EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

So how's that ol' bed-spring work for leveling out the bumpy imperfections in the track surface?
Looks like the project is coming along nicely. 

My track is getting a little more bumpy than I'd like. Half the time the tires aren't touchin' the ground. And the idea of having to use manual labor to do it all just makes my back hurt thinkin' about it.  I thought about using some fencing wrapped around a 5ft-long 2x8 a few times, weighted down with cinder blocks and towed behind my riding mower, but wondered it it would end up enhancing the swails instead of taking off the tops and leveling.  The idea of using an old bed-spring is brilliant.  Too bad you don't find them laying around too much anymore. ha. 

Have fun, I'm sure you'll let us know how fun it is to drive!

FuelCoupe

An idea I have been tossing up for track maitnence I may as well share, it is a blade set up for the front of a ride on (lawn tractor) basicly just a curved blade (straight could be used) with some brackets attached, two arms either side and upper and lower, the lower would piviot the upper have several adjustment holes and be a pin and clip set up for easy adjustment. A post would need to be added from the chassis rails around the piviot point to mount the upper arms too, this post would need to be fixed and not piviot. Rough diagram from a side view below. Red is the fixed post.

DieHarder

We have a plow set up just like that. The tractor is loaded with wheel weights, tire chains, cast iron transmission, limited slip clutch, 17hp dual piston engine, etc. It's a Simplicity HUGE lawn tractor from the 80's that's been stored inside and barely used. It's like new! Bedspring worked great! Since it's so rusty, I lost a few pieces of the it along the track. But most of it held together. It's pretty smooth, except where theres a lot of sod that just keeps coming to the surface. Standing on the side of the tree without the track, it's the loop on your left that is part of that hill is a bit more bumpy than the reat of the track. Otherwise, it's pretty dang smooth.

I came out there on Thursday, and theres a freaking mole trail through my track! I noticed a main trail wrapping around the tree, and went and got...THE TRAP!! Yeah,...dad says he'll pay me a dollar per each mole I kill. (Our yard is infested) This morning, I came out, the trap didn't go off. I thought about moving it, but didn't feel like it. So I let it sit, and about 5:00 I came out again to go out to the shop, and as I walked, I glanced over at the trap from about 100 ft, and it looked like it had tripped. Sure enough, after I walked over there, it did. And when I pulled it out of the ground, I found a partially decapitated mole that must have been 6-8" long, weighing at least a pound. CRAZY Stuff man!

I have to work tomorrow too. Gotta be there at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. We are splitting wood. I'm getting tired of typing. I'll post later.

cumquat

find one of the holes then shove the hose in it and turn it on! it may not kill them but it will ruin that entrance. keep doing that until you cant find any more. once it's been a week without finding any new tunnels, ask your dad for $30 for eradicating the horde

DieHarder

Hey guys, I need a few more votes before I make a decision. Think you could cast a couple? Thanks in advance.

egbasher

Glad the bedspring idea worked out. Dang, that's one big mole. They are little critters here in CA. Our problem is gophers, although one of EXT2Rob's cats does his share of keeping them under control.

DieHarder

We have 4 cats, 1 dog, and 4 chickens. There are 4 kids including me, so each kid gets a chicken, and a cat. Mom and Dad get the dog...and with that comes the responsibilities.  Our cats are indoor cats, so all they do is catch spiders and flies. That's about it.

DieHarder

Yo! Why is this thread always dead. Don't you guys log on more? What happened to Oracus, and DTXandTRX, and NoTraxxasRustler? Nobody is here anymore... What a sad thing.

egbasher

Don't be too bummed DH. Maybe it just means everyone's cars are running good. I've run two days now (each day is about 2 hours of actual race time) of hard racing at EXT2Rob's track with no mechanical issues what so ever. Probably just jinxed myself. I've been running the EXT2 for a couple of years and I guess I've replaced enough parts with performance parts and got the car dialed in good enough that it's really reliable and FUN.

DieHarder

I've almost got mine to that point. I'm just waiting on a new spur, and some Badlands for the front tires. I have the Badlands on the back, but now since the Badlands are 5" OD and the Dirt Hawgs II that I currently have on the front are 4" OD, the front goes flying in the air on the jumps. So I ordered a new spur, and 2 Badlands tires for the front. Than it should be set up nicely.

DieHarder

Hey egbasher, you should put your models in on your profile's garage, and get an Avatar that shows who you are. I'm curious. Would you mind writing up a full report about yourself, and posting it here?

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

EGAD!  Five-inch OD tires?  Yeah, I'd say you need a new spur, to gear it down, if your tires are gonna be that big. Be careful of your motor temps.

So are you still prep'ing the track? Or have you got some track time under your belt now? 

DieHarder

I ran about 10 laps, then it started to rain. I don't like having my 'Vadster full of mud. I've been watching the motor temps a bit, and they seem to be ok. I'm going to stay at a gearing of 23/87. It works pretty good on a 3500kv motor.

Had some diagnosing done at the LHS yesterday. Found that my MCX2 Micro Heli is going to cost more to fix than what it's worth. So, now since I have the transmitter, I just need to buy the bind n fly kit for $89.99 and use my current heli for parts. Kinda sucks.  And then for my Micro Brushless SCT, I was hearing a gear ripping noise coming from the diff. (I believed) and since I hate taking those small things apart, and it's only 6 months old, I figured I'd take it in under warranty. Bob (LHS Owner), said that it's just a normal process of wearing out the DIFF. and that I was about 25% of the way to having to get it replaced. I was right! It was the diff, yet the guy at the counter was looking at me funny, while I tried to explain to him that it's not the spur/pinion mesh like he thought, and it was the diff. Sure enough I was right!!! YES!  The rain dryed up today, and the track is slightly damp. I should get ALOT of traction with those new Badlands. Got the battery charged, and it's ready to rip.

dtxandtrx

Hey guys! I'm still around reading everyone's posts and following whats going on. As for running my evader, I just ran it yesterday! But I ended up stripping my spur. Before yesterday I didn't have the brushless evader differential. Or the top-shaft. I didn't realize until I got home that I would need the entire slipper assembly so run the brushless evader top shaft. So I went back and all that they had were the slipper pads so I'm thinking that I will just order the rest of the slipper assembly off tower hobbies or something. That way I will be able to run my ext2 with the entire brushless transmission. So just an update for me as to what ill be doing, me and my friend are currently building a oval track in his backyard so I did use the tractor and bedspring idea. There's still too much grass so we just sprayed the track with round up. Now waiting for the grass to die.

DieHarder

Where'd you get the bed spring? Craigslist?

dtxandtrx

I remember seeing an old matress in the woods by our house. So I went there and cut off the remaining matress. Lots of mice poop stached in there. I'm headed over to my friends house to work on the track tomorrow, were getting more dirt. I'd love to race with you guys sometime. And when you said bob at your LHS did you mean cobblestone? That's where I went to get my evader parts, good to see that they're making somewhat of an effort to keep the parts in stock.

rclugnut10

My Feedback: (1)

I'm still around too just lurkinggg I don't do much with rc anymore tho between school girlfriend, work and bikes i just don't have the time... I miss it too

as far as gearing with the badlands goes, that sounds about right for a 3500kv motor too, tho i wouldn't go too much higher...

DieHarder

Yeah, that was Bob at Cobblestone. Great guy... Yes, they are keeping almost every part in stock lately. I haven't had to order any parts for the vadster lately due to they usually have them all in stock!

I'd love to race! I'm only 1/2 hour away from you! If it doesn't rain, would you like to come over and race on Saturday? This way you have a week to talk it over. I'd love to have you over. We could sit in lawn chairs, race the track and drink soda. I realize that you probably don't know me very well, but I think it'd be fun for a possible beginning friendship. Just wondering, how old are you? I'm 13. Just don't want the age levels to be too far off.

dtxandtrx

Cobblestones had a lot of the parts but of course, they didn't have the parts I needed. That being slipper plates for the brushless evader. As for getting together sometime, we totally should! I'm 15 and don't have a car so some avalable times would be great! And diehard, email me at [email protected] so we can chat there and maybe exchange phone numbers if you have a cell phone.

DieHarder

Cool! Emailed u!

DieHarder

I didn't upgrade to the Evader Brushless Top Shaft because then I couldn't use Robinson Racing Spur gears. They would have to pinch the spur where there's no Octagon shaped indent for the pads. I still have the Evader ST top shaft...

dtxandtrx

I still have the st top shaft too. And the whole slipper assembly. Like I said, I stripped the spur and might as well upgrade so my tranny is close to bulletproof.

cumquat

you should still be able to use RR spurs, it'll just take a little more patience to change the spur.

dtxandtrx

I don't think I really understand what you're trying to say there. Can you try to explain it a little further?

cumquat

the imprint on the stock spur is meant to hold the pad in place while you crank the plate down. all you have to do is keep it centered. or you could do what i do and ditch the pad.