WANTED: Maverick DesertWolf Centre Diff

[wintersdawn]

I have done the turnbuckle upgrade, my wording wasn't the best.  Below is the official one I did, around £23, already did it to my two Timberwolves so went ok, except I couldn't undo the front wheel nuts on the Desertwolf as the nuts had been a bit rounded off.  It made it a bit more difficult but done now.  Also replaced the front shock tower as the original was bent, probably from a heavy landing.  Got a new bodyshell set (including the nose cone, which mine didn't come with) and added a heatsink and cooling fan to the motor.

I  believe the shocks are the same for the Timberwolf and Desertwolf and quite recently was able to order the official rear shocks and its quite easy to modify the rear shocks to work for front shocks, although your idea sounds good too.

[wintersdawn]

Current pics

[wintersdawn]

[wintersdawn]

[wintersdawn]

Do you think the carbon fibre upgrades, that are still easily available, are worth it?

[TrueBlue]

Ah, you DID do the turnbuckle upgrade... actually looks pretty good Might have to invest in some myself. You also have a steering turnbuckle... haven't seen one of those anywhere yet.

Before I get some Maverick alloy shocks, are the original plastic ones you have just as good? Or do they at least feel as good as a set of alloy ones? I can find some rear ones, but no fronts... unless both are the same?

Thankfully the body shell is still available, both pre-painted and clear ones. Got a clear shell ready to paint, along with a small Maverick ION MT shell.

Are your electronics still stock? Anything changed or upgraded? Mine came without any electronics so had to replace everything. Annoyingly, the new ESC was too tall to fit at the front, so had to place it in the receiver box, which is missing the top cover. As for the carbon fibre upgrades? Hmm... not sure. No idea if they're stronger. Looks wise, I'd say they were worth it. But for strength? Unknown to be honest. If you can still get them, and they're not too expensive, I'd say get them, because why not?

[wintersdawn]

The turnbuckle upgrade kit includes the steering turnbuckle.  The original plastic shocks seem ok, although mine have leaked a bit but I might have put too much oil in and the pressure was too much.  The original rear shocks have longer shock bodies than the fronts.  The front shocks are another unobtainable but if you modify the rears by putting a length of rubber tubing (like that on the end of a motor spindle), you can make the rear shock travel/height the same as the fronts and there is still enough travel, unless you are doing jumps.

Yes, my Desertwolf electronics are still stock, although if I want to run 3S I will change the ESC to the EMH-3S, although the previous owner said they ran the stock ESC with 3S but the manual says the ESC cooling fan should be upgraded to a 12v supply.  I have upgraded both of my Timberwolves to the EMH-3S.  Yes, the height of the ESC has to be very close to the original due to the restricted height, the EMH-3S fits fine.  

I have resisted the carbon fibre upgrades as they are quite expensive and think they might just be for the look/bling, the original plastic parts seem very flexible and strong.  Still hoping for a sale at Make it Build it where the 'in stock' parts, including carbon fibre parts, are reduced but not so far.   

[wintersdawn]

TW1 at a local park, haven't given the DW a proper run yet.

[TrueBlue]

Ah, cool... all the pictures I've seen just shows a pair of turnbuckles. So I had a better look, and yeah... the set contains ALL the turnbuckles. So that's good, but the turnbuckles look so thin, will they withstand a collision?

Could do that with the shocks. I do like the look of the original plastic shocks over the alloy gold shocks, for some reason. But the alloy shocks are a little cheaper. Very odd though, the front shocks are virtually impossible to find, yet the rear ones are a bit easier... well, not THAT much easier, but still easier.

So it's not 3S capable out of the box? Or it IS but the original cooling fan isn't up to the job of keeping it cool.

Carbon fibre would look good, but for the price... it's more bling than anything else. IF they were to ever go on sale, such as on Make It Build It, then might be worth investing.

[wintersdawn]

Says below about 3S on the original ESC but suppose I've got nothing to lose and so will try the original ESC on 3S and if shuts down or burn's out, upgrade then, and hope it won't damage the motor in the process.

[wintersdawn]

Not sure about the official metal turnbuckles holding up in a collision but they seem pretty solid.  I run mostly on forest tracks and grass and so far so good but one day might find out.

[TrueBlue]

Hm, I find one MSC-29BL-80WP on eBay for £50... so I could go original if I wanted. But since the new brushless system put in there was £135... I don't want to feel like I've wasted that, lol.

The turnbuckle set is pretty inexpensive, so I might get them at some point as another upgrade. Other than the shocks, and body to paint, I think the DesertWolf will be pretty much complete at that point.

[wintersdawn]

Look forward to seeing the new body shell.

[TrueBlue]

Won't be anything special... just metallic orange. Was debating on whether to put some scale items on the body, like a NOS bottle, lol. I do have another body painted in Tamiya iridescent purple and green. Looks nice, especially in the sun.

[wintersdawn]

Did this Timberwolf bodyshell a couple of years ago featuring my favourite blue, Tamiya PS-3 Light Blue.  I Couldn't use some of the decals that came with the clear shell as they clashed with the blue so got some HPI decals.  I've added some more decals since taking this picture.

[TrueBlue]

This is a nice blue... minimal decals, usually the best way to go. I have some HPI decals I might throw on to the DesertWolf shell once painted.

I'm a bit partial to Tamiya Metallics myself, lol... I often paint every body shell using a metallic colour. The DesertWolf shell will be metallic orange, my HPI Bullet shell metallic purple and Traxxas Rustler shell metallic blue. Still need to get the Rustler shell though.

[wintersdawn]

The original orange of the Desertwolf bodyshell looks great and I think/imagine the metallic orange you are going to do may look even better and the decals that come with the clear Desertwolf bodyshell should work too.  You have quite a few bodyshell's to do.

[TrueBlue]

The orange does look good, that's for sure. It suites the car quite well. Hopefully the metallic orange will look even nicer, especially in the sun light. 

I'll also have some spare HPI Racing stickers from my HPI Bullet shell (comes with two sheets of decals) so I might use some of them as well.

And I do indeed have quite a few body shells, an expensive hobby to be sure, lol.

[wintersdawn]

Yes, it can be expensive!  Thankfully I've never been into collecting them or having them for shelf-queens, just a select few to bash and have now reduced mine down to 4 models.

[wintersdawn]

Any news on your Desertwolf bodyshell?  I did this one for my Sand Scorcher and quite closely matches the colour of the Desertwolf.

[TrueBlue]

'tis a nice Sand Scorcher you got there, the orange looks good in the... sun?

No updates on it yet. I have three clear shells I need to paint, including the DesertWolf... but I also need a 4th shell, a Subaru Impreza for my rammy-modified TT-02. THEN I need the paints....

Once I've got the shell, I'll get the paint.. then I'll finally have an update, lol. Money though. Need money!

[wintersdawn]

Thanks, yes looks good in the sun, although just for this picture as haven't run yet with this bodyshell, got a few others for running.

Hope you can get the 4th shell soon and the paints.

Haven't done much else to the Desertwolf but still got the front and rear driveshaft upgrades to do and then possibly replace the 13 tooth pinion gear for the 15 tooth one.

[TrueBlue]

By drive shafts, as we talking about the dogbones? If so, I didn't even know there were upgrades to the DesertWolf for that. 

Yeah, mine has a 15t pinion on it from Arrma. I could go 16t, but it feels fast enough as it is. Since your DW is using the stock centre diff, I assume Arrma pinions won't work due to the tooth pitch. I had to make sure the pitch matched the FTX diff and Arrma pinion. 

So for yours, I reckon a 15t upgrade would help at giving it a little bit more speed!

I'm sure I'll get the shell soon enough, then all the paints. So far, a total of 13 paint cans will be required, lol. Plus the cost of the Impreza shell.. I need to rob a bank or something! 

[wintersdawn]

I probably should have said CVD driveshaft upgrades, going front and back from the centre diff.  You're probably right about the Arrma 16t pinion gear not meshing with the original DW spur gear.  This is the 15t I have to upgrade from the 13t, although the acceleration and speed is already pretty good but will probably get a few more mph's.  The chassis is really stable and so I'm sure it will handle it.  Going back the wheel axle's, I think the front are universal and the rear are dogbones, not sure either if there were universal drive shaft upgrades for the rear.

 

[wintersdawn]

This is the complete list of upgrades from back in the day with some discontinued now.