Hard? It's not bad, really. The belt rides on top of the smooth part of the pinion. If you mounted it with the belt below, it won't "feel right" when you roll the chassis.

Sorry, this makes no sense to me?! Can you please explain... Does the pinion go between the belt or below the belt?!

thanks,
G

p.s. kinda sounds like you are saying below???

Yes, the pinion is below the belt. Make sure you have the spacing right on the motor shaft so the belt is not rubbing the teeth of the pinion. Good luck!

I figured! The problem seems to be though, that no matter what, the pinion is always rubbing against the belt?! I tried all kinds of different mounts on the motor plate, but nothing! I get really easy irritated by stuff like that! I feel like just selling it and getting the new mini losi!

thanks,
G

This is how i did my setup...

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o...2/DSC_0036.jpg

Not sure what that is supposed to do?! Not make the belt rub against the pinion?!

G

Exactly, this allows you to mount the motor as usual and not have to worry about clearance. I think it is a great fix if you have the tools and know-how. As I have said over and over I think most of the issues with these belt drive RC18s is poor tolerances in the molds, but the belt will rub on pretty much every model whether it has other issues or not. It is possible to mount motors up to 24mm in diameter in a lower position on the mount and gain some extra clearance. Larger motors may stick too far out of the chassis, and they may require trimming around the chassis to fit in a lower position. After all of this, some pinion sizes on some motors will still rub. Some guys say they let it rub without a problem and I am sure this is true, but all of the setups I have I mount it lower or it will rub the belt to pieces in minutes.

If this type of thing really bothers you then you probably should buy the 8ight or maybe a Traxxas mini. For me, it really bothers me that there are not more kits available. So tinkering with a car like this is just as much fun as actually racing it as far as I am concerned. But this is certainly not a very good RTR type car.

Longer drive shafts
 

Hey guys, for those who've put the 18T shocks on their trucks you've obviously noticed the drive shafts are a little short. At least to me they are, especially if you have the wheels at full lock and the suspension at full droop.

I've been thinking about making a little sleeve to make the shafts longer. The sleeve will have a small roll pin in the center (and a 1/16" hole at each end) so you would just file the center of each shaft so when assembled they are a certain length. The first length I tried was an 1/8" longer than stock and they're way to long. Can't even get the camber links attached :D. Once you get the length needed all you need to do is take a 1/16" drill bit (with the shafts in the sleeve) and drill the axles out (using the sleeve as a guide) an press in a couple of 1/16" roll pins (could use smaller pins to).

I thought about also making the entire drive shaft, but it's just not feasible for me to do that as it would take a lot longer to make.

I made the prototype out of aluminum, but I could easily get some UHMW Delrin and use that. My only thing is would the drive shafts themselves hold up once you put a 1/16" hole in them, especially the brushless trucks like mine.

Any comments or ideas?

I use the 18T shocks and have not had an axle problem yet.

Mine really bothers in reverse even with tires straight. I also jump my truck a little higher than I probably should so I have to use the throttle to correct the truck and with the tires at full droop I can hear them hitching on the cups. I'm gonna try it and see what happens. Not very expensive to replace anyway.

I have been sleeving these dogbones for a while but without any pins. I dont remember the size tubing because I had it laying around the shop, but it is a nice tight fitting brass tube. Get the length right and then add a few drops of CA to each side, color it with a black marker and noone will notice without close inspection. My testing (pliers and a vise) has shown that stock dogbones will break easier than mine, so I felt no need to put pins in them.

Hey guys. I just put a Tacon 7800 in my sc18, And I'm a little dissapointed. I read that it should run about 45 mph on 2s and 50-60 mph on 3s. With my Team Scream 1650 2s,it's only running MAYBE 35 mph?? Am I expecting too much? Could the motor be bad? I have used 3 pinions (12t,14t,17t) And there isn't alot of difference. Timing in esc is set to normal and the drivetrain is VERY free and smooth. I guess I could try my 3s heli batteries if you guys think it won't explode, lol. BTW, I only run onroad/ parking lots. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks- Allen

I am not familiar with the Team Scream packs, but from what I have seen on the forums they are supposed to be good packs, so I have to assume this is not your issue. 35mph with 12T pinion is respectable, but going to a 14T should have been a pretty big jump in top speed. I can see the 17T being a bit much if you are building temp fast, but in my experience it should have run pretty insane for a few minutes at least. I would really be interested in what temp the motor and ESC are seeing during these runs. Pushing just about any motor into the 50+mph range is going to warm it up pretty good, but I know your motor and truck are capable for at least short bursts at this speed without worry.

Temps weren't bad at all. After about 15 minutes with the 2s and 17t pinion, the motor was only 155 degrees. I may put on the 12t pinion and try the 3s just to see.

Guys I have converted mine to the stock reedy 5000kv system ,
Can some one please tell me what size pinion comes in the stock rtr brushless sc18's
Thwnks