ASK Cubby- Solid Questions, Questionable Answers

“General bashers

Hello.

Have currently got the traxxas summit 1/10, like it a lot for its go anywhere ability. I am looking for something more suited for high speed bashing. (Driving through paddocks, jumps, dirt roads etc)

I like the look of the arrma cars ( seem well built, good reviews and awsome price). Typhon ( really like this but i am a bit concerned about its ground Clearance for general bashing) and also the kraton and outcast which both look really but are a bit more expensive.

Any other brands you would strongly recommend (rtr preferably). Traxxas e-revo seems nice but it seems not very good value for money when compared to the arrma kraton.

Would be very glad of your thoughts and advice!

Btw love ya reviews,

Aaron D.”

Cubby- Hey ya Aaron, thanks for writing in. If you send me your snail mail and t-shirt size we’ll get you hooked up with one of our t-shirts for being letter of the month.

What are some good bashing brands? Like you have already mentioned, Traxxas and ARRMA are two of the best IMO. However, I would also recommend ECX for entry level trucks, Losi for a bunch of different great bashers, Pro-Line for high-end or extreme bashing, HPI/Maverick for numerous epic bashers, and Kyosho has a number of solid platforms too.

You mention the ARRMA Typhon, one of the best, if not the best, bashing buggies on the planet. I am personally a big fan, especially of the 2018 version. I would also have a look at the Losi EIGHT-E RTR, which is also super durable and handles like a dream, or hold off a few weeks and wait to see what Traxxas has in store for us with the new 2.0 E-Revo and 1/7 desert truck.

Getting Hot

Hi Cubby, what is the best way to keep the esc and brushless motor cool in my HPI Blitz?

Thomas B.”

Cubby- Hey Tommy boy, what’s up? Thanks for writing in and be sure to send me your snail mail for a sticker pack.

What is the best way to keep your brushless motor/speedo cool? Well, a lot of people run fans, but fans suck. They eat up power, they always end up breaking, and they move very little air. However, they are still an option.

A few years ago, I was privy to some inside data in regards to cooling a speedo. They measured various fan outputs in an attempt to use a better cooling system on their next speedo. They also measured air movement inside a buggy while it drove around a track. To boil it down, whenever possible, venting your body and allowing mother nature to cool your electronics is always a good option.

But most importantly… lets talk about gearing. Ya know, not enough people think about gearing when talking about motor/esc temps. If you don’t have a temp gauge, go out and buy one, it is a necessity in the brushless era. If you have not already, start with a small pinion and drive for about a minute, then pull in and hit the ESC, battery, and motor with your temp gun. Next, keep driving on that gearing and see how hot it gets on longer runs.

You never, EVER, want to see a LiPo above 160 F as they go into full on thermal runaway around 200. You never, EVER, want to see your motor temp above 160 either. While 160 degrees isn’t enough to de-mag your rotor, if your temp gun is saying 160 on the can it will be closing in on 200 inside the motor, which is roughly how hot most rotors start to de-mag. You can also check temp on your ESC just to get more data, but it should be protected by a thermal shutdown if it gets too hot.

You basically want to gear your Blitz for the kind of power you are looking for, without getting the power system too hot and ruining it. Please remember that gearing changes with temp, cell count, and conditions. A hot muddy track will Demand lower gearing, where as you can gear much taller (for a higher top speed/larger pinion/smaller spur) in cold conditions or where there isn’t as much rolling resistance.

What happens if you get your brushless motor too hot? Well, it hurts the magnet inside your motor. In the real world this results in lower output, but at the same time, the motor gets less efficient. Yes, you can still run a motor where the magnet has been overheated, but performance will not be near what a new one would be.

To boil it down-

1. Run fans if possible
2. Trim body for more airflow
3. Keep an eye on your gearing

There it is folks, another edition of ASK Cubby is a wrap for this week. You can send me your questions, answers, rants, or whatever else is running through that demented mind of yours to thecubreportrc at gmail dot com. Until next week, bash hard, break lots of parts.

YOUR Cub Reporter