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Robitronic Mantis official topic

Old 09-08-2009, 01:42 PM
  #51  
vnmsgt
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic


ORIGINAL: andrew76

thanks for all the info i also like the matis is deferent every one at the track has the 8t and i just don't want to be one more the oney thing i don't like is the stiring but that can be fix and the low neddle comes off
Did you say low speed needle comes off? If it is the needled that is on the side of the carb and NOT on the SLIDE of the carb that opens and closes then that is the midrange needle if you are still running the axial .28 it comes with. What you need to do is take it out but make sure the setting that is is at (usually flush) and put some shoe goo on the threads and put it back in. That will help hold it in. If that falls out and you lose it you are going to be one mad person! lol
Old 09-09-2009, 12:08 AM
  #52  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

i did not now about that problem i read it some wear and i did one did came off on me and i hard to buy another one and i put a bit of treadlook on it i will see how it holds but i will try the shoegoo thanks
Old 12-24-2009, 08:14 PM
  #53  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Thankfully I've not had an issue with the LSN falling out.
It's been a couple of months since I last drove my Mantis. I haven't yet saved enough clams for the servo I wanted since I'll also need to buy a new radio to even use it blah blah blah....so I broke down and ordered a cheap, high torque servo for $30 from AmainHobbies (Airtronics 94162Z High Torque Metal Gear Ball Bearing Servo) and had it delivered. Took over 2 weeks to get here.....stupid customs....anyway even though we are in the process of moving (again), I made time to wedge the new servo in: it's all about priorities . I'm sure you noticed the word 'wedge' in my previous sentence....that's because this servo is about 1/4 inch taller than the stock one. So to make it fit without using a hammer, I used some bearings for spacers and some longer screws I had on hand. Seems to work fine and feels a LOT stronger than the stock servo. I will try it out tomorrow and see how it goes. I've taken the Goliath tires off and packed them so all I have kicking around are the stock tires.......Tomorrow will be fun.....Merry Christmas and cheers, everyone, to breaking parts before the New Year.
Old 01-19-2010, 07:08 AM
  #54  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

HEEEEELLLLLLPPPP!!!!!

I have a Mantis and love it. It's been awesome since i got it 4 mths ago. But today when i was bashing it just sort of died. Well not really died but when i stomped on the gas it would rev right up but not take off. The engines was screaming but it wasn't going fast at all. I'm thinking it might be the rear diff cause the front wheels spun ok but the back ones would stop real quick. I hope i've explained this right. Can someone please help???


Cheers
Ossie

Old 01-19-2010, 01:55 PM
  #55  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Down Under Dude,
this response is my shotgun approach to diagnosing the problem (very effective against small mammals...er, I mean problems). Hope it helps:
The rear and center diffs would be a good place to start. Since you've been driving it around for 4 months, you know how easy it is to gun the throttle on a soft surface like gravel and break the rear end loose almost immediately. Please don't make us try to believe you've never done this...we all know the truth. Spectacular 360's yes, but murder on the diff . Also, you may want to check the clutch shoes since they are nylon/plastic and may have worn considerably and this would also affect power delivery. Lastly, if you drove through some water and let your car sit, it is possible (but not very likely) that your bearings may have seized. I'm sure you've dreaded hearing this but it's tool time...your fun is officially on hold.
Recently I have had some trouble with my brake linkage and have had to make some adjustments. Apparently, the pads were pressing on the discs continually and were scrubbing a lot of speed due to its design. I'm doubtful this would be your problem however, I thought I'd mention it anyway. I am working on a simple design to cause the brakes to return to their neutral position better but I haven't had the time or initiative lately. I'll make a post later about this when I figure something out and it actually works longer than one run down the street.
Please let us know what you find out.
Old 01-20-2010, 04:27 AM
  #56  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Thx heaps dude, i'll get wrenching and let you know what happens


Cheers
Ossie
Old 01-23-2010, 07:27 PM
  #57  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Finally decided to get down with the program and fix my brakes: two weeks of rain will do that. Anyway, I used a small piece of 1.5mm alum. cut with some tin snips, bent to shape with pliers, BBQ'd and then dipped in oil (I was really bored). If you look at the pic you will see how it wraps around the brake arm and is set aprox. 1-2mm from the joint so it doesn't bind. The alum is close to flush at the bottom of the arm so it doesn't interfere with the diff. assembly. The rib of the arm was cut away using a knife so the alum. piece would sit flush. I would have put a screw through it but my dremel is still in Canada; so instead I scraped the alum. and nylon, glued them with Gorilla Super Glue and then pressed them together with pliers. This holds together well since there isn't a lot of tension on it. If I were racing I'd put a screw through it, though.
For the pin on the diff. cover, I used a very small screw and brass collar which came with a micro servo (I think). The flare on the collar is glued to the diff. cover and the screw is set directly into the nylon.....super easy.
The "return spring" is just a rubber band I marked for proper tension and glued together with the super glue and the ends were then cut off.
The band is always under tension; the alum plate keeps the brake arm in the neutral position as it is being pulled against the diff assembly. The band isn't so tight as to over-work the servo and the brakes always return to their proper position now.
This only took about 1 hour since I actually had to think about what I was doing (hopefully my wife is reading this )
I win.

I just noticed that you can also see the spacers I used to shoehorn the steering servo in with (which I mentioned on a previous post).
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Old 01-24-2010, 10:22 PM
  #58  
Ossie Tiger
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Dudes,

I got to wrenching on my trug the other day and found no probs with any bearings or diffs. What i did find was that my breaks were locking on and not releasing when i hit the throttle. So i fiddled with the throttle arm and break linkage and freeded them up and after a quick run all seemed well. HRi just saw your post on fixing this prob and might give it, or something similar a whirl and see what happens.

NOTE: check your filter hasn't moved after a roll over or heavy hit. As i noticed mine had and was resting against break linkage and causing breaks to stick.

Thanks for your help HR,
Happy Truggin

Ossie.
Old 01-25-2010, 01:27 PM
  #59  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

So it was the brakes.....interesting.
For a simpler fix than the one I posted, I suppose I would have put a screw through the brake-arm to use as a post instead of the alum. plate. But as I said before....no dremel. Doing it this way though you'd still need some sort of spacer between the brake-arm and the diff assembly to keep it in the neutral position.
Smart remark for the day:
"There is more than one way to skin a cat"
"How would you know....personal experience?"[X(]
Old 01-26-2010, 06:21 PM
  #60  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Does anyone know off-hand of other body styles that will fit the Mantis?
Old 03-26-2010, 04:16 PM
  #61  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Does anyone know if there are upgrades for this truggy other than factory stuff?
FYI: If you want to upgrade yours cheaply with factory upgrades, Tower Hobbies is selling off some of it's inventory which I'm assuming will be discontinued. I picked up 2 sets of springs (1.41/pr), carbon fiber radio tray (7.00), and u-joint shaft (5.50): these prices are WAY lower than retail. *STEAL*[8D]
Old 04-01-2010, 01:15 PM
  #62  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

I think this truggy is awesome and hate to see "the other guys" get so much attention when it comes to available upgrade parts so I'm contemplating doing something about it.
Question for Mantis owners: What performance upgrades would you like that are not currently available for the Mantis?
For example, my chassis braces have bent a bit (I won't say why [sm=red_smile.gif]) and rather than buying the stamped replacement parts (there are no upgrades), I'd like to see some braces that are: A. lighter; B. stronger; C. both A & B. I'm thinking titanium .
Old 04-18-2010, 03:07 PM
  #63  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Since you have experience replacing the diff parts with Kyosho, may I ask you if they were a direct fit or did you have to modify? The reason I ask is because I'm looking at getting either a smart diff (Losi) or Fioroni diff (MP9) and would like to know if either would fit without heavy modification. Also, do you know if the Punisher body will fit? Thanks.
Old 04-27-2010, 11:25 PM
  #64  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Started a new thread "KillerVolt" for the electric conversion of my Mantis.
I will also be attempting to replace my front and center diffs with Kyosho LSDs from a Kanai II buggy which is en route from a trade.
Old 05-20-2010, 12:29 AM
  #65  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Any luck getting those questions answered? The diff? The body fitting? Also did you take pics of when you modded your breaks? I hate the breaks on mine. Doesn't stop good and they rub killing my speed.
Old 05-20-2010, 04:34 PM
  #66  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Unfortunately, this thread has had very little activity/response so I've had to answer my own questions.

A body that fits excellently is the ProLine SHIFT for the Mugen MBX6T. It is narrower than the Mantis body so if you're running nitro, this may be a concern. I do think however, that an exhaust pipe should still fit inside the body. You may be able to determine this by looking at the photos of this body as it's mounted on the Mantis in my KillerVolt thread.

As far as diffs are concerned no, other diffs do not fit. The internal parts should (I don't see why they wouldn't) but as far as swapping out the whole assembly (diff case and gear) no. The Robitronic diff cases are slightly smaller than Kyosho and possibly others as well. Although a Kyosho diff seems to fit, it ever so slightly rubs the housing and I believe that the slight rubbing would become excessive as the truggy is driven and jostled around. The Robitronic diff case measures 17mm from center to center between screw holes and the Kyosho and Losi measure 18mm center to center between screw holes.
I never did put in Kyosho LSD diffs, since the trade I mentioned in my previous post ended up being a bum deal and the Kanai buggy I ended up with never did have the LSD, rebuilt diffs like I was told: but that's another story. For the short version of that experience, just check out my blog.

I never did like the brakes on the Mantis myself, either. There are photos on this thread (I think) as well as another as far as what I did to fix the problem with the consistent failure of the braking system to return to neutral. Basically you need a return spring (I used a rubber band) and a stop to keep the brakes from going past the neutral position. I've found the pic and included it below for you.
I have not actually messed with the problem of how badly they seem to fade when used heavily or the drag issue. If I had actually kept them instead of converting to electric, I would have started with roughing up the discs with coarse grit sand paper however, this would only agitate the drag you have been experiencing. Other things I would have pursued would be to find another pad or disc material that is more conducive to actually stopping the vehicle; re-designing the actual brake assembly since it does not effectively use the servo's torque (I have seen a pic of someone's mod somewhere...maybe youtube?). Still, none of these would address the drag issue.
My final and most competent solution would be to design a caliper/fixed disc system much like those found on a bicycle and using an actuator or solenoid of sorts to engage it. I may actually fabricate this modification if my Mantis doesn't stop effectively as an electric.
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Old 05-20-2010, 10:51 PM
  #67  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Hey thanks for the reply! They carry the shift body for the mugen so I'll check into tomorrow. I have be nitro setup with the pipe that hangs along side the body so I hope it still fits. Will most mugen 6t bodies fit or just that one? Also I'll try your brake setup. Thanks
Old 05-20-2010, 11:31 PM
  #68  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

It's a measurement thing with the body....that's all: so find one close to the stock specs and you'll be fine. The length is more critical than the other measurements since there isn't much room to spare before you're hitting either the front bumper or rear wing assembly. If you get a body that's too long you'll have to do some trimming which may end up looking really tacky.
The SHIFT body I've mentioned for the MBX6T fits perfectly without trimming. [8D] I believe that the BULLDOG body for the MBX6T is a bit too long, if I remember correctly, and would either rub or require some trimming (though not too extensive). You can always compare the measurements.

[size=3]Here's the measurements of the Mantis body:

Length: 17" (432mm)
Width: 8.2" (208mm) in front of rear wheels (widest point)
Width: 6.1" (155mm) in front of front wheels (thinnest point)
Height: 4.2" (106mm)

Old 05-21-2010, 06:18 PM
  #69  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

I've had the same problem, check the diff's, starting with the rear one, you'll find either a bad ring and pinion or bad gears internal to the diff.
Old 05-21-2010, 06:22 PM
  #70  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Looking for a rolling chassis for the Robitronics Mantis, or whatever parts you may have, just email me at [email protected]
Thanks, Rick
Old 05-21-2010, 06:30 PM
  #71  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

I'm thinking the front tower support housing, and perhaps the upper front suspension arms could use some upgrading forstrength add to that list the differential housings, let's get rid of that plastic housing..
Old 05-30-2010, 04:08 PM
  #72  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Have you noticed the rear drive-shafts popping out much? The one on the right rear side seems to pop out now on my Mantis for some reason. It didn't used to do this......lately however, I would lose the right-rear dogbone while driving hard into a right-hand turn. When I played with the rear hub, I found that I could literally twist it enough (barely) to pop the dogbone back in. I was surprised really, to find so much flex in the rear hub assembly. I left the track and packed it in after looking for my dogbone the second time.
So, in addition to buying the cvd's for the rear, I think it would also be a good idea to order the rear aluminum hubs. I would imagine that having even a portion of that flex removed would help the Mantis to feel a bit more planted in the dirt and give the driver a more predictable response.
Old 05-31-2010, 10:55 PM
  #73  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

The only dog bone on mine that gave me a problem was my rear drive dog bone but it was due to a bevel getting shimmed. I was blowing them out like crazy and some one to me to shim it to push it up. After I shimmed it the shaft kept falling out. Then I cut little pieces of fuel line and stuck them on both. Helped out big time. I'm still new to nitro but after looking at my friends truggy(losi and associated) I must say this truggy was built poorly but I'm still enjoying it.
Old 06-01-2010, 10:14 AM
  #74  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

Weird, I haven't had the need to shim anything. Did you get the Mantis TXS or the original Mantis?
I have the TXS and I really haven't noticed any durability issues. Like I said about the rear hubs though I think that they flex a bit too much however, if you look at Duratrax stuff, their parts are so rubber-like they might as well have Michelin stamped on them. It does make some sense though, to have a part that will give vs. snap: especially for new(er) drivers whose offroading adventures consist of the backyard and who might do some club racing at best. Though I wouldn't have any fear racing this truggy, it certainly wouldn't be without a few upgrades.......maybe some day. According to my friend at the LHS, I'm the only one he knows around here with an E-truggy: so I'd be racing against myself.
I ended up putting some o-rings in the diff drive cups to help with the dog bone issue. I don't remember if they were originally there or not when I first got the Mantis but it seems to be working thus far.
I decided to spend my extra $$ on a Losi Strike instead of upgrading my Mantis any further at this point. Maybe when I have some extra coin I'll buy the upgrades I was thinking about (or if anything breaks), but until then it can stay stock.
Every time I take the Mantis out, my son is trying to touch it. I set the remote down the other day and had picked up the rear of the trug to check out the missing dogbone: let's just say my son figured out how to mash the throttle on the remote. Seconds later, the madness stopped and I was able to recover from all the rocks and dirt which were slung into my face by the front wheels. So I'm hoping that having a car around that he can learn with which doesn't go 50mph (yet!) will be a good thing. Actually, I'll be picking the Strike up today so my son will be slinging more rocks in no time: though, not at my face!
Old 06-03-2010, 07:35 PM
  #75  
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Default RE: Robitronic Mantis official topic

I have the txs also. Don't get me wrong for 300 bucks this is a really good truggy. Just had a few minor headaches along the way. Let me explain and please excuse my rc vocab isn't that great. Out of the box I had no diff oil or seal in the rear. The rear bev wouldn't fully reach the the diff spur so I had to replace it ever 2-3 track days. A $10 fix but it add up plus it was an order item. Had to wait alot. We know about the brakes and how the can stay shut during a run. Most nitros have the mud sides, this one doesn't so the pipe pops off sometimes after a big jump and also when I upgraded my servo, the new steering one doesn't fit all the way. But after my tire upgrade along with a rebuilt losi 427, this thing is awesome. Glad to see o rings work. The local track I go to has a open truggy race and I've see a few good e truggies. Like the assoicated mb8t-e hauls ass. I understand about the strike getting more funds put into it. I do it with my slash.

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