ECX Ruckus Questions

[JustRambRex]

Hello, new here so I bought my son the 1/10 ruckus a couple years ago with a 5000 mAh 7.4v 2s 20c battery. I recently bought a bigger battery 5200 mAh 7.4v 2s 80c ran it then the motor overheated and died on me. Any suggestion to what might have caused this? Last is there a good upgrade Motor/ESC for the battery I just bought that will fit the ruckus ? Thank you in advance for the advice.

 

[WickedFog]

Does the motor say what it is on it? I see they come with a Dynamite 380 sized motor, but it doesn't have any specs for it.

As far as what caused it... it is likely just normal usage caused it. The RC's on Amazon aren't the best quality. The battery had nothing to do with it.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[JustRambRex]

Hello, new here so I bought my son the 1/10 ruckus a couple years ago with a 5000 mAh 7.4v 2s 20c battery. I recently bought a bigger battery 5200 mAh 7.4v 2s 80c ran it then the motor overheated and died on me. Any suggestion to what might have caused this? Last is there a good upgrade Motor/ESC for the battery I just bought that will fit the ruckus ? Thank you in advance for the advice.

Dynamite ECX1072 15T

 

[biggman100]

Does the motor say what it is on it? I see they come with a Dynamite 380 sized motor, but it doesn't have any specs for it.

As far as what caused it... it is likely just normal usage caused it. The RC's on Amazon aren't the best quality. The battery had nothing to do with it.

Welcome to the forum.

Thats the 1/18TH scale Ruckus. The 1/10TH scale came with either a 15T or 20T Dynamite brushed motor.

Hello, new here so I bought my son the 1/10 ruckus a couple years ago with a 5000 mAh 7.4v 2s 20c battery. I recently bought a bigger battery 5200 mAh 7.4v 2s 80c ran it then the motor overheated and died on me. Any suggestion to what might have caused this? Last is there a good upgrade Motor/ESC for the battery I just bought that will fit the ruckus ? Thank you in advance for the advice.

Welcome to the asylum, as i always say. More than likely, the motor just wore out. Brushed motors arent nearly as durable, or as long lasting as brushless motors, especially if they dont receive any maintenance. Typically, once the brushed motor goes, most ECX owners upgrade to brushless, but, if you want to stick with brushed, there are a ton of cheap-ish 9T (Arrma), 12T (Traxxas and several other companies), and 15T 540 and 550 motors that are a direct replacement. Even the original ECX brushed motor isnt that expensive. One thing to make sure of, if you go with a brushed motor, is to make sure you properly break it in. There are tons of tips on here, and videos on YouTube on how to do a brushed motor break in. If you decide to go brushless, your best bet would be HobbyWing, although, there are other cheaper alternatives available. It all depends on which way you go with it, but, any questions you have, you can always ask here, or, in most cases, a search will show someone has already answered it. If you do ask on here, and dont get an answer (very unlikely), there is a dedicated ECX Forum: https://www.ecxforum.com/ as well.

Dynamite ECX1072 15T View attachment 162873

Thats the Dynamite 15T. You would have to check Horizon Hobby to see if that motor is even available, if you decide to just do a stock replacement. If its not, any of the other motors i listed will work in it. A 9T or 12T will make it a bit faster, but, will need a different pinion.

Last is there a good upgrade Motor/ESC for the battery I just bought that will fit the ruckus ? Thank you in advance for the advice.

I just realized you asked about upgrades. Sorry about that. There are a ton of ways you could upgrade it, from faster brushed motors, to brushless upgrades, of which, there are a lot of options. For the ECX 2WD 1/10TH stuff, i typically just pick up a Team Associated Reedy SC600BL ESC and 3300KV motor combo from either the DR10 drag car, or the SC10, or the Trophy Rat new off eBay. You can usually get them new for around $70. Another option is the Hobbywing WP-10BL60 paired with a 3300 or 3500KV 3650 motor. If you decide to go the HobbyWing route, and want something a bit more powerful, since the 10BL60 is only 60 amps, they also make a 120 amp ESC, but, for example, the 10BL120, as i recently learned, isnt waterproof, so, you really do have to research a bit to find one that is. The HobbyWing EZRun SC8 is waterproof though.

 

[nino]

Good advice up there... I had a Torment as my first RC, the short course version of that chassis. In my opinion a decent 60A ESC is enough, it's a light truck.

My brushed ECX had plastic gears in the transmission, so I had to upgrade that soon after i went brushless.

They're decent trucks, on par with Traxxas but cheaper. Unfortunately parts support and upgrades weren't that good, especially in Europe, so I got rid of it.

 

[biggman100]

Good advice up there... I had a Torment as my first RC, the short course version of that chassis. In my opinion a decent 60A ESC is enough, it's a light truck.

My brushed ECX had plastic gears in the transmission, so I had to upgrade that soon after i went brushless.

They're decent trucks, on par with Traxxas but cheaper. Unfortunately parts support and upgrades weren't that good, especially in Europe, so I got rid of it.

Good point. I didnt even think about the metal gear upgrade. As @nino said, that truck has all plastic gears in the transmission, so, if you do go brushless, at some point you will want to upgrade to the metal gears. ECX does make a kit to make it easy to do the conversion. The part number is ECX 9001. I've had both the Torment (which is just a Ruckus with short course tires and wheels and body) and a Ruckus, and, I'm currently building a beater Torment to bash with. From personal experience though, they will stand up to mild abuse on brushless power, but, nothing too extreme. In this video, in snow and cold, i blew both rear driveshafts at a concrete skate park on 2S, with a HobbyWing WP-10BL60 and cheap Chinese 3500KV 3650 motor:

Luckily, with very little work, HD driveshafts for a Traxxas Slash will work on the Torment and Ruckus.

 

[JustRambRex]

Good point. I didnt even think about the metal gear upgrade. As @nino said, that truck has all plastic gears in the transmission, so, if you do go brushless, at some point you will want to upgrade to the metal gears. ECX does make a kit to make it easy to do the conversion. The part number is ECX 9001. I've had both the Torment (which is just a Ruckus with short course tires and wheels and body) and a Ruckus, and, I'm currently building a beater Torment to bash with. From personal experience though, they will stand up to mild abuse on brushless power, but, nothing too extreme. In this video, in snow and cold, i blew both rear driveshafts at a concrete skate park on 2S, with a HobbyWing WP-10BL60 and cheap Chinese 3500KV 3650 motor:

Luckily, with very little work, HD driveshafts for a Traxxas Slash will work on the Torment and Ruckus.

Well first off thanks for all the responses and so much info to take in. So on the HobbyWing WP-10BL60 how did you mount that ? Can anyone explain the main difference between the 20c and 80c battery that I have and which is better? Sorry but I’m not 100% certain about the info I read on the discharge rate etc.

 

[nino]

80c should have more "punch". Theoretically the 20c one can supply 100 Amps, and the 80c one 5.2*80 = 416 Amps. Probably not, but it will probably feel zippier with that one.

By the way, you can buy a "disposable" brushed motor to keep you running while you decide. A https://holmeshobbies.com/motors/br...awlmaster-sport/crawlmaster-sport-550-8t.html would be a bit slower but run cooler and last longer than the original. Or even cheaper ebay/aliexpress ones. That motor you had in there is worth about 10$ anyway.

You mount the ESC with good double sided tape where the current ESC sits.

 

[WickedFog]

I just caught he asked about the 1/10 version of the truck. My bad.

For batteries, the thing you need to pay attention to is voltage, which is the "S" in 2s, 3s, 4s, etc. 2s is a 2 cell battery. Each LiPo cell delivers a max of 4.2v fully charged (except for high volt LiPo's, which are 4.35v). Nominal voltage is 3.7v, which is what batteries are classified at - 2s x 3.7v = 7.4v.

To give you an idea of what all the specs of LiPo's mean think of it this way:

mAh is like the size of a fuel tank. The bigger the tank, the farther your car will go. So more mAh means longer run times.

The C rating is like the size of the fuel line from the tank to the engine. The bigger it is, the more fuel it can deliver. So with a higher C rating, when you punch the throttle, the "juice" gets to your powerplant easier, with less resistance. This can translate to a peppier RC when you punch the throttle.

Voltage is sorta like the fuel octane. The higher it is, the faster the engine/motor will turn.

So when selecting a battery, first you need the correct cell count, and you have to make sure the pack fits your RC. Second, you want the most mAh you can get. And finally, the higher the C rating is, the more amperage the battery can deliver. Higher mAh and higher C rating generally means a higher price tag.

 

[biggman100]

Well first off thanks for all the responses and so much info to take in. So on the HobbyWing WP-10BL60 how did you mount that ? Can anyone explain the main difference between the 20c and 80c battery that I have and which is better? Sorry but I’m not 100% certain about the info I read on the discharge rate etc.

To mount the ESC, since it isnt the stock one, this is the best stuff to use: https://www.target.com/p/3m-extreme...FID=google&CPNG=Home+Improvement&adgroup=85-4 Clean both the bottom of the ESC, and the chassis where you are gonna mount the ESC with rubbing alcohol (just a little on a paper towel is all you need), and then stick the ESC to the chassis, press down on it a bit for a few seconds, then let it sit for a bit to let the tape stick. Its a bit pricey, but, the cheaper stuff doesn't hold nearly as well, and, the last thing you want is to have the ESC come flying out of the truck, so, the bit more in cost is definitely worth it.

 

[JustRambRex]

I just caught he asked about the 1/10 version of the truck. My bad.

For batteries, the thing you need to pay attention to is voltage, which is the "S" in 2s, 3s, 4s, etc. 2s is a 2 cell battery. Each LiPo cell delivers a max of 4.2v fully charged (except for high volt LiPo's, which are 4.35v). Nominal voltage is 3.7v, which is what batteries are classified at - 2s x 3.7v = 7.4v.

To give you an idea of what all the specs of LiPo's mean think of it this way:

mAh is like the size of a fuel tank. The bigger the tank, the farther your car will go. So more mAh means longer run times.

The C rating is like the size of the fuel line from the tank to the engine. The bigger it is, the more fuel it can deliver. So with a higher C rating, when you punch the throttle, the "juice" gets to your powerplant easier, with less resistance. This can translate to a peppier RC when you punch the throttle.

Voltage is sorta like the fuel octane. The higher it is, the faster the engine/motor will turn.

So when selecting a battery, first you need the correct cell count, and you have to make sure the pack fits your RC. Second, you want the most mAh you can get. And finally, the higher the C rating is, the more amperage the battery can deliver. Higher mAh and higher C rating generally means a higher price tag.

Thanks for breaking that down for me great explanation !!

 

[WickedFog]

Thanks for breaking that down for me great explanation !!

You are welcome. Glad it helped ya.

I should have added that more mAh and (typically) higher C rated batteries will be heavier also. So you end up with sort of a tradeoff. These two specs aren't going to make your RC faster, unless you are doing speed runs I suppose, but having a really high mAh battery can have a detrimental effect to your RC's performance due to the added weight. Which is why I typically stay below 6000mAh or so for our bashers.

 

[JustRambRex]

Thats the 1/18TH scale Ruckus. The 1/10TH scale came with either a 15T or 20T Dynamite brushed motor.


Welcome to the asylum, as i always say. More than likely, the motor just wore out. Brushed motors arent nearly as durable, or as long lasting as brushless motors, especially if they dont receive any maintenance. Typically, once the brushed motor goes, most ECX owners upgrade to brushless, but, if you want to stick with brushed, there are a ton of cheap-ish 9T (Arrma), 12T (Traxxas and several other companies), and 15T 540 and 550 motors that are a direct replacement. Even the original ECX brushed motor isnt that expensive. One thing to make sure of, if you go with a brushed motor, is to make sure you properly break it in. There are tons of tips on here, and videos on YouTube on how to do a brushed motor break in. If you decide to go brushless, your best bet would be HobbyWing, although, there are other cheaper alternatives available. It all depends on which way you go with it, but, any questions you have, you can always ask here, or, in most cases, a search will show someone has already answered it. If you do ask on here, and dont get an answer (very unlikely), there is a dedicated ECX Forum: https://www.ecxforum.com/ as well.

Thats the Dynamite 15T. You would have to check Horizon Hobby to see if that motor is even available, if you decide to just do a stock replacement. If its not, any of the other motors i listed will work in it. A 9T or 12T will make it a bit faster, but, will need a different pinion.

I just realized you asked about upgrades. Sorry about that. There are a ton of ways you could upgrade it, from faster brushed motors, to brushless upgrades, of which, there are a lot of options. For the ECX 2WD 1/10TH stuff, i typically just pick up a Team Associated Reedy SC600BL ESC and 3300KV motor combo from either the DR10 drag car, or the SC10, or the Trophy Rat new off eBay. You can usually get them new for around $70. Another option is the Hobbywing WP-10BL60 paired with a 3300 or 3500KV 3650 motor. If you decide to go the HobbyWing route, and want something a bit more powerful, since the 10BL60 is only 60 amps, they also make a 120 amp ESC, but, for example, the 10BL120, as i recently learned, isnt waterproof, so, you really do have to research a bit to find one that is. The HobbyWing EZRun SC8 is waterproof though.

Okay so I just started looking and found this https://www.amazon.com/GoolRC-Brush...3300kv+brushless+motor+and+esc,aps,320&sr=1-8

The shat diameter is 5mm vs my old one 3.175mm and the length is 17mm vs mine 15.5mm. All would have to do is get a spur gear to fit it correct?

 

[biggman100]

Okay so I just started looking and found this https://www.amazon.com/GoolRC-Brushless-Upgrade-Waterproof-3300KV/dp/B095GNR1N2/ref=mp_s_a_1_8_mod_primary_new?crid=FK3FCR9ZRO75&keywords=3300kv+brushless+motor+and+esc&qid=1680618482&s=toys-and-games&sbo=RZvfv//HxDF+O5021pAnSA==&sprefix=3300kv+brushless+motor+and+esc,aps,320&sr=1-8

The shat diameter is 5mm vs my old one 3.175mm and the length is 17mm vs mine 15.5mm. All would have to do is get a spur gear to fit it correct?

Yes, you would need a pinion to match the 5MM. However, from massive personal experience with GoolRC ESC's, they don't last very long. I bought several of the GoolRC combos, with different KV motors, only to have to replace every one of the ESC's in as little as a month. The motors are ok, but the ESC's are absolute garbage. Anymore, for light 2WD trucks, I either use the DR10 Reedy combo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2851381759...m397HDCTZC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY these are brand new, and Cash4RC is the seller I buy from on eBay the most, or, I pair this ESC: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1423851087...m397HDCTZC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY with either a 3300 or 3500kv cheap motor. The motors can usually be had for $25 or less.

That ESC lasted maybe 3 weeks in an Arrma Fury, which is basically the same weight and size as your Ruckus, running only on 2S 5200 MAH or nimh batteries.

 

[JustRambRex]

Yes, you would need a pinion to match the 5MM. However, from massive personal experience with GoolRC ESC's, they don't last very long. I bought several of the GoolRC combos, with different KV motors, only to have to replace every one of the ESC's in as little as a month. The motors are ok, but the ESC's are absolute garbage. Anymore, for light 2WD trucks, I either use the DR10 Reedy combo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2851381759...m397HDCTZC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY these are brand new, and Cash4RC is the seller I buy from on eBay the most, or, I pair this ESC: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1423851087...m397HDCTZC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY with either a 3300 or 3500kv cheap motor. The motors can usually be had for $25 or less.
View attachment 162892
That ESC lasted maybe 3 weeks in an Arrma Fury, which is basically the same weight and size as your Ruckus, running only on 2S 5200 MAH or nimh batteries.

Thanks a lot for your advice I appreciate it a bunch and I found everything I think I need. I’ll be ordering it soon and will let you all know how it goes. Thanks again

 

[JustRambRex]

Okay so I finally received both the ESC and the Reedy 3300 kv BM. Hope I wired it correctly lol which I believe I did. Now the only issue is the pinion gear is not mating with the spur gear as seen in the photos. Need advice again hahaha.

 

[WickedFog]

Looks like you need a bigger pinion.

 

[JustRambRex]

Looks like you need a bigger pinion.

I was looking at a 21T or 22T pinion which I can buy a set and have the size difference I guess. Thanks for the info

 

[biggman100]

Okay so I finally received both the ESC and the Reedy 3300 kv BM. Hope I wired it correctly lol which I believe I did. Now the only issue is the pinion gear is not mating with the spur gear as seen in the photos. Need advice again hahaha.

View attachment 163300

View attachment 163301

View attachment 163302

View attachment 163303

View attachment 163304

On this truck, you actually have 2 options. As @WickedFog said, you can get a larger pinion, but, another option is just to make the adjustment slot longer to fit the smaller pinions. If you do extend that slot though, it can make that part of the transmission weaker, so, what i did after making the slot longer was to use these screws: https://www.arrma-rc.com/en/product/large-cap-head-motor-screw-3x6mm-2/ARAC9700.html with these washers: https://www.amainhobbies.com/dubro-...5D_sUJfPT602sGflatemjC0dopUjMvaRoC8bUQAvD_BwE
That way, it helped that area from flexing too much, if at all. I also looked at possibly using these: https://www.amainhobbies.com/amr-4m...LwK9stoF4YnrwCoRYNI8A8GHwIAgpidRoCGSIQAvD_BwE
but wasn't sure if they would fit under the spur cover.

 

[nino]

I also lengthened the hole to get more range and used big washers because the plastic is soft...