1QwkSport2.5r

Any of you guys know for a fact if Losi or Associated ever used SAE screws in their models, EVER? I have never seen an SAE screw in any model I've ever owned. They've all been metric threaded. I know the RC companies do not publish what thread pitch/count/screw size they use so verification is tough.

Thanks folks.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

You called?

I've used my 5/64 hex wrench much on my B4.1, if that helps. I'll go check today, but for now, I think it was 5/64.

1QwkSport2.5r

I'm not talking about the head of the screw, I'm talking about the threaded portion. Some poorly made screws may have heads that fit an improper size wrench. I've encountered this. I've not found SAE nuts to thread screws off RTR cars; I've tried in hopes of using spare car screws on some of my custom airboat builds.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

Ahh, sorry. Don't think I can help you there, man.

Big Alice

My GTs all have sae screws. 4-40 and 8-32. Buggys too. http://rcdocuments.com/documents/Tea...0GT_Manual.pdf
From looking at the losi manual, it's sae also. http://rcdocuments.com/documents/Tea...XX4_Manual.pdf

Ttowntoolman

I have two GT's and a couple of tc3's a T3 and a B3 yes SAE 4-40 SHCS are the most common screw.

1QwkSport2.5r

I find that so hard to believe. I need to dig out my thread pitch gauge.

Maj_Overdrive

My Feedback: (11)

Well it's either metric or SAE right? I know for a fact some Losi's don't use metric. The XXX4 and my LST's being the ones I have experience with not being metric. The manual for the LST shows 4-40, 2-56 and 5-40 in various lengths. The only metric is the set/grub screws and one set of 3mm.

Big Alice

Look in the manuals I linked. It tells you what the screws are. We're not lying to you.

1QwkSport2.5r

I will do that when I have better internet service. I doubt you guys are blowing smoke in my eyeballs... None of my stock models have SAE screws. Traxxas Jato, Nitro Rustler, Losi LST2 & Aftershock, 4-Tec, etc. were all metric. I built an LST2 from scratch and used an RCScrewz screw kit that was SAE, but the thread pitch of that kit were not the same as the factory assembled LST2 I have (#445). I've not owned an Associated model so I've no experience with those, but my stock Traxxas models and my LST2 had metric pitch screws. So this is where my skepticism comes from.

Maj_Overdrive

My Feedback: (11)

Traxxas is all metric I can tell you that. Every Traxxas I've had including a Sledgehammer with white plastics has been all metric. I can also tell you that the screws on the LST, LST2 and XXL I've owned do not have the same thread pitch and the manual says 4-40, 5-40 and 2-56 for all the screws and nuts. Pissed me off when I started in LST's because I have loads of Traxxas metric hardware around. But it's pretty easy to convert a LST to metric since it's mostly 4-40 and 3mm is only slightly larger in diameter. Don't know if it's RCScrews or Tony's but one (or both?) of them has a metric screw conversion for the LST maybe that's what you had? Only the motor mount screws and the screws for the diffs would need to be stock thread pitch since they thread into metal. All other screws go into plastic so it's real easy to convert to 3mm hardware on the rest of the truck.

1QwkSport2.5r

I have one LST2 with metric screws stock and the other is SAE because of the RCScrewZ SAE screw kit I used to build it. It was cheaper to do that than pay $3 for 3-5 screws and need like 15 packets of the various sizes and quantities.

I will put the subject to bed when I am back in town. I'll check some of the screws and compare.

Funny story - I was going to test run a twin cylinder Fox glow engine (20cc) I own with a pair of K&B mufflers since they are identical and I can make adapters to fit the engine easily. Problem is the engine needs 3/4" long 6-32 screws and the screws for the muffler are 5-40 and 3" long. Can't cut the 5-40 screws because then they won't work in the K&B engines I have. It would cost more to buy online and ship than its worth. The Fox mufflers I have will work but they will make the dead go deaf. LoL

phmaximus

I don't know much about threads but I can say the losi xxx nt I had use different screws to every other car I owned.
The most common screw it the kit was wider than a m2 but thinner than a m3... If that makes sense?

1QwkSport2.5r

Could have been a m2.5. The Novarossi engine I have has 2.5, 3, and 3.5mm screws. In fact all of my European and Asian engines use metric screws without a doubt. My Enya 4-strokes have 4.5mm screws holding the front housings onto the crankcases. The key to these screws isn't so much the diameter because some SAE screws are very close to the size of some metric screws. The big difference is the thread pitch. What brought this thread about was a comment in another forum about Losi and Associated use SAE screws in their models and that 5-40 screws can be found for these models. What wasn't said initially was these Losi and Associated cars he was speaking of was back when they came in kit form and not RTR. I've never seen 5-40 screws on the shelf at my hobby shops, and the employees told me they don't exist. Mmhmm..

I just don't understand why an Asian company making parts in Asia where the metric system is standard would use SAE screws to assemble a RTR model car but not the engine. The wheel hexes are metric. The lengths of shock shafts are measured in metric, the fuel tanks are listed using metric volume measurements, etc. It doesn't add up. It requires a different set of taps, dies, molds, etc. to make SAE parts. In this day and age of cost cutting measures and profit margins shrinking that a company making stuff in Asia to save money would use two different measurement standards in the making of their product.

straitnickel

If your talking around about 5/64" that is a problem size for me, i have screws in that size that neither metric or standard wrenches will not fit them.

straitnickel

come to think of it I bought a 5/64" wrench that would not fit the screw!

The_Shark

Yes, and I hate standard, however they are all switching to metric, some of the models have some metric, some standard and that becomes a real PITA.

To the post above, I think that the company thinks that muricans want to see standard hardware because nothing here is metric and they think we would be like, hey! dis is all standard hardware, mus be made in murica, cuz murica is red white and blue, and associated is all red white and blue so dem still made in murica! FOOTBALL!!!

I would love to say we aren't that stupid, but I have seen a few touched people, they still argue when I point out the "made in Taiwan" sticker on the box.

The_Shark

Tell me about it, I built a losi 8ight-e 3.0 for some guy as a side job, neither my metric or standard hex drivers fit the 5/64 screws, so it took me another 1.5 hours just to avoid stripping anything out with my too big 2mm.
Also, losi- why in the hell would you have me build a kit thinking I'm missing a screw for the first part the entire time and later find out it is in the LAST STEP FOR NO REASON to give me the "missing" screw that I now have to remove the top plate to get to? to cause pain?

rgburrill

Why not just look in the manual. Surely if you built it from scratch you have the manual.
In beneral, foreign made items have metric screws but US made have SAE. Not always true but usually is.

1QwkSport2.5r

I don't have the manual and didn't use it to build the second truck. I already knew the truck inside out and backwards. I've looked at the LST2 manual online and it lists metric and SAE screws. The problem is the manual is wrong. There isn't a single SAE screw on the factory assembled LST2 I have. I'm on vacation with slow internet access so loading PDF's takes forever.

phmaximus

Maybe get the manuals for the older vehicles??

See I know they use different tools, metric vs imperial drivers

but are u saying there thread is different as well?? Or do they just use a lot of 1/2 sizes (ie. m2.5 and m3.5)

thinking about it... I swear they all have the same thread pitch... I've still got a 8ight 2.0 and 5ive-t if u need me to check any of the screws?

1QwkSport2.5r

I looked at the Aftershock manual, LST manual, and the LST2 manual. They list 2-56 & 4-40 among others but when I pulled a screw from the transmission of a factory built LST2 and tried using it in my scratchbuilt truck, the screw didn't thread the same. It felt like it was cross threading and it was. Put the two screws together threads to threads and they didn't mesh. Two like screws of the same thread count/pitch will mesh together. I don't have a tap & die set and I can't find my thread pitch gauges so I couldn't verify what it was exactly. I pulled other screws from the factory truck and compared to the screws from the exact same location on the one I built and none of them meshed. That means they are not the same thread count and/or pitch. If they are supposed to be, either Losi used 3rd rate parts or RCScrewZ used 3rd rate parts. Not even 2nd rate parts would be this far off.

If you want to check them, go for it. But you don't need to. I'm not dying to know what's what, I was trying to prove or disprove another members claims of SAE screws being used on RTR trucks and 5-40 screws are easy to find because of that.

adrhadthakhu

Ahh, sorry. Don't think I can help you there, man.