Rescued Abrams build

[Meter Rat]

Actually there is a lot that can go wrong when you run at the full power output of 12v (full throttle). Stripping stock steel gears so you have to be easy on the "throttle ups" and burning up motors especially if you happened to get a set of the "fake red" 390 motors as these are not rated for 12v and the internal cooling fans melt. I have a post about that somewhere on HS with photos.

You absolutely will throw tracks in hard over high speed turns especially with the Challenger running rubber padded tracks (the top speed improvement is crazy.). This will cause other huge issues especially if it happens while at full throttle. Expect parts to break.

I have learned to not use the full power of a 3s Lipo except for straight speed run and easy high speed turns unless I am running "non" rubber padded tracks.

So as long as you accept that running in the 12v range with high torque motors is going to break something then you will have lots of laughs in the process.

Tongue in cheek comment.
I have perused most of the treads that have been written, and taken on board what has been said, on previous posts. This is a fun experiment to see what the speed differences will be between 2S full power, 3S, low power, and 3S full power. Not an attempt to destroy it. Most of the time I am happy with a 2S battery, plenty fast enough for an old codger like me.

[Rubicon99]

Just ordered a 3S battery to experiment with in my Challenger after reading this.
Metal tracks, road wheels, idlers, and sprockets. Check.
Braced chassis. Check.
Red motors. Check.
Ball bearings in everything. Check.
What can possibly go wrong?

Actually there is a lot that can go wrong when you run at the full power output of 12v (full throttle). Stripping stock steel gears so you have to be easy on the "throttle ups" and burning up motors especially if you happened to get a set of the "fake red" 390 motors as these are not rated for 12v and the internal cooling fans melt. I have a post about that somewhere on HS with photos.

You absolutely will throw tracks in hard over high speed turns especially with the Challenger running rubber padded tracks (the top speed improvement is crazy.). This will cause other huge issues especially if it happens while at full throttle. Expect parts to break.

I have learned to not use the full power of a 3s Lipo except for straight speed run and easy high speed turns unless I am running "non" rubber padded tracks.

So as long as you accept that running in the 12v range with high torque motors is going to break something then you will have lots of laughs in the process.

[Handy Lance]

Just ordered a 3S battery to experiment with in my Challenger after reading this.
Metal tracks, road wheels, idlers, and sprockets. Check.
Braced chassis. Check.
Red motors. Check.
Ball bearings in everything. Check.
What can possibly go wrong?

If you don’t crash or keep the throttle pinned, probably nothing. Wear might increase because of power, but I like the slow speed control of 3s, 3s should last longer mah for mah because you keep the throttle down less. 2s requires more throttle so the batteries die faster.

[Meter Rat]

Just in case you are not aware the 7.1 has two power options a "low" and a "high". Low will only allow for 70% of the max battery voltage to be used. 11.1v at peak is ~12.1v of output.

Running on the low power setting you will be equally to an 8.4v battery output and will have much better overall control of the tank with none of the motor overheating that comes with running at 12v.

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Just ordered a 3S battery to experiment with in my Challenger after reading this.
Metal tracks, road wheels, idlers, and sprockets. Check.
Braced chassis. Check.
Red motors. Check.
Ball bearings in everything. Check.
What can possibly go wrong?

[Meter Rat]

The real things can fly.

[Handy Lance]

I had my HL Abrams running on a 12v C cell battery I built for it. I ran an on IBU2 controller and my dx8.
I used the metal track with rubber pads and the stock HL track. The rubber pad track was so grippy eveywhere except soft dirt that I drove off the tracks a lot and the plastic track would break a lot. I had a dual rate set up so I could drive at 60% scale speed at the top most of the time because Ludicrous speed was just uncontrollable for any thing more than just a mad dash across the field and slight steering around some obstacles.
with the plastic track I could drift my tank in a nice concrete driveway or parking lot or on very hard smooth dirt. I jump it often and broke a lot a lot of plastic wheel arms and eventually wore out the chassis with the wheels falling off and had to retire it,

95% of my driving will be scale. I will get a lap or two in, but only as a novelty. I can see this tank wearing out fairly rapidly if jumped 😂👍🏻, it is heavy! Scale driving along with my mods I expect a long life.

[RichJohnson]

I had my HL Abrams running on a 12v C cell battery I built for it. I ran an on IBU2 controller and my dx8.
I used the metal track with rubber pads and the stock HL track. The rubber pad track was so grippy eveywhere except soft dirt that I drove off the tracks a lot and the plastic track would break a lot. I had a dual rate set up so I could drive at 60% scale speed at the top most of the time because Ludicrous speed was just uncontrollable for any thing more than just a mad dash across the field and slight steering around some obstacles.
with the plastic track I could drift my tank in a nice concrete driveway or parking lot or on very hard smooth dirt. I jump it often and broke a lot a lot of plastic wheel arms and eventually wore out the chassis with the wheels falling off and had to retire it,

[Handy Lance]

You are going to laugh so hard watching your tank drift around turns👍👍. It's just not something seen everyday.

Yes. I will and hence fulfill the only point of this endless money pit …..RC

a big fat sheet eating grin. One like few can experience 👍🏻🫡🦧🏴☠️🦧

[MrChef]

You are going to laugh so hard watching your tank drift around turns👍👍. It's just not something seen everyday.

Well I definitely look forward to those videos.

[Rubicon99]

I’m a 100% available power kinda guy. I will mostly drive it scale. It will do burnouts and drift. I won’t push it until I get everything sorted 100%

expect some fun vids! I have a 1/10 rally track with lap timers. The Abrams will get to set a time! A delicate 15lb time🤣

You are going to laugh so hard watching your tank drift around turns👍👍. It's just not something seen everyday.

[Handy Lance]

Just in case you are not aware the 7.1 has two power options a "low" and a "high". Low will only allow for 70% of the max battery voltage to be used. 11.1v at peak is ~12.1v of output.

Running on the low power setting you will be equally to an 8.4v battery output and will have much better overall control of the tank with none of the motor overheating that comes with running at 12v.

Now don't get me wrong running 12v through the motors is crazy fun and a world of laughs, trust me I do it for demos at our local tank battle days and it is quite the crowd pleaser especially when I jump tanks and get air underneath them.

I’m a 100% available power kinda guy. I will mostly drive it scale. It will do burnouts and drift. I won’t push it until I get everything sorted 100%

expect some fun vids! I have a 1/10 rally track with lap timers. The Abrams will get to set a time! A delicate 15lb time🤣

[Rubicon99]

yeah tank guys know.
I am new to tanks so it’s surprising to me how much these things weigh. I’m pushing what this plastic chassis can handle, all my strength/stiffing mods seem to be working very well, otherwise I’m sure this tank would have just ripped one of the old tensioner wheels right off! 11.1v and this motor/tranny combo there is LOADS of torque. Best guess is buttloads of torque , but, I’ll do a full acceleration test in awhile , you guys can tell me what you think!

Just in case you are not aware the 7.1 has two power options a "low" and a "high". Low will only allow for 70% of the max battery voltage to be used. 11.1v at peak is ~12.1v of output.

Running on the low power setting you will be equally to an 8.4v battery output and will have much better overall control of the tank with none of the motor overheating that comes with running at 12v.

Now don't get me wrong running 12v through the motors is crazy fun and a world of laughs, trust me I do it for demos at our local tank battle days and it is quite the crowd pleaser especially when I jump tanks and get air underneath them.

[Handy Lance]

Oh, I have one, but mine has the HL metal lower hull with a TUSK 2 kit on it. Believe me, mine is heavy. The HL metal hull has torsion bars so it handles the weight better, but it was an expensive upgrade.

yeah tank guys know.
I am new to tanks so it’s surprising to me how much these things weigh. I’m pushing what this plastic chassis can handle, all my strength/stiffing mods seem to be working very well, otherwise I’m sure this tank would have just ripped one of the old tensioner wheels right off! 11.1v and this motor/tranny combo there is LOADS of torque. Best guess is buttloads of torque , but, I’ll do a full acceleration test in awhile , you guys can tell me what you think!

[tank_me]

It is a heavy tank, only those with one will realize! They are all on the stiffest setting. I will need to add a “stiffer hole”🤣🤔

I do want it looking heavy though. A good load up of the suspension when heavy braking is applied. Prob last 2 wheels will get stiffened a tiny bit.

Oh, I have one, but mine has the HL metal lower hull with a TUSK 2 kit on it. Believe me, mine is heavy. The HL metal hull has torsion bars so it handles the weight better, but it was an expensive upgrade.

[Handy Lance]

Looks good. I didn't reread all the way through the posts, but did you increase the tension on the last road wheel by the drive sprocket or even the last two? She's ridin' a little low in the back... Personally I like to increase the tension on the first and last road wheels on most of my tanks. Helps with track retention. There should be two settings on each road wheel. One is harder and the other softer. On my old Abrams plastic hull I think I drilled an additional hole to increase the tension on the torsion spring to "more harder"...

It is a heavy tank, only those with one will realize! They are all on the stiffest setting. I will need to add a “stiffer hole”🤣🤔

I do want it looking heavy though. A good load up of the suspension when heavy braking is applied. Prob last 2 wheels will get stiffened a tiny bit.

[tank_me]

Looks good. I didn't reread all the way through the posts, but did you increase the tension on the last road wheel by the drive sprocket or even the last two? She's ridin' a little low in the back... Personally I like to increase the tension on the first and last road wheels on most of my tanks. Helps with track retention. There should be two settings on each road wheel. One is harder and the other softer. On my old Abrams plastic hull I think I drilled an additional hole to increase the tension on the torsion spring to "more harder"...

[Handy Lance]

https://youtu.be/8MKdauuaeKQ?si=ivDMmnYDSA7kdYY6

my 7.1 had the wrong sound pack😡

but she lives!

Low Speed control is beautiful. Top speed seems plenty fast. No temp issues, I have 1 fan cooling things.

My dual speaker configuration sounds AWESOME! The stock speaker sounded like is was being given to much power, so I wired 2 in parallel. Cut the housing in half, faced the openings opposite directions, so sound waves would travel different directions. Also lined the upper hull with soft 1 inch by 1/8 inch foam insulation strips all over to dampen the hollow plastic sound.

I had to make my own adapter for permanently installing The Spektrum 11.1 3200 mah G2. I now just connect a lead from the charger to battery lead (yellow flag is a cap on the charge lead) near the on switch. No disassemble!

I DROVE HER🥰🥰🥰🥰.

[Handy Lance]

No more screws, no more magnets no more teachers dirty looks.
My front clip system is in! It holds tight. Firm audible click as the clips pawls grab the oem screw towers. Adjustable height means I always have a tight fit. It’s easy, super strong and adjustable. Upper hull clips slide under the chassis plate I installed in lower hull directly against screw towers. The upper hull clips grab the oem screw towers for rattle free clip system.

[Handy Lance]

Not finished but looks great in her new home. I built the stand out of 1/12 real brick, made my own razor wire. Sandbags from China.

getting all the final mockup done.

20/80 right 😂

[Handy Lance]

My M4 guide wheel mod.
once again the oem stuff won’t cut it.
I laughed at the m2 screws into plastic outriggers. They were soft garbage. Snipped off the plastic the wheel rides on, drill an M4 sized hole through what’s left of oem outrigger
Now an M4 penetrates the hull, the combination of shims gave me the best combo of free wheeling and precision. These are BEEFY now.
all shims are M4x6 one is .3 one is 2mm
front bolt is M4 x 50mm and rear is m4x30mm
I’d do this one ASAP. I may back up the m4 nylock with a wider washer. But this is the best of 4 ideas I tried.

cheers