E-S Stealth Electric Bike Owners

[Rix]

Hi My charger shorted out today :? I pulled it apart and found a blown capacitor. has anybody seen this and fixed it? Could I possibly solder in a new capacitor or it there likely to be something else wrong? first I would need to know the specs on the capacitor so i can get a replacement?? if someone could point me in the right direction that would be great. Cheers.
Juspg[/img]

Thats a strange issue, looks like the capacitor got hot as hell before it popped on you. Just curious, could your charger have been subjected to a "power surge"? I am not very smart (at all) when it comes to working on boards, but that looks like the victim of too much current. On another note, are you still running the forks you had Avalanche racing revalve and rebuild for you? Looks like old orange is cranking along rather nicely, are you running the 5404 or 5405? Nice pic of the lake there.

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Hi guy's,

So just an update on the custom torque blocks. I got a couple of prototypes made and now have them in hand. I did a bunch of searching around, contacting countless CNC places (mostly in China) in order to find a reasonably priced, but good quality options.

I'm still yet to do testing on these, but the bolt hole sizing is perfect and the clearance is just enough. They are also looking like a very good fit over a 14mm axle.

Have a look at the images below; The torque block on the left is the cheaper unit, and the one on the right is a bit more.

The quality difference is pretty obvious in the shots above (the pitting is my main concern), and my preference is for the more expensive option due to the obvious differences in quality, however it's going to impact final prices.
I'm yet to finalise prices, however I don't expect them to change.
For the cheaper unit it will be:
$50 for one
$90 for a set (2)

For the higher quality unit it will be:
$65 for one
$110 for a set (2)

I think the cheaper unit would still work fine due to the design, however if I were buying these I would be more than happy to spend an extra $10-20 for the better quality unit.
To keep things simple, shipping within Australia will be a flat $8 and international $20

As mentioned, I still need to do testing which I will be doing on a 12mm axle at approx 150NM (to simulate worst case application) over the Christmas holiday's before placing the order some time in mid to late January.

Anyway, let me know what you all think and chime in if you're interested. I will be ordering 20 units (10 sets), so quantity will be obviously limited.

Cheers

 

[Jimboyr6]

Surely when there powder coated thay will look the same,
Nice job though

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Surely when there powder coated thay will look the same,
Nice job though

Thanks!
I'm not going to be power coating them as everyone will want different colours, and personally I'm just happy with spray paint, so for mine that's what I will be doing.

If people really want them powder coated, I can look into it, but it will only be in one colour (likely black) and obviously add to the cost slightly, but let me know if that's what you really want.

Cheers

 

[Jimboyr6]

Yeah I definitely wouldn't bother powder coating at ur end,
But if its just the finish thats poor id b happy to rub it down and spray paint it,its not really a showing part that u see much.

 

[whitebomber]

These things really make you look at your surroundings in a different light

 

[FL bomber]

Did Stealth open headquarters in USA again to order parts.. to save on shipping cost. Side panel hex bolts size?

 

[robohead]

Did Stealth open headquarters in USA again to order parts.. to save on shipping cost. Side panel hex bolts size?

From what I can tell the HQ remains in AU and they only added an office here in the US.

 

[st35326]

Hi guy's,

So just an update on the custom torque blocks. I got a couple of prototypes made and now have them in hand. I did a bunch of searching around, contacting countless CNC places (mostly in China) in order to find a reasonably priced, but good quality options.

I'm still yet to do testing on these, but the bolt hole sizing is perfect and the clearance is just enough. They are also looking like a very good fit over a 14mm axle.

Have a look at the images below; The torque block on the left is the cheaper unit, and the one on the right is a bit more.

The quality difference is pretty obvious in the shots above (the pitting is my main concern), and my preference is for the more expensive option due to the obvious differences in quality, however it's going to impact final prices.
I'm yet to finalise prices, however I don't expect them to change.
For the cheaper unit it will be:
$50 for one
$90 for a set (2)

For the higher quality unit it will be:
$65 for one
$110 for a set (2)

I think the cheaper unit would still work fine due to the design, however if I were buying these I would be more than happy to spend an extra $10-20 for the better quality unit.
To keep things simple, shipping within Australia will be a flat $8 and international $20

As mentioned, I still need to do testing which I will be doing on a 12mm axle at approx 150NM (to simulate worst case application) over the Christmas holiday's before placing the order some time in mid to late January.

Anyway, let me know what you all think and chime in if you're interested. I will be ordering 20 units (10 sets), so quantity will be obviously limited.

Cheers

Nice work duck!!!! I can't wait to be able to use my regen again without having to tighten axle nuts every ride. Fire off when you are ready to receive payment.

 

[Jimboyr6]

Can we see a pic of theses fitted,is there going to be enough thread for nut to go on ?

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Can we see a pic of theses fitted,is there going to be enough thread for nut to go on ?

Yeah, I'll get a shot soon. My Fighters currently having the bearings in it's Schlumpf replaced...one of the few things I can't do myself as I don't have the tools.

I deliberately made the clamping section as thin as possible while still keeping it wide enough to have M4 bolts. The extended section is 6mm wide, however I made the inner section slightly narrower than standard at 5mm to reduce the extension further.
So the total amount of threads you will loose should only be about 5mm.

All that being said, with the design of these torque blocks and once tightened correctly, there is actually no more need at all for an axle nut at all. I'll explain;
With the regular torque blocks, you rely on the nut to constantly be applying pressure against the torque block to hold it, and the axle in-place against the swing arm.

With these new torque blocks, you tighten down the nut, then clamp the axle clamps. You could then take the nut off if you wanted, because the axle clamp is now holding the torque block and therefore the whole axle against the swing arm.

In reality, I won't be recommending people not to use axle nuts, however it should be entirely possible to use thinner nuts, or just not worry about them being fully engaged on the axle.

Let me know if that doesn't make sense.

Once I get my Fighter back, I might even do some testing to prove it by riding around without axle nuts.

Cheers

 

[one4torque]

Ill try a set of those tq blocks for my bomber. Can paypal funds today.

 

[Jimboyr6]

Yeah i get what ur saying
But u would definitely need nuts as to pull the swing arm in,to then tighten your clamps,even though ur clamps are a good fit i wouldn't ride around without nuts on.
If the axle isent tight against swing arm i think ud be askin for trouble,.

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Ill try a set of those tq blocks for my bomber. Can paypal funds today.

Glad your keen, but they won't be ready till early next year at this stage. I'm still yet to do testing and place a bulk order.
Would you prefer the cheaper option or the other unit?

Yeah i get what ur saying
But u would definitely need nuts as to pull the swing arm in,to then tighten your clamps,even though ur clamps are a good fit i wouldn't ride around without nuts on.
If the axle isent tight against swing arm i think ud be askin for trouble,.

The axle will still be held tight against the swing arm because the torque block will be holding it there the same as the nut does currently.
Your right in saying you still need the axle nuts to pull the swing arm in prior to tightening the clamps, however once the clamps are tight, the nut is no longer needed to perform the job of holding everything in place since the clamped torque block is doing that.

Anyway, this will all make sense soon, once I get my bike back and take some photo's of it clamped into place.

Cheers

 

[Jimboyr6]

I think i will have a pair,
Lets see how it goes,whats the weight?
I know one thing iv given up using regen,i just dont trust the standard clamp as we all know its not the best fit..
Be nice to use regen it to its full potential.

 

[one4torque]

If they work either price is good for me -. Lmk when you put in the order. Great idea!

 

[Rix]

Hi guy's,

So just an update on the custom torque blocks. I got a couple of prototypes made and now have them in hand. I did a bunch of searching around, contacting countless CNC places (mostly in China) in order to find a reasonably priced, but good quality options.

I'm still yet to do testing on these, but the bolt hole sizing is perfect and the clearance is just enough. They are also looking like a very good fit over a 14mm axle.

Have a look at the images below; The torque block on the left is the cheaper unit, and the one on the right is a bit more.

The quality difference is pretty obvious in the shots above (the pitting is my main concern), and my preference is for the more expensive option due to the obvious differences in quality, however it's going to impact final prices.
I'm yet to finalise prices, however I don't expect them to change.
For the cheaper unit it will be:
$50 for one
$90 for a set (2)

For the higher quality unit it will be:
$65 for one
$110 for a set (2)

I think the cheaper unit would still work fine due to the design, however if I were buying these I would be more than happy to spend an extra $10-20 for the better quality unit.
To keep things simple, shipping within Australia will be a flat $8 and international $20

As mentioned, I still need to do testing which I will be doing on a 12mm axle at approx 150NM (to simulate worst case application) over the Christmas holiday's before placing the order some time in mid to late January.

Anyway, let me know what you all think and chime in if you're interested. I will be ordering 20 units (10 sets), so quantity will be obviously limited.

Cheers

Damn CD, you really came up with a nice design, looks tough, and I am willing to bet they will work much better than heat shrink. :lol: Seriously though, looks like a kick ass solution.

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Thanks for the kind comments guy's. I put a lot of effort into these, so I'm hopeful they should work, but that still doesn't substitute thorough testing which is still yet to come. With all the enthusiasm though, I will definitely do my best to get the testing done as soon as possible.

Lets see how it goes,whats the weight?

You made me curious as I didn't even know the weight yet.

So yeah, a bit heavier than the stock ones, but if it means you can use Regen when otherwise you wouldn't, the energy recovered will far outweigh any minor weight penalties.

Cheers

 

[Rix]

These things really make you look at your surroundings in a different light

Nice little urban enduro riding you got going on.

 

[ezza]

Nice work CD! Not sure how the fighter works but on the Bomber it needs a chain tensioner at the back. I guess that gets drilled in and threaded later?

On my swingarm, using regen then throttle over the years has caused the slot to widen where the torque block fits in. I have fitted shims above to fill the gap but it keeps widening. Need to find a way to hold that gap tight. Right now I have a hose clamp on the back to try stop the slot from opening but its only a temporary solution, as I can again see the wheel nuts rotating slightly when I use regen and throttle again. Its a frustrating issue as I love using regen in my hilly area and saving the brakes too.

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Nice work CD! Not sure how the fighter works but on the Bomber it needs a chain tensioner at the back. I guess that gets drilled in and threaded later?

Thanks!
Yeah, the chain tensioner is not part of this design for several reasons, with the main one being it would add extra complexity/cost to it.
My thinking was, it is unnecessary since it should be easy enough to position by hand.
I guess you could drill and add your own tensioner later if you want, but I would suggest seeing how you go positioning by hand first.

On my swingarm, using regen then throttle over the years has caused the slot to widen where the torque block fits in. I have fitted shims above to fill the gap but it keeps widening. Need to find a way to hold that gap tight. Right now I have a hose clamp on the back to try stop the slot from opening but its only a temporary solution, as I can again see the wheel nuts rotating slightly when I use regen and throttle again. Its a frustrating issue as I love using regen in my hilly area and saving the brakes too.

Yes, I've had and seen others with the same problem. I'm hoping that because the clamp on these torque blocks will maintain a constant pressure between the torque block and swing arm that the pressure alone will be enough to stop any rotation. This is the main reason I still need to test.
I have several backup plans if it doesn't work out though.
Firstly, I will try adding some non-slip tape between the torque block and swing arm. The increase in friction combined with the maintained pressure may be enough to prevent any movement.
If that fails, the last option is a redesign of the torque block. I've already done this redesign where basically I've extended the notch on the back side out by 5mm, then added a through hole. I would then add another steel section vertically to effectively clamp the torque block to the swing arm from the back.
This would be the ultimate solution as it effectively clamps the entire wheel to the frame. The only catch is it would obviously add cost, and I don't want to go down that path unnecessarily.
I'll take some screenshots when I get home later tonight and post some photo's.

Cheers

 

[ezza]

Great reply CD, thanks. Sounds like you are 'onto it', and going to come up with a real solution. Thanks for your efforts on this, I'll be watching with interest and hopefully purchasing a set from you. 8)

 

[Cowardlyduck]

As promised, here is the revised design. Hopefully it's unnecessary, but with this design there would be no chance of movement.

An M3 bolt and nut would pull the bar onto the back side of the torque arms/swing arm. This would also prevent any chance of the wheel moving forward/backward, so adjusting the chain tension could be a bit painful with this design.

Cheers

 

[Cowardlyduck]

Ok, so got my Fighter back this morning and had a go at fitting the torque blocks.

First try was with the 14mm axle of my Leaf motor. It fit perfectly first try.

I tried a normal width (flanged) nut, and there's enough threads left for a normal fit.

However if you like to use giant nuts like these you might not get all the thread on.

Keep in mind, this Leaf motor is not the normal motor axle width that comes with the Fighter or Bomber. This axle is shorter than the standard Fighters HS4080 or Bombers 5403.


Next I tried fitting to my HS4080 which comes stock with the Fighter. This motor had a stripped axle, so I re-cut the threads from 1/2" down to M12. This only leaves 2mm of flat section either side, so should be a good test of these torque blocks!
The fitment was too tight on this axle, so I had to file the torque block flats a bit, and I also filed the axles flats a bit as they were a little hacked/flared towards the ends. I would much rather have to file a bit than have these torque blocks too loose and I'm sure others will agree.

As you can see, with a normal sized M12 nut in place, there's still a few threads to spare. I'm guessing this will also be what a Bombers 5403 will also look like (but with M14 axle/nuts) as I believe the axle width is the same.

During tightening one of the M4 bolts, I over-tightened one and managed to snap it. Good thing I bought a bunch, and it makes me really glad I opted to make the holes through holes not threaded. I'm pretty bad when it comes to over tightening things, so would much rather snap a bolt/wreck a nut, than destroy threads inside an expensive prototype. The bolt length is perfect with the nylock nuts and the perfect torque seems to be just as the threads start poking through the other side of the nut.

Now for some proper testing, which will take some weeks before I'm satisfied it's solid.
I only just repaired my HS4080, and this is the first time I'm refitting it since then. Unfortunately I underestimated the length needed for my phase wires, so need to extend them before I can start riding.

Cheers

 

[biknut]

I guess I'll give you miserable slobs a break