Questions for a first time RC builder.

well i think you are going to need to get the body. 1/10 Jeep Body (HPI Part # 7182)

that is what you will need. also as for tools just a good Allen wrench set and some good old time. there might be need for Phillips and flat head screw drivers. but other than that i think you might be set.
have a good time building it and make sure you post pics when you are done.
thanks

I would get a more reliable ESC maybe an Tekin FXR or Mamba sidewinder/Max. #1 tip Spend the extra $$$ on good electronics you will keep them forever if you do and can change them from truck to truck if needed. With a 2 channel radio you wont be able to control any kind of driveline locking. Might I suggest the DX3R. Pricey but well worth the money! I love mine. Also get yourself at least a 45turn motor. The 55t is rather slow in a scaler. And maybe a couple/few batteries. Tools should be metric allens and smaller socket set, soldering iron,wire strippers. Im sure I could tell you more. Good luck man. You are gonna love this hobby!!!

Rob is right. Better electronics, but the ones you listed will work just fine.

One question. Are you looking to Crawl over there, or just run? You may not need the dig tranny. Just a thought. Would save you money on the extra servo, new radio and such.

I used a 55 turn in mine and with a 3 cell lipo I was fine, but with a 6 cell pack....it would be slow. 35 turn and a 6 cell would be a good combo too.

If you have any more questions please ask away.

Body
Spray paint
Lexan scissors
Metric Wrenches
Small plyers
Solder iron (for electronics)
Extra Screw pack
Blue Threadlocker
RC4WD Monster Lube

^Please add to this list.^

also if you want to go water proof make sure you have a lot of balloons and grease and stuff like that. frying electronics is not fun and can cost you a whole lot of money. i know i lost mine off a cliff into lake Michigan.

i wouldnt normal recommended this but since he is going to the sand box. maybe brushless over a brushed motor. Novak makes a nice complee system.

and I agree with tom on the dig if you not competing it is more of a novelty. with the heat over there I wouldnt balloon much heat is gonna be a big enemy

good luck over there

Very true! Good thinking

Actually my choice for dig and the low speed motor has more to do with it mimicing my 1:1 rig... I run 4.56 gears with a granny low 6:1 first and do most of my wheeling REAL SLOW with the Tcase in low range and it's a dana 20 (the dual stick kit is still awaiting install)... As for waterproofing... well... water is kind of a comodity around here so I doubt I'll do much mud play but thanks for the idea.

I do have a three channel JR radio, it's just that the third channel is not a 3 pos switch. Which is fine because I should still be able to engage the dig with rear lock or change the setup and get only dig with rear freewheel (as uposed to having both options available at the flick of a switch. That way I can decide what option I like better and use it. I figure spend the money on a dig now instead of kicking myself for not having it.

As for the electronics, I went with cheap cause I figured they may not survive the conditions over here... then once I get a little more time under my belt (and do a little more reading) I can figure out what I want to spend money on. I've read that the V16r Bravo can have some issues, but I figured it'd be worth a try because of the price.

As far as the motor, I had initially seen alot of people running the 55T but now the more I read the more I hear that it is pretty slow so I figure since I only paid $20 for it on ebay I can always buy something a little quicker and swap them out depending on my mood. The 6 cell batteries were also a cheapie e-bay purchase since they came with a charger that would work on 220 volt power I figured even if I used for a year over here and chucked them it'd be fine for $50 I paid for the two batteries and a charger.

Thanks for the list of supplies... I should be able to source some of that here and order the rest.

Has anyone tried using a body other than the Rubicon? I saw someone selling a CJ body that hasn't been made for a few years... I was thinking that would be awesome but I'd hate to cut up a $50 body only to find out it wouldn't fit.

Sounds like you have been doing some good reading. I personally wouldnt cut that CJ
55tmotor is always a good one to have around.
Did anybody say shock oil? heheh!

I'll add that one to the list...

What are pinion and spur gears for?

I have got alot of time to do alot of research... and since the wife is glad to not have to pull fullsize jeep parts off the porch she's given me the go ahead to spend what I want and buy a nice "toy" as she calls it.

The pinion gear supplies power from the motor to the spur gear, which is connected to the input on the transmission

the mopeds are not terrible. and you are right with the conditions you will be playing I think I would keep it on the cheap side good or bad nothing may survive.. you might be able to use hpi bronco body on there to with some hacking I think I would preserve the cj.

Okay so from what I've read I should be able to just change out those gears and effectively change my overall speed without changing the motor (similar to changing gears or from high to low range in a fullsize rig.) Does the timberwolf kit include these gears and if so what size does it include? (yes I am learning great and mighty samurais...)

yes pinion swaps will change speed/torque, you can only do so much with pinion changes. the higher you gear (bigger pinion) the faster you will go, but at the cost of torque and run time, and increased temp on the motor, lower you gear (smaller pinion) slower you will go but you will have increased torque, more run time, and lower temps on motor..

I dont know if the timberwolf comes with any pinions some one else will have to answer that..

personally I like to volt up and gear down. 3s lipo 55T lathe and nice small pinion will give you the best of both worlds wheels speed and tons of torque