Car Maintenance, repair and tools for beginners...

[GoCar]

My son has a Team Losi Mini Monster Baja, loves it, and then today suddenly it lost traction on grass, the running sounded different, and next thing we know, one of the wheels fell off!

We found the nut, but haven't got the tools to re-attach the wheel, and I'm not quite sure whether other parts were lost (maybe discs or what have you).

I've just been Googling, trying to find maybe a user manual telling us everything technical so we can check/fix the car, and I was trying to find out if there's info on what basic tools one should have, to make sure you can fix the most common problems.

Would any of you have any advice:

• )

What basic tools (such as the spanner-thing for tightening the wheel) would you recommend for a starter repair-box, and where to get them?

• )

Anywhere to find technical information, so we can eg. see exactly what parts should be on the various parts of the car?

• )

Are there any sites for eg. the Team Losi Baja, where you can find eg. lists of most common problems/issues, and how to fix them?


Many thanks in advance.

[wacattack]

All things car related are usually found on www.oople.com/forums

Im a frequent user of the site (mainly for 1/10th offroad - hence why Im not able to give you a more specific answer on your questions)

[CanAm]

GoCar said:

We found the nut, but haven't got the tools to re-attach the wheel, and I'm not quite sure whether other parts were lost (maybe discs or what have you).

Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs here, but to see if anything is missing couldn't you just compare it with the other side where everything is presumably still attached?
As for tools, have you tried the model shop you bought the car from? I don't know this particular model, but would have expected it to come complete with basic tools such as a wheel nut spanner.

[Bungleaio]

GoCar said:

What basic tools (such as the spanner-thing for tightening the wheel) would you recommend for a starter repair-box, and where to get them?

The manual suggests a 5.5mm nut driver for the wheel nuts, #0 or #1 Phillips screwdriver and a .050" Allen Wrench. There are loads of shops where you can get them a couple of the model shops I use are
http://demonpowerproducts.co.uk/ 
http://www.microtechracing.com/ 

GoCar said:

Anywhere to find technical information, so we can eg. see exactly what parts should be on the various parts of the car?

http://www.losi.com/ProdInfo/Files/LOSB0218_MMB-Operations_Guide_LoRes.pdf 

http://www.losi.com/ProdInfo/Files/LOSB0218_MMB_GettingStarted_LoRes.pdf 

http://www.losi.com/ProdInfo/Files/LOSB0218_MMB_ExplodedView_LoRes.pdf 

GoCar said:

Are there any sites for eg. the Team Losi Baja, where you can find eg. lists of most common problems/issues, and how to fix them?

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_235/tt.htm 
http://www.oople.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=36 

I have no experiance of this car but I do have a full size LST, hope this info is useful

Edited by Bungleaio on Friday 9th May 12:07

[GoCar]

Excellent answers, thank you all, busy busy times here with v. little time to do research, so your advice (the car *did* come with tools, were under a flap thing in the original box!) and all those links (oople etc.) are very much appreciated.

Thanks again :0)

[CanAm]

So is it all back together again and working with no missing bits?

[GoCar]

Yes, except that the nut that came off in the first place is now loose, as if the thread has been damaged (as opposed to the other nuts, which seem to be sound). So I can tighten it enough that he can drive the car for a little while before it falls off again, and need re-tightening.

I'm looking online for a replacement nut and spares right now :0), and if I can't find it online, we'll have to go back to the shop we got it in as soon as I have time. This shop is a 20 minute drive away so we can't easily nip overthere :0)

[sgrimshaw]

Chances are it's a 3mm Nyloc nut.

Try B&Q / Homebase / Focus etc.

[Bungleaio]

sgrimshaw said:

Chances are it's a 3mm Nyloc nut.

Try B&Q / Homebase / Focus etc.

It's losi so it's imperial. I'm my previous post one of the links was to an exploded parts diagram, it should tell you the part number you need to order the spares

[sgrimshaw]

Bungleaio said:

It's losi so it's imperial.

Why, because it's american?

It doesn't always follow you know.


In fact, as I suspected, they are indeed 3mm Nylocs.

http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/Factory-Team-AS...

[Bungleaio]

sgrimshaw said:

Bungleaio said:

It's losi so it's imperial.

Why, because it's american?

It doesn't always follow you know.


In fact, as I suspected, they are indeed 3mm Nylocs.

http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/Factory-Team-AS...

None of the Losi's I've ever owned (xx, xxxNT LST) have ever had metric anything on them other than motor screws, but I the manual states that a 5.5mm nut driver is required. So you're probably right about the size of the huts.

Edited by Bungleaio on Friday 9th May 16:15

[sgrimshaw]

Sign of the times I guess, production has probably moved to China!

They are also using Metric Bearings now.

[The_Jackal]

The good thing is that the Mini Monster Baja is a very popular truck. If as you say the wheel require a 5.5mm socket, that is a very common size and is normally one of the sizes on the standard tool that comes with most 1/10 cars, as this is the size of Nyloc nut that holds on most 1/10 wheels
http://www.modelsport.co.uk/?CallFunction=ShowSpec...

There is a massive modding scene for the Losi mini RCs, spares will never be a problem. What you need to be worried about is the shopping list of upgrades once you find out what other people are doing with them lol

[Civpilot]

The_Jackal said:

There is a massive modding scene for the Losi mini RCs, spares will never be a problem. What you need to be worried about is the shopping list of upgrades once you find out what other people are doing with them lol

Yup, Just to tease you, my Losi Mini Monster Baja chassis currently looks like this...



I've also switched to the Raminator body as for me it suits the cars stance better...


Good luck keeping your wallet locked up