SC10 4x4 Thread
So...i fried my Reedy Sonic 550 last week...so i put in my lrp 8.5 540... and Holy Schnikies...it turns out i can drive this SOB now!!! However it gets hot!!! The guys at AE told me to run something in the range of a 4.5-7.5....any suggestions....anyone else running 540's?

The truck handles a lot better with a 540 motor, but you may find you miss the torque.
I run a 5.5 2pole 540 motor and seem I seem to do well with leading or at least keeping up with the top racers in my area. I have driven other racers trucks with big power and was impressed with the Tekin 46k motor for sure. Just find it silly that you have to turn it down so much and it takes so much battery power to run it. Now in other chassis is might be needed to push the extra weight around but I will stick with my 5.5 in the SC10. I do use a fan and temps are never an issue.
Driven 540 before , think their performance is a bit over exaggerated .
They have little low end power & feel .
Although they are really smooth you have to saw at the trigger to get a reaction making the truck harder to drive.
A Reedy 550 that has good part throttle feel & control.
Why I recommend the Reedy 4.5 550 , because its easier to go fast with on the track....
Also no need for a fan on Reedy550 , they run cool ....
This feature saves weight & money ...
They have little low end power & feel .
Although they are really smooth you have to saw at the trigger to get a reaction making the truck harder to drive.
A Reedy 550 that has good part throttle feel & control.
Why I recommend the Reedy 4.5 550 , because its easier to go fast with on the track....
Also no need for a fan on Reedy550 , they run cool ....
This feature saves weight & money ...
Driven 540 before , think their performance is a bit over exaggerated .
They have little low end power & feel .
Although they are really smooth you have to saw at the trigger to get a reaction making the truck harder to drive.
A Reedy 550 that has good part throttle feel & control.
Why I recommend the Reedy 4.5 550 , because its easier to go fast with on the track....
They have little low end power & feel .
Although they are really smooth you have to saw at the trigger to get a reaction making the truck harder to drive.
A Reedy 550 that has good part throttle feel & control.
Why I recommend the Reedy 4.5 550 , because its easier to go fast with on the track....
Anyone here use the outerwears chassis shroud for the SC10 4x4? If so, thoughts on it in comparison to say the Jconcepts or AE chassis overtrays?
Interesting, the Reedy is a 2 Pole right? Seems people are going 4 Pole 540 as it had more power than the 2 Poles?
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,719
From: At dirt tracks in Michigan!
Most 4 pole 540 motors are stronger than 550 2 pole motors. From personal experience and gearing for about the same temperature on the motor, they top out about the same and the 540 4 pole has a decent edge on torque throughout the whole rpm range. Plus the 540 motors are lighter.
Also I guess I should mention that my motors are hand built and dyno tuned to run in a 4x4 SC truck. Everyone can buy one from Murfdogg directly but it is not a mass produced motor off the shelf. I have test run "another brand" motor in my truck and it did lack the torque and speed my motor has and that soft feeling as described by others here.
I have the 4.5 550 Sonic...and i just bought a 540 5.5 sonic....my thinking is the 550 makes 900 watts of power...and the 540 is 450ish?.... and that will help a newb like me learn to drive consistently....for me the 550 is a great bench racer...the 540 is better on track....for me...
Tech Master
iTrader: (120)
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,076
From: SoCal - Chillin in the LBC
When I first got the SC10 I started with a Ballistic 4.5 550 and it was fast. I ran that for about 3 months. When Pro4 4pole came out and was the rage I gave it a try and have been running it ever since. The 4.5 550 seemed faster than the Pro4 4000. What the 4pole had was gobs of torque which was great for the bigger jumps especially coming right after tight turns. I recently picked up a Reedy Sonic 4.5 550 for another project that didn't work out so I swapped it into my SC10 last night. Going to the track tonight to test. Let you know.
Tech Master
iTrader: (120)
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,076
From: SoCal - Chillin in the LBC
Most 4 pole 540 motors are stronger than 550 2 pole motors. From personal experience and gearing for about the same temperature on the motor, they top out about the same and the 540 4 pole has a decent edge on torque throughout the whole rpm range. Plus the 540 motors are lighter.
Also I guess I should mention that my motors are hand built and dyno tuned to run in a 4x4 SC truck. Everyone can buy one from Murfdogg directly but it is not a mass produced motor off the shelf. I have test run "another brand" motor in my truck and it did lack the torque and speed my motor has and that soft feeling as described by others here.
When I first got the SC10 I started with a Ballistic 4.5 550 and it was fast. I ran that for about 3 months. When Pro4 4pole came out and was the rage I gave it a try and have been running it ever since. The 4.5 550 seemed faster than the Pro4 4000. What the 4pole had was gobs of torque which was great for the bigger jumps especially coming right after tight turns. I recently picked up a Reedy Sonic 4.5 550 for another project that didn't work out so I swapped it into my SC10 last night. Going to the track tonight to test. Let you know.



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