Help me build a Savage that will smoke a bunch of tricked out Slashes!

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m411b

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My LHS has a few good tracks and the Slashes run the tracks. They are on top of everything and nothing there seems to keep up with them at the moment. I want to build a Savage Racer that will smoke all of them and I KNOW it can be done. I've been researching Savagesam's build to create something real similar to his truck but I don't want to replicate his truck and I figured this is the best place to start!

What I have to start out with is a Savage XL that I have been building from the ground up from scratch. What I want to do is build the truck not so much for top speed but for that "10 second 1/4 mile" with good mid range speed so i can blow the Slashes away with take off. I know a Flux would probably be more suited for this, but I don't want a Flux!

I am one of only 3 HPI guys that visit the LHS and the very first time I went in there, they were all telling me that the Savage sucks and it would never "Keep Up" due to size and weight. Well, I refuse to listen to that crap, and I beg to differ!

So, I figure that with the help of all the Experts here, we should all be able to contribute knowledge to this build so I can prove a point. Money is no object here and I am in no hurry because I want it to be near perfect!

I am currently working on getting a full CF chassis to reduce weight and I have my hands on a Picco .28 P3 for $165 NIB that I will have race modified by ERCM. I have a pair of Big Bore shocks in route but I am thinking they are going to be to long for the LCG I want, so I may end up getting Jammin rears like Savagesam did. I also have a couple of brand new XL diffs en-route but not sure if the gear ratio is going to be right for the take off I want.
I have a new 2 speed en-route and also have a complete Delrin Gear set en-route to reduce weight.

What kind of ideas can everyone give me to help me put some Traxxas Trash in it place?

This is what I have to start with and like I said, I have a ton of parts en-route! This is just tossed together at the moment.
Thanks in advance, Lee
dsc0119h.jpg
 
the big bores and be modded to lower the stance of the truck or use the right combo of preload clips to get the sit/droop to the way you want it and also the shock oil can have some fatcor in this as well. mine are un modded so far and they sit level with plenty of droop when i pick the truck up. but the rsc will improve the handleing drasticly but its sounds like you have a goal so go for it and have fun doin it!!!
 
Thanks for the replies! I will have to see about the big bores when they get here. But I'm thinking that smaller shocks will help drop weight also, so we will see how it goes.

I am definitely going to get the Savage Suspension Conversion kit though! That will help out drastically with weight and handling.

I will post up picks as it goes.
 
K you are off to one heck of a start. What is the delrin gear set though?

My advice to you. like freddy said you are going to need the RSC to run that on the track. Tires are going to be very important. Bowties work well on almost all tracks. When tunning the trans let the motor get to the top of its powerband before shifting. This is not wound out but perty close. Gear it as low as possible so that you wind out in second at the very end of your longest straight away.

Practice, practice, practice. Learn good throttal control. You want to be rolling the throttal not going blipping it. If you are driving and you feel like it is easy and you are not having to fight the truck around the track there is a good chance you are turning very fast lap times. Smooth throttal and steering inputs is what you want.

Suspension tunning is going to be very important and how you will need it set up is going to depend on the track so I can't really give you much advice there. You can check out this thread and It should give you all the info you need to figure out what works best for you though. https://www.hpisavageforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14260

When you are on the stand racing. Take your time and breath. The less time you spend on your roof waiting for a marshall the faster you will be.
 
Know the weekness's of both your truck and the slash. If it is a tight track you are going to need to pass in the turns. Put your nose on the inside of them as you go into the turn and trust me you will pass them and they will be waiting for a marshall.
 
Thanks Pope. The Delrin gear set I got is the GPM Savage X set. It comes with all five gears. The only difference in the gearing is 2nd gear. Stock it is 39t the delrin set is 37t. I had to order them all the way from Hong Kong :)
 
The Pope NJ said:
Be carefull with the delrin gears I tried them on my Mini and they shreaded litterly.
Click to expand...

I'm hopin that the slipper will nullify this. But we will see! The tranny the gears are going into will only be ran on the track with a back-up as needed and the truck will be pretty light I am hoping.
I don't know if you noticed in the pic or not but the A-Arms I'm gonna use are Savage 21 arms. They are a little less bulky than the Savage X arms and can be shaven to reduce weight a little.

88gtanotchback said:
don't forget to get teh ERCM pipe when you get that picco modded. looking forward to the pics!
Click to expand...

+1 :rock:
 
Has anyone here ever used the titanium shafts for the 2 speed tranny?

HPI86343 SAVAGE GEAR SHAFT-titanium, 6 x 12 x 78mm
HPI86344 SAVAGE IDLER SHAFT-titanium, 6 x 8 x 45mm
HPI86345 SAVAGE DRIVE SHAFT-titanium, 6 x 67mm
 
m411b said:
Has anyone here ever used the titanium shafts for the 2 speed tranny?

HPI86343 SAVAGE GEAR SHAFT-titanium, 6 x 12 x 78mm
HPI86344 SAVAGE IDLER SHAFT-titanium, 6 x 8 x 45mm
HPI86345 SAVAGE DRIVE SHAFT-titanium, 6 x 67mm
Click to expand...

I have them....
 
I guess those shafts hold up pretty well then, and are worth the $75?

What do you think about running just one brake disk also? Basically to drop weight a little, or is this a bad idea?
 
you are also going to need decent wheels and tires... Whats the best for the track? SPI!!!!! Lightweight, and extreme offset!

Here are mine... They were designed my SPI for Race applications! Max grip, no roll overs. also warrenty for life!

IMG_0267.jpg


One to show how it mounts and the offset!

<a href="http://s878.photobucket.com/albums/ab348/Jahay87/?action=view&current=IMG_0271.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i878.photobucket.com/albums/ab348/Jahay87/IMG_0271.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Run these on some bowties and you will have amazing control!

Check out their site

http://www.spiracingwheels.com/2009/mtwheel.htm

I'm going to watch this build!
 
IMG_0271.jpg


Image didnt show up... here it is
 
Have to disagree on the spi rims. You use them you will never be able to get around the track. Use 1/2" offset either with xl axles or rims but not both. To wide and you won't be able to stear the beast.

Don't get me wrong spi's look cool but they will never do for on the track. As far as rollover set the truck up right and you won't even have to worry about it.
 
i only bash this truck at the moment... Had the truck out yesterday for the first time... You are completely wrong about steering.
MY Ace servo has no probs turning the extreme offset rims (Have done the steering mod too). I'm only running the HD extended axles on the back just to see how it performs with the staggered offset.
Makes the DB-17 chassis look more in proportion too considering the length.
Also considering the power of the flux and the stability of these TVPs with sway bars, i can use the throttle to steer the truck very tightly round U Turn bends.
 
Wasn't saying that the servo can't turn the wheels. You make a truck to long or to wide you are going to have a hard time getting it to go the way you want and follow the groove. I learned this the hard way when I took my truck racing with 1" offset between the rims and xl axles.

Pluse the spi rims are 90 bucks dish rims are 10-15 bucks. That extra 75 gets you more than half way to the rsc.

Not trying to dis your truck man but he is asking how to build a race truck that will compete on the track.
 
TI trans shafts are a bit over kill. Use the money on the rsc. As for the breaks use both discs. You are going to need stoping power and you won't save more than a gram or two by using only one.
 
fair enough... haven't been in the game too long...
 
The Pope NJ said:
TI trans shafts are a bit over kill. Use the money on the rsc. As for the breaks use both discs. You are going to need stoping power and you won't save more than a gram or two by using only one.
Click to expand...

So you think 1/2" Offset rims and XL axles is to much then?

Money is no issue so why not get both? Those shafts are going to make the tranny so much lighter coupled with the delrin gears.
The RSC is on it's way right now. Oh and I lost the Picco! I was to late the guy I was getting it from sold it a couple hours before I called him. :( But thats OK. I will find another one, and if anything I will wait till Tower gets them in stock and use a $35 off coupon to get it for the same price!!
 
Yea that would be far to wide use the flux axles and 1/2" offset rims.

I can't tell you how to spend your money lord knows I have no room to talk but 75 bucks to save the weight of a few paperclips is just not worth it IMHO. Use it to mod the picco and you won't need to worry about that weight at all. You will be to busy trying to tame all the extra power.

Race modded picco will have more power top and bottom than you will ever need on the track.
 
An updated pic with a few new parts! Basically what I have now is a SS rolling chassis. The TVP's are going, the bulkhead plates are going, the motor plate is going, and the motor mount is getting replaced with HPI part 86140. All the chassis parts are getting replaced with CF.

dsc0119q.jpg
 
Oh and BTW, I measured the width of the truck and it measures 18" total on the button!
 
Well today I received my CF bulkhead plates and my delrin gears. I went ahead and put the plates on the truck and forgot to take pics of work in progress. But I did make somewhat of a how-to for replacing the gears in the tranny. It can be seen here on the forums.
Here is a pic of the truck with the plates installed:
dsc0117ln.jpg

I really like the way the CF looks and can't wait to get the rest of it.
 
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