Savage Flux Help Please
 

Hi Guys,

I'm new to this forum and i am after some advise. I am currently building a savage flux and would like a point in the right direction please.

I was wondering what parts are a must to make this truck bullet proof? Currently i have an XL chassis on there and i have put the heavy duty running gear in the gear box. I have built 2 brand new HD diffs up and that is basically as far as i have got :p I have basically converted an old Savage 4.6 big block into a flux roller but before i proceed any further i was after some advise.

1) Alloy gear box and diff housing? Yes or no? Or would you replace the standard diff housing with the flux one?

2) Integy Alloy upper and lower arms and shock towers? Yes or No? From what i can work out these seem to be a big no no and i should replace them with the RPM ones? Would you guys agree?

3) Piggy back vs big bore? I don't want this to be a shelf queen i want to do some serious bashing and i was considering either LST shocks or "Aluminum MSR6 Piggyback Shock for 1/8 Losi LST" These things look mean and 10X the quality of the 8 Integy ones which i have only heard bad things about. Opinions on what shocks to go for would be great.

4) Aluminium knuckles, Turnbuckles, Steering Servo Saver and Caster Blocks? Does that seem a good idea? I see alot of photo's with people having them fitted? so this would indicate that it might be worth it?

These are the upgrades that i have found or can think of/ am curious about so any help or advise on what i should use would be greatly appreciated.


The final thing is the electronics? Now what brushless system should i go for? Is the standard Flux one the best or is something like the mamba or Tekin RX8 a better alternative?

Batteries are also a confusion for me? 4S or 6S? Or is it better to go for a high c rating and higher amps with lower voltage? I want maximum power and run time but there is no was i am spending £250 on 2 batteries :confused: I have seen the Turnigy 5000mah 11.1v 3s 40-50C for about £40 are these any good?

Once again any help regarding anything one hear would be great! I don't want to rush into putting parts on that are just going to be useless or overpriced i want a solid truck that will take what ever i throw at it :sneaky:

All the best
Steve

Stick with RPM a-arms. The aluminium just looks pretty and breaks easily, especially Integy.

What you have for your 4th question sounds good.

For your electronics you can run the Tekin RX8 system or the Castle Mamba Max Pro. Castle's newest Mamba is the Mamba Monster 2 which is waterproof (more water resistant) and can handle up to 6S lipo.
http://www.castlecreations.com/produ..._monster2.html


For battery power the higher the "S" the more power you are gonna get out of the battery and you are gonna go faster. I would start out with 2S or 3S batteries, they will keep your motor temps down and you will have more control. For a quality battery I would reccommend you try out SMC Batteries, alot of happy customers and they have great prices. A battery like this one would be great for you.
http://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?...product_id=123

Or this one for 3S
http://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?...product_id=138

Great! thanks for the input mate, i have just found this peach of a deal on eBay for a 2650kv brushless system from HPI that should sort out my motor and esc dilemma :D will have a look into those 3s lipo's im abit of a mad man and i want insane power and maximum control :sneaky: (but on a budget) lol i am planing on putting all the heavy duty parts on to reinforce it and i have the XL chassis to make it slightly more tame but the more horses i can strap to it the happier i will feel :p i just need to figure out gearing etc so it wont over heat, don't want my first run to end in tears. Currently i have the 29t/9t bullet proof diff coupled with the standard gear box however i have changed the drive gear for the HD 18-23t one and swapped the standard 44t idler gear for the 39t high speed idler (HPI-102244) I know need to figure out what spur and pinion to run? And do i use the slipper clutch or do i use the Savage slipper locker form Alza Racing?

Cheers
Steve

I personally would look at the Gen1 slippers.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXBCVS

You may also find benefit to the slipper spring that Kershaw designs has available as the stock one you basically have to run pretty much tightened down all the way.

On my Flux 5B I have some of the alza racing hingepin / tranny braces. excellent stuff but look at some builds to know how they go on.

The high speed idler is very thin, it may chip on you, the one mine came with has a nick on it. Still good but I didn't need all that top speed so if you want it heck I could toss it in cheap with all the savage stuff I won't use.

kershaw offers hardened stock gears as well. Not sure on quality of them though as I am running the regular ones that he hardens.

RPM a-arms definitely a plus including the upper links.

Personally for motor selection I would see if you could find a Castle 1518 1800Kv motor if it will fit your chassis. My Savage when in XL trim had this motor in it. Very high torque, runs cool, and can do 4S or 6S easily and pull the gearing. thats the big thing you want. Having a high Kv motor pulling alot of weight can smoke them pretty quick. I now use a 1520 1600Kv motor on 6S.

Avoid integy stuff other than the carriers. Make sure and get the TCS or Tony screws long bolt for the rear carrier if going integy. Much better than the hingepin you get from them. Tony's screws are a bit cheaper. I also would replace the stock screws with Tony's cap head screws in as much places as possible.

For shocks, seen people happy with the Losi LST ones. I use the HPI big bores as that is what my truck came with and they appear to work well.

DO NOT run a 2650kv motor in a savage that motor is ment for a buggy NOT a monster truck. the 2650kv will cook. use a 2200kv or bigger.

I thought 2650 was only rated for 4s as well and they definitely cant drive the big savy and a 2200kv or a 1717 series motor would be okay in the savage

if you use a 1717 sized motor, you will need the castle creations cap pack based on what castle said. This is why I went with the 1520 sized motor. Still have the mounts for the 1717 sitting here.

All getting a little bit confusing now :confused: lol what would be the best motor and esc set up to use with 3s lipo's? sounds like the 2650 is going to be to much? Is it better to have lower KV then? I don't want this thing to fry on the first outing. I want long sessions and to dry the truck hard but at the same time i want it to be fast? I can imagine any motor with 6s is going to be quick? So what set up will give me the best results? Also has anyone got any optional parts for sale for one of these? Or even a brushless set up?

on dual 3S lipos ran in series to make 6S (22.2V), probably the best bang for the buck ESC in my opinion as it has a 1 year warranty and the price is cheap relative to other places is this one:

Castle Creations 1/5 Mamba XL 34V Extreme VS2
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXBRBB&P=ML

Can handle 8S and has datalogging capabilities. Give it a read on castles site.

Now, it is backordered right now, not surprised at that price. But if you need waterproof, the Mamba Monster 2 would be my next choice.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXDAXB&P=ML

As for motors, if you can find it, the 1518 sized motor will give you the best of both worlds as it can handle 4S and 6S, is a longer can than the 1515 2200 and will offer more torque and run cooler. They come up used all the time.

Or, find a 1520 1600Kv for 6S running (4S it can do, but you are at a really low kv so gearing comes into play). that is what I use. Even more torque, runs cold and I am using it on a 1/5 scale conversion of the Savage Flux.

When you mate the right Kv motor with the proper voltage, you keep things running cool and have better gearing options. the 1515 Castle or similar HPI version can do the job especially in just an XL length setup, you just have to watch your gearing more.

nobody seems to rate the standard blur and 2200 system? Am i to say, that perhaps isn't a good system? I ideally want a combo of both ESC and Motor that will cope with anything i don't understand all 1520 1600kv? Is that the size and then the power? If so who makes that?

here you go, scroll down to the motor specs section:

http://www.castlecreations.com/produ...le_motors.html

The can is significantly longer than a standard 1515 length motor. The 1520 represents the model.

You will get a whole lot more torque and cooler running times. Note however, the 1518 and 1520 motors are discontinued, but pop up on ebay all the time.

Will they fit the standard motor clamps?

the stock HPI motor from what I recall does not have the fins on the can. You only need to dremel the mount a bit so it sits in the clamps. If you order any alza racing stuff, you could also order the right mounts too if you don't want to dremel.

I found a Castle 1520 Motor on eBay but it only ships to the US. I did find a newer alternative to the Castle 1520, the LRP Dynamic 8 1600kv motor, pretty hard to find but they released it in late 2012 so its still relatively new. Here are some links, first one for the motor alone and the second one for the 1600kv motor & esc combo.

http://www.lrp.cc/en/products/electr...600kv/details/

http://www.lrp.cc/index.php?id=804&n...&prd=31680&L=1

I had a hard time looking through the LRP shop to see if they had any in stock, it kept putting the language in German. I am using my iPhone.

length is much shorter, basically the same as a 1512 can.

you want a can length and diameter similar to the 1520 if that what you are trying to match.