Best Alloy upgrades..?

[SheepX]

Please be easy....Kinda new to this...just give the list and i will purchase.:\

 

[HeartBreak]

Well, hands down, the alloy diff cups are a must (if you don't have them already).

As for suspension, go with RPM's composite arms; they're cheaper and don't bend/break as easy as alloy.

Roll cage, that one is strictly optional.

I would just slap a 3 speed into an X transmission case, and put that in your savage. Those upgrades, combined with a really good motor (Axials' Spec 1S .28 comes to mind), will really wake the savage up.

 

[SheepX]

Roll cage, that one is strictly optional.

Thanks for promt reply man... but what you mean optional...? I want the best money can buy...money's no prob.

I like to bash for longer, higher jumps (must be light), easy access.

What would or anybody recommend?

 

[HeartBreak]

That's a tough one... I myself use the rollbar from the X... The downside is that it doesn't protect the engine 100%, but it does save it from cracking the block. There is a full cage made by RC Solutions (if memory serves correctly). Not exactly light or easy access, but you'll never have to worry about your engine getting smacked.

Some other things to consider are the LST shock mod and the mid tank mod. That should go a long way towards giving you a bulletproof basher.

 

[olds97_lss]

Well, I'm of the firm believe that alloy diff cases are also a necessity on the savage. At least with the old savage style diff case/bulkhead design. Over time, the plastic fatigues and distorts which lets your ring/pinion mesh get out of sync and tears up your gears.

While inner cups being alloy helps with spider gear issues, they do very little for the ring/pinion mesh. However, the XL (possibly X as well) cups use little chromed hardened steel pieces for the cross pins to spin in, so they aren't digging into the sides of the alloy cups. A happy surprise for me when I just redid mine.

I just upgraded both of my diffs to hot racing diff cases, XL diff cups/internals and XL ring/pinion gears. My outdrive cups however must remain old savage as they are smaller. The larger ones on the savage XL don't fit through the hot racing cases. Kind of irritating... but, hopefully I won't be messing with my diffs for a very long time.

For the rest of the rig, the chassis braces that the lower skid plates bolt to should be replaced with alloy as well.

Honestly though, the diffs have always been my only real sore spot with the savage line. But, with the upgrades I've done, I'm hoping I will have as tough as a machine as my aftershock has been as far as the drive train is concerned.

As far as roll cages are concerned, protecting the engine is your only real issue. The RCS cage will protect it, but for the money, I'd buy 2 or 3 welded round bar cages. The RCS cage bends and fatigues, then breaks after a few bad hits. They do their job, but you can't replace individual pieces when they break. So, spending your money on a RC raven cage or something similar will be money spent just as well.

Personally, I make my own roll bars for all my rigs if I can. They hold up better than any cage/roll bar I've ever bought. They just aren't as pretty!
Take a look and form your own opinion though:
https://www.rcnitrotalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63999

This is my RCS cage on my savage from 3 years ago:
http://home.comcast.net/~98gmarquee/pics/misc/2005-0917-BentRCSCage.JPG
Like I said, it did it's job, but when I tried to straighten it back out, it snapped in a couple places.

 

[SheepX]

So..are you guys basically saying .....do not install any metal or alloy after market products except diff cups...(hmmm surprising)....on your vehicles...as they are heavy, expensive to replace and bends...

I wouldn't want to fork out 200 bucks for a cage to fold like that... bro...

LOL I feel the pain from where I'm sitting. LOL

Please correct me if I'm wrong......

 

[HeartBreak]

You got it dead on the head. RPM's are tough stuff... Plus they carry a lifetime warranty on them. I've got RPM products on most of my cars; nice and tough stuff.

 

[olds97_lss]

So..are you guys basically saying .....do not install any metal or alloy after market products except diff cups... Please correct me if I'm wrong......

Yep. THe savage just doesn't need much of it. Diff cups, diff cases, chassis braces. Shock towers/arms should stay plastic. You need something to flex when you smack into something or the whole rig will be a twisted up hung of aluminum.

Maybe get titanium turnbuckles, but they aren't really "necessary". They just allow you to adjust toe without taking them off the truck like the stockers. I have a pair of lunsfords on my bench from my old savage. I was going to make little L braces for the rear instead of turnbuckles, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[SheepX]

HHHHHMMM.....So in terms of roll cage what would you guys recommend?

 

[Scrogg]

Nobody makes a good one. Roll cages for bashers should be made from delrin plastic. Anything aluminum will no doubt bend under bashing conditions.
A good set of low center of gravity TVP's helps. They drop the engine down considerably.

 

[homeydclown]

I would listen to heartbreak as aluminum is crap for a basher.The stock a- arms are also very well.I have one truck with rpm and one with stock.I have broken a few stock arms but have not broken any of the rpms.But I almost think the rpm are to tough as I have broken 2 diff cases instead of the arms.I would honestly stay with the stock becase I would rather change a cheap a arm than a diff case. I would not get the axial motor though as I had one of these in the spec 3 version and it was a pc of crap.The original k4.6 I had in both trucks to begin with blows the axial away. I now have an lrp spec 3 and just purchased a sh .28 p8.Both these engines just rock the sh being a little better.Both are very cheap also.I would also do the ofna linkage mod and get some xl wheel extenders.Me and my buddies are strickly bashers and beat the hell out of our trucks and know first hand aluminum is crap,plastic acts as a fuse when u crash so u don,t break any of the more important part.Sorry about the axial but i had one and a friend had one and they performed as the price.....cheap

 

[homeydclown]

as for a coll cage I just use the stock plastic engine roll bar and keep the body a little high as it is the best rollbar.

 

[olds97_lss]

Sorry about the axial but i had one and a friend had one and they performed as the price.....cheap

I had the axial 28S1 as well... but I figure I'm a bit jaded, so I didn't bother posting my opinion on that... but I do agree with you.

I also agree with the LRP28S3. Great engine. Might be a bit much for a savage, but maybe not if it's a two speed. I run a much weaker engine in my recently acquired savage, XTM24.7. It has a 3 speed and does just fine with 16/47 gearing, but I changed it to 16/49 to give it a bit more pep in 3rd. A LRP28 in that thing would just eat up center axles I'd think with that low 1st gear. Maybe not if you gear taller...

 

[SheepX]

Nobody makes a good one. Roll cages for bashers should be made from delrin plastic. Anything aluminum will no doubt bend under bashing conditions.

What you guys think of these?

ENJOY MY VIDEO TOO:[ame]http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=QmYk3zsjKeo[/ame]

 

[olds97_lss]

I just know there's a truck under there somewhere!

Looks very purpose built for a beating. I like it!

 

[BOUTCH]

NICE!!! Like it man, makes the savage look so bulletproof, its great...cool vid too. Thanks for that.:whhooo:

 

[olds97_lss]

Is it nylon or delrin? Does it get brittle at all in the cold? How do you heat it to bend it? Torch or heat gun or what?

Sorry for the questions... but with winter coming up... I could see some of that find it's way to my workbench!

My 5/16" steel rod holds up very well though... but I wouldn't mind making something lighter for my jato.

 

[SheepX]

Delrin, is only a brand name....what most people don't know is the correct name is acytal.....Mine is nylon, not much different from acytal....certainly not inferior...lol

Thanks for the props...cheers....I use heat gun BTW.

 

[olds97_lss]

Delrin, is only a brand name....what most people don't know is the correct name is acytal

I had no idea. I just knew it was a slick self lubricating type plastic that was very resilient, similar to nylon. I didn't know "delrin" wasn't a type of material, but rather just a brand/mfr.

 

[Lessen]

I'm glad somebody else realizes that stiff steel cages are worthless.

I am planning on making a steel tube cage for my Maxx but it won't be rigidly mounted.

That's a nice cage there. I'm impressed.