Wheely King Basher Project

[Webbage]

First official bash after christening the WK. I'm taking a few days off work to get my head in order for the last big push no a project, and what better way to unwind than to get out in the fresh air and bash my truck about for a while. I found a big log in the garage, and an absolutely perfect ramp. I set em up on the driveway on an area away from the flower bed (had a few unfortunate accidents regarding that and my WK, thought it was best to keep away ) with a good long run up. Oh and I took my DSLR Camera too.

I've posted up a few samples of the best shots from the day below, but I took over 140 pictures in all (I was running on continuous shooting and peeling off about 4 shots for every pass). I found it really is tricky holding an SLR and ramping a R/C car, especially as out driveway isn't that even and threw the truck off a lot. Still I got some sweet shots off as I got better at lining the truck up. Hope ya like em. If you want to see all the picks I took off the reel they are at: http://flickr.com/photos/pixel_mason/sets/72157607490429476/

JUMPS:

ROLLOVER SEQUENCE:

SPEED SHOTS:

I ran my A123 packs off my Axial on it and the 9.9V really made it a lively and fun truck to drive. I'm still running the stock EXC and 27T motor that came with it RTR. They run okay on 7.2V stick packs but the 9.9V A123s really make em run at their best. The lack of weight also makes the whole rig handle a lot lighter. I dunno, I spent quite a lot on my 4500 mAh 7.2V pack so I feel like I ought to use it, but it runs better on 9.9V A123s, burt those are only 1100mAh.

I've been told that fast charging NiMH can make it push out power better by a friend of mine who's run drift and race cars for years. I kinda take his word as one with plenty of experience behind it. Anyone else got any findings to agree or disagree wit that?

 

[CharliesTheMan]

I've never heard that, but you can't hurt a pack that big by fast charging it IMO, unless you're talking about really excessive charge rates. I charge my nimh at fairly high rates, probly 4-6 amps, but thats also because I don't care much about them like I do my LiPo packs. Have you thought about adding a few more cells to your nimh pack so you can still use it, and get the voltage out of it that you're looking for? That's crazy that the stock ESC and motor are handling that much voltage with no problems.

 

[Webbage]

Sadly, the battery cvarrier on the WK won't take anything bigger than a 6-cell NiMH. I'm looking at imporving the motor and ESC to get the best out of the high-current NiMH packs I've got. Mu buddy, who runs the drift cars, has lent me a 15T limit ESC and a 19T drift motor which he claims has bags of torque (unlike the 19T Tamiya I used). If the 19T Drift motor doesn't work I've got a hand-wound 27T on the way from a guy in the UK (I'd have bought a JRH but customs fees and shipping killed the idea) that might work well instead.

I did a bit of bashing on the off-road course next to the comp that I was at today, and although it's not that fast it was doing some swell jumps off their skateboard ramp. Wasn't quite as impressive as the guy with the Traxxas Slash though

The Stock ESC is pretty hardly Voltage wise, it just doesn't like being run against low turn motors. HPI don't state any maximum voltage, though I'd imagine it tops out at about 10V from my experience. That said it barely even got warm at 9.9V on a stock motor.

 

[Webbage]

Lunatic Motors brigade part 2...

At the crawler comp at the week end my friend, who drift as his main sport (while casually finishing third in his first ever comp running a pretty stock AX-10 ARTR - the baaarstard) lent me a 19T Drift motor and 15T ESC. Gonna see what it's capable of tomorrow night. It feel like it's got torque to burn this time, as well as the insane speed. My arms actually hurting from holding it still while I ran it up for a test.

 

[Webbage]

The 19T my friend lent me had bedded in too well in forwards and running it in reverse, as you have to in the WK with the chassis reversed, meant the brushes were all out f whack. It wasn't running right so I pulled it.

He did, however, also clean up and re-com-true my old 19T Tamiya Dynatech 01R motor, and I assembled it with new brushes. Because the brushes were not bedded in, it runs fine and dandy in reverse. And with a properly trued and cleaned up com, and new brushes, it goes like hell on wheels

I ran it out this afternoon on 7.2V packs and it was awesome, I'm gonna run it out on 9.9V packs tomorrow and see what kind of insane speeds it'll do

 

[Webbage]

Well, as you probably guessed, I fitted the Brushless kit in my WK today. Man what an insane rig. I defy anyone to not have fun driving it now.

I've so far only run it on 7.2V NiMH, but I plan on taking it out tomorrow and running my 9.9V A123s on it to see how mentally fast it is then. I can see something getting badly broken before tomorrow is out

Also got the plastic out and ordered more parts. On the way are:

Traxxas Victory 2.8" wheels & tyres (Jato rears)
Metal Tranny Gears
HD Ring/Pinion gears
Aluminium T-Maxx shocks

I'm also looking at returning the upper links to single point triangle-frames to try and mitigate the axle sway I'm getting on landings. I've bent 3 of my 4 shock shafts because of it I also need to sort out where the shocks and lower links mount toi the axles as they keep moving around because they are rotated.

These things are never quite 'done' are they - I guess that's where the fun is

 

[Webbage]

The tri-frame conversion on the upper links worked great. It's stopped it slewing the axle around so it steers and drives load better and lands jumps a ton better too (except when one of the bent shocks jams). Now I can go insanely fast.. in a straight line!

All I gotta watch is I don't steer too much or the tail comes around real fast LOL. It's a ton of laughs to play with.

 

[Lessen]

These things are never quite 'done' are they - I guess that's where the fun is

No, they certainly are not. My T-Maxx has been through a couple of "builds" since I first got it. In all reality it's not even the same truck as when I first built it.

 

[Webbage]

No, my Wheely King isn't really a Wheely King any more either. Most of it is replacement metal parts, it's gonna be on new shocks and wheels shortly too.

The ironic part about it is all I need is some axles, upper links and shocks and I could actually build another stock Wheely King out of the spares!!

 

[rckid91]

Thats looking really nice man now throw on an erevo brushless system! lol then youd really need some suspension work

great build man keep it rollin

 

[Webbage]

Thats looking really nice man now throw on an erevo brushless system! lol then youd really need some suspension work

great build man keep it rollin

's already running 1 5700kV Brushless, I think 2 would tear the poor thing apart!! It's an interesting idea though, dual motor done one-forward-one-back like the E-REVO would actually work quite well in that chassis. I still don't think the transmission would hold even with metal gears though!

 

[rckid91]

what brushless system you have in it? Ever fix your radio system?

 

[Webbage]

I'm running a HPI Flux Warp system (rebadged Castle Sidewinder). It's a good little system for the cash I laid out for it and as I already run a Sidewinder in my Axial I have the CastleLink to program it and know the ESC inside out.

I fitted a Spektrum AR6100 receiver and use it with my DX6i. That's fixed the radio problems pretty well . To be fair I fixed the issues wit the AM radio anyway, I re-routed the aerial along the side of the chassis inside a metal tube and out through the aerial pipe, keeping it away from the ESC and motor.

 

[rckid91]

nice! that thing has to haul now lipos?

 

[Webbage]

I don't use LiPo so I haven't got any LiPo packs to hand to try. It moves like a cat with it's ass on fire even on 7.2V NiMH. I'm almost scared to run it on 3S LiPo in case the drivetrain gives up

I've got metal gears and HD rings and pinions on the way. Maybe when I've got those in I'll try LiPo on it.

Does running 2S LiPo make much of a difference over 6-cell NiMH?

 

[Lessen]

Does running 2S LiPo make much of a difference over 6-cell NiMH?

Oh yeah. First off there is a .2V increase, plus the weight difference is HUGE. It's especially big in lighter 1/10 scale vehicles

 

[Webbage]

Ahh hell yeh I know the stick packs I use weigh a lot, probably a good third of the weight of the truck all told. Would the extra power capability of a 15-20C LiPo make any difference to the performance?

I think my 4500mAh NiMH pushes out 30A cont. and 50A peak. That's about 7-11C by my calculations. Would a 15C or 20C offer any better power to the motor?

 

[Webbage]

I have a problem. I bought 4 Traxxas Jato rear wheel/tyres for my WK. Put em on. They look STUPID

Way too small. *sigh*

 

[Webbage]

I hereby declare this is the end.

I had a lot of fun doing this project and it turned out insane. Too insane. It's breaking front shocks every time I take it out and the solid axle setup is just not stable enough for the speeds I'm getting from the BL motor.

I need something purpose made for fast fun that I can drop my existing BL motor and stick packs into. What do you guys suggest? A Slash maybe? Or a Rustler? Maybe an E-Firestorm (which the Flux was made for)?

 

[SMaxxin]

I hereby declare this is the end.

I had a lot of fun doing this project and it turned out insane. Too insane. It's breaking front shocks every time I take it out and the solid axle setup is just not stable enough for the speeds I'm getting from the BL motor.

I need something purpose made for fast fun that I can drop my existing BL motor and stick packs into. What do you guys suggest? A Slash maybe? Or a Rustler? Maybe an E-Firestorm (which the Flux was made for)?

Let me know if your interested in a Rustler, I have one that I have been thinking about selling.