Great carver needed

[bruce108]

I need advice on building a mountain/long board that will deliver the deepest carve possible on pavement. I am striving for the carveboard experience and the E-glide GI board, which I rode and loved, comes pretty close with the MBS trucks and kenda slicks but I can't live with the lead acid batteries and a brushed motor.
A lighter weight (2) wheel drive, lipo, brushless carveboard with soft inflated tires for max traction is my goal... I have seen a couple boards on this sight with skate trucks that look pretty close and maybe better for what I want, in fact one is for sale in UK. Damn...
My questions.
1. What are people's thoughts on diagonal (2) wheel drive vs rear (2) wheel drive? Again looking for traction leaned over in a carve. Though the burn out drift of the rear wheel drive looks pretty sweet also. Is (4) wheel drive worth it on the road?
2. Will (2) older version Castle Creations Mamba pro 100amp escs power larger softer tires up to 18mph or 10% grade? I all ready have one from an old RC truck, I think it can only go 4 or 5S, or is it better to just go with a different system. The esc is only worth $75 which means I can get another one for $75 and power (2) motors.
3. Do the Turnigy brushless motors with wholes in the cans have problems with dirt getting in to the motor?
4. Has anyone had problems with the wii controller? I have the rc controller and receivers, however, I like the idea of smaller and closer range controller but don't know anything about this system, again Im used to RC receivers that plug into my RC ESC's, but open to more ev based electronics.
5. I don't have a ton of time or experience other than RC gear so if someone had a plug and play system for MBS trucks I would probably go for it, if reasonable. Any thoughts on the most complete systems?

This is probably the best forum I have ever seen and the skate builds are making me crazy to get my board together. You guys rock....
Thanks in advance.
Bruce

 

[torqueboards]

Hey Bruce, Welcome to the forum! Do post pics once your setup is completed. This is just my 2 cents...

1. What are people's thoughts on diagonal (2) wheel drive vs rear (2) wheel drive? Again looking for traction leaned over in a carve. Though the burn out drift of the rear wheel drive looks pretty sweet also. Is (4) wheel drive worth it on the road?
Both are great. Diagonal offers a much more even ride. Dual Rear is a bit more power - easier to pop wheels and/or lose control. 4 Wheel Drive isn't really worth it or needed. You'll need a lot more space as well for 4 wheels. IMO If you can't add more batteries and/or have more batteries the 4 wheels isn't worth it. Also you might want to add on MTB straps also.

2. Will (2) older version Castle Creations Mamba pro 100amp escs power larger softer tires up to 18mph or 10% grade? I all ready have one from an old RC truck, I think it can only go 4 or 5S, or is it better to just go with a different system. The esc is only worth $75 which means I can get another one for $75 and power (2) motors.
You'll want at least 6S on lipo. Add additional packs for higher amp output and/or go with higher voltage. You could use those ESCs but you do want at least 6S. I'd prefer 8S/10S for a more powerful setup.

3. Do the Turnigy brushless motors with wholes in the cans have problems with dirt getting in to the motor?
A set of my Turnigy Motors have about 1400+ miles. I don't necessarily ride in dirt but it's not bad. Doesn't get dirty much on the street. If you plan on riding it in dirt dirt and/or mud. I would try to cover it up.

4. Has anyone had problems with the wii controller? I have the rc controller and receivers, however, I like the idea of smaller and closer range controller but don't know anything about this system, again Im used to RC receivers that plug into my RC ESC's, but open to more ev based electronics.
Wiiceiver can have issues at times and it's more along the lines of figuring out what's causing the interference. Once you can find the interference usually placement. You'll be fine. I would suggest testing it before you go on a serious ride however. I've found no issues at all in neighborhoods but here in SF on busy cities or intersections it can cause some interference.

Remember to move the Wii Nunchuck consistently as the accelerometer's sense for movement. The antenna is also fairly weak and motor wires can cause interference. Best to keep it away from motor wires as much as possible.

With all that said some people seem to have issues while others seem to use it as their main controller with no issues at all.

5. I don't have a ton of time or experience other than RC gear so if someone had a plug and play system for MBS trucks I would probably go for it, if reasonable. Any thoughts on the most complete systems?

Enertion probably has 5" wheels available. Beetbocks mentioned the mileage is a bit low though. You can also get his entire kit but it's pricey. IMO I would purchase some of his stuff and find the rest if you wanted to save some money on your build.

 

[beto_pty]

ON the same page .. decided I needed an awesome carving board...
just got some gullwings and will motorize these... hopefully will give me and awesome aditional carve....
looking to see how your build advances

 

[LEVer]

Hey Bruce108, nice to see you here.

Some things to consider for a carving setup:

1. Get wider wheels, at least 2 inches. Narrow wheels do not grip well and makes it easy to tilt the truck, lifting the outside wheels during hard turns.

2. Wider trucks needs more leverage to turn, allowing you to lean more.

3. The best setup I have found is a skate truck in the front and a spring truck in the back. The skate truck in the front initiate the turns effortlessly and the spring truck in the back holds your lean and actually gives you a "push-back" to help you on the next turn.
It may get wobbly at speeds, but as long as you have grippy wheels its ok. For MTB, you have the MBS Matrix. For longboard setup, the wider Originals S8/S10 feels great, although I've read some people have issues with QC. Mines are still ok, though I just use them for non-electric riding.

4. I have not tried 2 motors diagonally, but if you go for 2 RWD, it's best if you can include freewheel clutches or keep the gear ratio low.