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dimblum

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Everything posted by dimblum

  1. I have not tried the anerobic gel threadlock Tamiya makes, but I have used the blue liquid threadlock in the past and I think it is terrible for RC applications.. When you remove a screw from a liquid threadlock bond it will leave a hard crusty/gritty film on your screw threads that you need to scrape away if you plan to reuse the screw. Its a real pain and very unpractical. I cannot figure out why all the hobby shops stock liquid threadlock as "pretty much" their only choice... I use this threadlock product instead. It is my all time favorite for RC: http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-QuickStix-Th...e/dp/B000132VH6 It has a wax/paste type consistency, is much easier to work with than liquid and your screws come out clean if you need to remove them. ---- This is just my opinion after using several brands of threadlock. No offense to anyone who prefers liquid threadlock or had a better experience with it than I had. Hope this helps.
  2. I don't remember Tamiya being very clear on what oil to use for the gearbox (via the oil cap you can loosen with a screwdriver). I would imagine a very light spray of WD-40 would be fine.. It seems that they simply made the oil cap for convenience, so you would not have to disassemble the gearbox very often to re-grease it. In the long run, it would be better to partially disassemble the car and re-grease everything per the original build instructions. If the car still has plastic bushings where bearings should be (in the gearbox and front wheels), then you are better off installing a decent set of bearings as well to eliminate long term wear and to reduce overall friction to the moving parts. Hope this helps.
  3. I can help. I'm located in California - same state as the RC4WD company. Send me a private message and I'll give you my shipping information.
  4. Parma used to make a lightweight axel kit for the GrassHopper and Hornet. It used hollow versions of the driveshafts as opposed to their solid Tamiya counterparts. I installed them on my runner and they made the car "way" more nimble than with the solid shafts. The GrassHopper could accelerate much faster with the same 17T motor I used while the solid shafts were previously installed. That's the good part... The bad part was that the shafts were substantially weaker than the solid shafts and a few small jumps/landings was all it took to bend one of them out of shape.. Sadly these Parma kits are nearly impossible to come by and I have never been able to replace the parts.. Lighter driveshafts are awesome for the GH and Hornet.. If you can make custom shafts that balance lightweight with enough strength to withstand jumps, then you will have a winning part. I would buy a set if you made them Hope this helps.
  5. Thanks for the update. Parma referenced their own universal body mount kit that ironically looks to be made specifically for the GrassHopper chassis Here is a link: http://www.shopatron.com/products/productd...10450/137.0.1.1 Click the small image on the page to see the GrassHopper mounting instructions.
  6. There are some Tamiyaclub members that have successfully re-chromed Fox wheels back to their original mirror gold. I'm trying to remember one member in particular who found a great chromer in the UK, top guy, unfortunately I forget his TC name and I think he has been inactive for a while.. Besides finding a high quality chromer (which would be a little expensive).. The best alternative I can think of is to use SpazStix Gold Chrome spray.. The spray is intended for polycarbonate bodies, but it can be used on plastics.. The results will look very close to mirror gold depending on the smoothness of the external surface.. You need to lay down a layer of black (preferably waterbased paint) before spraying the SpazStiz Gold Chrome.. The black undercoat makes the chrome effect very pronounced, without the black undercoat, the mirror effect is less pronounced.. Here is a link: http://www.spazstix.com/whatsnew.php I noticed some of the links are broken on their website, but the gold chrome spray is still available through on-line resellers..
  7. I believe Parma intends you to use the posts from a Hornet kit, or they assumed that you would only use their lexan GH body with a Hornet chassis.. I have one of their GH shells at home and can double check the instructions to make sure.. You will need the "D" parts from a Hornet kit to get the mounts. Specifically D4 & D5 for the rear mounts and D10 for the front mounts. Their installation is covered in steps 4 and 14 of the Hornet manual. There is a good chance that you might have to install the Hornet rear shock setup as well, so that everything fits correctly when the rear body shell mounts are installed.. I have never tried to mount the stock GH shocks to the Hornet rear mounts, so I am not sure if it will work.. Hope this helps.
  8. I'm with you buddy.. I always felt that the RTR kits are a little insulting to the hobby. I mean, it's not really a hobby if everything is already done for you?? Is it?? Building and detailing your own cars are supposed to be part of the fun - and its the best way to learn how to repair and maintain your car as parts wear down / break.. The most upsetting event for me was the RTR Short Course Truck invasion. All of the local club tracks I raced at changed overnight to hordes of RTR bashers.. To me, this was the --opposite-- of RC racing. Recklessly bashing around a track 'is not' racing.. It made practice a nightmare!! (I race 4WD MOD - and I built my buggy from the ground up). I know some people don't share my view, but I have always felt that someone who builds their own car simply cares more about it and is more proud of it... I think this is an important factor of our hobby that should never be lost..
  9. It can work, but its not the best idea.. The PS sprays will dry with a matte/dull finish, the surface will look rough or wavy and the paint tends to be thicker.. It also cannot really be sanded since the paint is flexible. I have never tried using the PS sprays on a hardbody, but I do know someone who tried and it didn't look very good. I don't know anyone who tried to clearcoat PS spray with a TS spray.. It's possible they could have a bad chemical reaction... It's always best to stick with the lacquer TS sprays for hardbodies to get the right finish..
  10. I like the LiFe packs and think the technology is great.. It's true that they can charge at higher amperage rates than most LiPo's, but some high end LiPo's have already bridged this gap. I recently invested in some Thunder Power LiPo's that are rated to charge at 12C (seems like a joke, but its true) when you use their chargers.. I bought their TP820CD charger that maxes out at 20amps per port (charger has 2 ports and can push 40amps total with a capable power supply at 12V-24C DC). I charged one of their new 5000Mah LiPo packs at the full 20amps and got the same full charge in 15min time.. 20amps is only a 4C charge for the battery, but its the best charger they have designed so far and very few power supplies are available to even complement that power load.. The battery technology for both LiFe and some LiPo's far exceed the capabilities of even the best chargers.. That's kinda cool..
  11. Absolutely change your gearing. The temps you are describing will damage your motor over time.. Most motor heatsinks are not very robust, so they will only help a little
  12. Great to hear you made the switch. Lipo's are the best all around FYI - Your charger is capable of an 8amp charge rate if you connect it to a DC power supply. That will reduce your 60min 5amp charge time to about 40min at 8amp Have fun with your new gear. Dan
  13. What brand battery and charger did you buy? I have never seen a Lipo charger that requires any timer settings? I have used several and they all cut off the charge at peak detection (with or without a balancer). The settings needed for all lipo chargers I have used are: battery type - set to "lipo". Most lipo chargers can also charge standard NiMH, so make sure it is set to "LIPO" battery capacity - in your case 5000mah series setting - all 7.4v lipos are 2S amperage setting - in your case 5amps = 1C, 10amps = 2C etc balancer setting - set this to "on" when your balancing plug is connected to the charger There is no 'trickle' charge setting for lipos. Lipo's do not have 'memory' issues like NiMH and NiCAD, so your runtimes will not decrease as you charge the battery more and more.. There is also no need to fully discharge the battery or let it cool between charges. It can go right on the charger the second it comes out of your car. Fully discharging a lipo can kill the battery.. Your ESC will have a "Lipo Cut-Off" setting that will prevent the battery from loosing too much voltage. Don't worry if your car runs dead, the battery will still have plenty of voltage to keep it in good shape because the ESC will protect it. -Do not- attempt to use a Lipo without a lipo certified ESC that has a "Lipo Cut-Off" setting. That should be about it.. Have fun To answer your other question about the 6C charge rate: Higher end lipo batteries are capable of higher charge rates (hence the 6C listing on your battery) - although this sometimes requires using a charger certified by the lipo manufacturer [make sure to check on this if you want to try charging at a higher rate then 1C]. The only downside is that you need to buy an expensive top-tier charger than is capable of 15amps or more and a power supply that can handle that amperage. The only two charger brands I know of that can exceed 15amps are made by Hyperion and Thunder Power. Most recently I went a little crazy and bought a Thunder Power G6 5300Mah 65C lipo and got their TP-820CD dual port charger that can max out at 20amps per port. The new G6 Thunder Power lipos are certified for a 12C charge rating, so I set the charger to the full 20amps. To my relief the battery charged like a champ and didn't even get warm I've been using this charger at my local club track and have charged the battery at least 30times by now at a 20amp rate every time.. The battery continues to have incredible run time and doesn't show any signs of degrading.. If you willing to spend top dollar for lipo electrics and a high end power supply, then you can have some awesome batteries that will charge faster than you ever thought possible.
  14. You can always keep the motor connected to the ESC It is a good idea to remove the battery when the car is not use though..
  15. I'm not sure how many other TC member live in our local area.. I'm guessing its not too many.. The next closest member I know is Toymkr73 who is the make of the Wild Wendy figures for the Wild Willy I & II - he lives in Temecula.. It would be great to meet up at the track some time. Club racing used to be a daily weekend event for me until my daughter was born last year. Now I only get to the track every other weekend and most of the time cannot stay for the full race event (racing can run for several hours since there can be 10 or more different race classes). I still love it though and go as often as I can.. I should be able to attend the race events a little more as my daughter gets older and is a little easier to take care of You're girlfriend is right about SoCal and RC. It's a huge RC hotspot for tracks and RC related companies. Novak, Losi, Team Associated, TamiyaUSA and more are all located in SoCal.. We also have the lions share of club tracks in the USA.. It's a great place to be for racing. In the meantime, let me know how racing goes at OC/RC.. I'll be glad to help and have spent several years racing a DB-01 at the club tracks.. Talk to you soon. P.S. Make sure to order a few common spare parts for your car. Namely front and rear arms and some shock caps and lower spring retainers.. The DB-01 is a super tough car on the track, but even the best of them will break an arm or two after a bad collision.. The local club tracks 'do not' stock parts for Tamiya off-road cars (DB-01, 501X, 511X, 201X), so its best to be prepared since a missing spare part can end your race day early.. Using a slower motor (like a brushless 17.5 to a 13.5) will help prevent breakage and its best to start slow when you are getting used to control. Hope this helps. Dan
  16. The Tamiya Sport Tuned is a 27T brushed motor with adjusted timing, so it's not too fast - but a little faster than the stock 27T Silver Cans. The TEU101BK is fine for the Sport Tuned, but will likely fail if you hook up a Lipo battery to it.. The TEU101BK is an entry level ESC with no Lipo cut-off. The electronics were not designed to regulate the higher discharge rates of average Lipo batteries, so the ESC could burn up as well. Make sure you at least install a Lipo compatible ESC before using your Lipo battery, otherwise you could always safely us a NiMH with the TEU101BK.. Hope this helps.
  17. All tracks I have been to are very friendly to novices.. I have raced at OC/RC many times and the track is always awesome there.. There are a few things you will want to know before racing on their track for your first time: 1. The stock tires that come with your DB-01 will have near 'zero' grip on smooth indoor clay (stock tires are a medium compound which is too hard). I should know since I tried to run mine while racing a DB-01. You will need to invest in a new set if tires and -if you like- a new set of inserts before running the track for the first time. OC/RC has a small hobby shop there to sell spares parts etc. They have an excellent selection of tires.. I would recommend J-Concepts Bar-Codes 'Gold Compound' for indoor clay or Pro-Line Scrubs (or Suburbs) 'MC' compound for indoor clay. Both will have fantastic grip on the track. The tires themselves will include soft foam inserts which is fine, or you can go for a set of 'closed cell foam' inserts - also sold by J-Concepts and Pro-Line. The closed cell foam inserts are better for smooth clay than the soft foam, they also nearly eliminate the need to balance your tires.. If you don't have a spare set of wheels to glue the tires to, then you will need to buy an additional set. Compatible wheels include Team Losi 4WD Front and 2WD/4WD rear wheels and J-Concepts Rulux 4WD front and 2WD/4WD Rear. Some people have complained that the J-Concepts Rulux wheels will rub against the uprights on the DB-01. I have never had this problem, but my friend did when he ran his 511X. Oh, when you buy the tires - make sure the fronts are listed as '4WD'. They sell both 2WD and 4WD versions of the front tires and 2WD will never fit. Oh and one more thing - don't drive your car with your indoor clay racing tires on any other surface other than the track itself. Your racing tires will wear down 'ultra fast' on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt and they won't run well on loose dirt or grass etc.. Tires and wheels can be a little expensive, but they will last a good long time when they are only used on their intended surface.. 2. It costs money to practice on the track as well as race.. It's pretty cheap though: $10.00 to practice or $15.00 to practice and race (if you are a member). Otherwise $15.00 to practice and $20.00 to practice and race. 3. To start off easy, join the 'Novice' race class.. It's how I got started and I'm glad that I did It's the best way to get used to racing, controlling your car, adjusting for jumps and speed, as well as learning to brake at the right times. Best of all, the class requirements are "run what you brung" meaning any motor, any car, etc.. You will race against 2WD, 4WD, SC trucks etc all in the same class.. 4. Be prepared to 'turn-marshal'. Immediately after your race, you are required to turn-marshal for the next one. There are positions marked around the track to stand or sit. You take one of these positions and your job is to (as quickly as you can) turn over any car that flipped or gotten stuck while racing. I usually like to take a postion on an area of the track than I am having trouble with (a certain turn, jump, etc) and I watch the other racers as they come around to that part of the track. You can see how they drive certain parts of the track to improve your racing skills. That should be some good stuff to get you started. Here is a link to the OC/RC track so you can see what it looks like and get more information on race schedules etc: http://ocrcraceway.com/track.html Hope this helps. Dan
  18. Lucasan, I have been to the Aliso Viejo TamiyaUSA track a few times. I live in Corona, CA so it is a short drive for me.. The TamiyaUSA track caters to 'On-Road' only. They won't let you run any Off-Road cars on that track.. I am specifically an off-road racer, so I have not been to the TamiyaUSA track for quite some time. There are other local tracks that are awesome for off-road racing that I go to pretty often though. I have been racing 4WD MOD for a few years now. The tracks I go to are: West Coast RC - Located in La Mirada, CA - Indoor tracks: Off-road Clay track, On-road Tarmac.. This is an awesome place to race if you want to run both on and off-road.. OC/RC - Located in Huntington Beach, CA - Indoor tracks: Off-road Clay track, Rock Crawler Track.. Also an awesome place for off-road racing.. Pegasus Hobbies - Located in Montclair, CA - Outdoor track: Off-road Dirt track.. A nice small track setup, this is where I got started racing.. I'm not aware of any tracks in Long Beach unfortunately. Hope this helps.
  19. The locknut is not fully tightened in the photo. Keep turning the nut until it is fully tightened against the wheel. A few threads on the axle should be sticking through the other side of the nut. To answer your question about the nerf-bars (sidebars). They are supposed to be soft and flexible by design. The softer plastic absorbs shock and resists breakage far better than harder plastic. They will be nearly indestructible once attached to your Hornet.. There are vintage aftermarket aluminum nerf-bar kits that were sold in the 80's. They pop up as sales or trades on Tamiyaclub and Ebay on rare occasions.. Keep an eye out for these kits if you want something more robust. Be aware that these nerf-bar kits can be expensive since they are vintage parts that went out of production almost 30yrs ago. Hope this helps.
  20. The best solution I have found for the TRF Rear shock adjustment problem is to buy a set of Atomic Carbon shock towers: http://www.nortechracing.com/ac/cfp.html You will find them listed in the middle of the page after you click the link... The rear towers have an extra 'higher' set of holes specifically for mounting the TRF shocks.. You can set your ride height correctly and do not have to bother with adding limiters to the inside of the shock body and/or remove the adjustment collars.. Besides that, you will be running carbon fiber towers instead of the plastic ones.. They are incredibly strong and perfect for racing - I have been using them for a couple years now.. Hope this helps.
  21. The body is from a Panda 'Pandemonium' RC buggy.. It's hard to call the Pandemonium a copy-car since Panda also made one called the 'Cyclone' which was a rip-off of the GrassHopper/Hornet.
  22. There used to be a product called Strip-A-Kit (paint and chrome remover for plastic models) that would remove chrome instantly without hurting the plastic underneath.. I've used it before and it works amazingly well.. Unfortunately it seems the product was discontinued I wonder if there are any replacement products for it now?
  23. Several brushless motor manufacturers have warned against running any Lipo below 25C because they cannot maintain their voltage under high current spikes - here is a statement from Novak as an example: ------------------------- Li‐Po Battery Addendum Through thorough testing and experience in the field, we have found that Li‐Po batteries with C ratings below 25 cannot maintain their voltage under high current spikes and their performance deteriorates when using high‐powered brushless motor systems. These voltage drops may not be detected with standard voltmeters because the voltage drops occur very quickly – usually in a few milliseconds – yet this can be long enough to cause a vehicle’s electronics to function improperly. Because of the sheer number of battery brands and models, we cannot test every battery’s quality and compatibility with our brushless systems. For this reason, we give only a general Li‐Po battery recommendation. Application Li‐Po Battery 1/10‐scale 25C or higher 1/8‐scale and monster truck 30C of higher The addition of a Glitch Buster Capacitor (Novak #5626) can help prevent these voltage drop outs. To ensure consistent operation without voltage drop outs or false Li‐Po cut‐off readings, use Li‐Po batteries with C ratings of 25 or higher and verify that all of the battery connections are in good condition. Overheated or poorly soldered connectors can add resistance and, therefore, add heat and higher voltage drop, resulting in drop‐out type problems, such as false Li‐Po cut‐off readings, rotor‐lock error codes and other similar issues. It is recommended to use high quality low‐loss connectors, such as Deans Ultra Plugs or Novak’s Low‐Loss Power Connectors (#5721, #5731 & #5741), to ward off these issues. Novak’s Li‐Po Cut‐Off Devices and internal BECs Novak’s Li‐Po Cut‐Off Devices act like a battery monitor and only remove power from the system when the battery’s charge is depleted and its resting voltage is close to the recommended safety cut‐off value. Novak’s internal BECs regulate the voltage of an input voltage source down to six volts, which is the proper operational value for most receivers and servos. These devices were not designed to act like a current limiter, which prevent the current draw from dropping below the safety voltage threshold. Adding this type of circuit, most likely, would result in slow acceleration and soft throttle response. ------------------------- I know you are not running a Novak system, but your problem may be identical.. Try switching to a 30C or better Lipo and see if the problem goes away while your Lipo cut-off is active.. Hope this helps. Dan
  24. Your front toe-in or toe-out could have been slightly misaligned due to a bad collision. Check your turnbuckles and make sure none of them are bent, then check to make sure the toe-in / toe-out is properly adjusted. Just to be safe, you may want to check your camber as well.. Your front end will 'stand up' under acceleration - if the negative camber is maladjusted on one wheel it might cause it to slightly pull left or right; its less likely, but it may be worth checking.
  25. It looks like TamiyaUSA still carries many spare Mad Bull parts.. I believe the diff gear is one of the "B" parts (not sure without the instructions). If so, it can be had for about $7.00 + shipping from TamiyaUSA.. Tamiya is also going to re-release the Mad Bull pretty soon.. If they retain the original chassis, then spare parts will be super cheap and easy to find.. Hope this helps. Dan
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