Dragons Hobbies Forum
Radio Control and Models => Nikko RC => Topic started by: jeffescortlx on September 13, 2012, 19:57:45
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I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with mine. Mine is the radio shack version, but should be identical to the Nikko thor with the single 540 motor.
From what I remember (I worked at radio shack in the late 90's) This truck had good power and speed, it would pull a a wheelie and blow through grass with ease.
Mine, is very under powered. Struggles to go through grass, can hardly drive up a incline and can't come close to doing a wheelie.
I tried 3 different battery packs (they work fine on other R/C's)
I tried a different RS540 motor.
I tried a different transmitter (thinking maybe the pot wasn't seeing full forward).
I measured the voltage right at the motor at full throttle, and it measured full battery voltage, no loss at the ESC. (free wheeled, no load). I measured the voltage right at the Mosfet, and only saw like ~.07 loss. (free wheeled).
So the ESC doesn't really seem to be "bad" unless it's going weak under load, but that's a little more tricky to test for.
Maybe I've gotten use to driving R/C with mod motor's and am expecting a bit much, but how much power does your have?
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One thing is causing no power, speed control.
I have had several of the trucks on that platform that are identical to the thor and none of them had power. I never remember any of the 540 2wds having much power and seemed as week as the thor. All thors came with dual 380s and 4wd but werent torquey either. I took my trailblazer an swapped in a powerful stock motor as not to overload the speed control and it made no difference. If you hook up a hobby control on stock 7.2v it will feel night and day more powerful. Im actually goin to be converting my trailblazer to a 11.1v car and i will let you know how fast it goes with that and 7.2v.
Other cars on the platform were:
Rock runner/car crusher
Rock runner/car crusher 2
Tremor
Trailblazer
Speaking of thors, i just found a black one last night on cl supposedly never taken out of the box and bought it for $120 shipped.
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I also got the extreme machine to run on its factory radio today which is cool because you would never know its a lipo powered waterproof torque monster. If i convert a thor or trailblazer im definitely gonna use the stock radio too .
If i were you I would make it a hobby car and use an am radio that way you can use your original remote but have tons of power. It is reallllly easy to make it a hobby car
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I was really hope'n to not have to hobby convertion this truck. Since it's already digital proportional. I have about 10 R/C that either have been converted, or need to be converted, or some were in the middle. I'm running out of speed controls and servos! lol
My best buddy got a Nikko High Roller black trans-am for X-mas when we were just little kids. We ran the crap out of that truck for a couple years. It was the twin 380 4x4 model. Under powered for any real off road stuff, but still ran the heck out of it.
But I do remember the single 540 model having more grunt. Maybe my memories are Nostalging. My Nikko buggies with the 540 have all kinds of power, I would think they would use the same electronics from that chassis.
Speaking of Trailblazers, thats the Jeep right? I've been watching them on Ebay, I want.
Nice score on the NIB Thor!
Have you wrecked any gear's in these yet?
I would like to use the OEM transmitter. All my stuff is AM, so I might just do that.
I ran the truck for a bit yesterday, had that burning electronic smell.
And it looks like the MOSFET's are long discontinued, I like to put some in with a higher amp rating, if I can find the data sheet.
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Its funny how different the power feels when you havent driven a car since back in the day. Some 540 cars were really powerful and others were weak. It all depends on the type of stock 540 they had.
Yes the trailblazer is an old Toyota FJ40, what some people call the toyota jeep. They came in red or blue and some had doors and other didnt. Ive got a red one with doors but ive always wanted the blue one with no doors.
I have never run into gear problems with any nikko based stuff. My extreme machine which is basically the nikko hercules has 4:1 gear reductions, locked axles, 6" tires and i run it hard on hill climbs and no rocks with no problems. Im sure the thor tho slightly different should be tough too.
Im goin to be modding a thor soon and finding a way to make it a low end torque monster
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Im goin to be modding a thor soon and finding a way to make it a low end torque monster
The NIB one?
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Im either gonna do the nib one or my red one which looks brand new. They just didnt have the power they should so i wont feel bad modding it but it will stay in mint condition.
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I put twin 540's in my Thor and it woke it up a lot. I still want to try a hobby grade esc in it, but id like to keep the stock radio, any ideas how i could do that?
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I just setup my extreme machine on its stock radio using all traxxas electronics. All you have to do is get an AM radio and install the chip. You have to move the trim until it finds its own neutral position then it will pickup the signal. Its the coolest thing using the stock radio but having tons of power.
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I put twin 540's in my Thor and it woke it up a lot.
Why is it your speed control can handle 2 540's and mine cant even handle the one OEM 540?
When I tried to put one stinger 550 on a thor (was twin 380) it couldn't take that either.
Did Nikko change the board on some of the thors?
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When you run a hot motor like a stinger in a stock speed control it overloads it and actually goes slower. Also the thors twin 380 speed control is hotter than the single 540 speed control. Perfect example, I ran a hot 370 motor in a wild thing hopper and it actually ran much slower than stock.
If you run a stock less hot 540 or a higher turn 540 it will actually run much better and doesnt over heat the speed control. now if you run a hot 540 or even just the stinger motor with a hobby control of any sort it will haul ass.
If you were to run say a 45-65t crawler motor in it it would have a butt load of bottom end torque and put less load than even the stock motor. It wont go fast but you would be able to walk through grass with ease instead of having to get speed to make it through. Being that your making a 2wd platform you just want flat out power and speed over low end.
If I were you heres what I would do to make the truck the way your wanting.
Traxxas am reciever
Traxxas vxl-3s brushless speed control
any 1/10 scale servo
stock motor- or 17t traxxas titan 550 motor
Running this combo you will be able to use your stock controller but you will have a lot more power even if you run the stock motor and stock 7.2v. However if you wanted to run 11.1v and make the truck run 25mph plus and wheelie all day long its up to you. With an 8t quad wound motor you would see a realistic 35mph+.
This is what I am about to do to my trailblazer
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Mark's two 540's (IIRC 540's are standard at 27 turns) is a heavier load then one 20 turn stinger.
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The dual 380 motor speed contol can handle more motor than the single 540 controller.
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The dual 380 motor speed contol can handle more motor than the single 540 controller.
The Nikko I put the single 20t stinger in was a High Roller Trans-AM (dual 380).
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Being an older version it most likely had the higher resistance speed control. There were sooo many variotions on that dual motor platform made from 1985-2002. The earlier trucks had the worst controls but some even from the late 90's came with a high resistance controller which made them worse not only from the factory but much worse with a hot motor.
I have never in 100s of cars had one lose power because its own speed control, however i have seen many of similar platforms run better than one or the other model because it came with a better speed control than the other. The hi roller probably got one of the hi resistance controllers and if you swapped it out with another stock controller not including an identical replacement you would probably see a difference.
By the way, if i convert my thor to hobby ill sell you my speed control/servo for cheap if you dont convert yours
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Being an older version it most likely had the higher resistance speed control. There were sooo many variotions on that dual motor platform made from 1985-2002. The earlier trucks had the worst controls but some even from the late 90's came with a high resistance controller which made them worse not only from the factory but much worse with a hot motor.
I have never in 100s of cars had one lose power because its own speed control, however i have seen many of similar platforms run better than one or the other model because it came with a better speed control than the other. The hi roller probably got one of the hi resistance controllers and if you swapped it out with another stock controller not including an identical replacement you would probably see a difference.
On the high roller I remember seeing two coils of bare wire under the vents of the chassis if that means any thing. My Radio Shack one does'nt have this.
By the way, if i convert my thor to hobby ill sell you my speed control/servo for cheap if you dont convert yours
I might have to take you up on that offer. What channel/band is it?
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I know on my Thor directly under the body, but seperate from the main board, is two seperate soild coils of wire about an inch long right next to each other. I assume this is for cooling of some sort?
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I believe the coils are for cooling
The 2wd and 4wd had different speed controllers but similar. Tho each had more than one type over the course of their chassis lifespan. Like the early one that was really high resistance and required 4aa. Later trucks got lower resistance controllers.
I might have to take pic of all the variations i have together and post it
I have several different bands if theres one that you might want more than the other