Losi Off-road!!!

Old 03-11-2002, 07:53 AM
  #211  
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Alu. CVD - I seem to get just slightly less wear than the original holes so you can roughly extend the life of the bones by 4.




Impulsive - replace the cone washers used for the slipper spring with an AE diff thrust spring. It gives you less sensative adjustment so it is easier to find the right setting. Also, don't slip the slipper too much. Since many of the parts are plastic they can't take the heat. Don't use the slipper to make up for lack or traction. The only reason it is in the car is to give the drive train a place to slip under load instead of clicking belts.

NOTE - if you ever break/strip/slip a belt and you decide it is time to replace it. REPLACE EVERYTHING the belt touches, both pulleys and the belt. Once a belt slips it rounds the teeth on the pulley and not replacing the pulleys will just cause the belt to wear/slip prematurely. In a pinch you can flip the pulleys over (This only works for the front and rear diffs) so that they rotate the opposite direction.
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Old 03-11-2002, 09:58 PM
  #212  
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Skip Gear: Thanks a lot. I inspected the drivetrain closely and the clicking sound was made by the middle belt slipping, the rear slipper locked up as the pad got stuck to the plate due to dirt. I'm going to seal the entire drive train with silicone sealant after I've replaced the belt and pullies. But do I have to replace both the pulley where the middle belt touches???

Do you guys run on-road also??? I just switched from the Yoke Special to a box-stock XXX-S (rock solid Losi fan). What do you guys think of this new car??? Thanks.
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Old 03-12-2002, 07:11 AM
  #213  
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Silicone is not needed and quite a bit of overkill. The car seals up quite well as is. I wouldn't go to the extreme of using a sealer. The only thing that you may need to seal is the front belt cover next to the motor. Just use a piece of electrical tape to cover that.

You mentioned the car was fairly new, the dirt may be from excess grease slinging from the new bearings. The dirt may also be belt/pulley fragments from the belt slipping. Also, if I remeber the WE comes with one blue and one green front belt, for durability use the green belts only. If you are running stock and you want the drive train a bit more free, use the blue belts but you will need to replace them more often.

Like I said before, if the belt slipped, replace the parts, no questions asked. Installing a new belt on a pulley with worn or rounded teeth will just cause it to wear out quicker.

I doubt dirt caused the slipper pad to stick, probably excess heat was the culprit. When the car first came out, a lot of people had problems with the three pins on the side belt pulley melting off. They would then ooze into the slipper pad and fuse it to the spur gear. Check for that also, it is one more reason to replace the pulley and possibly the slipper pad.

Last edited by SkipGear; 03-12-2002 at 07:14 AM.
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Old 03-12-2002, 10:17 AM
  #214  
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Skip/Jason LaDow- I have some questions. I'm trying to increase my knowlege of off-road for tuning purposes, so please bear with me. If not enough time, maybe you can answer in peices...lol

1) Pink and Silver compound tires. I assumed that softer was better, but thinking about it, and understanding that in on road sometimes too soft is WORSE than too hard, I am beginning to see that pink or silver might be better than reds sometimes. My question is: when? how will I know to go to a firmer compound? What about inserts? On road rule (basically) is more traction- harder insert.

2) The diff on my new MF XXX-T loosens up during a run. It cost me the regional win in Mod Truck last fall when the diff loosened up half way through the run in the A main. I've looked at it, but wanted to know if I need to get/purchase/look for something specific upon teardown. It was my first race with the truck and the box set up was good. It coulda been better, but I was concentrating on driving more than tuning.

3) Tire selection- I have a XX-4WE and the MF truck. Can you guys give me a basic list of tire/compound/insert selection that you feel is neccessary for different conditions and tracks? I don't want to buy any tires that I'll never or hardly ever use. Rightnow I have the T-2000s with 2 stage proline insert and the stock front tire/insert for the truck. I have Losi blockheads/red/not mounted yet and the stock tires from the kit for the XX-4 front and stock tires/inserts and IFMAR pins/M3 (I think) for the rear.

Thanks in advance guys- sorry for such a long post. I'm sure I'll have more Q's in the near future...
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Old 03-13-2002, 04:04 PM
  #215  
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Ok BigDog, here goes.

Losi has a tire chart that sort of explains things but here is where you will usually run each compound. There is no solid rule on what works where but this may help.

Red compound - Softest - comparable to Proline M3 - Usually used where traction is low, as in dry and/or polished outdoor tracks. They also work on some abrasive tracks where you need to sacrafice rubber to make traction. When reds work, they usually are only good for a few runs before they are worn out. Red's require firm foam and this can sometimes take away the amount of traction they can provide. Red's are not very popular around me. The tires tend to squirm at high speed and wear out too quickly for club racing.

Silver - firm - similar to Proline M2 - Best all around tire compound. Better for tracks where the tire can get a bite in the dirt. Good for softer dirt and also works well on some dry clay tracks. Usually the tire to run if the track grooves.

Pink - hard to describe - The tire has the firmness of a sliver but the bite of a red. Fast becoming the compound of choice at indoor tracks. At CRCRC, Pink Tapers are about the only thing to run. Pinks are very sensative to the insert and usually don't work well until they have a few runs on them. The pink tires wear incredibly long and need those first few runs to break them in. When new they can really suck until broken in.

As far as switching compounds, it is more trial and error than anything. You will learn to read the track with experience. If the car/truck seems to give up in the middle of the corner, you might try to go to a firmer insert or compound. It may be the tire rolling over and causing the problem. Don't always assume the tire is the problem though. Suspension setup can affect things as much as the tire choice.

XXX-T diff problem - The only suggestion I can say is to check to make sure you have the diff installed in the car the correct direction. The adjustment screw should be on the opposite side of the trany from the spur gear. As far as replacement parts, there is no reason to use anything but the stock diff parts. Alum/Titanium gears cause more problems than they cure. The HG diff nut is a joke, it has no provision for a thread locking system in it so you must use locktite. Just make sure you have the carbide diff balls in it and you should be OK. Also, make sure the diff does not slip. If it slips, it will wear. If it wears, it will change adjustment.

Tires - ???? Hard to say, depends on where you will be running. Around here, you can survive on 3 pair of pink tapers in the rear (well worn, medium worn, fresh), and 2 pair of 7202P ribs (well worn, medium worn). If you want to know the most popular selections we take when we have no clue what will work, here it is:

Truck/Buggy Rear
IFMAR Pins Silver & Red - Loose, loamy to mildy grooved outdoor tracks
Bigshots Silver & Red - A bit more bite than an IFMAR for buggy, same applications
X-2000/T-2000 Silver & Red - For mildly grooved outdoor tracks
Taper Pins Silver - For grooved outdoor and indoor dry clay high bite tracks.
Taper Pins Pink - For damp clay tracks (very little dust). The damper the track, the more worn the tire should be.

Truck Front
Directionals Silver & Pink - Pretty much everywhere
8 ribs Silver - Less agressive than the directionals.

Buggy Front
7202 Pink & Silver - Hard packed and grooved tracks
XtraWide Red & Silver - For loamy outdoor tracks.
HT/Gold Ribs - For dry hard packed outdoor tracks.

4wd Front
Blockhead Silver & Pink - Good safe tire not vey aggresive.
Taper pin Silver & Pink - Grooved and hard packed clay tracks.
IFMAR Pin Silver - Loamy outdoor tracks.
(rarely run red fronts on the 4wd because the spikes on the tire roll over and make the car react sluggish)

Proline tires - M3 Holeshots are about the only Proline tire I will use, sometimes a bowtie on a really loamy track.

Inserts are all personal preference. Most popular are Trinity Bomb2 soft, Losi firm, Trinity Bomb1 Med/Firm and Firm. Proline inserts don't last long enough.
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Old 03-13-2002, 04:23 PM
  #216  
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Skip,
Need you help man.
I have a XXXT, been using it for 1 yr. Got it for 2nd hand, I notice that the x-owner put a MIP CVD (used to belong to a XXT-cr g-plus) to the XXXT. When the wheel fully extend down the right side of the bone is almost half-way out, finally it broke my steel outdrive.

Do all matt francis ed XXXT has this problem? I down want to sarcifice my down travel by puting spacers in the shock?

I also think that the CVD bone on the MF edition is different, and that it is longer than the XXX-T. Can you find part no. for me?
From the website of MIP this is there descrption:
1035 CVD Kit for XX Truck/CR/XXXT 34.50
1036 CVD Bone for XX Truck/CR/XXXT 11.50

If all efforts fail I only have 2 option left.
1 put spacer in the shock to limit my down travel.
2 swap with stock losi universal.

thank you.
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Old 03-13-2002, 07:06 PM
  #217  
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I can't say that I have ever seen that problem. We are always looking to get more down travel in the rear. Most of the guys run the shock ball ends unscrewed 2-3 turns to get extra travel. How much down travel do you have? My truck, set up with the shocks at middle on the arm, #3 on the tower and 3 turns out on the shock end barely lets arms drop below level. The axles centerlines are in line with the bottom of the chassis. At this setting the pins on the CVD's are flush with the end of the outdrive at full down travel and move in about an 1/8" at full compression.

The XXT and XXXT CVD's are the same.
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Old 03-13-2002, 07:27 PM
  #218  
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WOW Skip!!

Unbelievably informative resopnse! Thanks a million!

I can honestly say you gave me more information than I expected and 100% of what I needed.

I forgot that you can install the diff backwards in an off road tranny- guess I'm too used to on road...

I'm well on my way to getting the correct selection of tires- just need about $200 more. lol

I'm sorry I wore you out on the tire issue, but if there's one thing I've learned in r/c (and full size) racing, it is; if you don't have the right tires, all your tuning efforts are in vain. Especially f you are WAY off on tire selection because then you often can't even tell when you make tuning changes.

Well, once again thanks a ton and thanks to J. LaDow also for the information I've gathered from (both of) your previous posts. Maybe we'll get a chance to head up north some time this year and race with you guys.
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Old 03-13-2002, 07:31 PM
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skipgear,
The shock end is screwed fully in. Using the manual shock postion from the shock tower, arms at per manual. even the spacer inside the shock is per manual. I don't need more downtravel as manual of my truck, but I compared it with my pal's truck, he also stick with the original drive shaft because of the same reason. Beside losi drive shaft is easy to maintain, durable. thanks, i guest I'll have to go back to original.
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Old 03-14-2002, 08:49 AM
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when building ur diff check the nut holding the dif together to make sure the nylon is still tight. then remember when you build your diff, set it a little tight and go take 5-6 laps and re check it!!!!! then run out the rest of your pack then re set it. after that it should stay locked there but make sure u set it right or it may also bark more then ur best buds dog!!! i hope this helps. dont be scared to set the diff loose, all me losi diffs all seem loose but they all lock up aswell. good hunting
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Old 03-14-2002, 10:26 AM
  #221  
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Shrekair- Thanks bro, I set the diff right- in fact it was smooth as glass. The problem was that about halfway through a run it would begin to loosen up. I think the diff screw is on the driver's side of the truck- not sure if that's backwards- gonna check the instructions tonight.
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Old 03-15-2002, 01:17 PM
  #222  
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I'm an experienced onroad racer and we're getting an offroad track put in soon in the area, and i've got a couple of questions.
I've seen francis and kinwald running rear tires on the front of their trucks and buggys, is this just to get more traction of blue groove and do people do that on loose slippery tracks aswell?
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Old 03-17-2002, 08:38 PM
  #223  
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Emer- it's possible that you got a CVD bone that is slightly shorter than others. I think the XXXT CVDs are a bit longer than the XXTs even though they should both work. The Losi bones are the driveshafts of choice on most tracks.

Bigdog, the head of the diff screw should be on the drivers' side like you said.

KeNelson03, on blue grooved or high bite tracks the rear tires on front will often give more turn in along with making the steering more consistant than ribs. Not always though. It depends on the track. On loose tracks we normally run silver ribs (7204 because they have more sidewall).
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Old 03-19-2002, 08:47 AM
  #224  
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KeNelson03

This weekend I was at the track and a couple of people were running 4wd fronts on XXX buggies. One of the biggest problems I see with this is that the tire is WAY oversized for the rim and ends up flopping over the edge. In addition to this the wheel can end up being VERY out of balance (I checked a couple of their cars and they were all horribly out of balance). I don't know how these people think that having a knobby / out of balance tire is going to make them fast? All it ends up doing is bouncing the front of the car around and that's not good. Some people love to experiment, and knobbies on the front do look cool. The problem is that they don't provide that much in the way of handling and in the case of an improperly mounted one (which is SOOOO easy to do) will actually hurt the car. My advice is to stick with the ribbed tires and concentrate on compound. Coming from the on-road world I'm sure you're all to aware of the handling voodoo that surrounds R/C car racing as of late. 99.5% of people posting about so called "handling" secrets would accomplish more by simply driving their cars more, learning to practice the right way.

Last edited by mushu; 03-19-2002 at 10:37 AM.
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Old 03-19-2002, 12:04 PM
  #225  
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KeNelson / Mushu - Treads on the front are often better for blue groove tracks and will improve turn in and help stabilize mid corner steering. As far as the flop and ballance issue goes, on a truck it is no more than running ribs. A buggy is a different story though. Mushu is right, it is more than simply gluing up tapers or ifmars on a front rim. Often the tires have a section/strip cut out around the circumference to narrow the width of the tire. They will also a section cut out across the tire to make the tire more low profile. This makes the tire significantly less flexible. It takes a lot of patients to make a proper front treaded tire.
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