tuff1

hi all. i am quite a bit lost after just buying a used Traxxas Rustler off ebay. Came here hoping to learn how to care for and start enjoying it. can seeit here

• can you guys point me in the right direction to where i can see some instructions on disassembly / cleaning / maintaining?
• are there certain things i should be checking ?
• should i spray parts with something like wd40 or any areas that i should try to oil?

i also ordered two new batteries since the seller clearly stated that the bettery that came with it was a bit aged and was'nt holding much of a charge.
i have'ne received them yet - but should have them by Monday at the latest.

the charger that came with it is a Hobbico AC/DC Auto-Charger.
Any thoughts on these "15 minute" chargers? Am i wrong to be thinking that there's a better more proper way to charge the batteries? Or are they perfectly fine?
Again - i know some of these questions might seem silly but as i said earlier im totally new to this stuff so thanks for baring with me.

also, aside from the 7-Cell 8.4V 3000Mah Batteries that i bought i also picked up one of the following ...
8 Cell 9.6V 5000mAh NiMH Hump Battery see here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/360471965987...84.m1423.l2649

i suddenly became concerned weather or not the charger that came with the car will be able to charge both or can you make a suggestion please.

looking forward to hearing back and learning and being able to participate and share as well.
thanks all.

phmaximus

Off the top of my head some things to check, suspension arms move freely, steering moves freely, gear mesh, tyre glue, check over all the screws. Ont spray anything with wd40, all it's gonna do is attract dirt then moisture. Best thing to use is garage door lube, it's silicon based, protects from rust and repells dirt. But I wouldn't stress to much the rustler has plastic drive shafts.

tuff1

thanks for the feedback phmaximus!!! i will look into that lube you mentioned.
its pretty late - i will check back in later to see what others might say about that battery / charger question.
thank you again.

phmaximus

Personally I wouldn't bother with that charger, looks like it can only charge low mah batteries, dont think it would work,
get your self a IMAX B6

[link]http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=15379[/link]

LaTuFu

My Feedback: (1)

Congrats and welcome to this great hobby.  Bookmark this thread so you can come back in 6 months and realize how much you have learned in a short period of time.

tuff1

phmaximus, thanks again!!
but while trying to do a little due diligence of my own after checking out that link it seems that that charger is for 1 to 6 cell batteries [], and so it wont work for neither the 8 cell nor the 7 cells that i mentioned above [][][]
any other thoughts / ideas.

@LaTuFu,
thanks for the welcome!!!!

Foxy

The 1-6 cell denomination means 1-6 cell LIPO!! consider that 1 lipo cell has more voltage than 3 nimh cells. It will charge batteries up to 25v. The NiMh program will charge literally any nimh that is available over a shop counter. The charger linked is a 'buy this, never worry about chargers again' item, it is very good and will more than meet your needs for a single model. When you have several models, and perhaps some bigger ones that take twin packs, you may want to upgrade again to something that can charge 2 at once, but the imax should last you a loooong time.

tuff1

WHOO-HOO!!
back on track!! thanks for that Foxy!!!

a little off topic but would you happen to know where they are located / where they ship from?
not having much luck finding that bit of info on the site.
im in jersey, so im trying to have an idea of how long it might before i actually receive it if i place my order.

not only that but also trying to factor in what would be the cost of shipping.
i cant tell you how excited i am to start having some fun with this thing but i CAN tell that im way over what i thought i would be spending already.

phmaximus

Thanks foxy well said

Don't worry I'm not going to recommend something that won't work
Not much els I can say, it's a great charger I'm running a IMAX b5 and a b6, the b6 can charge 6 different types of batteries, nicd, nimh, lipo, life, pb. And it has heaps of charging programs to chose from. U won't find a better charger for that price. Only thing I recommend, is if u are using nicd or nimh spend the extra $2.50 including postage (eBay) to get a Temperature probe...

Foxy

Don't worry, your wallet will get some air at least.

This hobby isn't for the frugal I'm afraid to say. Another option shipping from the US could be this...

http://www.hobbypartz.com/thac6smbachw.html

Foxy

By the way, if you do go for the imax, personally, I'd buy the genuine article, rather than the copy, the price difference isn't enough to make it worth the risk if you ask me, and reading the reviews, seems like there's a small chance you can get a lemon. Here's the genuine article...

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...idProduct=5548

tuff1

you guys are the BEST!
i cant thank you all enough for all the feedback.

hey guys, i hate to seem so thick but i see two that are describes as "Genuine" ...
this one:


and this one :


could you please make a suggestion as to which would be better for me considering all you guys know already about my particular set-up?

also Foxy, im not ruling out the Thunder AC6 you linked to - im only trying to not blow too much $$ in one shot.
BUT i will take your word for it and go that route if you see it best for me.

LaTuFu

My Feedback: (1)

The Thunder AC6 is a good charger, too.

As far as shipping, HobbyKing and Hobbypartz both ship out of California for the US.  You'll receive your stuff in about 4-7 days after they ship your order.

thehuntingterminator

All hobbypartz orders come from California. It depends where you order hobbyking from: US warehouse or China or others in different countries.

SyCo_VeNoM

yup quite a few things (specially new stuff they start to carry) are not shipped from the US, but from china on the slowest boat imaginable, or you have to pay like $40 for EMS shipping.

echthelion

if you dont mind spending alittle more theres http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...rger-6S-6A-50W

not that the china ones are bad but with anything you can get a badone. and from my understanding it can be next to impossible to do anything about it. of course you could get a bad one that i linked but it will be alot easier to do somthing about it

Foxy

Both are genuine, nu2.

The lighter blue one (IMAX B6 Charger/Discharger 1-6 Cells (GENUINE)) needs a 12v power source. You can use a car battery (remember to keep it charged!!) or an old (but powerful, at least 300W) computer power supply. You could buy a genuine multi purpose RC power supply for it, but they are expensive. This charger is 26 bucks and ships from China only.

The other one (IMAX B6-AC Charger/Discharger 1-6 Cells (GENUINE)) Is the same internally, the external difference is the built in AC power supply which means you can plug it into an outlet, you don't need a 12v source. This costs 40 bucks, also only ships from china, and is understandably more expensive because of the AC power supply built-in.

The Thunder AC6 is again the same charger internally (the one at hobbypartz I linked earlier), includes an AC power supply, costs 42 bucks and ships from the US.

Hope that about covers it

I think the cheapest fastest option for you is to order the Thunder AC6 from hobbypartz, unless you have a good 12v source, in which case get the genuine B6 (not B6-AC) for 26 bucks plus shipping from China and use your own 12v source.

tuff1

okay guys ...
so the charger issue is resolved as ive just placed my order and so im gonna be set back for another week or more before i can actually start having some fun []
no need to mention which i chose since there were a few suggested and dont want to feel like i chose one persons suggestion over another.

i cant thank you all enough for all the help with that. i feel pretty silly that i didnt realize i needed a different charger for the batteries but at least im glad i did, albeit a little late, and took the time to ask.

im off to look through the forums to see if i find any threads that mention the Rustler ....
if you guys can remember any that you think i might get some useful knowledge from - please post a link.
all the best to you all.

thehuntingterminator

There is an official Rustler thread on RCU, so if shouldn't be too hard to find. I have owned two Rustlers, so feel free to ask me anything and I'll try my best.

tuff1

thanks thehuntingterminator!!
yes would love to check'em out. i didnt have much luck finding too much. i did find a thread where this guy turns a rustler in to a SICK baja bug ...



i guess most of my concern comes from not owning anything of this caliber before and i would love to be able to overhaul it a bit and make sure things are up to snuff. i would also love to know where i can pick up replacement parts on the cheap, like a Traxxas junk yard (LOL! ) - another thing is that i think i recall reading somewhere that this particular model has a setting or two that can be set for "speed runs" or "regular use".
if this is true - i would like to know how to check what its currently set at and how to change if i so choose to later.

i know that was quite a bit all at once but im really looking forward to hearing your thoughts / ideas.
 thank you BTW, again, for chiming in.

thehuntingterminator

I would recommend getting a 2s lipo, rpm a-arms, rpm bumper, aluminum bulkhead, golden horizon aluminum tranny, and big bore shocks.

tuff1

thanks thehuntingterminator,
i have been looking around and have found the items that you mentioned. i might not be able to invest in all of them right away but definitely on my shopping list.

could you elaborate a little on what i said that i think i might have read somewhere about the being a way to "switch modes" (speed mode / regular mode)??

thehuntingterminator

That's just the different programming modes for the VXL ESC. For more info, check it out on Traxxas website.

tuff1

"VXL ESC" ...
guess that means i dont have to worry if i read correctly just now, the VXL is the brushless model.
thanks for clearigthat up.

thehuntingterminator

My bad. I thought you had the brushless model. But the XL5 has those same programming options. Once again, you can call Traxxas during the week to get instructions on how to, or just google it.