EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

You won't have that problem with the Gladiators, mate. I've been using them for quite some time. They wear very well. I just wish they'd use better foam for the inserts, as they tend to break down faster than I wear out the tread. I started making my own foams out of egg-crate foam. But you might try buying some "closed-cell foam" inserts. I hear they last longer.

DieHarder

The foams in my Badlands are breaking down a little. Why can't they come up with a foam/filler that lasts way longer than the tread ever will? Nobody wants foamless tires on a high speed bashing machine...

butt_housed247

try the closed cell foam inserts. i ran those in the buggy wheels i put on my evader. i didn't get a chance to do a long term test but based off feel im guessing they will hold up better than those white sponge inserts that come with most tires i see.

DieHarder

Hey there, welcome to the coalition! I haven't seen you on here before.

I think that's what my next set of foams will be when I get new tires. Looking at them, I think it will be like early summer when they wear down so far that I can't take it (bald). I really like the Badlands, so I'll probably get them again. I have my gearing set just right for decent speed and tons of torque. My motor runs just right and everything. So we know Rob runs Gladiators, Rusty is currently try reptiles, what do you run BH?

butt_housed247

iv been in here a few times, i used to have an evader. sold it a few months ago to a guy i work with who was looking for a cheap truck to run with his son. i had kind of converted mine into a baja bug. put a baja bug body on it and buggy wheels. i had fun with it, but i like buggies more so when i found a buyer for it i let it go and picked up an RC10 worlds car. i keep checking this thread cause i like the evader platform. it was cheap, easy and reliable.

when i ran it as a truck i used dirt hawg ll tires on the rear. they worked pretty good on pretty much all surfaces.
after swapping to buggy wheels i first used bow-tie tires but they wore out to fast. replaced those with calibers but didn't get much run time on them before selling the truck.

RustyUs

I sold my new old stock EXT gears (plastic) I had on eBay. The guy who bought my idler was given a 2007 EXT. He is building it back to running condition for his son to get started in RC. After talking with the dude, he had some questions. I told him what I was running, tranny wise, for possible upgrade when his son is wanting more speed and stripping gears. Then I mentioned RC Universe's T.E.C. Part 2 and the people here willing to give a lending hand if he needed any help with his build.

I figured most people would not want to read T.E.C. searching for one specific problem.

Hopefully the build goes well for the new EXT owners and sparks enough curiosity to come to T.E.C. Part 2 ....keep it going.

RustyUs

I finally am diggin' into my parts box to alleviate excessive play in the front end of my ST Pro. Complete front end replacement of graphite, and switching to EXT's parts.

It's probably been there for years on Tower Hobbies, but I just now seen that EXT suspension arms are no longer made. Substitution = original Evader ST arms. Do you think it's because of to much flex? That would be my guess.

Anyway...time for some e-clip chasin'.

RustyUs

Those EXT arms and hub carriers/steering arms fixed 98% of the play. Now I just need to install the RPM ball cups for more precise control. I should have done this probably two years ago.

Now for the tires...every single stinkin' pair of spike tires does the same over time on my track. I can handle knowing that tires get worn down, but when spikes just get torn off after 3,4,5 ~ 10 runs; I start to get frustrated. Those pics of my Reptiles are after 7 runs on my track using a 13T motor.

Next day or two...my Gladiator tires torture test on the Evader.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Sweet! Glad you got the sloppiness out of the steering. Stuff does wear out. And it happens so slowly over time, you don't notice until one day you just go, "Woah, how'd this get so loose?"

DieHarder

Rusty- I put two of those spacers you sent me in on the right rear hub pin. That was the loose one. It tightened up just right! The other side strangely didn't need it. Maybe it's because of the direction I do donuts or something. lol Thanks again Rusty! I'm going to put a few in the A-arms pins too.

So I tried 3S in my Evader today. Not to fool around with wheelies, but to do some serious speed runs! I wish I had some pavement for this, but I tried it on the dirt road anyway. That thing is so insanely fast on 3S that I think it could break someone's legs on impact! I could barely in certain circumstances get the full throttle out. It was very hard to keep control. The 32P gears however held up great! No problems at all so far. They seem to be able to take crazy abuse! If I strip my spur I was sure to buy a spare, so I have that if I ever need it. Tomorrow night I'm thinking of doing some 3S on pavement running at the airport RC club. Hopefully that goes well. I might run out of smooth surface in the industrial parking lot...

RustyUs

Dude, you crack me up.

You go over rocks at a snail's pace one day and then......BAAAAM!!!....you are dumping 3S (gobs of juice) into your Evader!!

DieHarder

lol Yeah. And then before all that I was flying my glider and quadcopter (seriously). I'm getting out the micro car out this winter, it needs a new ESC and motor. My co-axle copter runs, so I might try that today. The TL-01 plow truck I'm putting an aluminum motor mount and spur into, and taking the plow off. Also adding suspension haha. Last thing is I need to build some axles and get some wood on my RC trailer project. All I need now is boat! The Blackjack 29 is what I'm after once I get a better plane. The funds for this stuff goes up at Christmas, late January, Late Spring, Beginning of Fall, and Beginning of Winter. That's the schedule for my hobby $$$. Thinking Plane either this winter or next spring, then boat possibly next fall. After I turn 16 in a little over a year, I'm getting a better job and saving for a truck.

cumquat

my RC money is non-existant for at least 6 months. i have 2 TVs on lay-away at kmart which i still owe over $300 on (started at $510), then i want the new pokemon games (yes, i'm 21 and still play pokemon) so that's $70, then christmas is going to make me broke for the rest of the year. after that, we have property taxes and fuel oil to pay so no money for anything fun until April at the earliest. if i get my license i'll be dumping any extra change i get into my '85 escort.

RustyUs

Ahhh yes....one of life's pleasures owning a home.

I just got done mounting some gluten free (seems to be the big thing nowadays) tires on the ST. I know I'm behind the times, never used Gladiators before; I can see they'll probably be my new "go to" tire.

RustyUs

When I was updating; downgrading; whatever you want to call it, the steering knuckles...I wasn't sure which hole to put the ball studs in. The EXT manual says outside hole, ST manual says inside hole; VW says inside hole; EXT2.4 shows inside hole....

I'm just curious to know where any of you have their ball studs mounted. And I am used to a graphite knuckle with a ball stud hole closer to the axle (shown in red).


And when did Tower Hobbies (Hobbico) get their own SC 4wd? It's not out yet, but looks like someone has put some thought into it and looks promising...I like to root for the underdog. I'm so skeptical on getting another 4wd. The front universals have to be beefy and have a great track record in the durability dept. for me even to consider owning another 4wd.

EXT2Rob...Is that Ofna truggy of yours still up and running?

cumquat

what 4wd did you own before? i never had any issues with the tamiya df02.

RustyUs

MRC/ZD Racing 1/8 scale ZRT-1 Truggy. Like it was said way bay when in the TEC forum...quality control of parts not being up to par.

I bought in 2010/2011 three RTR ZRT-1 truggies on eBay (Christmas present for daughter with spares) when they were in the "promoting this item mode". I had winning bids of $100~$110 for each one. The daughter and I were saying to one another, "Holy crap! Put the dog and sis' inside 'cause this thing is way fast and heavy, that it would seriously hurt or kill one of them if they were to get hit." After about a weeks time we were busting front universal shafts every three to four runs on that truggy. Luckily I was getting a deal with online parts. The dude (thank you Bruce) was giving me 2 universal shafts for the price of one 'cause of a technicality of pictures and wording that the site had for the item. I was going through four universal shafts a week sometimes.


The ZRT-1 is tough as nails except those darn universal shafts up front. The thing takes a beating and comes back for more...until ....snap..another broken shaft . I am much happier with the Evader chewing up tires every month than working on that truggy every other day. Don't get me wrong. I like "wrenching" on RC cars, but this one "took the cake".

cumquat

you wont have that problem with most other 4wd models. if they all were like that, no one would race them!

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Yeah Rusty, my Ofna Hyper TT is doing great. Couple weeks ago my buddy was up for a race day, and he ran his Hyper into a padded tree at full throttle. (Usually there is also a safety cone behind the foam pad) Somehow the impact BENT the front center driveshaft, implying that the chassis or front of the car bent enough to bend that shaft. Yet, the chassis apparently returned to its original shape! We had a spare, so he was back on the track in short order.

You'll like the Gladiators. Good grip, and they last a good while.

RustyUs

The M2 compound Gladiator tires are perfect...Front and Rear on the Evader ST. They do give some over-steering when used in the front, but I like it compared to ribbed tires and under-steering.issues. Also gives another 1/4 inch at least in ground clearance. + or - you decide. I give it a "+" for less bottoming out, but a "-" for increased traction rolls.

Three battery packs put through a copulation of WOT runs on the track and not a single lug torn from the tire. So far so good, 'cause right about now is when I normally see one or two spikes missing from a tire.

I should have tried them long ago, but I had a large supply of early 2000s Losi tires to use up.

Now I know...and knowing is half the battle. YO JOE!

Edit: 8 hard runs on the tires and is all good!

RustyUs

I am using the outside holes on the EXT arms/knuckles at the moment. Seems to be working well. My thought process tells me the inside holes on the steering knuckles would give more leverage to turn the wheels. Is that a correct assumption?

Just got TH Speedmart flyer in mail...front cover has the TH Cutback 4wd SC truck on it. I can't wait for a review or a long term review.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

I don't know what the difference between those points would be. Or why you'd use one over the other. In any case, you'd need to lengthen or shorten the steering arms to accommodate the change in stud position, so that the wheels' toe setting is proper. What that does to the steering of the vehicle, I don't know.

DieHarder

When I look at it, I believe the inside hole would give more leverage in certain positions, but could cause binding in others. The outside hole would have slightly less leverage, but you shouldn't have any binding issues. I'm not saying the outside hole is the way to go, I'm just saying that if the actual dimensions are how they appear in the exploded view, then there is a chance (On the right side in the view) that it could bind up when you turn the wheels right and then release your steering back to neutral. It may not willingly go back to neutral. This would only happen if the stud went forward enough to pass the pivot point of the hub. I would use the inside hole, mainly due to the fact that Duratrax probably had all the kinks out of the design before producing it, and the stud is probably limited to behind the hub's pivot point. If that didn't make sense, then basically, I just vote that you use the inside hole... lol

I took my Evader to an industrial, freshly paved parking lot for some super speed runs on 3S. The truth is I can't get all of the throttle trigger pinched without it pulling a wheelie at 80% throttle and flipping, ending in a 100ft upside-down skid across the asphalt. A friend of mine who drives the pace car occasionally for NASCAR told me to put a front spoiler either right above the windshield or on the front bumper and I should easily be able to pinch it out. He said no bigger than a popsicle stick and you will have plenty of down force at that speed. I can't wait to actually open it up! I haven't ever done it on 3S, EVER! Too bad I don't have a radar gun, I swear it's pushing 65mph before the flip.

cumquat

i see 2 possible reasons for the holes. the first is steering speed. inside hole can be just a bit quicker than the outside hole, which could be slightly more precise. the second is strength. perhaps the inside hole is intended for the buggies which run substantially narrower tires in front. in any event, i doubt you'll see much of a difference is any respect outside binding with as fast and strong as servos are these days.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

That's pretty interesting Nate. Are you using a rear spoiler? Just curious, as it probably makes little difference, being so butt-heavy anyway. The front lip spoiler sounds like a good idea for keeping the nose planted.