Rustler R1E Project

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ahr43

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Recently decided to do something with my TRX Rustler based tagged R1E (Racer No. 1 Electric). Rustler components modified with an in-house CF chassis. Raced it full prep as a bracket truck 2005-2006. In 2018 modified it for no-prep street running. Since then it has been in attic storage.

Looking at a two-phase project. Phase one, since it is more or less set up for street use, will make some speed runs with a GNSS speed meter. Phase two, looking at conversion for use in my back yard grass track oval. Phase two alpha being a possible conversion to mid-motor for oval running.

Bottom chassis plate is 1/8" CF and seems rigid enough for the rigors of no jump, no bump grass track racing. So off I go. Hope you follow along. Cheers. 'AC'
 

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I'm tuned in. I love Rustlers. Have a couple myself. Love the CF chassis!
 
Thanks, guys, for the replies and interest. I'll try to keep it engaging. Got a start on the project yesterday. Will post project pictures later this week. Cheers. 'AC'
 
Here's the latest on the R1E project. Removed the rear struts and installed a pair of TRX short body shocks and a lightened TRX front bumper from the pit box. Easy enough to do.

Proving to myself yet again there is no '5-minute job', next tackled replacing the steering servo. Out with the indeterminate analog type and in with a used but serviceable ProTek 100T digital. Easy do...not. Whatever the make of the previous servo the ears were slightly narrower than standard. Not much, but enough to require enlarging the holes in the chassis for the servo mounts.

And, oh yeah, the splines were different too. W-a-y to the bottom of the pit box found a NIB Kimbrough 25-spline servo saver. Then had to chuck up a 3 x 10mm screw in the drill press and turn down the head to hold the saver to the servo shaft. Quick change of length on the steering rod and done at last.

Airtronics/Sanwa MX-V held its bind while in storage. A quick re-set to radio settings, servo centering and then a driveway roll test. Took a bit of R trim to get her to roll straight and true just like the old days. Cheers. 'AC'
 

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Monday morning Project R1E update. Got a GNSS Speed Meter located forward with velcro. Affixed a pair of TRX pin-drive Anaconda's to the narrowed and locked diff rear end. Dropped on a "next-gen" Rustler body in place of the older wider PL body originally used.
 

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Looking forward to the speed runs. You'll need to vent the top and rear of the body once you start hitting speeds of 70+MPH
 
70mph. Yikes, Greywolf. :eek:

Optimist, you are. My plan to motor up this project on 2s looks to achieving 50mph. That seems like a doable goal. And it keeps me out of the envelope requiring a lot of attention to aero.

Cheers. 'AC'
 
70mph. Yikes, Greywolf. :eek:

Optimist, you are. My plan to motor up this project on 2s looks to achieving 50mph. That seems like a doable goal. And it keeps me out of the envelope requiring a lot of attention to aero.

Cheers. 'AC'
Lol, copy that. 70 is possible on 3S but you have to start paying attention to aero and types of wheels and tires you're running. I went through a whole phase with the Rustler a dozen years back or so. Started hitting in the low 70s with 1/10 scale electronics and then eventually went full tilt speed run build with 1/8 scale electronics.
 
Ebaying my ST's to finance a MT purchase. That will free up a 2S power unit for this R1E project. Back burner the Rusty until then.

For now, this is the end. . . :(

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Ebay sales freed up a couple of power units sooner than expected. HobbyWing V10 17.5 and Xerun ESC on 2s get the call and install for now. Made a test run sans body today. Nothing fell off. R1E still has the 78T spur from drag racing days. Meshed it to a 20T pinion for a 3.90 final for starters.

Battery for today's run was my bench test 2s x 3500. Good enough for the few runs in front of the house. Locked rear diff makes for a wider turning circle. Gear diff install is on her shop work order. Need to raise the ride height a bit more. Looking for 1 1/8 or 1 1/4in. CF chassis is more vulnerable to street damage than she was to strip damage.

Coming together more as a street rod now than a speed runner. Which, when I think about it, is natural evolution for a drag car. Cheers. 'AC'
 

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Yesterday R1E got her chassis set-ups tweaked and ESC adjusted. Charged up and lashed in the 2s x 4600 LiPo shorty. Came next her graduation run out front of the house. GNSS clocked a 24mph run with radio set to 80% power and something less than full throttle pull. No room for a full throttle pass, run out and shut down here.

Thinking now this project has evolved to the sustainment and refinement phase. Keeping that in mind, will probably migrate the R1E to the 'On road and Rally Cars' sub forum in the near future. Bookmarking this thread for when I get around to finishing that RPM Rustler tranny for install.

Thanks for looking in and following along on this project. Cheers. 'AC'
 

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Finally got around to building the RPM tranny for the R1E. Fit a set of 32p gears in anticipation of an impending 3s upgrade once Rusty comes back on the bench. Wasn't sure how much room there was under the gear cover. Tallest ratio in the pit box was a 16/54 for a 3.37:1. O.k. for proof of concept. Have a set of 18/46 on the way for a 2.55:1. Went steel on the tranny gears, with a locker diff and full bearings. Added benefit of zero toe option on the rear arms. All in. Cheers. 'AC'
 

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Hey guys and gals,

Rusty is back on the project bench for upgrades and refinements. Coming are a new 3s power unit, tranny upgrade with 32P pinion and spur, and a bit of routine maintenance in preparation for the next series of runs. Cheers, mates. 'AC'
 

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Moving apace on the RPM tranny install. All that is left is transferring the half-shafts off the TRX tranny onto the RPM. The assembly then gets fixed to the chassis plate. Using 0-degree toe RR A-arm brackets that came with the tranny kit. Tranny mount holes on my CF chassis plate are not countersunk. Will have to measure FR center point to RR axle tips to ensure tranny is cinched down square with the chassis once everything is re-installed.

While about it, installed a pair of RPM HD 5x11mm hub carriers. Had them in the pit box for years. They finally got the call to duty.

Speaking of getting the call. Chows on. Gotta go. Thanks for looking in. Cheers. 'AC'
 

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RPM tranny and RR hub carriers install complete. Had a bind that would not let the suspension arms move freely. Pulled the RPM zero degree toe blocks and sanded the pin side until action freed up. Still more than enough material left on the toe blocks, so just one of those assembly things.

Fit the motor up and mounted the ESC. HW ESC comes with the provision to attach a mounting plate to the underside of the ESC. Five leads of 12ga wire really wants to leverage the ESC. Fastening it down with screws gave me a better feeling than double sided tape on this install. While about it, slipped in two thin flat washers to give a cooling air gap between the bottom of the ESC and the mounting plate. Have noticed in taking off other ESC's that the fastening tape is often bubbled up, indicating to me the bottom of the ESC was running hot. Even with a fan topside, think an air gap under the ESC will help cool it.

Next comes 12ga extension leads from the HW 4mm sockets to the 4mm motor plugs. XT90 connectors on order to finish out the connection to the 3s LiHV. Cheers. 'AC'
 

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