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RichardinNZ

Lunchbox

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Hi

I bet this is the first time anyone has asked this!! Is it possible to make a Lunchbox slower !!! My 10yr old daughter is finding it hard to control, and I'm wondering how I can slow it down. It has a mechanical speed controller; will an ESC give more control? Also is there other gearing available? ( I didn't build the car...I traded it for my only other Tamiya RC....my Ford Ranger bought and built in '81).

Many thanks

Richard

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I think you can fit a smaller 380 sized motor that comes with the grass hopper, as its the same gearbox. I'll check.

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There's no other gearing really. Not that is suitable for the big wheels anyway.

Fitting the Grasshopper's 380 motor will slow it down quite a bit. I will need the 380 motor adapter plate that comes with a Grasshopper to fit it to the gearbox. The pinion on the 380 comes already installed to the motor, press fit.

A TEU-101BK ESC will give far better control. MSC is only 3 step and the '1st speed' is still pretty quick. ESC is full proprotional control. Will also make the runtime longer.

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Thanks for the help. The ESC sounds good; how do they work!!! They are new to me. Do they have Just forward and reverse or is there a braking function?

I know my local retailer (actually the NZ importer) stocks Futaba and Tamiya; is the Futaba 230 better than the Tamiya 101?

Many thanks

Richard

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Might also be worth fitting some lead weights in the front of the chassis to keep the front wheels on the ground more often, there are loads of other mods you can do but I think the ESC and ball bearings should be done first, I will try and find a link that may help you :D

E2A: Would a higher wind motor not work for this?, like a rock crawler motor and that would be a straight swap with no other mods.

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You could try a high-turn crawler motor. (?) Lots of torque, with less speed.

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Obviously, the solution is to buy a Grasshopper. Take its 380 w/ adapter and put it in the Lunchbox, and use the ESC.

Then, take the 540 from the Lunch Box and put it in the Grasshopper. You get a "free" Grasshopper out of the deal.

Also, don't forget that you can run these on 5 cell packs, if you can build or buy one.

My wife was just running my Lunch Box yesterday. It is hard to control when things get bumpy. You could move somewhere smoother until she gets used to it.

Another thing you could do is add oil shocks to it so that it isn't bouncing around as much, and then it would be just as fast, but easier to control.

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I think trying the ESC first would be the best bet as you have more control over the speed and then go from there.

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Just fit a 65turn or higher motor... loads of torque, better run times (battery usage) and alot slower as the motors rpm is lower...

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Thanks for the help. The ESC sounds good; how do they work!!! They are new to me. Do they have Just forward and reverse or is there a braking function?

I know my local retailer (actually the NZ importer) stocks Futaba and Tamiya; is the Futaba 230 better than the Tamiya 101?

The ESC is very easy to install and setup. It will come with an instruction sheet to show you the setup method to match it's end points to the transmitter. They are Forward->Brakes->Reverse. The best setup ones need you to relax the trigger back to neutral before it will engage reverse (good protection for the gearbox).

The Tamiya TEU-101BK is 65Amp forward and 65Amp reverse and the Futaba MC230CR is 95Amp forward and 45Amp reverse. Half power reverse is handy in some chassis because of their gear layout. Not an issue in the Lunchbox gearbox, they are very strong. Both are good quality ESCs, and both will run the 380S Grasshopper motor or the kit 540 that came with the Lunchbox.

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Thanks for all the help; will probably buy the ESC and try this first. Already fitted Yeah Racing oil shocks; it made a huge difference to handling.

One last question; I've always wanted a Brat; are these any slower as if they are it could be my excuse to buy one!?

Anyone know if they come with oil shock all around now?

Thanks

Richard

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Expect about 25km/h from a Brat with bearings with the kit motor and ESC. Not sure about the oil dampers, ORV chassis is my least favourite of all the Tamiya offroad chassis. I will check the manual though.

*EDIT: They are spring pogo-sticks from what I can see. (Friction damper)

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Many thanks; but how fast is the Lunchbox??!!! (looks fast to me when used in a confined space but not so fast when in a big space!!)

Richard

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I've never run mine standard so don't know what the kit speed would be. They are slower than the buggys I know because of the 10T pinion and they have a different motor too I'm sure (tuned for torque). Geared for doing wheelies.

Mine can be doing 40km/h and tickle the trigger a bit more and it stands up on the back wheels. Will keep up with a 1:8 Nitro Savage if you can keep it rubber side down. High power 5700Kv brushless (~42,000rpm).

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Thanks Mark; yours certainly sounds too fast for my daughter!

Anyone else know the speed of a standard Lunchbox?

Many thanks

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Expect about 25km/h from a Brat with bearings with the kit motor and ESC. Not sure about the oil dampers, ORV chassis is my least favourite of all the Tamiya offroad chassis. I will check the manual though.

*EDIT: They are spring pogo-sticks from what I can see. (Friction damper)

Re-re Brat is same new shockers as the re-re Frog, pretty sure. No shocks at the front.

Speedwise a stock Brat is no slouch (choice of gearing available though), much faster than a stock Lunchbox.

Olden days trick for making cars slow enough for learners, i used to build 4-cell battery packs.

Just pop them in when your noobie-RCers want to play with your cars and they'll be suitable speed;

also "saves" the MSC as they don't have to drive on 1st step all the time = burnt resistor.

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Re-re Brat is same new shockers as the re-re Frog, pretty sure. No shocks at the front.

Confirmed. In the Frog Build thread over at RCUniverse, Lunchboxer mentioned that the shocks seem higher grade than the Frog of the 80s. Looking at the manual for the re-re Brat, it has the same shocks. The re-re Brat also has a 540 motor instead of the original 380.

There is (or used to be) a front shock kit for the Frog. I'm not sure if it'll fit under the Brat body, but I may just have to find out. Word is that the Brat/Frog front suspension is much better than the Hornet/Grasshopper/Lunchbox, even without shocks.

I'm glad to hear the stock Brat is no slouch. Can't wait to get mine & build it up.

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my re-re Brat (540 + full BBs) is on the fast side for loungeroom use... yea same loungeroom where i run an Evo5 with 3.5 BL

flat out top speed probably be same as a Hornet with 540; i also muck about with a hybrid Frog chassis with Hornet rear end.

re-re Brat has inherited rear oil shocks and diff from the re-re Frog. Original Brat has neither.

Front doublewishbone suspension keeps the angle of the tyre constant, vs Grasshopper/Hornet/Lunchbox where it changes angle constantly.

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There is (or used to be) a front shock kit for the Frog. I'm not sure if it'll fit under the Brat body, but I may just have to find out.

think its Team CRP that makes a front FRP shocktower you can bolt onto a Frog; plenty of room under Brat bonnet too (lucky its not "4WD"!)

Changing to coil-over CVA shocks will let you toss out the inboard front springs and be able to change the springing & damping.

But whether it really improves handling that much is up for debate; when racing you've also added 2 extra protrusions than can

snap off in a smash...

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My son is 3 now and he drives his Lunch box without anything to slow it down. In the beginning I used a radio that I reduce the throttle. But the real trick is to drive at a place with allot of space. That way she can just drive it with full power and learn to control it.

An esc is not a bad idea.

I don't know the name of the radio but Maybe someone else knows a radio that could do it.

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Purchased the Tamiya ESC yesterday and fitted it last night. Will test the car today!

Thanks for the help everyone.

Richard

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Took the car out for a 45 minute test today; with the ESC it is like a new car! Much more pregressive throttle and far easier for my daughter to control (we only hit a fence at the school a couple of times!!).

Thanks for the help everyone.

Richard

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