View Full Version : what do you do to upgrade a mini T


zumziz
07-07-2008, 03:31 PM
i have a mini t and i want to make it faster and better all around so what do i need to buy and replace to do that??? i am new to the hobby and this is my first car should i just get a new bigger car because i want to race and go like 40 and over. please help.

L4OvalRacer
07-08-2008, 09:52 AM
Well depends how fast....

First you can go with a Castle Creations Mamba Brushless system. The Mamba system is outragusly crazy fast. But you can go faster with the Tekin Mini rage system. But if you not looking to go that fast you can just get the Big block conversion and get a biger brushed motor. Also if you want to just go a little faster you can get the Lipo pack and they will go fast with just the Lipo pack and a optinal motor. Look up www.Horizonhobby.com and type in Mini-t.

Any question send me a pm

Taylor

IndyRC_Racer
07-08-2008, 12:01 PM
1/18 scale vehicles weren't designed to go 40mph out of the box (and turn). Before you consider upgrading the motor to make it go that fast, make sure you put aside some cash for the broken parts that you will inevitably have - such as melted diffs and broken arms.

Unless you are racing on a track designed for 1/8 scale vehicles, I doubt that you will ever need that much speed. And if you are racing on an offroad track designed for 1/8 scale vehicles you will never get an 1/18 scale truck to work well. The above poster has a good point point about going a little faster. You might be surprised that a better battery and slightly better motor might be more than enough speed to compete at the track you plan to race.

If you are trying to make your new Mini-T as fast (or faster) than someone else, take some time to ask that person how much money they have spent to go that fast. You might be surprised to find that they may be over $500+ on upgrades alone. If money is no object, then there are plenty of ways to get speed out of 1/18 scale vehicles.

nutz4rc
07-08-2008, 02:05 PM
Indy is correct. A 1/18th going 40 mph is the equivalent of a full sized vehicle going 740 mph. You will need a very large area and you will need wide turns. The vehicle will be unmanageable. A good brushless system will make the Mini as fast as a 1/10th. If you want to race, make certain there is a track near you that races 1/18th. I am fortunate to be within 15 minutes of a 1/18th oval carpet track, 1 hour of a 1/10th offroad, and 1 hour of a 1/10th and 1/18th oval carpet.

No use to build something that you can't use....

L4OvalRacer
07-08-2008, 03:02 PM
Hey Its a hobby if he wants to go 40mph let the guy go 40mph. Im shure we all know what happens when you go fast and hit something. LOL!! We have all had that problem before..

I say if you want to spend $500 to make it go fast spend it I wount loose any sleep over it.

kevinm
07-08-2008, 07:30 PM
The easiest way to make a Mini-T go faster is: Raise it up 4" and slide a Vendetta ST under it. :jest:
(Sorry, couldn't resist paraphrasing a wisecrack comment made to me several years ago.)

But seriously, the biggest problem with the Mini-T is that the electronics are all built into one unit. To upgrade anything, you need to replace it all (including the steering servo). Most (if not all) of the other 1/18th scale RTRs out there (including other Losi vehicles) have separate, standard electronics, making changing to brushless relatively painless. There's a reason why they dropped the price $50 after the Associated RC-18T came out.

A brushless system can get you 40MPH, but then there's those pesky corners to get around! More horsepower also takes its toll on drivetrain parts, so the next upgrade after brushless is steel dogbones/CVDs. If you're planning to race at an organized R/C track, find out first what their rules are and what other people are running. For racing, you DO NOT want or need a 3-cell LiPo. While it might look impressive passing a nitro car on the straightaway, getting marshalled 3 times per lap afterward doesn't look so good. My Vendetta ST with a 5400kv motor usually turns about the same lap times as my buggy with the 6800kv motor, so more motor doesn't always make you faster.

DJ1978
07-09-2008, 12:07 PM
i have a mini t and i want to make it faster and better all around so what do i need to buy and replace to do that??? i am new to the hobby and this is my first car should i just get a new bigger car because i want to race and go like 40 and over. please help.


If you want to go that fast.. and many cars now can go that fast, Get a 1/10th scale or 1/8th scale vehicle.
DO some research and see what you want. Do you want Off Road or On Road?
Electric or Nitro?
There are some RTR vehicles with the right batteries that will go that fast. The Traxxas Rustler claims it will go that fast. Losi Speed T. Emaxx with the right motor and batteries.
Many On Road cars.
But it is not going to be cheap. Speed costs Money.