What is the One Best Revo mod?

[Tex]

Thrash has a XS3 for sale with two receivers for $140, you can't beat that with a stick.

[snakebite46]

Thrash has a XS3 for sale with two receivers for $140, you can't beat that with a stick.

LMAO Trip, love the stick part.

[satoch]

There are plenty of free/cheap performance upgrades you can do for the racing Revo.

1) Brake mod-take the spring out of a clicker pen and cut it half. Then put each half on the screws that hold the brakes on. This will prevent brake drag and allow you to more accurately adjust your brakes.

2) Lose the pillow ball covers that only bind up the suspension and drill the holes 1/4" deeper. This will narrow you trucks width and helps a bit with achieving a tighter turning radius.

3) Get the P2 rocker arms

4) Put the #2 shock piston in front and #3 in back with 50 wt oil (I use 40 wt in back)

5) Bump up to Orange/Gold springs (front/back)

6) Lose the optidrive and reverse servo when getting the Forward only Conversion (FOC)

7) The single sterring servo has been mentioned and is a must IMO. Make sure you then relocate the throttle return spring using a spacer under the extra gas tank mounting post that comes with the tank rebuild kit.

8) Get a Motorsaver airfilter or drill holes around the perimeter of the stock one on the sides near the screen to increase airflow. The stock one is overkill for idiots who don't clean their filter like they should.

9) To help save your diffs from blowing, take the yokes off and put a used glow plug washer as a shim to get the slop out of the input gears. Proper gear mesh helps prevent broken gears when you land on throttle like you're not supposed to.

10) After going to the single throttle servo, you an dremel the box to lighten it up.

11) Make sure you have about 12" of fuel line and a fuel filter. The extra line helps supply the engine with fuel when it's on its' lid waiting for some out of shape marshall like me to get over there and flip it over.

12) Aluminum/Titanium pushrods & toe links aren't really cheap but get rid of a massive a mount of weight.

13) The single best value for weight reduction is the new Vantage carbon fiber Revo chassis for $89. This reduces weight by a whopping 4.3 ounces!! I will be debuting mine on June 5th at THE ROCKPILE in Madison.

14) If you find the TQ3 radio steering or throttle too lose for your tastes you can take it apart and change the spring. I just put 2 pieces of fuel tube over the little pins and then put a #019 spring from True Value over them and glued it in. Worked great.

15) You can use fiberglass mesh drywall tape covered with Marine Grade Goop to reinforce stress points of the stock chassis to help it last longer.

16) Balance the tires/rims with adhesive backed lead tape you can buy at golf stores.

Hope this helps.

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

Today I ground off the steering stops to allow more bellcrank travel. It really helps get into the corners. Now I need the stronger/faster servo.
I also took advantage of the adjustable caster and turned it up. All in all it helps somewhat, for free.

[satoch]

As for radios, Spektrum has a new DSS radio out for like $299 w/transceiver. That's a great deal! Much better IMO than trying to put a Spektrum Module in another older radio. Personally, I'm going with the Nomadio Sensor for $499 with 2 transceivers. That way I'm set up for the buggy I'll get some day.

[Gonzo]

If you cut down the little steering stops you might also want to shave away part of the servo guards. Just take a sanding bit and sand away the part that the servo arm comes in contact with. It will give you a tad bit more steering.

I would also recomend taking a zip tie and strapping down the head guard. Mine tends to come off. One zip tie will keep if from coming loose because of the tension if provides.

Plastidipiing the servos is convenient as you can run in rain or snow. I dipped mine and then ballooned them. Since then I have bought some plastidip spray. I don't know if it is better but from my experience with the dip I would imagine it provides a much easier way to get a get a more consitent coat, or coat just the parts of the servo that aren't sealed. Your reciever and optidrive you will want to balloon.

If you are using your stock body, look on the right side. Where the fuel tank access is on the left side, there will be a portion of the body that juts out a bit on the right. Take a dremel and cut out that part of the body. This will provide a nifty air intake to cool the engine during hot weather. Plus it adds a cool body scoop look. Got that tip from RCCar's site I think...

EDIT: Found a picture of the above mod :


If I think of more I'll post them.


PS: When doing dremel work on the body, I have found that the drill bit works best. It is easy to control and makes a pretty clean cut. The sanding bit tends to tear the lexan up.

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

I already did the servo guards when I did the stops. Now I have a puzzler...
I installed the JRxs3 radio and RS300 rx from George, but the steering servos have less travel than I did with the stock radio gear. I have reset the subtrim to zero, reset the arms on the servos to center, tuned up the dual rate to 100% and adjusted the steering epa's to 125%. I still see about another 1/8" of travel that I could be getting/was getting before.

Any JR XS3- Revo guys know the answer? I have read the manual and can't see if I'm missing something.

[MX_KEVIN]

I already did the servo guards when I did the stops. Now I have a puzzler...
I installed the JRxs3 radio and RS300 rx from George, but the steering servos have less travel than I did with the stock radio gear. I have reset the subtrim to zero, reset the arms on the servos to center, tuned up the dual rate to 100% and adjusted the steering epa's to 125%. I still see about another 1/8" of travel that I could be getting/was getting before.

Any JR XS3- Revo guys know the answer? I have read the manual and can't see if I'm missing something.

I think I remember having that problem and It was 1 of the 3 buttons for your thumb was for steering rate. Stock programed rate is 75%.

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

Nope. Already have it turned up to 100%.

[satoch]

If you've done all that you say then the only way to squeeze that last 1/8" is to somehow shorten the axis point on the servo arm bringing it closer to the center or do the same on the steering arm.

Actually I just looked at it and that's a great idea!!

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

I think you mean lengthen the servo arm, and yep that's all I can see to try next. I haven't found any other JR info to suggest why they won't drive the servo as far as Traxxas does. Crazy!!

Maybe one last email to JR customer service.

[ATA_Thrash]

Its most likly a setting on the radio. Ive seen this same type of post a few times before. The jr will drive the servo as far as a traxxas. Maybe give jr a call have them go over it with ya.

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

Gonna have to....

[Mr. Tune]

Being as I installed the xs3 on my revo the other day, I might have some helpfull info for you. With default settings, the wheels do NOT turn as far as they do on the factory radio. I ended up setting the epa (left and right are separate) to 125% for both. There is also a master setting too for the steering. I have that up to about 110%. Right know, I could turn it up more to get even more steering, but at full suspension compression, the tires would start rubbing on the turnbuckles.

[thenewguy821]

Good find John.... I forgot, there is an End point adjustment on the Transmitter, and also a Dual Rate Adjustment.... The Dual Rate is the "Master setting" that you mention. It is great for tuning your steering depending on the track....

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

I have DirtDawg's old xs3 (not Pro) and the dual rate setting only goes up to 100%. I read on Traxxas forums that servo brands other than Traxxas servos will travel further with the xs3. I will have to live with it the way it is, which is no worse than the stock travel without grinding the stops or guards, until that hi speed/torque servo comes along.

[Mr. Tune]

This whole time I thought the only difference was the color, lol. I like the silver, so I bought it.

On mine it's STM (on the screen) and it's adjustable to 125%.

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

I just installed the Y harness on channel 3. No more low battery flshing light, and faster servo action because of full voltage output through the rx. Much better!!!

It's good that the JR rx is smaller than the Traxxas, because with the Y harness and failsafe, that radio box is full of wire! I need to look into a kit to shorten the wires and add new connectors.

[Tex]

just shorten the wires and solder them back together. With shrink wrap on the joints it'll look factory.

If you've never done it, I can help. I live in Plainfield. I can come help

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

Tex,

I appreciate the offer! The hobby shop world must sell connectors/shells with crimp on pins? I know I could shorten the wires and cover the splice, but I'd prefer to make it as clean as possible. Putting new connectors on after shortening the wires would be slicker, in my opinion.

I like the details.

Plainfield and Napeville are quicly become close neighbors down around the south end of my town. I live near 75th and Washington, near the south side of downtown Naperville. I look forward to getting down to see and/or run with the group at Leisure. My sons are out of school for summer and they need something to keep them busy!

[Mr. Tune]

I can probably modify your receiver box pretty easy so you can get full voltage out of the battery connection and dump the Y connector alltogether.

I repair boards all day long, so I'm pretty good at finding out which resistor in there caused the voltage drop and bypass it with a jumper .

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

Does your work come with a warranty? jk.

[Mr. Tune]

It won't blow up, trust me . I took a peek at my RS310 (it's different, but the basic design will be the same), and it looks pretty easy to do. On mine all the negative posts are tied together and all the positive posts are tied together. This way when the battery is plugged in, all the channels will get full battery power. On your's it should be the same, except for the battery posts. One of them will have a resistor across it, which will drop the incoming voltage for the other channels. All that needs to be done is manually solder in a jumper so the all the posts are tied together like on the RS310 and you're set.

The whole process should take only minutes.

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

We'll have to talk. I do have George's spare rx that I could try it on and see.

[Mr. Tune]

No prob. Just let me know if/when you want to meet up so I can mod your receiver for you.