Granite Granite 4x4 Mega brushed motor woes...

[RhinoKeegan]

My son's Mega 4x4 brushed motor has crapped out again... this is the second one after the first was replaced under warranty. We are out of the warranty coverage now so I want to get a quality motor replacement. I see the Traxxas 12T 550 motors on Ebay for about the same price as the Arrma motors and wonder if they are any better quality? Also, should I be looking at maybe a 15T or 20T motor instead? I know it will be a little slower, but maybe better for the offroad/grass situations?

I know people will suggest brushless, but my understanding is you're better off just buying a truck already built for brushless power. For now I just need to get this one back on the road with a motor that's decent quality. It's very disappointing that these trucks can't be run off the pavement without self-destructing.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

 

[Mud Creek RC]

That stinks! I have a Mega 4x4 and have had nothing but good luck with it- it's a tough little truck. What battery are you running in it?

 

[RhinoKeegan]

That stinks! I have a Mega 4x4 and have had nothing but good luck with it- it's a tough little truck. What battery are you running in it?

He mostly run's a 5000mah 2s lipo, but will still use the stock NiMH that came with it. He doesn't run wide open non-stop. Most of the time he gets 20-30 min of runtime on the Lipo between running on the driveway and in the yard/woods.

 

[Mud Creek RC]

I assume you are switching the esc jumper when you switch between lipo and NiMH batteries - if not that could be the problem. I have read a few posts that say running the lipos in the Megas can cause motors to wear out faster than if you always ran NiMH but who knows I am just hearing that second hand ??

 

[RhinoKeegan]

I assume you are switching the esc jumper when you switch between lipo and NiMH batteries - if not that could be the problem. I have read a few posts that say running the lipos in the Megas can cause motors to wear out faster than if you always ran NiMH but who knows I am just hearing that second hand ??

Yeah, he's good at making sure the jumper is on the right setting. I'm sure the Lipos are bit harder on the motors than the NiMH, but at the same time the truck is supposedly built to handle a 2s lipo. If running a lipo will wreck the motor, then they shouldn't say you can run one. Or maybe put a more robust motor in it... I realize they're not indestructible, I'm just frustrated I guess.

 

[Jackjax801]

Not sure how well it would compare, however, my old Helion criterion (discontinued now) had only needed one motor replacement. Used an HPI Firebolt 15t motor and that ran for a long time. I've now upgraded it to brushless while the Firebolt was still running strong. This was a 2wd buggy with a 35 amp ESC. Not sure if the 4wd makes a difference or if it uses an ESC that draws more/less power. If I needed to replace that brushed motor, I'd probably go with the Firebolt again or something else depending on price and availability.

https://www.hpiracing.com/en/part/1146

 

[RhinoKeegan]

Not sure how well it would compare, however, my old Helion criterion (discontinued now) had only needed one motor replacement. Used an HPI Firebolt 15t motor and that ran for a long time. I've now upgraded it to brushless while the Firebolt was still running strong. This was a 2wd buggy with a 35 amp ESC. Not sure if the 4wd makes a difference or if it uses an ESC that draws more/less power. If I needed to replace that brushed motor, I'd probably go with the Firebolt again or something else depending on price and availability.

https://www.hpiracing.com/en/part/1146

Thanks, I'll check it out for sure.

 

[slick2500]

Sadly the problem isn't really the motors fault, a 540/550 size brushed motor was never meant to be placed in a 1/10th scale 4wd vehicle, there was a reason vehicles like the E-Maxx, Tamiya Detonator ect came with dual motors and why everywhere you look people burn through brushed motors like a crackhead does crack. These vehicles are too heavy and have too many moving parts for those tiny little motors that were originally meant for 2wd buggies and stadium trucks like the Associated RC10/T. Shove a 775 motor in it or go brushless.

I know I have said this before but brushed 4wd rc cars are the biggest waste of money in this hobby and I feel sorry for all these new people who buy them not knowing any better.

 

[RhinoKeegan]

Sadly the problem isn't really the motors fault, a 540/550 size brushed motor was never meant to be placed in a 1/10th scale 4wd vehicle, there was a reason vehicles like the E-Maxx, Tamiya Detonator ect came with dual motors and why everywhere you look people burn through brushed motors like a crackhead does crack. These vehicles are too heavy and have too many moving parts for those tiny little motors that were originally meant for 2wd buggies and stadium trucks like the Associated RC10/T. Shove a 775 motor in it or go brushless.

I know I have said this before but brushed 4wd rc cars are the biggest waste of money in this hobby and I feel sorry for all these new people who buy them not knowing any better.

Will a 775 motor fit without modifications? I agree that in hindsight a brushless motor car would have been better, but my son bought it with his own money and it was all he could afford at the time. OTOH my other son has the same truck and have never had an issue with that one. It even seems faster too. Guess it's a crap shoot.

 

[slick2500]

Will a 775 motor fit without modifications? I agree that in hindsight a brushless motor car would have been better, but my son bought it with his own money and it was all he could afford at the time. OTOH my other son has the same truck and have never had an issue with that one. It even seems faster too. Guess it's a crap shoot.

You will need the adjustable motor mount for sure it won't fit with the stock mount, I can double check when I get home from work. Also when I looked this morning no one has any of the adjustable motor mounts in stock ?

 

[RhinoKeegan]

You will need the adjustable motor mount for sure it won't fit with the stock mount, I can double check when I get home from work. Also when I looked this morning no one has any of the adjustable motor mounts in stock ?

Thanks! Don't worry about it. We already have a new motor on the way. Decided to try the Traxxas 550 12T motor this time. We'll see if it's any different. He's already saving his cash for a brushless truck down the road.

 

[slick2500]

Thanks! Don't worry about it. We already have a new motor on the way. Decided to try the Traxxas 550 12T motor this time. We'll see if it's any different. He's already saving his cash for a brushless truck down the road.

Don't expect much out of the 550 12t I've burned up my fair share of those in a 2wd Stampede.

 

[Gregorinho26]

I bought my Granite 4x4 Mega over 1 year ago. My son and I run it 3-5 times a week. Rain, shine or snow (Canada). I guess it have been lucky, but I have almost ZERO issues with it. Great great truck! I am running it on 5000 mah 2S 30C lipos.

I have had to change the brushed 550 12T motor once, but that is basically it.

One thing I cannot stress enough is maintenance of the motor. Unlike brushless, you really need to put some time into looking after brushed motors.

Running it slowly submerged in a cup of clean water every so often is very important to keep it running smoothly. Also, adding bearing grease to the bushings is also huge. Check out the below video from JayTee RC.....he does a great job of showing you how to maintain a brushed motor.

Very simple but necessary to get better life and performance out of your brushed motor.