New tough as nails truck for amatuer?

[russianman]

I am kinda sorta new to the r/c scene(ive only owned cheapy nikko/newbright stuff). i need a truck that is tough, fast and cheap. i was thinking maybe a traxxas rustler 2006 will do the trick? i have 3 Qs:

1. since i am going to use this to mess around with with my friends(jumps onto dirt/asphalt/grass), would this be a good choice?

2. can this thing run in sand(i.e. a beach...)

3. i have couple of 7.2v batteries - 1 3300mah, 3 1500mah, and 1 1300mah. I used to have a nikko ford hurcules way back when, and i had to charge up all of these batteries to make the r/c go 30mins, non stop. How long can i expect to be able to run this thing on the 3300mah battery? Also, is there an immediate slowdown as the battery's powerstarts being used?

thank you.

[TunaCan Charlie]

Welcome to the Forum, Russian!

The new Rustler or Stampede would be a great truck to get as an intro to Hobby grade RC. My friends bash them and they are near indestructable. I have not had experience with the 2006 version, but I imagine it would be the same except faster.

I have some 3600's and some 3300's. There is not a noticable power drop for the first 75% of the power. Then it slows a little, and near the end of the pack, the car is struggling to make it back to my toolbax. If you have matched packs, the power drop at the end of the pack is very sudden.

My friends run 3300's and 3600's in their Rusty's and they go from 20-30 minutes, though not all at full throttle.

Hope this helps, and I'm sure more of the people here will agree. The people in this forum are great and very helpful.... :D

EDIT- oh, forgot to mention, electric motors will wear out quicker when run in sand. it acts like sandpaper on moving parts.

[russianman]

my main gripe with electric r/c is the power drop. Is there any way to work aroung this? Maybe a lithium battery? also, can you put a higher voltage battery in there? I am involved in airsoft, so i have quite a few 8.4v and 9.6 2000 somethng mah batteries laying around.

EDIT: wheres the cheapest place to buy these babies - I live in Cal.

[evst 360]

I believe that you could use your airsoft 8.4v batteries in the rusty, if they fit. To battle the power drop, matched batteries will end more abruptly with less "going down" time. But all batteries will run out of energy at some point, even lipos. ;)

I would suggest Tower Hobbies as a place to buy one, but check your local hobby shop first (if you have one).

[russianman]

so if i get it to fit, will this 8.4v work and not cause undue wear and tear on the esc?

http://www.airsoftatlanta.com/images/84_3600_jpg.jpg

[z-man280]

Welcome aboard !!!!!!!

you should have no drop off on batteries as long as they are charged properly and in good condition. I dont know the charging conditions of an airsoft gun, but trickle charging dont quite cut it for rc's.

Stampede. Period.

the quinessential bash truck. You can beat it like a circus monkey, and it will ask for more. 20 minutes + from a 3300 pack, upgrades, parts anywhere. Packs should run hard right up until the end, then dump fast...if teir not, theres a problem with the battery, or the charging procedure or charger.

get a 'pede, never look back:D

Ron


you will need "hump" packs to run in the trucks...check here for super deals... www.all-battery.com

[smilinjohn]

:D Welcome russian: :D


:p If your looking for a motor with potentially longer run times try a brushless motor system :p . Depending on how their geared they run cooler, the batteries last longer, and the sand has 2 less components to wear on (ie. brushes, & comm)

:D The sand is still going to be harsh on bearings, shielded bearings may slow this process down, but the fine granules will still penetrate :confused: Methodical cleaning, on a frequent basis will be important with solvents, and no oils as these promote adhesion of the gritty sand to the moving parts, which will shorten the life of the parts. I've read threads on this subject on here and other forums, if you look around I'm sure there's people around that can best guide you in the best method for the application your intending.

:teacher: Don't hesitate to post questions there are lots of people on here that can offer good knowledgeable advice for noobs like us. :D :wave:

[evst 360]

so if i get it to fit, will this 8.4v work and not cause undue wear and tear on the esc?

http://www.airsoftatlanta.com/images/84_3600_jpg.jpg

Using this battery will not damage the esc too much, but it might shorten its life a little. It will also shorten the life of the motor. But you will get more speed and power. Its a tradeoff.

[russianman]

Thank you all for the quick replys :D

sooo if i do indeed use an 8.4v(which uses a smart charger), and my motor does give out, how do i go on about replacing my motor? if i want to replace my motor, do i need to replace anything else? also, which way does it go - 12turn>19turn>20somethingturn or 20somethingturn> 19turn>12turn? :huh:

EDIT:
isn't the stampede the same chasis as the rustler, except different body and wheels?

[evst 360]

If your motor does give out, you will need to replace the motor, but not anything else. To pick out a new motor, follow these general guidlines:

lower turns=more speed, more power draw, less torque, less battery life.

more turns=more torque, less speed, less power draw, longer battery life.

the stampede and rustler are identical, except for body, tires, wheels, and shock towers (I think)

O, and you might have to get creative to get the airsoft 8.4v battery to fit in the battery depression in the chassis. As z-man said, you will need a "hump" configuration battery to fit with no modsto the chassis. The airsoft battery is a "flat" configuration, and will be too long.

[z-man280]

the stampede ad rustler vary ony at the chassis and tires. The stampede places the bulkhead and trans UNDER its long narrow chassis via chassis braces, to give it more ground clearance, and runs larger tires. The rustler takes the traditional route of stadium trucks, with a flatter, wider chassis, giving it lower cg. It also has smaller tires. From this point on, they are identical. The body is different, and it removed the rear body mount, using only the pin holder on the shock tower for the rustler. Except for tires, you can convert a rusty to a stampede for roughly $30....best of both worlds!

Ron

[russianman]

i think i might get a stampede along with a 19turn motor, and ziptie that 8.4v on there. any suggestions?

is this a 17 turn motor?
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LL5207&P=
would this be a good cgoice for me?

[evst 360]

The Team Orion formula 17x2 is a 17 turn, double wound motor. This would be a great motor choice for your application. If you are going to buy a 7-cell battery for this (as opposed to using one you already have), I would suggest getting a hump-style one, which would fit better in the chassis, and would save you the hassle of the zip-ties :D

O, and don't be afraid to use the motor that comes with the pede, it should'nt burn out on you immediately. Maybe you could use this motor for the sand? :D

[russianman]

The Team Orion formula 17x2 is a 17 turn, double wound motor. This would be a great motor choice for your application. If you are going to buy a 7-cell battery for this (as opposed to using one you already have), I would suggest getting a hump-style one, which would fit better in the chassis, and would save you the hassle of the zip-ties :D

O, and don't be afraid to use the motor that comes with the pede, it should'nt burn out on you immediately. Maybe you could use this motor for the sand? :D

exactly my plan :D

also, im a little short on money, so does the esc really make that much of a difference? i spy a new rustler 2006 w/out the ecs for $140 on ebay.

What does esc actually do except limit the throttle? mechanical ecs should just not limit the throttle and that would be it, right?

also, do i need to solder the wires when i replace a motor? just makin sure.

EDIT: how much slower would the 17 turn go compared to the 12turn stock motor? if i want this tihng to go faster than it does with the original motor, but want to keep the power consumption to a minimum, what should i get? Will the 8.4 make the 17t motor work fast enough so that it has the same speed as the 12t, but have more torque?

[Eli the rc guy]

Well, the esc is just a better choice then the mechanical vsersion. For 1 thing it lasted way longer and well.. it dose alot of stuff. Think of it as the brain of the car =/. If u get a mechanical one ull just have to replace it in like 2 weeks especialy if u are running off road and such. Lol Im prety sure someone can fill in more detailes on the esc. It just allows more adjustibillity of the car, its the BETTER alternative to the mechanical ones, and it lasts longer so. But becareful ur gunna have to watch the motor limits in it (esc) or else u'll damige it.

[TunaCan Charlie]

Without some structural modification (which could weaken your chassis), the 7 cell 8.4 pack you pictured WILL NOT fit in a Rusty's battery tray. As Z-Man said, you will need hump packs. (The 7th cell is placed atop the others, hence the "hump")

By the way, the XL-5 ESC on the new 'Pede and Rusty is rated for 4-8 cells, or 4.8-9.6 volts. You won't burn out your ESC. ;)

[maiyn]

I have the 2006 version of the Stampede with the 12 t motor and xl-5 esc. I am new to r/c but the truck is great. With a venom 3300 nimh battery fully charged i can run near 30 mins. The only problems I've had are when landing a decent sized jump on concrete it has knocked my motor loose (as in away from the gear not off the truck). But I beat mine up as hard and often as possible, and have not had any problems that can't easily be fixed. If that helps. :D

[Scattershot]

I have the older veriosn of the rustler. I now race it at my local track.. I have jumped it off of a table, slammed into curbs.. hit tires.. people in some cases and the truck keeps on rockin. For the money.. best bashing truck and it is pretty quick to boot. Ypu will have lots of fun with the rustler and there are a ton of hop up parts you can buy. Hope this helps.

Mike

[socalBash]

i need a truck that is tough, fast and cheap.

Amen brother - dont we all ...

tough, fast and cheap.

You only get to pick two .... an rc featuring all three is like a Unicorn.

[evst 360]

also, im a little short on money, so does the esc really make that much of a difference? i spy a new rustler 2006 w/out the ecs for $140 on ebay.

What does esc actually do except limit the throttle? mechanical ecs should just not limit the throttle and that would be it, right?

also, do i need to solder the wires when i replace a motor? just makin sure.


You want to get an esc if you can. The car will be more drivable. It's worth the extra $$ You can a new rusty or stampede for 170 -180 on Tower Hobbies (http://towerhobbies.com) with the xl-5 esc

If you replace the motor, you will not need to solder the wires, but you might need to purchase motor wires with bullet connectors.

The formula 17t will probable go the same speed as the stock 12t, because the stock 12t sucks :D The 17t will probable give you enough speed and power to suit your needs, especially with a 7 cell battery. I hope this helps!

[SS Pede]

If you want to keep costs down you might just try the stock 12T 550 motor for now. It's fast enough to make the 2006 Rusty the fastest RTR stadium truck you can buy. I imagine that 17T would be around the same speed or slightly faster, maybe a bit more powerful. The thing is, if you're new to hobby-grade R/C you might be perfectly satisfied with the stock motor for a while.

The ESC is important to have. Unless you plan on immediately upgrading to a brushless system or really high-end brushed ESC, I would get the XL-5. It will serve you well.

[evst 360]

1. since i am going to use this to mess around with with my friends(jumps onto dirt/asphalt/grass)

If you are going to be driving on different surfaces, you might want to consider getting the right tires. Pro-line makes some really good tires. I would consider the Road Rage's and Dirt Hawgs. pro-line linky (http://www.pro-lineracing.com/proline.html) Go to Products and click on 1:10th truck.

[evst 360]

Soooo, did you get the 'pede?

[trxcrazy345]

you can even go even higher to 8 cells (9.6) at that www.all-battery.com
if you want the pede for sand you could also get sand paddle tires at www.prolinracing.com sand slinging is really fun :D


i would recomend a higher turn motor for sand slinging for the extra torque like a stock 20 turn stinger from www.traxxas.com

[barryuttley]

I just got into RC's a few months ago and my first truck is a 2006 Rustler. I have a good time with and have broken a few parts, but overall its a pretty tough truck.
You can put a 7 cell battery in the tray if you knock out the divider thats inder the ESC mount.
I have upgraded the motor and ESC in mine to a Super Rooster and a 10 turn fantom. I run 4200 batteries and the thing is a rocket now.
I changed the spur and pinion from the stock 86/23 or 27 to 90/18 which makes it easily pull wheelies of the and when rolling at 5-10 mph and it's still has a higher top speed than the stock truck.

[skylineTT]

my XL-5/titan 12T set-up is pretty dang fast. its dialed