Granite Voltage 2WD brushless conversion, Velo’s learning curve build.

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Redneck Drunk Truk received a very nice upgrade!
I got the Integy drive cups and axle assembly. After bashing these voltages for the last six months It’s obviously clear that the inboard drive cups are the weakest point. And it’s not the cup itself where the dog bone goes, but where it pushes on to the differential. It’s just a very weak point that spins out easy with 3s power. So I picked up the Integy set but decided to only install the metal drive cups at the differential. I am curious to see how long the axle drive cups last.

I’ve had the car out three times now and it is running more solid and consistent than ever. Yesterday we went to our practice spot for jumping the granite and I decided to see what happened if I aired out Redneck. Wow, I was not expecting how well the thing jumps and flys through the air! Did 8 big jumps with a couple with hard landings but no damage. Being light helps. Even upgraded to 3S, running a 3s battery (3000mah, 30c) the thing still only weighs 5.4lbs with the battery.

I’ve had such good luck with the Integy set so far that I bought two more for my wife and step daughters Voltages. I don’t like spending 35 bucks (30+ postage) each on these cars but the amount of fun that we get out of them is worth it. The 3s system for each cost around 40 bucks, the 3s batteries $16 each, body armor etc another $20, shocks $25, TBone bumper and wheelie bar set $40…So I’m into each car around $250, including the initial purchase price, to get them to the fun and durable point. But it’s worth it! Hell the learning experience alone is great.

We tend to drive these cars when we’re letting the granite, big rock or vorteks rest and cool. Or if it’s wet outside. These are the rainy day cars since they float. I even vented the tires for the next time my wife or father drive one in to the lake 🙃

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I love our voltages, We have had a blast with them from tearing around like crazy to jumping…They have been great cars. The differential is the ultimate Achilles’ heel though. I have torn out three of them now on redneck truck and I’m pretty sick of taking the entire car apart just to get to the differential.

The differential does have metal gears but they are not strong metal gears. They are simply not made to be put through what we’ve been doing. I know that there is an all metal Integy kit out there for 99 bucks, but I’d rather put that money into one of our 3s Arrma cars. Or rather we don’t have the money to put in the cars right now (cancer sucks and is expensive).

So after upgrading all three of the Voltages to brushless, Putting in the Integy metal cups and drive shafts, TBone bumpers and wheelie bars all around…They are being ‘shelved’ due too delicate differentials. At least until the new (stock) differentials get in someday. Once they are back up and running, no more jumping or hard bashing. Going to drive em like their meant to be, fast swervy whoop de whoop fun style trucks.

No more shenanigans like this 🤪

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Or this…
 
🤔I wonder what would happen if I opened up the broken differential and filled it full of hot melt glue, In theory… locking the diff?

yeah I’m going to try it. It could work.
 
I’m curious to hear how well that works!
I’m going to go test it shortly but I have a feeling hot melt glue was the wrong thing to use. I’m thinking…gorilla glue may be better. So if it doesn’t work I’ll take another broken diff and gorilla it.
I’m going to go test it shortly but I have a feeling hot melt glue was the wrong thing to use. I’m thinking…gorilla glue may be better. So if it doesn’t work I’ll take another broken diff and gorilla it.
Yeah…It didn’t work. Well it did work for like two minutes. I should’ve used gorilla glue. Which I will do once I feel like taking the whole thing apart again.
 
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A stronger component would be JB weld. That will lock your diff like a rock
Ahhh man…I freaking have some of that 😖
It’s OK I’m getting used to taking these stupid things apart and putting them back together again quick.
Besides, gorilla glue may be great 🦍
Ahhh man…I freaking have some of that 😖
It’s OK I’m getting used to taking these stupid things apart and putting them back together again quick.
Besides, gorilla glue may be great 🦍
Oh, I pulled the whole thing apart and gorilla glued the diff last night and put it back together again today… now I’m just letting it cure till tomorrow. I actually spent half the day working on all three voltages. Put one back to brushed using the old granite mega motor and ESC (cheap brushless esc died) the other 2 I’m just tuning up (aside from gluing one diff) and trying to get them in proper shape after being abused so bad.
 
🤬🤬🤬 didn’t work. Gorilla glue didn’t work. Fine…knew I had this lying around.

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Ahh yes. That stuff is gonna lock your diff down like Britney Spears
Also from my earlier days. If all else fails then I’ve been able to lock diffs by sandwiching paper between the gears. This essentially locks the gears in place
Interesting about the paper. I think I can visualize how that would work. When I feel like pulling the thing apart again… which would make it the fifth time I’ve taken the whole stupid thing apart just play with the differential…I will JB Weld the hell out of it. If only they had made the differential a little bit easier to access. Having to take 95% of the car apart just to get to the gears is such a pain.

I am getting good at it though. A little more than 15 minutes to pull everything apart and about 20 minutes to put it all back together. So I should have no problem doing it again. But it’s the 🤬 principle of it all! This car is highly offending me. It’s become personal. I’m gonna fix this thing and make it work out of spite.
 
JB Weld seems to have worked. I’ll get all excited in a few days if it’s still seeming to work. But so far so good.
 
JB Weld seems to have worked. I’ll get all excited in a few days if it’s still seeming to work. But so far so good.
Yes it really does seem to be holding. Of course now that the trucks diff doesn’t have any ‘give’… i completely destroyed one of the wheelside drive cups, which are still stock. Or rather they were still stock. Last night I finished the Integy driveshaft upgrade so it has metal cups now on both sides. I’m still running the cheap ZD shocks on the front and stock front vorteks shocks are fantastic on the back.

I’m gonna keep it on 75% power for a while and see how the rest of the drivetrain holds up as it still has the plastic gears inside. But those are so wide I can’t see them stripping easy. Yup, Rednek is back up and running 😃

On our other two voltages I converted my daughters back to brushed, using the old mega set up from My converted mega granite. It is plenty fast for her. We have a VW clear body that we’re going to start on soon as well. My wife’s car (pumpkin) is running solid on the cheap brushless system I originally installed. The Servo died so I dug one out of the extra parts box and replaced it. I have Intergy drivetrain upgrades for both these cars but won’t install them until there’s a reason to.

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I see a lot of hate for integy products but those voltage driveshafts are great. Perfect fit and take a beating.
 
😭 next weakest link? The diff drive shaft itself. Doesn’t matter how well I lock the differential or upgrade the drive cups/shafts if it simply snaps where it’s attached at the drive cup.

It’s just Redneck Drunk Truck having all these issues. And it’s because of how hard I drive it. Looks like the Integy set for 99 bucks is the only option If I want to keep driving this truck like a bat out of hell.

Really…Like I’m going to spend a bill on a Voltage. Ok I may, but not this year. I’m going to put a regular new differential in it and limit it to either 2s or 75%. Make it a fool around truck.

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Rednek is back up and running. Threw in a stock diff and will limit to 75% power. It’s plenty fast on that and the diff can handle it…I think. Or maybe I’ll stick with 2s. Either way it’s still a fun truck to drive while letting my 3s cars rest and cool.
 
Rednek is back up and running. Threw in a stock diff and will limit to 75% power. It’s plenty fast on that and the diff can handle it…I think. Or maybe I’ll stick with 2s. Either way it’s still a fun truck to drive while letting my 3s cars rest and cool.
It still broke the cup mount on the diff…even running on 75%. The combination of brushless and the Integy driveshafts not having any type of give are too much for the metal used to make the differential. So redneck has been shelved for now.

with my attempts to make redneck bullet proof thwarted, I turned attention back to my stepdaughters Voltage. I have this one mostly stock and put in the mega brushed motor and ESC left over from my old granite. It runs great with no issues.

We’ve been working on painting a new body for it and it turned out fantastic. We used spaz Color changing paint with a black backer. After painting I shoo Goood the body and installed pink LED strips on the inside. We took it out to the little neighborhood golf course yesterday and my stepdaughter is very happy. She calls it her pink universe car 🙂

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How do you have your baterry placed in terms of where the leads come out for you to connect them to the esc?
 
How do you have your baterry placed in terms of where the leads come out for you to connect them to the esc?
I place it in the holder, leads closest to the motor end, balance plug on the inside, and I run the balance plug out the small hole on the opposite side from where you slide the battery in. Takes a bit of practice to make it easy. I can send pictures and better explanation tomorrow.
 
That truck needs a slipper clutch more than anything. Only thing really wrong with the truck IMO.
 
I already posted about this in paint and body but figured I’ll go ahead and update my voltage thread. I am sick and bored after all😐

I accidentally got a granite voltage body instead of a 4x4 granite body recently. Was going to return it but figured I need the painting practice anyway (my 2nd attempt) and wanted to test a compass stencil cut on my wife’s cricut… so I gave it my best shot. It took two attempts to get the stencil right but it worked great in the end. Even shoo gooed it for further practice. It was my 4th attempt and was able to do it in an hour using a little less then a 3.7oz tube.

Of our three voltages my wife’s is the only one with a functioning differential at this time. So I cleaned it up, fit a pair of losi 90mm shocks on back, that I’d gotten to try on my Vorteks but didn’t work out, and topped off the front ZD shocks. It looks and drives very nice I think! I forgot how fun these 2wd trucks are to drive. Slow but still fun.

I’d put a brushless motor/esc in last June with a 16t pinion. I only run it on 2s now since I’ve blown 5-6 diffs on 3s between all 3 trucks. I had also removed the stock tires from the rims and put a set of Amazon tires on. They are .5” smaller then stock and lite, which is good as it’s easier on the drivetrain. Lastly I put the stock radio/receiver from my granite 4x4 in.

It looks good and I learned how to use cricut stencils. Next time I’ll try to do all or most detail work from the inside, not just the compass 🙃

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