The ShockWaves are designed for Traxxas style 3.8″ rims and will also be available as pre-mounts on black Pro-Line F-11 wheels with 17mm hexes. More information will be available on these very soon, until then HERE is the link to the official Pro-Line website.

Dare to click on a BigSquidRC TGIF Myster Link? You know you want to!

The first body to hit the Comic Racer line is a Subaru WRX STI NBR Challenge 2010. There is much more information to come on these in the near future, until then Click Here to check view other cool vehicles from Kyosho America.

Thank Goodness It’s Friday, check out This BSRC Mystery Link.

Check out the video below of the Comic Racer in action from the guys at TeamMiniZ.

Cubby – First off I would like to add some info/data to the answer I gave Dave B in last weeks ASK Cubby. Dave’s email basically said that “C” ratings on Lipo batteries seem to be a bit shady, and well, you need to read LAST WEEKS COLUMN to see how I replied.

A bit over a year we reviewed a Zeus 3S 850 mah Lipo pack. Our West Mountain CBA is fully capable of testing a pack of that size to its stated “C” rating, so of course we did just that. The pack was rated at 25C, which is 21.25 amps, and after testing the pack lived under that load. At 25C the pack exhibited a big horseshoe in the discharge curve, meaning it was being pushed to its limit, but otherwise it didn’t get too hot and lived to fight another day.
If anyone out there is looking for proof that not everyone lies about their “C” ratings, the Zeus pack we tested would make a good example. IMO a 25C continuous rating on that pack was in the ballpark, I would have considered it a rock solid 25C pack if there was no horseshoe in the discharge curve. When we dialed up the discharge rate to 30C (25.5 amps) the pack couldn’t take the load and dropped below 3 volts per cell immediately. HERE is the link for the review (with full graphs) that I am talking about.

But… a small capacity pack with a low “C” rating isn’t exactly what Dave was complaining about, so this week I broke out the West Mountain again. Yes, we’ve connected big loads to packs before, but we’ve never connected a big continuous load in a more controlled setting with the CBA. I took half of a 5000 mah 55C saddle pack and decided to go big with it, our West Mountain tops out at 120 amps continuous on a 1S/4.2 volt battery. So… what happened to our 1S 5000 55C Lipo under 120 amps continuous? It wasn’t good, LOL. The voltage immediately dipped below the 3 volt cut-off. By immediately I mean in less than 5 seconds. The curve looked like a cliff, the voltage went straight down to below the 3 volt cut-off. Also of note… I wired up the pack like it would be used in the real world, with 12 gauge wire and a Traxxas connector. The Traxxas connector got mildly warm, but the wire got straight up HOT (and I have a blister on one of my fingers to prove it). We knew the wiring was going to be the weak link in advance and our testing simply proved it. I then backed off the discharge to 100 amps with pretty much the same end result. Finally I dropped the load down to 80 amps where the pack behaved in a more “normal” manner, except the wire was still getting hot. The voltage dipped hard under 80 amps, but not below the cut-off value, and the battery itself stayed at a relatively low temp throughout the entire discharge. I am going to re-do the test later this week, this time with heavier wire and post the graphs in next weeks ASK Cubby. Is 120 amps continuous too much for the cells in a 5000 mah 55C Lipo or are they more than up to the task given heavy enough wiring? More info next week on this one.

Hello Bigsquid,
I have a brand new Slash, what is the first mod I should do? I was thinking a brushless system but don’t know what is a good brand.
Emilio

Cubby- Yo what’s up Emilio, thanks for the email and mad props for the super easy question. I have a very clear cut first mod on the Traxxas Slash- new hinge pins. The stockers are made out of butter and like to work their way loose. Uber hinge pins are a relatively affordable mod that makes the truck more durable, easier to work on, and can improve the way it drives. They don’t add to the bling factor, but good hinge pins won’t bend and won’t back out, making them worth their weight in gold. I’ve used two different brands- Pro-Line and ST racing Concepts. The Pro-Line Set runs about $22 and are super easy to install. The STRC set sells for $18 and I’ve also had good luck with them. Both sets can also take a pretty intense beating. You can barely tap a pipe and bend the stockers while after slamming a cement curb the aftermarket pins remain straight as an arrow. Pick a set and install’em, you’ll be thanking me later.

The next hop-up/mod I would recommend wouldn’t be a brushless system either, it would be a good Lipo battery. Not only will a good Lipo give you more power and run-time, but having an extra battery around comes in really handy. Check out one a 2S Venom 5000 mah pack, they have good performance, don’t break the bank, and are readily available from most hobby shops.

The Race Duty CVD bones are made out of aluminum, thus saving weight and reducing rotating mass. Less rotating mass yields quicker acceleration and longer run-times, something everyone is looking for. Steel is used for the out-drives and axles for increased durability.

MIP part number #13105 is for the front of the Traxxas Rally and Slash 4×4 while part number #13115 fits the rear. For the Traxxas Stampede or Rustler you’ll want part number #13110. Retail pricing is $60 a pair, for more information THIS is the link to the MIP website.

To check out more MIP news on BigSquidRC, THIS is the link you want.

Part number for the new 5ive-T roller is LOSB0024 and you can get more information by clicking on THIS LINK that takes you to the Horizon Hobby UK website.

How about checking out THIS LINK for more Losi news right here on BigSquidRC.

Sorry.. we won’t be doing a live show tonight. A few people had some stuff going on tonight, and Google plus changed all sorts of stuff around on us earlier today.. mostly for the worse.. So rather than bring you a limited 1 or 2 person show, we’ll re-schedule and aim for another date.

Have you seen all the shows? Here’s a early one to keep you entertained this evening.

Part number for just the tires is #31445, while the part number for the pre-mounts is #31440. Both are available right now with a street price of $22 for the pre-mounts and $12 for just the tires. Hit up THIS LINK for more information on the Associated website.

Check out more Associated news AT THIS LINK right here on BigSquidRC.

The Parma Rally Xtreme is available right now. The part number is #1239 and it has a retail price of $50. For more information on everything Parma THIS IS the link to their official website.

Check out THIS LINK for more Parma news right here on BigSquidRC.

Now ECX has announced a permanent price drop on their 10th scale vehicles. While prices from other manufactures are going up, ECX is out to save you some cash. The new prices are $149 for the Boost Buggy and the Circuit Stadium Truck, while $169 is the price point for the Torment SCT and the Ruckus Monster Truck. For more information on everything ECX hit THIS LINK for their official website.

How about checking out more ECX News right here on BigSquidRC.

Part number for the Reedy 4S 4600 55C is #311 (cool band btw), they should start hitting hobby shops in late June, and they have a street price of $170. Check out THIS LINK for more information over on the official Team Associated website.

Want to catch up on more Lipo battery news? Check out THIS LINK right here on BigSquidRC.