my savage flux

[HOLLYW00D]

howdy,

i'm going to start a journal about my savage journey. this is it.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8792/savagevz.jpg
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1426/newshoesg.jpg
http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/1736/dsc02463.jpg
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/3146/dsc02464y.jpg
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6073/dsc02466.jpg
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4093/dsc02465o.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6240/dsc02468v.jpg
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/1285/dsc02469.jpg
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9788/dsc02471o.jpg

current mods:

Airtronics MX-3FG
Castle Link
Diff Oil - 50k Front/75k Rear
Integy Alloy Hex Hubs (C22926)
Integy Pro Wheel Nuts (C22604)
HPI Bulletproof Diffs #102692
HPI Light Weight Drive Gear 32t #86274
HPI Light Weight Idler Gear 29t #86275
HPI Phaltline Tires on Blast Wheels #4729
HPI Savage Suspension Conversion Set #87245
HPI Shock Springs (Yellow - 177gF/mm) #86554
HPI Super Heavy Duty Wide Axles #86249
HPI Heavy Duty Drive Gear 18-23t #102514
JConcepts Rulux half & halfs
JR Z9100T servo
Kershaw Designs Heavy Duty Slipper Spring Kit
OFNA Monster Pirate servo saver spring w/ bearings
Proline Badlands
RPM Arms
RPM Center Skid Plate
TCS TVPs
SMC 2s 20c 8000mah packs


pending mods:

No plans


future plans:

lots of bashing
replace parts as needed

[Scott]

Thanks for sharing the pic of your Flux Hollywood.. Make sure you keep us up to date with the mods as you do them..:cheers:

[frddyj]

love it. keep the pics & info coming

[Shaun]

nice.... thanks for sharing

[Hypnotiq]

Nice truck!! Lets see some vidz!!

[HOLLYW00D]

well, threw a pinion gear today. not all the way off the shaft, but to where it's not in contact with the spur. weird because i tightened the snot out it when i first got the truck (less than 30 min of runtime at this point). i guess the pseudo loctite dot they put on there is not ideal.

slathered on some red loctite and cranked it down naizentait (nice and tight). will let it sit until tomorrow before running. i'd REALLY like to hit LVC for the first time, just to know what it's like and to see if it's working like it should (set at 3.2v per cell, up from 3.0v).

[Combuster]

i dont think the rpm skid will work with the tcs tvps will it, cause the are made especially for the x

[HOLLYW00D]

hmmm, i don't know, but i sure hope it'll work. if not, i'll have to make it work one way or another, because i hate having the drive shafts open to the elements like that. same with those three ESC wires that go up into the receiver box. if it doesn't fit, we'll ask it nicely to comply using a drill and tap. =)

[HOLLYW00D]

drat, you're 100% right, stated right on RPM's site, albeit in a tiny "note" stating that it won't fit the flux.... thinking a little more, depending how it mates up with the TCS TVPs, i may be weary of making any structural modifications to fit the plate. perhaps a 2 liter pop bottle and some zip ties will be the route i take. not ideal, but better than nothing i guess. are there any center skid plate options out there for the flux? any of those options jive with TCS TVPs?

[savagenitroflux]

awesome flux!

[HOLLYW00D]

thank ya, it's truly a beast! ...compared to my mini e-revo. :)

got the wheels/tires in today. added a pic up top. waiting for the red loctite on the pinion grub screw to cure so i can take it for a spin. hopefully it hold, otherwise i may have to look into notching the motor shaft to help prevent the gear from slipping.

[Scott]

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1426/newshoesg.jpg

Man i like the looks w/the badlands..Would like to get your opion on the wheel and tire combo..Picked up a set just like them of ebay, but haven't had a chance to run them yet..:peace:

[HOLLYW00D]

well, the preliminary opinion is that they're great! it was a chore getting everything mounted and situated on the half-ups, but i managed. i glued the bead on the inner rib and then another CA session where the sidewall contacts the wheel, just in case. the cool thing about the rims is that they come with *almost* pre-drilled holes for venting. they're not all the way through, like other wheels. since i don't have a punch to punch some holes in my tires, i poked through the thin layer of plastic on the wheels themselves to allow air flow. you can see the small little hole on the front left wheel in the pick above.

i'm not sure why JConcepts don't have a black option for these wheels, but the white has grown on my. the black body and the tiny amount of white it has on it, really makes the wheels "pop."

the stock tires, i found in my limited time with them, that their sidewall is VERY soft. perhaps that's how MTs are meant to be? may help in the impact absorption category, but handling goes out the windows completely.

also, my turning radius sucks and i'm forced to go real slow on turns... RSC on the way!

i've yet to mess with the shocks. from what i understand, the flux has the big bores, but they're plastic bodied instead of Al, is this correct? the suspension does seem very soft for high speed cornering, but i'm not sure if i want to go any stiffer just yet.

i WOULD like a roll cage made of nylon that accommodates the TCS TVPs. i emailed the fellow making them down under with my requirements (both shock towers need to be protected), and he came up with a solution, but a little more than i'm willing to spend for what i'm getting. plus, i'd have to source little spacers and longer screws to mount to the TCS plates. i figure for the same price, i can buy 6 prepainted bodies, which provide ample protection for the things i'm doing currently. would be nice to have a North American option though that caters to the flux as much as other savage models (stupid battery boxes...).

[Combuster]

i not sure about other options for the skid plate but as for the turning radius you can also do this
http://www.hpisavageforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11484

[HOLLYW00D]

thanks Combuster, i saw that but am holding off on that project for a rainy day. since the RSC is on the way, it may be a while until it rains. unless, of course, i break something. :)

today i noticed that one of the turnbuckle ends has a mean curve to it. looks to be a mold defect. this is causing that turn buckle to be mighty loose. the RSC will do away with those, though.

no chance to run it today with the new tires, so i did the "lowering" mod instead. dropped it to where the lower arms are parallel with the ground. tested to make sure everything will stay that way by dropping it from 1-2 feet and by bounce checking. comes back to parallel. i used 3/4" fuels hose pieces along with the bumpers currently in place inside the shock body. i also used 35wt shock oil. the setup seems pretty solid. can't wait for the RSC!

[Mickey]

looking good hollywood those white wheels realy make the white on the truck pop out at you. you will love the badlands just dont do much ashphalt running with them

[HOLLYW00D]

thanks Mickey!

just placed an order for a Kershaw Designs Heavy Duty Slipper Spring kit. perhaps with this, i'll have some adjustability of the slipper. can lock it down "enough" for safer back flips, and be able to tune down the "wheelie all the time" characteristics when (if?) desired (e.g. racing or something). :)

[HOLLYW00D]

well, i mounted the RPM skid plate and it turned out alright. definitely better than nothing! i also added the OFNA spring to the servo saver: MUCH stiffer.

the thing with the skid plate is that it's not shaped properly as it's meant for a savage x with stock TVPs. i had to invert the bend, drill two new holes in the skid plate, and then modify one of the mounting brackets to clear the transmission case. here's what i did to mount the RPM skid plate to my savage flux with TCS TVPs:

1) need to boil the skid plate for at least 10 minutes.

2) turn the cold water on, carefully take the HOT skid plate out of the SCALDING water, bend it a little past where you want it to settle and stick it under the cold water while holding the shape. i let it cool thoroughly under the running cold water before letting go.

3) i ended up with a skid plate curved in the opposite direction. you'll also notice the two new rear holes i had to drill. if i were to do it over, i would have flipped the plate and drilled the holes on the opposite side since the current location has a "spine" on the backside that i had to grind down to accommodate the mounting bracket. drilling on the other side (right side in the picture), all i would have had to do is trim a small section of the spine around each hole. less work that way. here's the pic:
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/969/dsc02453o.jpg

4) here's how i modified the front mounting bracket:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3633/dsc02452aj.jpg

5) here's how it ends up mounting in the TVPs. need to gently push the mounting bars in place:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/474/dsc02456t.jpg

and the results:

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4036/dsc02457qx.jpg
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8643/dsc02458ys.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4938/dsc02460j.jpg

to get a better fit, you can pop it back into boiling water for 10 minutes and carefully, while it's still piping hot, mount it and tighten it down (the provided screws have fine threads, like the diffs, and strip easily, the coarse threads would be best if you have extra).

:homer:

[Bankrupter]

Good stuff my man!

[what the FLUX]

Looks great man, I like it.
Great job on the skid plate.
If you don't mind let us know what you think of the Kershaw slipper spring, I'm thinking of get one too.
Cheers

[Combuster]

that skid came out pretty good

[HOLLYW00D]

got a couple new pics up of the stance with it lowered. what a difference that makes coupled with the RSC; wow!

took it for a quick spin tonight, and the turning response was fantastic, thanx to heavier servo spring and bearings. didn't get much of a feel for the badlands, as it seemed that it wanted to wheelie less, but that could be attributed to the suspension setup. i did notice that i am able to flip over when braking hard with the badlands. quite easily in fact. so i they *may* bite into the grass a little better than stock. :) i love the way the suspension/steering mods have transformed the Flux. will have some slicks on rulux wheels tomorrow, so i don't have to ruin the badlands or suffer with the stockers on-road. more pix tomorrow!

[HOLLYW00D]

well, all i can say is don't even bother with Panther Mega Maxx Slicks. the sidewall is SUPER soft. don't waste your time. if you want mine, you can have them, just pay for postage. what a sorry excuse for a tire. for the price, they cold have at least some with some type of molded foam insert, but no, it's the type of foam that disintegrates when you break wind in its general direction. some new pics up top.

[what the FLUX]

Try taping them and using some Ofna foams.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXNNK9&P=7

[HOLLYW00D]

quick update on the Kershaw Designs Heavy Duty Slipper Spring Kit:

don't waste your time. if the inner diameter of the pieces was matched to the diameter of the drive shaft, i might have considered messing around with it. unfortunately, since they are too big for the shaft, they won't center properly. not even sure why it's marketed as a flux upgrade...

[HOLLYW00D]

added a couple pics with the phaltlines. snapped an XL axle within 30 seconds of running the new wheel/tire combo. =) i guess i hit the curb *just* right. slapped on the short axles up front for now.

[Bankrupter]

Phaltlines look nice think thats my next road tire to try.what camber are you running with that rsc? Looks like your out a bit...

[HOLLYW00D]

hey Bankrupter, not really sure what my camber is set to. i see what you're sayin though, in the pic, but it looks straight in person. i'll double check when i get the phaltlines back on again.

wanted to do a little "review" of the Integy parts i got it... let me preface this by saying that i've heard nothing but bad things about Integy, but i wanted the pieces connecting the wheels to the axle a little sturdier/beefier; so i ordered their 17mm hexes and the "pro" wheel nut, which has more surface area that meets the wheel and the larger surface area is machined in a way that it will "bite" the wheel and prevent unintentional loosening. so, i unpacked the hexes, whcih come with "regular" nuts: the fit and finish is superb! i love the gunmetal ano job and everything is pristine and looks of quality. the standard nuts these hexes come with have an o-ring grove machined into the center of the threaded area, with an o-ring fitted to it. this is supposed to prevent loosening. the standard nuts glide on the threads. well, here's where things take a slight turn: the "pro" nuts look to be of the same quality (o-ring groove and all). the small little, tiny, minuscule, problem is that the thread pitch is off and thus won't thread on the hex hub. GREAT! anyway, i don't have a tap to chase the threads, so i muscled it on slowly. the threads are just BARELY off, but off enough... anyway, after working it back ad forth for a bit, i was ready to mount them. this part was self explanatory and went on without a hitch. over all, it makes me feel more secure that the wheel will stay on. i also like the fact that the wheel is supported not only by the hex, but also by the wider shaft of the hex hub. these do make things wider and it probably will tear up my bearings quicker, especially with my ruluxes, so take note of that if you're in the market for these. i also added some blue loctite to the axle threads for the little shaft screw that holds the whole assembly in place.

i'm happy i was able to use the "pro" nuts on the hex hubs, but not happy i had to force them to work together. i'm also happy that my pins don't fall out every time i take the wheels off. additionally, i like the fact that there's no nylon to wear out in the nuts and since they "bite" the wheel and have more surface area (contact and threaded), chances are slim of them coming loose. on a side note, your wheels will probably get chewed up in the contact area much quicker (although, the stockers are machines in much the same manner).

[Hypnotiq]

Wow.. good stuff on the skid plate.. I like the way the flux looks on blasts / phatlines.