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Which motor would you recommend?

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Having seen a host of great buggies on the forum recently it's rekindled my interest in my old buggy I bought a few years back, a TL01B baja champ. I know it's not the most desireable or best performing but Id just like to give bit a bit more go. So I'm going to take a mini break from my monster truck rc's and build something a little quicker.

I'd like to improve the performance of my baja champ a little bit more before I step up to a higher level buggy. In preparation for this yesterday I fully stripped it down and ball raced it and added a 23 turn motor. I also replaced the old msc with an mtronics esc one rated down to a 15 turn motor. When I get this hotter motor I'll get a steel pinion to replace the alloy one. I'll have to look up the size of this though?

So which brushed motor rated up to 15 turns would you recommend? Is it best to get one slightly higher in turns to give the esc a bit of a margin so it's not running at full capacity? I'm after something which is a decent performer but isn't going to be too expensive. I've had a look out there and its a sea of different brands and I know some of you will have tons of experience with brushed motors so thanks in advance for any help.

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Think you will have to reinforce the frame/gearbox if you run a 15T. The TL like to split up front under strain.

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Do you think the 23 turn I've got is nearing the capabilities if the gearbox/chassis?

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I wouldn't say so. My father has been running a 19t LRP Rally Special in his TL01 rally car for years now with no gearbox issues whatsoever.

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God i remember running my old TL01 with a Reedy Fury 12x2 lol. With a steel pinion the gearbox held up fine. Bearings and front UJ's are a must though. As are aluminium wheel hex's. Apart from that you would be surprised at how much power the TL01 can handle :)

The TL01B suspension U bolt hinge pin is far better than the lower standard separate hinge pins, makes the car much stronger.

The biggest obstacle was the limited gearing options. But Carson used to do an aluminium adjustable motor mount that was very handy.

James

:)

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Thanks for the replies guys. I want to cut my teeth with this cheaper buggy first and by the response it sounds like it is capable of going a fair bit quicker :) .

I'll get the hex wheel nuts, got the bearings. Now to embarass myself. Are the front UJ's the arms which connect the servo to the front uprights? (Hiding behind the sofa with embarrassment :rolleyes: ).

I'll look up that carson motor mount too.

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No need to hide behind the sofa - we all started somewhere, and questions are welcome on this forum. :)

UJ is short for Universal Joint. They replace the dogbones and axles.

The arms that you are referring to are called tierods. They can be replaced with turnbuckles that allow for easy adjustment of toe angle.

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Thanks nito for the motor suggestion. The reviews are brilliant too. :) Think I'll get one and a new steel pinion at the same time.

Thanks for the kind words and explanation XV. Hopefully someday I'll be able to do the same for someone else that's were I am at the moment. :)

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The problem are the longer arms on the TL01B they put more strain on the chassis/gearbox.

You will need somekind of brace to keep the front together.

Have a look here at BHS

and remember lower turn motor better get a pinion with more teeth. (23T) :wacko:

lower turn (faster motor, less torque), smaller pinion. for a standard TL01 thats a 19T (thanks for correcting)

TL01%2520gear.PNG

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Thanks waterbock. Lots of things to consider in that link. Seems like the model has a few design weaknesses which seem to stem from it originally being a road going rc.

I think I'll have to think about which direction to take with it. As more speed tends to equal more damage and it seems to have a lot of weak spots that can get damaged. It might be better to put any money I'd spend on it towards another buggy which would be a step up from this one. A mid level one as opposed to an entry level one like this.

Thanks for the help guys. Its really appreciated.

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The problem are the longer arms on the TL01B they put more strain on the chassis/gearbox.

You will need somekind of brace to keep the front together.

Have a look here at BHS

and remember lower turn motor better get a pinion with more teeth. (23T)

Other way round buddy. Lower turn motor = you need a smaller pinion or you will burn the motor up.

There is alot of TL01 stuff on ebay and not all official Tamiya stuff, so front universal driveshafts can be had for a decent price. :)

James

:)

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Thanks james I'll have a look. :)

I thought I would need a 19 tooth pinion .6 mod but my knowledge isn't were I'd like it to be so didn't say anything lol. I think with the carson motor mount you mentioned you can go to a 16t pinion which would be even better.

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I think I'll have to think about which direction to take with it. As more speed tends to equal more damage and it seems to have a lot of weak spots that can get damaged. It might be better to put any money I'd spend on it towards another buggy which would be a step up from this one. A mid level one as opposed to an entry level one like this.

That is not a bad idea. The TL01B can handle plenty of power with a few minor upgrades, but it really doesn't like collisions at speed. After seeing how spectacularly my brother-in-law's TL01B disintegrated when hitting a curb at full pelt on a 15T brushed motor, I built mine with a silver can, keeping my faster motors for my DF02 and more recently my TT02B. Both handle impacts a lot better, especially the TT02B which is very well-designed in this respect.

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Thanks waterbok for the updated post with diagrams.

I can see where this is heading. I'll end up buying the upgrades for this AND another buggy. :lol: XV which buggy would you have if you could only have one between your DF02 and TT02B? I have to admit the neo scorcher builds are what rekindled my interest in my buggy.

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XV which buggy would you have if you could only have one between your DF02 and TT02B? I have to admit the neo scorcher builds are what rekindled my interest in my buggy.

Well, of the two, the DF02 has the tougher drivetrain, but the TT02B has the tougher chassis. However the TT02B is cheaper than the DF02, so for the price of a DF02 you can buy a TT02B, fit it with DF02 diffs, and have the best of both worlds. That would be my recommendation.

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Or look in the classified sales and buy supergripper (aka, Lee's) DB01R which is what i race locally. Its an awesome chassis and can be had for very little ££. If i wasnt due to move house soon I would buy it myself in a heartbeat.

The DB01R can handle pretty much any motor / esc combo and can take some abuse. :)

James:)

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Thanks for the suggestions XV and James. I think I like the idea of buying the TT02B and uprating the diffs. No doubt the one that super gripper is selling is a higher spec buggy and probably cost a lot more in parts than he's asking with the upgrades he's throwing in. I love buying new kits though and while financially it makes sense to get one someone has already built to a good spec I love building them from the start and upgrading things bit by bit myself.

Plus who doesn't love the arrival of a new kit. :)

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How does the DF03 compare in all this? 180 euro at Tamico with 1.38 £ to euro exchange rate, £130ish.

Cheers

Nito

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The DF03 has a higher spec on paper, but is a relatively fragile beast compared to a TT02B, with a fast-wearing alloy idler gear for which the steel upgrade is very difficult to source. I was contemplating buying one a few months ago, but decided on the TT02B instead as I wanted something tough and easy to find parts for.

The DT03T looks like fun, and is on my wishlist, however it is neither 4WD nor a buggy, so I am not sure direct comparisons are possible. Nice-looking kit though!

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I had condsidered the df03 too but had heard members mention issues with the gears which has put me off. I think its defo the tt02b for me. In pink! :o

Jim gtr mention a carson motor mount. I found this one which is listed as for the hornet and others. Will it be suitable? It would allow me to use a 16t pinion which would help with another issue as this chassis was originally designed for an on road application with smaller wheels. I've heard of overheating issues with lower turn motors and the 19t pinion and the larger buggy wheels.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tamiya-Hornet-Adjustable-Motor-Mount-Kit-Gear-Cover-Lunchbox-Grasshopper-16t-22t-/301543914983?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item46356afde7

I'm following the site rules. If you can't make your mind up on two things, do/get both! :lol: I'm ordering the tt02b and upgrading this. :)

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No that motor mount wont work. It has to be an aftermarket one specifically for the TL01. They are very handy but hard to come by now, but they do pop up now and then.

James

:)

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Thanks James :) . I'll keep my eyes peeled for a TL01 version. :ph34r:

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