Castle BEC- How hot is too hot?

[JvG]

I would have to assume that coating the thing in plastidip/shoegoo is just as bad, if not worse than putting in a waterproof box. The plastidip/shoegoo will insulate it just as badly, unless you scrape the goo off the fets so they can breath.

Point taken, but the airflow outside the sealed box will keep it cooler.

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

I get you, also owned a Revo

Lol.

(For those who are serious) To be fair, that was with my person experience I decided to buy it over the arrma nero (its rival) and also I’m not a fan of the Kraton. It’s hard to explain but the stuff you need to do to a Kraton to make it a tank is a lot harder for me to do than the stuff you need to do to make an e revo (2.0) bulletproof.

If you’re too lazy to read the top, essentially, I bought the truck before anyone had anything to say about it, as I got it a few weeks after the first shipment that only went to hobby shops for display.

And just to trigger everyone, I don’t regret my purchase at all and after all my years of RC it’s definitely by far my favorite.

 

[bicketybam]

Lol.

It’s hard to explain but the stuff you need to do to a Kraton to make it a tank is a lot harder for me to do than the stuff you need to do to make an e revo (2.0) bulletproof.

What exactly do you need to do to the Kraton to make it a tank? Same question for the e revo.

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

Well for the Kraton you need to shim the diffs, get new chassis braces, get a new servo mount, reinforce the body (especially around the mounting holes so it doesn’t crack there) and you should put on a bumper. The diff shims part was already a turn off for me. And for extreme bashing you could use a new chassis to stop the bending.

For the e revo you just gotta buy suspension limiting straps and put superglue on the insides of all the plastic rod ends. (This is all the durability upgrades I’ve done to mine and it doesn’t really break anymore, at all) I don’t even have any trouble with the stock rear toe links and I bash hard at skateparks, but some choose to put upgraded rear toe links on for even more security. Me personally, if I crash hard and a pushrod or toe link bends, it doesn’t bother me much. I just finish my run, take it home, and hammer it straight. Whole process is 2 screws and 3 minutes lol.

Obviously for the 1.0 it’s garbage and needs a major overhaul, but this is about the 2.0)

Both could use a new servo.

Also don’t take it personally, the e revo is fighting with the nero and isn’t even the Kraton’s competitor. And it’s not much for either end, key word in the quote you used was me.

edit: I only run 6s and have used 8s on many occasions (including blowing the stock motor) and the diffs have had no visible wear. Just like everyone else, I did not shim them. Given, I was a bit of a test dummy getting one from the first fleet, I had more issues than everyone else.

Edit 2: I just want to make it clear that anyone can use any truck they want, that’s what it’s all about, and I chose the e revo

 

[bicketybam]

Well for the Kraton you need to shim the diffs, get new chassis braces, get a new servo mount, reinforce the body (especially around the mounting holes so it doesn’t crack there) and you should put on a bumper. The diff shims part was already a turn off for me. And for extreme bashing you could use a new chassis to stop the bending.

For the e revo you just gotta buy suspension limiting straps and put superglue on the insides of all the plastic rod ends. (This is all the durability upgrades I’ve done to mine and it doesn’t really break anymore, at all) I don’t even have any trouble with the stock rear toe links and I bash hard at skateparks, but some choose to put upgraded rear toe links on for even more security. Me personally, if I crash hard and a pushrod or toe link bends, it doesn’t bother me much. I just finish my run, take it home, and hammer it straight. Whole process is 2 screws and 3 minutes lol.

Obviously for the 1.0 it’s garbage and needs a major overhaul, but this is about the 2.0)

Both could use a new servo.

Also don’t take it personally, the e revo is fighting with the nero and isn’t even the Kraton’s competitor. And it’s not much for either end, key word in the quote you used was me.

edit: I only run 6s and have used 8s on many occasions (including blowing the stock motor) and the diffs have had no visible wear. Just like everyone else, I did not shim them. Given, I was a bit of a test dummy getting one from the first fleet, I had more issues than everyone else.

Edit 2: I just want to make it clear that anyone can use any truck they want, that’s what it’s all about, and I chose the e revo

First I know nothing about the eRevo. Sounds like a solid truck. I guess even the factory bearings and diff fluid do not need to be touched. How thick is the chassis? What kind of aluminum?

As far as shimming goes, I've never owned an RTR where you could with 100% certainty say the diffs do not benefit from being shimmed. I always check them. My last two 6s trucks, the Typhon and the Notorious, really didn't need internal shimming. But I was changing fluid so I checked. I also put rubber shielded bearings on the outside of them so they had to come apart. Wouldn't that be the same with the eRevo? Or can you change those bearings without taking the cups out? Of you can...wow. That's awesome. If you can't, then I don't see how it differs from the Arrma 6s diffs. Is checking tolerances while you have the diff apart that hard?

The other things you listed for the Kraton like servo mount and braces are not required. Neither is a bumper of you don't smack into stuff ? Big if though.

Anyway, the extent of my knowledge of the eRevo is the pile of them that are always at the LHS waiting to be fixed. That's the truth. But I've never even really looked closely at one.

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

I enjoy friendly debates like this! Here’s my side.

The e revo actually comes with sealed bearings. Every single one, sealed. That actually surprised me when my senton came and the bearings weren’t sealed. I thought that was the norm for the hobby, having sealed bearings.

The chassis is plastic. I like that very much, because it doesn’t bend at all, it’ll crack if you send it 50 feet in the air and land front first but there’s only a few cases I’ve ever heard of that happening. When I say 50 feet, I’m not exaggerating, at all. I highly prefer plastic chassis vehicles aluminum. My main reason being, if you have a truck like the e revo, if you don’t screw up and actually land with the wheels towards the ground on every jump, and I’m talking up to 50 feet high, nothing breaks. Literally nothing, chassis can’t bend, it’s plastic. The only things that do break are when you as the driver physically mess up. The aluminum chassis on other trucks can and will bend if you don’t land completely flat. Seen it and heard it. And most of the times that a driver error bends an aluminum chassis, plastic won’t be phased at all. If you cracked a plastic chassis, I’d equate that to a 6061 3-4mm chassis being bent 60 degrees. (Which, never happens, unless you hit a curb at top speed.)

Point is, normal aluminum bending slowly after tons of bashes, plastic just doesn’t have any effect. It only breaks if it’s an extremely extremely hard hit.

And with the difference between arrma diffs, it’s actually night and day. The e revo’s diffs are way oversized compared to the arrma 6s diffs... I’m talking like WAY oversized. Obviously, the arrma ones are fine on 6s, but I just want to make it clear that the new e revo’s diffs dwarf the arrma’s, Traxxas reallly got the message clear from the old e revo’s small diffs lol!

And yes, you are right on the stuff that are not required, but I’ve heard that the steering is extremely vague until you buy a new mount, and god forbid you install a servo with enough torque to turn the front wheels, that mount just bends. Seen it, and heard it. I will agree with you on the bumper thing, but then again, the e revo has one, so the Kraton should too! And even if you don’t agree with that, the e revo doesn’t need the toe link upgrade at the rear at all. so that balances out.

 

[olds97_lss]

First I know nothing about the eRevo. Sounds like a solid truck. I guess even the factory bearings and diff fluid do not need to be touched. How thick is the chassis? What kind of aluminum?

As far as shimming goes, I've never owned an RTR where you could with 100% certainty say the diffs do not benefit from being shimmed. I always check them. My last two 6s trucks, the Typhon and the Notorious, really didn't need internal shimming. But I was changing fluid so I checked. I also put rubber shielded bearings on the outside of them so they had to come apart. Wouldn't that be the same with the eRevo? Or can you change those bearings without taking the cups out? Of you can...wow. That's awesome. If you can't, then I don't see how it differs from the Arrma 6s diffs. Is checking tolerances while you have the diff apart that hard?

The other things you listed for the Kraton like servo mount and braces are not required. Neither is a bumper of you don't smack into stuff ? Big if though.

Anyway, the extent of my knowledge of the eRevo is the pile of them that are always at the LHS waiting to be fixed. That's the truth. But I've never even really looked closely at one.

Revo chassis is all plastic. V1 and V2. Probably why it feels lighter than my outcast/savage flux... well, the v1 anyway. The v2 has larger diff gears, steel outer shafts (not sure if steel center).

One thing that does stink about it is the way they designed the battery trays. Your forced to stick within a very narrow window of packs as the battery trays are fully enclosed. Probably works fine with 5000mah 3S long packs. I only run 2S 7200/7400 hard case packs in my v1 erevo.

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

Revo chassis is all plastic. V1 and V2. Probably why it feels lighter than my outcast/savage flux... well, the v1 anyway. The v2 has larger diff gears, steel outer shafts (not sure if steel center).

One thing that does stink about it is the way they designed the battery trays. Your forced to stick within a very narrow window of packs as the battery trays are fully enclosed. Probably works fine with 5000mah 3S long packs. I only run 2S 7200/7400 hard case packs in my v1 erevo.

Yeah, the biggest 3s packs you can put in the new one are SMC 7200’s but I just run Traxxas 5000’s, I’ll probably run hobbystar 5600’s in the future.

 

[bicketybam]

Revo chassis is all plastic. V1 and V2. Probably why it feels lighter than my outcast/savage flux... well, the v1 anyway. The v2 has larger diff gears, steel outer shafts (not sure if steel center).

One thing that does stink about it is the way they designed the battery trays. Your forced to stick within a very narrow window of packs as the battery trays are fully enclosed. Probably works fine with 5000mah 3S long packs. I only run 2S 7200/7400 hard case packs in my v1 erevo.

So a Kraton chassis will bend on a huge hit. What happens if you pound an eRevo? The chassis is unbreakable?

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

So a Kraton chassis will bend on a huge hit. What happens if you pound an eRevo? The chassis is unbreakable?

Yeah essentially.

An aluminum will bend a very long time before plastic cracks, or at least in the e revo’s case it’s just designed very well (chassis wise)

Like I said above, a normal aluminum bend after tons of bad landings at skate parks (10-30 degrees), a plastic chassis won’t be phased at all. It’s only if you smash into a curb at top speed, a plastic chassis will crack. I’d equate it to a 60 degree aluminum bend, as stated above. Meaning, IT TAKES FORCE.


I don’t know why this is news to people lol. Plastic chassis trucks have always been better than aluminum ones at taking high air for as long as the hobby has been around. OBVIOUSLY YES, BOTH TRUCKS ARE GODLY AT TAKING AIR.

 

[olds97_lss]

An aluminum will bend a very long time before plastic cracks, or at least in the e revo’s case it’s just designed very well (chassis wise)

Like I said above, a normal aluminum bend after tons of bad landings at skate parks (10-30 degrees), a plastic chassis won’t be phased at all. It’s only if you smash into a curb at top speed, a plastic chassis will crack. I’d equate it to a 60 degree aluminum bend, as stated above. Meaning, IT TAKES FORCE.

I hit a tree with mine (4S) at WOT in flight and it shattered my front diff/bulkhead, but the chassis didn't break. I was surprised to say the least. I figured the thing was going to be snapped in half. Again, mine is the v1.

 

[bicketybam]

So I never got an answer about the diffs....stock fluids and bearings. Does anyone change the diff fluid? Do you have to take the diff apart to change the two bearings in the outside?

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

So I never got an answer about the diffs....stock fluids and bearings. Does anyone change the diff fluid? Do you have to take the diff apart to change the two bearings in the outside?

Look I spent a long typing this reply so please read it, it answers all your questions.

I enjoy friendly debates like this! Here’s my side.

The e revo actually comes with sealed bearings. Every single one, sealed. That actually surprised me when my senton came and the bearings weren’t sealed. I thought that was the norm for the hobby, having sealed bearings.

The chassis is plastic. I like that very much, because it doesn’t bend at all, it’ll crack if you send it 50 feet in the air and land front first but there’s only a few cases I’ve ever heard of that happening. When I say 50 feet, I’m not exaggerating, at all. I highly prefer plastic chassis vehicles aluminum. My main reason being, if you have a truck like the e revo, if you don’t screw up and actually land with the wheels towards the ground on every jump, and I’m talking up to 50 feet high, nothing breaks. Literally nothing, chassis can’t bend, it’s plastic. The only things that do break are when you as the driver physically mess up. The aluminum chassis on other trucks can and will bend if you don’t land completely flat. Seen it and heard it. And most of the times that a driver error bends an aluminum chassis, plastic won’t be phased at all. If you cracked a plastic chassis, I’d equate that to a 6061 3-4mm chassis being bent 60 degrees. (Which, never happens, unless you hit a curb at top speed.)

Point is, normal aluminum bending slowly after tons of bashes, plastic just doesn’t have any effect. It only breaks if it’s an extremely extremely hard hit.

And with the difference between arrma diffs, it’s actually night and day. The e revo’s diffs are way oversized compared to the arrma 6s diffs... I’m talking like WAY oversized. Obviously, the arrma ones are fine on 6s, but I just want to make it clear that the new e revo’s diffs dwarf the arrma’s, Traxxas reallly got the message clear from the old e revo’s small diffs lol!

And yes, you are right on the stuff that are not required, but I’ve heard that the steering is extremely vague until you buy a new mount, and god forbid you install a servo with enough torque to turn the front wheels, that mount just bends. Seen it, and heard it. I will agree with you on the bumper thing, but then again, the e revo has one, so the Kraton should too! And even if you don’t agree with that, the e revo doesn’t need the toe link upgrade at the rear at all. so that balances out.

Fluid wise, it’s actually great stock. Only a few have had ones that weren’t fully filled. Center is 1 million, rear is 70 and I believe front is 30. The rear could be 50 though, I’m not tooo sure. It suits the truck perfectly for how I like to bash. Wish arrma didn’t fill theirs with water LOL

Edit: click expand quote, I bolded the diff section that you want to read in it. And the first paragraph talks about the bearings.

In arrma’s defense, I haven’t had problems with the non sealed bearings. Then again, I don’t take it near water if I can avoid it. My e revo is a submarine at this point, only bearings I’ve killed were in the center diff but that was when my motor seized at 50mph and they were physically torqued to the side. I don’t blame them.

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

I hit a tree with mine (4S) at WOT in flight and it shattered my front diff/bulkhead, but the chassis didn't break. I was surprised to say the least. I figured the thing was going to be snapped in half. Again, mine is the v1.

Yeah that’s the norm. Even on 6s WOT it doesn’t hurt the chassis. The bulkhead and bumper always take the hit time after time again. The only time I’ve ever heard of a chassis on an e revo snapping (2.0) was I believe FnFancy, but he said he was definitely sending it absolutely to the moon and landing horribly, can’t remember the thread. The 1.0 wasn’t too different chassis wise, and I haven’t heard of many breaking that chassis either. Not to say it hasn’t been done, but definitely has been done WAY LESS than an arrma chassis has been bent. Obviously, a bulkhead is a pain to replace, but at least you don’t have to strip the whole truck down.

 

[bicketybam]

I appreciate the response! Look - I don't harbor any ill feelings of which trucks you prefer. Hell, if I could only keep one RC it would be my Losi SRR. And if it were 2, the regular Rock Rey would be right up there fighting for the spot. We like what we like. The only nitpick I would have is you claiming you have to do all these things to make the Kraton a tank and the eRevo is basically a tank out of the box. I am having a hard time swallowing that.

Didn't take long to find this: https://www.rctech.net/forum/rookie-zone/1021495-e-revo-2-0-diff-problem.html

Anyway I am glad you like your eRevo. No hate here

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

I appreciate the response! Look - I don't harbor any ill feelings of which trucks you prefer. Hell, if I could only keep one RC it would be my Losi SRR. And if it were 2, the regular Rock Rey would be right up there fighting for the spot. We like what we like. The only nitpick I would have is you claiming you have to do all these things to make the Kraton a tank and the eRevo is basically a tank out of the box. I am having a hard time swallowing that.

Didn't take long to find this: https://www.rctech.net/forum/rookie-zone/1021495-e-revo-2-0-diff-problem.html

Anyway I am glad you like your eRevo. No hate here

Same to you! One day I plan to pick up a dbxl e


Also do you understand what self righting is? Literally going from full speed reverse to full speed forward with no brakes in between. That is definitely nit picking if you’re saying thats a bad thing, because a normal 8th scale diff would completely strip the ring gear LoL.

That’s why nobody uses the feature. If your Kraton flips over, do you go full speed forward and then go full speed reverse until it flips over onto its wheels? Orrr would you go over there and flip it over yourself. The stuff I said was needed, you need a new chassis brace if you want to jump high, you need a new servo mount if you upgrade to a high torque servo that’s also needed. On a Kraton, you’re not going to try and self right. Actually never mind that’s impossible, because the esc would force you to use the brakes in between.


That sounded a lot meaner than I meant it by the way.

 

[tjf]

Many people on this forum came from running Revo 2 with great disappointment and very happy now running Kratons. I have been a Ford technician for 25 years and can assure you that diffs. on any rc or full size vehicle require proper shimming to last and function properly.

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

Many people on this forum came from running Revo 2 with great disappointment and very happy now running Kratons. I have been a Ford technician for 25 years and can assure you that diffs. on any rc or full size vehicle require proper shimming to last and function properly.

Like I said, whatever you run, if you like it than that’s what it’s all about. Personally and everyoneelseilly, the e revo 2.0 doesn’t need shims at all. 1% of people do put them in, but they’re usually people from arrma (which is why it’s 1% because most people who go arrma stay arrma and I don’t blame them) who are just used to doing it, the 99% of us aren’t used to doing it so we don’t, and we don’t have issues. Whatever the case may be, the revo and the Kraton are both fantastic trucks, which aren’t even competitors.

 

[bicketybam]

Like I said, whatever you run, if you like it than that’s what it’s all about. Personally and everyoneelseilly, the e revo 2.0 doesn’t need shims at all. 1% of people do put them in, but they’re usually people from arrma (which is why it’s 1% because most people who go arrma stay arrma and I don’t blame them) who are just used to doing it, the 99% of us aren’t used to doing it so we don’t, and we don’t have issues. Whatever the case may be, the revo and the Kraton are both fantastic trucks, which aren’t even competitors.

I've shimmed every RTR I've owned. It's not just an Arrma thing, lol ?

 

[Peeeenuuutt]

I've shimmed every RTR I've owned. It's not just an Arrma thing, lol ?

Gonna be honest I’ve never shunned any RC for all 13 years. Given all I’ve owned is Traxxas until I got my senton (aside from hpi but they also didn’t need shimming) and they tend to keep the tolerances extremely tight. I’m still not doing it on my senton, too lazy, but I’m probably gonna do it now because the diffs are a little worse for wear.