Slashdrivr

Thanks Jeremy, that was exactly what Iwas looking for. I'll be getting that carrier/bearing upgrade asap. And Iagree, we've had the Pede since Christmas Eve and already Ican see myself wanting one heh. Just got to convince the wife first lol...

Wheelnut

My Feedback: (81)

Man, that was a suprise. I thougth my Pede came with bearings, what a rip[:@]

Ok, so now I'm in the market for two sets. One for my truck and one for my son's truck.
I'm getting conflicting info from my manuals.
The manual says they are 5x11x4 the accessories flyer says they are 5x8x2.5 any help please?

Redvanmafia

there 5x11 bearings if you get the rpm hubs, i know that much, i cant wait to get my pede back up and running, mamba max esc, vxl motor and 3s 5000,

Slashdrivr

...

gwcrim

First of all, thanks to this forum. I've been lurking for a while now. With the info Igot here, Santa brought two Stampede XL5s for my boys. They're quite the hit. We love them.

Definitely need to upgrade the batteries. What is the most cost effective way to go LiPo? And is it really worth it? No racing here. Looking for looooong run times.

Jeremy Z

Wheelnut: I believe they're 5x11s. I also believe the gearbox already has the bearings, so you're just getting them for the wheels. Just get one of the kits on ebay that is advertised as fitting the Stampede and you'll be OK.

Pededriver: Glad I could help. My Stampede looked like that earlier today. It really is challenging to control it in the snow, eh? More than about 1/4 throttle and it is all over the place. Did you see the recent thread about snow driving that has the link to the guy who sells skis that replace the front wheels? Looks awesome. That and some sand paddle tires in the back and the Stampede would be practically a snowmobile.

gwcrim: Welcome to RCU! I'd not go LiPo with two kids right away. Just get higher capacity NiMHs for now.

gwcrim

OK, I'll avoid the Lipos for now. How strong a NiMh can Igo?

Jeremy Z

As strong as you can afford.

The higher the mAh rating, the longer you'll be able to run and the more power it will have. But it also makes a difference in cost.

6 cell stick packs are standard. You can also run a 7 cell hump pack (twin stick shape, with the 7th cell on top and between the twin sticks). Make sure you don't get a 7cell stick or flat pack, as the battery tray is too short to accomodate them.

It should be noted that the 5000 mAh NiMH packs cost as much or more than 2S LiPos. To me, packs in the 3300 to 4200 mAh range are a good mix of price vs. capacity.

The stock motor will last longer on 6 cell packs.

Wheelnut

My Feedback: (81)

I don't beleive you ever said how old they were.
I would say, get some from 3600 up to 4200mah, that should be enough.

gwcrim

The new Stampedes come with 7 cell packs (3300?) and a charger that is slower than molasses in January. It's an overnighter.

My boys are 7 and 13. The eldest is pretty responsible and mechanically inclined. The LHS is wanting us to buy 5000 mah batteries for about $75. I really don't want to toss good money after bad. If Lipos are the way to go, I'd rather start out in that direction.

Jeremy Z

Buying batteries locally is a real rip-off. My local shops are pretty greedy too.

Here are a couple of battery suggestions:

Here is a 7 cell NiMH 4200 mAh pack on amazon for $40:
http://www.amazon.com/4200mAh-Power-...2049326&sr=8-4

Here is a charger that will charge two battery packs simultaneously in about an hour:
http://www.amazon.com/Duratrax-Onyx-...2049741&sr=1-1

...or you could get two of these for about the same price:
http://www.amazon.com/Onyx-200-Ac-dc...049720&sr=1-63

...another good AC/DC charger:
http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Peak-AC...pd_sim_dbs_t_3

Here is a really good deal on two 6cell battery packs and a charger. The charger requires a 12 VDC input. Do you already have a 12 V power supply somewhere, or maybe a spare car battery?
http://www.amazon.com/3800mAh-Power-...2049985&sr=1-2

If you're willing to order from Hong Kong, you might be able to do even better on the price, but batteries are heavy and shipping will cost at least $20-30.

Regarding LiPos, you can get great deals on them from Hong Kong, but I don't recall if the XL-5 speed controls have a low voltage cutoff for LiPos or if you'll need to buy and install separate alarms or cutoffs. You'll also need to spend a bit more on the charger/balancer.

Hope that helps.

SyCo_VeNoM

Stick with NiMh with kids. Lipo's would probably make it too uncontrollable for a kid to handle. Also if they damage a lipo it can explode.

My nephews 10 and has a blast with his pede and he's only using 1800mAh NiCd's and it lasts a good 10 mins (his charger can charge them in 15 mins) and he sometimes has issues controlling it.

Like wheelnut and Jeremy said 3600 to 4200 should be enough

just get a decent charger

And the XL-5 does not have a LVC for a lipo you would need to buy one

Jeremy Z

Overnight chargers are a real drag. They include them because they're cheap, and then they can advertise: "Has everything you need to run except 8AAs." Then you get home, and realize what a drag an overnight charger is.

Another good charger option is the Multiplex LN-5014 charger. It is another one with a DC input, so you'll need to get DC power from somewhere. But once you have that you can make a harness to charge both batteries at time. (the harness would just put the two 6 or 7 cell packs in series) For two 7 cell 3300 mAh packs, it will probably take about an hour and a half to charge both of them. I can give you pointers on how to make the harness if you need them.

I have had this charger for about 5 years now, and it is really great; compact and versatile. I used it just the other day to top off my motorcycle batteries. It also charges LiPo packs, if you ever go that route. It will require a separate balancer at that point, probably about $25.

Wheelnut

My Feedback: (81)

My son and I have the same kits that come with the same 7 cell nimh batteries. I don't think the batteries are too bad for a RTR truck. We have had some pretty good runs with them. We also both have a 4000mah 2s lipo. I have some better chargers that charge them up with in 30 to 40 min.
My son is only 10 and does great with both the 7 cell NIMH and the lipos.

gwcrim

OK, I think I'm convinced to avoid Lipos.  I don't really trust the hardware in this application.  So...........  back to the NiMh.  Are we limited by how many mah can we run?  Or is it just a question of economics?  Are there any preferred brands or ones to avoid?

SyCo_VeNoM

more of economics and what the charger you buy can charge.

My charger(Duratrax Piranha) is limited to 5000mAh (found out after I bought a cheap Chinese 5300 mAh battery [:@])

just try and stick with matched packs they cost a lil more and should last longer and give a little bit more run time than the unmatched.

gwcrim

How's this look for a decent deal?

http://www.amazon.com/7-Cell-8-4V-42...106492&sr=1-37

z33guru

That looks really good, is this a bolt on mod?My girlfriend's pede REALLY needs more protection in the front.

gwcrim

Would this be a pretty fast charger?

Jeremy Z

Yep, we're limited by our capacity. Yep, economics. (buy more and higher capacity packs for more runtime)

I haven't had any that I would avoid. If they fit, soldered, side-by-side packs probably have better connections than the welded tab stick packs. But in a stock Stampede, it isn't going to matter.

Jeremy Z

Yes, it will be fast enough. It will charge your packs in an hour or less. The only thing I'd like to see different is an ability to charge 14 cells of NiMH, that way it could series charge two packs at a time.

I don't have one, but most modern electronic chargers are good. Charging NiCd or NiMH packs isn't rocket science. It is more a matter of finding the features you want at a fair price than anything.

gwcrim

What about this one?

http://hobbyking.com/hobbycity/store...idProduct=7028

To judge the speed do I look at the amperage output?

Again, I gotta thank the folks of this forum.  I've gotten some great ideas.  I bought a piece of 2"x1/8" aluminum and will be making some bumpers and wheelie plates.  I'm going to put flints from a torch sparker on them so when they drag on concrete they'll make a light show.  Might even make a removable set of wheels. 

gwcrim

Here's another idea.

http://cgi.ebay.com/DURATRAX-DTXP415...item5ad5ee021d

Slashdrivr

Wow, what a difference a set of tires make, got the RPMbumper and Badland 2.8's mounted...totally differenttruck, instant wheelie machine and it just tears thru snow now. New pic...

Wheelnut

My Feedback: (81)

This is a very good charger to charge two sets of NIMH packs. It can do up to two 7 cell packs I believe. It might do up to two 8 cells. I can't remember.
I had two of these when my son and I had two Emaxx's. That way we could charge 4 at a time.

Pededriver, nice wheels and pic. Yes, wheels can make all the difference in the world. A long time ago, I put a set of Gladiators on my RC10GT Plus and it turned it into a wheelie king, not to mention that I beat a T-Maxx in a race with them on. The Gladiators stretch and swell up alot under high rpms and give it more RPMs and higher top end.