seedygreenute

You really did a number on it ... nice one !
Thats something you have to give Traxxas credit for , parts and diagrams . Even the upgrades come with detailed instructions .
A decent bumper might be a good investment ! T bone racing or RPM . If it saves 1 part in your next big crash it probably would have paid for itself .

Jonbass

Rpm bumper is great. Put one on my son’s. He runs into everything.

Zoodles95

I wonder if the RPM front bumper would have mitigated the damages a bit? Would far rather have replaced a bumper than this major surgery.

I try to look at rhe bright side of things. Big learning experience and it has forced me to get familiar with the truck. Also, I have made a relationship with a nice local hobby store which I will buy all my parts from here on out.

So, RPM bumper added to the list.

does RPM make a servo cage?

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

3-cell power full speed straight into a sold object on a cold day ? An RPM bumper wouldn't have helped much. Get that thing on 2-cell power in training mode and practice driving it in a LARGE open area.

Great idea going to and supporting a local hobby shop and buying parts from them. They probably have or can get what you want and can help you if needed.

Servo cage? You probably meant ESC cage. Yes RPM has those...PN: 70605

Zoodles95

I meant servo cage. For the box. I have that esc cage on order.

should I get an upgraded center drive shafts? Just joking. The stock one seems to be of good quality. I doubt there are a ton of those things breaking.

Zoodles95

Really silly question. 1s batteries... works on the vxl? Another way to slowdown the truck. Would be good for my autistic brother in law.

Edit: From what I have read what I want for this application would be a 7 Cell NiMH. So, I am going to try and source out one of these and also a 2S battery.

Jonbass

Ya. 3S brushless speed head on collisions are gonna destroy stuff. RPM bumper might have mitigated the damages a tiny bit but not much in that situation.

Zoodles95

Opinion sought gang...

My parts are coming in next Thursday.

In the interim I am still planning on getting a second Stampede. That way my wife and I can take them out together and/or my brother in law.

Presently I have two options I am considering locally.

One is a BNIB that is $70 less than discounted retail. I also save the 13% sales tax. And they will throw in a NiMh pack for me:



Truck is bone stock. So, I will want to put on a RPM bumper and aluminum shock caps sooner than later. Plus is that it is a zero mile truck as came from the factory with a significant savings from retail and with a NiMh battery pack which will be good to learn on and/or run for my brother-in-law to slow the truck down.

Cons? Not getting any "upgrade" as part of the package. No RPM, MIPS, Proline etc. Not getting an extra 2S battery or charger. Not getting the colour body I would choose if it were me (I prefer the blue colour):



Not a bad deal in a lot of ways though. $70 saved versus usual discount price in stores and about another $50 in taxes saved so it is $120 less than it would be in retail and the battery pack is work $30? $40? (NiMh is new from another kit).

Option #2 is another Stampede and Rustler combo. This is a different one from the one I had previously checked out. Stampede is a 4X4 VXL and Rustler is a VXL. These guys are in running condition with some scars. Rustler is full of upgrades. Stampede is stock except for one front RPM arm and Pro Line Trenchers:




This package also includes another set of rims, various parts, a 2S battery, a 3S battery (I had better not touch this as I have shown my present RC driving skills), and 2 sets of NiMh packs. Oh, and one of those light sets which would be fun to try on one of the Stampedes.


I have done some negotiating already with seller number 2. The Stampede/Rustler package is $100 more than the new Stampede.

What would you do? Go with the new truck with NiMh pack or spend $100 more for 2 working RC cars with unknown history?

Zoodles95

No thoughts guys?

I won't hold it against you I promise! I would just love some feedback. I make my decision tomorrow. Another consideration is that the new truck is a short 20 minute drive away. The used truck is about 40 minutes or so.

Crazyheaven

You know my thoughts on this. You know what I would do. I'd be driving 80 minutes round trip. You sound like a tinker and I get the idea that you already know what you want to do.

I use to breed fish. Had a lot of tanks. Needed a lot of filters. Retail prices were killing me. Started buying abused filters. I became quite the expert on getting them all running. Eventually I managed to get things working better than new. Fixing small issues the manufacturer created adjusting the different flows to fit what I wanted in each tank. Had a whole bunch of used parts that I cleaned and repaired just waiting for their call to service.

I think I enjoyed rebuilding those filters more than I enjoyed the fish breeding.

Zoodles95

Thanks for the input Crazy heaven. It would be nice to have the extra batteries. There is value in the parts it comes with and this package would give me 3 cars which means that my wife, myself, and my autistic brother in law can all drive around the local parks together.

a used traxxas controller is a 75 item used all day long around here. I want nothing to do with that 3s battery but maybe I can package it with this other 3s battery I have and use the funds from selling them to buy a new 2s battery. or buy one of the used packages online where people are selling a good Lipo charger with 2 2s batteries for 100.

plus, I get a different driving experience with the rustler. If I don't like it I could clean it up, replace the rusty screws with new ones abd try to sell it.

hmmm. ...

Crazyheaven

I'm betting you'll give those 3s batteries a try again eventually. Especially if you have backup vehicles. I heard once you get the right setup it all works out nicely.

seedygreenute

If its all in working order , it is probably worth it .
Still budget a little for each car for things that dont stop the car working , but might need attention .
Things like bearings , gears , slipper clutch pads , leaky shocks , etc .
Are they the TQi bluetooth transmitters in the pic ( pic is blurry when I enlarge it ) ?
TSM receiver would be a bonus .
Keep the 3S for wide open spaces like a baseball field , the Rustler will be a rocket at full speed !

Zoodles95

What a coincidence. We have had a spell of warm weather lately. There is a park across the road. Big open fields and 3 ball diamonds! If the deal goes through then I will run both the Stampede and Rustler on NiMh and LiPo 2S. It will be very tempting to run the Rustler on the ball diamond on 3S.. Have it round the bases!

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

Just don't hit a base!!

Zoodles95

LOL! With my history that is fair warning.

P.S. I am in the market for an RC toolkit. Any recommended sets? I also want to find a 1.5mm, 2.0mm, and 2.5mm hex screwdriver with magnetic tips. Any recommended brand for this?

phmaximus

looks like a good deal but been brushless i would not recommend using a 6cell nimh or even a 7cell, the nimh batteries are more for the brushed versions with less current draw...

all u really need is 3 hex drivers 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm(for all the screws), the included wheel wrench(for wheel and slipper nuts) and a some long nose plyers(installing c clips)

here are some options on where to ge them, arranged from cheapest to most expensive

ebay,
hardware store
hobby shop
Snap-On

I recommend to steer clear of the hobby specific ones, generally they are cheap sets with a brand name etched onto them, ur not paying more for quality its royalties

2 brands i recommend are
Bondhus (very high quality, very reasonably price)
Snap-On (very high quality, very expansive but has an awesome replacement policy)

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

This, hands down. I have a full 6 piece set of these and have never stripped a screw.

Machined Hex Driver Metric Set, Red by Dynamite

Crazyheaven

I was planning to use my ifixit set. Never stripped anything with them. Goes all the way down to 00 with half sizes. Love it when the manufacturer gets tricky with the screws to keep me out. I haven't stripped any with them but only use them on light stuff. Anything needing serious force like installing a bookshelf I'll use a were or drill.

Actually I did strip this strange star screw in my pixy reel. Really tiny screws. I just replaced them with different screws I already had. I think it stripped because the screwdriver head wasn't a 100% match.

Zoodles95

Okay...

I ended up picking up the used Stampede 4X4 VXL and Rustler VXL. They were in rougher condition than the pictures showed and something came up which led to further negotiations (more on that later).

So this is the package:


Lots of spare parts and the led lights work and will be fun to add to a Stampede.
Both bodies are rough, rough, ROUGH! Did I mention that the bodies are in rough shape? These poor RCs have had a hard life. Been used and abused. More negotiating...

Two more TQi radios. Work well with both RCs.


Yup... Same as the one from the Crash Bandicoot truck:

I labelled the bottom of each controller. Of course this system will fall apart if I put the wrong battery cover on another controller. LOL! Crash is for the poor first truck which is still awaiting parts. Rusty is for the Rustler which has lots of rusty screws. Bang is for the "new" Stampede which has definitely been banged around a lot!

Yup! Lots of spare parts. What the heck is the deal with the driveshaft cover being loose? Hmmm...


2 x 3000 MAh NiMh battery packs, 1 2S 5000 MAh LiPo and 1 3S pack


The deal was not going to include a charger. This charger was a sweetener thrown into the deal to make up for the rough condition of the trucks. Not the best charger but could be used in a pinch. I cannot find much info about this charger. Anyone have any experience with it?


This is the charger that came with my first truck and this is the main charger I am using:


Okay... The mainly stock Stampede. The clear driveshaft cover is not on it. I will rectify that tomorrow perhaps. What is the deal with the body mounts? Oh... He changed them out and then hacked into what was a nice Rustler body to fit that on it.


Hmmm... Not my speed. I would rather a truck style body on this thing:


As much as I hate to do this I decided to take some parts off of "Crash" to use on "Bang". I will just add body mounts to my next parts order.


There, that is a bit more like it:


Lights work! Now I need to source out someway to mount them. Perhaps the RPM black mount?
RPM Part# 80782?



Uh oh! As I was harvesting the parts from Crash I found another broken part! Gah... Not sure if this is called a steering horn or what it is called.




I think Traxxas Part #6845X might save the day:
https://traxxas.com/products/parts/6845X


2S LiPo installed and by actually reading the user manual I printed out I was able to go into learner mode. What do you know? It works! LOL! Listen to the rcuniverse members...


So... In addition to taking Crash's body mounts Bang also borrowed body pins and the body! Poor Crash... In stasis and a new usurper is stealing its parts!


So what of Rusty the Rustler? Body was hacked into by the previous owner to retrofit it to the Stampede so there is that plus extensive scuffing from crash damage.


There is damage to the transmission case so more negotiations. I ended up taking $180 off the original price. While Bang is ready to go for tomorrow, Rusty is on the sidelines for now.


In this pic you can see a weird piece of wire by the transmission:


Yup. This poor car has had a rough life. I was concerned about driving it this way so it is time to at least take the drivetrain apart to see what's what and replace the damaged parts.



This is as far as I made it tonight before I got sick of using the Traxxas supplied tools. I am going to pick up some hex drivers tomorrow. I have some magnetic ones coming in I bought from ebay but some decent screwdriver style ones will get me motivated to get back to work tomorrow.




I have not researched the Rustler part#s yet. Once I have the back end all apart I will post pics and what my thoughts are. Who knows? Maybe I will go crazy and buy a new chassis and rebuild the poor thing and go through it part by part. Summer is a few months off so in the interim I have Bang the Stampede to play with and Crash will be starting to come back together this coming Thursday when the first batch of parts are in.

So... Poor Crash. It now needs:
Stampede Front Body Mounts Traxxas Part# 6815R
Stampede Read Body Mounts Traxxas Part# 6715
Stampede "Steering Rebuild Kit"? Traxxas Part# 6845X

Bang could use some TLC as well. I am going to get the center driveshaft cover back on.
Also I think it would be a good idea to add:
RPM Black Front Bumper RPM Part# 81042 (A good investment for to mitigate minor crash damage)
RPM Blue A Arms RPM Part# 80705 x2 (Stronger than stock; oddly enough there is one already on the front of the truck already)
Traxxas Blue Aluminum Shock Caps Traxxas Part# 2760 x2 (again stronger than stock and a relatively inexpensive upgrade)

And since I am going to replace the plastic shock caps which seem to have a habit of coming off under heavy use then the RPM Shock Tool might be a good investment to add to the tool kit.
RPM Shock Wrench RPM Part#80765

So... I now have 3 Traxxas vehicles of which only ONE is presently operational. Oddly enough I am having a great time. I am enjoying wrenching on these things and it is fun to plan upgrades and repairs. Am I on the right track with the steering kit I think I need for "Crash". My intended upgrades for "Bang" make sense at this time?

RustyUs

I know what I would do with "Crash"...I'd be ditching the aluminum arms, and replacing with RPM, or even replace them with stock arms. If doing a lot, some, any off-roading, there will be times where those great looking blue arms will do more harm than good. I'd want flexibility; especially in the suspension arm area.

Crazyheaven

Happy to see you went with the used ones. To bad they were in worst shape than stated.

Keep us updated.

Zoodles95

So... I have some magnetic tip hex drivers coming from the 'bay.

In the interim I was able to get this set which will work for me. Was on sale and has all the hex drives I need and even nut drivers up to 5mm. I also picked up a small tool box to keep the Traxxas tools in etc. Pit area starting to come together! Now I just need to get one of those raised platforms. Maybe they will have one at the Hobby shop. I will see later this week when my first parts order come in.


The main driver has a magnet in it to help keep the bit in place. Unfortunately the extension piece does not. Works well though and it leagues better than the typical "L" shaped Hex drivers I am used to.


Even when I have dedicated drivers I can see this feature coming in handy from time to time. It is a flexible piece that allows you to work around a bend or obstructed area.


As I mentioned in the Rustler thread these tools allowed me to move furthr ahead in the tear down of the Rusty Rustler. Read end is completely off now!


That is until I hit this silly grub screw. Thing is rusty and pretty much stripped. I think I will try to carefully drill it out. Otherwise I might be looking for an upgraded power source! LOL!
You can see the damage to the transmission case. Rusty has had a hard life.


Full RPM treatment will be forthcoming as I am going to go witha Blue coloured RPM case, plus engine mount, plus motor protector etc. It looks like a good system and should look like this:

Zoodles95

So... I took "Bang" the current primary Stampede (and only functioning Traxxas vehicle in the Zoodles fleet presently) out for a nice spin around a grassy area at a local park.


I ran it on the 2S in learner mode and even in that mode it scoots pretty good. Through the snow, puddles, rough terrain, up and down hills. I had a blast!



A pretty good run for a break out session.


Yikes!


You did not think I was going to leave it like that did you? Here is is post clean up:


Here is the current state of the front end. As you can see it has one RPM arm and a damaged suspension guard. I suspect the RPM part came after the collision that took out the suspension guard. I am planning on going with Blue RPM arms front and back so the banged up RPM guard on the truck will become a back up. I am also ordering new suspension guards.


Hmmm... Looks like the rear shock needs some TLC...


Which RPM parts could fix this? While I am at it I could look for some blue spring to put in as well. See a theme here?

Since the battery is new to me I thought I would run it on balance mode on the charger. How often do you guys run a balance charge on your batteries?

Zoodles95

So... I took "Bang" the current primary Stampede (and only functioning Traxxas vehicle in the Zoodles fleet presently) out for a nice spin around a grassy area at a local park.


I ran it on the 2S in learner mode and even in that mode it scoots pretty good. Through the snow, puddles, rough terrain, up and down hills. I had a blast!



A pretty good run for a break out session.


Yikes!


You did not think I was going to leave it like that did you? Here is is post clean up:


Here is the current state of the front end. As you can see it has one RPM arm and a damaged suspension guard. I suspect the RPM part came after the collision that took out the suspension guard. I am planning on going with Blue RPM arms front and back so the banged up RPM guard on the truck will become a back up. I am also ordering new suspension guards.


Hmmm... Looks like the rear shock needs some TLC...


Which RPM parts could fix this? While I am at it I could look for some blue spring to put in as well. See a theme here?

Edit: I could go with something like the Traxxas Big Bore shocks but I would rather do a more modestly priced upgrade at this point. The "Crash" truck has Proline Powerstroke shocks which must have cost the previous owner a mint. Even the Big Bore shocks from Traxxas are not cheap (albeit a good step up in quality versus the factory shocks).

Since the battery is new to me I thought I would run it on balance mode on the charger. How often do you guys run a balance charge on your batteries?