3S Indetta build

[JT58]

After all these years on (and off) the Arrma forums I can finally tick the last box off of my 'account progress' bar and post my first build thread!! I'm definitely more of an 'RTR and upgrade what breaks' kind of guy and have never really enjoyed building RC kits. A roller is about as far as I care to start from and that's basically what I did here.

I've wanted a 3S Infraction pretty much since the 6S version originally came out. Thought about building one several times but the price gets out of hand way too quickly. Finally jumped on it with the $200 (now $180 ) Tower Scratch and Dent sale and tossed in another $250 of parts from Jenny's and Ebay to finish the build. I went with the Vendetta drivetrain except for the stock Mega spur (100amp / 3900kv / 20t / 55t) and Hoons Elevens. The center brace alone was almost $50 in parts and if you take that and the cost of the Hoons off my build (the stock tires were still fun just didn't last) I came in under the cost of what Arrma dropped today for a factory 3S Infraction.

Love this truck!! My goal was 100% drift bashing and top end was never a priority. I wanted it to be a rocket off the line and to hit at least 40mph but this truck spends most of it's time going sideways. The stock tires lasted me 3 packs and I've gone 5 so far with the Vendetta Elevens. I've got another set of those plus I picked up some Hoons 2.4 Whites and Silvers on sale to try out next. Looking for that magical tire that will last with constant donuts

 

[Acidsnow]

Thons a cool towing rig set up!

 

[Velodromed]

You can adjust those top turnbuckles three turns out for more even tire wear. I put an avc in mine while learning how to drive on road. It’s so much different from dirt bashing I’ve found.

 

[JT58]

Good to know, thanks!!

Do you think AVC has a benefit for asphalt drift bashing?

 

[grihn]

Mine eats through rear tires like crazy when drifting. I just ordered a set of Proline Vectors, so we'll see if they hold up any better. Personally, I'm not a fan of AVC, but I would say it's just personal preference, and it's definitely beneficial when learning. However, for drifting I don't think most people would like it, as it's going to be fighting you.

 

[JT58]

That's my thought as well. I want it more off the line to keep it straight and less at higher speed.

 

[Velodromed]

Good to know, thanks!!

Do you think AVC has a benefit for asphalt drift bashing?

Yup it sure has helped while I’m learning. Started on 75% and down to 25% now. Trying to pick up speed running though now and just finished setting it up to be the caboose in libertymikes 3s challenge. Front splitter, side skirts, gps, 3670/3050kv motor with 57 spur/24 pinion, MM2 ESC (on the way, spectrum 100 in it currently), 1/10 silver hoons, center brace… I still need to run the wires better but it works at least. I’m hoping to hit 80 or a bit more if I can get the process down without destroying the car or my legs.

 

[JT58]

How are those side guards for keeping rocks out?

 

[SrC]

After all these years on (and off) the Arrma forums I can finally tick the last box off of my 'account progress' bar and post my first build thread!! I'm definitely more of an 'RTR and upgrade what breaks' kind of guy and have never really enjoyed building RC kits. A roller is about as far as I care to start from and that's basically what I did here.

I've wanted a 3S Infraction pretty much since the 6S version originally came out. Thought about building one several times but the price gets out of hand way too quickly. Finally jumped on it with the $200 (now $180 ) Tower Scratch and Dent sale and tossed in another $250 of parts from Jenny's and Ebay to finish the build. I went with the Vendetta drivetrain except for the stock Mega spur (100amp / 3900kv / 20t / 55t) and Hoons Elevens. The center brace alone was almost $50 in parts and if you take that and the cost of the Hoons off my build (the stock tires were still fun just didn't last) I came in under the cost of what Arrma dropped today for a factory 3S Infraction.

Love this truck!! My goal was 100% drift bashing and top end was never a priority. I wanted it to be a rocket off the line and to hit at least 40mph but this truck spends most of it's time going sideways. The stock tires lasted me 3 packs and I've gone 5 so far with the Vendetta Elevens. I've got another set of those plus I picked up some Hoons 2.4 Whites and Silvers on sale to try out next. Looking for that magical tire that will last with constant donuts

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Your Camber seems to be off a bit. Need more Positive camber. F and R. (Inner tread is wearing much too fast)
That could get you a bit more traction and control. More wear out of a set IMHO.

 

[Velodromed]

How are those side guards for keeping rocks out?

I haven’t run it yet actually. Right when I got the side guards and the splitter we got our first rain in months, so I’m going to be running it later today. But from looking at it it should do a pretty good job. Yeah, in stock form it does fill up with rocks huh.

Your Camber seems to be off a bit. Need more Positive camber. F and R. (Inner tread is wearing much too fast)
That could get you a bit more traction and control. More wear out of a set IMHO.

Yes sir, that’s what I had meant previously by ‘adjust the upper turnbuckles three turns’. They don’t look like they’re adjustable but they actually are. Disconnect it at the wheel hub and turn it three times out on all four corners. I found that to be pretty much spot on.

Mine eats through rear tires like crazy when drifting. I just ordered a set of Proline Vectors, so we'll see if they hold up any better. Personally, I'm not a fan of AVC, but I would say it's just personal preference, and it's definitely beneficial when learning. However, for drifting I don't think most people would like it, as it's going to be fighting you.

Vectors? Oh wow I just googled those and they look very nice. Expensive but hopefully worth it so let us know. My wife got me 6 sets of silver and white 1/10th hoons for a late Father’s Day gift so I’m set for now lol.

It just depends on driving style. It’s my first road rc. On 25% the AVC helps me with straight line hard accelerations, which are my biggest issue it seems, but doesn’t interfere with drifting. Once I have the hard take off down I won’t need it. I didn’t like it in the dirt so…yeah.

 

[grihn]

I haven’t run it yet actually. Right when I got the side guards and the splitter we got our first rain in months, so I’m going to be running it later today. But from looking at it it should do a pretty good job. Yeah, in stock form it does fill up with rocks huh.

Yes sir, that’s what I had meant previously by ‘adjust the upper turnbuckles three turns’. They don’t look like they’re adjustable but they actually are. Disconnect it at the wheel hub and turn it three times out on all four corners. I found that to be pretty much spot on.

Vectors? Oh wow I just googled those and they look very nice. Expensive but hopefully worth it so let us know. My wife got me 6 sets of silver and white 1/10th hoons for a late Father’s Day gift so I’m set for now lol.

It just depends on driving style. It’s my first road rc. On 25% the AVC helps me with straight line hard accelerations, which are my biggest issue it seems, but doesn’t interfere with drifting. Once I have the hard take off down I won’t need it. I didn’t like it in the dirt so…yeah.

A better ESC can help a great deal with hard take off and acceleration stability, especially if you're using a less expensive TX or if kids might be driving it at some point. For instance, with a Castle (and others, just using them as the example), you can dial in your throttle curve and punch control, so the ESC will dial in power at a less dramatic curve that you can set with the Castle Link, and you can do the same thing with braking. Setting your punch control to somewhere around 40% makes it a lot easier to not spin the tires off the line and therefore it's easier to not just sent the car into a spin from the get-go. That's my prefered method of tuning and wrangling in the power. I've also found it useful for controlling drifts a lot better and more realistically. It allows you to feather the throttle when your in the drift and just keep it going for days without spinning out or gaining too much traction.

 

[Velodromed]

A better ESC can help a great deal with hard take off and acceleration stability, especially if you're using a less expensive TX or if kids might be driving it at some point. For instance, with a Castle (and others, just using them as the example), you can dial in your throttle curve and punch control, so the ESC will dial in power at a less dramatic curve that you can set with the Castle Link, and you can do the same thing with braking. Setting your punch control to somewhere around 40% makes it a lot easier to not spin the tires off the line and therefore it's easier to not just sent the car into a spin from the get-go. That's my prefered method of tuning and wrangling in the power. I've also found it useful for controlling drifts a lot better and more realistically. It allows you to feather the throttle when your in the drift and just keep it going for days without spinning out or gaining too much traction.

I have started to figure that out and even set the punch to 2 on the current ESC, a vorteks spectrum 100 (got it from warranty). It’s helped a lot with my initial takeoffs, drifts and heavy trigger finger. I’ve got a lot to learn and the MM2 will be my first ‘real’, or non-RTR, ESC so I’m excited. I’m getting it from a member here and will be burning his ear with questions once I got it

I’m using a DX3 from my vorteks right now because the gyro is helping me adjust. I’m going to get another Dumbo receiver befor long though because I know I’ll need the range. Eventually I will get a quality transmitter and receiver, just don’t have the funds right now. Thanks man, I appreciate any and all advice that I can get! I’ll keep in mind all of your suggestions.

 

[SrC]

A better ESC can help a great deal with hard take off and acceleration stability, especially if you're using a less expensive TX or if kids might be driving it at some point. For instance, with a Castle (and others, just using them as the example), you can dial in your throttle curve and punch control, so the ESC will dial in power at a less dramatic curve that you can set with the Castle Link, and you can do the same thing with braking. Setting your punch control to somewhere around 40% makes it a lot easier to not spin the tires off the line and therefore it's easier to not just sent the car into a spin from the get-go. That's my prefered method of tuning and wrangling in the power. I've also found it useful for controlling drifts a lot better and more realistically. It allows you to feather the throttle when your in the drift and just keep it going for days without spinning out or gaining too much traction.

Many overlook the ESC parameters and are just too quick to judge their rigs ability. ESC's are the final say with driveability. Yet mant have no clue that they can adjust them. Many will just think they have to spend more money on a CC or HW ESC. And still never even check those new ESC settings. The logic being, "I am just bashing, I don't need to learn about my ESC". Not.
Get an ESC Programmer and start learning about your ESC parameters.

 

[grihn]

Many overlook the ESC parameters and are just too quick to judge their rigs ability. ESC's are the final say with driveability. Yet mant have no clue that they can adjust them. Many will just think they have to spend more money on a CC or HW ESC. And still never even check those new ESC settings. The logic being, "I am just bashing, I don't need to learn about my ESC". Not.
Get an ESC Programmer and start learning about your ESC parameters.

It's definitely overlooked, but I always say, "you don't know what you don't know." Too often I see people recommend a Hobbywing or Castle to someone over their stock ESC because it's going to solve all of their problems, but they fail to mention that it's not going to be a "plug it in and go" solution and that it needs to be programmed to really see the benefits...I see that in the crawling world almost daily. "Dude, you need to get a Hobbywing 1080, it's so much better than that AE5." While that's true, with the settings out of the box, it's really not much different. That's why we need communities like these to share and spread a wealth of knowledge and give people details beyond "replace this part."

 

[SrC]

It's definitely overlooked, but I always say, "you don't know what you don't know." Too often I see people recommend a Hobbywing or Castle to someone over their stock ESC because it's going to solve all of their problems, but they fail to mention that it's not going to be a "plug it in and go" solution and that it needs to be programmed to really see the benefits...I see that in the crawling world almost daily. "Dude, you need to get a Hobbywing 1080, it's so much better than that AE5." While that's true, with the settings out of the box, it's really not much different. That's why we need communities like these to share and spread a wealth of knowledge and give people details beyond "replace this part."

Have exactly both setups in my Crawlers. You are correct sir.
Great analogy.
Here at AF, there is no reason to "NOT know" the skinny of RC'ing.
The post above is one example of this.