RustyUs

Here is the slop I have to deal with. I think it's time for some new parts.
The graphite parts from this 2006 ST Pro might just get tossed this coming winter.
The front end is the worst. The rear I can get by with replacing just the ball cups and studs I think.
http://youtu.be/HbAI_M690a8

DieHarder

You definitely need new ball cups! That's ridiculous! When you move the rear wheel front to back, that is where I have issues. I need new plastic washers that go on the hinge pin between the Hub and A-arm. I solved the issue on one of the rear wheels with a perfectly sized washer, but I only had one so the other side still flops. It suck that you have to buy two whole new hubs to get the washers. They should have their own separate part number IMO.

RustyUs

I just ordered some of these 3x6x1mm nylon washers to put on the suspension arms hinge pins and 2.5x5x1mm nylon washers for the front hub carrier hinge pins. When I get them in I'll send you some if you want. I doubt I will need all 100 of them....maybe about 20 for my front suspension mess I got...LOL

DieHarder

Really? That would be great! I can PayPal you for the products and shipping. Looks like they won't get to you for a couple of weeks, but when you get them, I'll gladly send you my address and a payment. Thanks!

RustyUs

I'll PM you when the washers get here. Don't worry about $...I'll be just paying it forward.
I also ordered some odds and ends from Tower...those odds and ends start adding up...$5 hear, $3 there, $2.90 overthere...yall know the parts story I'm sure.

Back in the day when I raced...I used to drive myself nuts with getting rid of all that little movement in any of the suspension linkage. The top dogs were doing it...so everyone else followed. It got to the point that the race organizers banned slicks (bald) tires and traction compound....ohhhh I can almost smell the diesel fuel mixed with wintergreen oil mixed with fingernail paint remover mixed with brake fluid. Some nights I thought I should have had hazardous chemicals emblem on the side of my truck driving to the track.

RustyUs

I was looking on ebay, before going to work, for some ST parts to fix my slop issues...BAMMM!! Someone is selling a ST Pro Ready Built New and Unused. It's hard for me to resist the urge to start bidding. I gotta go to work, but I have to be curious and come home to see how much the ST Pro brings "at auction". 13Hr 50Mns left to the end of bidding.


Duratrax ST Pro Ready Built

....ahhhhh sh%t!! I just clicked on a bid. My wife is gonna kill me. I gotta find my shoes and go..just one more bid for me.....outta here.

DieHarder

Dang! You got beat out by a dollar! But, your wife will be happy...

RustyUs

I had in my head I would go up to $95 and part out/resell "problem areas" tranny and wheels/tires. Who knows how high the winning bidder had their limit set at? After I just ordered parts/tires for my ST a couple of days before; I took a deep breath; pushed the laptop away, and tied my hands behind my back, then ...I watched it fade off into the distance. I'm so proud of myself LOL.

I just told my wife the whole deal...she said, "...maybe you'll find another one on ebay."

My reply, "In seven years, I haven't seen a ST Pro (wife has no idea what Im talkin about) in very good ~ excellent condition...let alone a New & Unused one."

ehhh...I tell myself I'm better off...sometimes I dislike parting out things to sell....pain in the butt. Some people like it and make it work for them on ebay.

In other news...rear Losi rims I give a thumbs up. I have 9 good hard runs and all is good with the rims...usually my stock Duratrax rims start showing wear or they are totally useless by now. The medium comp. Reptile tires are starting to show minimum wear, but not like a set of M3 Bowties or Holeshots (Holeshots only good for racing. I can't believe I used to sit there with a dremel tool and grind off the tread on a set of $32 new tires).

DieHarder

Hey Rusty, do you have an extra ball cups in that pile of spare parts of yours? I bought some Associated ball cups online and when I got them they were super cheaply made. It's for my RC trailer hitch joint. I got looking at my Evader and noticing how much beefier the ones there were. Unfortunately I don't have even just one extra. All I need is one. If you had one to throw in the package with the spacers in a couple weeks that would be great. I'll be want to pay for this stuff if you'll let me! lol If you can't find one, don't spend all day looking for it. It's not terribly important.

I ran my Evader today. Still loving the 32P gears! The they stand up strong to a locked slipper clutch and a VXL! I think I ran about 3/4 of the 5000mah so not too bad. I did some speed runs, jumps, regular yard bashing, etc. Handled great! I even found a dirt/clay pit on did some crazy donuts resulting in enough dust to cover the car and my view of the surroundings! Did a speed run and tapped it off a little and it's back to being 'average' clean.

cumquat: When's the last time you drove an Evader?

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

It's difficult to eliminate suspension slop entirely on the Evader. Especially in the front. All those ball cups in the servo-saver / bell-crank assembly add up to a lot of slop. If you can replace all the ball studs and cups in there, it will help.

The front hub carriers and steering knuckles that pivot on the king pin and outer hinge pin wear, and the holes become oblong. Replacing those will eliminate a lot of the slop. The holes in the suspension arms also wear, but not as much as the other pieces. But check the fit of the hinge pin, by itself, in those holes. Might even try replacing some of the hinge pins.

The rears don't look too bad. But replacing old balls and cups will help, and replacing the rear hub carriers will probably do the most good. The rear arms do develop some front-to-back slop too.

cumquat

about 2 years... havent driven an rc in nearly a year. however, i have 3 custom cars under construction. all i need is a piece of 1/4"-20 all thread and some 1/8" brass rod to have the first one running

DieHarder

Funny how I have a piece of 1/4-20 threaded rod sitting right here...

You should get that going! I'd like to see one of your custom cars.

cumquat

it's quite fugly but it should run half-way decent. it's 1/2" square tube welded into a T with 2 other pieces welded at an angle at the back with another 2 pieces sticking straight back off of those with a 1/4" hole drilled into them. using the all thread as the axle. i'm using evader front stub axles for steering. got the motor mount figured out, just need to weld it on. mounting the spur may prove difficult but i'll figure out something. the 1/8" rod is for the steering tie rods.

as to how the threaded rod for an axle works; basically, i'll put a nut on the end of the rod, then put the first tire on, then another nut and crank the 2 nuts until i cant crank any more. add 2 more nuts, then slide the rod into the first hole on the chassis, then add 3 more nuts, then the spur, then 3 more nuts, then slide the rod through the other hole, then 3 more nuts, then the other tire, then 1 more nut. first, crank the nuts on the second tire. now set the axle position with the 4 outer-most nuts. crank the 2 nuts together so they dont budge. do the same with the 4 nuts on the inside of the mounting 'tabs', making sure that the axle still spins freely. now position the spur so it meshes with the pinion. crank those nuts. it'll take you a half hour to fully understand what i mean but it'll take about 15 minutes to do.

DieHarder

No bearings?

RustyUs

I was typing up about a servo that I killed and ....click...page reloads....lost everything I typed

Consider a Losi ball cup on it's way....they look exactly like a Duratrax Evader ST ball cup only dark gray. Maybe I should say DTX's ball cups look identical to a Losi ball cup.

RustyUs

I sure hope pictures are being taken of the transformation...I like pictures.

I'm so jealous. I need to get me something to weld with.

DieHarder

Thanks so much Rusty! If you could pack it in with the spacers that would be great!

We have a Hobart MIG welder, cart, and gases. Dad's getting really good at welding with this full size utility trailer restoration. He welds stuff for me every now and then. Also a neighbor of ours, who I work for and is a really good friend of mine, welded his whole career. He's 86 but has all the equipment and still makes perfect welds. He does it all, even plastic welding. It's cool to have neighbors to turn to for help. I really appreciate what they do for me.

Definitely need some pics cumquat! Gotta see this steel Evader! This will go down in Evader history!

cumquat

no steel evader yet, just a dead simple pancar-esque thingymabobber that uses the front axles for steering. got a lot of other things demanding money at this point. stupid property taxes. then we have fuel oil... fun stuff (he lied). i'll steal my sister's camera or my brother's phone once it's finished.

RustyUs

Like back in the day 1/12 scale pan cars with no suspension ?

Here's what I'm dealing with...and replacing with....


Something's fried on the servo's circuit board. A couple of cartwheels and body rolls jolted something to it's breaking point. I honestly thought I was gonna find busted shock towers and arms.
That XP was one of my $.99 bids. It will have to hold me over until my LiPo 3S batteries sell so I can get a better servo....maybe TS-140. I did take out the gears from the Hitec servo in case I ever get another HS-625MG.
That servo was almost making me cuss. I was thinking my new FlySky GT3C Tx failed after I just sold my old faithful Futaba Magnum 2PL ....ahem...AM radio last week.

cumquat

more or less. i'm gonna run proline mashers in back and stock ext2 front tires. that'll give it some clearance to handle my driveway and a little bump absorption.

RustyUs

A 13T HobbyFan motor came in the mail today. It has to be a rebranded HobbyWing EZRun motor. Don't know. Anyway, I always set my throttle at 75% using a 4300Kv motor to keep the Evader under control (and save on tires/rims) on my loose/bumpy track. I'm gonna see if the new motor will have lower temps compared to my 9T 4300Kv. It's supposed to be a 4 pole (more torque?) as my EZRun 9T is a 2 pole motor.





So basically, a 2-pole motor is a good RPM motor while a 4-pole motor, having more magnets, will have more torque. Maybe not as efficient, but my theory is more power to push a heavier ST truck...less heat . We'll see. Maybe if this motor turns out to be something great for my heat issues...I'll start bidding on a 10T 4 pole motor.

And by the way...it probably took me 3 months of ebaying to win a motor at that price.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

That sure looks like a HobbyWing motor. Hmmm...could you use a needle compass to determine if it really has 4 poles? And, if it does.....any reason why you couldn't take the rotor out, and put it in the 4300kv can? Then you'd have the best of both worlds....4-pole magnet, with 4300kv can windings.

RustyUs

That new HobbyFans 13T (4 pole) was barely warm after I got done putting the Evader through some hard running. It was night and day compared to the 9T (2 pole) HobbyWing. I had a 17t pinion with a 87t spur and may try a 19t pinion tomorrow. I don't know if the 4 poles in the 13T motor is the only thing making a difference in efficiency (lack of heat)..or I'm not pushing the motor hard enough, but for now I'm sold on 4 pole motors.

And BTW EXT2Rob...I'm up to the point (reading) where you came into TEC Part 1...nice lights on your EXT2s!

I don't know if swapping out the rotor from one brushless motor can to another will do anything. Everything about BL is "inside out". The armature in a brushed motor is now a part of the can in a brushless motor........The swapping of a rotor, in BL motors, is like adjusting the timing...I believe. I'm not 100% sure.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Ah, you're a dedicated bloke, Rusty.
There's really not that much to brushless motors, until you get into the sensored and adjustable-timing ones. Windings on the inside surface of the can, rotor down the middle, supported by bearings on each end. The rotor may have some brass shims at each end of the rotor shafts. That's it.

RustyUs

With the old Evader ST askin' for some punishment, I happily obliged...slop 'n all. I got the rear end pretty much straightened out (shimmed up and slop gone). The front end...gonna need new hub carriers and bulkhead to get everything back on a straight line. Anyway...

The 13T HobbyFans 3000kv motor let me keep my throttle finger squeezed WOT more often than my 9T. That 13T is as high (in turns) as I would go for a motor. Any less of a motor and I think the fun factor would be gone for me. Still, the 13T had more of a usable power band than my 9T EZRun motor. Also, the 3000kv BL motor was able kick up tons of dirt and stone with every turn I made. With that said, my medium compound Losi Reptiles tires are becoming less of a reptile with each battery pack I put through the Evader. A couple of spikes get torn off every run.