quick update, the car is dialled, though anyone who wants to tell me they told me so they can about the following issues

TA05 precision outdrives in the rear - Broke on first pull of the trigger
TA05 precision outdrives in the front - lasted 3 meetings, but one snapped in practise on sunday
TA05 aluminium outdrives - damaged in first race with it in the front, worked out that the actual outdrive cup is shorter than the db01 or 501 outdrives which led to the plastic saver thing being ripped off the cvd and then the cvd popping out of the outdrive.
so for the moment ive got 501x outdrives all round which was the original advise, so im sorry i didnt listen to the people, now my only hope is the 3 racing heavy duty 501x aluminium outdrives, which in the pics look like they have the correct depth to allow for the extra droop in the off road car

though i was right about the following thing

TA05 mainshaft - direct drive, works perfect, just had to shim it out a bit and am now running the lightweight layshaft
Go Tamiya!!

So your not using a slipper then?

correct, im running direct drive, in 17.5 its not been an issue in other cars ive driven

all fair and good if you have no jumps, far more important if you have.

oh the tracks i race on have jumps, but i expect and have noted that the transmission is up to the job in the 17.5 BL class with the direct drive, no skipping etc and belts look in good condition still, in the coming months this chassis will be my big events car, and a club car will be setup with slipper so its a bit easier on everything

the slipper isn't there to just control power, it is a handling aide too, it will make the car a little less jittery over jumps and bumps/

yeah, but it also adds weight to the drive train which i dont like, most stock racers i know lock the slipper up anyway, having won 3 state series in stock using direct drive in my cars, i think the handling doesnt suffer too much, anyway new topic.

I'm no engineer but it's still aluminium running against a steel driveshaft and in my mind I don't think that bodes well for longevity. Anyways, I'm back off to sleep now...

you're dead right, thats why they come with plastic protectors, that clip over the pins on the driveshafts, these spread the load better onto the outdrive and it means that its only plastic touching the aluminium, the plastc wears before the aluminium does and u just replace the protectors every now and then

I think he's refering to the 3-racing 501x outdrives being made of aluminum...

Yeah thanks, i know, if u read my post, i pointed out that the plastic protectors on the pins of the driveshaft protect the aluminium outdrive, meaning no contact between the steel driveshaft and the aluminium outdrive, only plastic on the aluminium, which was his concern, but thanks for disagreeing with me again :thumbsup:

But the 3 racing 501x outdrives don't use the plastic protectors...:eh?:

interesting that the would make them like that, as well as making the plastic protectors, well i guess i can try it and see how the wear is, or file them wide enough to fit the plastic protectors

I've got some of the 3racing outdrives, no plastic protectors, and no wear issues really, if anything the pin wears rather than the outdrive.

They seem fine, as good as the tamiya 501/511 ones I think.

cool, thats good news Simon, i guess i'll just try them out and see what happens, but your feedback about the outdrives is encouraging

New Clip
 

I have the 3-Racing outdrives on the rear, and they have proven to be adequate so far.
Here is a little video I made on my day off.
Enjoy
FC

Hey guys just picked up a 2nd hand bog stock DB01, just has the Johnson 540 motor and a "No Limit" esc running 26/91 using a 2s Lifepo4 Battery (6.6v) and its a slug, really bogs down out of turns too.

Any suggestions for a basic upgrade? Won't use Lipos or Nimh on safety grounds so want something that'll live with only 6.6v

As this is just a hacker for the one or two novice races I do a yr I don't want to go nuts, I have 2 Baja's to feed :D

Pop in an EZrun 5.5t motor/ESC setup and a slipper on the 6.6v and you'll be enjoying that baby on the cheap :-)

What sort of gearing would I need (dont have any other pinions to suit)

You won't know till you try. If the motor is getting too hot, you need a smaller pinion. With brushed motors, I like to be able to hold my thumb on the can for a minimum of 3 seconds before it feels too hot. With brushless it's more difficult as they say to never go beyond 170*f as it demagnetizes the rotor. A little handheld temp gun is nice for checking this. Personally I would just start out with the smaller pinion and work my way up if it's staying cool...

As for the car itself, I would suggest you strip down and rebuild it. It's a complicated build and I wouldn't trust someone elses workmanship on assembling. There's tons of small plastic spacers in the axles and suspension that must be correct or you will bind up the drivetrain. Also make sure the belts are pleanty loose to keep the drivetrain free. Check that all ball bearings turn smooth and free, and make sure the diffs are tight enough that they don't slip (at least before the slipper).

Adjusting a slipper and ball diffs together can be complicated so be sure your slipper is tight enough to get you off the line, and be sure your diffs are tighter than your slipper. Set your rear diff tight enough so the rear wheels won't spin more than 1 full turn with a quick zip from the palm of your hand. Then set the front diff a little tighter than the rear.

Make sure your pinion/spur mesh is proper and quiet. Easiest way to set 48pitch gears is to simply put a piece of regular paper between the gears and set mesh as tight as you can. Now lock the motor down and roll the paper out. Mesh should have the perfect clearance and run quiet...

You are now on the road to success...