i run on a carpet track indoors, it's tight and small overall. but hey it's not the smallest around here. lol lol beats waiting for warmer weather too!!!!:D

[MrGreen]

Has anyone had trouble with getting air in the stock shocks? I have tried building them several ways, and after a few hours of assembling them I get the little 'squeek squeek' of air in them. I have tried not too tight, so tight as to almost break it, shaft in, shaft out....what am I doing wrong?

On a related note, has anyone tried the new short threaded shocks by Losi?

-James

[TSR6]

I over fill it, and bleed it out, usually with the piston pushed all the way in.

-Troy

[JitsuGuy]

What mod are you all talking about? I'm getting my new XXX-S next week and would like to build everything in one shot if possible. Also, do threaded shocks come with the kit? If not, what would you all recommend?

Thanks,
Jits

[No Weak Links !]

test sorry

[teamnobody]

i'm referring to the low roll center mod. it's found in the december issue of extreme mag. also if you go to www.speedtechrc.com you can order aluminum pieces. really helps carry more speed through the corners.:D

[TSR6]

Originally posted by JitsuGuy
What mod are you all talking about? I'm getting my new XXX-S next week and would like to build everything in one shot if possible. Also, do threaded shocks come with the kit? If not, what would you all recommend?

Thanks,
Jits

Jits - I would definately get the threaded shocks right away. I ran a couple races on the stock shocks, and that was a pain. They didn't have threaded shocks yet when i first got my car ;)

Either the .36 or .28 threaded shocks, I don't know the part number off the top of my head, but i have one pair of .28's...with another on its way. $30 for the .28 bodies & Ti Nitrate shafts.

-Troy

[ChristopherKee]

The .28" shocks are for the front of the XXX-S ONLY! Don't use these in the rear.

Christopher

[JimmyMac]

Well I have a XXX-S and also race carpet with foams. No trouble traction rolling at all.... until Saturday when I added alot traction compound. Then it started to happen until it wore off during the race. I use Plaids up front and Purples rear.. TRC with TC3 wheel hexs to widen it up a tad for clearance. I will add a hint of traction compound (Zip Free) but only a tad and usually only once per race day. If I do more, it's just a very very very lite coat if you can even call it that. This was done with both high and low roll centers. Right now I'm using Black/Black or Purple/Black spring combos. Been using 55wt oil with stock pistons. All graphite of course. Setup is a cross between Andrew Gray and David Spashett. Can't wait til it warms up so I can race some outdoors!!! :D

Jimmy Mac
(having trouble postin on here!! :mad: )

[diesel757]

hey kilruf, welcome back

are you racing at HT USA in Va Beach?
if so, do you know how much longer they will be racing there?
hows the tc stock class? (many entries?)
and is any one racing micro rs4's aswell?

:D thanxxx-s

oh yeah, are you going to be racing at debbies this season?

[JimmyMac]

I can't answer as to how long they will be there, but racing is every Saturday. Track opens at 10am and Racing starts around noon. Stock class is about the biggest next to Micros. I run both. I usually dominate Micro class when I show up, but not last time. I broke too much and ended up in B-main. But I did as many laps in that as A-main winner! :D Anyways, I think there were 4-5 heats of Stock Sedan. Maybe more, can't remember. I might be there next weekend. As far as Debbies, if I'm still around, I will. Hope to see you there sometime! :)

Jimmy Mac

[Dj Kumara]

Does anyone have any suggestions on the best internet site to buy a xxxs from, especially for an overseas customer.
Thanks

[teamnobody]

check www.stormerhobbies.com they have good prices. i'm centrally located in the states. maybe somebody from one of the coasts knows a better place but at least it's a start.:)

[Rockhead]

...

[TSR6]

What tires do the fast guys run? My bet would be Sorex 28 front /24 rear or Sorex 24 or 28 all around. See what they are running, and run those. I have never run Losi slicks, but i thought they were good for parking lot surfaces ( ?? ). I am not familiar with losi tires at all :) .

-Troy

[diesel757]

back to the top!!!!!:D

[w00glin]

Originally posted by diesel757
back to the top!!!!!:D

The last post was three days ago. Relax Diesel
DC

[TSR6]

Have you guys seen Kinwald's Chassis? What do you think about it?

I think it looks awesome ( seen it, touched it, no t-shirt :( ). It is tempting to take a dremel to a new chassis.

-Troy

[AETC3]

Hey guys, I've posted here before, I got the xxx-s, but now i have few problems. I was hopin u guys could help me out.


1. The screws that attatch the motor plate (the gold metal circle thing ) to the motor were longer then shown in the diagram, I figured it was a misprint, now when I run the motor it has a weird noise, like a deeper sound.

2. I lost one of the washers that go on behind the motor to guide the wires, I was wondering if I could just run th ESC wires under the motor, its a lot more direct and I wouldn't have to worry about the washer.

These are my questions, they're not biggies, but i don't know what to do cuz it's my first car and I don't know if these things are normal. If someone could help me out, it would be a big help to me. Thanx guys

1

[JimmyMac]

Well my motor screws fit perfect. Are yours black? Mine are. Also it's not wise to run wires under the motor. It exposed them to the ground and that can mean chopped up shorted wires. Just run them in the guid