When building this Losi 5ive-T brushless truck I had a set of criteria that I wanted to respect:
- The car should have around 15-20 minutes of run time
- I would prefer to have motor break and reverse option enabled
- The steering servo should be capable = powerful and fast
- All parts should be a-grade and have been put through their paces by other drivers (and with positive reviews)
I therefore decided on ordering the following goodies:
- ZIPPY Flightmax 8000mAh 4S1P 30C batteries from HobbyKing
- Hitec HS-1000SGT High Voltage Giant Torque Servo Conversion Kit for Losi 5ive. This beast deliver over 1500oz of torque!!
- Killer RC Super Power Switch
- RC Madness BL5 Version 2 Conversion
Here a few pics of the parts and mounting them:
The results
Before starting the project I had read tons of forum posts and seen many YouTube videos. I have followed most of the advice and chosen components that were all of high quality. Most however recommended the use of the Lehner/MGM combo and mechanical brakes but as you can see in Part 2 of this series I chose differently.
So how did it all go?
Well so far I can safely say that I am all satisfied with my truck and the decisions made. Batteries, ESC and motor have all been running smoothly with good temps and great runtimes. I have not timed it but I would think that I get at least 18-20 minutes run time on one set of 8S batteries.
The motor brakes (and reverse) have worked great. It may very well be that if you are a super competitive and very skilful driver there may be something to gain by having the (some say) better control using the mechanical brakes but I have had no issues whatsoever and love the setup as it is now. I have the control that I need when braking and love the fact that I can reverse whenever needed.
So for now I have had a ton of fun – building this vehicle has been a blast and driving it even more so.
If you have the funds and want to experience a brushless version of the largest 4WD RC truck on the market then you can’t go wrong with the Losi 5ive-T and I can definitely recommend the setup I have gone for here.
Have fun and drive safely 😉
Hey deguno! Hope all is well. How’s the brushless setup still holding up? I’m in the market to convert my Mini WRC to brushless and came across your site. Nice write ups!
Hey Jeb,
It’s been holding up just fine. Only issue (if you could even call it that) is that the pinion gear on the motor has slipped off twice. I’m sure you could solve in another way but I chose to drill a larger hole for the screw to be able to tighten it even more. No issues other than that – still a happy camper 🙂
Have fun and drive carefully…
Is it possible to limit the power in reverse using your esc, to just enough for practical reversing but not enough for breaking from speed?
Hi Mike,
if you set the brake amount to “0” (or whatever amount your aiming for) and enable reverse you should be able to do what your aiming for.
Just make sure you buy the Castle Link connector and have a PC at hand then you should be fine.
Shoot if you have any further questions. I may not respond super fast but I will get there eventually 🙂