Brushless, what does it take?

[JessF]

Hello all,

New to this hobby and I'd like to know what it takes to go brushless on a mini truck or buggy. Top speed is the key goal. Just watched the 1/18th scale Mini LST with the 1/10th scale motor and it made me smile. Bullet proof drive system seems to be a big key when pumping brushless power, which mini comes with the best diffs. and shafts out of the box? I've been looking at the following trucks:

Losi Mini-t
Losi Mini monster baja with 2.4 DSM
Duratraxx Vendetta
TA RC18T or the RC18MT

of these 5 items the Mini monster baja weighs the most, at 2.2lbs but the specs on the stock truck seem impressive. The lightest is the Mini-T and I suspect that's due by in large to the 2wd system, with fewer parts to break and upgrade it's a stronger contender.

Finally the radio system. I read somewhere that not all radio receivers run brushless ESC and motors, and that you need to upgrade the receiver, which means an aftermarket radio as well. Be this the case? Do any of the trucks listed above come with stock receivers capable of running a brushless motor and ESC?

thanks for any pointers, I hope to contribute something in the near future.

 

[Gregtxman]

The Mini Monster Baja has been discontinued, but the Mini LST2 is the same truck. To go brushless on this one, it is just a simple motor and ESC swap. The Mamba is a direct bolt in. You will want to upgrade all three Diffs in the MLST, but It is my favorite basher. Just a personal opinion.

My Mini-T took a little more work to go brushless because it comes with the Receiver and ESC come as a combined unit. If you change the rec/esc, you will have to change the steering servo as well. Losi has a 4-wire servo on the Mini-t that is not compatable with most receivers.

My friend has a RC18B that is brushless and it is FAST. It is very well built and stands up to some serious bashing.



One thing to keep in mind is driveability. If you are wanting top speed, I would suggest going with 4wd. Remember that if you hit the breaks with a 2wd, only the rear wheels stop turning. Breaking with all four will stop you faster than two.

Keep us posted and have fun.

 

[alpinehyperlite]

Interested in buying a brushless RC18TR with a couple of 3s lipos? If so, let me know.......

 

[Mattyfats420]

i would say that the RC18 series is the best out of the box for the money. many times i have ran brushless/lipo without upgrading anything and had it last me a while.

but a MLST2 is also a great truck but a little on the expensive side for parts and stuff.

so its all really a matter of how much you have to spend.

 

[JessF]

I'm leaning more toward the RC18 series then. I've got a 1/10 nitro coming within a few weeks but I suspect a smaller brushless truggy would be hella fun to tinker with.

 

[Gregtxman]

I got both of my minis with the plan to run in the house. that was all good until going brushless. They are both too fast to drive inside now. I can honestly say that I enjoy my Mini LST2 as much as my Rustler VXL or my REVO. My MLST was clocked at 38 MPH with only a 2s lipo so they can be made as fast as you want them to be.

 

[JessF]

what brand of 3c lipo would you guys recomend. Looking for something in the 2100mah range

would something in the 1250mah give a decent enough run time? From what I understand the more mah you have the longer you can run.

 

[Amoeba]

what brand of 3c lipo would you guys recomend. Looking for something in the 2100mah range

would something in the 1250mah give a decent enough run time? From what I understand the more mah you have the longer you can run.

That's correct, mostly. It also depends on the continuous and peak output of your packs and the continuous and peak draw of your ESC/motor. The SLYDR kit I have in my drifter is a bit under the output capabilities of the packs I'm running so I get more runtime than usual.

 

[Gregtxman]

The higher the kv, the lower the runtime. If you go with a 5400kv or less, the smaller battery should be ok.

 

[JessF]

ok then,

so an 1/18 Xcelorin Brushless 7400kv with 3c 1300mah lipo would be a good choise?

I'm stuck on getting the 8000kva Mamba for all out brutal speed or the 7400kv Xcelorin for brutal speed with with a little less kva for a longer run time.

is 8000kva recomended for the RC18T if it's bashing on all surfaces? I'd hate to run it in the grass or on dirt and have the motor or battery overheat.

speed runs are cool but I'd like something with a bit more torque so I don't overheat in the grass. Is 7400kva a nice set down or should I go one further and get the 6800kva mamba? On 3c lipo the 6800 mamba should still deliver awsome speeds.

I just want to buy the right brushless setup for an RC18T

 

[ohmygahitscoby]

The lower KV you have for your motor with the 3S LiPo, the higher the RPM's will be = faster speeds. So a 3S LiPo with the 4200kv one is your best choice.

It should apply to mini RC's too.

 

[JessF]

thanks. If he's using the T4 as a bench mark, it's a 1/10th scale car no?

wouldn't the reasons "smaller wheels and less weight" for picking 7700 and 6900kv for on road 1/10th scale hold true to 1/18th scale cars as well? 1/18th scale has smaller wheels and less weight so wouldn't a higher kv be the right choise?

 

[ohmygahitscoby]

It really depends on what type of mini you are gonna be using. IMO for a 3S, the 5700kv is the best, but for 4S it's different. In the video he says regardless of what you are using, and that it was based on typical conditions.