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DI driver

Dark Impact truggy?

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Hi all. The last time I used this site it was when I was really excited at having finished my Dark Impact build. I've used it twice since and really I should have bought a cheap RTR  crawler to play in the garden. Faced with selling it at a significant loss and getting an FTX Mauler I also wonder if I could get some fun out of fitting the DF03 with 4 inch tyres. I have a ton of spares for it so gearing would be fine. Any thoughts? No bad ideas here - any blue sky thinking welcome.

Cheers, Huw.

 

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Sounds like a good idea to me. I am a huge fan of try it and see what happens. If you've got plenty of spares, if it breaks you can always fix it and sell it if it doesn't work out.

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I think you're right. Just ordered a 12mm hex wheel and 130mm tyre set. My slowest motor is the stock 27t silver can but 35t or 55t motors are cheap enough. I just want something I can mess about with in the garden.

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Can't see it crawling very well. The suspension just isn't designed for it. Limited travel and it is independent. All the crawlers pretty much are live/solid axle (bar the Traxxas Summit, not a true crawler, but it uses cantilever suspension and is very capable). Most crawlers also have locking diffs. Low speed work and lifting/spinning a couple of wheels will stop your Impact, easier than you might expect.

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I agree with all those points and it may end up going. However, if it bounces around my garden better with truck tyres I'll (probably) be happy. 130mm tyres lengthen the gearing by 50% so I've fitted an 81t spur and 16t pinion which brings the effective final drive back to a bit lower than stock 78/26 with factory tyres. Might be horrific!

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I’d make sure to check the tightness on the ball diffs as well. You won’t want them slipping and getting too hot or melting as the larger wheels will be placing more strain on the drivetrain.

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Turned mine into a kind of truggy, for speed run duties.

2019-12-30_07-53-03

Tungsten carbide diff balls, uprated outdrives should be enough to keep the ball diffs good.

I'm running df03ra gearing, to keep in the speed run rules, but I'd be tempted to run, maybe Schumacher spur (if it'll fit?) to give more gear options, not much available in the 05 mod gears.

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Nice. I've got an associated slipper - 81/16 currently but will run 84/16 if I don't fit the cover. Could take a Dremel to the inside of the cover if needed. High speed is not on my list for now - it was when I started building it but my driving ability disagrees.

  • Haha 2

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44 minutes ago, DI driver said:

I've got an associated slipper - 81/16 currently but will run 84/16 if I don't fit the cover.

That'll do the trick! , think I've maybe half a dozen gear options for 05mod, not a well used pitch, swapping to a 48dp will open up so many more options.

47 minutes ago, DI driver said:

High speed is not on my list for now - it was when I started building it but my driving ability disagrees.

You'll need the stock or available for the chassis, gears, to be counted in the Tamiya club speed run. 

I thought driving in a straight line would be easier than it is, altering steering end points and the steering curve helps alot.

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Well it's game on so far! I did need to adjust the slipper - it was way to loose initially. Definitely not a crawler for the reasons already mentioned. However, it will cope with rough stuff and grass much better than before. Also running a centre one way which makes it fun for changing direction - hopeless for stopping though. My 17t with 81/16 combination got fairly hot (nothing more than I remember with the stock silver can in my Falcon 30 years ago though) with a full 5000may nimh through it - could be because it was flat out most of the time. Perhaps it would run cooler with taller gearing and less max rpm? Too dark to find out now. I'll post a pic later.

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Leaving it with 81/16 (final drive 15.5:1) which with the big tyres equates to final drive of 10.5:1 when compared with the stock tyres and stock spur/pinion. I think. Tried 81/22 and it lost some of its savagery - also significantly less braking. Two consecutive 5000mah packs with the 17t got quite hot so switched to a 21t. No less savage and in my garden it's plenty fast enough. I should have done this ages ago (or bought a truggy thing from the outset). 

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Just found the limit of my 21t motor with one 2700mah 3s pack. It was awesome while it lasted though. I've read that higher turn motors cope better - I wonder how long the stock silver can will last? Best put the 3s away and go back to 17t motor and 2s for now (trying not to look at brushless combos).

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