TRX3 number two

[CobraKen]

Have at last finished this Trx3, I will be running this one at the weekend

[Mr. ED]

I just about finished mine. It has a couple personal touches you may like... I'lll try to post pics up tomorrow.

Why the large battery plate? Was it meant to put the esc on top?

I hope you can share set-up tricks to make it jump well: I 'm on the waitlist for a big event with lots of jumps. Those didn't pose a problem with the mid-motered YZ10 and midmotered 2WD I drove in the past 2 events, but the rearmotered tcp worries me. I was never able to get my ultimas to fly level

[CobraKen]

Yes looking at the battery strap it is a bit on the large size,
its holding down a saddle pack Lipo, just didn,t want them
moving around.
There,s no large jumps on the tracks I run on, but as with
most rear motored cars it,s down to throttle control in the
air, which I,m not very good at
Totally agree with the YZ10.
I,ve fitted a hydradrive to the car, just interested to see how
it stacks up with the latest horsepower thats,s available

[GJW]

looks very nice, is that a ics 7.1/8.1? so its got hydra drive has it! what top shaft have you used?

[CobraKen]

Well spotted,marui hunter 73 it,s a ics 7.1
When LRP built these they got them spot on, I just like the "feel" very progressive
I,ve got this type in all my cars
Home made topshaft and gearcover

[drbelleville]

looks very nice, is that a ics 7.1/8.1? so its got hydra drive has it! what top shaft have you used?

This is nice, I just had picked up a TRX-1 of the EB, and it too had a Hydra Drive installed - Marui I can send you some dimensions if you like.

Great build, did you get any pieces from Fiberlyte?

Maurice

[drbelleville]

looks very nice, is that a ics 7.1/8.1? so its got hydra drive has it! what top shaft have you used?

I measured the shaft that came out of the tranny in my Traxxas Buggy (with Hydra drive.

I have no reference to what the Actual Losi provided ones are dimension wise.

[CobraKen]

My shelf car has all the Fibre-Lyte parts on it,
I did ask them not to cut the battery slots in the chassis
gives it a smooth/cleaner look

[drbelleville]

The Fiberlyte pieces do look great, I had ordered some in the Twill patern. Is that a stock gear cover you used with the Hydra drive?

Thanks
Maurice

[CobraKen]

Gear cover is one I have made, the tool requires a few minor tweeks
then the covers will be available
Ran the car today on a very greasey astro tuff track, very impressed
maybe it was the hydradrive, I did have a problem though
snapped 2 rear hubs in different runs.
Is the age of the components if it is what can be done
Has anyone tried boiling the nylon to soften it
cheers
Ken

[jwscab]

I was gonna say I have some brittle traxxas parts, and I was going to try boiling to help soften the parts.....

[klavy69]

Very curious myself in this...in slot cars we used to boil the nylon chassis in a fixture and let it cool to straighten them out but not sure if they stayed flexible. I guess you can only try and see what happens.
Todd

[cunawarit]

Hi, I tend to browse around this forum but never post...

BTW, those Traxxas racers are amazingly cool!!!! Bandit like, yet somehow, much cooler

Incidentally, I didn't know hydradrive excised either! A quick Google reveals it is hydraulic slipper clutch type system. Sounds nightmarish to maintain, is it? How does it work? Is it anywhere near as complex as a torque converter?

BTW, keep up the good work, nice to see people maintaining all these old RC cars

[Lonestar]

The hydra shaft was a traxxas part, at least for the TRX1 - I suspect it also fits the 3.

Paul

[shirochanwrx]

The Hydra-drive was a Losi product, and was essentially a viscous coupling between the motor and the friction slipper plate for additional torque control on slippery tracks.

It is heavy and although it was briefly used widely in both Losi and other brand cars, the double plate slipper eventually made the Hydra-drive obsolete. One has to wonder if the increased burden of maintainance combined with dodgey quality control, fit, and finish contributed to its eventual obsolescence.

Interestingly, the rise of bottomless brushless power and nuclear Lipo power now means that the additional weight of the Hydra-drive is less of concern, while the traction advantages and vintage cool factor are a big plus.

I have a bunch of Hydra-drive parts, new and old, and I think that they are pretty cool. Manufacturers such as Traxxas, RPM, and others made top shafts to accomodate the Hydra-drive for a number of vehicles, such as the TRX-1/-3 as in this post.