My MBX5T Build Thread
 

I apologize in advance as this isn't going to be much of a build thread for a while as I'm waiting to sell off my Monster GT and related nitro junk before I start buying the required components. But I might as well post the picture I do have and throw out some ideas.

Here's what I've got so far:
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net//rc_stuff/MBX5t/IMG_2558.jpg

What you're looking at are 'custom' battery trays made from chopping up an old Tower Hobbies NiXX charger I was throwing away. It just so happens that my 3s battery foam mockups modeled after Flightmax lipos fit perfectly. I was thinking of putting a Gorlliamax strap on each tray, lengthwise.

I've also got a set of new MBX5T rims with Badlands mounted on them.

Planning:
-RC-Monster motor mount and brake spacer
-2x Zippy Flightmax 3s batteries, 5000mah (series)
-Medusa 70mm or CC/Neu motor (if they release a 1600kv range motor)
-HobbyWing 150A controller

The idea is to keep the stock servo holders because they look great and I want mechanical brakes.

I'll update this thread when I come up with more pictures or mindless blather, please feel free to comment and thanks for checking it out.

looking good so far i hear ya i'm kinda at a standstill on my project as well looking forward to seeing the finnished product!

Looks good sofar.

Lookin' good. I'd love to have a Mooogen truggy for a BL build, but the CRT will have to do for now.

Just an update. I got my NeuEnergy batteries in today so I made a few mods to my battery trays and tested the fit.

Here are some pics:
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...tery-Packs.jpg
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...ttery-Size.jpg
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...attery-Top.jpg

I've still got a long way to go, I'm pretty much waiting for CC to release a lower KV motor or to hear some feedback on the Tekin systems.

why not run the castle 2200 which is rated for 6s and gear to compensate.

48k RPM seems really high to me. Plus if I'm going to spend the money I'd rather have an ideal setup, which would be closer to 35k RPM.

The other thing I'm not sure about is the quality of the MMMv3 since they still seem to be exploding fairly often. On the other hand I don't feel like waiting for the Tekin system to get a real test from users.

I'm in the same boat. Im waiting for the tekin. I hope they are reliable. I might go for a castle if they released a lower kv motor. I just don't want to buy a castle have it meltdown and then wait weeks to get it replaced.

If Castle had the 1800kv motor tomorrow I'd buy their system. I'm thinking no matter what 1/8 scale system you buy it can and probably will fry itself so it's a matter of customer service and CC seems to have the competitors beat. The Tekin system looks good but they've got the highest price tag by a pretty good bit. And also I don't really care about 'in house' testing, the only kind of test that matters with these systems is handing them over to idiots and letting them loose with it.

I'm thinking a MMMv3 with mechanical brakes and proper gearing should be fairly reliable... sadly the 2200kv is too much for 6s.

You realy should flip those battery trays around, so it protects battery from things that come outside the body.

I've thought about that but here's what I came up with:

1) Can't actually get the batteries in the tray if they're flipped around.
2) Battery on the servo side would be rubbing up against the servo plate.
3) The body should hopefully protect the batteries from sand and stuff. I'm going to have a small strip of velcro on each side so that the body is attached to the rock guard.

What I could do, if this doesn't work out, is remove a lot of material from the top of the tray and then flip them around. I still don't know how I'd keep the servo plate from gouging the battery though.

I just got my RCM motor mount in the mail today and realized I'm screwed.

I had planned to keep the motor in the stock location and I didn't think far ahead enough to realize that I can't do that with the RCM mount. Any ideas? I'm having a really bad day... maybe start drinking.


EDIT: I'll have to ask Mike if he can make a special version that would work on the stock motor location. Otherwise this mount isn't going to work for my setup.

Here are some hasty pictures of my setup. I'm almost done, or thought I was done tonight until two things happened:

1) I realized I'm a moron and the RCM mount won't work if I want to put the motor in the stock location, which I do.

2) Tekin motor mount hole spacing is off so I've got to get that resolved somehow.

http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...tDone/back.jpg

http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...stDone/top.jpg

I was really happy because I was able to retain the stock servo plate and brakes. I suppose if there's nothing Mike can do for me about the mount I'll have to just ditch the mechanical brakes and make a new ESC mounting place for the other side of the chassis.

Hey, you can flip the mount around and mount the motor on the front left portion of the chassis.

that is what i am thinking , then make a mount for a servo above the frt. driveshaft , and a mount above the rear drive shaft for the esc. and have both batterys in the rear like the caster buggies:yipi:


or one long center diff top plate that you can mount everything to......

I caved and put the RCM mount in the designed location, and ditched the original carbon fiber servo plate.

I created another ESC plate that uses the original motor mount chassis holes and now I just need to create a brake servo mount.

I tried making my own motor mount out of 1/8 aluminum stock but gave up. It seems so strong at first but it ended up being pretty flimsy once I had it mounted up.

I'll update with pics tomorrow. It's about 4AM here and I'm dead.

OH, and I also drilled out the RCM brake spacer so that two of the holes would accept 4mm counter sunk screws. I needed to do this so that I could use the RCM mount with my Tekin motor that has the funky 3mm mounting hole spacing.

My RCM Mugen motor mount fit perfectly with my Tekin. I wonder why yours is weird. Now if USPS would just deliver my long shank pinion....

Good luck, nice build so far.

Yes, he can flip it around, that's how I did mine. However he will have to flip the CF plate over that holds the front chassis brace, because the motor will hit the brace and you won't get a good mesh. It's an easy fix, just requires a new mounting hole on the chassis.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...g?t=1241912493

Oh, with the motor up front, a long shank pinion is also needed... I found this out after my build was practically done.

Well, it's finally done. (Aside from the new body I'm working on)

This morning I made a few mods so I could mount the original servo plate on the opposite side in order to maintain the mechanical brakes.

Here's the finished product:
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/MBX5t/Done/Far.jpg
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...e/Overview.jpg

I've given it a little romp around the neighborhood and I love it. The low speed control on this Tekin ESC is impressive. I can only compare it to my 1/10 and 1/18 non-sensored stuff but it's way ahead of those in terms of 'feel'.

As far as the motor spacing goes it seems to be a manufacturing defect on the 3mm spacing. Tekin haven't answered my e-mail or posted in the thread I've created about the issue. I only know of one other user who has seen this issue, Jhautz. It's not a problem for me anymore since I just bored out the brake spacer for 4mm screws.

Looks very nice!

Very nice setup, any chance Of Video?

I would be afraid to put my lipos out in the open like that :)

I'll see if I can get some video. I just have my point and shoot camera so it will most likely be awful.

As far as the battery protection goes, that is a concern but I think it's going to be all right:
-The Neu Energy back are built like Rhino packs and have that protective skin below the shrink level.
-The strap covers most of the battery.
-The body covers the battery.

I'll keep an eye on them and if I see any marks from rocks and sand on them I'll probably add a thin sheet of plastic between the strap and the battery.

Now I need to start painting a new body.

Sweet. very clean, and well put together.

Why not just use motor brakes for bashing? No real need for brake bias...

Looks good tho! Clean conversion! I would lay those packs down tho, on not expose them to the outside like that. Maybe have a tray that you can slide the batteries in from the top...

I have the misguided belief that using the mechanical brakes will prolong the life of my electronics.

I'll have to take a picture of the batteries when they're inside the trays. They're pretty far from exposed when the straps and body are on. The lip from the rock guard covers a bit, the strap and body covers the rest.

Looks very good. I like what you did with the wires for the ESC and motor, it looks very clean with the shrinkwrap slid down over the solder posts.

Thanks. I was debating whether or not to put bullets on the wires but glad I did with all the shifting around I've done. I used the Metcal MX500 we have at work to do the soldering, it was a breeze with that system.

I finished the body this morning so I took some pictures:

First is the battery in the tray:
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...ne/battery.jpg

Here's the body... I like to keep it simple:

http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...ne/newBody.jpg
http://aceldama.tuxcat.net/rc_stuff/...one/MBX18T.jpg

She's a beauty man.

Very nice. On my e-maxx single motor mount, the screws don't line up as well. I just opened up the holes a bit