Slash 4x4 Ultimate dune bashing

[teason2023]

Hello,
I'm new to RC and got in middle east area Slash 4x4 Ultimate, as I wanted closed wheels and usually SC lighter and easier to run than e-revo, and other open wheel RC.
However, I've already cooked my Velineon 3500 by running:
1. without heatsink/fan motor (ESC with fan)
2. with sand/dust/dirt breathable mesh over chassis
3. with 3S battery
4. ambient at 33-35C
5. running half throttle Dune/Sand conditions with paddle tires

I currently have 2 issues:
1. It has too low airflow under mesh even without body. I think to stick new motor's fan to mesh to pull air from outside and create overpressure under it to push sand out. However I'm not sure will that traxxas 3456 fan push enough air in, so:
Can I hook PC's 12v high pressure motor to receiver? I have few from blade server chassis.

2. There is sand coming to middle chassis thru front driveshaft's hole to middle area, and since drive shaft spins fast, i thought to put some velcro tape around hole to reduce sand coming in, but it may catch and keep sand/rocks and overheat drive shaft.
Any ideas how to close it?

Please, share any comments on running slash in hot conditions and in desert sand.

 

[CharlieTuna]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[WickedFog]

Welcome to the forum. If you add the fan outside the chassis cover, I think will eventually destroy the fan, but it may work. But then you'll have to remove the fan to remove the cover. You would need a filter on the fan if you did that, at which point, you might as well just use the fan under the chassis cover.

 

[teason2023]

Welcome to the forum. If you add the fan outside the chassis cover, I think will eventually destroy the fan, but it may work. But then you'll have to remove the fan to remove the cover. You would need a filter on the fan if you did that, at which point, you might as well just use the fan under the chassis cover.

I thought simply to stick that breathable mesh/cover to motor sink's fan, so, it used as filter, using some clips, so you could detach it for maintenance. Traxxas motor has some cage, to prevent things coming into fan, so, should work. but yet again, not sure if it is powerful enough to push air in thru mesh.

Same idea with extra fan: find place to mount under mesh/cover and pin it to motor as filter. But, I would need to draw 12v with 0.5a current and may ballon cover, which is probably for good.

btw, this is how it looks after run in desert due to hole in front of chassis for driveshaft (early photo, no roll cage, no fan on ESC dirt/dust cover for non-lcg chassis)

 

[WickedFog]

The PC fan thing, I don't think that will work. You can buy high performance motor fans that will fit right on your motor heatsink. Not sure what sources you would have for them in your area, but here, we can get them from Amain, Amazon, ebay, etc.

As for the driveshaft, you could try creating a silicone grommet. Lube up the driveshaft with vaseline, and squeeze some silicone into the opening, making sure to spread it out to the chassis to hold it there. After it sets, the driveshaft should spin freely. But, and sand that gets in there is going to sand your driveshaft down.

 

[teason2023]

The PC fan thing, I don't think that will work. You can buy high performance motor fans that will fit right on your motor heatsink. Not sure what sources you would have for them in your area, but here, we can get them from Amain, Amazon, ebay, etc.

As for the driveshaft, you could try creating a silicone grommet. Lube up the driveshaft with vaseline, and squeeze some silicone into the opening, making sure to spread it out to the chassis to hold it there. After it sets, the driveshaft should spin freely. But, and sand that gets in there is going to sand your driveshaft down.

I will try once new motor and heat sink arrives. I've already got fan for motor's sink as it was local shipment, rest are from Amazon US. If it would not pull enough, let's see how it goes with PC fans, but I may need to draw directly from battery, as it is 12v for 3s
Hope that issue with sand coming from lcg front hole for driveshaft will go away with high pressure under cover (it will simply blow it off even if it comes in).

 

[WickedFog]

I will try once new motor and heat sink arrives. I've already got fan for motor's sink as it was local shipment, rest are from Amazon US. If it would not pull enough, let's see how it goes with PC fans, but I may need to draw directly from battery, as it is 12v for 3s
Hope that issue with sand coming from lcg front hole for driveshaft will go away with high pressure under cover (it will simply blow it off even if it comes in).

I just don't know how much positive pressure you're going to generate under a mesh cover. I doubt it will be enough to help much.

 

[teason2023]

I just don't know how much positive pressure you're going to generate under a mesh cover. I doubt it will be enough to help much.

12v with 0.5a is 6w just to blow I will record video if/once fitted, based on server equipment that is a lot.
However, main goal is to feed motor with almost fresh 35-50C degrees air from desert to hold temperatures below 100C.
For drive shaft, I will start with velcro, like tiny-little-brushes, but it cannot be fitted in a best way, as LCG hole it not hole, but some complex angled cut. I may evaluate running drive shaft thru bearing. but all of this adds extra friction and balancing issues


so, baby steps, at the moment, ESC fan still runs even after going thru all of that of sand. Just seems like LCG is least prepared for such sandy conditions.

 

[WickedFog]

Fit the velco with some Shoe Goo or silicone.

 

[islandlife]

I use these on my 3s senton and they help keep a lot of stuff out if the chassis tub, but not sure if it would help you in your situation or not
https://scorchedparts.co.uk/collections/traxxas-slash

 

[teason2023]

I use these on my 3s senton and they help keep a lot of stuff out if the chassis tub, but not sure if it would help you in your situation or not
https://scorchedparts.co.uk/collections/traxxas-slash

Thanks, looks good, I will try to get one here for non-dune bashing build (without dirt cover).
Here is example how is current configuration works: sand all over the place, but particles bigger than mesh, so, once you got some speed/wind it just blows off

 

[teason2023]

While it become roller without motor, I've took time to check other bearings, and 2 out of 4 bearings around rear axle crunching.
On my first run, I've cleaned car with water after, than it got rusted and I've started using WD40 to clean it.
Latest way of cleaning it was with simple foam (no anticorrosive or grease removing features) and air compressor.
My guess is, first 2 cleaning with water and wd40 and than running it in sand/high temperature destroyed bearings.
So, does slash has some optional rubber dusters, like on real car to protect bearing on axels?

 

[JCsRCcar]

Sand like that is destructive to any machine but especially the Traxxas Slash. It gets into bearings, gears, and motors and just ruins them. There is not much you can do other than not run it in sand or replace the bearings and other parts often.

 

[islandlife]

You could try fitting a stadium truck or buggy/truggy body to it so the tires are outside the body. That will keep the majority of the sand out of the tub.
Not as cool looking imo, but function trumps form sometimes!

 

[teason2023]

We don't have much choice here
I've ordered 2 sets of beating and that was my first time to strip car up to differentials, really surprised it is not that hard, but really messy if you run car in sand.
BTW, I cannot say it is same for 1:1 cars: yes, some rubbers covers crunches from heat, but even then it does not immediately fails with sand exposure. Meanwhile, my colleague who brought me to RC runs E-Revo and have not got any issues for 2 years.

You could try fitting a stadium truck or buggy/truggy body to it so the tires are outside the body. That will keep the majority of the sand out of the tub.
Not as cool looking imo, but function trumps form sometimes!

yes, i've ordered 1:10 cheap body to cover chassis and subframes. I need to fit it using scissors
however, at the moment it runs without body, as on video. So sand is free to escape and on speed blows off. But from tires it comes to front/rear towers/axels.

 

[DrFranz]

I can't really add anything to help out here but from the looks of your chassis you're not battling sand as much as silt, much finer from the look of it, and so a bigger problem. I've run my Rustler on the beach with paddle tires and a chassis cover and it's not as big a problem.

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I didn't see anyone mention gearing. If your running on factory gearing, you would likely need to gear down a bit. The sand and paddle tires put more strain on the motor/esc than driving on pavement or smooth dirt would.

Gearing down on the pinion or up on the spur would help a lot with your temp issues.

 

[F.R.S. Ninja_007]

Try not running in sand?