Building two E Maxxes
 

After the success of converting my 3.3 T-Maxx to brushless, I realized I really like the electric version way more than I ever loved any of my T-Maxxes. So I decided to go all out and build two beasts. I've been slowly picking parts off eBay for the past month or two, and I'm just about ready to start assembling everything.

Here's where I am now.

Truck #1

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/IMG_1419.jpg

-SuperMaxx Widetrack suspension arms
-FLM shock towers
-FLM E-Maxx 3905 Extended Chassis Link Ordering this tonight
-FLM Ultimate Front and Rear Hybrid bulks with diffs Front Rear Also ordering tonight
-Castle MMM with a 2650kv motor

Truck #2

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/IMG_1418.jpg

-Hardcore Racing wide suspension arms
-Hardcore Racing shock towers
-GorillaMaxx G2 E-Maxx chassis. So far I have the main chassis, and the rear upper plate. I need the X-braces and the front top plate still, so far my search has come up with nothing. I may actually ditch this chassis in favor of FLMs LCG chassis kit, which is very similar in design. Link
-For bulks I haven't decided between another set of FLMs or to go with a set from ACNCM off eBay. His look really beefy and are only $40 for all 4. Link
-Tekin RX8 (need a motor)

Shopping list...

Emaxx BL tranny (x2)
CVDs all around including centers (x2)
Shocks of some sort (x2)
Tekin T8 motor for Truck #2

Anyone know anything about ACNCM parts? Like I said, they look beefy, but I've never really heard of them, and they are relatively cheap, so I'm leery.

For the shocks I'm not too sure what I wanna do. A member here has a set of Progressive EDC2 shocks, which are sick shock and would be period-correct for the supermaxx truck, but they are very expensive. Debating on maybe just going with Traxxas big bores, but that feels like the easy, cheap way out. Supermaxx shocks would be cool, but are kinda hard to find at a decent price. I thought about Integys MSR8s but again I am cautious considering its Integy. On top of all that, I have to get 2 sets of shocks :lol:

Anyone have any input, feel free. I'll be updating with pics and what not as I go.

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EDIT:
Final parts list for truck #1

-FLM E-Maxx 3905 Extended Chassis
-SuperMaxx Widetrack suspension arms
-FLM Shock towers
-FLM Ultimate Hybrid bulks Front and Rear
-FLM Skids Front and Rear
-FLM Hardened steel hinge pins
-Castle MMM and 2650kv motor
-Tekno axle carriers
-Traxxas CVDs
-Traxxas Black Tubes toe links
-Ofna Titan 1/8 shocks
-RC Screwz Stainless screw kit
-Hot Bodies Lightning wing and mount
-Traxxas 17mm adapters
-Pro-Line Mulchers on some unknown wheels
-Avid rubber sealed bearings throughout
-Turnigy Nano-Tech LiPos 35-70c 5k mAh. Pair of 2s, pair of 3s
-Spektrum DX3r
-SR3100
-Savox SC-0254mg 100 oz/in @ 0.14sec, brushless
-Gorilla Maxx battery straps

Stock items
-Emaxx BL edition trans, motor plate and gear cover
-Tmaxx steering bellcranks
-Body mounts
-pivot/pillow balls

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Looks like you are well on your way to two bad ass rides. I will definitely be watching this thread.

I'm in for watching. You have my favorite companies in the mix here, very nice.

Thanks guys. Yeah it's kinda a way to finally have all those things I wanted when I was younger but couldn't afford. And for the record, these will not be shelf queens :lol: I plan to beat the crap outta them, within reason of course lol.

YAY!! :lol: Look forward to seeing these finished!

Ok, so, the FLM chassis, front and rear hybrid bulks with diffs, a new BL emaxx tranny from an ebay chop shop, and 1 set of Traxxas cvds, are all ordered and on their way.

That is going to pretty much complete truck #1. I need to get a screw kit for it, I wanna do new bearings all around since the ones in the truck are factory from almost two years ago. Other than that it's down to shocks and axle carriers/knuckles.

Any recommendations for knuckles? I've seen a set of HCR ones on ebay, but it's only one pair :(

Don't buy that pair off of eBay. I made the mistake of buying those exact knuckles two weeks ago. They are polished yes, but they were scratched to he!! And back before they were polished and they didn't get those scratches out before polishing. They look horrible in person, trust me. I returned them and now there back on eBay.

I don't know if you would consider plastic knuckles, but teckno makes some very beefy knuckles for the maxx.

I debated about getting rpm knuckles, but Ill check out the Tekno ones too, thanks.

Yeah I kinda had a feeling the whole polishing the parts was to hide some imperfections or something, thanks for the heads up :nod:

Those are gonna be nice.

Is HCR the same company as Integy? Those HCR shock towers are exactly the same as Integy Type2 towers I used to have. As far as hit or miss, they were a hit, took crazy abuse and never bent.

I would not buy integy shocks. Big bore shocks are the way to go and not the easy way out... they are awesome shocks that are super tough and never leak! If you want to go from 8 shocks down to 4, look for Ofna 1/8 scale buggy shocks or something similar.

Hcr is not the same as integy. Hcr stands for hardcore racing, there no longer in business but they produced high quality parts. Integy copied there design on the shock towers. A little fun fact for everyone, integy also copied unlimited engineerings racer x suspension. The owner of ue apparently found out and put a stop to any further sales.

Holly wow, Is this what happends when you get cabin fever:eek: and aren't able to play with your converted e/t maxx?:mad: Lol those trucks are going to look viscous...:sneaky:

:lol: Yeah, part cabin fever, part nice tax return check :D lol

So at this point everything is ordered, just waiting on the FLM chassis, and front and rear hybrid bulks which are being drop shipped from FLM, so I have another week or two before I see them. I got 'lucky' and someone outbid me on the EDC2 shocks I was going to get, I was happy to see them go to someone else. So I ordered up a set of Traxxas big bores.

I've been keeping track of what it has cost me so far, not really as bad as I thought. All in all I'm a little under $800 not including shipping charges.

I'll update once I get the chassis in and I can start assembling everything. The waiting is killing me cause there isn't much I can do without the chassis and bulks. :cry::lol: This is all just for Truck #1, I figured I would finish one, then start working on the second truck.

Let the build begin...

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1422.jpg

filler post

Well just about done. I gotta admit I thought it would have gone together a little better. The bulks dont sit in the chassis right, those had to be filed till they fit. Where the lower arms mount on the rear bulks had to be filed to get the arms to fit without binding like crazy. The no instructions thing is kinda annoying. Either way I made it work, and here is where she stands now...

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1432.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1430.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1431.jpg

I was way too focused on building to take pics at each step. I'd probably only be half as far along as I am now lol

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1424.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1425.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1428.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1426.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1427.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1429.jpg

Looks good, and I had to file for the bulks and arms as well. Must just be a little out of tolerance but sucks because I put it together a few times before getting it right.

THIS is the best filler post I've EVER seen :lol:

Seriously that is allot of bling :nod:

Looks good, must admit I ran the bid up on those shocks because I kind of wanted them. Glad to see they went to a good home. You got your electronics picked out yet?

Thanks guys

Ok, glad to know it wasn't just me. I had to re-do the rear end cause I didnt check to see that the traxxas cvds were a little too small for the FLM diff cups that come installed on the diffs. So I had to fully tear it down, pull the diff and switch to the outdrives that came in the package for the diffs :flaming: Oversight on my part there. The steering threw me for a loop too. I had no clue that the little silver sleeve that comes with the chassis is used to replace the stock spacer on the steering bellcrank, had to take the bellcranks off after finding out the skid wouldn't fit. etc, etc.. lol

I had to space this post out so it would be the 1st on pg2, lol. Call it ocd :lol:

Eh, all is fair in the parts war :lol:, $46 for the set of shocks really wasn't too bad. Granted UE's go for around 60-80 I've seen, I like these being a little more unique with the orange parts on them.

--Oh yeah, and I found out the stock pillow ball retainers from a 2.5 truck work perfectly in the Tekno carriers, and they are aluminum. The stock ones from the 3.3 were cheap plastic that refused to go in for me. Glad I still have that thing for a parts truck :)

As for electronics I am using a MMM and Castle 2650kv. I also picked up some fresh lipos, my others are over a year old, and have a good amount of race use on them. I picked up a pair of 2s, and a pair of 3s Turnigy Nanotechs. All are 5000mah, 35c-60c. I made sure everything matched so I can now run the truck on anything from 2s to 6s and all the combos in between.

That's actually my next little hurdle, figuring out exactly how I want to secure the packs to the chassis. The chassis came with 4 velcro straps, but they don't really work where I need them too well. I'd rather not add batt boxes on the chassis either.

Got the wing mounted and the body mounts on today. I gotta run to the LHS to pick up the 4mm screws for the trans, and a set of hollow ball things for the rear toe links.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1433.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1435.jpg

That's the Hot Bodies Lightning wing and mount. It's the wing FLM mentions on their site as the one that fits, and it does, it just bolts right up no fuss.

Someone get John Carter, Sloracer1080 is about to unleash the beast!!!!! Lol. :D

Which part of the bulks was not fitting on the chasis correctly? If I'm not mistaken you purchased the new hybrid bulks with 1/8 diff gear correct?

Really interested to see how this turns out as after continually having to fix my Emaxx I have been eyeing off exactly all the same gear you've purchased.

My Emaxx is making me angry to look at right now (2 busted driveshafts, and it's almost always sitting there with some thing broken) so I am hoping to bulletproof it with all the same gear you've gone with; the FLM chasis / bulks with 1/8 diff, Traxxas CVD's etc.

Yeah I got the Ultimate hybrids that come with the diffs, very nice touch by flm there. The part that doesn't fit right is the little tabs that come off the bulkheads, where they screw into the chassis plate. The chassis is recessed there for the tabs to lock into. The tabs are a little too big to fit in the notches on the chassis, so you have to file/grind them a little thinner. Took maybe 10 mins for each end of the truck using a hand file. Hope that makes sense, if not let me know I can always take pics of the specific area.

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I got everything else mounted today after getting the screws to mount the trans to the chassis. Got all the battery connectors soldered up. I just have to adjust all the suspension angles, hook up the steering linkage, change the esc settings, and setup the radio, all of which I am about to start doing.

And here she is, still gotta pick out a body. (yes, shower stall photo booth :lol:)

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1436.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1437.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...d/IMG_1438.jpg

Man that does look freaking awesome. I will probably stick with the RPM A-Arms.

1/8 diffs, the traxxas CVD's, tekno knuckles....I can't see how anything on that could go wrong to be honest. It just looks so solid. Obviously a big enough smash will bust it but unless you go mental or have a complete brain fade, it looks like it should take some serious crap. Easy to get to everything too.

What shocks are you using? I find the standard traxxas ones to be total crap. Way too short and mushy for my liking.

Could you get that pic on what you filed down? That'd be great if you could.

Going to waterproof my Mamba ESC soon, will stick with the standard servo's just to keep the system as waterproof as possible but otherwise I think in the longer run I am heading in exactly the same direction as yourself.

Great build.

Killer truck dude! I see your batts are toward the back, I've found that moving them as far forward as possible will make it a little less backflip happy. Do you have a wheel balancer? Balanced wheels really help your bearings last longer and the truck won't vibrate so violently at high speed. Are those traxxas cvd's good? I'm curious because the revo shafts are the only ones that haven't exploded on me at the joint near the wheel. Even still I have to be careful when I punch the throttle on 6s.

Thanks man. It really is very solid. I had it out today and man it was a blast to drive. So effortless, I didnt go crazy, just bashing around some mulch, it feels very planted.

The shocks I am using are from an Ofna Titan/Twin Titan. I do need to get stronger springs though, these are fully preloaded to keep it arms level.

I will get a pic of the spot on the truck in the morning for you.

Some things I need to fix...
stronger springs
gear it up, it's a little on the slow side, tons of power though
lengthen the steering link from the servo to bellcrank, very wide turning radius right now :lol:

Thanks. Messing around today it was pretty well balanced feeling. It wasn't overly prone to wheelies, I could if I nailed it, but it wasn't uncontrollable.

These wheels I'm running now were balanced already by the guy i got them from, and wow, my first set of balanced wheels. VERY noticeable, so I will be picking one up for sure.

As for the CVDs, so far they arent bad, but Im pretty sure I bent one already :confused: still gotta check it out. The dust boots that cover the rear diff output cups slid right off within 5 mins of running. So I gotta try zip tieing them on the diff cups to keep the grease in, and dirt out.

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I've got a little bit of footage of it running, I will work on getting a little something online.

Put together a little video of it's first run...

+ YouTube Video

Cant see video on my ipad but i am sure its good mate. That thing looks so robust. Are they a 40 series tire? I have the Big Joes on axial beadlocks but i am scared of disintegrating the diffs. At the moment mine has two busted driveshafts so i will be upgrading to the traxxas cvds but i think i will do all this in one hit...

Oh, what gearing are you running, battery cells and temps you getting?

here ya go, these tabs on the bulkheads had to be thinned a little bit to fit the notches in the chassis...

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...IMG_1453-2.jpg

Thanx for that mate. What are your overall impressions? Looks great.

Easy to go together as in, apart from shaving that back a bit, did the rest of the build go quite smoothly?

Overall impression, I love it. It's nice to know nothing is going to break when I take it out, unless, like you said, I go mental and jump it off a building or something :lol:

For the most part everything else fit together pretty good. You just have to keep the screws loose until you get it all together, then back out each screw, thread lock it and tighten everything down. Gives you that flexibility you will need to line everything up.

Excellent. I also got a chance to watch that video, got me excited to get my Emaxx going again. Get a loose surface, lots of bumps and they are a lot of fun. Just sick of working on mine which is why I am thinking of going this direction. Always wanted to do the 1/8 diff mods but always seemed like a pain finding all the pieces, this makes it very easy.

It's unfortunate you pretty much have to build these from scratch to get the ultimate basher but once you do they last forever. The only things I've done in 2 years of extreme abuse are replace bearings, bent hinge pins, bent skid plates, and the occasional cvd pin. I was having problems at first with diffs eating themselves but upgraded to cnc'd alluminum cases and heavy duty Hot Bodies diff gears and have not had any driveline issues in a long time.

Yeah, gonna have to take that one back :lol:

Brought the truck out for some bashing at a BMX track my buddy found. I've seen other vids at bmx tracks, and they always look like a ton of fun.

My buddy had his 4x4 pede running on 3s, and I was running my usual 4s. Well, once the 4s hit lvc, I decided it would be a good idea to try out 6s. Screw castles warning of only using 4s max on the 2650kv motor, right?

So 6s goes in the truck, and let the camera roll....

+ YouTube Video

And here is the footage from before I decided to go nuts...

+ YouTube Video

Nice, I am glad to see someone else bashing there flm maxx as hard as I do. Those flm skids suck, they are like butter. I have bent mine back countless times and finally trashed it after it jammed all up in my steering rack. So imo if I was you I would not get another flm skid. Looks like you were having fun though and that's what it's about. Keep it up

Looks cool. Sux for the carnage. I'm slowly buidling converting my 3.3 to a flm chassis. Thanks for the thread. Well at least you had a little fun LOL!:smile:

Hey mate what shocks are you using here? Want to convert to 4 shocks. The stuck ones are just so mushy.....

PMd you Suteki.

Quick answer is they are from the Ofna Titan/Twin Titan truck.

Also, I fixed the truck for about $20. Ended up just grabbing another FLM skid for now cause they are cheap, and I will eventually pick up something better. And I had to replace the rear diff input drive cup, 2 for $10. That was all it needed other than getting the sheared screws out and fixing one of the bulks where it meets the chassis.