RE: Official E-FIRESTORM thread
Thought I would pass along some lessons learned.
- Make sure you have a spare set of dog bones, because if the rear suspension comes apart you may loose a dogbone in the weeds! Why would the rear suspension come apart? …
- Get a package of 15mm ballstuds. A good solid hit on the rear suspension could shear a ballstud behind the rear shock tower. This has happened to me and I've seen people mention that has happened to them as well. If you get Titanium ballstuds for more strength you'll have to get ball ends to match (until HPI or aftermarket comes out with ballstuds same size as original). When this happens your suspension comes part and you'll throw your dobone into the weeks (or into a pile of similarly sized and colored twigs that will camaflouge your loose dogbone.
- The one other time my rear suspension came apart was after another solid hit on the rear suspension. Fortunately didn't break a ballstud this time but the turnbuckle popped off and the dogbone went flying into the weeds
- Check those small M3 nuts at the back of the rear hub carriers. This nut will eventually get loose, fall out, get lost, and the ballstud will work its way out. Right before my aluminum carriers arrived I noticed this nut was gone and the ballstud was about ready to drop out. Last weekend my friend's rear suspension came apart and his dogbone went flying into the weeds for this same reason.
- I've heard that it is a good idea to add a washer to the screws that retain the suspension shafts/pins at the end of the arms. The head of the screw may not be enough to retain the pin if the suspension takes a big hit. Hasn't happened to me yet. I need to remind myself to add those washers this weekend though.
- If you swap out the stock motor for a new motor or brushless system, mount the motor with the wires facing forward as much as practical as opposed to rearward or straight up. So the way I have it in my pictures isn't the best setup. They way rbjeepthing has it is much better I've already made the correction. I suggested my friend do the same but he waited a little to long and the motor mount ended up taking a nice chunk of insulation off one of his motor wires. Besides cutting insulation or wires you also risk weakinging the connections at the motor or bullet connector if yoy flip and land on the rear portion of the truck.
- If the rear of the truck takes a big hit, like you land straight on the motor from a 6 foot jump, check your gear mesh right away!