Hey guys, first off I am new to the RC community. I have only owned my Arrma raider for a few months now. A friend of mine was getting out of the hobby and gave me his Arrma raider mega for two days of working for him. It was a great deal for me.
It was in new perfect condition with the original rear tires worn completely off, front where moderately worn. The car came equipped already with a velineon brushless motor, Novatech 75a HSP ESC, and a 5000mah 2s lipo 20c battery.
The car came pre-programmed to have MAX power, this was plenty enough power too make the car flip right over once I got new tires on it. I found some 1/8 scale dirt hawg tires which are larger and have a lot more grip.
Soon it became very apparent that I needed a wheelie bar system. So I began constructing one from clothes hanger wire. It worked great for the short time that I used it. I went and bought myself a proper one from my local RC shop. When I got home and took the parts off that I needed too in order to install the new wheelie bar, it became apparent that I needed to fabricate my rear end in order for the new wheelie bar system to connect. So I had to remove some material from the outer casing of the motor mount in order for it to fit.
Once I had that installed the car was really a lot of fun. The top speed is around 50km an hour, with my phone strapped to it. So maybe a bit more with less weight on. It has so much power it can wheelie down the whole street, once you adjust the wheelie bar too the appropriate position. You can have it lift around a few cm which will just make it torque down the road, and be more stable. The car itself drives very well, although the wheelbase is very narrow so with that much power it like to basically jump in the air when you do a sharp turn and hit the gas.
This really is a wild setup for a new driver like me. I know that it was too much so I tried too take it easy with it but everyone like to do some bashing and eventually I had it broken. A friend of mine was over with his Traxxas Xmax, and we ended up head-on colliding in the middle of the road at a very fast speed. My front end was mangled, and his truck had basically one scratch on it. I then had to replace a few parts that hold the shock together, my servo arm, and the from control arm aswell. I leaned a few major lessons very fast while driving this. You must be very responsible.
The cars suspension is moderate I would say. The plastic caps like to pop off the top on moderate sized jumps of the landing is too hard. This is a major inconveince I would say. I always brought some extra shock oil when I went out driving. The frame that hold the rear wing ended up breaking on my me so it is held by only two plastic prices now and very flimsy. When the car flips upside down it exposes the rear shock towers to the ground with the most force and you end up grinding off the tops of them in these situations. I would not like to have to replace frame parts. The shock caps get ground off too but those aren't as difficult to replace.
So with this much power I ended up stripping my spur gear. So I went to the store and purchased a few extra incase it happened again. Which it did. Happened several times. It this point I wasn't sure if it was it crashing around, the way I'm installing the spur gear, or the power of the the brushless system. Anyways I am having fun with it and it starts making a clicking noise. So I shut it off right away because I know if I run it anymore it will strip the gear again. I brought it inside and took it apart. The gear was not stripped. So it must be something else. I followed the problem inside of the gearbox itself (nightmare of a job), and the gear that sits on the input shaft had a tooth broken off.
This was basically the beginning of the end in my eyes for this car. I think the plastic gears inside this car are not meant for this much power. After an attempt of reassembling the gearbox with new parts and installing it back into the raider, I blew apart another gear inside the gearbox. This time the middle gear in between the differential and the input shaft. So I replaced that one too and put it all back together. This time it didn't go back together the same. It seemed to have pulled some plastics through the screws holes on the gearbox stripping a few and causing it to "bloat" apart. I cleaned the plastic off and tried my best to get it right again, but it didn't seem to want too go back the way it was. So I taped the outside of it to prevent any dirt from getting inside and grease getting out. and jammed it back in my raider. Upon driving it, it broke again inside the gearbox.
By then I was tired of spending hours and hours taking it apart putting it back together to no avail. It is a lot of work getting to that gearbox. I like working on it but this was getting to be too much. So I did a little researching and discovered that the Arrma raider XL Mega has metal gears inside of the gearbox, and I can buy a cheaper version and just install my bigger motor and esc into it. That was what I wanted to do. So (after my wife's approval) I decided to got purchase one.
I got it home it this thing is almost everything I could have asked for. It is 1/8 scale size instead of 1/10, so it is a bit bigger. This is a very good upgrade for the raider and this motor. It will be much more stable on the ground versus the smaller sized one. The front and rear tires on it are a lot larger too, giving it much needed ground clearance, and off road capabilities. Having he car a bit longer helps prevent un necessary wheelies that would happen all of the time with the other vehicle.
The battery compartment is larger, enabling you to upgrade to a 3s battery size with very little modification. There is much more room in the cab compartment for your esc, and any other wires that you need to tuck in (noting that it was very hard to fit a 2s battery in the 1/10 mega). The back section of the vehicle looks much more rigid leading to the rear wing and gearbox.
Overall I am very satisfied with the overall look of the red body, tire size and look of the vehicle. So I replaced the stock esc and motor with my brushless system from the (tempoararly) junked raider. I had some troubles figuring out how to bind the new controller to the transmitter but after hours of struggling with it and learning many new things, I figured it out and have it all back together.
Now upon testing it out I notice that it isn't as fast as the 1/10 scale raider (which is expected because of size) but I know it can go a little faster than around 40km/hour. The motor did seem to produce about the same amount of power as before so I think it can go faster.
After doing some more research I came to the conclusion that my gear ratio between the spur and pinion gear is what is slowing me down. The ratio on the mega xl is set up to a lower top speed/ higher torque. So I looked at the ratio that was on my 1/10 raider and it had a faster gearing ratio so I put that on. Now it definitely is as fast or faster than before. Probably around 55km/hour. This is a good speed. (Although it would be nice to go faster once in a while). After fixing my speed issue, I can enjoy the car a little more now.
Upon inspecting its capabilities vs the 1/10 raider, it is very stable. I don't think I need the wheelie bar in the back anymore. It doesn't seem to want to flip backwards or jump around. Hitting jumps is very nice and so much more stable upon landing. Very impressed with this setup now. It works very well. Although notice that I have very little braking power, too basically none at all. I'm thinking that I need to reprogram my esc to apply more brake. I can't find my esc program car anywhere and am unable to purchase one because they are Chinese brand. I tried emailing the company and seeing if they can help me in locating one here in Ontario, Canada. Hopefully they can. If not I may need to replace my esc with something that is programmable to I can get more brake. Its not very safe like this at the moment. Things can get pretty dicey. But I am dealing with it.
I recently discovered that I need to watch my motor temperature in order to prevent de-magnetization from occurring. I will need the programming card to control the motor timing. So now when I run it I am very cautious and checking the temp of my motor with my finger tips and judging wether it's too hot or not. I really need to get a temp sensor and that programming card. I would like to eventually upgrade to a higher speed gear ratio. 17t pinion and 54t spur gears, also I would like to install a 3s lipo on it. That will bring me upwards of 90km/hour!!
My wife is a bit concerned but that's ok. That's why I love her. Anyways I really wanted to share my story with the Arrma community and say that I am very happy and excited to be apart of it. I am very new to the RC hobby but I have always been an enthusiast for many years since I saw my first RC car just ripping up a baseball diamond when I was a child. My kids love it and I will be getting the old raider mega up and running again (eventually) and install the smaller motor and esc from the raider mega xl and let my son have it. I will most likely upgrade the battery in the 1/8 raider to a 3s and put the 2s in my sons car. Hopefully that doesn't give it too much power as to destroy spur gears and gearbox's again.
Thanks for reading! Please share any comments!
It was in new perfect condition with the original rear tires worn completely off, front where moderately worn. The car came equipped already with a velineon brushless motor, Novatech 75a HSP ESC, and a 5000mah 2s lipo 20c battery.
The car came pre-programmed to have MAX power, this was plenty enough power too make the car flip right over once I got new tires on it. I found some 1/8 scale dirt hawg tires which are larger and have a lot more grip.
Soon it became very apparent that I needed a wheelie bar system. So I began constructing one from clothes hanger wire. It worked great for the short time that I used it. I went and bought myself a proper one from my local RC shop. When I got home and took the parts off that I needed too in order to install the new wheelie bar, it became apparent that I needed to fabricate my rear end in order for the new wheelie bar system to connect. So I had to remove some material from the outer casing of the motor mount in order for it to fit.
Once I had that installed the car was really a lot of fun. The top speed is around 50km an hour, with my phone strapped to it. So maybe a bit more with less weight on. It has so much power it can wheelie down the whole street, once you adjust the wheelie bar too the appropriate position. You can have it lift around a few cm which will just make it torque down the road, and be more stable. The car itself drives very well, although the wheelbase is very narrow so with that much power it like to basically jump in the air when you do a sharp turn and hit the gas.
This really is a wild setup for a new driver like me. I know that it was too much so I tried too take it easy with it but everyone like to do some bashing and eventually I had it broken. A friend of mine was over with his Traxxas Xmax, and we ended up head-on colliding in the middle of the road at a very fast speed. My front end was mangled, and his truck had basically one scratch on it. I then had to replace a few parts that hold the shock together, my servo arm, and the from control arm aswell. I leaned a few major lessons very fast while driving this. You must be very responsible.
The cars suspension is moderate I would say. The plastic caps like to pop off the top on moderate sized jumps of the landing is too hard. This is a major inconveince I would say. I always brought some extra shock oil when I went out driving. The frame that hold the rear wing ended up breaking on my me so it is held by only two plastic prices now and very flimsy. When the car flips upside down it exposes the rear shock towers to the ground with the most force and you end up grinding off the tops of them in these situations. I would not like to have to replace frame parts. The shock caps get ground off too but those aren't as difficult to replace.
So with this much power I ended up stripping my spur gear. So I went to the store and purchased a few extra incase it happened again. Which it did. Happened several times. It this point I wasn't sure if it was it crashing around, the way I'm installing the spur gear, or the power of the the brushless system. Anyways I am having fun with it and it starts making a clicking noise. So I shut it off right away because I know if I run it anymore it will strip the gear again. I brought it inside and took it apart. The gear was not stripped. So it must be something else. I followed the problem inside of the gearbox itself (nightmare of a job), and the gear that sits on the input shaft had a tooth broken off.
This was basically the beginning of the end in my eyes for this car. I think the plastic gears inside this car are not meant for this much power. After an attempt of reassembling the gearbox with new parts and installing it back into the raider, I blew apart another gear inside the gearbox. This time the middle gear in between the differential and the input shaft. So I replaced that one too and put it all back together. This time it didn't go back together the same. It seemed to have pulled some plastics through the screws holes on the gearbox stripping a few and causing it to "bloat" apart. I cleaned the plastic off and tried my best to get it right again, but it didn't seem to want too go back the way it was. So I taped the outside of it to prevent any dirt from getting inside and grease getting out. and jammed it back in my raider. Upon driving it, it broke again inside the gearbox.
By then I was tired of spending hours and hours taking it apart putting it back together to no avail. It is a lot of work getting to that gearbox. I like working on it but this was getting to be too much. So I did a little researching and discovered that the Arrma raider XL Mega has metal gears inside of the gearbox, and I can buy a cheaper version and just install my bigger motor and esc into it. That was what I wanted to do. So (after my wife's approval) I decided to got purchase one.
I got it home it this thing is almost everything I could have asked for. It is 1/8 scale size instead of 1/10, so it is a bit bigger. This is a very good upgrade for the raider and this motor. It will be much more stable on the ground versus the smaller sized one. The front and rear tires on it are a lot larger too, giving it much needed ground clearance, and off road capabilities. Having he car a bit longer helps prevent un necessary wheelies that would happen all of the time with the other vehicle.
The battery compartment is larger, enabling you to upgrade to a 3s battery size with very little modification. There is much more room in the cab compartment for your esc, and any other wires that you need to tuck in (noting that it was very hard to fit a 2s battery in the 1/10 mega). The back section of the vehicle looks much more rigid leading to the rear wing and gearbox.
Overall I am very satisfied with the overall look of the red body, tire size and look of the vehicle. So I replaced the stock esc and motor with my brushless system from the (tempoararly) junked raider. I had some troubles figuring out how to bind the new controller to the transmitter but after hours of struggling with it and learning many new things, I figured it out and have it all back together.
Now upon testing it out I notice that it isn't as fast as the 1/10 scale raider (which is expected because of size) but I know it can go a little faster than around 40km/hour. The motor did seem to produce about the same amount of power as before so I think it can go faster.
After doing some more research I came to the conclusion that my gear ratio between the spur and pinion gear is what is slowing me down. The ratio on the mega xl is set up to a lower top speed/ higher torque. So I looked at the ratio that was on my 1/10 raider and it had a faster gearing ratio so I put that on. Now it definitely is as fast or faster than before. Probably around 55km/hour. This is a good speed. (Although it would be nice to go faster once in a while). After fixing my speed issue, I can enjoy the car a little more now.
Upon inspecting its capabilities vs the 1/10 raider, it is very stable. I don't think I need the wheelie bar in the back anymore. It doesn't seem to want to flip backwards or jump around. Hitting jumps is very nice and so much more stable upon landing. Very impressed with this setup now. It works very well. Although notice that I have very little braking power, too basically none at all. I'm thinking that I need to reprogram my esc to apply more brake. I can't find my esc program car anywhere and am unable to purchase one because they are Chinese brand. I tried emailing the company and seeing if they can help me in locating one here in Ontario, Canada. Hopefully they can. If not I may need to replace my esc with something that is programmable to I can get more brake. Its not very safe like this at the moment. Things can get pretty dicey. But I am dealing with it.
I recently discovered that I need to watch my motor temperature in order to prevent de-magnetization from occurring. I will need the programming card to control the motor timing. So now when I run it I am very cautious and checking the temp of my motor with my finger tips and judging wether it's too hot or not. I really need to get a temp sensor and that programming card. I would like to eventually upgrade to a higher speed gear ratio. 17t pinion and 54t spur gears, also I would like to install a 3s lipo on it. That will bring me upwards of 90km/hour!!
My wife is a bit concerned but that's ok. That's why I love her. Anyways I really wanted to share my story with the Arrma community and say that I am very happy and excited to be apart of it. I am very new to the RC hobby but I have always been an enthusiast for many years since I saw my first RC car just ripping up a baseball diamond when I was a child. My kids love it and I will be getting the old raider mega up and running again (eventually) and install the smaller motor and esc from the raider mega xl and let my son have it. I will most likely upgrade the battery in the 1/8 raider to a 3s and put the 2s in my sons car. Hopefully that doesn't give it too much power as to destroy spur gears and gearbox's again.
Thanks for reading! Please share any comments!
