Steel, Aluminum, or Delrin gears for the slash 4x4

[Daholla77]

I am in a bit of a dilemma, I can't choose which one to get. I am looking at the Robinson Racing Generation 3 Slipper Unit 54T Slash 4x4,the Robinson Racing Xtra Hard 5mm Pinion 13T and reducer sleeve. The next one is Hot Racing's Steel Machined (main) Spur Gear 54T and there steel pinions . They also have a steel one for the differential.They also have gears made of delrin. I was wondering which would best for the slash 4x4. I am willing to pay the price for the robinson racing if it is worth it. Or is the hot racing one to get? I just don't like the plastic ones and I am thinking about upgrading power down the road also. So what rout should I go. Thank you D

[CraigV]

My experience with RR is mixed - their gears are really good, but the heads on the set screws tend to strip easily. As for the spur gear, they are plastic for a reason - if not, the stresses go down the line to another part. Spur gears are cheap & easily replaced.

[Daholla77]

So do you think the delrin or plastic is the way to go?

[CraigV]

So do you think the delrin or plastic is the way to go?

Metal on metal means lubrication, and the truck isn't designed that way. Stick with the plastics, and keep some spares on hand

[candbron]

I run the hot racing gear with a steel pinion. That is the way to go, IMO.

[SirSlash4x4]

Metal on metal means lubrication, and the truck isn't designed that way. Stick with the plastics, and keep some spares on hand

X2, the stripping is obnoxious but this is the way it's supposed to be.

[RC-Crazy]

Metal on metal means lubrication, and the truck isn't designed that way. Stick with the plastics, and keep some spares on hand

x3.... stick w/ plastics.

[candbron]

I run the hot racing gear with a steel pinion. That is the way to go, IMO.

Been running this for two months with no issues, plus it sounds intimidating at the track....

[Grand National]

x4 on staying plastic. Which would you rather switch out, a spur gear that costs $3 and 5 mins to fix or a transmission gear that costs $15+ and 1+ hour to fix?

[bigears]

x5 plastic is the way!!!!!!!

[ScottKelly911]

Been running this for two months with no issues, plus it sounds intimidating at the track....

What motor/esc combo are you using? I've been thinking about doing this, but everytime I'm ready to pull the trigger and make my order, I get scared off by thinking of having to replace the Center Diff case due to melting. Now if I get the Aluminum Center Diff when it becomes available from Bill C, I'd think that it would negate the need to stay with plastic. I'm running a MMM 2650 combo so obviously it's really powerful so it can eat the plastic spur like no tomorrow, though I've had really good luck once I went to the Robinson pinions and using the mesh by sound method, but if the bearing seizes, it gets off center and will eventually work enough slack to strip the spur. This happened on Sunday to me. But all that being said, I believe even most 1/8th scale buggies use plastic spurs which really says something.

[revolt0]

Nitro 1/8's use steel spurs... I was running a plastic on my 1/8 electric but found it wore down way too quickly and ended up stripping and went with steel and haven't had an issue since.

Steel on steel has been used for years and works but that means that the rest of the driveline has to be steel. In the case of 1/8 about the only piece that is usually plastic is the diff housing so everything can handle the power and abuse. The Slash 4x4 would be able to handle a steel spur because the main driveline is steel, as long as you have 6888x of course. Yes I know the driveshafts at the wheels are plastic but think by the time the energy is placed on those parts it shouldn't be enough to cause anymore damage then normal.

[mudboggin3]

I got my slash 4x4 a couple of weeks ago and the first 10 mins of running the motor mount bearing seized up which destroyed my motor mount, spur gear, input shaft . The set screw for the pinion was already stripped out from the factory so i can't remove it. Traxxas is suppose to be sending me new parts but how am i suppose to them when half the screws on the truck are are already stripped out from the factory, i was able to order some parts in the mean time and replaced the motor mount with an aluminum one and put a new bearing and RRP GEN 3 slipper in. Everything was going good until last night when again the motor mount bearing seized up and destroyed the brass bushing on my slipper which RRP does not sell on its own. I have ruin every spur gear that came with the truck including the ones that came with the center diff. It also looks like the shaft on my motor is bent but traxxas won't replace that. Which the motor is useless if i can't remove the pinion gear or that the motor apart to clean it because of stripped screws. Its hard for me to get extra tools becuase i am currently doing a tour in afghanistan. Traxxas also told me that i need clean it more because of the condtions here, which i do, i tear it down and clean lube everything after every run. I have had this truck for only two weeks and have put about 300 extra dollars in this thing trying to keep it from breaking every run. I am disappoint in traxxas, i bought from them because i was told of their duribility and relibility. Now im wishing i would have got something else. Anyways as far as the RRP Slipper, I loved it i had my truck doing wheelys at 50 miles an hour with a 3s lipo and i didn't have any problems with pinion and spur gear being metal on metal expect for it being a little louder. Just make sure you check the motor mount bearing often so it doesn't seize up and get stuck to the brass bushing otherwise your will be out 40 bucks.

[Jones8352]

I've be running the RRP slipper for about 2 months without any problems. I've thrown some big power at it and it works great. Only problem I had was I made the mistake of running an aluminum pinion, dumb on my part. I just wish there was a way to change to different tooth spurs. I have to go with the stock slipper when I want to gear it for speed.

[revolt0]

Mudboggin3, if you are using the tools that came with the slash then I would say the pinion set screw isn't stripped, the L wrench is, which is a common problem because they are cheap. If you can get a good set of hardened steel allen wrenchs/drivers that will make all the difference in the world. You can heat up the pinion and see if that will loosen up the loctite and hopefully the pinion screw will come out.

You said you ordered one of the aluminum motor mounts yet the bearing still seized. Was it one of the mounts that had the over sized bearings or something like the traxxas or STRC that still uses the stock size. If that's the case I would hightly recommend the kingheadz or FLM mount.

On the note of the RRP brass piece it is sold seperately, part #7853 according to their website but again I'd end up going with one of the machined aluminum one's from Kingheadz or FLM vs. brass.

[rag6]

I use the stock sized bearing from my e-savage(black seal wheel bearing) and have not had a bearing failure since. I dont need an alum mount, but they look so good in blue!

[madkawi650]

Metal on metal is really noisy. The noise and the expense aren't worth it to me. I stick with plastic,, but to be honest. I have Never stripped a spur gear. I wore a v in one because a rock got jammed in and ground it down, but it was still driving with the V'd out spur. I check my mesh often and really crank the adjuster screw down tight to avoid slipping.

[Tallguy905]

Metal on metal means lubrication, and the truck isn't designed that way. Stick with the plastics, and keep some spares on hand

Metal on metal mean any wear or impacts are going to be absorbed by your motor and diffs thus causing premature wear if not destruction. I think you should be particularly concerned about this especially if you are going to get more power down the road.

The pinion & spur materials are designed so that if there is a problem (rock, center bearing gives out, misalignment etc. ) the $3 spur gives out and saves you motor and drive train.

[rag6]

Metal on metal mean any wear or impacts are going to be absorbed by your motor and diffs thus causing premature wear if not destruction...

Actually the slipper is made for driveline impacts. The metal on metal wear is very minimal. I am running a steel 60t spur, and an emax(alum?) pinion for well over 50 5000mah packs with absolutely no wear on my 2wd. Thats Hard bashing my friend. Just get the mesh right, adjust the slipper, and you will not have a problem. You could actually test a metal to metal setup to understand what I have experienced...

[CR BOOM]

I'am running the hot racing steel gear...

[KingdomRacer]

My experience with RR is mixed - their gears are really good, but the heads on the set screws tend to strip easily.

I have encountered the same problem but then realized the set screw is for 1/16" hex driver and not a 1.5mm hex driver I stumbled on it due to my 8 2.0 using standard instead of metric. Ever since using a 1/16" hex driver my RR pinion set screws don't strip anymore

I am in a bit of a dilemma, I can't choose which one to get. I am looking at the Robinson Racing Generation 3 Slipper Unit 54T Slash 4x4,the Robinson Racing Xtra Hard 5mm Pinion 13T and reducer sleeve. The next one is Hot Racing's Steel Machined (main) Spur Gear 54T and there steel pinions . They also have a steel one for the differential.They also have gears made of delrin. I was wondering which would best for the slash 4x4. I am willing to pay the price for the robinson racing if it is worth it. Or is the hot racing one to get? I just don't like the plastic ones and I am thinking about upgrading power down the road also. So what rout should I go. Thank you D

I run the HR 52 w/RR 5mm 16 and it works great at the track. Don't get caught up in all the different answers, it really comes down to preference and how well you maintain the mesh. I feel for me I'm a little lazy on always checking the mesh and that's where hardened steel is better for me but I know guys at the track who use delrin/plastic spurs all the time with no issues neither but they do check their mesh way more than I care too. It comes down to preference and how well you maintain the mesh.

[LazyBoy42]

I say stick with plastic. They don't strip so why change? And if they do strip its a user problem. If I was really having that much of a problem I would jump uo to Mod 1 sized gears before steel. Its noisy and will add more rotating mass, usually. If steel was the answer, wouldn't Traxxas build everything with steel gears everywhere?

[rag6]

I am interested in the HR delrin gears. Anyone tried them?

[2TALLTARY]

I am interested in the HR delrin gears. Anyone tried them?

yeah, delrin is a great plastic very machinable and long lasting. i used to make gears all the time. found a page with more info and they also sell some too.

http://www.iplasticsupply.com/materi...alux-sheet-rod

[T-Clyde]

Bump this thread.

I have been running the rr hardened spur and hardened pinion combo for over a yyear now. Previously I was changing spurs every run. I was running in sand, so that complicates things. I DID twist apart the stock rear axles, but that was on 3s 35c with 1/8 paddle tires. Too much traction, too much power. But since switching to the x-duty mip axles, I haven't had a single driveline issue.
I like to bash hard, and this setup takes all I can dish out. The slipper in the rrp spur allows for a lot better fine tune as well.
Just my .02 on the matter.