Granite Just Bought Granite 4x4 550 Mega want more speed- suggestions on brushless upgrades

[BrandonThelen]

hey I'm sorry if I'm posting in the wrong area but im a total newbie when it comes to rc. when it comes to drones, go karts or car audio I'm super fimillar with but i really don't know what im looking for as far as up grading to brushless i don't know what size will fit my truck the exact model number i have is ARA102714T1.

The arrrma Granite 4x4 1\10 550 mega and i love the truck i just want more speed so if you guys could point me in the right direction i would appreciate any input. i understand i will probably have to change my gearing but the hobby store guy told me i need some type of combo kit and it would be about 150$ and i could see a lot more speed so i figured i would look online for a cheaper option but i have no idea what kit i need. thanks for taking time to read this. i will learn fast just like any new hobby I start but right now i have no idea about any sizes or anything. I'm looking for a faster setup then i have

 

[suchtragedy]

If you just bought it and if it's still possible then try to return the brushed truck and get a 3s blx brushless truck for 80 dollars more. But if you can't return it you got a few ways to go about going brushless.

If you want to do this for minimum dollar possible you could get a cheap eBay or Amazon ESC/brushless combo. I would get a minimum 80 amp ESC but 100-120amp would be better. For motors you can get away with a 3650 sized brushless motor and somewhere around 3800kv minimum would be pretty reasonable on 2s or a 3660 sized motor around 3200kv would also work, it's 10mm longer motor can so more torque but you'll want the 100a ESC if you go that way to be safe. If you go the cheap esc/motor route and plan to reuse your stock motor pinion gear then make sure the new motor has a 3mm shaft. Motors often have a 5mm shaft so keep an eye out. Also at minimum get HD (heavy duty) differential output gears when going brushless. The stock mega one are all plastic and tend to break easily on brushless. The HD version for the mega has a metal shaft end and fixes that, arrma part #AR310773

You could also stay brushed and just put a larger pinion gear with more teeth on your motor as well and get more speed that way and see how well you like it before spending money on a brushless setup. There are alternative mounting holes on your motor mount that say how many teeth each set of mounting holes is made for so you can try upgrading to a pinion that matches one of those larger holes. The stock pinion is 14 tooth I believe and it has holes for 15, 17, and 27t. Keep in mind the larger you go gets you more top speed but the motor has to work harder. I would suggest a 17T, that's 21% larger over stock and the stock mega motor should be able to handle it no problem.

That's the minimum easy way to go brushless. There are many other upgrades to suggest like 3s blx aluminum motor mount (or adjustable motor mount from arrma) and other 3s blx parts that can be sourced pretty cheap from jennysrc.com or eBay.

For more details on various options comb over this thread here:
https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/recommended-arrma-4x4-mega-upgrades.6405/

 

[Mud Creek RC]

hey I'm sorry if I'm posting in the wrong area but im a total newbie when it comes to rc. when it comes to drones, go karts or car audio I'm super fimillar with but i really don't know what im looking for as far as up grading to brushless i don't know what size will fit my truck the exact model number i have is ARA102714T1.

The arrrma Granite 4x4 1\10 550 mega and i love the truck i just want more speed so if you guys could point me in the right direction i would appreciate any input. i understand i will probably have to change my gearing but the hobby store guy told me i need some type of combo kit and it would be about 150$ and i could see a lot more speed so i figured i would look online for a cheaper option but i have no idea what kit i need. thanks for taking time to read this. i will learn fast just like any new hobby I start but right now i have no idea about any sizes or anything. I'm looking for a faster setup then i have

I have a Granite Mega as well and have a lot of fun running it stock-the suggestion of the pinion upgrade is a good one. As far as brushless options I have looked into it as well but to do it right the upgrade is (as you said) about $150 which is close to the cost of the RTR truck. I have decided to run mine as it is- I think it's a very fun and tough little truck- and in the mean time saving up for a brushless RC. I figure two might be better than one when it comes to RC vehicles! Just my opinion of course

 

[pl9171]

I figure two might be better than one when it comes to RC vehicles! Just my opinion of course

Yes, for sure... And swap parts on the same time.
@Brandon: I did the swap but it was not cheap. On the other hand, the learning process worth it.

 

[Bullfrog1287]

I did the swap also. I also learned the hard way that just buying the BLX version from the start is much cheaper. However I have enjoyed actually going through the truck and swapping everything myself it has helped me learn a lot about how it functions. Currently I have put the BLX aluminum motor mount in, the 3s BLX ESC and 3200kv motor, HD input, and last night upgraded to the metal gear servo. I'm just replacing things as they break now. In the future I may swap in the BLX slipper assembly and possibly the diffs. I am only running 2s so i'm hoping the rest holds for now. Jenny's RC is a great source and probably one of the cheaper routes to take to do the upgrade.

 

[Theo688]

Will Switching over to a brushless setup increase the runtime?

 

[Bullfrog1287]

It has for me, but that also depends on the brand, size, and quality of Lipo you run.

 

[Theo688]

I bought my son a Granite Mega 550 and I will be looking to upgrade it when he finds it too slow. I'm putting my feelers out now.
I have and Outcast 4S and my run time is significantly longer than him running on the NIMH.
If he runs a 2s lipo will he get longer run times?

 

[Bullfrog1287]

I bought my son a Granite Mega 550 and I will be looking to upgrade it when he finds it too slow. I'm putting my feelers out now.
I have and Outcast 4S and my run time is significantly longer than him running on the NIMH.
If he runs a 2s lipo will he get longer run times?

Yes he should. Just watch the temps on the motor and esc.

 

[Theo688]

Yes he should. Just watch the temps on the motor and esc.

It is rated for 2S and its stock i think it will be ok

 

[Bullfrog1287]

It sh

It is rated for 2S and its stock i think it will be ok

It should be fine, I never hard trouble with mine on 2s.

 

[Rc bench]

Castle mamba 3s

 

[zizi8862]

Go to Jenny's and buy the blx120 esc with the motor otherwise the hobbywing max10 combo will be a good option.

 

[1stGranite]

Castle mamba 3s

What im about to run.

 

[joshual1177]

I replaced the rear input gear to 17 tooth metal hd input on my Mega. Do I also need to change out the front input gear as well? Is it also a 17 tooth? I'm also changing out the bearings on it all around. Just changed out the servo with a more durable one. Night and day difference. I also have a 3650 brushless motor and 120 amp esc on order as well as a 17 tooth pinion gear coming. I'm hoping the shaft size on the motor is the same size as I bought the motor from AliExpress. I'm enjoying working on my truck, taking it apart and swapping out parts. It's a fun and rewarding hobby.