Redcat TT5 Buggy, after two tanks of gas...

[CallsignVega]

I have been running the buggy around the track here now for about two tanks of gas total now. There are still a few reoccurring issues that I have been having though. Not long after I received the car one of the rear left driveshaft pins came loose so with the differentials acting how they are designed, was limited to front wheel drive. I thought no problem; just a drive shaft pin and Redcat sent me some new drive shafts. So I receive the new drive shafts (2) in a bag and put one in. After a whopping two minutes on the track, BOTH drive pins flew out of the new driveshaft! Same driveshaft, rear left. I thought, what are the chances that both pins would fly out on the same driveshaft at once?
There must be some issue with these drive shafts that they aren't pressed in with a lot of pressure and they are just centrifugally being thrown out. I took that new drive shaft out that had two minutes of run time on it and put the second new one in, (my last one) and the pins are still in after about ten minutes of run time. I only have about ten minutes on this last drive shaft because my receiver battery died and it had gotten dark outside. Anyways, if this last driveshaft flings the pins out I have some high tensile strength aircraft cotter pins I can put through the holes and see if they stay put. I am not sure though there is quite a bit of torque put down to these wheels, especially during throttle on one wheel jump landings.
The other issue is that rocks and pebbles keep getting into my drive gear case! You know the white plastic case that goes over the four main gears? I am not sure how they are getting in there but these pebbles are tearing the gears up. The pebbles get so wedged in there that the car won't actually move under throttle and I have to pry them out with a screwdriver. Very strange. Even with the clear body on somehow these pebbles are getting in there, maybe from the clutch area.
Other then that there are just minor issues. Like the way the plastic body sits on the car when it rolls over. The body takes all of the impact and is cracked in many places. The body is also warped from the heat of the engine and exhaust and sits on the car now pretty crooked. The suspension has been holding up pretty well, nothing broken there as of yet. Although, even with the front suspension set as high as it can go and the rear suspension set as low as it can go, with full throttle the car still nose dives over jumps every time. I just don't get it. I am not sure what I can adjust/do differently for this buggy to land on its four wheels after a jump. Another minor quirk is that the fuel tank spills fuel out the vent hole every time I run it on the track. I am not sure why.

But besides all of that the car sure is fun to run and my friends like the rooster tails of dirt going everywhere. It has much more visual impact then their 1/8th scales...

 

[Shiny]

Although, even with the front suspension set as high as it can go and the rear suspension set as low as it can go, with full throttle the car still nose dives over jumps every time. I just don't get it. I am not sure what I can adjust/do differently for this buggy to land on its four wheels after a jump.QUOTE]

Try full throttle just before the jump. But don’t lane with full throttle.

 

[pipeous]

I am having fun with dogbone pins myself right now. I had one fling right out and one snapped in half inside the bone. I am still on my first tank and was under half throttle. I lost front wheel drive and came home to check it over. I stripped the beast down yesterday and found the second shaft had the broken pin.

I have now put sleeves on all the outdrives. I used braided washing machine hose for the center ones and made a jig to stretc them out to fit over the outdrives and dogbones. for the front and rear I used heatshrink and made channels with half sections of nylon pipe to go over the pins as they need some travel room, then heatshrink over the nylon.... I picked up one dogbone, now I have to wait to hear from Rob to get another one so I can finish fixing this thing and get out and play.

I think I will bite the bullit and get mcd bones or even some cvd's for the front and bones in back. I can use the stock bones for spares then. are there any other bones or cvd's for down the center of the chassis?

 

[RAMTech-RC]

There should be an MCD dogbone for those. I'll ask Troy.

 

[pipeous]

My front dogbone pin had not flung out. it had broken both sides and a little piece remained inside, I had aa big fight getting the one broken pin out so I know it didn't slip. The second one had less left and came out easier. I cut some stainless pipe to make the front channels and took some pics to show what I mean. There's also a pic or 2 of the chassis with the driveline in but motor and gear plate out, though I imagine you've allready looked yours over, others might like to see

I cut a 5/32 drill bit shank as a new pin, cut a slot out and jb weld in the slot and on pin, tapped it in and jb weld around the pins outside. well jb quick because it dries way faster. I wanted to drill out the very end of the dogbone to put a setscrew, but I don't have a drill press, and against my better judgment (and posting on our local forum I wasn't going to chance drilling myself again) long story short, I had to bandage myself up and got blood on my work table hehe....

Rob, vancouverhobbies.com, has allready assured me the mcd bones fit the 4 corners. So I wonder if I can't just get a pair of cvd's from an mcd instead? and is the center driveline the same layout? I can measure the center bones frompin to pin if need be with calipers. I want to get rid of all the Redcat dogbones untilthey release a fixed version (my shocks have nuts inside on the shafts above the piston instead of c clips)

http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn181/Pipeous/RC/Rampage_TT5/

 

[RAMTech-RC]

I will figure out what center driveline dogbones will work from MCD, and send some to Vancouver Hobbies.

 

[pipeous]

The dogbones held up to some good bashing today. I took the truck down to our crawling spot (ya I put the mt body, tires and gearing on). I was climbing the big sand/dirt hills like nothing and the truck has really good sidebite.

After playing on the sand and jumping some moguls and stuff, it has holding up good. So I got cocky and tried to rip through a huge mound of dirt and rocks where dirt bikes climb. It's quite high. I made it up and down all the paths but I tried to jump down a really steep part and land on the downgrade. I landed but there was a big rock/concrete sticking out and of course I caught the front right arm. it hit hard enough to flip the truck too. too far to carry the truck so I drove it back with the front arm flopping lol. it was like driving a plow... I don't mind breaking stuff when it's my fault. I don't like breaking stuff, but it's a lot easier to take than a part failure.

I appreciate the help.