This thread is dedicated to a list of problems we have had building our eBoards so other new eBoard Builders and experienced eBoard Builders don’t make the same mistakes.
I’ll start it off:
Never place components on top of each other, this can cause broken parts (capacitors, mosfets, microchips etc)
Ensure that you buy/make an enclosure that will give you plenty of room.
Decks with big concaves are great but if you can get a very small concave that is better for mounting components.
Threadlock everything with Loctite 263 Red. Not Blue! Blue can’t handle the vibrations and wears out quickly.
If you’re not familiar with soldering low gauge wire, practice first, a lot, and make sure your soldering iron is up to the task. I had half my solder points break while riding before I really figured it out.
I’m doubling down on Locktite. Use it. Though I haven’t had any problems with just blue, red is better if you NEVER want to remove something. And still check all your bolts every few weeks.
Clean your components. Every 6 months I do a complete tairdown. Contact cleaner, compressed air, grease, and every component gets checked for wear.
Make sure you have plenty of space when doing speed runs. Never slam on the brakes when going full speed with a car esc or else you’ll fry your motor and esc.
tape up your lipo leads when the pack isn’t in use. nobody wants to weld anything to thier motor mounts and nobody likes slag on thier motor controller when the leads contact and spark up. yeah yeah, XT60s… blah blah… i like my bullets.
stay out of the water. Weatherproofing is something we all strive for, but that’s for unintentional splashes and occasionally getting caught in a drizzle. Intentionally riding through puddles and on wet pavement is just dumb.
don’t use your face to stop while riding. And if you do, make sure you’re wearing a helmet that covers your face.
Speed wobble is real so spend some time figuring out your bushing situation before you attempt to push your system’s top speed.
To have fun on an electric skateboard, you need to have basic skating skills already. Know how to kick-push, how to stop, and how to carve before you jump on an eskate and rip into the streets.
Limit top speed on your ESC when you are first testing your system out. It’s better to have an electronic or mechanical failure going 12MPH.
Tape your motor wire connections. Do not rely on the plug to “just stay plugged in.”
The funny part is that with every comment added to this thread, there is a really funny/ tragic story to be told XD
Make sure all your components are secure. Don’t rely on the enclosure to hold them up. IF the enclosure fails then all your shit ends up 50 feet behind you on Lakeshore drive. I always mount with Scotch extreme double sided tape And my enclosure.
This would be on top of my list before anything. It’s not like you have to be Tony Hawk, but investing in a non-electric is a good way to keep your skills sharp. It’s troubling how many people I know with a Boosted who can’t even balance on a regular longboard. Would you buy a motorcycle before learning how to ride a bike? For city riding, it’s especially important to know basic skills, which is why riding in FOC and hubs helps me to actively kick push between intersections, coasting and throttling only when necessary. Awareness and respecting that your electronics can fail at any given moment keeps me defensive and aware.
I agree @thisrealhuman - but maybe there’s another piece to this comment… what is your advice to someone once they know how many many amps they are pulling? What do they do with this info?
If you’re going through so many belts, you’re doing something wrong. Either your pulleys aren’t aligned correctly, your belts are too tight or too loose, or you’re riding where there are tons of little rocks. Not to say you shouldn’t have spare belts though.
@treenutter I assumed a 120A ESC with a 60A motor meant I would never blow my motor because amps is a pulling calculation, but these motors don’t exactly work that way. I haven’t blown my motor, 245kv E-Flite Power 160, but I hit 70A gunning it up to speed yesterday. It’s not just about calculating limits and hoping to stay within them, I like to know what my limits actually feel like and recognize the changing squeal of the motor. I’ve only used my watt meter three times but it’s been very educational.
@claudiofiore88 Lining up the motor mount has been the biggest pain through this whole process. I’ve had the sidewalls of my motor pulley knocked off, belts that randomly go sideways ONLY when I’m braking, tiny rocks stuck in the wheel pulley teeth that puncture the belt from the inside and of course the small rocks that chew the belt up and put dents in the pulley. The $3 Ametric belts on amazon are good for 50 or so miles and the Contitech belts seem to be only sold by one company in the US and shipping takes way to long. I’m trying Gates next and upgrading to 15mm.
@thisrealhuman What material are your belts. The only ones I’m seeing of the Ametric belts on Amazon are rubber. Definately wouldn’t be my first choice. I just bought a few belts from http://www.vbeltsupply.com/synchronous-timing-belt/5m-pitch. They’re pretty much the same as the ones I’ve gotten from Enertion and DIY. They also do custom widths. Not sure if there’s a minimum order size for custom widths.