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- Arrma RC's
- Granite
Upgrades/modifications to my Granite 4WD BLX 3s (with updates and tips). **Final build? 8/5/20
Body:
-Traxxas Maxx tail guard. It's too wide so I cut out the middle. Also had to Dremel out the screw holders. Stays on with double sided waterproof Gorilla tape. Durable, long lasting, completely protects the tail.
- Heat moldable plastic roof guard - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C97FNYM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Just cut it in half. Molds to the roof with hot tap water. Stays on with just double sided tape waterproof tape.
Electronics:
- Spektrum DX5 with SR515 receiver. Great performance, responsive and highly adjustable. 2 receivers failed on me, one was replaced under warranty. The second seems to be working again. I think they got wet. I was rinsing with water. No problems since I stopped rinsing with water.
- Savox SW-1210SG servo. Waterproof, durable, performs great. Has never given me a problem.
- PowerHobby 7600 mAh, 75c, 3s battery. Love this battery. I get 30 minutes run time. The long run time necessitates a motor fan.
- Aluminum motor fan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083DX5J57/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- The Yeah Racing Tornado aluminum motor fan was also very durable, survived bad hits for months. But the wires got frayed from rubbing against the case. I think the design of many fans risk this problem, I set up the new fan so the wires shouldn't get moved around so much.
-**I do NOT recommend the Arrma plastic fan, it got trashed after 2 runs. I have a feeling many plastic case fans will not survive hard bashing.
- Motor fan cover - Inexpensive and durable https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DGWCZG8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- I had the BLX120 but it failed, probably due to a bad landing. I put back the BLX100. No noticeable difference in performance on 3s. The BLX120 may run cooler on 3s.
I had to replace a motor due to a motor bearing that got dirty and failed. To prevent it again. I did this:
- Boca Bearings - rubber sealed ceramic motor bearings - SMR695C-2OS #7 NB2 (5x13x4mm) and SMR625C-2OS #7 NB2 (5x16x5mm). Getting the stock ones out and getting the new ones in was not easy. Needed a bearing pusher, the "bread trick", and a combination of heat and freezing.
- HPI Gearbox Spacers - Part #101291. Put one shim in the behind the slipper so it doesn't rub the power module and create that black dust.
- Sealed up the power module as described here: https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/help-me-upgrade-my-senton-3s-for-sand.20322/post-297587 This is a great tip. It keeps dirt and debris out of the power module. I think foam tape works better than double sided waterproof tape. The adhesive in waterproof tape is a bit goopy. It ended up getting on the slipper gear and created a horrible noise that I had a tough time identifying the cause for.
- Used an o-ring and washer to seal off the motor as described here: https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/blx-motor.20999/page-2 Even with the shims and foam tape, the gradual wearing down of the slipper gear and pinion still creates fine dust which can get into the motor.
Parts:
- Jim's Bearings and FastEddy bearings - Both these rubber sealed bearings have been working well. I've had mixed results with DSM Off-Road, bearings, some have lasted, others got dirty quickly.
- Hot Racing aluminum pivot balls - perfect fit, they will wear down over time, but last much longer than stock plastic. Great for durability, but contrary to what many people say, I don't think they improve steering slop much. I think most steering slop in the 3s line comes from the servo saver and servo horn.
- Typhon Arms (RPM)/axles/hexes - A wider stance provides a major improvement in stability for the Granite. The Typhon axles are also much thicker than Granite axles, which I kept snapping. 17mm hexes open up a wide selection of tires. I am EXTREMELY happy with this upgrade.
- **I stopped using the Hot Racing 17mm hex adapters with 10 mm extension. The extra width provides better performance, but they can be problematic. They need loc-tite which can come loose and then the wheels fall off and pins get lost. Use too much loc-tite and the axles start snapping.
- Tekno TKR6021/TKR6022 shocks with aluminum shock caps (TKR8702) - Great performance and durability. Using emulsion style caps makes them very easy to maintain. Axial shock bushings work well to fill the extra space in the shock caps. I'm using orange springs in front, red in back. These shocks get expensive, but they have never given me a problem.
- Hot Racing steering bellcrank. It may have improved steering but not a lot. I'm not sure if this is a worthwhile upgrade. Needs Loc-tite.
- Hot Racing aluminum servo horn. This improved straight line tracking considerably. The stock servo horn gets very worn down. The Hot Racing servo horn should last much longer. It comes with the Hot Racing servo saver (ATF48SH02)
- Kimbrough 124 heavy duty servo saver - Has performed well. You'll need tools to drill and trim it. I'm on my second, because it gets loose over time.
- Proline Badlands MX-28 and Proline 2.8 Trenchers. Both work well with the Granite. The MX28's have better traction in dirt/loose conditions, but wear down quickly on concrete. The Trenchers are more durable with slightly less traction.
- **Arrma CVD slider set. If you have a problem with driveshaft u-joints popping, these will help. But I've never had that problem, so I can't recommend this upgrade. The axles snap just as easily as the stock ones, but the CVD axles are MUCH more expensive. They have hinge pins that can get lost and you have to buy the CVD pin set. One of the sliders cracked. The metal section doesn't flex, so it cracked the plastic where they meet. If you upgrade to 4s, I've heard these may be necessary. However, in my experience, the CVD's break faster, have more parts to lose, and cost more to maintain. I'm running 3s, so I've gone back to stock.
- GPM aluminum front and rear knuckle arms. Rock solid, perfect fit. Needs Loc-tite. By flexing less than stock parts, I think they may prevent driveshaft pop out, I can't be sure. But because they flex less, they may also contribute to snapped axles and popped A-arm wheel pins. But since changing from the Hot Racing extensions to Typhon arms/axles/hexes, I have not snapped any axles or popped any A-arm pins.
- **Arrma Metal slipper gear - I don't think this is necessary for 3s. The metal gear wears down the pinion quickly. I've gone back to stock plastic.
- Arrma Center driveshaft high speed support. Might be unnecessary for 3s, but reducing driveshaft wobble probably decreases stress to other parts.
- Outcast 4s rear bumper - Wider protection, protects the wheelie bar, provides a better handle to hold, and I think it looks better.
- **Composite plastic links - I've bent a few turnbuckles. Also, the turnbuckles get knocked out of alignment EVERY run. So I tried the composite plastic links. Despite attempts to strengthen them, they still warped after over time. Also the rear camber links are too long. They result in near zero rear camber and the back end slides out too much.
- Lunsford Titanium turnbuckles - since the composite plastic links didn't work out, I got Lunsford turnbuckles (with stock rod ends.) They come with a lifetime guarantee against bends or breaks. They screw into the rod ends MUCH tighter and don't lose alignment like the stock ones.
- Longer battery straps to avoid battery pop out. Reversing the battery straps allows you secure across the top and down the side of the battery.
- Yoga mat. Cut out a piece to provide cushion under the battery.
Treating plastics with boiled water and Armor All to make them more flexible/durable. I think Armor All works better than WD-40. But I don't use it on the bumper springs. They're already thin and flexible. They end up breaking more easily with Armor All. The bumper springs are the ONLY plastic part I've broken (but I've fixed that, see below). In my experience, plastic is often better than metal. Metal bends, snaps, grinds, needs loc-tite and loc-tite breaks loose. Plastic flexes, metal doesn't. Almost all my maintenance headaches were due to metal "upgrades" and parts. I switched many back to plastic.
Neoprene foam tape. This stuff is awesome. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WK2J1BN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Stuffing the bumper springs with strips of foam tape is HIGHLY recommended. They were constantly breaking before. I have not broken one since.
- Foam tape in the front and rear of the battery compartment to cushion the battery
- Foam tape on the dirt guard side runners to cushion hits from the body
- Foam tape on top of the shock towers to protect the towers and body. (The heavy duty felt in the photos didn't last long)
- My front suspension mount was popping out. A strip of foam tape across the front helps hold it more securely. Folding it over the bottom edge prevents the tape from getting squeezed out over time. So far, my front suspension mount has not popped out again. (The V3 3s BLX line has a new chassis and suspension mount that now holds in the suspension mounts with screws)
Body:
-Traxxas Maxx tail guard. It's too wide so I cut out the middle. Also had to Dremel out the screw holders. Stays on with double sided waterproof Gorilla tape. Durable, long lasting, completely protects the tail.
- Heat moldable plastic roof guard - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C97FNYM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Just cut it in half. Molds to the roof with hot tap water. Stays on with just double sided tape waterproof tape.
Electronics:
- Spektrum DX5 with SR515 receiver. Great performance, responsive and highly adjustable. 2 receivers failed on me, one was replaced under warranty. The second seems to be working again. I think they got wet. I was rinsing with water. No problems since I stopped rinsing with water.
- Savox SW-1210SG servo. Waterproof, durable, performs great. Has never given me a problem.
- PowerHobby 7600 mAh, 75c, 3s battery. Love this battery. I get 30 minutes run time. The long run time necessitates a motor fan.
- Aluminum motor fan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083DX5J57/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- The Yeah Racing Tornado aluminum motor fan was also very durable, survived bad hits for months. But the wires got frayed from rubbing against the case. I think the design of many fans risk this problem, I set up the new fan so the wires shouldn't get moved around so much.
-**I do NOT recommend the Arrma plastic fan, it got trashed after 2 runs. I have a feeling many plastic case fans will not survive hard bashing.
- Motor fan cover - Inexpensive and durable https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DGWCZG8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- I had the BLX120 but it failed, probably due to a bad landing. I put back the BLX100. No noticeable difference in performance on 3s. The BLX120 may run cooler on 3s.
I had to replace a motor due to a motor bearing that got dirty and failed. To prevent it again. I did this:
- Boca Bearings - rubber sealed ceramic motor bearings - SMR695C-2OS #7 NB2 (5x13x4mm) and SMR625C-2OS #7 NB2 (5x16x5mm). Getting the stock ones out and getting the new ones in was not easy. Needed a bearing pusher, the "bread trick", and a combination of heat and freezing.
- HPI Gearbox Spacers - Part #101291. Put one shim in the behind the slipper so it doesn't rub the power module and create that black dust.
- Sealed up the power module as described here: https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/help-me-upgrade-my-senton-3s-for-sand.20322/post-297587 This is a great tip. It keeps dirt and debris out of the power module. I think foam tape works better than double sided waterproof tape. The adhesive in waterproof tape is a bit goopy. It ended up getting on the slipper gear and created a horrible noise that I had a tough time identifying the cause for.
- Used an o-ring and washer to seal off the motor as described here: https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/blx-motor.20999/page-2 Even with the shims and foam tape, the gradual wearing down of the slipper gear and pinion still creates fine dust which can get into the motor.
Parts:
- Jim's Bearings and FastEddy bearings - Both these rubber sealed bearings have been working well. I've had mixed results with DSM Off-Road, bearings, some have lasted, others got dirty quickly.
- Hot Racing aluminum pivot balls - perfect fit, they will wear down over time, but last much longer than stock plastic. Great for durability, but contrary to what many people say, I don't think they improve steering slop much. I think most steering slop in the 3s line comes from the servo saver and servo horn.
- Typhon Arms (RPM)/axles/hexes - A wider stance provides a major improvement in stability for the Granite. The Typhon axles are also much thicker than Granite axles, which I kept snapping. 17mm hexes open up a wide selection of tires. I am EXTREMELY happy with this upgrade.
- **I stopped using the Hot Racing 17mm hex adapters with 10 mm extension. The extra width provides better performance, but they can be problematic. They need loc-tite which can come loose and then the wheels fall off and pins get lost. Use too much loc-tite and the axles start snapping.
- Tekno TKR6021/TKR6022 shocks with aluminum shock caps (TKR8702) - Great performance and durability. Using emulsion style caps makes them very easy to maintain. Axial shock bushings work well to fill the extra space in the shock caps. I'm using orange springs in front, red in back. These shocks get expensive, but they have never given me a problem.
- Hot Racing steering bellcrank. It may have improved steering but not a lot. I'm not sure if this is a worthwhile upgrade. Needs Loc-tite.
- Hot Racing aluminum servo horn. This improved straight line tracking considerably. The stock servo horn gets very worn down. The Hot Racing servo horn should last much longer. It comes with the Hot Racing servo saver (ATF48SH02)
- Kimbrough 124 heavy duty servo saver - Has performed well. You'll need tools to drill and trim it. I'm on my second, because it gets loose over time.
- Proline Badlands MX-28 and Proline 2.8 Trenchers. Both work well with the Granite. The MX28's have better traction in dirt/loose conditions, but wear down quickly on concrete. The Trenchers are more durable with slightly less traction.
- **Arrma CVD slider set. If you have a problem with driveshaft u-joints popping, these will help. But I've never had that problem, so I can't recommend this upgrade. The axles snap just as easily as the stock ones, but the CVD axles are MUCH more expensive. They have hinge pins that can get lost and you have to buy the CVD pin set. One of the sliders cracked. The metal section doesn't flex, so it cracked the plastic where they meet. If you upgrade to 4s, I've heard these may be necessary. However, in my experience, the CVD's break faster, have more parts to lose, and cost more to maintain. I'm running 3s, so I've gone back to stock.
- GPM aluminum front and rear knuckle arms. Rock solid, perfect fit. Needs Loc-tite. By flexing less than stock parts, I think they may prevent driveshaft pop out, I can't be sure. But because they flex less, they may also contribute to snapped axles and popped A-arm wheel pins. But since changing from the Hot Racing extensions to Typhon arms/axles/hexes, I have not snapped any axles or popped any A-arm pins.
- **Arrma Metal slipper gear - I don't think this is necessary for 3s. The metal gear wears down the pinion quickly. I've gone back to stock plastic.
- Arrma Center driveshaft high speed support. Might be unnecessary for 3s, but reducing driveshaft wobble probably decreases stress to other parts.
- Outcast 4s rear bumper - Wider protection, protects the wheelie bar, provides a better handle to hold, and I think it looks better.
- **Composite plastic links - I've bent a few turnbuckles. Also, the turnbuckles get knocked out of alignment EVERY run. So I tried the composite plastic links. Despite attempts to strengthen them, they still warped after over time. Also the rear camber links are too long. They result in near zero rear camber and the back end slides out too much.
- Lunsford Titanium turnbuckles - since the composite plastic links didn't work out, I got Lunsford turnbuckles (with stock rod ends.) They come with a lifetime guarantee against bends or breaks. They screw into the rod ends MUCH tighter and don't lose alignment like the stock ones.
- Longer battery straps to avoid battery pop out. Reversing the battery straps allows you secure across the top and down the side of the battery.
- Yoga mat. Cut out a piece to provide cushion under the battery.
Treating plastics with boiled water and Armor All to make them more flexible/durable. I think Armor All works better than WD-40. But I don't use it on the bumper springs. They're already thin and flexible. They end up breaking more easily with Armor All. The bumper springs are the ONLY plastic part I've broken (but I've fixed that, see below). In my experience, plastic is often better than metal. Metal bends, snaps, grinds, needs loc-tite and loc-tite breaks loose. Plastic flexes, metal doesn't. Almost all my maintenance headaches were due to metal "upgrades" and parts. I switched many back to plastic.
Neoprene foam tape. This stuff is awesome. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WK2J1BN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Stuffing the bumper springs with strips of foam tape is HIGHLY recommended. They were constantly breaking before. I have not broken one since.
- Foam tape in the front and rear of the battery compartment to cushion the battery
- Foam tape on the dirt guard side runners to cushion hits from the body
- Foam tape on top of the shock towers to protect the towers and body. (The heavy duty felt in the photos didn't last long)
- My front suspension mount was popping out. A strip of foam tape across the front helps hold it more securely. Folding it over the bottom edge prevents the tape from getting squeezed out over time. So far, my front suspension mount has not popped out again. (The V3 3s BLX line has a new chassis and suspension mount that now holds in the suspension mounts with screws)
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