Raeodor

Ive done this with my old DuraTrax Evader 9 years ago and it was easy considering it was a rear mounted motor that can slide further or closer to the spur for gear changing.

I am new to red cats and Im going to be picking up my Hurricane tomorrow and I want to gear the thing for higher top speed.

I know I need to get a bigger pinion and smaller spur. What I want to know is, is with the different sized gears, am I able to adjust the motor to accommodate the different sizes? Since the gears will be different I will have to slide the motor closer or further? If so, how do I do this. Since I have not yet worked on a red cat I dont know how easy this is to accomplish.

Also, if anyone can point me to a video on this to get a better picture, that would be ideal.

Thanks,
Rae

foxys

Very easy to do, the motor is mounted in slots. It just slides back and forth. Even tho it's electric, your going to want to use a VERY SMALL amount of BLUE loctite on the motor screwed. This will keep it from re-adjusting itself. Also remember top speed isn't necessarily the fast way around the track. If you gear up, remember to keep an eye on your motor temps. Any brushless will overheat the motor if over geared. It'll be fast until you de-magnetize your rotor, then you'll have a highs priced paperweight.

Raeodor

I figure its top speed is around 40 stock. I would like to get it up to around 50 tops, I cant imagine it would be too much of a strain on the motor considering If I bump the batteries to 5000mAh right?

I kinda figured thats why they used a 1755kvm motor because it is a pro line and greater upgrading potential. I could be wrong though.

Also is there a pic or video showing how the motor slides back and forth? Just want to have it worked out in my head before tearing it down.



Quick side note, I wont be racing this. Its purely recreational at a nearby park and a few dirt fields nearby. Can't even really say id do bashing in it. Just wanted something that wont break every time i turn it on and im willing to fork out the cash for the pleasure. =)

Stryker48

I'd be VERY interested to hear how happy (or not) you are with your RedCat Hurricane XTE, since you've had it for a few months.

Like you, I also wanted something that wan't going to break the bank that I could get some local enjoyment out of.(also not interested in competitive racing)
I ordered one a couple of days ago (still in shipping), I just couldn't pass up on the sale price, so took the plunge regardless of the negative feedback on Redcat and rebranded product lines. I can only hope I don't land up with a lemon and having regrets on my purchase, as some have reported. It would be nice if I could prove some of the RedCat haters wrong. ....... Only time will tell

Regardless, I intend to make a number of periodic review videos on this model (RedCat Hurricane 1/8 XTE) over the next few months and hopefully shed more light on this model from my own experience and perspective. Most of the current youtube videos I take with a pinch of salt, as they appear to be biased or sponsored, none of them actual reviews as such more promos.

While my expectations are realistic, I certainly don't expect to have issues within the 1st. run with bent dog bones and/or fried steering servos etc from normal driving as some have reported. That would NOT be acceptable in my book, regardless who manufactured it, where I bought it or what I paid for it.

Watch out for the "FULL EXPOSE" & UNBIASED REVIEW of the RedCat Hurricane XTE on YouTube and in various forums in the coming months.

Shady9503

I have had my Hurricane XTE for a few months now, I love the thing! its been pretty tough, even though its meant for track use, I dont have a track near me and so I bash, its taken some incredibly tought hits and kept on going, i have broken the A-Arms a couple times, but its been my fault (Ran into a parked car once, hit a curb once lol) but for the most part, very durable buggy

A few bad notes, the stock tires, more so the wheels (rims) are crap, the tires are alright for stock, but the wheels they're mounted on are made of a very weak plastic, the rims broke after a few big jumps and I ended up putting it on Proline Badlands.
One of my shock towers busted a shock cap and leaked all the oil out, that might be due to the heavy landing it took when it did break (landed on the rear right wheel lol busted the shock).
The rear wing is pretty weak, it broke on me after flipping it, Ive since put JConcepts "Finisher" wing on it, and its been fine.

Other than those few points, I love the buggy, the problems i had were fairly minor (I was planning to put new wheels on it, and a new wing wasnt too expensive) and a new shock cap isnt gonna break the bank lol
now one thing i do have to add is its very cold where im running right now, southern ontario, so it makes the plastic brittle and more likely to break.

Stryker48

Thanks for the reassuring response. It's good to know they are not as fragile & problem-some as some 'Redcat haters' have led me to believe.

I think I might have just purchased the very last one available in Canada. It appears that Redcat might be discontinuing this particular model (Hurricane XTE) as there seems to be no stock anywhere!, including the US.
I made enquires with Redcat head office in the US, and I was told no plans to 'reorder' this model are in the pipeline.

According to Canada Post tracking, my XTE will be here tomorrow
As much as I would love to take it out for a spin when it arrives, I will hold back, .... as you said, it's just too damn cold here in Ontario at this moment (I'm in Morrisburg Easten Ontario) and as you mentioned ....it makes plastic especially vulnerable and more prone to breaking.

I expected the stock tires to be 'crappy' (most tires on rtr vehicles usually are), although I'm surprised (but good to know) about the inferior plastic rims though. Which make of rims would you suggest that would fit?

Where would be the best place to source rims and tires in Canada.? Are you buying locally or importing from US or other?

I do plan of course on getting other tires and was looking at the popular badlands as well and also the mowhawk tires.(which have also got decent reviews)http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ted-8-96436348
I might also get a set of 'on road' tires also.
I'm assuming the HSP wheels & tires found mostly on e bay are pretty much the same if not identical 'crap' that comes on the XTE.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4PCS-17mm-Hu...-/360669106232

Sorry to hear you busted a shock. I'm sure these shocks and towers are not as robust as your higher end models (That's to be expected at this price point)

I came across a review where it was mentioned the wing of the XTE is made from a pretty weak and brittle plastic and breaks easily. Another thing I will definitely consider upgrading if and when I can find a wing that will fit (preferably without having to re-drill the holes) The wing on the ARRMA Typhon 6S buggy appears very flexible and very strong, however it probably wont fit without re-drilling by the looks of it. (I'll also take a look at the JConcepts "Finisher" wing also.

How is your lexan body holding up? did you do any reinforcing on the inside? Some have reported the body is also prone to breaking easily, the nose area around the shock tower being the most susceptible.

BTW, are you using the basic supplied transmitter? The supplied transmitter is probably another thing I will also likely change in the very near future. Nothing fancy, as long as it has a rechargeable lipo instead of the 8AA's .. and a few extra features won't hurt either
I'm thinking of this (I'm familiar with FlySky's product line and they get pretty decent reviews all round for low cost surface & air Tx's & Rx's: http://www.helipal.com/product_info....NTvxoC6rXw_wcB

Thanks again for your kind and helpful reassurance, much appreciated!

Shady9503

you're welcome! and to be honest 90% of the redcat haters seem mostly to be people new to the hobby, they wanna get something cheap to start, and so they get a redcat, and when they run into problems with it and take it to their LHS, they always tell them redcat is crap and try to sell them a traxxas, hpi, ofna etc, and so its suddenly cemented in their heads that redcat = crap but they actually make really good stuff, yes they have downsides as they try to cut some corners to keep it cheap, but lately their stuff has been really good, i picked up a blackout XTE Pro and the damn thing has been indestructible, It got to the point where I got annoyed and started seriously trying to break it lol.

It really does seem like they're going to be discontinuing both the hurricane and the monsoon, they're not even listed on their site under 1/8th brushless vehicles, hopefully im thinking they're taking them back to the drawing board and making them even better.

and haha i know the feeling of wanting to drive but its just so damn cold!!

as for the rims, any 1/8th scale buggy wheels will fit, just go on down to your lhs and ask where their selection of 1/8th buggy wheels are, anything there will fit as redcat fitted the hurricane with the 1/8th buggy standard hexes, 17mm if i recall correctly.
i currently have the HPI Vorza V7 wheels on https://www.hpiracing.com/en/part/103677 i liked the design which is the main reason for my choice no need to import if you have a decent LHS near you with a good selection, they should have what you need, otherwise id resort to ebay/amazon, and yeah those hsp wheels are the same as the stock ones.

to be honest i was quite surprised when i looked at the shock more closely, as it was only the lower shock cap that had busted, like a 2$ piece of plastic, the shock itself is fine and yes ive bent the front shock tower once or twice, but a hammer will straigten that, or do what i did and go for the CNC'd shock towers redcat sells, way stronger, i havent had a problem since i put those on http://www.redcatracing.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1917/.f & http://www.redcatracing.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1916/.f oddly enough they're only 20$ which is the same cost as the stock tower so i didnt see the point in going stock lol

If you dont wanna redrill holes for the wing, then i suggest you go for the proline wings, you drill the holes yourself, which works fine, i wouldnt suggest the jconcepts wing i have for the simple reason that it was difficult to mount, the mounting area is too small for the wing mount on the hurricane and it takes some effort to get it to fit. the prolin wings work as I had it on the nitro version of the hurricane before i sold it.

people arent wrong about the lexan body breaking, mine broke but again im attributing it more to the cold lol, but i do feel like the bodys arent of the best quality, which is probably another area redcat skimps on to save money, which i dont mind so much.
and currently im using the stock transmitter and reciever and they work fine, i have no complaints, except for the 8 AA's lol im actually looking at the same Tx and Rx you posted, might get it when summer rolls around!

You're welcome! when i was new to the hobby i started with nitro and had a hell of a time as nitro has a steep learning curve, had it not been for the awesome people in this forum i would have quit the hobby and never looked back, the least i can do is help another!

Stryker48

You're probably spot on regarding the RedCat haters and the hobby shops response. (I guess in some way you can't blame them!)
I'll check out for some rims at my 'local' hobby shop and see what they have. Yes I think it's 17mm hex. The HPI Vorza V7 rims look real sharp.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will certainly have a look at the proline wings

I'm not overly concerned about the lexan body as I intend to reinforce the inside with carpet tape and shoe goo in any case, to give it some added strength and longevity.
I had a quick look at the Redcat clear 1/8 lexan buggy body, which I would have considered, however for some reason it's a fraction more expensive than the painted bodies (doesn't make any sense at all!) and also it does NOT come with window masks, which is absurd!, especially at the price point. Identical bodies (and spares) can of course be sourced from any of the other identical rebrands (HSP, EXEED etc)

The main reason I will likely change the transmitter is due to the 8 bloody AA's. I have more than enough 'crap' around the house that use plenty AA's, .... the last thing I need is another bloody AA battery hungry addition lol.
The stock Tx will suffice for the moment, I'm not in any immediate rush! (Better Lipos, wheels & tires are more of an 'immediate' priority.)

Regarding the FS GT3C Tx, I don't think one has to even switch out the stock receiver in the XTE if using the FlySky FS GT3C as I think it's the same protocol so it 'should' bind. (please don't quote me on this lol)
There are 3 available colours (orange, silver, green) of the FS GT3C Tx. Apparently the ORANGE color has or had issues with the On/Off switch (apparently 'corrected' on the silver and green models) ... The On/Off switch is located in the center of the wheel which is really a dumb location and idea IMHO.
It has been reported that the Orange ones, after a few months have started to lose signal at times when the wheel is turned. I think the problem is due to switch been in the center of the wheel which gets turned often, eventually causing a loose connection with the On/Off switch. (I think all they did to fix it was to hot-glue the wires inside, so they were more secure and less prone to disconnecting from continual use of the wheel.
While the overall design and features offered on the FS GT3C, it's beyond me why they would have though locating the On/Off switch in the center of the wheel would be a good idea.?

Here's an unbiased review on the FS GT3C which also covers the issue with the On/Off switch on the ORANGE Tx (As mentioned above, it has been reported the issue has been 'fixed' on the the other 2 colours)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NAaiTODv7A

Well I appreciate all your help and anyone else's for that matter. I'm not new to hobby by any means, been flying (planes, helis and more recently quads) for many years, however this is my 1st. step into 'hobby grade' RC cars. Cars are certainly more technical in terms of many more parts, gearboxes and differentials and slipper clutches etc, which can seem somewhat daunting for the newcomer to RC cars.

Since I have no plans to be race and/or be competitive, I really didn't want to invest too much $ into an RC car that I'm only going to casually bash around with from time to time. I don't see the point! So the Redcat's and other rebrands of the same products, seem to fit my needs perfectly, which is what they were originally intended for I'm sure! - casual bashing!

I only flew gas models in the past and it's only in the past year I decided to switch to brushless electric, which has been another learning curve for me, which I have managed to wrap my head around finally

So now I have a competent charger that suits my needs (Hitech 320W 4 port charger) and a 520W PSU (server PSU) which one of the members on RCCanada made up for me for $80 shipped and numerous lipos for my current models. So I'm good to go!

Of course I will be needing better batteries for the XTE, which I will order over the next few weeks or so, probably from Hobbyking as they do have the best prices without a doubt, especially for us Canadians. BTW if you order your lipos from Hobbyking warehouse in the US and select PUROLATOR ..(NEVER. EVER use UPS under ANY circumstances) ... shipping is inexpensive and NO brokerage fees. IN fact my last order of lipos which came to $98, I didn't even pay tax Hobbyking has only recently added PUROLATOR as a shipping option from the US warehouse.

Stryker48

My XTE arrived today Everything looks pretty sweet, I need to go over the instructions etc. At present I have no idea what the bloody white grommets and clips are for in a small little bag and also the black clip 'thingies' ???
Perhaps you can enlighten me, if I cant find out anything from the what seems to be, limited instructions.

The shocks to me feel very soft and very easy to depress, so will have to check the oil out as well.

The buggies wheels might have to be reset, as I'm sure they are not 100% correctly adjusted (I might be wrong!), I will have to do a little more research into how the various cambers and toes affect the overall driving experience.
Did you have to make any adjustments to toe and camber?

After some research I found that the buggy has been set up quite well in fact, although still not sure about the shocks perhaps a little on the soft side. (again I could be entirely wrong! .... it wouldn't be the 1st. time lol )

Out of the box, the rear wheel have negative camber (out at the bottom and closer in on top) with quite a bit of toe tin.
The front wheels on the other hand, are toed out with a little positive camber (Narrower at the bottom of wheel and wider at the top)

Also did you have to calibrate the ESC, or is everything already calibrated? - Thanks!

Also are you using the antennae tube or do you leave the short receiver antenna inside?

Shady9503

Thanks for the tip on the batteries from hobbyking! i always order from the international warehouse and the only option is fedex priority, they get here in like 4 days and theres a brokerage fee!

lol the little white things are spacers for going inbetween the A-Arms and the hinge pins, or anywhere else where you want to reduce play or slack, typically you should see some already installed on the upper A-Arms, at the hinge pins.
the black clips are for suspension preload, so you can add or remove pre load on the springs, that might help with your suspension feeling too soft.

I did notice the same thing about the wheels, I tried driving it the way it came out of the box and i had no issues, maybe its something that presents more of a problem on the track? althought i straigtened them out when i put my badlands on them.

The ESC should already be calibrated, i just changed the LVC from 3.0V Per cell to 3.4V, thats just a personal thing, i like the extra bit of protection for my LiPos lol.
Yes I use the antennae tube but its cut very short, I only have it sticking out like an inch maybe? ive heard of people tucking it right into the box though with no problems.

Stryker48

Yes, Fedex is unfortunately the only option at present for shipping lipos from Hobbyking International warehouse. Although it's quick, it isn't cheap.
If you have your batteries shipped from US warehouse, 2 options are given (UPS - NEVER USE ... and recently they have added PUROLATOR) Purolator is the least expensive, - NO brokerage fees (or taxes) and took 1 week to get my lipos.

Thanks for the info on "the little white things" lol I'll have to check to see how and where they fit like you said.

Thanks also for the info on the black clips for suspension preload ... I had no bloody idea! lol

The wheels at first glance did look a bit off to me, however after doing some reasearch, I found it to be quite spot on in fact. Here is an explanatory article on basic setup:
http://home.scarlet.be/~be067749/58/bug/print.htm

Everything appears to be all OK on the buggy, except I have very slight play on the right front wheel. (zero play on all other wheels)

I figured as much that the ESC would already be calibrated, although wanted to make sure.
I don't have an ESC programming card, so would have to do any changes manually at present which is going to be a real pain.

I agree 3.0V per cell is really pushing it for LVC. I would also prefer to have LVC to be around 3.4v or even 3.7V to begin with, especially with new batteries.
I do have individual LV alarms that connect to the balance plug, which I use on all my models for backup protection. http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tester.../dp/B005GJCJOA

There is no hole for the antenna on the Lexan body, which means one would have to cut/drill a hole for the antenna tube to fit through unfortunately. (I'll have too see what range I get without making a hole, before deciding what to do.)

Tucking the antenna into the box should work, however it's sure to affect the range somewhat, to what degree though, I have no bloody idea!

BTW what range do you estimate you're getting (line of sight?)
With realistic expectations, I would take a long shot guess and expect for these types of low end entry Tx's to get around 120 meters (400 feet) or so?

Shady9503

Thats great! I never used the US warehouses because of UPS lol, but knowing purolator is there now is awesome

Heres a pic of where those white things go the ones that have an indent are for the suspension hinge pins to hold them in place, you can see them clearly on the rear end of the car in this pic, the ones that look like clips are indicated on the front of the car, they go between the A-arm and the shock tower to reduce slack, you clip them right onto the hinge pin holding the A-arm.

Ahh thats a nice article! I never go to the track so it never dawned on me but I might have to change my setup a little in the summer

Check the wheel nut or the other adjustments for that right front wheel, might be something loose.

Programming it manually isnt too bad, I only changed the LVC to 3.4V per cell, but it was easy to do, although you're right a programming card would be much easier lol.

Yeah I drilled a little hole for mine, theres no one pre drilled because theres 3 different spots you can put the antennae tube if you wanna move it around.

The range is good for me, I don't think tucking it in will really affect it, but I've never tested it, I know I have been able to drive it far enough away that at times I've almost lost sight of it lol (like going as far down my street as possible then turning around for a speed run :P) your estimation seems about right, I never really measured it myself but I've found it's been able to stay within range of where I wanna drive.

Stryker48

Thanks again for all the useful info and pic attachment showing the 2 locations, at least now I know where to look and what they are for lol

When the weather gets warm enough I will tuck the antenna in and do a range check. It it's still acceptable, I will probably leave it tucked in. The body is already thin enough without having to add additional weak points, where it's likely to fail.

If I can get 400 feet, I will be happy, that's more than enough for me. From 400 feet you would hardly be able to see the car.

I'll take a closer look at the front right wheel to see if there is anything else loose. The wheel nut it appears tight. I don't have the right tools at present for the car (would have been nice if they had at least included a Hex spanner.)
I'll have a look online and what I can get.

Regarding the buggy rims, from what I can understand, not all 17mm are the same. Some are deeper than others, am I correct in my understanding? Or are they all the same?

Thanks again!

Shady9503

You're welcome I thought the pics would be more helpful then trying to explain lol

In that case you should be happy with the stock Tx, its not amazing but it gets the job done

Ahh what you're referring too is wheel offset, any 17mm rim will fit, but how much the wheel sticks out, or if its closer to the car, like these rims, the hub will connect closer to the back of the rim, and will cause the rim to stick out more, or you can have the hub connect close to the front of the rim and have the rim recessed into the body slightly. thats what they mean by deeper, but anything with a 17mm hex size should fit.

No Problem

Stryker48

Thanks again for your informative response and helping clear up the wheel offset

Stryker48

That good news re the stock Tx

Thanks also for clearing up the offset.

Since I don't have the appropriate tools for the buggy, I decided to order the necessary tools I need today
1 x small 4 way wrench - $1.39 USD (shipped)
1 x large 4 way wrench - $6.49 (shipped)
1 x set of 4 hex head screw drivers - $8.82 (shipped)

BTW, someone on RCCanda, just informed me that Purolator have been removed as a shipping option from US warehouse. That's a real bummer as I had planned on ordering a few extra larger capacity lipos for the buggy.

Talking of batteries, what's the average run time can one expect from the supplied dual 2S 20C 3600mah Lipos? .. 10 minutes perhaps? Thanks again!

Shady9503

Aww thats unfortunate news on purolator! would have been great! oh well..

Those seem like a good starting point! every other tool you probably have from your planes or just around the house

Yeah the stock batteries are alright, 10-12 mins sounds about right, I bought a set of these http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...case_Pack.html great batteries, and they already come

with the proper connector, unless you've changed them, i want to convert to deans but dont have the soldering equipment to solder wires that thick.

Stryker48

Very unfortunate regarding Purolator, hopefully it's only a 'glitch'. I will try to found out.
Damn! ....if I knew this was going to happen, I would definitely have doubled up on my last lipo order.
Here's a link to the discussion regarding Hobbyking shipping: http://www.rccanada.ca/rccforum/show...90#post2260690

Unfortunately I didn't have the 4 way hex's, or the necessary smaller hex screw drivers, however I do have the rest of the necessary tools at home. It would have been a nice touch if Redcat supplied at least a couple of 4 way hex tools in the box like 'most' manufacturers do. With that said, I shouldn't complain at this price point.
As I mentioned earlier, I think I just might have purchased the last available one in Canada from a Redcat dealer in Barrie Ontario - Paid $340 CAD = $272 USD.(with the current abysmal exchange rate)

Thanks for the battery link - Looks like the perfect choice with 60C discharge rate and the higher 5000mah capacity. Anything more than this would probably be overkill.
With 5000mah I'm guessing one could expect to get 15 mins, perhaps a little more run time?
Did you have to remove the battery tray to accommodate the 5000mah lipos?
With the 3600mah stock batteries, there isn't that much space left in the compartment.

As yet, I haven't changed the bullet connectors. I probably will although! I'm just not sure if I will go with Deans connectors as the clones and authentic ones don't always connect very well together.

Shady9503

Yes hopefully the purolator issue gets cleared up, but if not oh well! :P

Yeah I always found it odd that they never included any tools at all, maybe its one way that they help keep the price down? regardless 340$ is an amazing deal on that buggy! considering redcats site lists it at 450$!

You're welcome! I've found those lipos to be great, run time will probably depend on how you drive, I've been getting about 15-20 mins.
Nope no need to remove the battery tray! thats the main reason I got those batteries, same dimensions as the stock ones so they'll fit fine, and with 60C have a lot more punch

Since you havent changed the connectors then those batteries would be great as they come with bullets I've also heard good things about the traxxas connectors if you're reluctant on using deans.

Stryker48

Yes, I think I got a great deal, I'm happy!

You're probably right regarding why the tools were not included.

Thanks!, that's good to know about the larger capacity lipos fitting in the battery tray.

If the new extra lipos I buy for the buggy have bullet connectors, I probably wouldn't bother changing them.

Shady9503

you really did! I bought mine at regular price lol 450$

You're welcome! if you have any other questions or run into anything just reply! I'd be more than happy to help

Enjoy the buggy!

Stryker48

Thanks, much appreciated!. I sure will.

Stryker48

Redcat Hurricane XTE ..... so far so good

Stryker48

I'd be interested to know, how you are getting along with your Hurricane XTE?
I recall in earlier posts, you were looking at the Backdraft 8E and comparing the two for top speed. It sounded like you had your heart set on Backdraft 8E, as you thought is was faster.

BTW, I think you made the right choice between the 2 cars as the Hurricane is a lot tougher than the Backdraft 8E. The Hurricane XTE is based on a true 1/8 racing buggy platform, whereas the Backdraft 8E is just a stretched out 1/10 platform.

Changing the pinion and gears will give you slightly better performance, however at a cost. It will put more strain on the electronic and other components.

If you really want to get to that max top speed, probably the 'best thing' one could do is upgrade the ESC to run off 6s. (The stock ESC is only rates 2s - 4s) - Not worth the cost IMHO.
and get better lipos. (again this will put enormous amounts of stress for which this vehicle was not intended)

Other ways to increase speed marginally - the right tires for the surface you're running on, lower the ride height and reduce the downforce on the rear wing or remove entirely. Reduce weight using lighter lower mah batteries (Will shorten your run time though!)

While "upgrading' sounds like a good idea in theory ....... it doesn't usually work out that way. 9/10 'upgrades' do more harm than good, especially with these lower end RTR vehicles.

Personally, these types of entry level vehicles, I would leave as stock, especially if you're only casually bashing. The only time I would consider upgrading, is if something broke or failed and there is a better option available.

If you are not drag racing,(not the purpose of these buggies anyhow) personally I see no point to any of the 'upgrades' to obtain maximum speed. The fastest car DOESN'T win races, the drivers SKILL and CONSISTENCY is what does!

NB: Aluminum parts may ad bling, however they are rarely a better option over plastic and in most cases should be avoided.