Lunchbox Build
08-19-2012, 07:36 AM
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Lunchbox Build
I am about to start a build series for the Tamiya Lunchbox for ModelKits. From what I've read, its an extremely simple build. I did hear, though, that the stock ESC and motor are very weak, and I want this thing to be fun for someone (myself) who's used to brushless cars/trucks. Y'all think a 60a ESC and 3000-4000kv 540 brushless motor would be good for this truck? I mean it's pretty light, right, so a brushless system should through it around pretty good. Are there any problems/tips I should be aware of before starting the build? Oh, and will the transmission hold up alright to that brushless power on 2s? Thanks.
08-19-2012, 10:42 AM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
The transmission could most likely handle it, but for a car that can't stop doing wheels on 27t brushed/nimh, your going to have a hard time keeping the front wheels on the ground.
08-19-2012, 10:44 AM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: TheDriftingNarwhal
The transmission could most likely handle it, but for a car that can't stop doing wheels on 27t brushed/nimh, your going to have a hard time keeping the front wheels on the ground.
The transmission could most likely handle it, but for a car that can't stop doing wheels on 27t brushed/nimh, your going to have a hard time keeping the front wheels on the ground.
08-22-2012, 07:43 PM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
ok lets get started, thinking about one of these for my kids and the rest of the kids on our block that hang around our house every day cause they r tearing my vintage tamiyas up
08-22-2012, 08:15 PM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
60A esc is pretty much overkill IMO
The only issue with the stock esc is it has no BEC, and unless the receiver has one built in (high chances any radio designed in the past 5 years bank on not having one) it will blow the RX
Simple cheap solution(if you want to use the stock electronics) is you can get a $7 Exceed(pull off sticker its a hobbywing
) 3A UBEC that they sometimes stock on hobbypartz
plug the BEC into the 2nd set of wires coming out of the ESC(should be a JST plug)
Then disconnect the red wire on the servo plug coming out of the ESC
or just use a diff esc
motor should do perfectly fine.
The only issue with the stock esc is it has no BEC, and unless the receiver has one built in (high chances any radio designed in the past 5 years bank on not having one) it will blow the RX
Simple cheap solution(if you want to use the stock electronics) is you can get a $7 Exceed(pull off sticker its a hobbywing
) 3A UBEC that they sometimes stock on hobbypartzplug the BEC into the 2nd set of wires coming out of the ESC(should be a JST plug)
Then disconnect the red wire on the servo plug coming out of the ESC
or just use a diff esc
motor should do perfectly fine.
08-23-2012, 04:06 AM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
60A esc is pretty much overkill IMO
The only issue with the stock esc is it has no BEC, and unless the receiver has one built in (high chances any radio designed in the past 5 years bank on not having one) it will blow the RX
Simple cheap solution(if you want to use the stock electronics) is you can get a $7 Exceed(pull off sticker its a hobbywing) 3A UBEC that they sometimes stock on hobbypartz
plug the BEC into the 2nd set of wires coming out of the ESC(should be a JST plug)
Then disconnect the red wire on the servo plug coming out of the ESC
or just use a diff esc
motor should do perfectly fine.
60A esc is pretty much overkill IMO
The only issue with the stock esc is it has no BEC, and unless the receiver has one built in (high chances any radio designed in the past 5 years bank on not having one) it will blow the RX
Simple cheap solution(if you want to use the stock electronics) is you can get a $7 Exceed(pull off sticker its a hobbywing
) 3A UBEC that they sometimes stock on hobbypartzplug the BEC into the 2nd set of wires coming out of the ESC(should be a JST plug)
Then disconnect the red wire on the servo plug coming out of the ESC
or just use a diff esc
motor should do perfectly fine.
08-25-2012, 10:27 PM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
Alright so I pulled a late-nighter and got the Lunchbox built. It looks exactly like the one in the picture above except that I painted my body a gun metal gray which I think looks cooler. Since it's almost 2AM I decided not to run it outside yet, but I did put around in the 5 foot area I have in my room and it's a lot of fun. Wheelies super easy but turns sharper than expected and just looks cool. Heck, this build was so much fun I actually might buy my next RC as a Tamiya kit. They're so cheap, I would have plenty of extra cash to get a couple of new lipos, some oil-filled shocks, different tires, and a brushless system for it if I wanted all of that. Very happy so far with it. I'll let yall know how I like it once I get to drive it. My brother is going to be soooo happy when he wakes up and realizes he can go drive it. He's been dying to get behind the wheel, so he will definitely be doing that in the morning 
08-26-2012, 04:54 AM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator
Alright so I pulled a late-nighter and got the Lunchbox built. It looks exactly like the one in the picture above except that I painted my body a gun metal gray which I think looks cooler. Since it's almost 2AM I decided not to run it outside yet, but I did put around in the 5 foot area I have in my room and it's a lot of fun. Wheelies super easy but turns sharper than expected and just looks cool. Heck, this build was so much fun I actually might buy my next RC as a Tamiya kit. They're so cheap, I would have plenty of extra cash to get a couple of new lipos, some oil-filled shocks, different tires, and a brushless system for it if I wanted all of that. Very happy so far with it. I'll let yall know how I like it once I get to drive it. My brother is going to be soooo happy when he wakes up and realizes he can go drive it. He's been dying to get behind the wheel, so he will definitely be doing that in the morning
Alright so I pulled a late-nighter and got the Lunchbox built. It looks exactly like the one in the picture above except that I painted my body a gun metal gray which I think looks cooler. Since it's almost 2AM I decided not to run it outside yet, but I did put around in the 5 foot area I have in my room and it's a lot of fun. Wheelies super easy but turns sharper than expected and just looks cool. Heck, this build was so much fun I actually might buy my next RC as a Tamiya kit. They're so cheap, I would have plenty of extra cash to get a couple of new lipos, some oil-filled shocks, different tires, and a brushless system for it if I wanted all of that. Very happy so far with it. I'll let yall know how I like it once I get to drive it. My brother is going to be soooo happy when he wakes up and realizes he can go drive it. He's been dying to get behind the wheel, so he will definitely be doing that in the morning
08-29-2012, 07:10 AM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
Lunchboxes dont handle very well, if you put oil shocks on it I beileve the kit comes with those metal adaptors
for the basic coil over shocks, leave those on there when you put the oil shocks on it. I noticed my handling was drastically improved
when i added oil shocks to mine, so much it was harder to get it to wheelie.
for the basic coil over shocks, leave those on there when you put the oil shocks on it. I noticed my handling was drastically improved
when i added oil shocks to mine, so much it was harder to get it to wheelie.
08-29-2012, 03:38 PM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
Buy the Parma lexan shell also, save the ABS plastic shell for ,,,,I dunno,,,whatever
. If you go lexan reinforce the area where your post go thru with washers. You can see my LB with the lexan shell in my gallery. If you want to have a little variety get the Pumpkin shell too, same thing reinforce it also. Bearings help alot too,,I get mine from AvidRc.
. If you go lexan reinforce the area where your post go thru with washers. You can see my LB with the lexan shell in my gallery. If you want to have a little variety get the Pumpkin shell too, same thing reinforce it also. Bearings help alot too,,I get mine from AvidRc.
08-31-2012, 11:50 AM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
back in the day, the 4 AA batteries for the RX you moved front to back to help hold the front down or wheelie. but if you bought the Tamiya black motor forget about it.
09-02-2012, 09:54 AM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
Time for an update. The Lunchbox has been nothing but a blast. Since the motor I'm using is only 2280kv on 2s, it's no faster than with the stock motor, but has more torque and never gets over 130 degrees. The 35a HobbyWing ESC never gets over 110 degrees. Very simple and fun truck for the price, but I'm getting the itch for something faster and better handling...
09-02-2012, 02:25 PM
#14
RE: Lunchbox Build
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
09-02-2012, 02:50 PM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
09-02-2012, 02:59 PM
#16
RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator
Huh. I could get one of those for $120 shipped and would probably only need $60 in electronics to be pretty quick. I'll keep that in mind, but honestly I can't get the Exo out of my head. How durable is the DF-02's drivetrain? Could it handle 3s onroad?
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
Drive chain honestly can't talk for stock on brushless as I replaced the stock dog bones, axles, and out drives for aftermarket CVD's, I use the stock driveshaft though which is plastic, and its holding up perfectly fine. I've heard it does fine stock on 2S from people. Trust me though on 2S with a 4000kv motor its pretty damn fast I'd bank hitting around 40 or more.
Only real issues out of the box are has are the shocks are crap (actually its the shocks rods those are a VERY soft metal I bent em hitting the little divots on a sidewalk), and the u-pin is too short IMO so when you whack it the hinge will rip off the chassis(the longer pin fixes that).
09-02-2012, 03:06 PM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
hmm dunno about 3S as the motor starts getting pretty warm on 2S
Drive chain honestly can't talk for stock on brushless as I replaced the stock dog bones, axles, and out drives for aftermarket CVD's, I use the stock driveshaft though which is plastic, and its holding up perfectly fine. I've heard it does fine stock on 2S from people. Trust me though on 2S with a 4000kv motor its pretty damn fast I'd bank hitting around 40 or more.
Only real issues out of the box are has are the shocks are crap (actually its the shocks rods those are a VERY soft metal I bent em hitting the little divots on a sidewalk), and the u-pin is too short IMO so when you whack it the hinge will rip off the chassis(the longer pin fixes that).
ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator
Huh. I could get one of those for $120 shipped and would probably only need $60 in electronics to be pretty quick. I'll keep that in mind, but honestly I can't get the Exo out of my head. How durable is the DF-02's drivetrain? Could it handle 3s onroad?
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
Drive chain honestly can't talk for stock on brushless as I replaced the stock dog bones, axles, and out drives for aftermarket CVD's, I use the stock driveshaft though which is plastic, and its holding up perfectly fine. I've heard it does fine stock on 2S from people. Trust me though on 2S with a 4000kv motor its pretty damn fast I'd bank hitting around 40 or more.
Only real issues out of the box are has are the shocks are crap (actually its the shocks rods those are a VERY soft metal I bent em hitting the little divots on a sidewalk), and the u-pin is too short IMO so when you whack it the hinge will rip off the chassis(the longer pin fixes that).
09-02-2012, 03:37 PM
#18
RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator
Alright. Yeah I was thinking of getting some aluminum shocks out of the box, but if it's going to need $50 in drivetrain upgrades to run more than 2s I'm not sure that's what I want. I'll definitely keep it in mind, though. I don't have to decide fully until the 4th because I don't get my money until then from my crawler. The one other option that keeps bugging me is the Axial Exo. The only thing holding me back from buying it is the $300 price tag w/ electronics and being a pain to work on.
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
hmm dunno about 3S as the motor starts getting pretty warm on 2S
Drive chain honestly can't talk for stock on brushless as I replaced the stock dog bones, axles, and out drives for aftermarket CVD's, I use the stock driveshaft though which is plastic, and its holding up perfectly fine. I've heard it does fine stock on 2S from people. Trust me though on 2S with a 4000kv motor its pretty damn fast I'd bank hitting around 40 or more.
Only real issues out of the box are has are the shocks are crap (actually its the shocks rods those are a VERY soft metal I bent em hitting the little divots on a sidewalk), and the u-pin is too short IMO so when you whack it the hinge will rip off the chassis(the longer pin fixes that).
ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator
Huh. I could get one of those for $120 shipped and would probably only need $60 in electronics to be pretty quick. I'll keep that in mind, but honestly I can't get the Exo out of my head. How durable is the DF-02's drivetrain? Could it handle 3s onroad?
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
Drive chain honestly can't talk for stock on brushless as I replaced the stock dog bones, axles, and out drives for aftermarket CVD's, I use the stock driveshaft though which is plastic, and its holding up perfectly fine. I've heard it does fine stock on 2S from people. Trust me though on 2S with a 4000kv motor its pretty damn fast I'd bank hitting around 40 or more.
Only real issues out of the box are has are the shocks are crap (actually its the shocks rods those are a VERY soft metal I bent em hitting the little divots on a sidewalk), and the u-pin is too short IMO so when you whack it the hinge will rip off the chassis(the longer pin fixes that).
09-02-2012, 03:47 PM
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RE: Lunchbox Build
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
well could sell the stock electronics for like $30-40 to make up the drive chain upgrade cost
ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator
Alright. Yeah I was thinking of getting some aluminum shocks out of the box, but if it's going to need $50 in drivetrain upgrades to run more than 2s I'm not sure that's what I want. I'll definitely keep it in mind, though. I don't have to decide fully until the 4th because I don't get my money until then from my crawler. The one other option that keeps bugging me is the Axial Exo. The only thing holding me back from buying it is the $300 price tag w/ electronics and being a pain to work on.
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
hmm dunno about 3S as the motor starts getting pretty warm on 2S
Drive chain honestly can't talk for stock on brushless as I replaced the stock dog bones, axles, and out drives for aftermarket CVD's, I use the stock driveshaft though which is plastic, and its holding up perfectly fine. I've heard it does fine stock on 2S from people. Trust me though on 2S with a 4000kv motor its pretty damn fast I'd bank hitting around 40 or more.
Only real issues out of the box are has are the shocks are crap (actually its the shocks rods those are a VERY soft metal I bent em hitting the little divots on a sidewalk), and the u-pin is too short IMO so when you whack it the hinge will rip off the chassis(the longer pin fixes that).
ORIGINAL: thehuntingterminator
Huh. I could get one of those for $120 shipped and would probably only need $60 in electronics to be pretty quick. I'll keep that in mind, but honestly I can't get the Exo out of my head. How durable is the DF-02's drivetrain? Could it handle 3s onroad?
ORIGINAL: SyCo_VeNoM
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
DF-02
can run on 35A 4000kv system, and is fast as hell
only real 100% mandatory thing you should do costs like $5 in parts (make a longer u-pin, and drill it into the chassis)
Drive chain honestly can't talk for stock on brushless as I replaced the stock dog bones, axles, and out drives for aftermarket CVD's, I use the stock driveshaft though which is plastic, and its holding up perfectly fine. I've heard it does fine stock on 2S from people. Trust me though on 2S with a 4000kv motor its pretty damn fast I'd bank hitting around 40 or more.
Only real issues out of the box are has are the shocks are crap (actually its the shocks rods those are a VERY soft metal I bent em hitting the little divots on a sidewalk), and the u-pin is too short IMO so when you whack it the hinge will rip off the chassis(the longer pin fixes that).
