Wheelies

A common request I hear, is what does it take to make the Stampede pull wheelies??? Well for starters, it's going to take a little more than pulling it out of the box. Sure, you can slam it from forward to reverse, but that's hard on the transmission. It's also not a real wheelie.

After you read my suggestions you may say, that looks expensive. You may also say that you can pull wheelies by gearing the stock motor down to 12 or 13/87. That's fine, if you have no problem with the serious loss of top end speed you'll have. However, the equipment I mention below will give you wheelies and allow you to keep a nice top end speed. So if you're looking for a way to keep the nose of your Stampede in the air, you'll find what you need below.

ESC

The Traxxas XL-1 ESC is a poor performer, when compared to many other ESC's on the market. You'll stand a better chance with a Mechanical Speed Control than you do with the XL-1. So you'll need a good one, with reverse. If you get a forward only ESC, it won't prevent you from pulling wheelies but, you'll quickly become tired of not being able to back up and having to run to the truck and get yourself out of a bind.

Without a doubt the best reversing ESC out there for the Stampede is the often praised Novak Super Rooster. However it's price tag keeps it out of reach for many people. I've complied a list of other excellant ESC's that offer a good list of features for their price. While these ESC's will have some shortcomings compared to the Super Rooster, they are still a very good ESC to use. To view the list visit my ESC's article.

Motor

The stock Stinger motor is a much better "out of the box" motor than many RC's you'll buy. However, the motor still lacks the power of a good aftermarket motor. While it's possible to pull wheelies with a stock-type motor, they'll be much easier with a good modified motor. You'll want a modified motor with a good amount of low-end torque. For $35.00 the Speed Gems 2 Onyx and Sapphire are both excellent choices. The P-94's make a good choice as well, although they'll cost you a little more than the Speed Gems 2 motors will.

I often recommend, and some may say over-recommend, the Speed Gems 2 Onyx, Sapphire, and P-94 motors. However that's not without good reason. I feel that in their price range those motors offer more power and torque than anything else. While there are other motors out there to choose from, these motors are the head of the class in my opinion.

Tires

The stock tires work well for the Stinger motor. However when you increase the power level, you'll quickly see their shortcomings. The rubber is very hard, and the tire itself is not very willing to give you optimum traction. It's similar to using street tires at a drag strip. Sure you can race on street tires at a lower power level, but there's a reason that once you get to the faster cars they run slicks.

The Masher 2000 probably provides more traction on a variety of surfaces than any other tire. If you plan on being on one particular surface most of the time you may want to run a specific tire targeted for that surface. However if you plan on running on a variety of surfaces you can't do any better than the Masher 2000 in my opinion.

When hunting for the increased traction that wheelies demand, you'll want to make sure you glue your tires to the rim. A nice bead of CA glue such as Pro-Line's CA Glue between the rim and the bead of the tire will prevent the rim from spinning inside the tire.

Battery Pack

A good pack is a must. If you're using a pack that wore out, it doesn't matter what the rest of your equipment is like, it isn't going to happen. A 7-cell or zapped pack will help, but it's not necessary. A good set of quality Sanyo cells that have been taken care of will provide you enough power.

The list above will get you wheelies on a routine basis. However you must keep in mind a few other factors as well. Traction is one. Sure you've got the Masher 2000's and the rest of the equipment above, but if you're sitting in a pile of loose dirt you're just going to spin. Another thing to remember is that wheelies will come easier earlier in the run. After the pack has lost some of it's charge, you may discover that the front end stays on the ground.

Another thing to remember is the slipper clutch. The slipper clutch must be properly adjusted, and the tighter it is, the easier it will be to pull a wheelie. Remember though, that as the slipper is set tighter, you increase the chances of tearing up a spur gear. A Stampede with a properly set slipper clutch should have no problem pulling wheelies. See my section on Adjusting the Slipper Clutch for more information.

The last thing to remember is the suspension itself. A loose rear suspension will cause the rear end to squat. However if the rear suspension is tight, the shock has a harder time compressing and instead the power coming from the motor has a tendency to lift the front end up.

You also may want to be aware of the fact, that along increased wheelies will come a new problem. You'll start to see the rear of the transmission housing being ground down over time. You can simply use a small piece of aluminum as a skid plate over the area, or use a wheelie bar. ESP offers a wheelie bar, but there are some strength issues that should be addressed with the piece itself. You can read about those in my section on the ESP Wheelie Bar. It's also possible to fabricate your own, and many people have done that as well.