El Gecko
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Posts posted by El Gecko
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Alright here we go, pictures for everyone!
6 hours ago, Frog Jumper said:Do we know the correct size bolt/nuts??? I have a set of Proline Wheels that are missing the hardware...
Terry
Firstly the hardware... not in fact 2mm as I had misremembered, I think these are possibly U.S. standard size? They're roughly 9mm long vs. Tamiya fronts which are 8mm (Tamiya rears are 10mm so it seems they split the difference here), but the diameter of the screw is more like 2.5mm, and the thread is different (not metric 2.5mm). The nuts are roughly the same on first glance, but the Tamiya ones appear to be a hair larger overall (fully 4mm), with a smaller hole. And obviously the heads are quite different as well.
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2 minutes ago, Frog Jumper said:
Do we know the correct size bolt/nuts??? I have a set of Proline Wheels that are missing the hardware...
Terry
I'll have to pull some later and measure, but iirc they were just normal 2mm bolts like the Tamiya version, except instead of smaller more rounded Phillips/JIS cross heads, they had slightly larger diameter heads with flatter tops and a single slot.
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Nah, that's how they are. I have a set of those wheels with Pro-Line waffle tread tires, and they are a similar sort of odd fit. I think there are two things going on which might help the OP:
1. these old Pro-Line tires seem to have an odd shape to the inner bead and a very snug fit compared to a Tamiya tire for example, so it can take some extra force or special technique to get them to seat into all the wheel pieces correctly
2. to help get them seated, it would help to have the correct size bolts (or washers added to the existing bolts), as it looks like the heads are pulling right through the front of the rim in those pics, so they would not really clamp down like usual. The original bolts for those wheels would have had larger heads, with a single slot for a flathead screwdriver.
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Love this thread. Mine is more a "rough trail" truck than a true crawler due to 2WD and semi-open diff, but I drive my vintage Sledgehammer all over the place, and I've been really surprised at just how capable it is. It'll still do ~18mph at full speed, but it'll putter along all day at walking pace too. Lots of little mods and tweaks everywhere, and it's still wearing what's left of its original body.
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On 7/3/2023 at 12:48 PM, twaleta said:
My esc in my slash was just flying around because it couldnt stay in place and so the sensor cable also fell out.The solution to the problem was this proffessional art of engineering
Hmm that looks a bit... flammable?
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5 hours ago, Grumpy pants said:
I think it’s a pinch point to lift the front of the shell off the body post or a hanging/storage loop.
Yep, being that close to the front body mount hole, it seems like a good place to tie a string as a tether for a body pin.
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3 hours ago, TurnipJF said:
I'd like to organise a local equivalent of something I saw on YouTube: RC Overlanding.
In essence, it was simply a group of people going on a shortish walk in the countryside with their RC scale offroad rigs, stopping halfway for a picnic and photos (for which they set up little naturalistic camping dioramas with their rigs and accessories) then packing up and returning to their point of origin, either via the same route or a different one.
It all seemed quite inclusive, with the routes chosen to allow people of all levels of fitness to take part. Some were even wheelchair accessible. And it wasn't hugely demanding on the vehicles either - even stock CC-01s could manage, with perhaps an occasional tow from a friend.
All in all it looked like a nice relaxed outing with like-minded folk, with some great photo opportunities thrown in.
That's pretty much what I do on my trail walks, minus the picnic and dioramas, and using my old Traxxas Sledgehammer as a trail rig. There are a ton of rustic woodland trails around here, so I take the truck when my wife and I go hiking out there. It's a nice relaxing outing every single time, and I've been thinking about trying to organize some kind of little meetup at one of the trails at some point for just this type of thing...
1 hour ago, Sogogi said:That would be cool. There are some local groups around me… but only for very capable trail/crawlers only.
Personally cc-01/02 like cars are perfect for me between some trail run fun without going too slow or fast. (That is why i sold trx4 and got cc-02).
... for people like me and Sogogi who don't have competition-level crawlers for the local groups, but we still like getting out and driving on the trails
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1 hour ago, Yoshimitsu said:
It's been a mission working at this scale, so fiddly. I have the utmost respect for modelling at this size it's mental.
1/24 scale? Nice detailing, that's looking great!
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Haven't had much time for RC lately, but yesterday I managed to get the Blaster out for some 3 wheel drifting
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I'm not sure if I got the idea from someone here, but if I did, thanks! Since the brushed mod motors I'm using have two sets of mounting holes, I thought maybe I could swap down to a smaller pinion by using one of the alternate holes, and it worked! Got a 16t pinion to hook up with perfect mesh, unfortunately there's not enough room to move the motor any further forward to use any smaller gears. But the car drives great now! The 17t cheapo black can is peppy like it should be, and the steering glitches are all gone. The next test will be taking it back to the track for the first time since I nearly sunk it in a puddle.
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Like a Disney villain, the "Cool Guy" in the motorcycle jacket, who flipped off the camera at the beginning, didn't manage to win any trophies in the end.
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20 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:
I have a brace on it, I can only guess it'll need new gears given the age of the ones in it.
Oh wait, it's a vintage one? Probably the hex driveshafts have rounded out, then. Especially if it's worse in one direction.
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The gearbox getting warm is supposed to happen, because the metal side plates also function as heatsinks for the motor.
The clicking/slipping is probably the diff gears, which wasn't supposed to happen with the brace.
The only way to find out for sure is to pull it apart and see what's going on in there.
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54 minutes ago, twaleta said:
still when in high speed the wheels wiggle,i either need a better servo saver with a spring in it or a servo horn
Hmm I've seen front wheels wiggling with the wrong gyro settings or as Willy says, loose linkages or imbalanced wheels/tires.
If you get a different (stronger) servo saver and it's still wiggling, there might also be something weird with the driveshafts or diff settings.
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7 hours ago, Mad Ax said:
I put a ziptie around mine and pull it as tight as I can
Yep I tried that with various thicknesses of zipties, and none held. They didn't allow any stretch/flex in the servo saver, and would end up loose or broken after the first run because they weren't allowing the saver to do its job. But the metal spring allows everything to rotate and flex like normal, it just takes more force to flex it out than with only the puny plastic "spring" that comes on the sprue. And it's a more solid snap back into its neutral resting place, so it stays centered like it's supposed to. It really transformed the handling of my DT02 and Hornet.
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I added a metal spring to mine, works much better now. Also using machine screws in my metal gear servos with no problems. It just took a lot of trial and error in the beginning to find a set of washers/spacers that fit exactly right without binding. But the new spring really helps it stay centered and accurate.
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4 hours ago, Dan1891 said:
Thanks for this info.
I guess i need a 6V separate battery pack for the receiver if i use the mechanical speed controller, like back in the days.
The only problem i had back then, was that the servo glitched a bit now and then, but then i had an 27Mhz AM radio.
Isnt this glitching problem much less with modern 2.4Ghz radios?
Yep, usually one of the 4AA units which adds weight. The car will feel more sprightly with an ESC due to only having the main sub-C battery pack.
Glitching is basically zero with modern radios, but there are occasionally weird things that happen. If you do use the MSC and additional batteries, make sure the plugs are as tight and well-connected as possible. I've had to track down a loose radio/servo plug in one car which would lose connection randomly over bumps.
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44 minutes ago, Dan1891 said:
Thnks! I think i give it a try then, electronic speed controller just seems not right for my old loving Datsun..
While the MSC is technically period correct, there is one issue with them which may change your mind: they have no safety cutoff.
By that I mean, when you let off the throttle, or if the ESC becomes disconnected, power is removed from the motor and the car stops whatever it's doing and goes dead.
Whereas with an MSC, especially a really old one like that with no BEC, if your radio loses power or connectivity, the servo controlling the MSC stops in place and doesn't return to neutral. So if something goes wrong when you're at full throttle, the car remains at full throttle, without your control, just going until it crashes into something.
Which would be a real shame to see happen to such a nice vintage car. Random things can happen too, like a glitchy servo that suddenly snaps all the way to one side and stays there until the power is removed from the radio. In that case, you might still have control of the steering, but if the MSC servo was glitching out like that, there would be no way to shut the motor down unless you could catch it before it wrecks.
I vote ESC and NiMH batteries to keep the car controllable.
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Ehhh, I haven't driven one, but the Rising Fighter always seemed a bit too top-heavy with that giant wing. Not much difference in chassis between that and a Grasshopper 2 anyway, just wheels/tires really.
It definitely depends on your bodyshell preference, but if it's not too futuristic for your tastes, the GH2 is a great compromise between the original Grasshopper and the Hornet, because it has a hard plastic shell like the GH but improved suspension like the Hornet, although it's technically even better than a Hornet because it's easier to fit oil shocks on all four corners (whether they actually help the handling is debatable).
The original Grasshopper is a great looking buggy (the Hornet as well) but the hardbody is easier to paint and prep than a Hornet, and with a 540 motor it can be just as fast, although as others have already mentioned, the suspension is about as primitive as you can get in an RC car. But it's still a hoot to drive IMHO. The GH/Hornet and later GH2 chassis are possibly the lightest offroad chassis that Tamiya has ever made, so they're super efficient and decently fast with even basic brushed motors.
I love driving them all, and it's hard to pick a favorite. In a test of speed and handling the Hornet is at the top, but honestly the GH and GH2 are not far behind if they're fitted with 540s.
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30 minutes ago, Frog Jumper said:
Its a Bush Devil, hence the Super BF rear end...
Terry
Ah, of course! I'm not familiar with the rear end on that iteration of the ORV
I was trying to figure out why the motor is where it is!
The wider arms really give it a wide stance, and I'd guess it's probably pretty plush too eh? Looks like a nice setup. I've read that parts are extra hard to find and/or expensive for that gearbox/drivetrain though?
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4 hours ago, Frog Jumper said:
Totally agree with the Blackfoot on the beach…That's only half a Blackfoot though
Blitzer chassis?
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12 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:
It's for 1:8 buggies iirc, but novice class runs on a shorter section of the track. What motor do you run on your Frog?
Maybe I will run it just for the novelty, when I watch full size cars race it's always fun watching that one guy who shows up with a vintage racer.
I have a 17t Trinity Sapphire in there right now, which is honestly just a bit too much for the chassis from a handling perspective. If the suspension and tires were still stock, it would be even more of a handful. Mine is the first hobby RC that I ever built, so I definitely hold back when I drive it, but I would still trust it to handle certain (smaller, smoother) jumps.
I've been surprised at how robust the chassis on the Blaster is, since it's also an original chassis from when I was a kid (running a cheapo black can 21t brushed motor at the moment). Although it's got a lot of mods now as well. It was fine, and lots of fun, on the flatter parts of the track, and I would expect the Frog to be ok too. I definitely wouldn't race either of them, though. The speed and handling of modern cars would be too much different, and I'd be afraid of being a moving roadblock for the faster guys.
You'd probably be fine at a practice day, though. I haven't been to one of those yet, although there are some indoor offroad places around that I've been considering checking out. The track I always go to is outdoors in a public park, free to play, just turn up and start driving around. But on the flip side, anyone can move the barriers around, so the course is always different each time I go, which exposes some of the steel stakes they use to hold the barriers in place. Then sometimes it's too wet, but usually it's too dry and slippery and bumpy, and also there's always random plastic ramps set up in random places, and there's no timing system or anything. None of that is an issue for me just out there practicing for fun, except the one time I went a little wide on a turn and cut my brand new tire on a wayward barrier.
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5 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:
I almost want to run my Frog just for the novelty of it, problem is that I don't feel comfortable jumping anything made from ABS plastic, except maybe a Mad Bull.
Do it! I might take mine out there eventually once I get a body for it. I've been bashing the Blaster around a long time now too, and it's still on its original chassis. Just go slow over the jumps if you don't think you can hit the landings, or go around if that's an option. If it's a track for 1:10 buggies, the Frog should be fine, it just won't be as fast of a lap time as a newer/better car, and you'll have to be a little more careful in how you drive it. If you find yourself spinning out a lot, a gyro can make a big difference to keep the car pointed where you want it on a loose surface.
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I go to the "local" (nearest) RC track a few times a year now, and have run a few different Tamiyas around. The surface is very loose, basically hardpack with dust on top. No big jumps to speak of, the biggest being maybe 36" or so. Many who run there have 4WD Slashes, one of the Traxxas rally cars, or something Aarma with wheels bigger than half the truck body. I even saw a 1/5 guy out there last time.
All my 2WD Tamiyas are difficult to control at high speed on the surface, lots of sliding, drifting, spinning out at first until I get really smooth with my lines and throttle application. I'm sure a 4WD would probably be easier but I like the challenge.
The DT02 hits jumps the best of the Tamiyas I've tried there, nice smooth launches and landings, but it doesn't have enough power to clear the big doubles (10-12' apart). It's definitely the fastest and easiest to handle around the track, though.
The Mad Blaster (ORV buggy with stadium truck tires) was pretty good around the track as well, but the more limited suspension meant that jumps were even trickier than the DT. I had to get exactly the right line, right speed, right throttle input, etc. I also had to be more careful through the bumpy/lumpy sections as it was more prone to getting thrown off its line.
And the Hornet, well. It's a Hornet.
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Pro-line 1008 Wedge 1.5 Tires for SRB?
in Vintage Tamiya Discussion
Posted
And here's pics of my wheel and tire, next to a typical Frog/Grasshopper/Hornet front wheel/tire for comparison.
I also swapped the outer covers and took a second set of pics, which confirmed my suspicion: the Pro-Line wheels are thicker in the middle, with a little different shape to the covers. In fact, the Pro-Line wheels are so thick in the center between the bearings (the shoulder inside is so wide), that you can't fully tighten the wheel nuts on a Grasshopper axle without binding. I can't put all my faith in the friction of the nylock to keep the wheels on, so these are strictly shelfer wheels for me.
It's also interesting that the outer rims seem to still bulge out (although not quite as much), with the PL outer covers installed on the standard Tamiya center piece with a Tamiya tire, and same for the Tamiya covers on the PL center with the PL tire. I guess it doesn't help that the inner profile of the PL tires is more rounded vs. a more direct close fit on a standard Tamiya tire.