Has anyone here ran twin VXL systems in their Clod? I love these systems in my Pede's, so thought I'd drop a couple in a Clod. Any info would be great! Next, will the stock gears hold up to normal bashing and racing. No "on the gas landings" as I drive nitro's mainly and know it a big no no!
Locoboy5150
Well-Known Member
The only notorious weaknesses in the stock driveline are the stock Tamiya pinion gears. They are too soft and they don't last very long. Hardened steel pinion gears are a must upgrade and they're not too expensive. Companies like Robinson Racing and Traxxas make nice hardened steel 32 pitch pinion gears that will last and last.
The rest of the stock plastic Tamiya gears are fine though. There are better ways to throw your money at your Clod than replacing the stock gears. The stock ones are also much lighter than any of the aftermarket aluminum or steel ones. All that increased mass of the aftermarket gears is rotating mass too, the worst kind of weight to add to a truck. As an added bonus, for the price of just one aftermarket gear set you could buy quite a few sets of the stock Tamiya gears.
Thanks for the reply! Yeah, i've owned about 8 Clods, but never ran a BL setup in one, although I've wanted too. Most of mine have had 17t doubles and 15t's! I know I never had problems with that setup other than as you mentioned the butter soft stock pinions. Just wanted to make sure the gears would hold up, although i was thinking they would.
I been reading alot on here about peeps wanting different diff's, so it got me thinking maybe the newer, higher power systems people are running now might be tearing them up!
If anyone here has ran, or know someone who has ran the dual VXL system, please chime in on how it performs and what I need to look out for!
I been reading alot on here about peeps wanting different diff's, so it got me thinking maybe the newer, higher power systems people are running now might be tearing them up!
If anyone here has ran, or know someone who has ran the dual VXL system, please chime in on how it performs and what I need to look out for!
CANUCK CLOD
Well-Known Member
Hey Loco, would you know which Robinson Racing pinion gears to best suited to purchase for a Clod? I am running stock Clod rims and rubber, dual 550 Titans (rear is reverse rotation) & an HPI dual battery, dual motor ESC with deans and 14.4 coming from 2 6-cell batt packs?
Locoboy5150
Well-Known Member
If you are not using adjustable motor mounts then there is only one choice, the 13 tooth, 32 pitch pinion gear, which is the stock size. It's Robinson Racing part number 0130 and available at Tower Hobbies:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEW98&P=7
As crazy as it sounds, most people start out with the stock sized 13 tooth pinion. It seems to provide the best of all worlds. If you have an adjustable motor mount, I would swap in a 12 tooth pinion gear after trying out the 13 tooth one first.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEW98&P=7
As crazy as it sounds, most people start out with the stock sized 13 tooth pinion. It seems to provide the best of all worlds. If you have an adjustable motor mount, I would swap in a 12 tooth pinion gear after trying out the 13 tooth one first.
CPH extreme
Well-Known Member
Canuck do you race this set-up?
what kind of speed you getting out of it?
i am setting up pretty much the same as you:tmb
S_C_I_P_I_O79
Well-Known Member
I have not run dual VXL systems but I do run brushless in one of my Clods and the have torn up the stock middle gear within the gear box on the teeth that mesh with the diff gear. I've also once destroyed the spider gears within the front diff too but I tend to drive like an idiot
I've since invested in aluminum gears but what Locoboy said about stocking up on stock gears instead is good advice that makes since for the reasons he stated. The stock gears should hold up fine as long as you drive as you said you would in your first post. Brushless Clods are a riot, you won't be disappointed.
Ball Racing
Well-Known Member
You don't need adjustable motor mounts to runa 12 or a 14 tooth pinion,
just slide out one of the steel sleeves that encases the motor screws,
the will allow the motor to swinger closer or further away, allowing different pinions to be used, you can remove both sleeves, and run a 15th,
Just place a large washer under the 3mm motor screw, and set the gear mesh accordingly.
just slide out one of the steel sleeves that encases the motor screws,
the will allow the motor to swinger closer or further away, allowing different pinions to be used, you can remove both sleeves, and run a 15th,
Just place a large washer under the 3mm motor screw, and set the gear mesh accordingly.
CANUCK CLOD
Well-Known Member
Not really sure yet, it seems as though as soon as I complete one stage of the truck I end up ripping it apart to try to improve it. I think this one will be the set up I will be keeping. One thing to note, I noticed that once I switched to the titans (I used to have HPI (Johnson) GT550 motors in before I had to add washers between the motor and the gearcase to get a smoother mesh...I think it is due to the fact that the Titans have a longer armature...
Anyhow, I hope to hit 20-25MPH when complete but we will see after I put it all together and strap a GPS to it to track speed.
To the OP of this thread, very sorry for the threadjack...
Ball Racing
Well-Known Member
Well if you set the pinion at the right depth from the can of the motor,
thats all you have to do,
Unless the shaft was so long as it would hit the plastic over that the motor screws go through.
Don't set pinion depth from the end of the shaft, set it from the can out,
Because if it's set wong the allen grub screw that holds the pinion can actually rub on the gears..
If you have ever bought a new kit it comes with the spacer tool for the pinion..
thats all you have to do,
Unless the shaft was so long as it would hit the plastic over that the motor screws go through.
Don't set pinion depth from the end of the shaft, set it from the can out,
Because if it's set wong the allen grub screw that holds the pinion can actually rub on the gears..
If you have ever bought a new kit it comes with the spacer tool for the pinion..
I was using two 7.2v 4200mah packs, and on the stock size 13 tooth pinions the truck would break loose on pavement. I have my rear stear locked out and I was drifting thru turns on pavement with a little bit of loose sand on top. Of cousre the truck toped out quick with the small 13 tooth pinions, but off the line grunt was awesome.
I also ran 15 tooth pinions, this brought back a bit of Clod stall on a full throttle launch on pavement, but it still acclerated pretty decent! And the trade off was increased top speed.
I only have 4 runs on the truck, the only thing I broke so far was the body during a bad roll over from a nasty jump lol. I'm holding off on more runs until I get a lexan body, tired of gluing the stock body back togeather
I also ran 15 tooth pinions, this brought back a bit of Clod stall on a full throttle launch on pavement, but it still acclerated pretty decent! And the trade off was increased top speed.
I only have 4 runs on the truck, the only thing I broke so far was the body during a bad roll over from a nasty jump lol. I'm holding off on more runs until I get a lexan body, tired of gluing the stock body back togeather
Ball Racing
Well-Known Member
The traxxas speed control has more of a delay then most other controlers
Say when you are at full to mid throttle, let off ,,,, and then punch it again..
There is a slight pause before the RPM"s pick back up.
This is troublesome on some jumps when the truck starts to nose dive, and you need to full throttle it, to bring it back up..
That delay can make a mess of landing sometimes.
The mamba max contoler does not have as much of a delay.
Say when you are at full to mid throttle, let off ,,,, and then punch it again..
There is a slight pause before the RPM"s pick back up.
This is troublesome on some jumps when the truck starts to nose dive, and you need to full throttle it, to bring it back up..
That delay can make a mess of landing sometimes.
The mamba max contoler does not have as much of a delay.
Ball Racing
Well-Known Member
oh, it's there but,,,,
it's not as fast as other controlers so, if you are used to driving one truck with one controler, then grab a vxl, there is a difference....
From a dead stop it's instant, but hit full throttle, lift, then stab again.
The motor does not go to full tilt again as fast as the trigger goes back..
But I measure everything with a dial caliper, and a microscope:willy
it's not as fast as other controlers so, if you are used to driving one truck with one controler, then grab a vxl, there is a difference....
From a dead stop it's instant, but hit full throttle, lift, then stab again.
The motor does not go to full tilt again as fast as the trigger goes back..
But I measure everything with a dial caliper, and a microscope:willy