Gen 7 Pro Fire.

[Tiredmechanic]

So my son's Gen 7 pro caught fire today on its maiden run with portal axles. Everything was good until the truck quit moving and smoke bellowed out.

Lifted the body to flames from the ESC. Battery is fine thankfully and other than needing a ESC it should be 100% salvageable.

Seems the driveshaft broke and the U-joint still on the trans jammed I to the gears and bound it up and it it ended up over drawing the ESC.

So question. What's a good option on metal driveshafts? The reviews on redcats shafts are bad stating the U-joints are just as bad as stock. I'll be swapping a hobbywing 1080 into it along with his brothers and metal shafts for that Gen 7 as well before we have this happen a 2nd time.

Up until the fire though the portals were a massive improvement.

https://imgur.com/gallery/v12Rqxa

 

[AK KRAWLER]

Sounds nuts, but I’m glad no more significant damage happened.

I’ll definitely keep an eye on my daughters rig.

 

[Tiredmechanic]

Sounds nuts, but I’m glad no more significant damage happened.

I’ll definitely keep an eye on my daughters rig.

Same here. We were in a area littered with dry leaves and brush. Thankfully it happend with the rig near us and the creek beside us. I tossed it into the creek to smother it lol.

I had a spare stock ESC I put in it and a spare plastic shaft and we went back out and with my TRX4 and his truck and ran for another 1.5 hours with no issues.

Freak accident but something to watch for. It's over a year old so no warranty but that's no biggie.

 

[ferp420]

it happens i had a rig run away from signal loss it went full throtle in to a building by the time i got there the esc was on fire i blew it out and everything else was fine lol
my only rc fire yet lol

 

[NERodrigues]

Ouch.

 

[Tiredmechanic]

Ouch.

Funny enough it happened again today to my other sons Gen7. Had the kids 2 Gen7s out and my TRX4 on a run in a creek area. Nothing harsh or technical really just lots of simple fun trailing and walking. We started up a clay hill and the truck started smoking. Tossed it down into the creek behind us and opened the body and snatched the battery.



Thankfully just a burnt ESC and nothing else again. Time to order another HW1080. Redcats 3S claim is BS and dangerous.

 

[Ninomaniac]

I dunno if Axial or TRX4 driveshafts fit, but there's no need to go metal... Unless you really want to. If traxxas driveshafts fit, you're set for life. 3s brushless in a rock racing scenario will not kill them.

 

[ferp420]

Funny enough it happened again today to my other sons Gen7. Had the kids 2 Gen7s out and my TRX4 on a run in a creek area. Nothing harsh or technical really just lots of simple fun trailing and walking. We started up a clay hill and the truck started smoking. Tossed it down into the creek behind us and opened the body and snatched the battery.



Thankfully just a burnt ESC and nothing else again. Time to order another HW1080. Redcats 3S claim is BS and dangerous.

sounds like you should stay away from hobbywing1040s then lol

the 1040 is 3s capable but the redcats motor is right at the edge of what the esc can handle on 3s

besides 3s + redcat = broken parts

i use the 1040s as whinch controlers on 3s those tiny winch motors dont stress it at all

I dunno if Axial or TRX4 driveshafts fit, but there's no need to go metal... Unless you really want to. If traxxas driveshafts fit, you're set for life. 3s brushless in a rock racing scenario will not kill them.

axial and trx4 shafts will fit but the axial shaft fits better
the gen7 is a axial scx10.1 clone so almost all axial parts made for the scx10.1 will fit with a little fudging
and alot of scx10.2 parts will also fit
some trx4 parts might work but the gen7 is basicly a axial rig

 

[Tiredmechanic]

I dunno if Axial or TRX4 driveshafts fit, but there's no need to go metal... Unless you really want to. If traxxas driveshafts fit, you're set for life. 3s brushless in a rock racing scenario will not kill them.

Traxxas shafts from the TRX4 suck. I know, I have a TRX4. The splines stick and they do not expand and contract well without binding and can limit flex and suspension travel.


SSD shafts have been installed. I run them on my TRX4 as well. Super smooth and work fantastically.


Went metal as well due to exploding the stock plastic shafts.

 

[Tiredmechanic]

sounds like you should stay away from hobbywing1040s then lol

the 1040 is 3s capable but the redcats motor is right at the edge of what the esc can handle on 3s

besides 3s + redcat = broken parts

i use the 1040s as whinch controlers on 3s those tiny winch motors dont stress it at all




axial and trx4 shafts will fit but the axial shaft fits better
the gen7 is a axial scx10.1 clone so almost all axial parts made for the scx10.1 will fit with a little fudging
and alot of scx10.2 parts will also fit
some trx4 parts might work but the gen7 is basicly a axial rig

Both will have 1080s. Ive only killed 1 1080 on my TRX4 and HW and I are certain it was water intrusion despite being waterproof and it was warranty covered no problem.


And can confirm axial parts fit with little issue and they are both switched to SSD driveshafts for the SCX10.



The kids redcats do not have winches yet but I do run the scale traxxas winch on my TRX4 but its direct power. Thinking of using the same on theirs.

 

[Ninomaniac]

Traxxas shafts from the TRX4 suck. I know, I have a TRX4. The splines stick and they do not expand and contract well without binding and can limit flex and suspension travel.

I'm aware that they don't telescope at all, and thought they would ruin bearings, limit performance and whatnot, but they seem to work well like that! Dunno. Maybe in a truck with different geometry they'd be a problem.

No durability issues here either, driven 3s on a BL 3200KV 4 pole 550 motor, in anger, many times, and never had them pop.

I guess YMMV.

 

[ferp420]

Both will have 1080s. Ive only killed 1 1080 on my TRX4 and HW and I are certain it was water intrusion despite being waterproof and it was warranty covered no problem.


And can confirm axial parts fit with little issue and they are both switched to SSD driveshafts for the SCX10.



The kids redcats do not have winches yet but I do run the scale traxxas winch on my TRX4 but its direct power. Thinking of using the same on theirs.

in my opinion you should.get kenetic winches formthe kids simple and effective at a vary resonable price and you cant burn them out lol
heres a link to just the line but i think you want the whle kit
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1444973514...QdsP-LyQl6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

and heres the whole kit it says for the eliment enduro but its basicly a scx10 also so there shouldent be a issue as far as fitting it to the cats

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1444973976...ar=443786356600&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY


ive had good luck with paracord and a plastic sleave i dont even buy electric winches any more
to make it look more winch like i run the line through a cheap fake plastic winch they work surprisingly well