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Ashicar

Clodbuster upgrades

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Hello all,

I am looking at getting a Super clodbuster from modelsport uk before Christmas. What upgrades do you reccomend? 

Thanks, Ashicar

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P.s. is the clodbuster really worth £150 more than a pumpkin/lunchbox or would spending the difference on upgrades on one of those be better?

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22 minutes ago, Ashicar said:

P.s. is the clodbuster really worth £150 more than a pumpkin/lunchbox or would spending the difference on upgrades on one of those be better?

I'd have the Clod hands down. Yes it is worth the extra. 

Recommended upgrades.

2x 13T 32DP steel pinions. 

Full set of roller bearings.

Later on you might want to think about a dual servo steering conversion, some oil shocks (Mainly to provide more travel if you replace the existing steering with a dual servo system), and a 3 cell LiPo and compatible ESC to give it some beans.

I also went to the expense on my sons of getting some TXT-1 outer axles, hubs, and wheels. These widen the track slightly and make the truck more stable.

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All depends on what you want to do. All the listed kits are not great handelers but have a nostalgic value to some older members who remember them as kids. 

It all depends on what you want to get out of your money at the end

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27 minutes ago, Ashicar said:

Hello all,

I am looking at getting a Super clodbuster from modelsport uk before Christmas. What upgrades do you reccomend? 

Thanks, Ashicar

A full set of ball bearings to replace the nylon/brass bushings is a good start.  Then I would consider going with a twin-servo setup mounted to the axles to replace the default center servo.  Those two changes are very functional and worthwhile.

24 minutes ago, Ashicar said:

P.s. is the clodbuster really worth £150 more than a pumpkin/lunchbox or would spending the difference on upgrades on one of those be better?

Only you can decide that.  The Clodbuster is the better platform long-term for modifications and experimenting.  For example, you could start with a Clod with bearings and servos, and then go the full Mod Clod route to turn it into a serious performance monster truck.  Or you could turn it into a MOA (Motor On Axle) crawler.  I'm just saying vs. the Lunch Box/Pumpkin, you could probably spend a good year or two thinking about different modifications and trying them out.  The Clod has good 'replay' value if you like to tinker.

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Okay thanks all ur the best 👍. Will go with the clod, bearings and pinions. Any advice on swapping the motors for something better than the 540 but not brushless?

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10 minutes ago, Ashicar said:

Okay thanks all ur the best 👍. Will go with the clod, bearings and pinions. Any advice on swapping the motors for something better than the 540 but not brushless?

The key thing to remember is that the gearboxes are symmetrical, so the front motor rotates in the opposite direction to the rear. You therefore need motors that are either zero timed, or that can have the timing reversed. Otherwise the rear motor will be advanced while the front is retarded, or vice versa when driving in reverse. 

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2 minutes ago, TurnipJF said:

The key thing to remember is that the gearboxes are symmetrical, so the font motor rotates in the opposite direction to the rear. You therefore need motors that are either zero timed, or that can have the timing reversed. Otherwise the rear motor will be advanced while the front is retarded, or vice versa when driving in reverse. 

Any recommendations?

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9 minutes ago, Ashicar said:

Any recommendations?

That would depend on what you want to do with it. Clambering over things slowly, or going a bit quicker over smoother terrain? Also, what ESC (or ESCs) will you be running? With twin motors, you can have twin ESCs running off separate channels, allowing for all sorts of options ranging from adjustable power bias to electronic dig. 

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100% worth more than the Lunchbox/Pumpkin - it's an ENTIRELY different beast and an absolute blast.

What I did was kept the stock silver cans but put 3S Lipo in it and used the Traxxas EVX-2 as the ESC. 

It is absolutely amazing with the combination.

 

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Also, bearings are an absolute must. This Japanese dude does awesome/hilarious comparisons that are actually really helpful.

 

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37 minutes ago, Ashicar said:

Quicker on smooth(er) ground. Total budget for the motors and esc's is about £100

The Tamiya TZ is a strong torquey motor well suited to heavier rigs such as the Clod. Here is a link to an illustrated tutorial on how to adjust their timing for running in a Clod:

A pair of these along with a pair of Quikrun 1060 ESCs should do very nicely. Pushing the budget if bought locally, but probably doable if ordered from abroad - maybe RC Mart or similar. 

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8 minutes ago, speedy_w_beans said:

Why not use a single Quicrun 860 instead of a pair of Quicrun 1060s?

Twin ESCs allow each motor to be controlled individually by separate channels, whereas the 860 doesn't allow individual control, so no dig, no adjustable power bias, no spinning the wheels in opposite directions while applying 4WS to make the rig travel sideways, or any such antics.  

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Much of the play in the Clod steering comes not from the servo, but from the stock linkages. The best thing you can do for a Clod's steering is to get two servos and mount one on each axle.

To mount them, you would either need to make up your own mounting plates or get some aftermarket ones such as these from CPE:

http://crawfordperformanceengineering.com/product_info.php?products_id=460

 

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28 minutes ago, TurnipJF said:

Twin ESCs allow each motor to be controlled individually by separate channels, whereas the 860 doesn't allow individual control, so no dig, no adjustable power bias, no spinning the wheels in opposite directions while applying 4WS to make the rig travel sideways, or any such antics.  

That's a fair point, and sounds useful if someone converts a Clod into a crawler.  You'd likely need a stick radio with at least 4 channels to take advantage of dual 1060s and dual servos in a crawling situation.

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12 minutes ago, speedy_w_beans said:

That's a fair point, and sounds useful if someone converts a Clod into a crawler.  You'd likely need a stick radio with at least 4 channels to take advantage of dual 1060s and dual servos in a crawling situation.

Many wheel radios come with the appropriate mixing options too. For example my Spektrum DX4S has built in mixes for 4WS and MOA, as well as all the individual channel adjustability to allow variable power and brake bias, adjustable on the fly. 

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2 hours ago, Ashicar said:

Personally the 860 is plenty and cheaper than a dual setup. Thanks for all the help :D

I am currently using 860 for Wild Dagger.  It's simple and easy. 

But I always worried about the speed difference of two independent motors.  No two motors can have the exact same speed, even if the same voltage is applied.  Two ESCs might not give the same exact voltage either.  But I can get an rpm-meter thingy to equalize them, if I run two ESCs.  My cheap radio doesn't allow mixing, but I'm hoping that Flysky would have one soon enough.  

So, don't mind if I use your idea someday, @TurnipJF!

 

 

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