So I’ve never done anything like this before but would like to explore building a board. Problem is I’m probably one of the greenest in this entire forum at trying to do this. I happen to stumble upon an l-faster conversion kit which is what started this all. I did buy a deck and attached it (though I later learned I may need a different board with more of an angle where I attached the wheels. Now I’m wondering what I should look for in a battery pack. I definitely don’t think I want to build my own. I watched some videos and read through some posts here and I’m not ready for that. Then I would like to know what would be a good ESC to get. Attaching some pics here so you can see the minimal setup I have so far.
Welcome to the forum, and welcome to the money-pit! Kiss your savings goodbye
That’s correct. The trucks you bought are called “channel trucks” and they are designed for mountain boards. Mountain boards typically have angled tips around ~30° front and rear.
A normal skateboard truck (TKP, RKP, DKP, etc) is designed to bolt to a flat deck like you have, and they have the angle built into their baseplates. Channel trucks are the opposite. They have no (or very low) angle built into their baseplates and instead need to get the angle from the deck. With channel trucks on a flat deck like you have there, you will not be able to turn the board at all. The deck will lean, but the trucks wont turn. Try it out.
See MBS.com for examples of awesome mountainboard gear.
There are some awesome battery builders here on the forum that can make you something custom to your exact needs. First though, you need to figure out your battery/electronics enclosure. If you’re committed to using the deck you have there, then you need to find an enclosure which will fit. Once you know what enclosure you’re using, you can approach a battery builder and they can work out what battery you can fit.
@Skyart and @JoeyZ5 make excellent custom battery packs which are safe and powerful. Battery safety should be your number 1 concern when shopping around. DO NOT BUY A CUT-RATE BATTERY, IT CAN BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN.
MakerX is the general go-to these days for VESC-based ESCs. They have several options, but I’d generally stick to the DV6s (if you are doing a 12s battery) or the D100S (if you are doing a higher voltage battery). You probably dont need to go high voltage for this first build, 12s is going to be fine.
If you’re interested in a general recommendation, here’s what I would say, assuming you’re budget minded and therefore want to keep that L-Faster drivetrain:
- take apart that whole drivetrain and rebuild it with loctite and high quality screws, to give it a chance to survive 50 miles.
- ditch the flat longboard deck, buy a mountainboard deck from MBS or Haero. Something with at least 30° angled tips should work fine for those trucks.
- instead of doing an under-slung enclosure like most esk8s, do a top-box enclosure and make this build an electric mountainboard. You already bought a mountainboard drivetrain, after all. A top-box enclosure is also generally easier to build, in my experience.
- 12s6p Molicel P42A brick pack from one of the builders I recommended. This is a great starter pack size, which will give you tons of power and plenty of range to grow into, that you wont grow out of quickly. 12s4p is fine too if you dont want to spend that much right away.
- MakerX DV6s ESC, mounted in your top-box.
If you’re ready to jump head-first into the money pit, return the L-Faster drivetrain. It’s not great value for the money, and lots of folks have had tons of issues with them. Look at some of the builds from the BOTY that just happened last month (should still be pinned on the forum homepage) for inspiration. Plan out your purchases and get feedback from folks here on the forum before buying anything to make sure stuff will be compatible. If you want to plan your build around that longboard deck, you can. But you’ll be making your life harder to save a few bucks, vs buying a deck/enclosure solution that’s tested and proven in dozens of builds.
Anyway, hope that helps!
Welcome!!!
Nothing wrong with being green!
Everything @BenjaminF said above is great advice!
Personally i would look into a mountain board style deck and enclosure as your next move.
From there you can plan your battery build and esc.
You’re gonna love all the knowledge available here.
Also, dont forget about this thread! Great place to throw all your random questions, where a lot more people are likely to see them vs here in your own thread.
Welcome dude! I made the same mistake of throwing channel trucks on a flat deck when I built my first board. It’s a common mistake. Ben hit all the main topics. I know several folks are still holding on to Haero bro decks that they can’t move. Should be able to get a good deal on one.
Mountainboards are best boards.