Set-up help from Steve Slayden

[pvalenti]

While I'm waiting for rear axles, I'm switching to the Slayden setup. Appreciate the guidance Steve, great thread.

What brand diff oils are you guys using? There doesn't seem to be consistent units of measure (CST vs Wt) between brands, or even within a brand. I bought an Associated 10k CST diff oil that came in a bottle, then saw a cup of 10k Wt, whats the diff ( )?

I found a couple threads here and on other forums that explain CST vs Wt, which I get, but those were geared more for shock oils. What SHOULD I be using? Or, Steve, what are you using?

Steve has already said somewhere in this thread that he uses mostly Associated Oils and his setup specifies 60wt front and 55wt rear.

[tchrstm]

Steve has already said somewhere in this thread that he uses mostly Associated Oils and his setup specifies 60wt front and 55wt rear.

Diff oil, not shock oil.

[pvalenti]

LOL...my bad!

[orangesonoma]

i went to the track today just to get a baseline feel for the truck so far i changed the sway bars..added the center diff and changed out the motor and esc for a gtb/7.5

truck was fast but pushed in the truns..i cant wait till my next time out to try some of these setup tips...but i handed over my radio to a seasoned 10 year old driver and he blew me away with how well it was with him...i guess i suck as a driver..haha

[David_D.]

I'm running 70wt oil in the front shocks and 65 in rear with the springs recommended by Slayden in his base set up. Anyone try a heavier oil in the rear rather than the front to help level the truck on jumps?

[technologic]

Does the same principle apply to the Slash that the "Wheel Force vs. Wheel Travel" graph on page 23 of the TMaxx manual illustrates? The further out you mount the shocks, the more firm they will be?

[milkman]

decided to make a separate thread for my questions.....

[avconslt]

Steve,

Have you tried the AKA 17mm wheel adapters with 1/8 Proline Caliber tires and wheels on the Slash 4x4 with your set up? Will it work or do you have to use a different setup? Thanks.

Richard

[Brian Detroit]

Does anybody know the part number to the Rustler front shocks (red ) that Steve says works well ? I have the rears just need the front ones now.

[pvalenti]

2458a I believe? That's the number on Buytraxxas.com...but it says that they are white, not red. So I MAY be wrong.

[Brian Detroit]

Thanks Paul , i,ll go to Traxxax.com and check it out, I am almost done with setting up my PE . I have not even ran it yet. I open the box and took it apart before i could even run it. Rear shocks are done,center diff mod done,ride height done,sway bars are at 9mm in the front and flush at the rear. Just needs the front springs.

[aggie rustler]

Well, I finally got to race the PE (Slayden Setup 100%) in a competitive situation and I got clobbered by a couple Jammins. The track is smallish, rough and a little slick (pic). The first heat the truck seemed unsettled and hard to control. I only had the black sways with me so I adjusted the front sway the way out (flush). Which seemed to help in the second heat. The third heat, I switched from Caliber M3 to Caliber M2 on the rear. This was the biggest improvement. What else do you suggest? Switch to plastic rear carriers? Silver sways? ? Thanks.




TurtleTrax

[rcgeek]

I personally like the silver sways in the rear and black sway in the front. Settles the rear down some. I also switched to Proline shocks which were a huge improvement.

[Brian Detroit]

RCGEEK..I just ordered front and rear Powerstrokes by Proline ! What oil weight are you using and what is your set up ?

[Substance]

I run 60wt in both the front and rear of my Powerstrokes. The spring rate is adjustable.

[Brian Detroit]

Substance .. How are they working for you and how do you have the preload set up ?

[BC Slasher]

steve you have helped us out big time.but im seeing a problem with people thinking your setup should work everywhere.and i know why.beeing a new vehicle people just dont know what does what.is there any chance of a new sticky in the form of describing what the different camber links do and different shock positions,shock oils,and so on .i think you get my idea .i know u have the experience and smarts to pull this off,but can u find the time?

[ScottKelly911]

Steve, it was good meeting you at RCX this Saturday. I was the guy with the Slash PE wiht the prographix body rolling it around on a luggage cart. I have a question, how did you mount your Mamba setup on your PE that you were running on Sat? Can you show me some closeup pix or something so I can get mine mounted up? thanks!

[Slaydaddy]

tchrstm, I use Traxxas diff fluids as much as I can, but for the wts they don't offer then I use the various fluids that are made for 1/8 buggies. Check with your local hobby shop on what they have that's made for 1/10 and 1/8 RC off-road racing.

[Slaydaddy]

avconslt, I recommend 1/8 buggy wheels for bashing. Most tracks won't allow them for racing.

To answer your question though, yes, it will require some attention to setup when running 1/8 wheels and tires. They have a lot of side bite, so you will notice a lot more response. You'll likely want to dial most of that out.

[Slaydaddy]

Brian Detroit, I posted somewhere earlier the part numbers to the springs and broke down the colors and such. The Rustler springs have been available in several colors over the years. This means there are different part numbers for the same spring, but different color. As for that spring, it can be found in red, black, and white.

[Slaydaddy]

Scott Kelly911, it was cool meeting you too! It was an awesome show. I had a great time. You can pm me and I'll see what I can do.

[Slaydaddy]

Ok, about the setup stuff. Let me say that my original posted setup was intended to get people who had the truck already a good setup to start with at the track since the box setup was intended more for parking lots and streets. It's a base setup and isn't designed to solve all issues. Different people will like suttle changes on the same track. I don't even use that setup in its entirety.

This leads me to my latest findings. I've been running on a lot of larger and rougher tracks lately and have some changes to the original setup that will help you get on the right track for rough, fast and loose conditions.

I'll include the original unchanged settings so you won't have to go back and forth.

Refer to your manual and the website for what each setting is as they have a lot of great info that's already out there.

SLASH 4x4 setup: FRONT END (for rough, loose and larger tracks - also works well with hotter motors and batteries)

- Toe: 1.5 (out), Flat side 'UP'
- Static Camber: -2.0, set at ride height and measure each wheel
independently with the wheel pointing straight forward.
- Camber Link: inner: #1 & outer: lower, This corrects the camber rise
to maintain a level of negative camber when fully extended. It makes
the front end (steering & control) more consistent & predictable
throughout the suspension range. Use the #2 position for even MORE
steering.
- Shock Position: Upper: mid/ Lower: #2
- Shock Length: 95mm, Increase the length by threading the rod end out
to expose a couple of threads. Increase in down travel improves
steering and helps settle the front end during landings.
- Shock springs: Slash 2wd fronts or Rustler RED fronts. Should be the
same as the newer white fronts on Rustler. These springs are softer
than the stockers and feel pretty good. The Rustler springs are a
linear rate and feel a bit smoother.
- Shock oil/ pistons: 50wt/ 2-hole, This is good for 60F to 80F - then go to 55wt
- Ride Height: Approx 29mm (shafts level), This will
also be affected by tire dia. My setup is with Pro-Line SC Calibers
and measured from surface to the skid just below the front of the
inner hinge pin.
- Sway Bar: silver (6mm in front of hollow ball)
- Diff: 7K (10K for hotter motors/ batteries)
- Bumpsteer: Flat: up
- Front hub carrier steering link: rear position (requires plastic [RTR] steering hub carriers), reduces steering, works well with plastic 2.5deg rear hub carriers.

Front end note: The plastic steering knuckles have two options for the steering link. Use the front hole for more steering. This will be the same as the Platinum with the aluminum accessory knuckles. Use the rear holes for less steering.

The plastic knuckles are acually nice to have on the truck. The rear
adjustment hole is good on large high bite tracks to keep turn
in smooth and less aggressive.

-----------------------------


SLASH 4x4 setup: REAR END (for rough, loose and larger tracks - also works well with hotter motors and batteries)

- Toe: 2.5deg plastic carriers, The 2.5's work well with the rear steering link hole on the plastic carriers. Helps track straight in the rough too.
- Static Camber: -3.0, set at ride height.
- Camber Link: inner: #3 & outer: fixed on plastic carriers and #3 on Pro-
Line rear carriers. Use the #5 hole on the inner on small high bite
tracks. It improves chassis rotation.
- Hinge Pin Location: Lower, Try the upper location on really rough
tracks. Reset ride height when changing this adjustment.
- Shock Position: Upper: mid Lower: #3
- Shock Length: 110mm, Increase the length by threading the rod end
out to expose a couple of threads. Increase in down travel improves
steering and helps the chassis settle during landings. Very handy on
those tracks that don't provide adequate landing jumps.
- Shocks Springs: T-Maxx White Progressives. These springs offer a
firmer feel and are longer and require less preload, which allows them
to work within a happy range.
- Shock oil/ pistons: 45wt/ 2-hole, This is good for 60F to 80F, try 50wt after that.
- Ride Height: Approx 31mm (shafts slightly above level), This will
also be affected by tire dia. My setup is with Pro-Line SC Calibers
and measured from surface to the bott the skid just below the rear of
the inner hinge pin. Lower this setting to level with the front on
high speed smooth tracks.
- Sway Bar: Siver (2mm sticking out from hollow ball),
- Diff: 5K, Try 3K on really loose and dusty tracks


---------------------------------


SLASH 4x4 setup: The REST

Wheels: Pro-Line SC One Piece (Slash 2wd rear offset) all the way
around
Inserts: Pro-Line SC Blue
Tires: Pro-Line SC Calibers, Bowties & Switches, Calibers have been
good on most everything and consistent between bite and loose. Bowties
favor loose and offer better forward bite vs. site bite. Good for
chassis rotation and acceleration. The Switches are good on really
hite tracks and abrasive surfaces. M3 is good in colder weather and
also in dusty situations. M2 works well in warmer temps and on
abrasive clean surfaces.

Motor: TRX Velineon (with TRX heatsink #1522), Castle 4600kv and 5700kv motors are great for Open modified class racing, The mamba Monster ESC with the larger 2650kv motor is powerful and smooth and barely gets warm.

Battery: Thunder Power 2S 7.4v 5200. The 25C and 40C are great all-around packs with the 50C packs offering more punch for faster motors.
Battery Location: rear

ESC: TRX Velineon VXL-3s (with cooling fan), Castle Mamba Max Pro and Monster ESC's are great for the hotter motors and offer some pretty cool tuning features.

Gearing:
TRX VXL - Pinion: 14t thru 16t (depending on track size)/ Spur: 54t, use 13t pinion on tight tracks. If running 3S packs, gear down to 12t pinion.
Castle 4300/ 5700 - Pinion: 12t thru 14t (depending on track size)/ Spur: 54t, use 11t and 12t pinions on higher kv motors.
Castle 2200/ 2650 - Pinion: 17t thru 22t (depending on track size)/ Spur: 50t thru 54t, use larger pinions and smaller spurs on the 2200kv motor.
Starting setup for 2650kv motor: 18/52
Starting setup for 2200kv motor: 22/52

Note: Larger pinions also improves control of the truck in the air. Something to think about on jumps that buck the rear or high speed jumps that need a little extra to keep the front level.

Center Diff: 50K, Try lighter mixes of 50K and 100K to get softer
acceleration and better turn in.

TX: Spektrum DX3R
RX: Spektrum SR 3100
Servo: Ace 1015
Body: Pro-Line SC Hardcore


The Thunder Power packs are 5200mah and are lighter than the previously posted 8000mah packs. The truck is working great and is handling well with the lighter weight pack. The Thunder Power packs are hard cased and ROAR legal too. Very punchy.


Try some of these things and see how they work for you.

[avconslt]

Steve,

You mention to dial most of the additional reponse because of increase side bite when using 1/8 tires and wheels! What do I adjust to take out that additional response? Also, what pinion did you use with the MMM 2650 and 54T spur? Thanks.

Richard

[roadrunner6903]

hey steve i see you mentioned you ran the mmm kit in there. i have been tempted to try that. how did you adjust the suspension for the extra weight?

[MVB]

@ Steve.

when you use your mamba max pro esc
do you have BEC problems in combination with you ace ds1015 ?

[pvalenti]

@ Steve.

when you use your mamba max pro esc
do you have BEC problems in combination with you ace ds1015 ?

You are scaring me MVB...I've got a MMP...are YOU experiencing problems with BEC in conjunction with the Ace DS1015 servo?

[MVB]

You are scaring me MVB...I've got a MMP...are YOU experiencing problems with BEC in conjunction with the Ace DS1015 servo?

I am about to get me a MMP and i do have a ace1015

but some other guys at my track have some BEC problems with the MMP and a savox servo. the savox sevo is very simmilar to the ace ds1015

that is why i did get me a ace servo and not a savox.
im hoping to find out if the problem is with the MMP or a isolated situation or the savox servo

If steve has a ace ds1015 and the MMP without problems , I guess im good to go..

but maybe steve is using a external BEC in his system, that is what im trying to find out


link to savox servo http://www.savoxservos.nl/?p=35 it is dutch but this servo is much the same as the ace ds1015

[pvalenti]

Hmmm...I wonder what exactly is the problem the guys are having then. I DO know that the MMP allows you to set the BEC to whatever voltage you need to match your servo. It's got steps from 5.0 to 7.0 volts and then it allows custom settings of potentially anything. Of course it's limited on what it CAN do...but it SHOULD mate up with ANY servo.

Can you be more specific on the trouble people are having?

[Slaydaddy]

avconslt, here are some things to try. These are just generalized things to try to aid in calming the chassis down if it's twitchy. No particular order.

- softer springs
- softer bars, softer settings
- Try the firmer compounds on the 1/8 tires (for instance, XTR or M2 for Pro-Line).
- Lower ride height
- Less steering throw
- lighter center diff fluid (30K to 50K)
- rear steering link hole on hub carrier

one or a combination of these should help. Just things to try. I don't use 1/8 tires on my truck.

However, I have a 1/8 E-buggy I converted out of a Slash 4X4 and it works very well with 1/8 wheels & tires, but it's a buggy. The body and wing of a buggy give a lot of down force and the open-wheel design flies through the air more precisely. It's a completely different animal. I think it's best to stick with the SC tires for the truck, though.

[Slaydaddy]

roadrunner, the weight difference is minimal when compared to the power and torque that is available. You won't feel the weight change. Besides, when I switched to a 5200 Thunder Power pack, I basically lost any weight I may have gained with the motor.

[Slaydaddy]

MVB, I had no problems with the MMM at all. I've used Ace, Hitec and Futaba digitals on that system and no issues. I don't use an external BEC on my Castle ESC's.

I'll add that I'm not familiar with the servo you mentioned either.

[avconslt]

Steve,

Thanks for all of the helpful information! I still would like to know what pinion you recommend with the MMM 2650 and 54T spur? Thanks again!

Richard

[SirSlash4x4]

Anybody tried both setups yet?

[BC Slasher]

hey steve thx for the rough track setup.i have the plastic prolines 6 hole rear carrierers,u mention using #3 hole wich is the top outer hole ,correct?my track is med ,to large,and gets loose.it changes through out the day.so im wondering if u cld explain the effects of going to the #1 hole.what about the bottom row,wld they ever be used?

[auto2]

hi guys ive had this issue for all last season in my 1/8 e buggy.

certain hairpin turns if i slide the buggy into the turn and let it slide backwards and then hit the throttle nothing happens for a sec or 2 until the esc resets and "finds" the motor direction. castle has said there is no cure for that except change my drive style. ive never noticed this on a sensored system. have you seen this?
also this has not happenned on my slash pe with the traxxas system. only with MMM and NEU motor.

[Matthew_Armeni]

hi guys ive had this issue for all last season in my 1/8 e buggy.

certain hairpin turns if i slide the buggy into the turn and let it slide backwards and then hit the throttle nothing happens for a sec or 2 until the esc resets and "finds" the motor direction. castle has said there is no cure for that except change my drive style. ive never noticed this on a sensored system. have you seen this?
also this has not happenned on my slash pe with the traxxas system. only with MMM and NEU motor.

This is really not the right thread for this.. but.. if you were to run a Tekno buggy with clutch you would completely eliminate this cogging issue that sometimes occurs with sensorless setups.

[round]

Steve, just makin sure that when you state starting gearing on the 2650kv motor, that is with 2s.
Thanks,
Alvin

[jnelson214]

I would like to just know if I am measuring the right correct length on the shocks.. Steve say's the front is 95mm long, is that the overall length from top of the cap to bottom attachment??? thanks

[pvalenti]

I would like to just know if I am measuring the right correct length on the shocks.. Steve say's the front is 95mm long, is that the overall length from top of the cap to bottom attachment??? thanks

Overall length means over ALL...measure from the top of the mount on the cap to the bottom of the turnbuckle/attachment. Shouldn't be hard to figure out...it's the WHOLE thing. Make sense? (incidentally...that's not sarcasm...just being verbose to make sure you understand)