Latrax Teton Brushless Motor Upgrade

Introduction

So after some good running of the Teton in stock format i then managed to burn out the stock brushed motor. I was faced with 2 options as a way forward:

• Replace the stock brushed motor and add a heat snik to prevent over heating in the future
• Replace the stock brushed motor with a brushless motor and brushless ESC

I opted for the second option a brushless motor and brushless ESC upgrade. For those who are interested you can read my initial review of the Latrax Teton here.

Upgrade Parts

After some brief research I opted for a brushless motor and brushless ESC combo from Track Star. At the same time I decided to switch to 2S LiPo battery packs, these ofer a higher voltage than a 6xNiCd pack plus I already have a LiPo compatible charger. The ESC can handle 2S or 3S LiPo pack but I though 2S would be enough.

• Track star brushless motor (4300kv) and brushless ESC combo
• 2S (7.4V) 1750mAh LiPo battery packs

I chose these parts for a few reasons, there are high kv motors out there, but the lower 4100kv motor is already a step up on the stock motor and I didn't want anything super crazy. High kv giving high RPM I thought would stress the drive train even more and at the end of the day I still want a reliable setup.

For the batteries I wanted something that fitted the battery bay hence due to size restrictions I ended up choosing 2S 1750mAh batteries. It is also possible to mount the batteries standing on there side and holding them in place with Velcro which would allow for larger batteries. Though the batteries I got are 1750mAh I should still get ok run times. The reason I chose 2S was again that I thought 3S would probably be too much for this setup, after all its only a 1/18 sized truck. I purchased 3 of these batteries so I will take 3 fully charged packs with me when I head out, this will allow for a decent session. Note I also purchased the ESC programming card which was very eay to use.

Fitting the brushless motor and brushless ESC

The first step I took was to remove the parts that would no longer be used in the Teton, this included removing the stock motor and existing ESC. Removing the existing ESC is straight forward. Removing the stock motor requires opening up the motor and spur gear housing so the motor can be detached from the motor mounting plate.

The next step is to install the new brushless motor. I needed to enlarge the width of the slot in the motor mount by about 1 millimetre so that the screw holes for the motor mount lined up, I did this using a small round file. The motor was then mounted to the mounting plate. Unfortunately screws to the motor are not included from Track Star this is a pain, as the screws required are different to those used for the stock motor. When the mounting plate and motor are fitted into position it is important that there is a good mesh between the pinion and spur gears. This is important, if there is not the correct full meshing of these gears there is increased chances of the gears being stripped especially with the new more powerful motor.

Before mounting the ESC I soldered on a XT60 connector so I could connect the battery to the ESC, the ESC does not come with a battery connectors. I like the XT60 connectors, have used them before and had them handy in my box of bits and pieces. Also the battery packs I chose come with XT60 connectors.

I mounted the ESC in front of the receiver where the stock ESC was previously located, to hold it in place I used velcro, sticking onw side of velcro to the chassie and the other to the bottom of the ESC. This allows me to easily remove the ESC if needed.

Then it's time to connect the wires. The three wires from the ESC connect to the 3 wires on the motor simple - it does not matter which go where, I matched the colours. If the motor turns in the wrong direction you just swap 2 of the wires. The ESC control/signal wires plug into the throttle channel of the receiver.

The last step is to calibrate the ESC, this is well explained it the manual from track star, but basically involves turning on the ESC while holding full throttle then when it beeps hold full brake. Easy all done!

Teton brushless motor performance!

Boy does it fly! I programmed the ESC to the lowest punch setting which controls the amount of acceleration from stand still if you apply full throttle yet the Teton could still pull its front 2 wheels off the ground on take off though it was not too crazy, in fact it would not do a full wheelie (oor occasional flip) unless you punch the throttle on a slight up hill.

It is definitely quicker than stock but having said that it is still fun and controlled providing you manage the throttle, ie cornering at full throttle can cause roll overs on especially on uneven terrain. You just need to adopt good throttle control and the Teton remains a heap of run with the added advantage of being much much quicker. I'm glad I chose 2S liPo battery packs they pack a punch, I can only imagine that 3S would be too crazy!