14mm wheel hex stripping issue...

[olds97_lss]

I know, I know, change to larger hex's...

I've been running t-maxx 2.5 rims for many years on many different vehicles and never had a problem. The only wheel hex's I've fried were HPI wheels. Everything I run on MT's has been 14mm. t-maxx, 21 maxx, mammoth, revo, savage, aftershock. All of which I ran over the past 6 years or so using 2.5 maxx rims and various tires. I have never stripped a 2.5 maxx rim hex using aluminum hex's. Currently, I have run a little over 1 full gallon through my aftershock running 2.5 rims and with a LRP 28 S3 engine. I have tons more power than either of my bashing buddies. One of the guys runs the 23mm's or whatever comes on the LST2. This inquiry is about the other guy that sort of pieced together an LST1 off ebay.

Knowing this and knowing larger is better, I still want to know if anyone else has had a similar issue on a truck (LST specific would help).

The issue is, my friend has stripped 5 wheel hex's. All on the same corner of his truck, LST1, right rear. He has after market aluminum hex's, uses thread lock religiously but still consistently fries the right rear hex. He has run HPI wheels and revo wheels only so far. He buys them off ebay... He's running stock gearing with my original M26 aftershock engine.

Am I just insanely lucky running the 2.5 maxx 14mm rims for 6 years, is he doing something weird, is the truck doing something weird or do the RC gods just hate him? I can't figure it out, but I haven't been there whenever he spins a hex. He always does it when I'm not around so I can't really be there to help trouble shoot it.

Thanks guys.

 

[chuck3]

is he using plastic 14mm's? I've recently had this problem and have seen it happen to a few other guys. havent tried the 14mm aluminums but I've heard they can help to stop stripping. if he is running plastics and stripping those, tell him to move to aluminum 14's. if hes stripping the wheels (wich is the problem I'm haveing and is usually the problem i see) tell him to go to 17mm or 23mm, wichever he prefers.

 

[SMaxxin]

Like you the only 14mm hex I have stripped is an HPI wheel. I'm currently running 14mm proline wheels with aluminum hexes on my Aftershock with no issues, hopefully it stays that way.

I guess some people are just lucky and others aren't.

 

[bnrpat09]

i just tighten the s**t out of my wheel nut and I've never had that problem and i always run my aftershock in top speed runs

 

[olds97_lss]

I believe his problem was a blown diff. He kept burning up the right rear hex. He has aluminum 14mm hubs. I think he recently upped them to 20mm or 23mm.

He found that his diff was fried though and thinks it was causing a wheel to lock or something... I'm still not sure. That would make sense if he was running sticky tires on concrete or had a high powered engine, but he isn't and he doesn't...

 

[helotaxi]

The hex problem likely blew the diff, not the other way around. With a stripped hex, the diff fully unloads and the internal gears spin way faster than they were ever meant to. Bye, bye gears.

Good nyloc nuts and axles that are long enough to thread well into the nylon portion of the nuts are a must on the 14mm hexes. The right side loosens as the truck drives, so any play in the hex will work the nut loose on the shaft and allow the wheel to come off the hex to the point that it will strip. Replace the nyloc nuts often if you regularly remove and reinstall the wheels. Switch to clamping style aluminum hexes to eliminate play that can loosen the nuts. Make sure the wheel is properly seated on the hex and the nut is tight before every run. I've broken wheels on every r/c I've even run, but I follow the above rules and have yet to strip a hex.