Semi budget backyard crawler build

[flm_savage]

Its wednesday finally!!!! UPS is normally here around 2-3 and i work until 5 so i should have a good but installed on it before the end of the day. I placed my maxamps order on the 24th (last thursday) and it changed status to in-process on the 25th but as far as i know it still hasn't shipped. I still need to get a spektrum RX for it or i will be robbing the esavage to get the crawler going. haha

i hate hassling companies about parts but i contacted Maxamps about the pack just now. He said all packs are made to order and lead time is 24-48 hours. "In stock" means they have the cells needed to make the pack. So i order on the 24th and its in process on the 25th, its now the 30th and still no shipment. It just stinks that you have to order batteries more than a week in advance. I should have gotten the pack from you charlie. bah, oh well.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Would you like me to send it in the mail today? Maxamps is usually really fast on their shipping. If you would have emailed them when you placed your order and let them know that you were in an extra special hurry for them, they probably would have jumped through hoops for you. I know how it is to wait on something, but I don't think a week or so is a bad time to wait since the batteries are being custom built and stuff. If they had poor quality and poor customer service, I would feel completely different. But because of everything that they go through to offer good customer service and only fresh cells, I think it's worth the wait. I could get these in the mail to you today and you'll have them for the weekend, but I probably need to ship them to your house via USPS in case they don't make it for Friday, they will be there Saturday for sure.

 

[flm_savage]

its all good man. i can strap a big fat 6000 or 8000 lipo to it if i really need to. I certainly appreciate it.

 

[robmob]

MaxAmps has become a victim of their own success. Ever since their 5000mah pack won the readers choice award at RCCA, I suspect the orders increased dramatically. You can imagine they can’t just have any Joe off the street building packs and the people they have doing it can only build so many in a day. It has been taking up to 2 weeks for them to get the pack to your door after order placement.

Repeat business and word of mouth is what has built MaxAmps. If you contact them and let them know your situation, they will do what they can to accommodate you. I placed an order for a 2S 5000mah weighed race pack 12 days before I needed it to race. On the 8th day it still hadn’t shipped and I contacted them. They responded that they will get it the next day and I would have it by Sat at the latest. I was bummed since racing was on Sat. Low an behold it shipped on that day and I had it on Fri. Top notch customer service.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

MaxAmps has become a victim of their own success. Ever since their 5000mah pack won the readers choice award at RCCA, I suspect the orders increased dramatically. You can imagine they can’t just have any Joe off the street building packs and the people they have doing it can only build so many in a day. It has been taking up to 2 weeks for them to get the pack to your door after order placement.

Repeat business and word of mouth is what has built MaxAmps. If you contact them and let them know your situation, they will do what they can to accommodate you. I placed an order for a 2S 5000mah weighed race pack 12 days before I needed it to race. On the 8th day it still hadn’t shipped and I contacted them. They responded that they will get it the next day and I would have it by Sat at the latest. I was bummed since racing was on Sat. Low an behold it shipped on that day and I had it on Fri. Top notch customer service.

I have a very similar situation. I needed a certain size battery pack for my crawler with a current discharge rate. They were out of the cells and wouldn't have them in for a week or two. This was about 7 days before my first big comp. I contacted them to let them know that I was REALLY needing that size battery, and wanted to know if they had a competitor with a battery that would work, until they got their cells in. In about 15 minutes I got an email from Jason stating that he would be able to make something happen. About 30 minutes after that, Jason emailed me again. One of the employees had bought some of these cells for a custom project. Jason told me that he would get the cells built and shipped in about 2 to 3 days and I should have them in time for the comp. About 3 hours later, I got an email that my order had shipped. I contacted maxamps and told them that it must have been a mistake, because I hadn't even paid for the batteries yet, and it was supposed to take a few days to build them. Sure enough, they replied. Jason had them rush built right there on the spot and shipped them to me that day so I wouldn't lost another day in the mail. He was so concerned with me having them in time for the comp that he just shipped them and trusted me to pay. The only other service that I've had that good was from Joe at East End Machining, and I will always be a maxamps customer because of that, unless they really screw me over.

 

[flm_savage]

i am just impatient right now. their stuff is worth the wait, i just wish i would have ordered a few weeks ago. i am going to get everything installed tonight and i'll post pictures tommorow morning.

lets talk power for a little while.

Do you think there is a limit on how much power is needed? I know the goat setup is strong but its for sure not the strongest out there. Not by a long shot. If its got enough power to crawl over everything you throw at it, is there a reason (other than bragging rights) to go with something stronger? I am looking at all the mamba max + 7T puller setups and wondering if thats where i need to be. The goat motor is only 119 watts and that seems VERY lame considering my HV 6.5 is a little 730. I already have a mamba (unless charlie buys it) and a 7T is only 80 bucks away.

dang it, typing this makes me want the 7T. I am sure it would be great on a 2S as well. what to do, what to do,

 

[alpinehyperlite]

I have had no problem with power, and I'm using a brushed 55t novak. Honestly, if i had anymore power, id be breaking stuff when it gets bound up in the rocks.

 

[flm_savage]

i also wonder if my little 2S lipo pack would be enough for a 7T. screw it. i'll run the goat and if i need more i'll buy a 7T

 

[robmob]

I went with everything Charlie recommended to me.

I already have a Mamba Max so I have the Holmes 7T puller on the way and it will be powered with a Maxamps 3S 2000mah pack and Castle BEC.

To be safe I will be installing the slipper and MIP’s.

 

[flm_savage]

at least the goat has a 5A 6V bec on it. I don't really care about insane wheel speed on my crawler either. If i just have enough torque to make the truck cry then i am fine with it. the esavage is what i use for my wheelspeed rig.

I have a 12XX 2S lipo on the way from maxamps, MIP shafts, and the artr comes with a slipper i believe. I'll just try it out and see. If i told you i could make a motor that gave you precision ultra-low speed control but would also make your crawler go 75mph, would you buy it? I wouldn't. thats just sig-bling IMO. I'll know more after this weekend.

 

[robmob]

ARTR does not come with the slipper according to the Axial site.

http://www.axialracing.com/ftp/kit-artr-rtr.html

 

[CharliesTheMan]

The ARTR doesn't come with the slipper. I was hoping it did, but it's one of the only upgrades that didn't carry over from the RTR. The puller is WAY more than bragging rights. The puller is about 10 times smoother and better low speed throttle control, coupled with the improved wheel speed as well. The goat system will be ok for you for now. The puller/mamba combo will allow you to run more votage which will allow you to gear down lower, and give you better low speed handling, smoother operation and throttle control, and more torque at those low speeds. Also, you will have much better drag brake, and you wont have the roll out problem associated with the goat. But like I said, you're not wanting to get into comp crawling yet, and the goat is a nice system.

 

[flm_savage]

i'll never get into comp crawling since there is nowhere around me with decent rocks and i'm not gonna travel to be in one either. I just want to be able to hit the little river beds around here and never have my motor stall. I like low speed precision but i don't feel it has to be cutting edge to have fun. I'll have a review for you guys this weekend. I plan to put the goat through its paces and we'll see what i decide to run. Oh yeah, this came in...
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[CharliesTheMan]

If you want to try something but don't need the insane power of the puller, I would highly reccomend the Holmes Hobbies handwound 540 motors with a mamba max and LiPo. I'm running the holmes hobbies 35 turn with 3S LiPo and a mamba max in my comp rig, and will be running the same combo in my rig that I'm building just to test parts on and write reviews. In my opinion, it's one of the best motors on the market today for crawling, other than the puller motor. If you're looking for the smooth low speed throttle response and plenty of torque, without going as far as the puller motor, it's definitely the way to go. They come in many different winds, available on the holmes hobbies site. They are usually sold out of at least some of the winds because these motors have gotten so popular, the people can't wind them fast enough to keep up with the demand.

 

[robmob]

i'll never get into comp crawling since there is nowhere around me with decent rocks and i'm not gonna travel to be in one either. I just want to be able to hit the little river beds around here and never have my motor stall. I like low speed precision but i don't feel it has to be cutting edge to have fun. I'll have a review for you guys this weekend. I plan to put the goat through its paces and we'll see what i decide to run. Oh yeah, this came in...
Woooooooooooooo

sweeeeeeet!

 

[CharliesTheMan]

I used that body in the last comp, and once I trimmed off the fender flares, it worked very well for me. I really liked the body a lot once I saw it in person, and the axial paint job looks pretty good on the red and white one that I have.

 

[robmob]

I will be selling the ARTR body right off the bat since I won't need it.

I just went ahead and purchased the MaxAmps pack so I won't be sitting around waiting for it to arrive. Nothing worse than waiting for parts.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

I ordered a balancer from maxamps on Monday, and it got here today. I guess the just like me more than Kurt. I don't think it's because they just had to pack up the balancer and ship it and they actually had to build his batteries lol.

 

[flm_savage]

i'm convinced thats what it is

 

[flm_savage]

i got a little done to it and by far the coolest thing i have noticed is that the MIP front shafts take the dogbone play out of the front end. its amazing how that little 1/8th inch of play makes suck a big difference. that should certainly take some shock load off the ring and pinion from the constant stop and go.