[WIP] 12S W5 MAX FT-R, questions and build thread

[INeedBigDrink]

Hey everyone, this is my first thread on this forum

Bought an electric W5 MAX FT-R roller from Cardinal, and I’m swapping the electronics from my 4WD FG Sportsline (pic below) into it, including a MAX4 combo, two 7600mAh 6S SMC packs, and two promodeler servos.



Alongside the roller I ordered the following parts:

• Extra pinion-to-motor shaft adapters
• Hardest optional springs
• Center lock bar to swap with center diff
• Hex extensions/adapters from RCMax
• Proline Badlands MX43 beadlock wheels/tires
• 25t pinion + 60t spur

Still blown away by the scale of this thing considering the FG already dwarfed any previous RC I’ve owned.

Some questions I have:

The rear diff (I believe it’s planetary based on the chart from Cardinal) feels pretty open - plan on popping it out and seeing if I should stuff it with some thick silicon oil or putty as I did with my FG diff, but I want to do more research to see what MCD recommends for their diffs when using such a high torque motor.

The front and center diffs are LSD so I similarly wonder if they just need a ramp adjustment and maybe some fresh grease rather than filling it with material. I bought a center lock bar to mitigate ballooning but I will run it with the diff first in case the lock bar will put too much strain somewhere on the drivetrain when off-roading. Lmk if you have experience with this.

Shocks - I assume they come with oil in them already based on how plush they feel. I imagine the weight of the electronics will justify stiffer springs but if someone with a similar build has a different opinion and maybe a preferred shock oil they use, let me know.

Body - already have paint color and design in mind but I was curious if the plastic cage provides enough reinforcement for the body on its own when bolted on, or does anybody also reinforce their body with glue and drywall tape? I did that to keep my FG’s shell rigid and less prone to cracks but it was a lot of work at this scale.

Excited to join the rest of the MCD owners here as it looks like an amazing RC platform and a friendly forum.

 

[misterleon]

I’d considering swapping out the rear planetary for an lsd. If you want to go into the lsds and adjust them the higher the ramp angle the faster it will engage and disengage. I wouldn’t recommend packing them with wax or higher weight silicone oil. You can try the center locking diff but it will be very unforgiving on the drive train.

The shocks should be adjusted to suit but mostly likely they will be fine as is.

I recommend drywall taping the body around the edges and the cage mounts

 

[INeedBigDrink]

I’d considering swapping out the rear planetary for an lsd. If you want to go into the lsds and adjust them the higher the ramp angle the faster it will engage and disengage. I wouldn’t recommend packing them with wax or higher weight silicone oil. You can try the center locking diff but it will be very unforgiving on the drive train.

The shocks should be adjusted to suit but mostly likely they will be fine as is.

I recommend drywall taping the body around the edges and the cage mounts

Thanks for the advice! I watched a video on how the LSD operates and it’s nice to not have to deal with the mess of packing while maintaining a reliable level of friction.

 

[INeedBigDrink]

Been a week since I started working on this beastly platform.

I swapped the rear diff to an LSD to match the front and center and turned the ramps up on all of them. I drilled and dremeled these Proline MX43 wheels to fit the wheel hubs and trimmed the body to avoid rubbing. Still need to check ESC fitment to see how low I can place it with some simple cutting or if I need to make a raised mounting plate. So excited to drive it just about anywhere with the ground clearance and power this truck has.





I’m a bit annoyed at whoever put the roller together because some screws were seriously over tightened and I had to replace a couple because the heads were damaged. I had to use a breaker bar to get the wheel nuts off but it’s honestly way better than the plastic tool they provide so that’s how I’ll tighten them from now on

 

[INeedBigDrink]

Hey, I’ve since finished the chassis, still need to paint the body. I modified the original electronics box and the side guard to fit the MAX4 ESC. This method kept it pretty low to the chassis and saves weight. I’ll post again with more detailed pictures.


First running video

 

[Clubin]

Good stuff.

 

[violet604]

Hey, I’ve since finished the chassis, still need to paint the body. I modified the original electronics box and the side guard to fit the MAX4 ESC. This method kept it pretty low to the chassis and saves weight. I’ll post again with more detailed pictures.
View attachment 89900

First running video

Looks great!

I have the same electronics in my XR5, and it’s bonkers.

What ideas do you have for the paint?

 

[INeedBigDrink]

Looks great!

I have the same electronics in my XR5, and it’s bonkers.

What ideas do you have for the paint?

Thanks Clubin and Violet. As far as paint, I already picked out colors: Tamiya PS47 Iridescent Pink/Gold, PS49 Sky Blue Anodized Aluminum, and PS5 Black. I want to avoid liquid mask this time so ill go for a more abstract design that utilizes straight lines and the curves of the body. I’m researching such paint schemes on real vehicles and picking ones that inspire me the most and mash them up.

 

[Snaxx]

What running videos of this beast?