Recommended Arrma 4x4 BLX and Mega Upgrades

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Hello Folks,
I have a stock Senton 4X4 Mega that I've upgraded the motor and ESC using 2S LiPO to:

ESC Specs:
Continuous Current: 80A
Burst Current: 95A
Resistance: 0.0009ohm
Battery: 2 cells Lipo (5-6 cells NI-xx)
BEC output: 6V/1A
Motor type: Sensorless brushless motors
Running mode: Forward only or forward with reverse (user programmable mode)
Dimension: 43 x 38 x 20mm
Weight: 88g

Motor Specs:

Model: 3650 Sensorless
Kv: 4000
No. of Poles: 2
Cont Current: 45A
Peak Current: 55A
Max Power (15sec): 370W
Winding: 16T
Resistance: 0.0125ohm
Weight: 180g
Diameter: 36mm
Length: 53mm
Shaft Diameter: 3.175mm

The car ran GREAT with that combo for awhile, then I installed tires and wheels from a Granite and it stripped the stock slipper set (91t, 48DP) in a few packs. I'm looking at upgrading the slipper set and pinion. I've been over this forum for awhile and I think I've got some answers. IF I read correctly, I can swap in the drive components from a BLX model? I was looking at the AR310949 composite slipper set or the AR310948 steel slipper set coupled with a 13t 0.8 mod pinion. Are these items plug and play or is there some compatibility issues? Do I need the steel set as it's quite expensive compared to the composite one. I'm not looking for blazing speed, just durability.
For 2S I would just get the hd input gears made for the Mega and the hot racing steel spur in 48p. If you were running 3s I'd go with the BLX driveline.
 
The Arrma 4x4 Mega Granite/Senton is a pretty solid platform out of the box, but like most any other RC there are some weak points that can certainly be improved upon. Below we'll look at a few of those weak points and provide alternatives to fix said points.

If the Arrma Mega 4x4 is your first RC then there are going to be a few things you'll need first.

Required items for an Arrma 4x4 Mega



Batteries - The Arrma 4x4 Mega supports either a 7 cell NiMh or 2S LiPo battery pack.

My recommendation would be to go with a 2s LiPo pack and would suggest checking out SMC LiPo battery packs. However if you are looking for a list of suggested brands check out our "Budget LiPo of choice" thread.

LiPo Charging Sack - If you are going to go with a LiPo battery you MUST use a LiPo charging sack. These things are silly cheap and offer a huge amount of protection in the event a LiPo starts to go south.

*If you are not using a LiPo battery you can forgo getting a charging sack*

Battery Charger - For someone getting into RC and looking for a good bang for their buck, I would recommend checking out the Dynamite Prophet Sport Duo charger. It will easily charge dual 2S LiPo or 7 cell NiMh packs at the same time allowing you to get back to racing/bashing quicker.

If you want other suggestions, check out our Recommend me a battery charger thread.

4x AA batteries - The 4x AA batteries are used in the transmitter that is included with the Arrma 4x4 Mega trucks. I'm would recommend getting Eneloop rechargeable batteries. Either the Panasonic Eneloop or Eneloop Pro (higher capacity, longer run time).


That about wraps up the required items, now onto the recommended Arrma Mega 4x4 upgrades!

Most Recommended Upgrades for the Arrma 4x4 Mega



Servo - Soon after the Granite/Senton 4x4 Mega trucks was released, several people reported issues with the included servo.

An inexpensive upgrade would be the Savox SW-0230MG servo which has metal gears, faster and MUCH stronger than the stock servo - and it's also waterproof. A near bulletproof upgrade (maybe even a bit over kill ;)) would be a Savox SW1211SG or Savox SC-1256TG digital servo (probably want to pick up a BEC while you're at it too if you go with the 1256 servo).

Servo Saver - In the same breath we recommend a new servo, the stock servo saver is in need of some help as well. I don't think the stock servo saver hasn't saved many servos and looks like a knock off of a Kimbrough.

Skip the issues and get a legit Kimbrough #123 servo saver instead.

Shocks - We get a lot of questions about this one and right now these are the most commonly suggested and used shock upgrades:

Bumpers - The stock bumpers are not only a bit small but we've also seen reports of them not holding up as well. Luckily we have companies like T-Bone Racing that offers front and rear bumpers for the both the Granite and Senton 4x4 Mega trucks!

Bearings - I've said it before and will say it again, stock bearings in nearly any RC stink. Get yourself a set of NICE bearings from Team Fast Eddy - he offers both a Granite and Senton bearing kit for the Mega 4x4's.


Aside from the above, there have been several people ask about 17mm hex adapters and a common reply is to buying a set of these 17mm adapters that so far seem to be working very well for members here.

Finally I would suggest anyone looking for more information, tips and other mods check out these useful threads below:

Please, if you have other suggested upgrades, mods or tips for the Arrma 4x4 Mega Granite or Senton trucks please share below!
I don't think half the issues it had a year ago are still a thing. I've had my mega two months (and bashing the whole time) and the servo has held up great, it's strong enough to still move while pinning the truck down from above and fairly quick. The servo saver seems fine, no issues yet there. Matter of fact, the only issue I've had was the front bumper support breaking super easily and always in the same place till I replaced it with shock absorbers...also upgraded from brushed to brushless with 2 & 3s lipo. I don't see the need in making so many changes right off the bat, I'd only "upgrade" when necessary or if it provides a noticeable difference to play time. Bearings are not great but fine, holding up well so far. In general stock is fine though I do wish it had metal drive train internals stock but still, haven't had anything break on 3s yet...
 
I don't think half the issues it had a year ago are still a thing. I've had my mega two months (and bashing the whole time) and the servo has held up great, it's strong enough to still move while pinning the truck down from above and fairly quick. The servo saver seems fine, no issues yet there. Matter of fact, the only issue I've had was the front bumper support breaking super easily and always in the same place till I replaced it with shock absorbers...also upgraded from brushed to brushless with 2 & 3s lipo. I don't see the need in making so many changes right off the bat, I'd only "upgrade" when necessary or if it provides a noticeable difference to play time. Bearings are not great but fine, holding up well so far. In general stock is fine though I do wish it had metal drive train internals stock but still, haven't had anything break on 3s yet...
Are these Sentons? If so, the smaller wheels make a huge difference.
 
Are these Sentons? If so, the smaller wheels make a huge difference.
Senton mega...Do you mean smaller hex drive? If so I do agree getting 12mm hex's is a must when it's time for new wheels but stock 14mn is fine till you need to change the tires...if you mean the actual wheels I actually think bigger helps to prevent bottoming out so much even though I am still running wheels and tires close to original after I wore my first set out...
 
Senton mega...Do you mean smaller hex drive? If so I do agree getting 12mm hex's is a must when it's time for new wheels but stock 14mn is fine till you need to change the tires...if you mean the actual wheels I actually think bigger helps to prevent bottoming out so much even though I am still running wheels and tires close to original after I wore my first set out...
I think he means - SCT wheels are smaller than the Granite wheels or the 1/8 buggy wheels. Less mass helps everything run cooler and last longer. But then, I have a Granite, and ran the stock servo and servo for over year. Quick but weak. The original MEGA Servo saver was complete crap, and Arrma fixed it pretty quick.

For tires, Duratrax as a good 14mm hex 2.8 rim, with several premount options.. Their ST tires are SCT size, on a straight 2.8 rim. I have one set of MT lockups and one set of ST SixPacks for my Granite, and like them a lot. They might not be as good as a 3.0/2.8 for racing, but for bashing, they are good.

 
Senton mega...Do you mean smaller hex drive? If so I do agree getting 12mm hex's is a must when it's time for new wheels but stock 14mn is fine till you need to change the tires...if you mean the actual wheels I actually think bigger helps to prevent bottoming out so much even though I am still running wheels and tires close to original after I wore my first set out...
Nope I mean the outside diameter and overall weight of the SCT tires are much less of a load than the MT tires.
 
Nope I mean the outside diameter and overall weight of the SCT tires are much less of a load than the MT tires.
Oh, yeah, I am aware. Still want to increase their size a bit. With the right gearing and brushless it shouldn't be an issue. That said, for now I'm running stock sizes even though I converted to 12mm, the new tires are the same width and circumference as stock... I want to understand gearing a bit better before I put the larger load on the system. As is though, love my Senton! ;)
I think he means - SCT wheels are smaller than the Granite wheels or the 1/8 buggy wheels. Less mass helps everything run cooler and last longer. But then, I have a Granite, and ran the stock servo and servo for over year. Quick but weak. The original MEGA Servo saver was complete crap, and Arrma fixed it pretty quick.

For tires, Duratrax as a good 14mm hex 2.8 rim, with several premount options.. Their ST tires are SCT size, on a straight 2.8 rim. I have one set of MT lockups and one set of ST SixPacks for my Granite, and like them a lot. They might not be as good as a 3.0/2.8 for racing, but for bashing, they are good.

Bashing is my goal...seen a lot of vids of people running granite tires on the Senton but I think I will have to upgrade the shocks if I go with the larger wheels and as I mentioned to Jon I'm not sure what gear ratio to go with. Currently have the stock pinion and spur and is currently working fine but I'm sure I could squeeze a bit more out... though I can't go any lower than the 17t (I think) it starts with but I have increments going up from there...
 
got a typhon mega 4x4 for christmas loving it so far rn just looking for suggestions. so ive read through some people say you have to swap the spur if u move up to brushless in it and some say stock runs fine for them. im looking at getting the Max10 SCT 120amp ESC Combo w/3660SL 3200kV Sensorless Motor with 20t pinion. what if any thing do people recommend i upgrade with the motor. planning on grabing a better servo and servo saver too. ik this questions probably been pretty much beat to death lol:LOL: live in canada tho so somethings can be tricky to get easy lol
 
You need the BLX slipper assembly, pinion, and HD input gears at the very minimum.
 
got a typhon mega 4x4 for christmas loving it so far rn just looking for suggestions. so ive read through some people say you have to swap the spur if u move up to brushless in it and some say stock runs fine for them. im looking at getting the Max10 SCT 120amp ESC Combo w/3660SL 3200kV Sensorless Motor with 20t pinion. what if any thing do people recommend i upgrade with the motor. planning on grabing a better servo and servo saver too. ik this questions probably been pretty much beat to death lol:LOL: live in canada tho so somethings can be tricky to get easy lol

You can keep the stock running gear if you pick a mild motor. But you picked a beast... :ROFLMAO:(y):cool:. So yeah, pick up the BLX slipper, spur, diff input and diffs. Outdrive and driveshafts are the same. the BLX aluminum hexes maybe a good idea too...
 
The Arrma 4x4 Mega Granite/Senton is a pretty solid platform out of the box, but like most any other RC there are some weak points that can certainly be improved upon. Below we'll look at a few of those weak points and provide alternatives to fix said points.

If the Arrma Mega 4x4 is your first RC then there are going to be a few things you'll need first.

Required items for an Arrma 4x4 Mega



Batteries - The Arrma 4x4 Mega supports either a 7 cell NiMh or 2S LiPo battery pack.

My recommendation would be to go with a 2s LiPo pack and would suggest checking out SMC LiPo battery packs. However if you are looking for a list of suggested brands check out our "Budget LiPo of choice" thread.

LiPo Charging Sack - If you are going to go with a LiPo battery you MUST use a LiPo charging sack. These things are silly cheap and offer a huge amount of protection in the event a LiPo starts to go south.

*If you are not using a LiPo battery you can forgo getting a charging sack*

Battery Charger - For someone getting into RC and looking for a good bang for their buck, I would recommend checking out the Dynamite Prophet Sport Duo charger. It will easily charge dual 2S LiPo or 7 cell NiMh packs at the same time allowing you to get back to racing/bashing quicker.

If you want other suggestions, check out our Recommend me a battery charger thread.

4x AA batteries - The 4x AA batteries are used in the transmitter that is included with the Arrma 4x4 Mega trucks. I'm would recommend getting Eneloop rechargeable batteries. Either the Panasonic Eneloop or Eneloop Pro (higher capacity, longer run time).


That about wraps up the required items, now onto the recommended Arrma Mega 4x4 upgrades!

Most Recommended Upgrades for the Arrma 4x4 Mega



Servo - Soon after the Granite/Senton 4x4 Mega trucks was released, several people reported issues with the included servo.

An inexpensive upgrade would be the Savox SW-0230MG servo which has metal gears, faster and MUCH stronger than the stock servo - and it's also waterproof. A near bulletproof upgrade (maybe even a bit over kill ;)) would be a Savox SW1211SG or Savox SC-1256TG digital servo (probably want to pick up a BEC while you're at it too if you go with the 1256 servo).

Servo Saver - In the same breath we recommend a new servo, the stock servo saver is in need of some help as well. I don't think the stock servo saver hasn't saved many servos and looks like a knock off of a Kimbrough.

Skip the issues and get a legit Kimbrough #123 servo saver instead.

Shocks - We get a lot of questions about this one and right now these are the most commonly suggested and used shock upgrades:

Bumpers - The stock bumpers are not only a bit small but we've also seen reports of them not holding up as well. Luckily we have companies like T-Bone Racing that offers front and rear bumpers for the both the Granite and Senton 4x4 Mega trucks!

Bearings - I've said it before and will say it again, stock bearings in nearly any RC stink. Get yourself a set of NICE bearings from Team Fast Eddy - he offers both a Granite and Senton bearing kit for the Mega 4x4's.


Aside from the above, there have been several people ask about 17mm hex adapters and a common reply is to buying a set of these 17mm adapters that so far seem to be working very well for members here.

Finally I would suggest anyone looking for more information, tips and other mods check out these useful threads below:

Please, if you have other suggested upgrades, mods or tips for the Arrma 4x4 Mega Granite or Senton trucks please share below!
Is the Kimbrough servo saver the KP123?

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Kimbrough+%23123
 
You can keep the stock running gear if you pick a mild motor. But you picked a beast... :ROFLMAO:(y):cool:. So yeah, pick up the BLX slipper, spur, diff input and diffs. Outdrive and driveshafts are the same. the BLX aluminum hexes maybe a good idea too...
im not exactly knowledgeable about rc car motor yet. ik more about rc planes then cars but im loving the truck so far. broke an a arm the other day just waiting on new ones to come in. i run it on 2s 50c batteries rn and its a ton of fun as im just learning to drive rc cars. but ya i was just looking around at motors to speed it up some since i found a track near me that in the summer they run races so was thinking to speed her up some for some racing. nothing to serious just for some fun. any ideas for motors? or is the one im looking at a good motor idea for an upgrade?
 
im not exactly knowledgeable about rc car motor yet. ik more about rc planes then cars but im loving the truck so far. broke an a arm the other day just waiting on new ones to come in. i run it on 2s 50c batteries rn and its a ton of fun as im just learning to drive rc cars. but ya i was just looking around at motors to speed it up some since i found a track near me that in the summer they run races so was thinking to speed her up some for some racing. nothing to serious just for some fun. any ideas for motors? or is the one im looking at a good motor idea for an upgrade?
The motor you picked is great. Basically the same motor that comes in the BLX3s kit. I have the same size motor, in bit higher KV (3800kv) and with 3s / 15t pinion, I can't run WOT - the tires balloon and I crash... :eek: I suspect that with 3200KV you should fine on top speed compared the other 1/8 cars, with 2000kv motors on 4s.

BUT - for a new racer, slower is faster. Don't be afraid to run 2s. I bet you will still have plenty of speed on the infield. But the car will launch smoother, and be easier to handle, which will result in fewer crashes. Stay on 2s till you can run a 10-minute race with only 2-3 crashes.

One last thing - if you have the STX2, and plan on racing, think hard about upgrading. Even when the STX2 is behaving (not glitching) it is still a high-latency radio. So there is a delay between when you input (turn the wheel) and the cars response (the servo turns). This will be a killer, because you can't respond quick enough to the car getting bumped, etc. $100 spent here will be a big upgrade. Plus, then you have lots of other tuning options right on your radio.
 
The motor you picked is great. Basically the same motor that comes in the BLX3s kit. I have the same size motor, in bit higher KV (3800kv) and with 3s / 15t pinion, I can't run WOT - the tires balloon and I crash... :eek: I suspect that with 3200KV you should fine on top speed compared the other 1/8 cars, with 2000kv motors on 4s.

BUT - for a new racer, slower is faster. Don't be afraid to run 2s. I bet you will still have plenty of speed on the infield. But the car will launch smoother, and be easier to handle, which will result in fewer crashes. Stay on 2s till you can run a 10-minute race with only 2-3 crashes.

One last thing - if you have the STX2, and plan on racing, think hard about upgrading. Even when the STX2 is behaving (not glitching) it is still a high-latency radio. So there is a delay between when you input (turn the wheel) and the cars response (the servo turns). This will be a killer, because you can't respond quick enough to the car getting bumped, etc. $100 spent here will be a big upgrade. Plus, then you have lots of other tuning options right on your radio.
ok thanks for all the info ya i was thinking of sticking with 2s on brushless once i can upgrade it. will definitely still be faster then it is rn. im using it to practice rn and just learn to drive. im planing on atleast grabbing a bigger pinion gear for now to run on the brushed setup to maybe get alittle more speed out of it till i can afford an upgrade. and im not running the stock transmitter i already had a spektrum dx5c and replaced the stock receiver with an srs6000 receiver. have great range on it so far from what ive tested with very little latency. so far its a great truck and i love it i cant wait till the track open in the spring and i can get out on it for some more fun.
 
Can anyone provide a link to the 48p spur and metal drive linkage? The one that I'm told breaks at higher power? Running 3s and not having issues other than the spur gear slowly getting chewed up. Only metal Spurs I find doesn't seem to be a one to one match for the stock plastic :(
 
ok thanks for all the info ya i was thinking of sticking with 2s on brushless once i can upgrade it. will definitely still be faster then it is rn. im using it to practice rn and just learn to drive. im planing on atleast grabbing a bigger pinion gear for now to run on the brushed setup to maybe get alittle more speed out of it till i can afford an upgrade. and im not running the stock transmitter i already had a spektrum dx5c and replaced the stock receiver with an srs6000 receiver. have great range on it so far from what ive tested with very little latency. so far its a great truck and i love it i cant wait till the track open in the spring and i can get out on it for some more fun.
Be careful bumping the pinion with the brushed motor. It is probably already running hot - mine hit 190f-200f every run. Bumping the pinion may kill it quick.
 
What are the pinion options on a Senton mega stock motor mount? I want to order a pinion online but I'm not at home to look at the mount.
 
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