Notorious A few quick questions plz!

[BashOfWar]

Hello all!,
First I was wondering, what are the signs that the diffs need to have oil changed?
Does it start to make more noise then usual? I have a Noto.
And then another one I’ve been curious, I’ve seen a lot of hate on the spectrum electronics, any particular reason? I’ve only had a servo fail on the Vorteks, other then that, they have been pretty good!
Thanks

 

[RedondoBeachRC]

Hello all!,
First I was wondering, what are the signs that the diffs need to have oil changed?
Does it start to make more noise then usual? I have a Noto.
And then another one I’ve been curious, I’ve seen a lot of hate on the spectrum electronics, any particular reason? I’ve only had a servo fail on the Vorteks, other then that, they have been pretty good!
Thanks

Good questions. I’ve never thought about this as I’m usually servicing mine after like 10 passes.

You might start to notice driving characteristics change.. maybe it pulls to one side more, especially during hard throttle pulls.

I wouldn’t think there would be a particular sound change.

 

[parcou]

Hello all!,
First I was wondering, what are the signs that the diffs need to have oil changed?
Does it start to make more noise then usual? I have a Noto.
And then another one I’ve been curious, I’ve seen a lot of hate on the spectrum electronics, any particular reason? I’ve only had a servo fail on the Vorteks, other then that, they have been pretty good!
Thanks

Hello

I cannot speak to the low diff oil. Every rig I have I've topped them off before running. Someone will reply to that.

Spektrum electronics for me have not been bad. I am not a fan for certain reasons but I do use them. The Firma 150A ESC has been the one I've had the most issues with. However, the Firma 130A and the Firma 160A have been superstars and have no issues for me. I "feel" that most have more issues with the 150A, but I have NO data on that. I've seen some posts that the 160A fails as well.

For me, I tend to like the HW which is the same as the Spektrum but better since they do NOT limit the programming. Whereas none of the Firma allow me to set the LVC I like mine at 3.4v to cut off. I like to have BEC control whereas Firma 130A does not allow BEC modifications and set at 6v. I "personally" feel that HW handles the electrics better and runs cooler.

Is there any fact to what I am saying, NO! Those are my experiences only and subject to disagreement from the fam

 

[GraniteFox]

Agree with the above. You would probably not notice any grinding noise from low diff oil. Gear mesh could give you more noise might need an extra shim on the diff. 6s platform is a bit noisy to begin with so you might be hearing things. It is important to service the diffs about every 10-15 packs. Spek electronics have been fine for me. On the monster truck side I find the 150 combo runs a bit hot. Just need extra fans. If you are looking to replace don't go with something cheap. Spend the extra few bucks and go HW or Castle. Both are solid options, perform well, and will last. Personally I like the castle systems for on-road and HW for off-road.

 

[hobo]

Agree with the above. You would probably not notice any grinding noise from low diff oil. Gear mesh could give you more noise might need an extra shim on the diff. 6s platform is a bit noisy to begin with so you might be hearing things. It is important to service the diffs about every 10-15 packs. Spek electronics have been fine for me. On the monster truck side I find the 150 combo runs a bit hot. Just need extra fans. If you are looking to replace don't go with something cheap. Spend the extra few bucks and go HW or Castle. Both are solid options, perform well, and will last. Personally I like the castle systems for on-road and HW for off-road.

I service my diffs every 40ish packs would be changing the diff oil far too often at 10 or 15 packs would start getting too expensive every month

 

[RCbuzz]

When the RC is off the ground I give one front wheel and one rear wheel a spin. Feel for any grittiness (if you do this could be dirty/bad bearings as well). Check resistance as the opposite wheel turns, after awhile you will get a feel for it but this usually tells me if the fluid is low in a diff or if something doesn't feel right. Check the diff outdrives for excessive play or "wobble".

I had a brand new Arrma rig out of the box basically "free wheel".. Yea that diff was EMPTY.

Best way, tear it down and service them and inspect.

 

[arborvitian]

Good questions. I’ve never thought about this as I’m usually servicing mine after like 10 passes.

If you're servicing yours after 10 passes, either you spend a lot of time at the bench, or I'm missing a trick. I've got a new Notorious that has maybe 10 packs on the clock. The only way I can see to get the differential out is to partially disassemble the suspension to get the axles to drop far enough to come out of the out-drive cups. I haven't spent too much time looking at this yet. I have spent some time looking for threads that show some detail on these procedures. I've got 12 tabs open now, but still haven't really enlightened myself. I must be blind.

 

[Smilinbri]

If you're servicing yours after 10 passes, either you spend a lot of time at the bench, or I'm missing a trick. I've got a new Notorious that has maybe 10 packs on the clock. The only way I can see to get the differential out is to partially disassemble the suspension to get the axles to drop far enough to come out of the out-drive cups. I haven't spent too much time looking at this yet. I have spent some time looking for threads that show some detail on these procedures. I've got 12 tabs open now, but still haven't really enlightened myself. I must be blind.

Check YT. Some great vids showing how to service diffs on the Noto. Your thoughts are on the right track. It's pretty easy....just a few screws and it pops right off.