Duratrax Evader BX Buggy

[davmoor76]

I couldnt agree more, every time i go to the track with my evader im almost the only one there with an electric, the rest are the big nitro trucks.

[elecracr]

You may want to try a motor within the 13-15 turn range. I have a 13turn team orion revolution and it is alot faster than a 15 turn speed gems, but still lasts long.
However, make sure your esc can handle it.

[davmoor76]

You may want to try a motor within the 13-15 turn range. I have a 13turn team orion revolution and it is alot faster than a 15 turn speed gems, but still lasts long.
However, make sure your esc can handle it.

Hey elecracr,

Ive heard only good things about the team orion motors. There are so many motors to choose from which makes it hard to sift thru the ones which are good ones and which ones are trash especially for a new racer like myself. If i remember correctly from a post i read, you must change your brushes every time you cut your comm. This makes sense to me and Im sure ill be doing some maintence if I go witha 13 turn motor, I just hope I cna handle the speed :D

[elecracr]

Yea, what motor are you running now, because that motor really pulls pretty hard for a brushed motor. I had it geared pretty high, and could pull the front wheels off the ground if my dirt hawgs were hooking up in the back. You will probobly want to lower your suspension too so your not flipping everytime you go to turn. Make sure your differential and slipper are set correct also so that you dont burn up your differential.
If you want a lower priced motor, i would go with the speed gem pro series, but for the extra money i would go with the team orion.

[Wizardman_1]

Its good to see this thread getting up to a good start again. I just built my first side x side pack the other day and i was surprized with my results, i might try another one today. As for the motors i would go with the orion revolutions too, i heard that they go a lot longer than normal without cutting the comm.
elecracr: how do you get the front wheels off the ground, with my brushless all mine does is either slip the diff or clutch. I tried with a new slipper pad and everything but it still didnt work.

[davmoor76]

Yeah i read the entire thread from beginning to end and it kinda slacked off there for a bit. Anyhow elecra rc im running a 19t peak jaguar motor and this may not suprise you gurus but i found out the other day that some good stock motors are faster than this jaguar motor I have. I guess there was a reason i only paid 15 bucks for it new. I had the naive mindset that if the motor had a lower turn it was faster no matter what boy was i proved wrong.

[elecracr]

I got it too when i had a brand new slipper assembly and differential. Everything was replaced and i tightened the slipper all the way, but now the differential just slips. Hopefully i can get this front end back together. Looks like around 20-30 dollars worth of damage. The real pain will be in replacing the whole front end and chassis. Im gunna try and get a list of parts this week and get her back and running in two weeks or so. The good news is the rpm ball ends held up! Also, i was running an alluminum front skid which helped some. I cant wait to get the evader back and runnning. I also have to get my boat which has been underconstruction done. I got it all together and the prop shaft is bent.

Davmoor: Im guessing you noticed a slight but not great increase in speed from stock. You will gain gobs of torque and unbelievable speed with a modified motor.

What speed control are you runnning, what battery packs, what charger are you using, as these also are big upgrades you can do for your car that are often overlooked.

[davmoor76]

Some stock motors like the p2k outrun my 19t motor i have. So needless too say that will prob be one of the first things i get is one of those p2ks but Im also open to other good stock motors since everyone seems to go with the p2k. Like you advised earlier the team orion revolution motor looks bad azz, that is on my wish list as well. As far as what electronics Im running now its kinda embarrsing to even say but in my evader ive got a reg stock servo, a dynamite power pulse esc(my stock sprint esc burnt up) 1500 mah batt packs, 19t peak jaguar motor and photon motor, and the stock tx and rx oh and the stock tires (those road hawgs from proline are very impressive looking) LOL i know not very impressive but im learning.

[elecracr]

Well, this may not sound like a logical way to buy hopups. But first get a pair of GP3300 packs and a nice peak charger. Then, get tires such as proline dirt hawgs, from my experiences you will get better traction anywhere with those vs road rages. Then, get a nice esc with no higher than a 12 turn limit with a nice motor to match it.

This may sound expensive, but as soon as you get a nice motor your battery will become the weak link. Also, in my experiences you get what you pay for most of the time and if you buy the cheap stuff you will end up spending the money on the good stuff in a month anyways.
A nice charger alone will make you get the most out of your current setup.
Also,if you get a new motor let us know before putting it on there so we can estimate a good gearing for ya.
There is no shame in running the stock am radio,i and many others on this board use the same radio. You can also start experimenting with different suspension setups which is free and drastically changes the way your car handles.

[Wizardman_1]

Elecracr sure is right about the batteries and charger. I had a pair of these Epic 3000 sport packs and i thought they were alright i got them for like $18. They were nothing compared to the GP3300, there was a significant difference in performance. I would also recommend the dirt hawgs over the road rages. They are good tires for all around use and if you get a set just for the road you'll get bored of it pretty quick, especially with a slow machine. As for your setup everybody has to start out somewhere, i was like that too until i got my brushless.

Yea i think its the diff slipping in there, im gonna just try to CA the clutch just so i dont have to mess with it. Who knows if it will hold up at all. Im gonna try to build my second side x side pack today and hopefully it will turn out better than the first.

[elecracr]

If your running brushless you may want to do that metal differential that was a while back mentioned on here. As the plastic one seems to work for around a month.

[elecracr]

Tonight i think im gunna rip the car apart and assess the damage. Hopefully it wont hurt my pocket too bad.

[Jackyl]

Anyone interested in a BX or ST I have the BX as a RTR and the ST as a roller. PM me if your interested.

[monkey boy]

i think the bx is the best buggy for the price but the b4 is better

[alabamarcguy]

hello fellas i just thought i would say that i love my evader bx we run oval here on 3 diff tracks and my evader runs with b3 and losis all day lot of fun im gonna get a pro as im addicted to the evaders!!!!!

[EvaderAnubis]

If anyone is still out there...

Greetings... I recently aquired a used Evader BX, and I must say this thread has definately been a good resource.

I got my BX a few months ago, just bashing really, and now I'm getting the itch to start upgrading it. I think I'm going to start with the wheels... Got the Dirt Hawg buggies on my list along with the B3 wides front and back. On the same order I'll probably add a aluminum hinge pin brace and someother small parts I found were missing (assorted clips an such). From what I've been reading, I'm supprised I haven't broken any parts yet, and believe me, it's definately not from my lack of running into things.

Right now it seems to run fine but in a couple months I'll probably upgrade the engine... maybe, I may just decide to save up a bit longer and go brushless. I'm tempted by the Novak system because of the price, but may end up saving a bit more and going with something that has a little more power. There's a couple guys up the street with nitros and I'd love to be able to smoke them. Right now I'm just running cheapy batteries, so I'll have to change that as well.

I've seen mentioned a couple times about modding the tires with WD-40. From what I understand it's to make the tires softer and grip better (especially in dirt), or am I wrong? Also...what exactly is the method for doing this?
Thanks for the help guys.

EDIT- I also saw mention that some of you were using non-Duratrax parts, mostly RPM from what I could tell. What parts from which companys are you using (besides gears)

[Wizardman_1]

Well welcome to the boards evaderanubis!
The upgrades you mentioned should be just fine, just try to get the hard anodized hinge pin brace, last time i checked it was like $4 on tower. If you still have the stock motor you're gonna have to replace it pretty soon, it doesnt last very long. I would just get another cheapo one until you get enough $$ for brushless. Novak is about to release some new more powerful systems so you might want to check that out as well. The WD-40 is pretty easy, what i did was just spray some on there, rub it all around the tire, then let it sit for a while, wipe it off and if it worked you should notice that the tire is a little softer. The only non duratrax stuff that i have used is probly the RPM XX/XXT front bumper and the B3 rims. Pretty soon you're gonna have a maxed out evader, have fun with it.

[alabamarcguy]

hey would the b4 wheels fit the bx? i need to dye some wheels thx for any info.........

[alabamarcguy]

will the b4 wheels fit the evader without any major modifications??thx in advance

[alabamarcguy]

what all do i need to run on road with the buggy i know tires what about the caster camber settings?thx for any info

[Chewbacca]

In the last flyer I received from Tower the evader Pros were going for $129. I just checked Tower, The Pro is now selling for an incredible $105 (ony the ST).

Pretty good pricing.

Chewie.

[microrcdude]

I was actually confused, the ST has more materials than the BX. Hopefully its a typo

[elecracr]

Hey guys, Wizardman i have also used the rpm ballcups as they are alot more durable than stock. My car is in pieces still as i have been paying more attention to my 88 bmw for right now.

I have so many broken parts i may just buy a kit as that will probobly be cheaper.

[Wizardman_1]

I havent been running my buggy since a long time ago, during the summer it would over heat so i say it has been shelfed for about 3 months. I also got a real car too, last weekend my parents surprized me with a '04 Dodge Stratus coupe SXT. Its awesome, my friends and i put 2 10" woofers in the trunk with this box we made over the weekend. It sounds pretty good for hooking it up ghetto style, no amp or anything lol.

[elecracr]

Yea, i have a 88 bmw 325is with exhaust, intake and chip mods. I also have pioneer speakers and a new head unit.

Alabama rc.... your best bet with wheels is just to go with the evader wheels. As for running on the street increase your camber and toe in slightly.

[elecracr]

Hey guys, i just priced out all the broken parts and it came to a minimum of about 60 dollars. Im going to try to make some custum parts and will get back to you all if i have any luck.

[Got Dirt]

Hey guys, I have seen alot of upgrades for the standard Evader. I have a Pro ordered and would like some ideas on what upgrades you recommend for the Pro. This buggy may be raced some, but I just wanted one to run around the track.

[sobe164]

onestly since u have a pro, there isnt much u should have too up grade, its all grapite, how ever u spell it. i got a st n it was all plastic n i oreder grafite off of ebay, n only spent like 26 bucks counting shipping. n i have bashed it, jumped it, n raced it. its a good all around set up, just might wanna get sum diff tires in my mind, just check things out n see what u like, go too ur track n see what every one else is running as for the tires, so u can get the same tracktion they get.

[elecracr]

Got dirt, there are many small things such as tires that you can upgrade to make your car handle better. You may also want to try a better modified motor, i have a team orion revolution which is very fast, however, if you dont want to spend much money you may want to try the speed gems line. Also, i would suggest a new hitec high speed servo. Is this your first rc car?

[microrcdude]

for a great servo, go for the Hitec 625MG. Best servo ive ever had, and ive had one for 8 years. Been through everything(and i do mean everything) and it still works as it did the first time i pulled it out of the box.

[pudder]

I have 2 of these servos and reccomend them to anyone.

[rael]

Over the winter I would like to help my son rebuild the shocks on his Evader Bx. What weight of shock oil would you recommend? I have used 30 and 35 weight in my Savage, but considering the buggy is so much lighter, I wasn't sure what to use. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[elecracr]

30-35 weight sounds about right, i will check what i used on mine later and get back to you.

[elecracr]

Im planning on fixing the evader and going brushless in the next few weeks, if i do it will be insane. All the broken parts comes out to 55 dollars haha. Im going to stick with 6 cells for now but in the near future move up to 8 or so if i go with this setup.

Wizardman, are you still looking on these forums, we need to get the evader forums back alive for the christmas shoppers haha.
Iv finnally gotten my real car where i want it for now so im gunna try to start playing with the toy ones again.

[Wizardman_1]

I still look whenever i get another email reply thing. The buggy hasnt been used since last spring almost, it just not that fun running it all by myself. My real car is going pretty good, i put some MTX 12"s in it and im happy with how it is. Im not sure if im going to start running the buggy anytime soon.

[elecracr]

Ok, i ended up buying a evader pro kit because it was only 20 dollars more than just buying all the parts i needed. I also ordered a 6t brushless motor and esc to go in there. Im putting in a hitec high speed servo and prolly running dirt hawgs for bashing. Also, i got a wide front bumper to protect the front end a little more haha.

I cant wait to get this thing running again.

[Interceptor]

Anyone reccomend a body that will fit the evader bx pro?

[elecracr]

Uhhh, i dont know you can get an unpainted stock body.

[pudder]

come to think of it I've never heard of an aftermarket buggy body being used on the BX

[bxpronewbie]

im 25 and just purchased my very 1st r/c(evader pro bx). mythird time driving i went to the local track and broke my front arm, shock tower and bumper. does ne one know of some good hop ups for it?thx

[elecracr]

RPM wide front bumper. Also you could go aluminum but i would just replace stock for everything except the bumper. I got my setup running. 6Turn brushless on 6 gp3300 cells. In an evader bx pro shell. This thing flies haha.

[alabamarcguy]

ok got a pro evader now and i want a meaner body for it how much modding do you have to do to get the b4 interceptor to fit dropped 15 dollars on a xxxt illusion body and it doesnt fit for crap any help would be appreciated

[bxpronewbie]

does ne one else hate the set screw on the pinion gear? trying to put in a new 12 turn trinity motor w/ a 16t gear. cant seem to find the right size driver.

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

OK... I have read back in the Evader Pro BX forum, and found a few with the same problem.
I just put my new BX on the track, was in the first battery pack, doing some adjustments, and nosed it in off a jump, and when the dust settled the front shock tower had snapped off, the front skid plate sheared off and the bottom plastic pieces on both front shocks had broken. What gives? The hit wasn't that severe. I have never broken so many parts in one whack in 25 years of RC racing.
Has anyone had a similar problem? Has anyone found a fix?
I know the parts carry a replacement guarantee...... my BX was the second one at the track the same day that suffered the same damage, both from minor hits

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

Also, anyone find any aftermarket bodies that work on the BX?

[guver]

I have to put in a new front shock tower on my evbx street buggy.

Which position will give me the least body roll/lean on the ball studs? there's 3 positions for rod length,,, long , med, short. I don't jump any really, I just want it to corner flatter.

Also the shocks front and rear,, which holes to put them in?

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

Not sure which holes to mount the shocks in.... you will have to experiment. I know we used to put equal lengths of silicone fuel tubing on the shaft inside the shock to limit the shock travel and lower the car, for parking lot racing. Also, sway bars help with the roll, and help keep the "light" wheel in contact with the ground.

[Helgaiden]

Hey there. My friend ordered an Evader BX Pro RTR. I own a b4 and was impressed that for $200 you get a 12t reversible ESC, high quality radio (10car memory with a screen to boot), and full graphite and aluminum threaded shocks.

Now, the 15t havok modified it came with was great, but my friend called me saying it got so hot the wire that connects to the motor unsoldered off. I resoldered it, and he went and ran it again. It slowly just went crappier and crappier then when i picked it up and touched the motor i dropped the thing instantly and screamed in pain. I still have a burn mark on my finger from that horrible thing. If you ask me, the motor is fried and probably quite powerless. Do you guys agree?
On another note, why did this happen? The evader bx i sold to my friend that i got from ebay has a venom modified motor in it and it is very very fast, yet the motor doesnt get anything past warm. I figure Duratrax threw the Havok without changing the gearing that was originally intended for the Photon.

recap:
1)Is the motor worth keeping now?
2)Why did it get so freakin hot?
3)Does duratrax adjust gearing accordingly for the evader pro RTRs?
4)What is the proper gearing (assuming stock spur) for a 15t modified motor in evader bx pro?



p.s
both buggies were running on integy 3600 matched race packs at time of "temperature tests"

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

What gearing was in the buggy? Sounds like maybe it was overgeared, and smoked the motor.
I have run a 19t motor in mine, with a 21 tooth pinion, and the motor barely gets warm, using 3300 batteries.

[Helgaiden]

ill look at it soon, but as far i know its the stock gearing that came with it as the pro RTR.

[bxpronewbie]

does ne one have problems with the shocks leaking on the bx pro? should i get new ones or rebuild them?

[bxpronewbie]

also what gearing should i use w/a 12t speed gems?(spur and pinion)

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

Start with a 15 or 16 tooth pinion, check the motor after a minute or so, see how warm it gets. You want to make sure you can get suffecient run time and that the motor doesnt heat up to much.
As for the shocks, so far I havent had to rebuild yet, how much use do you have on yours?

[bxpronewbie]

Not much use at all... Just got it around x-mas. Took it to the track about 5 times. I have a 16 tooth in right now but now i have no top end. People at the track smoke me. Maybe i should get some better batteries. Right now i'm running 2400 Orions.

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

The 2400 batteries are Nicads, right? They should have more punch, and less run times than say a 3300 Nimh battery. Does the motor get hot at all with your current gearing> If not, go up a tooth or two on your pinion.
As far as rebuilding the shocks, if they leak, time to rebuild. Clean the shock shafts often, if they get gritty and you keep driving, the shafts wear down, and will leak. Get a paint brush, and clean the shochs after each run, it helps the life of the shock seals.
My shocks work fine, no problems. I got in the habit long ago of cleaning the car between runs, with a couple different brushes, or compressed air when possible.

[bxpronewbie]

They are Nimh batteries. I can touch the motor after 1 pack and probably hold till it cools again. Its warm but not reallt hot. Thanks for the tip on the shocks.(im probably not doing what im supposed to at all...(Cleaning and maintenence)). The guys at the track i go to treat newbs like an s.t.d. Cant even get good service at the parts counter let alone some good advice.

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

Everyone was a newbie at one time. Our local club encourages newbies. We don't charge race entry fees to kids 15 and under.
A few minutes of basic cleaning as often as you can prolongs the life of your RC car. Clean cars are faster cars. Don't forget to clean that motor too.

[OldSkoolRCRacer]

Just a follow up to my previous post. I replaced the broken original graphite front shock tower with the composite plastic (cheaper) one. It is much more flexible, and after some serious runs, not a thing broke. If you remember my first post, during the first battery pack run that I did on my local track, I slowed over a jump to avoid an upside down stadium truck, and nosed the buggy into the ground at a slow speed. The result was a broken graphite front shock tower, the bottom plastic clevises of both front shocks sheared off, and the front bumper/skid plate sheared in two pieces. Quite a shock for such a slow speed impact with the ground.
Now, the plastic front shock tower has some flex, and give. Maybe not the best thing for optimum performance, but a least it survives some pretty major frontal impacts now.
I had the chance to run 7 or 8 battery packs through it the other day, and except for lack of traction.... ( a very dry track, not the Evader's fault) It handles well, with just spring preload adjustments and slipper adjustments.
If the parts durability problem is fixed, I believe it will be a very good buggy!

One quick question?????? Does anyone know of a replacement body beside the Duratrax body?

[chaos muffin]

Just got one a few weeks ago and it flies. Ive met many new neighbors becasue of that thing. Alot of people like to come up and check it out and admire its awesomeness.
Im a big n00b to the RC world so Ive been cleaning and baby'ing that sucker.
Have to admit though, I accelerated pretty hard a few times and did a few donuts on my 3rd 'break-in' tank. I know it's wrong but it's hard to resist .

Warning from n00b to newer n00bs. If your having problems getting it to start, CHECK THE GLOW STARTER BATTERY FIRST!!! I was changing and checking everything and it turned out my problem was the glow starter battery all along. D'oh!

Ok dumb question of the week- Does anyone know how to get the thing to go in reverse?? lol Or can it?

Also wondering what the answer is to Old Skool's question.

Thanks everyone for the info!

[ambiotter]

You need a two speed gearbox for reverse in nitro vehicles. I'm not sure one would be available for a evader. They are more common in MT's and 4wd buggies. You also need a 3 channel radio.

[chaos muffin]

Thanks for the info ambiotter

Will call the hobby shop and see if they're available , or even exist.
Normally I dont need reverse, but there's been times when I stop too close to something and dont want to risk slamming it while swinging the car around.
Doing a doughnut , ot 180 is the main way I turn it around.

[nick f]

I'm in the market for a new 2wd buggy, mostly backyard bashing but in the future I might want to go to the track and play, nothing serious.

I'm lookin at the Tamiya Sand Viper and the Duratrax Exader BX.

Can anyone give the pros and cons of each and which one is an actually a better buggy.

Personally I preferr to put the kit together but for the you can beat the price of the Evader RTR from Tower.

I really dont care much about the included ESC's I have an aftermarket one that I plan on putting in at a later date.

I'm lookin for mostly durability, driveability, qulaity of the kit, and speed.

Thanks in adavnaced

Nick F

[vaderbxman]

I own a Evader BX that is currently in pieces because I use it as a roller for my ST.

I must say I was impressed with the Evader BX when I had it as a car with electronics. I don't know anything about the Tamiya, but you can't beat the value of the BX. It bounces a little in the corners, making it push a tad, but it's fixable with a little throttle or steering imput or tweaking some wrenches. If I dare say so, Tower stocks the BX Pro version, which has graphite upgrades, much better ESC, much better motor, and awesome tires!

As for durability, The Evader has the one year warranty on almost anything plastic. If you break something, Duratrax will send you a replacement, free of charge.

The BX might not excel as a backyard basher because it doesn't have the ground clearance of a monster or a 1/8 scale truck. Grass will slow it down, but gravel, dirt, sand, leaves, ect. will be just fine for it.

You can't go wrong with either version, but the Pro version comes with amazing hop-ups for about 50 dollars more. That's a steal, beccause the ESC alone is 70 dollars, the radio is 80 dollars, the Graphite parts are about 80 dollars, and the tires run for about 50 dollars.

I vote the Evader all the way!!

[Rear Admiral]

Anyone got any advice on motors for my Evader?

Pulled out the Havoc 15T and 12T ESC to run in my touring car, so I'm back to the standard Sprint ESC. I've heard this can cope with a Reedy 19T Quad Magnet okay. I've also been looking at Orion Method R motors - will I get away with a 19x2 with this ESC?

Are there any rules of thumb about pinion size and motor turns? I went from a 23 to a 25 tooth with the Havoc, went like a rocket and got just about as hot :o . Seems that a lot of people drop the pinion size for a lower turn motor, but isn't this going to defeat the purpose a bit?

Cheers.

[vaderbxman]

I ran a 19-turn method R motor in my BX for a while and it got pretty hot. I think because I overgeared it a bit. The ESC will take the 19-turn motor, but just be easy with the gearing.

[Rear Admiral]

Yeah, think I'll try a 21 or 19 tooth ... hopefully this'll let it rev a bit more freely and the extra torque will compensate...

[Rear Admiral]

Is anyone running the front sway bar? Both the parts list and the Duratrax site say that the one set fits both the ST and the BX, but I couldn't fit it to the BX without it fouling the front brace at the body post- the sway bar holds it up by a few millimetres and stops it sitting in it's locators and screwing down properly. I showed my LHS and he said cut the body post off and install another one further back !?! No chance. In the end, I got a refund - I'm not paying for dedicated hop-up parts only to have to modify them myself, or worse, cut my car up to make them fit.
The little instruction diagram that comes with the sway bar only shows the ST front end, and this doesn't have the body post in question to interfere with it. Did those of you who run one have to modify the front brace to make it fit, make a custom sway bar mount, or am I overlooking something? :confused:

[vaderbxman]

I considered running a sway bar on my BX, but I was getting an ST Pro by the time I finally decided to get one. That weird that a part labled for use with the BX/ST doesn't work on the BX. Another guy had a problem with 7-cell flat packs not fitting in his evader, even though it says he can use 7-cells.

As an alternative to sway bars, you can try altering the shock positions and-or shock springs. As a last effort, heavier shock-oil might, and I mean might, cure your rolling problem.

Good Luck!

[T/Losi]

Does anyone know if they sell the wing by itself? I can't seem to find a part number. Will any other wing fit?

Cheers

[vaderbxman]

Duratrax doesn't sell wings by themselves, which kind-of sucks. Maybe you could nick one off of E-bay, but it's a remote chance. If you could find a wing that fits, you could use the Evader wing mount to fashon it onto your Evader: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCXT6&P=Z


Sorry I coudn't be much of a help. :rolleyes:

[Rear Admiral]

Can anyone tell me if Tamiya DF02 shock springs will fit on the Evader shocks (I've been offered some by a friend...). If not, what's the best choice for a firmer spring upgrade?

Cheers.

[vaderbxman]

I don't know abnout the shocks, but you could use a stiffer spring or shock oil combo. The worst that can happen if you tried the shocks is that they don't fit. If your friend is nice enough, I bet he'd at least let you try them on. :D

[Rear Admiral]

Hey, VaderBXman, I saw your bash video on youtube - nice work. What do you find are the main handling differences between the BX and the ST? I assume the ST is more stable in the loose stuff because of the wider track, but how about in the air? They seem to jump nice and flat in the video; did you have to play with the set-up much (ie wheelbase, battery position) to get them to perform? Does the extra weight of the ST slow it down much compared to a BX with the same running gear?

My BX is starting to get a little worn, and I've been wondering whether to keep pumping money into it, or try one of the STs that I've starting falling in lust with....

[vaderbxman]

I loved racing the ST over the BX. (which is why my BX is now a roller)

Early on I had a problem with handling, so I altered the rear wheel base. Then the car was tracking funny when i got on the gas and moved the rear toe-in to 1.5 (I currently run none because I've got alot of grip). I then switched-out the rear tires (bowties) for a set of holeshots that've been the best upgrade since.

The ST is more stable all around, and doesn't push as much in turns. I think the ST is more fun as a basher beecause it has more clearance, plus you have a larger selection of rubber to choose from depending on your driving style.

Let me know if you need anything else, and thanks for watching my video!

[Rear Admiral]

When you say you 'altered' the wheelbase, did you go short or long? I've gone as short as possible to try to increase grip, but it can get a bit twitchy...

I'd like to run my batteries (all stick packs) further back to help with the weight distribution, but none of them will fit under the two little ridges that locate the battery strap in the chassis recess, even the physically small 1900 nicd pack. Have you found this to be a problem? If so, what did you do to get around it? (I'm hoping for a fix without having to cut down the chassis...)

Just out of curiousity, what motor/esc/pinion/spur combo are you running?

[vaderbxman]

I alter the wheelbase to make it shorter, thus making it twitchy.

I've noticed the battery part too, and I just run the stick packs where they sit. I don't have a real desire to get more rear traction.

As far as electronics go, I'm running:

1.) A duratrax intellispeed 12-turn limit ESC: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAXT9&P=ML
2.) A Team Orion 12-turn motor: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJAJ9&P=7
3.) A 15-tooth pinion gear
4.) A 87-tooth spur gear
5.) and a futaba metal-geared servo: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDWF8&P=ML

That's what I'm running right now. In all but one of the shots in the movie I used the 15-turn motor, but in the last shot where i did a nose wheelie, that was with the 12-turn.

hope that helpes!

[elecracr]

I also have not removed the foam pad behind the battery.

I was having alot of problems with my evader spinning out when i went to brushless power.
I am running a 6t brushless motor on 6cells.
It flies, when I got the brushless I found that both the tightness of the differential and the toe in of the reat wheels makes a HUGE difference in the handling of the car. In order to get your car to handle best I would just suggest trial and error.
If you are looking to stiffen up your suspension, either try stiffer springs or if you are looking for a similar result with the stock setup move the shocks to the outermost mount up top on the shock towers and innermost on the suspension arms.

[Rear Admiral]

Thanks, guys. I've got a standard BX that I've upgraded bit by busted bit, so now I've got an Intellispeed 12T ESC, a Havoc 15t motor and graphite swingarms (tried the graphite shock towers but found them a bit brittle, went back to stock). Haven't got an adjustable rear toe-in set yet, but think I'll have to grab one soon - as my driving gets better, I'm beginning to notice the limitations of the stock setting. That, and I love to tinker :)

I'm still running the 81T spur that comes with the standard kit, but I can't use a smaller pinion than 21T (the motor plate won't allow a smaller one to get close enough) and the motor gets REALLY hot on warm days. vaderbxman, did you run the 15/87 combo with the 15T motor? I've already got a 19 - would that be too tall a gear with an 87T spur?

Speaking of motor plates, somehow I manage to keep bending mine - is the hard ano plate worth the upgrade?

elecracr, what kind of diff adjustments did you have to make when you went brushless? I pride myself on my buttery smooth diff action...

[vaderbxman]

I'm still running the 81T spur that comes with the standard kit, but I can't use a smaller pinion than 21T (the motor plate won't allow a smaller one to get close enough) and the motor gets REALLY hot on warm days. vaderbxman, did you run the 15/87 combo with the 15T motor? I've already got a 19 - would that be too tall a gear with an 87T spur?

Sorry it's been so long but I had problems getting into the forums. Anyway, yes that's what I ran, and it came stock that way too. It never got really hot. I eventually swapped-out for a 12T motor, and that's when the motor started to get hot because of my gearing. I swapped-out for the evader bx Pro's gearing and it's since cooled down.

I've got the hard ano plate right now and I don't see any structual integrity improvement over the stock. I might be wrong, but I have both in my hand.

Hope this helpes!!

[T/Losi]

I have also got a question about gearing. I just got my step son a bx chassis of ebay. I am going to be running a Venom 17t x 2 and novak esc. What gearing should I run for a medium track size. Standard gearing is 81t spur/23t pinion and the pro is 88t spur/18t pinion but the pro uses a 15t motor. What gearing would be best suited?
Also, is the pro gearing the same gearing as the st standard kit?

Cheers

[T/Losi]

I'm still running the 81T spur that comes with the standard kit, but I can't use a smaller pinion than 21T (the motor plate won't allow a smaller one to get close enough) and the motor gets REALLY hot on warm days.

What do you have to do to be able to allow a smaller pinion?

Cheers

[Rear Admiral]

Thanks vaderbxman. I'm undecided about the motor plate - think I'm just being seduced by those magic words "hard anodized"....

T/Losi: in order to run a gearing that is the equivalent of a smaller pinion, you need to use a larger spur in combo with a larger pinion eg. the 81/23 stock BX combo is roughly the same gearing as 87/25. I've got a standard 81 spur and have put in a 15 turn motor, so I need to lower the gearing, but when I tried a 19 pinion, the diameter of the two gears was too small for them to reach each other- the motor hit the limit of adjustment on the motor plate. The solution for me is to get a larger spur gear. I plan to try an 88/21 combo - this will be close in ratio to the 81/19 that I want to run (in order to let the motor run a bit cooler) and the larger diameter will be able to mesh.

I've heard a few people say that you should run the biggest size gears that you can for any given final drive ratio eg. 88/25 rather that 81/23 (which are roughly the same). This makes sense to me - for the same amount of work, you're sharing it over more teeth on the gears, so they should take longer to wear out. In theory, you should get a better mesh between the larger diameter gears too, because there will more teeth in contact to share the load at any given moment.

Hope this has been helpful.

[vaderbxman]

I can run an 88-tooth spur gear with my 15-tooth pinion and not run out of adjustment space. In fact, I still have a little more to play with. I don't get it??

[T/Losi]

Do I have to use a Duratrax gears?
Robinson Racing make a few more number of teeth than what duratrax make

Cheers

[T/Losi]

Ok I am still trying to work out the gearing. I was reading my mates xxx bk2 manual and losi run a 78 spur and the pinion size depended on the turn size on the motor (for every turn smaller, you would use a teeth smaller on the pinion)
The stock bx comes with a 20t motor running 81t spur/23t pinion and I want to put a 17 x 2 turn motor in but I can't go down to a 20t pinion as people say that you can't line of the gearing correctly. So could I use a 21t robinsion racing pinion and use the 81t spur and wont that gearing be correct? or wont it even line up?

Cheers

[vaderbxman]

You can go down to at least 15 teeth on the Evaders. I'm currently running a 15 tooth pinion and 88 Tooth spur gear combo. I don't know why people's motors are not lining up right. Maybe they don't have their mounting screws in the right holes. I alternate the screws in the holes (exammple, on the top i use the hole towards the back of the car, and on the bottom I use the hole closest to the middle of the car.)

[T/Losi]

Well with a 18t pinion and 81t spur it doesn't line up properly but with a 88t it lines up perfect but the motor I currently have in it (Venom 21t) it only has 2 options for mounting it on

Cheers

[Rear Admiral]

The problem I've had is that the little bearing/bushing housing at the pinion end of the motor - the part that sticks out into the recess cut in the motor plate - hits the end of this recess before the gears mesh. Using different mounting holes in the motor doesn't help. As far as I can see, this is only a problem if you stick with the 81T spur gear, so for the sake of versatility I have switched to 88T spur. If you've bought an ST, or a BX Pro, or stuck with 19-20T motors, you probably wouldn't realise that this problem could occur.

[T/Losi]

So will any pinion gear fit as long as it is 48 pitch?

Cheers

[guver]

No, it must be a non-metric 48 pitch (most of them are)

The slots can be increased to allow the motors to get a bit closer, but very soon it will also hit the trans case. Some motors may have a slightly different case diameter.

The Pro uses a 15 tooth? maybe.

[vaderbxman]

That might be the case with my motors. Mine might be a slightly different size allowing me to use a smaller pinion. I didn't know that motors came in different sizes yet are still classified as 540 motors....

[guver]

Well, the size isn't much difference and now that I remember that the flex or bend of the motor plate may have more to do with it than can size. I made up a chart before using all different combos and found a range of sizes that could be used.

[Rear Admiral]

I've had a bit of trouble with a bent motor plate lately, but it has been carefully straightened and I'm sure that this isn't a problem in this case.
The motor I'm using and have found this problem with is an Orion Havoc 15T. This is a bushed motor - maybe the bearing-ed motors have smaller bearing housings?

[vaderbxman]

I'm not knowlegeable with the havoc motors. Sorry. :(

[guver]

Here's my chart for evader and 48 pitch gears.
78 spur 23-35 +
81 spur 20-35
86 spur 16-30
88 spur 15-27
90 spur 14-25

My chart also lists the ratios and towards the ends of the ranges it can vary a couple of teeth depending upon the maker or gears, plate, motor, ect.

[T/Losi]

No, it must be a non-metric 48 pitch (most of them are)

The slots can be increased to allow the motors to get a bit closer, but very soon it will also hit the trans case. Some motors may have a slightly different case diameter.

The Pro uses a 15 tooth? maybe.

How do you know it they are non-metric?
Would this one work? http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEX19&P=7

The pro comes with a 18t, same as the standard st

Cheers

[guver]

I have some metrics (tamiys'a) that will not mesh properly. That one should work on an evader. I may have gooten evaders mixed up.

EVST stock 20 x 88
EVBX stock 23 x 81
ST Pro x 88
BX Pro x 88

[Miedin]

Does anybody know the size of the pin that holds the 2 pieces of the axle together. I've had one break and one fall out but I don't know the part number.

Thanks

[elecracr]

The part you are looking for is called a spring pin.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?&I=LXAMM0&P=V

That is the link to the part.

And, I use 48pitch robinson racing gears on my evader.

[Rear Admiral]

I'm guessing you mean the spring pin that holds the universal joint together.The manaul says that this should be part#117, 2.5 x 12mm. I don't have a loose one handy, but compressed in the hole the ones on my car measure 1.6 X 10mm, so I'd say that it's most likely part #116, 2.0 x 10mm, or maybe part#115, 1.6 x 10mm.

This is the same as the pin that holds the axle in the rear hub and drives the rear wheel, so if you push one of those out and measure it with some vernier calipers, you should be able to tell.

I bought a spare screw set for my BX, but was a little disappointed when I realized that it didn't contain any split pins...

[Rear Admiral]

elecracr, I'm using the Robinson gears too. The stock Duratrax pinions are pretty crappy - mine was always noisy and never meshed neatly. The RRPs are lightyears ahead in quality, in my o-pinion (he he)..

[elecracr]

Duratrax spurs and pinions are soo noisy and have such bad mesh its not even funny. I think those two things smoothed up my drivetrain so much, once you get a brushless motor in there it is almost silent.

[vaderbxman]

Duratrax spurs and pinions are soo noisy and have such bad mesh its not even funny. I think those two things smoothed up my drivetrain so much, once you get a brushless motor in there it is almost silent.

I might have to go and buy a different spur gear to try that, because that sounds promising!!

[elecracr]

Definately, It has been so long since I have ran duratrax gears, but if i remember correctly it was a night and day difference despite only costing a few dollars.

[vaderbxman]

Very cool. I'll have to stop gettting duratrax spurs and switch over to robinsons. (too bad I have one comming in the mail for me :rolleyes: )

[Rear Admiral]

Just put a new body on the BX and couldn't resist taking it out for a hammer...
Hope you enjoy the pics - this is my first attempt at posting them (and cheers to Shontelle for taking them).

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/IMG_3992.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/IMG_3779.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/IMG_3669.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/IMG_3535.jpg

[vaderbxman]

Even though it's a pre-painted body, it looks sharp!

I like the tires too. They look pretty knarly. What motor are you running?

[Rear Admiral]

Wish I had time to custom paint bodies - maybe one day...

The motor is an Orion Method 13t, with a 88/19 spur/pinion combo.
The tyres are Proline Dirt Hawgs on Velocity B4 rims. They give a bit more ride height over standard tyres, so they're great for bashing. Superb on pavement, not quite as grippy on dirt or gravel as pin tyres. But sliding is good :)

I hope to post some more pics soon, and inject a bit of life back into the ol' thread...

[Rear Admiral]

Here's a sequence from a natural quarterpipe near my place. Photos were cropped but not edited.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader%20launch/IMG_3868.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader%20launch/IMG_3869.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader%20launch/IMG_3870.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader%20launch/IMG_3871.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader%20launch/IMG_3872.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader%20launch/IMG_3873.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader%20launch/IMG_3874.jpg

I smiled for minutes...

[vaderbxman]

That did look like fun. Too bad I don't have something like that near us.....


I'm about to mambafy my ST, so that should be fun!!

[Rear Admiral]

Nice one. Which Mamba are you going with? I've toyed with the idea, but it's not cheap. I think the BX might be a bit too twitchy with all that power, but the ST should go a treat.
I'll be interested to hear how your diff holds up - I've heard some horror stories about them eating 2wds. Make sure to set your slipper up well...
Post some pics of it if you get the chance; I'm looking forward to seeing it :)

[vaderbxman]

I'm gonna drop the 6900 into my ST. I'm ready to replace the tranny with a stronger one if the power is too great for the stocker.

My ST was twitchy for a while until I took some of the negative toe out of the front end (pointing the front wheels towards eachother).

If I can I'll post some pics of the beast. I wanted to scare myself with stupid amounts of power!! :D:D:D:D You can get a more controllable motor or tune the motor to run slower. It's gonna be fun!! :p

[Rear Admiral]

Looking forward to seeing it.

Here's me, sideways

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/IMG_3858.jpg

[elecracr]

I am going to get my car running again pretty soon. I have to send out my Brushless esc for repair being it just stopped running and also completely rebuild half the front end and the chassis, rear chassis brace, etc. I may just end up getting a roller off of ebay and going from there being my car was so banged up. I guess thats what 6Turn brushless power does haha.

[Rear Admiral]

C'mon, guys - I know you're out there...

Let's breath some life back into the olde thread, eh?

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/evader2.gif

[Rear Admiral]

Here's the same air, pano version...

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/HH/seq1.jpg

[Darian Rachal]

I was driving my BX today, took my eye off it for a second, hit a curb, and broke one of the suspension arms. I'm sure I can get the LHS to order one for me, but what I am wondering about is the difficulty of replacing it.

I haven't put any kits together so I am wondering about the assembly procedure and what tools I might need. The suspension arm attaches to the front bulkhead with a hinge pin. Do these slide in easily, or do they have to be tapped in or pressed in with pliers? If they fit tightly, what is the best procedure for removing them from the broken assembly?

The assembly instructions state that the rear of the front inner hinge pin is secured with a 2.5mm e-clip. Is there a special tool for attaching the e-clips or what is the best procedure for removing/attaching them?

I'll really appreciate any assistance anyone can give me.

Thanks,
Mr. Darian Rachal

[Rear Admiral]

Replacing a front wishbone is an easy job, and one that everyone has to do sooner or later.

First step is to take the bottom mounting screw out of the shock and pivot the shock up out of the way. Then, take the front wheel off. You can leave the steering arm and the camber link ball ends attached to the hub, but you need the wheel off to get to the outer hinge pin that mounts the hub to the suspension arm.

As you already said, the lower suspension arm is held on by the hinge pin which has an e-clip at each end of it. Take the front bumper off (held on by 4 screws under the front end), then remove the back e-clip (this is most easily done by gripping it tightly and pulling it off with a pair of needle nose pliers - you can also prise it off with a small flat-blade screwdriver, but be careful that it doesn't shoot off and get lost; better to use the pliers and keep a grip on it). You should now be able to slide the hinge pin out of the front with your pair of pliers - it should pull out quite easily.

Now, to swap the hub to the new suspension arm, remove one of the e-clips from the hub's hinge pin and pull the pin out, just like you did for the inner hinge pin. To put the hub on the new sus arm and fit the arm to the bulkhead, just reverse these instructions, making sure that the inner hinge pin goes through the hinge pin brace.

A safer way of putting e-clips back on is to sit them in their groove, then place the wheel nut tool over both the clip and the pin, and press it sideways into place (see photo). I use the shock nut end of the tool. I've found this to be almost foolproof, and stops the e-clip flying off if I slip. Note that you can only use this technique if you can get the tool over the end of the hinge pin. In the case of the inner hinge pin's rear e-clip, you'll just have to sit the e-clip in it's groove and carefully snap it back on with your pliers.

Re-mount the shock and wheel and you're back in biz.

If you have any trouble finding parts, check out this eBay seller.

http://stores.ebay.com/Moonyez-RC_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

Let us know how you get on, and don't hesitate to ask if you need more help. Good luck!

(photo courtesy of oOple.com)

[Darian Rachal]

I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my inquiry. Your instructions are very clear.

Mr. Darian Rachal

[elecracr]

I think im going to get a tc4 for christmas then get some of the parts to fix my evader. The evader just cant handle the brushless system i have right now as i cannot accelerate hardly at all with it handling well at all.

[Rear Admiral]

The TC4 is a great platform - I've got a TA05 that I love, but the belt-drive diffs let in too much crap when I go drifting with it. I looked at a TC4 (because of its shaft drive and sealed diff housings) as a dedicated drift machine, but it seemed like a shame to under-utilize such a good chassis, so I got a cheap TT01 instead.

Good luck with fixing your Evader - be sure to throw on a couple of pics when it's up and running again.

[elecracr]

Yea, right now all I have is a front and rear end. With many parts missing in between. I think I am going to get the mamba max 7700 so that I can keep the 6t motor in one and the 7700 in the other and just switch out the speed control being that I blew my old one... I may get the 5700 so that I can experiment with higher cell counts being a 6t and 7700 have very similar specs.

[Rear Admiral]

How do you get on with the 7700 in a 2WD? I've thought about a 5700, but was worried that there would be too much power to control without dialling the settings way back. The 12T Trinity brushed motor that I run at the moment gives the slipper a hard enough time as it is...

[elecracr]

My setup as of last year included the mtronics genesis esc and a 6t feaigo(sp) motor. This setup is pretty close to the mamba 7700 i believe. The key was having a very delicate throttle finger as it would spin out or even flip over if given the right conditions.

I would suggest beefing up the drivetrain if going brushless. I had two transmissions and just rebuilt one as i drove with the other so that as I broke one i could just swap them out and keep going. The evader handles well, but definately is not the best car for that high power of a motor. Differential settings are crucial in getting the car to handle properly with brushless without being completely haywire.

On a better note... I am now officially the owner of a FT Tc4 kit. This thing should fly with brushless! Im excited to have a car that can actually handle the power.

[Rear Admiral]

Is the TC4 for racing, or just for play?

[elecracr]

Mostly play, if I do race I will put my brushed esc with a stock motor back in it so that i can have control of it on the track. Im estimating around 50 mph out of it with the brushless with the 6cell packs i have now.

[Rear Admiral]

Good plan - I'll keep an eye out for photos in the TC4 forum :)

On the topic of photos...

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/HH/IMG_4690.jpg

[elecracr]

Nice, How do you like the dirt hawgs? They are the only tires i run for bashing, as road rages dont get any better traction even on road.

[Rear Admiral]

They're great. I run them on Velocity B4 Wide rims because of the extra tyre width, so I use the bearing spacer-washer on the inside of the wheel to avoid rim contact with the rod ends, and some custom made tapered wheel nuts to avoid binding on the rim. The rear only needs a simple plastic spacer washer.

I find the Dirt Hawgs are great for bashing on rough surfaces because they give you a little more ground clearance over the standard ribbed fronts and bow-tie rears. They're a little heavier, but I find this has a bit of a what I think of as a gyroscope effect, helping to keep the car stable in the air (Interstingly, I've heard some mountain bike dirt jumpers say that they prefer heavier rims & tyres for the same reason).

As for on bitumen, if I don't have the car low enough and set up right, it'll traction roll in fast corners. Can't ask for more grip than that :D

[elecracr]

Well I got my Tc4 last night. It looks awesome. Now all I need is my mamba max esc and I will be set. Im hoping to sneak it out once or so before christmas without my parents realizing it haha. Il try to get pictures up soon.

I got the BMW m3 body mounted on it and it looks great.

[Rear Admiral]

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/HH/IMG_4617.jpg

[Darian Rachal]

Let us know how you get on, and don't hesitate to ask if you need more help. Good luck!


Does anyone make an aluminum rear shock tower for the Evader BX? I broke this part today when the car flipped over, and although they are inexpensive to replace, I'd like something a bit more durable than the stock plastic part.

Again, any help will be appreciated.

Sincerely,
Mr. Darian Rachal

[guver]

DTXC9266 Duratrax makes one.

[Rear Admiral]

Just remember that the aluminium towers aren't bullet proof - they'll still break in a big enough flip. After using (and breaking) the graphite shock towers for a while, I went back to the stock plastic ones, because the extra flexibility stops them from just snapping outright in a roll.

[Darian Rachal]

DTXC9266 Duratrax makes one.

I went to Tower and checked there, but somehow it didn't list it in my search. Guess I should have gone directly to the Duratrax.

Darian Rachal

[Darian Rachal]

Just remember that the aluminium towers aren't bullet proof - they'll still break in a big enough flip. After using (and breaking) the graphite shock towers for a while, I went back to the stock plastic ones, because the extra flexibility stops them from just snapping outright in a roll.That's kind of what I was wondering about. The aluminum tower is around $34.00 and that would buy a bunch of the plastic ones. I think maybe the fact that it was a little cold may have contributed to it breaking today.

Thanks,
Mr. Darian Rachal

[Rear Admiral]

Hey, does anyone know if Losi XXX springs will fit on Duratrax Evader shocks?

[guver]

If you had the springs and measure them , I'll measure the shocks for you.

[Rear Admiral]

I've got the shocks but not the springs...

[Rear Admiral]

Trying out my new Trinity Speed Gems 12T down at the local park... :D



http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z6/rearadmiral69/sals%20hgts/jump2.gif


Good top end, but not quite as much torque as the Orion Method R 13T that it replaced.

[Darian Rachal]

Does anyone make an aluminum rear shock tower for the Evader BX? I broke this part today when the car flipped over, and although they are inexpensive to replace, I'd like something a bit more durable than the stock plastic part.

Again, any help will be appreciated.

Sincerely,
Mr. Darian Rachal

Does anyone make a set of preglued tires and wheels that will fit the BX? I am looking for something specifically for using on asphalt.

Thanks for any assistance.
Mr. Darian Rachal

[guver]

There were some Orion streetsweepers pre-glued. I use them on my street bx and will traction roll with ease.

[Darian Rachal]

There were some Orion streetsweepers pre-glued. I use them on my street bx and will traction roll with ease.Thanks Guver. I'll try to look them up.

[Rear Admiral]

I run Pro-Line Dirt Hawgs for hard surfaces ( see photos in this thread) - they aren't pre-glued, but they are awesome tyres that wear well. Glueing up tyres isn't hard, and it's worth the effort for the extra choices that it opens up.

[Darian Rachal]

I run Pro-Line Dirt Hawgs for hard surfaces ( see photos in this thread) - they aren't pre-glued, but they are awesome tyres that wear well. Glueing up tyres isn't hard, and it's worth the effort for the extra choices that it opens up.Thanks Rear Admiral. Do you think it's worth the trouble to remove the old tires from rims by soaking in acetone, although I know rims are relatively inexpensive? I'll check on the Pro-line tires.

Sincerely,
Mr. Darian Rachal

[Rear Admiral]

Thanks Rear Admiral. Do you think it's worth the trouble to remove the old tires from rims by soaking in acetone, although I know rims are relatively inexpensive? I'll check on the Pro-line tires.

Sincerely,
Mr. Darian Rachal

I tried that trick with the Duratrax wheels - they dissolved :o . I've also tried heating them on an oven tray (melted) and boiling in water (warped). Besides, by the time the old tyres are worn out, my wheels are usually cracked and/or chipped. With wheels generally costing less than tyres, I don't want to run the risk of the wheels cr@pping out before the tyres are finished, so I always start with fresh wheels.

BTW, I don't always stick to Duratrax wheels - my Dirt Hawgs are mounted on Velocity wheels for the Associated B4. The fronts are wider and better suited to the Dirt Hawgs. (These wheels aren't a direct fit for the BX - I have to run some plastic nut-spacers on the rear, and the wheel washers on the inside of the wheels at the front with conical wheel nuts, but I find that overcoming these little problems is half the fun of RC :) . Let me know if you decide to go down this path, and I'll post some photos to show you how.)

[Darian Rachal]

Rear Admiral, Thanks for the suggestions for tire and wheel replacement. I'll get back with you if I go the route of the Pro-line tires and the Velocity rims.

Meanwhile, the universal joint on the left rear of my Evader has come undone at the back of the rim. It appears that it was held onto the metal part going through the center of the rim by two small pins(very tiny hex nuts?) on each side. I suspect I'll have to order the entire universal joint.

Sincerely,
Mr. Darian Rachal

[Rear Admiral]

The standard universal joints are held together by two rolled pins - sounds like you've lost one. You might be able to find one to fit at your local hardware shop. Otherwise, I buy most of my spares from this eBay seller;

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Moonyez-RC_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

Fast and very reliable. If you need to buy replacements driveshafts, it's worth the extra couple of bucks to get the BX Pro universals, which are true CV joints - smoother and servicable.

[Darian Rachal]

Rear Admiral, Thanks for the information and link.

[Darian Rachal]

Went with the Proline Striker II tires and HPI Super Star MT wheels. That's what the Hobby Shop owner had. I'm sure it will be a big improvement on pavement.

[Rear Admiral]

Cool. Be sure to post a couple of pics so we can have a look at it with it's new shoes :)

[Darian Rachal]

I am replacing one of the rear axles on my Evader but having a bit of difficulty removing a 2.5x12mm spring pin. I was able to push it partially out with pliers to where one end is flush with the axle, but can not get it to go further. Am I going to simply have to grip it with pliers and twist it, hopefully getting it out that way? Then I'm wondering how am I getting it back in?

[Edit]Well, I noticed that there are a couple of spring pins included with the axles, so I was able to remove the old one with pliers. Now we'll see how successful I am with getting the new one in.

Thanks for any suggestions anyone has.

Sincerely,
Mr. Darian Rachal

[Rear Admiral]

You should be able to squeeze the new pin in with a pair of pliers until the end of the pin is flush with the exit side of the hole and hits the far (non-pushing) side of the pliers. Then just try to squeeze the rest through after shifting the non-pushing side of the pliers to the side a little so they are no longer blocking the exit hole, and drive the pin until you have the same amount protruding from either side of the shaft. I find long-nose pliers are easiest for this job. I've even seen someone drill a hole through the middle of one side of their pliers just for this job, so that it doesn't block the pin and they can drive it in with one action, but I don't really think this is necessary. You'll get there with a bit of patience and care. :)

[Darian Rachal]

You should be able to squeeze the new pin in with a pair of pliers until the end of the pin is flush with the exit side of the hole and hits the far (non-pushing) side of the pliers. Then just try to squeeze the rest through after shifting the non-pushing side of the pliers to the side a little so they are no longer blocking the exit hole, and drive the pin until you have the same amount protruding from either side of the shaft. I find long-nose pliers are easiest for this job. I've even seen someone drill a hole through the middle of one side of their pliers just for this job, so that it doesn't block the pin and they can drive it in with one action, but I don't really think this is necessary. You'll get there with a bit of patience and care. :)Thanks, I would have deleted my post if I could because shortly after I posted, I was able to do just that. I got the axle back on, installed the new street tires, and took it out for a test drive. I still have the original ribbed tires on the front, but still the evader handled very well on concrete. I think my battery needed to be charged up a bit more because it didn't seem quite as fast. Nevertheless, I was quite pleased with the improvement.

[Rear Admiral]

Glad to hear you had success with your pins.

I've found that with street rubber on the rear and stock ribs on the front, mine understeers so much on bitumen that it's almost undriveable. To get the most out of it, you really need front slicks to match - as I've said previously, with street tyres all round, I have to drop the ride height or it traction rolls in hard corners. (Sometimes I leave the front slicks on, but change to a cr@pped out pin tyre at the back, just to drift it around for fun :p )

A high grip bitumen rear tyre will put more strain on the motor than a pin tyre (that can slip more easily), so keep your eye on the motor & ESC temp for the first few runs. I gear mine down a couple of teeth at the pinion to take the load off a little.

[Darian Rachal]

Glad to hear you had success with your pins.

I've found that with street rubber on the rear and stock ribs on the front, mine understeers so much on bitumen that it's almost undriveable. To get the most out of it, you really need front slicks to match - as I've said previously, with street tyres all round, I have to drop the ride height or it traction rolls in hard corners. (Sometimes I leave the front slicks on, but change to a cr@pped out pin tyre at the back, just to drift it around for fun :p )

A high grip bitumen rear tyre will put more strain on the motor than a pin tyre (that can slip more easily), so keep your eye on the motor & ESC temp for the first few runs. I gear mine down a couple of teeth at the pinion to take the load off a little.RA, Thanks for all your good advice. I know the ribbed tires are not ideal and I'll eventually get around to replacing them. I appreciate the tip regarding the motor and ESC.