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  #16  
Old 02-20-2005, 09:36 PM
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Are you planning on using 1/8 copper tubing on the shaft? Thats the best way for mounting the pinions onto the smaller shaft. Then the pinions made for the 540 motors slide right over the 1/8 tubing.
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  #17  
Old 02-27-2005, 04:13 PM
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Getting there......

Today I took the standard 300 motor from the RC18T (Identical to the ZK2's motor in every way, right down to the wiring and capacitor) and decided to try something.
I water dipper the motor, blasted it with motor clean, re-lubed the bushes then added Black Death Comm Drops to the commutator.

I fitted this motor into the ZK2 and took it for a blast. Wicked! It now wheelies even better, acceelration is much improved too.

Another thing I did was take the large spacer from the RC18T's standard rear shocks and added them to the rear shocks on the ZK2 to reduce droop.
Now it handles the bigger jumps without bottoming out.

Slowly but surely I am turning this budget basher into something worthwile.
All I need now is a set of bearings, a pinion for the Speed400 motor and this project is complete and ready for some springtime abuse

It does need a new spur gear as the motor came loose a few weeks back the the pinion slipped like mad wearing one side of the gears on the spur down, I can feel and hear that the spur is uneven.
I hope the HS I got it from carries spares for this critter

Stay tuned, by next weekend I hope to have the 400 motor squeezed into its butt
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File Type: jpg zk2 - 27feb2k5.jpg (599.3 KB, 101 views)
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  #18  
Old 02-27-2005, 04:58 PM
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Nice Mondo, i hope the 400 will fit up there....lol
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  #19  
Old 02-27-2005, 05:54 PM
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400 Motor - getting there

LOL!

More like fitting "in there"
Yes it does fit, it's a squeeze as the rear motor guard is close but I have one a succesful installation that was cut short by the lack of a pinion
After all my Dremel work the 400 has plenty of adjustment for gear meshing too

Another big issue with the 400 motor was the droop on the rear suspension, this has been cured by using the RC18T's standard shock spacers on the rear shocks.

I am actually tempted to buy some Losi Street Treads or foams for this truck too, it will lose the MT appeal but I reckon it will make a fantastic street basher.

Once again I will express my delight at this budget basher, all it takes is a little work to turn into something quite special at a fraction of the cost of the Losi Mini-T
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  #20  
Old 02-27-2005, 11:30 PM
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Will you be able to post a pic of the 400 beast of a motor in there. And nice work Mondo.
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  #21  
Old 02-28-2005, 05:20 PM
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Update with photo

As requeasted I do have some photos.
I had to rework the motor mount tonight, the ZK2 comes with a 12T pinion as standard.
A 15T wouldn't fit with a 300 motor when I first tried it for size,
Now that it's been reworked I can fit a 17T pinion on it with ease.
Man I am tempted to go that extra an see if I can get a 19T on the beast!!
I will try a 15T with the 400 motor. I am taking two pinions to get drilled out to facilitate the 400 motor's 2.3mm shaft tomorrow.
A 15T metal and a 17T composite pinion from the XRayM18
If your wondering if the XRay composite pinio will hold up with a 400 motor I believe it will as I run standard composite pinions on my brushless M18 and some Members run Mamba 8000 kV motors with these composite pinions too.

I've attached a photo of the ZK2's motor mount with a 300 motor fitted and without a motor fitted.
In the photo you can see the XRay M18 17T pinion fits without any fuss. Success!
You san see my rough Dremel handywork, but, hey! It works and that part of the mount is shrouded in a plastic cover

Excuse the photo quality, it was taken with manual focus and foreground (non-flash) lighting

Tomorrow I should have the Mini-Quake's 380/400 motor squeezed into this little critter
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File Type: jpg zk2 motor mount work2.jpg (134.3 KB, 119 views)
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  #22  
Old 02-28-2005, 08:09 PM
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lol, i have one question---do you think the ZK2's drivetrain will be able to handle that kind of POWER going through its drivetrain. Too me its like Bigger Motor just means more stress the motor puts on the gears and drivetrain. I can see it already the ZK2 is going to be crazy fast if your able to keep the tires planted to the ground. Nice pics Mondo, not blurry at all.
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  #23  
Old 03-01-2005, 02:46 AM
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ZK2 Drivetrain

Alfred,

To be honest I think it will hold up. It's a 400 motor and I've seen 540 powered Mini-T's
I can't wait to get it all up and running, should be a gas, not as fast as the brushless cars but it should have torque galore.
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  #24  
Old 03-01-2005, 03:04 PM
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Talking Success!!!!!!

Done!

One budget truck turned into a flyer.
I fitted the 400 motor today, the stock motor from the MQ.
Unfortunately I didn't have a pinion to fit but I did press a Delrin 13T micro 2mm pinion onto the 2.3mm shaft and it is tight. No slip it is a temporary solution until I get a proper pinion.

The motor mount still needs more Dremel work to facilitate anything beyond a 13T pinion with the 400 motor, but that's a job for the weekend (Whoa! Just deprived myself of run time with the Brushless RC18T)

Photo 1
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File Type: jpg zk2 400 motor (4).jpg (608.0 KB, 102 views)
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  #25  
Old 03-01-2005, 03:12 PM
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ZK2 - 400

I took it for a test run on a semi charged pack.
The road was a little damp and all I can say is: "whoohoo"
Minimal rear suspension droop, in fact less than the droop with the standard 300 motor now I've fitted the RC18T's shock spacers

The run was amazing, it drifts on command, a slight twitch of the steering wheel, flick the throttle and this baby will powerslide on the damp surface as if it were ice.

Needless to say, as I type the battery is on charge.
I use the BLiND Batts 7.2V Brick packs on this baby and they fit perfect and work very well.

List of things to do:
  • Dremel motor mount a little more to allow bigger pinions
  • Bearings all round
  • Losi wheels with foam tires
  • Wheelie bar (?)
  • ProLine HMMV bodyshell

I took it for a run on a charged pack. OMG!
Indoors it lifts with every blip of the throttle!
It's a wheelie monster! Even on the wet asphalt it gets the front wheels up!
The spur and 13T Delrin pinion is so much quieter than the last run I took it for with the 300 motor and 12 steel pinion
Perhaps the pinion was on skew before.

Man I can't wait to chuck some bearings in this little flyer, I have created a monster here!
I am so impressed with this cheap truck, I still believe it as a better choice than buying a Mini-T (IMO)
Roll on spring, now I have the ultimate little 2WD basher to play with outdoors
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File Type: jpg zk2 400 motor (1).jpg (606.7 KB, 98 views)
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  #26  
Old 03-01-2005, 07:38 PM
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Seems to me like you had a Blast Mondo. So the rear wheels were able to bite, nice to know especially with a 400 motor in there. Im glad you had fun man. And nice mod for the ZK2.
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  #27  
Old 03-02-2005, 02:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by alfred
Seems to me like you had a Blast Mondo. So the rear wheels were able to bite, nice to know especially with a 400 motor in there. Im glad you had fun man. And nice mod for the ZK2.
Thanks alfred, the hard work on modding the motor mount paid off
As for the rear wheels biting, they spin and the front still comes up.... 7 out of 10 times..

It's awesome, I will be pricking up bearings for it sometime this week then it's almost done... pending some metal pinions although I am impressed at how well the Delrin pinion is holding up and at how quiet the drivetrain is.
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  #28  
Old 03-05-2005, 01:22 PM
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Progress...

I have to admit.. the Thunder Tiger ZK2 is the most fun I have ever had with a Micro scale RC car.
It's amazing, a little work to squeeze in the big bad 400 motor and it's a rocket on wheels.
Today I was driving it off the roof of the car, yea about 5 feet or so, it hit's the ground with a thud and nothing breaks.

I mailed an Ebay bearing seller and he has made up a bearing kit for the ZK2. I bought two sets on Ebay today. Why two? I am so tempted to buy another ZK2, you have no idea.
These are the best little 2WD bashers I have ever come across.

I also ran a Team Orion 7.2V 1100mAh NiMh pack in it today, they are a little smaller than the BLiND brick packs I run in it, but they sit further back. Result: Wheelies galore!

My next mission on this is to get steel pinions for it. I would love to go to a 15T/16T pinior or even higher but it means more work on the motor mount.
The 13T Delrin pinion is holding up just fine too, but I want a little more speed from it as it's so slow compared to the RC18T (Unfair comparison?)
I will hopefull get some pics of a bashing session, I wish I had somewhere to Post video.

I also want Losi foam tires for it too, but it may traction roll a lot!
A Baja bug bodyshell is also calling out for this little beast!
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File Type: jpg zk2 on stand.jpg (598.1 KB, 92 views)
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  #29  
Old 03-05-2005, 03:18 PM
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I like how the motor is just craddled in the rear bumper like that. The motor probably gets good airflow since the 400 can is exposed. Really dont have to worry about overheating the motor.
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  #30  
Old 03-05-2005, 04:14 PM
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Autopsy

I did a tear down of the gearbox assembly tonight.
Three screws and the entire rear assembly comes off, very convenient
It uses two idler gears inside a-la Mini-T, the main diff housing sits on bearings while the idlers are on bushes.

Opening the diff I was pleasantly surpised to find it only had two planetary bevel gears, they are large and made of steel, as are the outdrives. Wicked! The diff was packed with a nice thick grease too.
No slop or signs of wear on the inner gears, diff bevel gears or outdrives.

I also made some more mods to the motor mount and now I could probably fit a 16T pinion with ease. It's standard pinion is 12T, so it should get me a little more top speed.

Went to the LHS today and stocked up on the little things I find that I needed after sorting the pit box out. I was clean out of 30WT shock oil, I will refill the ZK2's front shocks with 30WT.

Again I will express my sheer delight with this little truck, it's well thought out, tough and oh-so modification freindly.
If any Members see a Thunder Tiger 1/18th ZT2/ZK2 for sale at an HS, I do recommend they pick one up.
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