Rocket3

Hello, I’ve got a RC bulldozer, I own and run equipment and want my RC dozer setup like it’s suppose to be, I have a fly sky i6s radio and ia10b reciever, from the factory it had dual 540 55t motors and a brushless 2300kv motor running the hydraulics, and a 5000ah 3s lipo running it all, so both sticks forward for forward let off the one or the other depending on which way ya wanna turn, problem with this is if you work the blade you have to slightly move the stick out of the forward position and it takes power away from one track or the other depending on what movement is being done, ya have to take away the forward position to make the blade work, so,,,, I have got it working the way I’d like using a sabertooth esc, it mixes the two channels running the 540’s and allows me to have forward reverse and left and right on the left stick, problem is it lets to much current or something through to the 540 motors cuz I go through motors like crazy, I’m wondering if a sort of regulator would work maybe after the sabertooth between it and each motor, I don’t know, I am new to this but I do know how things work, I would appreciate any help that you tank guys might be able to give me, I’d think y’all want yours tanks steering the same way!
thanks a lot!

Tanker1966

What voltage are the motors rated at? Have you tried a 2s Lipo?

Crius

About the closest thing I've got that would match what you're doing is probably my 1/6 scale hetzer. That runs on a 6S lipo, 22 point something volts, and I'm running two 24 volt 350 watt scooter Motors through a sabertooth 2 x 32. It works great. What I can't figure out is why you would be going through Motors. The sabre-tooth limits the amount of current that goes to each motor so it shouldn't be a problem. I think if it was me, I might try doing some voltage tests with a multimeter. See how much actual battery voltage you're putting out and then check the voltage at the motors at Full Throttle. Do you have the capacitors attached to the ends of your Motors?

Imex-Erik

You may want to try the DIP switch guide for the Sabertooth. I could be wrong here but one of those DIP switches controls an exponential and it may be this that is causing the issue. You can find the link here: https://www.dimensionengineering.com...zard/start.htm

ron_van_sommeren

Brushless motors can handle any voltage in RC land, as long as current and rpm don't get too high.
Wire insulation lacquer/restin is tested up to several hundred volt.

Vriendelijke groeten Ron
• Without a watt-meter you are in the dark ... until something starts to glow •
• e-flight calculators • watt-meters • diy motor tips&tricks • Cumulus MFC •

Tanker1966

I think his 540 motors are brushed.

tankme

You can burn up a brushed motor with too much voltage. Brushed motors can usually be overvolted slightly, but it creates heat in the brushes. It basically melts the brushes in it if there is too much overvoltage. Find out what voltage your 540 55T motors are rated for. Your 3S LiPO is running 11.1V nominal with a max of 12.6V fully charged. I don't think your issue is overcurrent. If the motors try to draw more current than it can provide the Sabertooth will either burn out or go into an overcurrent protection mode and shutdown. Brushed motors can draw a huge amount of current during a stall condition, but as long as they are moving the current will usually stay within a nominal limit as far as current is concerned.

Imex-Erik

My apologies, I didn't read this fully earlier. I thought you said the motors were going to fast, not that you were going through them fast.

First thing I would check on is the motors. If you are going through them quickly then the replacements might not be the correct RPM you need nor a quality motor to perform how you wish it to. Do you have any specs on the RC you got? How about the motors? I would consider replacing them with some higher turn high quality motors here: https://store.rc4wd.com/Engine-Motor_c_26.html (not affiliated, just used them for years personally and they are great). If you can at least let us know what model you have we can try and get a wiring diagram and take a look for ya

Rocket3

Hello, thank you guys for the replies, all awesome, no silly stuff, I’m not sure what type of power the motors I have are rated at, I assumed that the sabertooth would not allow to much power to the motors, and also I did do the little quiz for dip switches on the sabertooth website, and I have just switched to hand wound motors from brood racing, the sabertooth isn’t that complicated of a unit to install so I’m pretty sure that I have it right, just for sake, the motors are wired M1A + and M1B - then the same on the other side for M2, the other motor.. I also checked direction I have the power coming from like a small buss bar that the lipo is wired into, the reason for the buss is because I’ve got a brushless esc connected into the mix also, I’m new to this, but I’m not a dummy, I assumed this would be a simple task, and since the 540 motors were powered with the same battery just a different esc, and since I wanted it to steer the way I do a simple esc switch would fix me up, not the case, I did power it with a 7.4v 2s 5000ah and it didn’t have much power, which is another reason why I thought I was getting to much, I don’t know I am confused, which is why I have turned to you fellas and I appreciate the help very much!

Imex-Erik

If you have a motor that is too high geared for the application it can cause damage to the motors or sometimes ESCs. The Sabertooth ESCs only limit at their max current, it is not something you can select like on newer brushless ESCs. If you can get us what model RC you have we can try and look up the specs on the motor for you. IMO replacing those motors with a higher turn motor will most likely take care of the issue. It will draw less current (at the same voltage) and will slow that bulldozer down a bit at the same time while adding some additional torque down low.

Rocket3

Alrighty then, thanks again for the help, all the info here has been a benefit to me, in one way or another, mostly it’s made me get at it and figure it out, I’m close, I took another sabertooth that I have, the same as I’m using for my project and set it all up on the bench where I could get a good look at everything in a not so crammed situation, I used the old motors that I had some new brushes for because I already had the new expensive ones in the bulldozer, although it is one wire at a time, having it in the open makes it nicer to build a plan then know it works, on the bench I had both motors turning the same way running perfect, I replicated that and put it all back together and went over the dip switches one more time and I’m close, now it seems to get a mind of its own, and a little bulldozer that weighs 60 pounds on its own is kind hard to get stopped, the only thing I can think of maybe is I possibly could if had the positive or the negetive soldered onto the motor posts in the wrong spot, this is the only thing I noticed that could of been wrong... could this of been it????? My problem now is the normal bugs, I had to reverse my settings in the radio so I’m thinking I may have to switch some power wires around and see if it don’t straighten me out, and the dip switch wizard has to be dialing me in right, so like I said, I’m dialing it in now, hopefully I’m on the right track,,, (pun intended haha, it’s a bulldozer, get it) honestly I’ve been very hesitant to join something like this because like everyone I’ve read some of the 5 year old posts you can see without a membership and there are some rude people out there giving hell to some poor guy that’s just trying to get his thing straight and doesn’t know any better, this is a place of class and I’m happy.
thank you very much, if I ever have another problem which I’m sure that I will, I will not hesitate to ask, and hopefully someday I can return the favors with information about something of my own that someone might need help with, when I get it figured out which I have a feeling it won’t be long I will post a video of my operation in action.. thanks again!