Greetings fellow 4-Wheel enthusiast’s!
A little about me: I am a self-employed, work-at-home body and enjoy pushing life to the limits(If you will) on my spare time. Usually, I pay to have excitement, such as Skydiving, Wake-Boarding, and Rock Climbing when work schedule permits it… but am looking into getting back to my youth with the Skating thrills I used to have as a teenager. I currently have a few longboards and Skateboards laying around that I pull out from time-to-time and head down to the local park to brush up on my vert skills.
The reason I’d like to have a nice DIY Esk8 that can meet 35-40MPH(Definitely open to a faster setup as long as the range can hit a minimum of 40 mi.) is that I’m wanting to drop out of the usual and owning a car. I live in town and really have no reason to have a vehicle as it is. Also, upkeep, maintenance, insurance and everything else that comes with a vehicle isn’t worth it just sitting in my driveway. I generally don’t go further than 40 mi when I do head out of town and that’s usually to spend the night so a ride back or a charge up isn’t an issue. Additional range would be lovely as batteries do lose max capacity over time. Also… Let’s state the obvious here… The trills and and enjoyment gained from going over 40 MPH on a motor-propelled skateboard is just mind boggling and heart stomping at the same time.
Okay enough about me, here’s what I would like to have:
Board: currently own plenty of starters.
Motor: I would prefer a 2WD belt set-up with the minimum- maximum speed of 35MPH(Customizable and able to be upgraded for more speed)
Battery: Something that can handle the demands of the speed mentioned above along with the distance of 40-60 mi. I’m aware that going slower will give your batter longevity, if I make long trips I won’t full-boar it
Wheels: Which ever perform better on public roads for speed/batter efficiency.
ESC: I have no idea what the spec’s and the better/worse ones are so your best opinion will be appreciated.
I’m not sure what else I’ll need aside from the basic Grip Tape/Sealants. Any/all help is more than appreciated. Please also explain compatibilities with each opinion-offered component. Also, I cannot solder to save my live…
OH! Duh, dumb me. My ESK8-budget is currently set at $1,400.00 but would like to save a bit of that for future upgrades/wheel exchange’s and/or a better deck if mine come to be too heavy/flex.
Many thanks, Kyle-
Welp, I think that the new Propel Endeavo PRO is the way to go ENDEAVOR Pro – PROPEL EV it’s a bit out of the budget you mentioned but man…it’s the future, also with a new ESC and maybe new motors (I don’t know if the current motors have the necessary specs) you can reach 50 easy and it can handle anything on the road and a lot off-road so it would be Uber fun! I’m also thinking of making something that goes 40-50 and I was thinking of a modified version of the endeavor Pro because in my opinion with that independent suspension you should be the safest possible going 40-50.
Wonderful selection! I would hands down purchase The Endeavo Pro, however, I am currently on the side of spending a little time on something so I can say, “I did that… With help :D”
Mainly, if anyone knows someone who can build a battery pack that can handle the demands needed- I am willing to compensate for your time and assistance. I’ve noticed that battery choice is easy but getting the actual pack and setup isn’t. Duct Tape and Zip-Ties, right?
Depends on where you live. If you live in hilly areas, you can make an esk8 mountain board. If not, you can do a standard esk8. But here you are:
Motors: 2wd, get yourself either 6374 220kv or 200kv for more speed (and still have torque) anything higher will sacrifice torque and will not get you above hills higher than 25%. You can also get them battle hardened. I have those at 190kv
Battery: I recommend P42A Molicells or Samsung 40T in a 12s8p set up. This will give you the range and power needed, at the cost of… let’s say… speed safety to mount it, use velcro and put it on the enclosure side.
Wheels: anything that isn’t pneumatics or tire like 6’ or more and are 105mm - 120mm are best. If you’re going smaller, avoid 63xx motors and get 50xx motors for size. But you will lose a lot of power. But the recommended battery can help you with the pneumatics no issues.
Esc: Stormcore 60D or makerx DV6 Pro. If you got the money, stormcore your build. If not, makerx it. Both are great esc, but if you want the OG vesc, buy it from trampa. It’s not a dual esc though, although I heard they’re making one.
Everything else is simple. Griptape that holds your feet strongly and rubber sealing so water don’t break it. You can use silicone for your other stuff.
Battery: Samsung 40T 21700 4000mAh 35A. (96 for a 12S8P? I think lol)
Now, last thing’s I’ll need to get ahold of are belts, control, wheels, and what else? I’m working on sourcing a spot welder from a buddy so I can possibly make the battery pack myself.
Is this setup sure to reach 35-40 MPH and maintain at least half of that for a 40-60mi trip?
Also, I live on the East Coast of USA- Delaware to be exact. It’s prettttttty flat here haha! Like… Our highest point is barely scratching 450 FT above sea level(And it’s a mountain of garbage). Please add anything additional you think I may be forgetting.
Current Estimated Price for Parts/S&H: $912.00 (Still haven’t decided on wheels)
You pretty much got everything set. So I’ll answer the few stuff in this quote:
Belts, remote with receiver, wheels of your choice and the knowledge of soldering XT connectors. You’ll also need to be sure that the wheel you purchase can use core style pulleys. You also need to know ratio. This will determine the speed of your build.
If you use a 12T and a 36T, you will have torque. If you use 15T and 36T, you will have speed. I’m not sure on how ratios works, but all I know is that the lower the motor teeth are, the more torque you’ll get. Since you’re in a flat area, you should be good with speed, but go with 13T motor pulley. The motor you buy with flipsky will have a 15T. The wheels on the other hand will depend on what you buy. I have 44T and 66T. 44T on a 16T gives me super high speed, but it lacks the torque to go up hills, while a 66T on a 16T gives me enough torque to go up and not sacrifice speed.
Basically, just find your balance on the pulleys. You can buy different teeth and try it out. This will ultimately determine your range. Then you figure out mounting, adjustments, etc. It’s a good thing to learn.
This is pretty much what you need to know as basics.
Woah! I wish I was a battery maker but I’m still in the learning phase. I do have one tidbit to share, now that I’m on the hotseat. Kweld spot welders do not like being powered by 6s lipos (22.2v nominal). It creates too much of a spark and can cause pitting on the copper electrodes (the bits that actually release the sparks onto nickel or copper strips. Ask me how I know.
Best to use between 9 and 13v if I remember correctly.
Heres some eye candy from the “kids” over on Endless-Sphere. They’re using copper-nickel layering to get around the fact that the Kweld and other spot welders dont like welding directly to copper. Its just too conductive and would need an enormous amp load to weld successfully, so they put a layer of nickel on top.
Whoah that’s INTENSE! Do they do Battery builds off of… lets sayyy… If I were to ask to do a nice 12S8P or a 12S10P do you think they would be able to build one for me? Also, if I gave them the dimensions, will they be able to provide the pack/packs needed? I can tell that I would be able to do the pack myself but it looks super testing on the nerves haha!
There are battery builders out there. Time to start making threads. Also its really not that difficult once you get around the intimidation factor of spot welding and handling battery cells in general.
I’m still fairly new to ESK8 but I’ve been in the Rc hobby for over 10 years. Recommend watching youtube videos on pack building and read lots of threads for tips and info. Of course I’ll be glad to answer questions if its something I know.
Doing batteries yourself isn’t dangerous, as long as you know what you should and shouldn’t do. I don’t have space in my place, otherwise, I’d probably build a few. I’ve learned from the best in the forums.
Yup… you tell me what dimensions you need and I can work with you on deciding the best option for how many cells I can stuff in there… I’m building a lunker right now. PM me if you are interested.
Ah! I wish you would have gotten to me sooner as I recently purchased everything needed to DIY the batter pack ect. I really like your cleanliness and organization though! I may have to steal that full-wrap idea from you To peak my interest, what material do you use as an alternative to copper? Copper is still the best current-carrying metal, yes?
to mount it, use velcro and put it on the enclosure side.
I have been wanting to use some copper but due to its corrosive traits it’s not recommended for esk8.
