Thank you. I am not running saddle packs and I am not sure if I want to get any for just this one truck. But from what your saying I would benifit from the brace. Thank you.

i see novak has a new esc and 550 motor out with x drive for the 4x4. in a few post back we found out the 550 fit with no mods . thanks.

Thanks that did help. It explained all my questions.

Remember too that Saddle packs are just stick packs cut in half long ways, nothing stopping you from using saddles inline the same way you would a stick pack.

the set up i like has some bad post its ok as i cant soder and no lhs here i dont drive and to fine some help here where i live its a hobby dead land here. i see if my mom will take me to my sisters and shop at rpp hobby

Dont worry to much about the Novak esc and 550 motors. I have been using a 1st gen. GTB with a Tekin 7.5 550. The esc does not get warm and the motor runs cool.

iam getteing this one http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...-Connector-45T as i dont sorder well shake to bad. thanks for all the help. vito:sneaky::sneaky:

Outdrives are my only problem right now, gonna try son rubber stops with the shafts for the arms. Love the rest of the truck.

The exotech add weight centrally and down low, adding weight on the sides is not the same effect.

you don't need the brace with the chassis, trust me on this. (you ain't gonna bend that thick aluminum)

we run the exotech cause the truck needs more weight, especially if you run outdoor. If you run indoor the stock ft setup will probably work just fine.

Excellent info. Sounds like the chassis brace and the exotek at the same time is really unnecessary. However, is it detrimental to make it too stiff with both on? Just wondering since the FT kit already comes with the chassis brace and I'd like the weight from the exotek. There was a previous post where he wanted both on to completely eliminate chassis flex as a variable when figuring out what aspect to tune.

So, maybe we should start a survey: how many of you guys have just the exotek, how many of you guys have just the chassis, and how many of you guys have both?

Thanks,

One way to tell if you need both the aluminium chassis and the brace on at the same time is to stand on the brakes on a high traction track and see if the belt skips. Mine did on a carpet track but I got used to it. That was in stock form and not with an Exotek chassis or brace. I installed a locally made brace (I got a deal on used CF broken arrows) and the first thing to go was the skipping belt. If you put the chassis in and the belt doesn't skip, then you don't require the brace to take out the front/rear flex. Sometimes a bit of flex can be a good thing and sometimes it can lead to other issues. I found that on a carpet track, the brace made a significant enough change to use it but not bother getting the aluminium chassis. Take care.

Don

PS> The tension was correct on the belt without the brace in place. The tension remained exactly the same after the brace was installed but the skipping stopped.

Are you saying that my stick packs would fit in the updated batt. brace? Or the other way around, if I did get saddle packs they would fit inside of anything that took stick packs? Don't know if I want to get the update kit if I am not going to use the batt. portion of it. Seems like it is half of the kit.
Thanks again for the help.

Thanks for the info. When would a bit of flex be a good thing? decreasing your risk of breaking something? I can't imagine it helping to improve suspension. I would think making the care more stiff would make the care more responsive? I'm probably way off base.