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Avalanche xte

Old 05-22-2012, 08:39 AM
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PoopieBritches
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Default Avalanche xte

Hello,my first post here. Hoping to find some help w/ my avalanche xte.I am having trouble w/ the front universal shafts.Between them popping out of the diff drive cup,and the pins that hold the shafts together falling out,I've replaced the front universal shafts three times,and I would estimate that the truck only has between 5 and 10hrs on it.
Does anyone here have this truck? I would like to replace the universals w/ some cvds,but have had no luck finding any made for this truck.
I have spoken w/redcat aboutit and have been told that they have not heard of this problem before
I can't imagine that no one else has had similar issues
Any info or help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks


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Old 05-22-2012, 02:59 PM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte

so, has CVDs in the front, or does it has dogbones? If its dogbones then you can try using nitro fuel tubing in the drive cups to help center the dogbone and keep it from popping out.
# 86717 are CVD's as pictured.
These are in stock and I can get them for you if you want, just PM me.

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Old 05-22-2012, 04:36 PM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte

Those shafts that you linked to are the shafts that I'm using,perhaps I am mistaken,I thought that there was a difference between universal and cvd? The original problem I had was that the axle was popping out of the diff cup at full compression and full lock with wheels.To prevent this from happening,I placed some spacers over the shock shafts to limit the travel. This seems to be working well enough,now the problem is that one of the pins that holds the two halfs of the universal shaft together is working its way out. I just replaced the shafts,and after two packs thru the truck their already coming out.I have tried to peen the ends of the pins,but they are so hard that they break rather than mushroom over.Idk,but the rear of the truck uses dogbones,and I'm on my second set of those as well.Thanks for the reply.Mike
Old 05-22-2012, 05:11 PM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte


ORIGINAL: PoopieBritches

Those shafts that you linked to are the shafts that I'm using,perhaps I am mistaken,I thought that there was a difference between universal and cvd? The original problem I had was that the axle was popping out of the diff cup at full compression and full lock with wheels.To prevent this from happening,I placed some spacers over the shock shafts to limit the travel. This seems to be working well enough,now the problem is that one of the pins that holds the two halfs of the universal shaft together is working its way out. I just replaced the shafts,and after two packs thru the truck their already coming out.I have tried to peen the ends of the pins,but they are so hard that they break rather than mushroom over.Idk,but the rear of the truck uses dogbones,and I'm on my second set of those as well.Thanks for the reply.Mike
OK, it wasnt clear from redcat's page on the XTE if the fronts had dogbones or CVD's out of the box.

Universal and CVD driveshafts mean the same thing to me...that one end(at least, if not both) has a pivot joint.

Its a common problem with CVD's having the pins want to come out....on many brands.
My buddy has a slash 4x4 and he paid $55 for MIP driveshafts. His pins fall out from time to time, which is crazy when those CVD's cost that much (for 2!)

I havent seen a XTE up close, so I dont know if this will work...but some have used electrical tape wrapped tightly over where the pin goes in. Put it on tight...then heat the tape a bit with a lighter. That will cause it to "shrink" alittle and make it tight.
Some have had some luck with loctite. It wont keep the pin from coming out when you need it to but will give it some adhesion to the hole it goes into.

Lastly, is there a set screw (grub screw) which is supposed to hold the pin in place? If so, you need to tighten it down and use loctite on it.

If there is enough space, you can use heatshrink tubing.
Old 05-22-2012, 06:13 PM
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$55,ouch! Yes,it is frustrating when somthing costs that much,and still have problems.Unfortunately,there are no set screws on these,it's a pressed fit,and the yoke pivots on the pin.I'll have to give the shrink tube a shot,and perhaps the tape if that doesn't work. I know that the xte series is basically a factory conversion from the nitro platform,there's a whole bunch of unused holes in the chassis were the nitro stuff would have been mounted.Unfortunately,the drive train doesn't seem to have been beefed up accordingly. After researching the shared parts between the buggy,truggy,and monster truck,I have found out that Redcat is using the same exact bl motor as well as the same gear ratios on all three versions.I mean,a buggy uses say 4" tires,and the monster truck uses 6+" tires,they should have at least changed the gear ratios.The diff cups look like butter.Oh,and the truck is also on it's THIRD motor using the same 4cell setup it came with.I have had much better luck with the Caldera 10e,aside from the steering servo,it's been great.
Old 05-22-2012, 06:43 PM
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ORIGINAL: PoopieBritches

$55,ouch! Yes,it is frustrating when somthing costs that much,and still have problems.Unfortunately,there are no set screws on these,it's a pressed fit,and the yoke pivots on the pin.I'll have to give the shrink tube a shot,and perhaps the tape if that doesn't work. I know that the xte series is basically a factory conversion from the nitro platform,there's a whole bunch of unused holes in the chassis were the nitro stuff would have been mounted.Unfortunately,the drive train doesn't seem to have been beefed up accordingly. After researching the shared parts between the buggy,truggy,and monster truck,I have found out that Redcat is using the same exact bl motor as well as the same gear ratios on all three versions.I mean,a buggy uses say 4'' tires,and the monster truck uses 6+'' tires,they should have at least changed the gear ratios.The diff cups look like butter.Oh,and the truck is also on it's THIRD motor using the same 4cell setup it came with.I have had much better luck with the Caldera 10e,aside from the steering servo,it's been great.
3rd motor...ouch.
The avalanche has a 10t pinion gear...the buggy has a 16t. same motor/esc...but the pinion gear on the truck is smaller to compensate for the larger tires.

I had a earthquake 8e...which had basically the same system. I didnt have problems with the motor or ESC in that truck. It was the diffs that were a pain. You had to shim them just right. If you did, they worked well. Got it wrong (or dont shim them at all) and the gears shredded.

The motor has a 5mm shaft and I think the gearing is mod 1...so you should be able to go on ebay and buy a pinion gear that is 1 tooth smaller. That will lower the strain and temps for your motor.

As long as there is room around the CVD for tape or shrink wrap (meaning it wont rub against the hub or arm) then it will work good to hold the pin in.
If you get desperate...super glue. LOL
Old 05-22-2012, 06:51 PM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte

Guess that is why it is called a Hobby!!! Just run them pray you don't have to repair them. But I agree, I have had Traxxas, 1/8 ofna buggy and now the Redcat Volcano. If i can get 12 tanks without tearing something up i am happy. Between my sons truck and mine...the pocket book keeps digging deeper..[&:]
Old 05-23-2012, 06:18 AM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte


ORIGINAL: bpohl

Guess that is why it is called a Hobby!!! Just run them pray you don't have to repair them. But I agree, I have had Traxxas, 1/8 ofna buggy and now the Redcat Volcano. If i can get 12 tanks without tearing something up i am happy. Between my sons truck and mine...the pocket book keeps digging deeper..[&:]
It only gets worse the more models you own!
this month alone...just spare parts or upgrades I had to buy were:
ecx steering assembly
B3 steering hub
ecx 20t motor
Rustler steering assembly
5mm Pinion gear
Tamiya hornet trans gears
Props and rubber bands for my dynam cub
About $60 worth of parts.

There was other broken stuff...but I already had spares for them. The above stuff is what I had to buy new this month. and this wasnt a bad month as far as breakage is concerned.
Old 05-23-2012, 06:31 AM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte


ORIGINAL: PoopieBritches

Those shafts that you linked to are the shafts that I'm using,perhaps I am mistaken,I thought that there was a difference between universal and cvd? The original problem I had was that the axle was popping out of the diff cup at full compression and full lock with wheels.To prevent this from happening,I placed some spacers over the shock shafts to limit the travel. This seems to be working well enough,now the problem is that one of the pins that holds the two halfs of the universal shaft together is working its way out. I just replaced the shafts,and after two packs thru the truck their already coming out.I have tried to peen the ends of the pins,but they are so hard that they break rather than mushroom over.Idk,but the rear of the truck uses dogbones,and I'm on my second set of those as well.Thanks for the reply.Mike
that's odd, my Monsoon XTR has the same CVD's stock in the front, and I added them to the center drive trane as well and have not had any issues with them. I'd say you must have received a defective set, but after replacing them several times there is obviously an issue with them.
Old 05-23-2012, 08:30 AM
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Thanks for the replies! I did not realize that the pinions were different between them,sure makes sense tho.The stock motor for the Avalanche is 1755kv Leopard,36x60mm.After the first motor took the eternal dirt nap,I ordered a replacement from Hobbyking.Turnigy 1800kv 36x60mm,well(after waiting three weeks fromChina)that one didn't make it thru 2 battery packs before suffering the same fate as the Leopard.Obviously,I wasn't keeping a proper eye on the temps.My fault there.So,now down two motors,drive train issues abound,I,m thinking this motor is just not really enough to drive a nearly ten pound rc.I mean,I also havemy beloved Thunder Tiger MT4,which has been nearly indestructable by comparison.Of course as with any machine there are always some flaws,but it has proven to be very tuff.So,the MT4 has a 2000kv 40x72mm? Okay,so I need to put something with a little more capability into the redcat,and try to sort out(or shall I say scatter!)the drivetrain as I go..Firstly,the redcat motor mount will not accept anything but a 36mm can,so a new mount is needed to put anything bigger in the truck.The MT4 mount is simple,and cheap at 12 bucks,but,of course the holes don't line up w/the exsisting ones.I ordered up a turnigy trackstar from HK,in stock usa warehouse for 60 dollars,sweet! Now the trackstar is 2560kv 6pole,so on a 4cell setup,I'm spinning ALOT faster than the stocker.I dropped the pinion from 10t to 9t,spur from 47t to 49t(the smallest and biggest I could find).Made a motor plate from some 7075 aluminum plate that I had leftover from another project,mounted the new plate to the redcat chassis plate and now this thing is pretty frickin fast! But the drivetrain is certainly begging for mercy! As to the pain in the wallet,oh yeah,I feel the your pain! We are an rc family,wife,kids,we all have em.6 total at the moment! It sure does keep me busy,and I do love working on them.So,with regards to the money,I too have been forkin' it out. A couple weeks ago,I fried the esc in the MT4,I really have a problem with keeping track of the temps.Apparently,somewhere along the bashing trail,I got the motor hot enough to melt the shrink tubing on the motor leads,and they shorted out,and ended up burning up the esc.Not knowing whether the motor had also been damaged,I decided to stuff it in the redcat,it's fine,and the redcat is crying even louder with the added power of the MT4 motor,but has slowed down to a more manageable speed. Just got the new motor and esc for the MT4,Tenshock 802L 2200kv,and hobbywing 150a esc.So,the trackstar will be on standby,just in case. Sorry for the long story,and thanks again for the advice and input.It's def very helpful to get someone else's perspectives. With regards to the axles and universals holding up in nitro versus the electric,I would have to believe that the instant torque ability of the electric motor is just overwhelming them?.Alright,I have said too much already! Mike
Old 05-23-2012, 09:00 AM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte

I was going to say that about the torque difference and left it out by accident. I will say that with the .28 engine there is no lack of low end grunt. Its almost not usable. It only runs in the mid 30's so either a bigger pinion or slightly taller tire would really compliment this setup. I too have several trucks so I understand about repair costs. I just recently sold two of my nitro trucks but at that point I had 3 nitro's for me and 2 electrics for the kids, not including 2 sumo's. Everybody thinks you always have a backup car to go to until you run all three and bust them all up on a Saturday afternoon.
Old 05-23-2012, 12:34 PM
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Yes,I agree! 2 out of 6 are runnin at the moment,always somthing...I also have 3 nitros,and agree completely that they can hold there own,I wasn't trying to suggest otherwise,by any means.To be honest,I haven't touched the nitros since getting the electrics tho. Between fuel cost and the oil dripping,just haven't been interested. I just ordered some universal shafts to replace the dog bones for the rear of the avalanche,redcat does make them,just not too confident they'll hold.Have to wait n see. Thanks. I'll keep my ear to the ground for alternative cvds that may work.
Old 05-23-2012, 01:49 PM
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ORIGINAL: PoopieBritches

Yes,I agree! 2 out of 6 are runnin at the moment,always somthing...I also have 3 nitros,and agree completely that they can hold there own,I wasn't trying to suggest otherwise,by any means.To be honest,I haven't touched the nitros since getting the electrics tho. Between fuel cost and the oil dripping,just haven't been interested. I just ordered some universal shafts to replace the dog bones for the rear of the avalanche,redcat does make them,just not too confident they'll hold.Have to wait n see. Thanks. I'll keep my ear to the ground for alternative cvds that may work.
Well the Monsoon has tons of torque, but believe me, it still will get smoked by a good brushless setup. Also I'm sure the torque on your brushless Avalanche is much more devastating to the drivetrain than my big block could ever be. Just the fact that my CVD's aren't tearing up like yours says something to that. Also is it possible you just have your punch control too high?
Old 05-23-2012, 02:37 PM
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Perhaps the punch setting could help,I have a program card,I've only used it to change LVC,and brake force settings.Out of the box is level 5 on the punch,I haven't tried any others.I have been told that changing this setting can change the load that the esc sees,meaning that if I were to use say #1,the motor will come on softer,but the esc will work harder to hold back the current and vice versa. Not sure weather this is right,but the esc is rated for 80a,motor is rated at 75a continuous,add to that w/e the steering servo and esc fan use.Putting my setup closer toit's limits,which I'd rather not cro$$! After browsing around the redcat forum here,I stumbled acrossed a couple threads about the Shredder 1/6 scales...hmm wonder what drivetrain parts they use? What!? The same diffs and axles as a Caldera 1/10 scale!? Now that sounds like absolute carnage for those little axles! But then, the motor and esc are hardly powerful enough for an 1/8 buggy,much less a 1/6! I do like some of the redcat stuff,but outside of the 1/10 class,the rest are lookin worse and worse.No offense to anyone.
Old 05-23-2012, 04:28 PM
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ORIGINAL: PoopieBritches

Perhaps the punch setting could help,I have a program card,I've only used it to change LVC,and brake force settings.Out of the box is level 5 on the punch,I haven't tried any others.I have been told that changing this setting can change the load that the esc sees,meaning that if I were to use say #1,the motor will come on softer,but the esc will work harder to hold back the current and vice versa. Not sure weather this is right,but the esc is rated for 80a,motor is rated at 75a continuous,add to that w/e the steering servo and esc fan use.Putting my setup closer to it's limits,which I'd rather not cro$$! After browsing around the redcat forum here,I stumbled acrossed a couple threads about the Shredder 1/6 scales...hmm wonder what drivetrain parts they use? What!? The same diffs and axles as a Caldera 1/10 scale!? Now that sounds like absolute carnage for those little axles! But then, the motor and esc are hardly powerful enough for an 1/8 buggy,much less a 1/6! I do like some of the redcat stuff,but outside of the 1/10 class,the rest are lookin worse and worse.No offense to anyone.
I'm sure NitroSports will jump in here, hopefully, because he's helped me with the electric stuff since honestly I'm more of a nitro guy. Your probably right but I just thought I'd suggest it. As far as Redcats line of models in general, you definately have to do your research. My Monsoon XTR has been great. I was a little disappointed with some of the metal parts that broke easily, but when considering what it cost me, I still thought it was a great value. My son's Caldera 10e has been great. I still think its the most bang for the buck that Redcat offers. My previous Tornado S30 never broke, just bullet proof. Now my daughters Volcano EPX, the last brushed Redcat I'll ever buy or ever recommend. As far as I'm concerned, they should not even be sold and removed from the line up.
Old 05-23-2012, 06:03 PM
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Yes sir,research is key.I tried and tried to find any info I could about the Avalanche before buying.There's just not much info bout any of the xte line out there. I bought the truck for my wife,and was on the fence about it. Her first rc,she wanted a mt like mine(MT4).I was lookin at brushed Emaxx,flux(the cheaper one).Really wanted to just buy another MT4 for her,but she said it was too much$,and no one had them in stock anyhow.Well,I bought the Avalanche for 400,and with all the repairs thus far am well beyond the 500$ the tiger sells for.A learning experience I guess,with adequate driveline hardware,the Avalanche could indeed be very formidable alternative to the overpriced and over rated Emaxx or Flux.(IMO)
Old 06-13-2012, 08:32 PM
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Default RE: Avalanche xte


ORIGINAL: PoopieBritches

Perhaps the punch setting could help,I have a program card,I've only used it to change LVC,and brake force settings.Out of the box is level 5 on the punch,I haven't tried any others.I have been told that changing this setting can change the load that the esc sees,meaning that if I were to use say #1,the motor will come on softer,but the esc will work harder to hold back the current and vice versa. Not sure weather this is right,but the esc is rated for 80a,motor is rated at 75a continuous,add to that w/e the steering servo and esc fan use.Putting my setup closer to it's limits,which I'd rather not cro$$! After browsing around the redcat forum here,I stumbled acrossed a couple threads about the Shredder 1/6 scales...hmm wonder what drivetrain parts they use? What!? The same diffs and axles as a Caldera 1/10 scale!? Now that sounds like absolute carnage for those little axles! But then, the motor and esc are hardly powerful enough for an 1/8 buggy,much less a 1/6! I do like some of the redcat stuff,but outside of the 1/10 class,the rest are lookin worse and worse.No offense to anyone.

what program card are you using?

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