XRAY - Model racing cars

Im at a bit of a loss as to what this massive bearing issue is just maintain the car. 10 spec car either 2 or new style 3 bearing pinion + bearing tech tip = 3 hours between strip down in even the dustiest of conditions what could be simplar.
To pull out the pinion could not be easier, wipe of the old grease check the drive shaft side bearing re lube as per the tech tip 10 minute job, whats the issue.
Just follow the tip go racing & stop moaning.

To all the folks having premature bearing failure... I see your point, and I had the same issues when I first started. I had to take 1+ hours a week taking my diffs apart just to check those bearings. For those that are professional or semi pro drivers, maintenance is a must and just part of the job. But for enthusiasts, I think the extra maintenance can sometimes take the fun out of the hobby. If it was that easy to do, it wouldn't be an issue. But lets face it, no one wants to spend an extra hour working on their car if they don't have to. I read feedback on here where it's to the point someone wants to switch cars just because of the extra maintenance. Why because it's not fun taking apart the front and rear diffs every other race... I can't argue that point. If its not fun... how can you argue that point...

I have since been using xrays tip and haven't had a problem. I get enough life out of the bearings and its not an issue for me anymore. For those that are having this issue... have you tried the xray greasing tip? Follow it exactly and than pass judgement.

I'm not saying this setup makes the bearings last longer than the traditional (small bearing) configurations. These bearings fail sooner, so they require more maintenance. I'm saying they last long enough where its no longer an issue. I race twice a week which means practice tanks, qualifiers, and 10-20 min mains. I don't have issues anymore and I just re-grease or replace the bearings if needed whenever I change my diff oils. It's all apart anyway and it does not take much time in that situation.

I tried another brand car for a few months, and honestly everyone is right about the smaller bearings lasting forever. The driveline was bulletproof, I just needed to change out the diff oils. The problem was I only finished 80% of the races because something else was breaking DURING the race. I would spend more time fixing the car than maintaining it. For an enthusiast like me that was definitely not fun. To each their own. I prefer xray because even though theres more maintenance, it's definitely more reliable once I hit the track. Which is definitely more fun.

Well put Razo I could of been more tactfull just get frustrated in this subject as its such a simple thing to do. All cars have there slight faults so when you know what they are its hard to ignore. We all spend a fortune entering, traveling & participating in these events, with the sake of a 20 minute check & tip all your the efforts could be wasted.
Agree the smaller bearings for the xt8 & EC drive train where bomb proof so every one ignored this area but had its own issue's of pins moving or coming out of driveshafts causing costly failures, tips where found but it took time for racers to embrace them.

The 09 bearings i would run for 5-6 hours straight with no work at all, but found the front or driveshaft side would be on its way out & need replacing with the diff side not far from that.
Often users had failures as no tips had been found to that point & as most pro's stripped the cars regulary & maintained them we where getting no issues. The general racer did not so had failures but put it down to other things & i guess it was put on the back burner as an upgrade later

The 10 bearings initially did not last well & many had problems which was annoying as it was planned for better durability, Xray where very quick on getting proto type parts out & with work on the 3 bearing pinion which is now included in the kits & grease tip the life span exceeds the 09 bearings by hours. We adviced to re do the tip at 3 hours if used in the dustiest of conditions to give users a guide of frequency this just keep's on top of it, I know from my car they would last this period of time with no work.
The 3 hour frequency allows for a quick check of the front / drive shaft side bearing so it can be re-used or replaced. This bearings takes the brunt of all in dirt & vibration from the angle of the drive shaft, so seems the only one that goes. If used in dust free conditions again we still advice the tip but expect further extended life due to the grease working though. When using the tip i would expect atleast 8-10 hours of life from a front bearing. If you do have to replace a bearing its only ever the front drive shaft side where the middle & diff side bearings are fine. On mine yes the fronts have been replaced but middle & rear are still from the Neo event in April with countless hours on them & many more to come.

Many of us are playing around with home made boots with even further success & greater life span to the bearing & driveshaft pins to the joy of the clubbie & Pro meaning less work. So you can all see we are very active to resolve this little blip in the 808 life .

My two minutes over you can all carry on reading now.

Ived been running mine since feb now racing most weeks in varying conditions. i have had one bearing fail the bearings have been greased and inspected every 4 meetings .Im very happy with the performance and feel that it does come down to maintanence i have always been told "if i look arfter it it will look arfter me." The only thing i dont do is spray them with wd40 as i feel that it is to thin and hasnt got the lubrication that they require at the temps and loads that are put on the bearings

all of you that have constant problems. how do you clean your cars?
the only time i had bearing problems is when i used water and an air compressor.
if i treat water like the enemy my pinion bearings last for hours .

Mader

I can understand your frustration in the lack of reliability. You have shown your dislike for the 808 drive train but for the majority its working fine. Yes you have to maintain it for peace of mind but its been proven over here in the UK by some club drivers, that no maintenance still gives them a reliable car. These guys dont even take last weeks dirt off & the car runs fine for months.
If you are using the xray bearings & especially the 10 spec follow the bearing tip then come back, but know if you true to me & do as we suggest it wont be for a while & will probably be after 3-4 events when you do a re lube/ oil change. I read you have used other types of bearing, i cant speak for them but i know xray stuff will last longer than what your experiencing.

Give it a try
Bren

Ive tried every tip, bearing,lube,and band aid that was ever suggested. If you don't race in the USA then you don't get it. Avid bearings last longer than the Xray ones but only by about 1 race. 10 hours would be a dream! I get 3 max. With the 2010 it looks more like 2.

Obviously I don't get it but like most was only tying to help. 25 years in this hobby does not make me an expert but have seen most things and enough here.
Good luck

Don't need luck Brent. Just a fix. Not trying to discount anything you have to offer but after 2 years this is getting frustrating. I too have over 25 years in this hobby and these type of issues are a part of my every day job and when I see an issue with a part or a design its up to me to address it or find a remedy. I guess I just expect too much from others.

I bought the 808 from the FIRST batch to hit the US. I rebuild all plastics and diffs and shocks and chassis each season. I now run 10 spec except for 09 diff housings. I replace diff bearings every 2 or 3 race days. I remove inner seal and pack with grease. I had 1 failure in a race this year due to not doing regular service schedule. Thats it. And I am STILL running my original pinion gear! I do wish they held up longer and hope they do a redesign but all the plusses of an Xray far outweigh the small things.

Guys,
Just want to make my point again regarding the 2010 spec. First off, the car that Mader had the issue with, I sold to him. It had 10 tanks of fuel on it, no more than that. No even a heavy race weekend worth of use. The bearing failed after 10 tanks. But here the point I originally made.

808 No spacer, bearings failed
808 09 Metal spacer between two bearings, bearing fail, but not as fast
808 10 Metal spacer, Larger bearings, New diff bulkhead case, bearing fail faster than the 09 spec
808 10 with 3 bearing setup, ? , will it work, who knows, nothing else has.

Why would I continue with this insanity, Hello, Xray R&D dept, what are you doing? Your so close to the pefect buggy. Scrap the pinion design. Sad thing is, Here in Ohio, Mader and I was one of the few people that ran Xray over the years.
RC America, Rocco, might be time to look at a new brand, because if things stay the same, no one will buy this buggy/ truggy. I know we were chomping at the bit for a new design truggy, but now, just dont trust anything that Xray releases.
People say "Xray, isnt that stuff expensive" My reply, no because it doesnt break parts like the other makes. I will not say that any longer, because Xray is expensive when you have to stay up with the latest attempts at making a driveline work.

Rob Knasel

I understand all the frustrations here as I think everyone here including myself have great expectations on XRAY design and quality.

I would like to post the following questions to those that had pinion bearings failure:

1) when you tighten the 3 3x5mm screws grabbing the inner pinion bearing, did you tighten it fully? I had to put a drop of CA in the screws holes to stop the screws slipping while tightening.
2) someone suggested to put a thin 13x16mm (0.1 or 0.2mm thk) shim between the bearing and the AL collar to take away the slop, anyone tried?
3) did you apply the latest bearing tech tips on you 2010 spec?
4) did you pack the bearings with grease before running it for the first time?
5) what chassis braces are you running? plastic or AL?
6) which pinion bearings are more prone to failure? front or rear?

from youtube videos, i noticed that US style MX tracks are really hard on the chassis and the driveline, EU tracks are generally smoother, faster and less crazy triple jumps...

mine comes apart after every race meeting , depending on the meeting maybe before the finals . but i have ocd and 99.9999% of the time finish the race. and the most important part "i love wrenching at toy cars" . now heres the funny bit , im sitting stripping it now after a very big event for us and when the track time is worked out over the weekend (i know this cause i measured it with a meter wheel while building it ) my 808 has done 83.5 miles over the weekend 4.2 laps is a mile . sort of puts a thoughtfull light on it .

I was looking at my 808 today because some of my Xt8 parts are on the way to convert it to the old driveline. It looks like all I have to do is custom make a right side engine mount that incorporates the center brace. Come up with a couple drive shafts, and maybe a custom front brace. It looks like the rear shaft will still clear the battery tray. I haven't been this excited about my 808 since it was released!

This is a real problem, I think it maybe even more so for us U.S. drivers. Our cars take so much more abuse from the MX style tracks alone. None the less XRAY's 808 pinion setup on paper is all win, but on the track its all failuar. A simple redisign of the bulkheads and center shaft would easy make the 808 the best performing most reliable buggy on the market. I love my 808 I have driven if not owned every other buggy on the market now and dont wanna change bc of the pinion bearing issues, but the current setup just isnt at all efficient. Unless you look forward to taking your drivetrain apart every other day.

A simple redisign of the bulkheads and center shaft would easy make the 808 the best performing most reliable buggy .


Thats exactly what I said. How hard can it be? Im doing it to my own right now!

Hey there again 808 driveline haters! I am almost finished with my new bulletproof 808 driveline setup. You won't believe how easy it is to fix this issue once and for all! Stay tuned for pictures and part numbers on how to make your 808 USA track proof!