Saddle pack size problems

[fredswain]

I just picked up my CR2 a week ago. It's my first saddle pack car. I only got back into rc about 6 months ago after an 18 year hiatus. Back then battery packs were 2 sizes, 6 cells and 7 cells. I bought a lipo when I upgraded to modern electronics but am still not up to date on differences in battery sizes. Apparently they have them. Not realizing I'd have issues I bought a Gens Ace 2S saddle pack. I placed it in the CR2 an noticed I can't even get the battery straps on due to the battery height. Even if it did fit, the body doesn't fit. With the body sitting on the battery there is an inch gap from bottom of body to bottom of the chassis. I would have to trim a brand new body at the very bottom of the mold to hopefully make it work. On top of that the battery wires need to go through the body which looks terrible.

What batteries are people using in these cars? I really need a much smaller one and I'd like to not have the wires extend through the body just to work. I'd have to find a different body at that point.

[RudolfXC]

If you look at the pictures of cars wired-up eady to race, people solder battery wires flat on top of the male connector.

[DavidAMS]

Originally Posted by RudolfXC

If you look at the pictures of cars wired-up eady to race, people solder battery wires flat on top of the male connector.

or get right angled bullet connectors

[fredswain]

That still leaves the problem of the battery that I'm using being too tall. Even with no wires going to it and the body sitting directly on top of the batteries, the body is still high enough that it doesn't cover the sides of the chassis at all. The bottom of the body gets right to the top edge of the chassis sides. What batteries will fit?

[fredswain]

I may have found a solution. Has anyone tried the Reedy #712 4200mah, 35c saddle pack? It is a hard case, only 23.2mm tall and the wires only come out one side of the battery rather than on top. It is a bit pricey so I'd like to know if anyone has any feedback on it before I pick one up. I'd hate to spend the money on it to find it doesn't fit well either.

[rcjunky]

which gens ace pack do you have? the 6000mah is really tall, the smaller capacity one should fit just fine. Or check out the venom 4200mah 35c, its probably a bit cheaper.

[fredswain]

It's the 6000mah. At 31.3mm tall is a monster. Then you've got the issue of the bullet plugs coming up from the top. On the inside near the center of the body is no big deal but the outer ones require cutting the body. The Reedy is a much shorter 23mm tall and the wires only come out near the center of the car so nothing under the lower sides of the body. It should work just fine. I hope. I wish I would have thought about this last week!

[DerbyDan]

Hi Fredswain - you PM'd me yesterday over on RC10Talk..... I measured my Vampire cells last night... the cases I think are supposed to be 25mm in height/thickness but they measure about 26mm in the middle where the cells have swelled slightly. I should have got a picture of the cells as they are rigged up in the car .... but I use the 'Corally' connectors with the wires soldered on at right angles off the top... so it keeps everything low profile (remember that you still need a link wire to connect the two cells together)

Its worth noting that even these LiPo batteries are taller than the old NiMhs - my battery posts (which I think are from an old touring car) do have approx 3mm worth of spacers beneath them to get the battery strap at the correct height.

[fredswain]

I just bought a new body for the car, another XXX-cr. I'm not a fan of the current paint job from the previous owner. He also cut holes for the battery posts and battery hold downs. They all protrude through the body since he trimmed it so low. I'm going to try the Reedy batteries but I'm also going to cut out the new body in a different place than marked so I have plenty of room under it. I doubt I'll have any problems with this setup. That's what I hope.

[DerbyDan]

Some pics of the cells installed (& connected) in my CR2 - note the flush soldering of the motor wires.





Please excuse the dust & grass - I haven't managed to brush it down after its last run.