20 TOP CARS UNDER $200

THE MODEL MOTORSPORTS AUTHORITY

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This page is intentionally left blank.

Please go to next page.

 Convert your SLASH® 4x4 into a bashing MONSTER TRUCK
machine using 2.8” Tires & Wheels with this
Monster Fusion body from Pro-Line.

PRE-ASSEMBLED PRE-CUT MONSTER FUSION

SHOCKS Clear Body for Slash® 2WD & Slash® 4x4 with 2.8” MT Tires
True Dual Rate #3498-17
Heavy Duty Performance

POWERSTROKE
SHOCKS
for Slash® 2WD & 4x4
#6063-00 Front
#6063-01 Rear
The PowerStroke shocks are aluminum shock bodies
and shock caps with dual O-ring seats (upper and lower)
shaft guides. True dual stage spring rate with infinite
spring pre-load adjustment. Shafts are 3.5mm thick
nitride coated.

Next Gen Technology with

Full Scale Racing Shock Realism

PRO-SPEC
SHOCKS
for Slash® 2WD & 4x4
#6308-30 Front SECURE-LOC
#6308-31 Rear.
The Pro-Spec shocks are a 12mm big bore design with
a single low friction X-ring seal. The pistons and shaft
EXTENDED BODY MOUNTS
guides are made from silky smooth white delrin for low
stiction and the 3.5mm thick shock shaft is hard
for Slash® 2WD
#6070-00 Front & Rear
chrome coated, just like full scale racing shocks.

#6063-05 Universal Shock Mounting Kit Required

Optional Springs and Replacement Parts Are Available. for Slash® 4x4
#6087-00 Front & Rear
#6070-02 Replacement Cap Kit

PRO-SPLINE HD AXLES
for Slash® 2WD
SUPER-BRIGHT LED #6277-00 Rear, Pre-Assembled
LIGHT BAR KIT for Slash® 4x4
6V-12V #6273-00 Front, Pre-Assembled
#6276-00 2” (Straight) #6273-01 Rear, Pre-Assembled
#6276-01 4” (Straight)
#6276-03 5” (Curved)
#6276-02 6” (Curved) Please note: All tires and wheels are sold in pairs, unless otherwise noted. All bodies are sold in crystal clear lexan
and are painted for advertising purposes only. Slash® & Stampede® are registered trademarks of Traxxas® L.P.
 Slash® 4x4 shown with: Badlands MX28 Tires Mounted on F-11 Wheels, PowerStroke Shocks & Secure-Lock Body Mounts

SAND PAW 2.8” TRENCHER 2.8” BADLANDS MX28 2.8”

(Traxxas® Style Bead) (Traxxas® Style Bead) (Traxxas® Style Bead)
#1186-14 Mounted/F-11 * #1170-12 Mounted/Desperado * #10125-14 Mounted/F-11 *
#1170-14 Mounted/F-11 *
* Recomended Stampede® 4x4 2.8” wheel offset for Slash® Front and Rear
CONTENTS
Volume 33
Number 3
March 2018
ON THE COVER: Pro-Line’s hard-hitting PRO-MT 4X4,
dressed up as a Bronco and digging in so hard that the FEATURES
driver fell out. (Photo by Joel Navarro)
44 › Rev Up!
THIS PAGE: More Pro-Line PRO-MT 4X4 action, this time Everything you need to know to get started in RC!
with its stock Sentinel body and hitting the 2-wheel motion. By the RC Car Action team
Another Joel Navarro shot, lookin’ good buddy.
62 › How To/10 Tips for Perfect Paint
Spray-paint like a pro!
By Kevin Hetmanski

70 › 20 Top Cars Under $200

Get started in RC for just two bills!
By the RC Car Action team

86 › Essential RC Troubleshooting
The basics you need to know to keep on the go
By the RC Car Action team

PERFORMANCE TESTS
30 › Pro-Line PRO-MT 4X4
Pro-Line goes over the top with premium specs and
crashproof durability to deliver a wild monster ride
By Peter Vieira

38 › Carisma Scale Adventure SCA-1E Coyote

Carisma jumps into the scale scene with an all-new rig
By Kevin Hetmanski

50 › Max Speed Technology RMX-D VIP 4WD

MST’s top-of-the-line drifter will have you doing the
electric slide!
By Jimmy Louis

56 › Kyosho Ultima RB6.6 Readyset

Kyosho’s World Championship–winning 2-wheeler goes RTR
By Joel Navarro

TEST BENCH
66 › Futaba 7PX T-FHSS Super Response
System

DEPARTMENTS
10 › Starting Line
12 › Readers’ Rides
18 › Pit Tips
23 › Tech Center
26 › New & Hot
82 › Race Watch
90 › Tailpipe

RADIO CONTROL CAR ACTION (USPS 001-087; ISSN 0886-1609) is published

monthly by Air Age, Inc., 88 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897 USA. Copyright 2017,
all rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Wilton, CT, and additional mailing
offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008153. SUBSCRIPTIONS:
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STARTING LINE

Welcome to Radio Control! EDITORIAL

est. 1985

Editorial Director Peter Vieira

If you’re reading RC Car Action and still looking for your first car
or only recently took the plunge into hobby-quality radio control, IN THIS ›› peterv@airage.com
Senior Editor Kevin Hetmanski
welcome. You’re going to have a lot of fun, and you may just find ISSUE ›› kevinh@airage.com
Editor Carl Hyndman
yourself still enjoying RC five, 10, or more years down the road. (I’m
›› carlh@airage.com
looking at 30-something years myself. Still into it!) There’s never Associate Editor Matt Boyd
been a better time to get into radio control because today’s models ›› mattb@airage.com
and technology are better and easier to use than ever. And yet, it’s CONTRIBUTORS
more affordable to get into radio control, with higher-performance you how. Trevor “Chilly” Duncan, Scott Murphy,
equipment, than it was back in the early days. During RC’s first big Joel Navarro, Lito Reyes, Matt Smith,
Michael Wortel, Bill Zegers
boom, there was no jumping in with a ready-to-run; you had to build 20 TOP CARS
and paint the car yourself before you got to pull the trigger. And it’s ART
UNDER $200 Creative Director ›› Betty K. Nero
not like everything was in the box; at a minimum, you had to pick Just 10 Jacksons is all you Designer ›› Alan J. Palermo
out a radio system and a battery. Now don’t get me wrong—building need to get started in RC Photographer ›› Peter Hall
kits is fun and I recommend it, but I’m glad that building a kit is right! Or 40 Lincolns. Or Videographer ›› Adam Lebenstein
four Ulysses S. Grants.
not a required rite of passage to join the hobby. Even though RC is DIGITAL MEDIA
I’m not going to say Web Producer ›› Holly Hansen
more affordable than it has been before, it’s still not “cheap,” and the “Benjamins” you guys.
fewer barriers we have for entry, the better. Being able to go from ADVERTISING
box to backyard without reaching for a wrench or can of paint is just Strategic Account Manager Mitch Brian
››203.529.4609 | mitchb@airage.com
one fewer barrier. In addition to more quality and performance at a Integrated Account Executives
lower price, RC today is also far more diverse. Take a look at the John Lacasale››203.529.4628 | johnl@airage.com
“20 Top Cars Under $200” feature in this issue, and you’ll find Ben Halladay››203.482.8093 | benh@airage.com
Brian Vargas››203.939.9901 | brianv@airage.com
everything from 2WD buggies and monster trucks to trail rigs and EVERYTHING YOU
6-wheelers. No matter what you’re into, it’s out there in RC. NEED TO KNOW TO CONSUMER MARKETING/
PRODUCTION
And for you regular readers who’ve been at the RC game for a GET STARTED IN RC Mast Circulation Group, Inc.
while now (or a few decades), be on the lookout for the new guys New to RC? Start here.
You’ll learn all the essential MARKETING & EVENTS
(and gals, hopefully) getting into RC. Every person who sticks with terms and tech required Marketing Assistant Erica Driver
the hobby grows it for all of us, and without newcomers scarfing up Event Manager Emil DeFrancesco
to pick the best gear for
beginner gear, manufacturers wouldn’t be able to offer us enthusiast you, get the most out of PUBLISHING
types lower-volume, higher-end products. Say hello, lend a hand, be your machine, and have Group Publishers Louis V. DeFrancesco Jr.,
more fun. Yvonne M. DeFrancesco
the nice guy. Anyone holding a transmitter is a friend!

Peter Vieira you how.

Editorial Director/ FOLLOW US
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 READERS’ RIDES
readersrides@airage.com

RIDE
OF THE M
ONTH

TRIBUTE TROPHY RAT

SCOTT LEMPERT ›› COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, MI
The full-size Trophy Rat has become something of a magazine
and Internet superstar over the last year or two. Built by Keith
Northrup to promote his company, Northrup Fabricators, the
rusty old ’37 International pickup body hides a custom tube-
frame chassis with a full-on trophy-truck suspension and a
Corvette-sourced LS6 V-8. Scott was impressed enough with
the Trophy Rat that he decided to fabricate his own in 1/10 scale.
Scott scratch-built the chassis using nearly 17 feet of brazed
steel tubing—a mix of 3/16-, 1/8-, and 1/16-in.-diameter welding
rod. It’s wrapped in a styrene body that is also 100 percent hand-
built. Scott bolted up a 2WD Traxxas Slash front suspension with
a set of 80mm shocks, and the rear uses an SCX10 axle with a
4-link suspension. Power comes courtesy of Castle Creations: a
Neu-Castle 5700Kv brushless motor with a Sidewinder 3 speed
control, put to the ground through a set of Pro-Line BFG KO2
G8s on billet D holes with bead-lock rings painted to match the
original Trophy Rat. LED headlights and taillights provide some
added realism.

SPONSORED BY

WIN A PRO-LINE PRIZE PACK!
The special “P-L” logo marks the Readers’ Ride of the Month. If you
see it on your vehicle, you win a Pro-Line prize pack that includes a
T-shirt, cap, and Pro-Line body.
To submit your vehicle, email your high-resolution JPEG images and a description to
readersrides@airage.com. To submit photos by mail, send color prints to Readers’

RIDE
Rides, Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Include your name,
address, and phone number in your letter. Submissions will not be returned.
ONTH Readers’ Rides is also on Facebook! Visit facebook.com/rccaraction and post your
OF THE M
ride; we’ll message you if we want to feature it here in the mag.
Taking Realism To The XTReme wiTh The TRX-4
GLENN CASTILLO ›› HONOLULU, HI
Glenn loves the way the TRX-4 drives, so he put his focus on increasing his truck’s looks and scale realism—a feat he achieved spectacularly in our opinion! He
didn’t like how Traxxas covered up the windows, so he cut them out and reglassed them with thin Lexan. He added some nice fender vents, door handles, wipers,
and a set of LED lights from ClubRC. He gets extra illumination from a Pro-Line light bar up top and some Axial light buckets on the front bumper on either side of
the Integy winch. He made himself a custom interior out of aluminum and foam pieces, then added some scale accessories from Yeah Racing, plus a driver figure
(Madison from Fear the Walking Dead), and he hand-built a speaker box out of a pair of paint-can caps for his repurposed RAM diesel engine sound unit. To take
on the sharp volcanic rock near his home in Honolulu, Glenn bolted on a set of Gmade bead-lock wheels wrapped in Pro-Line’s BFGoodrich KO2 tires. We’re not
sure what we’re more envious of: the truck Glenn drives or where he gets to drive it!

gRoup C mazda geTs an a+

DON ALMEIDO ›› LAS VEGAS, NV
Don owns four RC Mazda 787B Group C chassis cars, but this tribute to the Le Mans winner with rare Tamiya factory hop-ups is his favorite. It even has original
Tamiya factory electronics: receiver, ESC, and GT motor. It has the limited-edition green diff and a carbon-fiber Tamiya rear shaft, along with Lunsford titanium
turnbuckles and an anodized aluminum shock. Don custom-painted the wheels to correctly replicate the actual race car, and swapped on a Formula 1–style alu-
minum lower rear-wing bracket from Japan to better replicate the look of the real car. The body paint is the proper Tamiya factory finish, and it is pristine.

MARCH 2018 13
 READERS’ RIDES

SUPER-RARE SPRINT SET

JOSH SECOR ›› SAVAGE, MN
Josh is into restoring old wire-cage Sprint cars, and he wanted a trailer to tow them. He picked up the bare frame from a friend and gradually built it into this, com-
plete with an RC4WD Warn winch, custom lighting, scale chains and tie-downs, plus many randomly sourced scale accessories, like toolboxes and such. Then
he needed a tow rig, so he picked up a used Tamiya F-350 and installed an LRP 55-turn puller motor and an ESS-One Plus sound box. Finally came the master-
piece: Josh was able to track down an ultra-rare 1-of-20 Klein Dirt Oval Midget cage/frame. He restored it using a 13.5 Fantom motor, a Hobbywing speed control,
Custom Works Street-Trac tires, a Losi header, and handmade graphics to make it look like Jeff Gordon’s USAC Midget from the early ’90s. He even got Gordon to
autograph the hood for him!

THE FORCE IS
STRONG WITH
THIS BUGGY
DEAN EVANS ››
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
As this issue goes to press, we
are just one week out from the
premiere of the eighth installment
of the Star Wars franchise: The
Last Jedi—and fans around the
world are pretty stoked, including
Dean, an Aussie who now lives
in New Zealand. He recently
upgraded to a TLR 22 4.0 for car-
pet racing, so he converted his old
racer—a 22 1.0—for off-road use
and decked it out in X-Wing col-
ors. Its narrow profile looks a fair
bit like an X-Wing to begin with,
and he gave it the proper battle-
weathered look with Tamiya PS
smoke and then rubbed it with a
dry cloth. He peeled masking tape
across the wet paint to get the
effect on the nose, then backed
everything with Tamiya light gray.
The stripes came off an Australian
market X-Wing toy, topped off
with a Tomy R2 figure. Under
the X-Wing shell is a 3-gear
mod mount with a 17.5-turn
Trinity motor as well as a bunch of
2.0/3.0 upgrade parts. Dean likes
that the dirtier his buggy gets, the
more authentic it looks!

14 RCCarAction.com
RETRO MONSTER EXCALIBER
MATT MORTILLO ›› WARREN TOWNSHIP, NJ
Matt wanted a retro look to his Excaliber monster truck build, and to get it, he went
to Jamie Weir for help building the chassis to scale specifications for the real truck.
He had David Stellfox custom-lengthen a Clod Buster body to fit the chassis, then
he had many components powder coated. The axles are from a Tamiya Juggernaut
2 with Extreme RC servo mounts to give it 4-wheel steering. The leaf springs are
custom stacked from RC4WD, who also supplied the shocks. The transmission is
from Freestyle RC, and Matt connected it to the axles through MIP driveshafts,
which also give the truck a more realistic look. The simulated V-8 engine that you
can see through the wheel well
is a 3D-printed piece. Those
wheels and tires are from
JConcepts. Power for the truck
is courtesy of a Traxxas XL-5,
45-turn brushed motor and
2S LiPos.

OFF-THE-HOOK OFFSHORE TRAILER RIG

HENRIK ANDREASEN ›› CHARLESTON, SC
Henrik has been into RC—trucks and boats—for decades, and a
while back, he started looking for a scale option to display and
tow his offshore catamarans. Tamiya’s 1/14 Cascadia Evolu-
tion big rig is the perfect scale for the boats, so Henrik went to work custom designing a trailer to join the two. It is bolted together
using home-improvement-store aluminum stock. Henrik tells us the only store-bought items are the wheels, the bumper, and the
stepladder; everything else was handcrafted using a bench drill and hand files on the 48-inch-long trailer. It displays in two positions:
propped up diagonally for display/transport, and flat in launch position—perfect for his Genesis and HPR 115 catamarans. ✇
 PIT TIPS PITTIPS@AIRAGE.COM
POWERED BY

BETTER BELTS
Here’s an easy way to add a realistic
harness to your scaler’s interior:
Hit the craft store’s doll section
for ready-made belts. There are
various styles with buckles, and
some even have printed-on
stitching.

Chopping Block
A block of wood and a chunk of firm Styrofoam recycled from
a radio box or other packaging makes a handy stand for your
hobby knife and razor blades. If you need a heavier base, glue
large fender washers under the wood block.

Cut Capture
When cutting hardened wire for nitro-car linkages, the cutoff end usually
goes flying. To prevent workshop projectiles, cut the wire inside of a
plastic, Styrofoam, or paper cup. Styrofoam and paper are especially good
because it’s easy to poke the wire through the side of the cup if it’s too
long to fit inside.
FASTER FLOW
If your workshop is an unheated garage, this is the time of year
when epoxies and other glues can be more difficult to use because
they thicken in the cold. For easier application and mixing, heat
them with a hair dryer before you use them.

Power Your Passion

BATTERIES. CHARGERS. TOOLS. ACCESSORIES.
dynamiterc.com

18 RCCarAction.com
 The fastest way to serious fun!®

©2017 Horizon Hobby, LLC. Vaterra, the Vaterra logo, Losi, Serious Fun, and the Horizon Hobby logo are BEST
trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon Hobby, LLC. The K&N logo, the Magnaflow logo, the Fox
Factory logo, and the Yukon Gear & Axle logo are property of their respective owners and are used under BRANDS
license by Horizon Hobby, LLC. The Spektrum trademark is used with permission of Bachmann Industries,
Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and logos are property of their respective owners. 57391 IN RC
 PIT TIPS

Slow
Your Roll
Cinch a zip tie (the
thicker, the better)
around your hobby
knife’s handle to
prevent it from rolling
off the bench and
landing javelin-style
in your leg. Ouch.
NOZZLE DECLOGGER
No matter how clever the cap design, CA bottle tips tend to clog. To clear the tip, soak it in
acetone. Just be sure the container is acetone resistant and has a sealable lid. A glass jar is a
perfect choice.

Paint-Cap Solder Jig TAPE TRAP

If you need an extra pair of hands for a soldering job, just cut If a big build or teardown session outgrows your parts trays, use a roll
V-shaped notches in the sides of a spray-can cap. Press the wire of tape to help keep hardware and small parts corralled.
into place to hold it as you solder. Bonus: The cap also protects your
benchtops against solder drips.

WHEEL REINFORCER
Do you have a bunch of unreinforced cutoff wheels gathering dust
because they break easily? Put them to work by installing the wheel
between a pair of fender washers. Use the largest washers you can
that will still allow sufficient cutting material to be exposed. ✇

POWERED BY

20 RCCarAction.com
 YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
TECH C EN TER SPONSORED BY

Camber Question
What is camber and when should I adjust it?

Camber refers to the angle of a wheel viewed as though you are about to get run over. If the wheel tilts in toward the car, it has negative camber; if it tilts out,
it has positive camber; and if it’s perfectly vertical, that’s zero camber. Most cars have about 2 degrees of negative camber. Why not stick with zero? When
a car turns, the chassis leans, causing the tires to lean, reducing the size of their contact patches. By dialing in a little negative camber, you can compensate
for the chassis lean to maximize cornering traction. Like any tuning adjustment, this can be overdone. Three degrees of camber is about the maximum; any
more, and you’ll probably start losing corner traction rather than gaining it. As for when you should adjust it, that depends. If you like the way your car drives
and the tires are wearing evenly, there’s no need to change the camber settings. But if your tires are wear-
ing more on the inside of the tread (the side closest to the car) than the outside, try dialing out a degree or
two of camber to “stand up” the tires more (and vice versa if the outside of the tread is wearing more than
the inside).

An RPM camber gauge is a pit-

box essential. This Traxxas
1/16 E-Revo wheel has 2 degrees
of negative camber.

Torque or Speed?
What’s more important when shopping
for a new servo: torque or speed?

Make sure your servo has enough torque

before you worry about speed—if a servo
isn’t strong enough for its task, its speed
isn’t going to make a difference. Once
you’ve got the torque you need, faster
certainly sounds better, but a super-fast
servo can make a car feel twitchy. When
servo shopping, at least 90 oz.-in. for
This Hitec HSB-9380TH
Ultra torque servo produces
a whopping 472 oz.-in. of torque,
which is more than enough for any
vehicle and it does it at a comfortable
0.14-second speed.
1/10 off-road and 150 oz.-in.
for 1/8 off-road and monster
trucks is ideal. As for speed,
anything with a transit time of
0.14 second or less will be fast
The bigger and heavier your vehicle, the more servo torque you’ll need enough.
to steer it. Especially monster trucks—those huge tires really give a
servo a workout.
Quick Question
Will it hurt my nitro engine if I run it
without a pipe?
Short answer: yes. It won’t hurt
anything in the time it takes
you to drive your car back
to yourself to fix the pipe,
but if you run the engine
without a pipe regularly it
will result in overheating.
And why would you want
to run without a pipe? It
sounds obnoxious,
reduces power,
and wastes
fuel. Put the
pipe back on.

MARCH 2018 23
 TECH CENTER
Better Bearings toolbox
I took my car completely apart to clean everything and
soaked the bearings in oil before putting it all back
together. The bearings inside the transmission are fine,
but the wheel bearings feel gritty and notchy. Can they
be saved?

As you’ve discovered, lubing dirty

bearings doesn’t do anything for the An RPM Bearing Blaster and a can of
motor spray will get the grit out of your
grit inside them. To clean the bearings,
bearings.
get yourself an RPM Bearing Blaster
(#81170). It’s the gold standard for
cleaning bearings and will set you back
less than $10. Use motor spray such
as TA Emerald’s Performance Plus 4 to
RPM
spray the bearings clean. Before you put
Monster Camber Gauge
RPM’s classic “regular-size” camber
the bearings in the Blaster, use the tip gauge is a staple of RC workshops
of a hobby knife to carefully pry off the everywhere, but it comes up a little
rubber seals if your bearings have them, short on super-size monster truck
so the cleaner can flow through and the tires. For big rigs, RPM offers this
junk trapped in the bearing can get out. Let the cleaner evaporate, then feel version of the tool: the Monster
the bearing action—it should now be smooth. If it’s still notchy and another Camber Gauge. Its extra-long arm
run through the Bearing Blaster doesn’t smooth it out, toss it. To relube the will bridge the sidewalls of tires up
bearings, you can smoosh grease back into them or you can oil the bearings. to 6.5 inches in diameter so you can
dial your monster truck in right, and
Racers always go for oil to reduce friction as much as possible, but oiled bear-
Relube with oil for it still works on smaller tires too
ings require more frequent maintenance. For general bashing around, greased (2 inches minimum).
maximum perfor-
mance, or use grease bearings are the way to go. Don’t forget to pop the seals back into place after 70950; $12
for maximum life. greasing your bearings, if they have seals.
 SPONSORED BY

2-Pole or 4-Pole Motor? Four-pole motors, like this Tekin

What’s the difference between a 2-pole and a 4-pole brushless motor, Pro4 HD, are preferred for high-
torque applications.
and when should I use which?

As you might remember from science class, magnets have two poles:
north and south. This is where the terms “2 pole” and “4 pole” come from.
A 2-pole motor’s rotor has a single magnet, with a north and a south
pole on either side of the rotor, 180 degrees apart. A 4-pole rotor has two
magnets, with its north and south poles placed in alternating order and
90 degrees apart. If you were to compare a 2-pole and 4-pole motor that
were otherwise equal, you’d find that the 4-pole motor offered greater
torque but lower peak rpm than the equivalent 2-pole motor. For this rea-
son, motors designed for larger (and, therefore, heavier) vehicles are often
4-pole designs. Lighter-weight 1/10-scale and smaller cars are most Below, a rotor
often 2-pole designs because they can better take advantage of is illustrated as
their high rpm. ✇ viewed from its end. A
2-pole motor has a single magnet,
with its north and south poles on either
side of the rotor’s shaft. In a 4-pole motor, two
magnets are arranged as shown so that their north
and south poles alternate.

The part that spins inside a brushless motor is the rotor. The cylinder in the center is the
rotor’s magnet. Here, it is color-coded to show the magnet’s two poles.
NE W & H O T
NEW GEAR YOU NEED NOW

CRAWL BRAWL
PRO-LINE 1946 DODGE POWER WAGON AND SUMO
Pro-Line has two new bodies for your trail truck: a 1964
Dodge Power Wagon and a Sumo. The Power Wagon
has incredible detail for a Lexan piece. It’s a two-
piece unit, which makes it great for a standard-
scale truck build, but it will also be right at home on a
truggy-type chassis. Features of the body include a flat
front grille, large flat-panel-style fender flares, textured
rocker panels, realistic undercuts, and separate round head-
lights that have been designed to allow LEDs. The Sumo body
is designed for use on trucks with a 10-inch wheelbase, and it
has been molded with the hard top removed to expose the trunk
area so that scale accessories can be added. With both bodies
you also get overspray film, window masks, and stickers to finish
off the look.
prolineracing.com

TEKIN UNVEILS TRICK SERVOS

TEKIN ELEMENT-PROOF SERVOS
Wait, what?! Yep, Tekin (the company known for speed controls and motors) has jumped into the servo
scene, and what it has released is pretty impressive. Eight servos are currently offered, and they all
use digital magnetic-position encoding instead of potentiometers to provide maximum accuracy,
linearity, and consistency. The servos also feature three-piece machined-aluminum housings,
which increase strength and dissipate heat. Standard and low-profile styles are available,
and you can choose from various speeds and torques. Voltage inputs for the servos
run from 6 volts all the way up to an impressive 8.4 volts. Tekin also supplies a
machined aluminum arm with each servo, and the most powerful models
get a dual-clamp arm.
teamtekin.com

26 RCCarAction.com
 NEXT LEVEL
TLR 22T 4.0
The latest electric TLR vehicle to get the 4.0 treatment is the 22T, and
according to TLR, it has received drastic changes that include a new mid-motor
position and laydown transmission. The transmission has been designed to move the motor
a little more than 20mm, and that is said to makes the truck drive flatter and more consistent on the
track. The all-new truck body is molded out of 1.5mm-thick Lexan. Other features of the updated 22T
include aluminum-plated rear hubs, Gen II shocks, a lightweight aluminum chassis, an updated ball
differential, and an HDS slipper clutch. Like all TLR vehicles, the 22T is a kit and requires you to build it
and provide all its electronics.
tlracing.com

ROAD READY
TAMIYA TRF419XR
Tamiya’s new race-worthy sedan is another evolution of the TRF419: the TRF419XR. Redesigned
components include a 2.25mm-thick lower deck, a center pinch stiffener, an aluminum motor mount,
a 2mm-thick upper deck, and an aluminum servo mount. But wait—there’s more! The stabilizers
are bearing supported; the pinch stiffener allows adjustment of pinch rigidity; the battery
holder doubles as 45g of ballast weight; the center-shaft diameter is now 5mm, which
makes assembly easier; and there are more motor-mount attachment points, which
allow you to tweak lower-deck rigidity. The bad news is that the TRF419XR is only
available in Japan, but the good news is that Tamiya offers a conversion kit to the rest of
the world that lets you turn the TRF419X into the R version.
tamiyausa.com

MARCH 2018 27
 NEW & HOT

PEACE
OF
MIND MIGHTY MINI
TEAM ASSOCIATED RC28T
The RC28T from Team Associated is a 1/28-scale truck that has been designed to look like the old-school
RC10T that was released years back. It’s a ready-to-run truck and comes with everything you need to get
it going. All you have to do to get it powered up is plug the wire from the 2-channel radio into the chassis
and it will be ready to go in no time. The speed control and receiver are one unit, and Team Associated
includes a proportional servo for smooth steering. The gearbox is separate from the chassis and is con-
nected through two links, while two shocks allow for suspension movement.
teamassociated.com

TRULY AMAZING
RC4WD TRUESCALE SERIES 1.7-INCH
BEAD-LOCK WHEELS
These new Truescale Series wheels from
RC4WD are machined out of a solid chunk
of aluminum and are sure to add style to
any scale truck. The beautifully finished
wheel measures 1.7 inches and comes with

No Hassle. black anodized bead locks on the outside.

A removable center cap is used to cover the
wheel nut and enhance the scale look of
your vehicle. When you buy the wheels from
No Pro-Rating. RC4WD, you get four wheels, miniature-scale
hex bolts, a hex-bolt tool for M2 hexes, and a
hex-bolt tool for M1.6 hexes.

Superior Service. store.rc4wd.com

Dynamiterc.com

©2017 Horizon Hobby, LLC. Dynamite is a
registered trademark of Horizon Hobby,
LLC. All other trademarks, service marks and
logos are property of their respective owners.
57441
OLD-SCHOOL COOL
JCONCEPTS RANGER TIRES
JConcepts has been knocking it out of the park when it comes to accessories for the solid-axle
monster-truck scene, and here’s another one. The new Ranger tires are molded to look like the tires
used on early monster trucks of the late ’70s. Foam inserts are included, and the 2.2-inch tires are
offered in “soft” and “medium” compounds.
jconcepts.net
 PEACE
OF
MIND
RAM JAM
PRO BOAT JET JAM
The Jet Jam from Pro Boat is a 12-inch-long
boat that is designed with pools in mind,
but it can also be used in other bodies of
water as shallow as 3 inches deep. It uses
jet propulsion to push it around without
the worry of a prop damaging the pool or
people in it. A rubber front bumper adds extra
protection, and its self-righting design will
keep it running no matter how rough
the water gets. Things get more fun
when you install the removable
cup in the front of the hull and use
it to push around a floating ball to
play pool soccer. It comes out of
the box ready to run, with everything
you need to get it running.
No Hassle.
proboatmodels.com

No Pro-Rating.

Superior Service.

WILDLY COOL
PRO-LINE ELITE 5IVE-B BODY Dynamiterc.com
This new body from Pro-Line is designed to fit
the TLR 5ive-B. “Elite” is its name, and it comes
molded out of thick, clear Lexan. It features an
aggressive cab-forward design, which is said to
improve the buggy’s steering; the front of the body
tucks behind the side guards for increased durability;
optional vent holes are designed into the body that will
provide extra cooling; a rear fin adds side stability in high-
speed corners; and two nose pieces are included. With it, you
also get overspray film, window masks, and stickers, and
©2017 Horizon Hobby, LLC. Dynamite is a
Pro-Line helps you by trimming it out. ✇ registered trademark of Horizon Hobby,
prolineracing.com LLC. All other trademarks, service marks and
logos are property of their respective owners.
57440
 PERFORMANCE TEST
LL L E V E
KI

PRO-LINE
L
S

PRO-MT 4X4
AT A G L A N C E
TYPE
Monster truck
SCALE
1/10
DRIVETRAIN
4WD shaft
Pro-Line goes over the top with premium specs and
POWER crashproof durability to deliver a wild monster ride
Electric BY PETER VIEIRA PHOTOS BY PETER VIEIRA & JOEL NAVARRO
BUILD
Roller
PRICE
$400

30 RCCarAction.com
 Pro-Line is the undisputed body, tire, and wheel king, and also
makes a heckuva a complete RC car—go look up our reviews of the
PRO-2, PRO-2 SC, and PRO-MT 2WD models to refresh your memory.
And now the gang in Banning, California, is at it again with a new
PRO model: their first-ever 4X4 monster. But unlike the 2-wheelers,
the PRO-MT 4X4 is a clean-sheet design—no carryovers from the
2WD models, no parts that were originally designed as upgrades for
other brands. And Pro-Line didn’t skimp when ticking off features—
you won’t find dogbones or plastic shocks or wimpy anything in this
4X4. And while Pro-Line does build it for you, the electronics choices
are left to you. Use stuff you already have or get a new high-output
system—anything designed for 1/10 or 1/8 action will fit.

MARCH 2017 31
 PERFORMANCE TEST

7.3 in.
(187mm)

14 in. (355mm) The MT’s aluminum chassis is reinforced

by a steel spine—it’s that black strip
running down the center.

Steel-Reinforced 6061 Aluminum Chassis

Stamped-aluminum chassis are a pretty standard feature for many RC trucks, but Pro-Line goes
beyond a basic sheet design by upping the thickness to 3mm (instead of the more common
2.5mm) and adding a 3mm-thick steel “spine” that runs the length of the chassis. This, combined
with conventional 1/8-buggy-style bracing, makes the chassis exceptionally strong without a
bulky upper deck getting in the way. Tall mudguards also provide some reinforcement and hide
the gap between the chassis and rocker panels when running lifted bodies.

11.2 in. (284mm)

18.0 in. (457mm)

VEHICLE SPECS
Item no.: 4005-00
Scale: 1/10
Price: $400
Weight, as tested: 8 lb. 12 oz. (3972g)

CHASSIS
Type: Plate with molded braces
Material: 3mm aluminum with steel spine
The machined motor mount is drilled for 1/10 and 1/8 motors, and plastic inserts set gear mesh.
SUSPENSION
Type (F/R): Pivot ball/A-arm with 4mm steel camber links
Slip-Proof Aluminum Motor Mount
Swaybars (F/R): Adjustable wire Ever had your gear mesh get squished too tight or kicked too loose after a crash? Pro-Line’s
Shock positions, towers (F/R): 2/2 clever motor mount prevents that, and makes it easier to set gear mesh too. Plastic inserts
Shock positions, arms (F/R): 2/2 position the motor mount for 14–21T gears and prevent the mounting screws from sliding in their
Camber-link position inner (F/R): 4/2 slots. The mount itself is thickly machined out of aluminum and features an integrated support to
Camber-link position outer (F/R): 1/2 take some of the strain off the motor’s mounting screws.

SHOCKS
Bodies: Threaded aluminum, 16mm-bore
Shafts: 3.5mm steel w/ hard-chrome plating Heavy-Duty Pivot-Ball Suspension
Volume compensation: Bladder The MT’s suspension parts look as if they
could easily do double-duty as 1/8-scale
DRIVETRAIN buggy components. The arms are thickly
Type: Shaft-driven 4WD molded and reinforced, and machined arm
Pinion/spur: 16/44-tooth mounts help make sure that the MT won’t
Differentials (F/C/R): Sealed bevel gear come back needing a sling if you whack
Driveshafts (F/R): CV-type steel universal something at speed. The rear end gets a
Bearings: Rubber-sealed ball conventional H-arm/camber-link setup, but
the front end uses pivot balls for articulation.
BODY, WHEELS & TIRES This allows easy camber and caster changes,
Body: Pro-Line Sentinel and eliminates the stress points of hingepins
Wheels: Pro-Line F-11 w/ 17mm hex and kingpins passing through a C-hub.
Tires & inserts: Pro-Line Badlands MX28

TEST GEAR (NOT INCLUDED) Above: Beefy. Pro-Line did not skimp when it
Radio: Spektrum DX4R Pro comes to making thick, strong parts. Right: The
Servo: Hitec HSB-9370TH big-bore shocks feature 16mm aluminum bod-
ies, X-ring seals, and nutted Delrin pistons.
Speed control: Tekin RX4
Motor: Tekin T8 GEN2 2050Kv
Battery: MaxAmps 7.4V 6500mAh Race Edition
Charger: Hitec X1 Pro

32 RCCarAction.com
 Secure-Loc clipless
body posts

Pivot-ball front
suspension

Machined-
aluminum arm
mounts

4mm steel
turnbuckles

3mm 6061
chassis with
steel
reinforcement

Aluminum Pro-Line’s moto-tastic

motor mount Badlands MX28 tires are the
High-capacity
perfect choice for hard-hitting
16mm-bore off-road action.
aluminum shocks
3-diff drivetrain with
Mod 1 gearing
Badlands MX28
tires on F-11
wheels

17mm hex
hubs

Bombproof Drivetrain “TRY THE BRONCO,”

Gotta have shaft drive in a 4WD monster
truck, and Pro-Line obliges with a stout
THEY SAID
The MT arrives with a per-
setup. All three diffs get four spider gears
fectly good-looking Senti-
and hold silicone fluid, the front and rear
nel body, but when Pro-Line
gearboxes get metal ring and pinion gears,
sent over a snap of the MT
and the pinion and spur gears are Mod 1
wearing the #3488 ’66 Ford
metric pitch. That works out to 25.4 pitch—
Bronco body, we fell in love
in other words, you’ve got big, broad gear
with the monster-Bronco
teeth to hold up to whatever grenade you
look. The body is designed
want to install as your motor. Steel CV-style
for the Axial SCX10 Dead-
universal-joint driveshafts are fitted front
bolt (as shown here), but
and rear, and the final stop is a set of 17mm
it lines up perfectly on the
1/8-scale-style hex hubs. Grade-A beef
PRO-MT. And thanks to the
throughout.
generous amount of body-
post adjustment built into
the truck, it’s easy to get
the stance just right.

Above: What big teeth you have! The MT’s Mod 1 gears are build for heavy horsepower.
Left: The supplied 16T pinion fits 5mm motor shafts, and an adapter sleeve is included for
1/8-inch shafts.

MARCH 2018 33
 PERFORMANCE TEST

Behind the Design

Pro-Line’s Matt Wallace
Before plastic squirts into molds, CNC machines need for expensive upgrades. This was achieved by making several parts on
spin billet, and hydraulic presses squish sheet metal, the truck spec’d out like a 1/8-scale but in a true 1/10-scale overall size. We
also knew the truck had to have an aluminum chassis, big-bore shocks, and
it takes a team to put pixels onto screens and
the adjustable 3-diff setup. Everything else was designed to be as durable and
transform pure imagination into locked designs. We easy to work on as possible.
tapped PRO-MT 4X4 project leader Matt Wallace for
his insights on the truck’s journey from green light Pro-Line could have easily put existing parts from the other PRO models to
to final product. work. Why go all new?
4WD is a different animal compared to 2WD, so we needed to step up the size
RC Car Action: How long did it take to go from “let’s do a 4X4 monster truck” to of everything to achieve that next level of durability. We have seen videos of
the finished design, ready for tooling? what your readers do with their trucks when they are out bashing!
Matt Wallace: The design and prototyping of the truck took a few months and
was both a challenge and a ton of fun at the same time. The PRO-MT 4x4 is Pro- The truck can accept a wide variety of power systems. What’s your
Line’s first true clean-sheet, in-house kit design not based on other platforms, favorite setup?
so we put in a lot of time and thought into making it the best We spent the most time testing the
possible. PRO-MT 4X4 with extreme power systems
to make sure it could handle the abuse over
the long term. This means we were using
4S LiPo batteries with a 1/8-scale-sized
1900Kv motors, which provided crazy
standing backflips, unlimited wheelies,
and extreme fun. A side benefit of using
1/8 motor systems is that you don’t have
to worry too much about temps since
the vehicle is fairly light for that amount
of power and the motor is not getting
overworked. But a typical 3S setup is
more than enough for most people and
still provides tons of fun.

The truck is extremely tough. Do

modern rapid-prototyping methods
let you test for durability before you
commit to tooling?
Pro-Line stays on the cutting edge of
technology, and we own the latest and
greatest 3D printers to make sure we are
producing the best products possible.
We also have in-house manufacturing
capabilities not typically found at most
modern RC companies, and we used
them to full advantage for this project.
Those things, combined with our
35+ years of experience in the
industry, allowed us to make one tough truck.

Was it always a monster truck? Was a 1/8 buggy considered, or a 4X4 SC
truck, or something else?
Yes, the project started with the idea of creating the most extreme and durable
1/10-scale 4WD monster truck in the industry, and we think that goal was
achieved. The original PRO-MT 2WD we released a few years ago gained
critical acclaim, but the recurring feedback from Pro-Line fans was the desire
for a 4WD version. This formed the basis for the PRO-MT 4X4. Now that the
platform has been established, there is near-limitless possibilities of what the
Pro-Line team might create in the future.
What features or capabilities were considered must-haves?
From day one, we knew the PRO-MT 4X4 would have to handle today’s crazy
power systems—including 1/8-scale systems—right out of the box with no
Is there any chance we’ll see an RTR version?
I can’t comment specifically on potential upcoming products, but anything
is possible!
Any shout-outs you’d like to give to anyone else on the Pro-Line team?
First, I have to thank all of the Pro-Line fans out there who inspire us to make
the best RC products possible. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do
all of this cool stuff! There is a ton of people behind the scenes at Pro-Line
who make a project like the PRO-MT 4X4 come to life from all departments,
including Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Videos, and Production along with
our excellent suppliers. Pro-Line is truly an incredible place to work, and I’m
blessed to play a small part in the success of the company. Special thanks to
RC Car Action for giving me an opportunity to talk about the PRO-MT 4X4.

34 RCCarAction.com

TEST GEAR
Tekin RX4 Speed Control & T8
GEN2 Motor
The PRO-MT 4X4 can accept a huge variety of power
systems, whether you’re recycling stuff from a
1/10-scale truck or going big with a 1/8-scale system.
To really give the MT a workout, I went with Tekin’s
RX4 speed control and T8 motor combo. The 2050Kv
model is ideal for 4S power and suits the RX4’s 2300Kv
motor limit (on 4S, that is—if you stick with motors of
1200Kv or less, you can go 6S). The RX4 is a sensored
speed control, so throttle control is ultra precise. And
since it’s a Tekin, it’s fully adjustable via computer or
Bluetooth (and directly at the speed control, of course),
and reliability is a given.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Installing the Tekin, Spektrum, Hitec, and MaxAmps gear selected to complete the
PRO-MT 4X4 was easy, as Pro-Line designed the chassis to accommodate a wide range
of setups. The manual covers the basics of installing the radio gear and a power system,
but any experienced RC’er will already know what goes where (exception: setting the
spacers to match the pinion size. Look at the manual!). Finishing off the factory-trimmed
Sentinel body is as complex as you want to make it, but even a 15-minute spray bomb
can look good thanks to the included window masks, overspray film, and decals. Pro-Line
does a good job of building the MT as a roller, and there was nothing to fix or touch up
before hitting the dirt. As with any monster truck, the MT’s performance is very much a
tire-and-suspension story, and the truck shines on both fronts. The Badlands tires may be
RC’s best-looking truck treads, and they move dirt as ferociously as the motocross rub-
ber they’re patterned after. Pin the throttle in loose terrain, and the Badlands will roost
hard until they find something to grab onto. On hard-pack, they just dig in and go. There’s
forward-bite and side-bite galore (watch out for traction rolling), and the big lugs are also
happy on grass and pavement. The MT makes the most of its 1/8-scale buggy-style sus-
pension, and the big-bore shocks combined with the cushy Badlands tires go a long way
in smoothing the ride. Front and rear swaybars didn’t seem to impact the suspension’s
suppleness, and do help the truck feel “neutral” in turns. Be ready for the front wheels
to come up when you mash the trigger, especially if you go big in the power department.
Pro-Line fills the diffs with silicone for you (100,000 wt. in the center, per the manual),
but the diffs can still unload if you’re a real hammer. You can always install thicker fluid,
and diff access is easy. When it’s time to leave planet Earth, the MT is a capable jumper.
You’ve got 4WD with big gyroscopes (the wheels) on each corner that make the truck very
responsive to throttle and brake for flight corrections, and re-entry is capably soaked up
by the super-sized shocks. The truck encourages ever bigger launches and the inevitable
wrecks that come with the territory. The MT took the abuse in stride and didn’t lose so
much as a body clip (of course, it helps that the truck doesn’t have body clips. Love those
Secure-Loc body posts…).

PLUS MINUS FINAL WORD

+ Skimp-free specs,
premium throughout
- Trying hard here,
but “none”
Well done, Pro-Line. The PRO-MT 4X4 is a bunch of fun and
tougher than a $2 steak, which is exactly what a monster
truck should be. The other big part of the MT’s appeal is
SOURCES
Pro-Line prolineracing.com
Hitec hitecrcd.com

+ No body clips!
Secure-Loc for
what it isn’t—and that’s an RTR. Nothing wrong with RTRs, of
course, but RTR (usually) means more plastic, less metal, and
MaxAmps maxamps.com
Spektrum spektrumrc.com
Tekin teamtekin.com
the win factory electronics that may be less capable than what you

+ Super tough really want. The PRO-MT 4X4 spares you from pulling out a
perfectly good RTR power system to spend more money on
+ Ready for all kinds of
power systems
something else, swap plastic shocks for aluminum, etc. You’re
getting premium, pro-grade race specs (and 1/8-scale-buggy
toughness) in a model that just happens to be a monster
truck instead of a competition car. And at $400, it’s actually
a bargain compared to upgrading an RTR monster to match
Pro-Line’s specs. If you’re looking for the ultimate 1/10-scale
monster truck, this is it. ✇

MARCH 2018 35
 PERFORMANCE TEST
LL L E V E
KI L
S

AT A G L A N C E
CARISMA SCALE ADVENTURE
SCA-1E COYOTE
TYPE
Trail truck
SCALE
1/10
DRIVETRAIN
4WD shaft Carisma jumps into the scale scene with
POWER
Electric an all-new rig
BUILD
RTR TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEVIN HETMANSKI

PRICE
$319

38 RCCarAction.com
 Despite plenty of history producing attractive cars (including
models for some of the big guys), Carisma’s following in the United
States has been pretty small. The brand hopes to change all that
with Scale Adventure, a bold entry into the trail & scale scene. The
centerpiece of the push is the SCA-1E Coyote, a 1.9-inch rig that
rolls out of the box fully ready to run, right down to the included
AA batteries for the transmitter. The all-new truck clicks off must-
have features such as a 4-link suspension, full-metal transmis-
sion, bead-lock wheels, and realistic scale looks. Let’s unpack the
Carisma Scale Adventure SCA-1E and see what it has to offer.

MARCH 2018 39
 PERFORMANCE TEST

8.3 in.
(210mm)

9.1 in. (230mm)

Old-School Toyota Body

The body is loosely based on the second-gen Japanese-market Toyota Stout, and it has an
attractive flat-black finish. The rearview mirrors, door handles, windshield wipers, rear bumper,
and front grille are injection-molded pieces and further boost realism. LED mounts come with
the truck, and they are used to light up the turn-signal area above the headlights.

11 in. (280mm)
35T
18.9 in. (480mm) Brushed
Power &
Waterproof
VEHICLE SPECS Electronics
The Coyote’s
Item no.: 77768 speed control
Scale: 1/10 is made by
Price: $319 Hobbywing
Weight, as tested: 4 lb. 14 oz. (2200g) and can be set
up for NiMH
CHASSIS and LiPo packs
Type: Ladder frame via jumper
Material: Stamped steel plugs, and you
can choose
SUSPENSION Crawler mode
Type (F/R): 4-link solid axle (100% drag
Shock positions, chassis (F/R): 2/2 brake) or Boat
Shock positions, axles (F/R): 1/1 mode (yeah, weird), which has no brake—so stick with Crawler mode. A sealed-can 35-turn
brushed motor provides the power, and Carisma gets you rolling with a 1400mAh 6-cell NiMH
SHOCKS battery. That’s not a lot of capacity, but crawlers are notoriously frugal with power, and it’s one
Shocks: Threaded plastic w/ aluminum cap less thing for a first-timer to buy.
Shafts: 3.5mm steel

DRIVETRAIN
Type: Shaft-driven 4WD
Transmission: Enclosed gear, 32-pitch Rock Ripper Tires on
Slipper clutch: Dual-disc Bead-lock Wheels
Differentials: None The Coyote’s Rock Ripper tires
Driveshafts: Telescoping steel universal joint are a Carisma design and not a
Bearings: Metal-shielded and bushings replica of any full-size design. The
firm tires are supported by foam
BODY, WHEELS & TIRES insets and secured to unusual
Wheels: 1.8x2.2 multispoke w/ bead locks plastic bead-lock rims. The face
Tires: Scale tread of the rim is slightly smaller than
Inserts: Open-cell foam the 1.9-inch standard (it’s about
1.8 inches in diameter), while the
INCLUDED ELECTRONICS back of the rim is 2.17 inches
Transmitter/receiver: 2.4GHz 2-channel in diameter, much like a short-
Speed control: Carisma WP-1040 brushed waterproof course wheel. According to
Motor: Carisma 35-turn brushed Carisma, this reduces tire flex and
Servo: Carisma metal-gear high-torque improves steering response—and
Battery: Carisma 7.2V 1400mAh NiMH it may, but it also means standard
1.9-inch tires won’t fit the rims.

40 RCCarAction.com
 Included
NiMH
Waterproof Metal-gear battery
speed transmission
control

Steel ladder-
frame chassis
Threaded-
body
shocks

Steel All-terrain
driveshafts tires
4-link
suspension
Ladder-Frame Chassis
Adjustable The chassis uses a ladder-frame design, and the rails are made
rock out of stamped pieces of steel. Rock sliders are attached to
sliders the sides for body protection, and on the bottom are a total
of four LED buckets, so you can light up the way at night. A
plastic skidplate adds support to the center of the chassis, and
it provides a mounting location for the transmission. Pockets
molded into the bottom reduce its surface area and make it
easier for the truck to slide over rocks and other obstacles.
Carisma keeps it simple with a pair of Velcro straps to hold the
Axle-mounted battery in a molded plastic tray, and it’s installed in the rear for
servo improved all-around performance on trails. It can be moved to
the front to improve the truck’s climbing capabilities with some
simple modifications.

THE SCA-1E COYOTE: A 1.9-INCH RIG THAT ROLLS OUT OF THE

BOX FULLY READY TO RUN, RIGHT DOWN TO THE INCLUDED
AA BATTERIES FOR THE TRANSMITTER.

Axle-Mounted Servo
The servo is mounted directly to the axle to simplify the design, and it helps lower
the truck’s center of gravity. No specs are provided, but it seems sufficiently
torquey and has metal gears, so that’s good enough. If you prefer a CSM (chassis-
mounted servo) setup for a more realistic look, good news—it’s in the works,
says Carisma.
Metal-Gear Drivetrain
Inside the transmission housings is a set of metal gears, and they feature
beefy 32-pitch teeth. A combination of bushings and bearings are used
throughout the drivetrain. According to Carisma, this was done because
bushings won’t rust like bearings do when put away wet. Even though
the entire drivetrain is made entirely out of metal parts, a slipper clutch
is still included for protection in high-bind conditions. Several pieces and
screws are used to make up the plastic axle housings, and the differential
housing has a locker inside. Unique steel universal driveshafts connect
the transmission to the axles. Instead of splines, a pin engages the
slotted female half of the shaft to provide telescoping action.

MARCH 2018 41
 PERFORMANCE TEST

Dialing in the Coyote

The Coyote arrives ready to run,
but it’s not as dialed in for trail
duty as it can be. Use these tips
to get the most out of Carisma’s
new rig before you hit the woods.

Improve the steering

To get the steering to reach full
travel, you must increase the
length of the link that connects
the steering servo to the steering
rack. I did this by removing the
servo arm and the stock rod
ends from the original link. I then
attached them to an adjustable
turnbuckle and gave it a length of
1.67 inches from center to center;
once you do that, you can attach
the linkage to the steering arm
and steering rack. If the steering
overextends after the mod, you’ll
have to reset the endpoints. To
do this, turn the wheel to the
right or left (depending on what
needs adjustment) and hold the
FTN button until the LED turns
red. When it does, turn the wheel BEHIND THE WHEEL
until the arm hits the stop and I tested the Coyote with its stock tires and battery, but I went ahead and PLUS
press the FTN button to set the
position.
gave the setup a polish as detailed in the “Dialing in the Coyote” sidebar. I
took the truck to the park that I often hit up with other trail & scale trucks so
that I could easily compare it to other models on the same terrain. The park
+ Unique Toyota Stout
styling
Upgrade the tire
The stock tires are molded in firm
rubber and work fine on light
offers a nice mix of trails, rocks, and various tree roots, which makes it an
ideal place for RC 4X4 exploration. The 35-turn motor and speed control give
the Coyote some scoot off the line, and the combo was good for a top speed
+ Attractively assembled
and finished
of 4mph, which is right on par with other trail trucks I have tested. Power
trails but struggle in challenging
situations. Performance improves delivery is smooth and linear, and that’s a must-have when climbing over
difficult terrain. The tires provided decent traction on easy trails, but their
+ Completely RTR,
including batteries
dramatically with a change to
smallish diameter reduced ground clearance and allowed the axle housings
Pro-Line 1.9-inch TSL SX Super
Swamper tires in G8 compound.
to hit obstacles frequently. Luckily, the housings are made out of plastic, and
that allowed them to slide along. If you’ve got other 1.9-inch tires to try out,
+ Metal gears and shafts
throughout
you’ll find it’s the easiest way to significantly boost performance. And since
Flip the front bumper the Coyote has standard 12mm hexes, the wheel and tire options are endless.
The front bumper arrives With my steering mods, the truck had good throw to help the Coyote navigate MINUS
mounted low on the chassis
rails, which leaves a big gap
between the bumper and body.
tight spaces, and the feel was consistent from left to right. The stock servo
provides plenty of power to turn the wheels, and the stock soft-plastic
steering link did a good job of pushing and pulling on the tires without giving
- Drivetrain uses
bushings in some
locations
Remove the front bumper and the truck a lazy feel. After some time on the trail, I shut the truck down and
flip the mount to improve
the look and allow a steeper
approach angle on obstacles.
changed over to my Pro-Line tires, and since they’re about 0.13 inches taller
than the stock shoes, I gained a little more overall traction. The slightly taller
tire also gave the Coyote a little more ground clearance under the axles and
- Unique rims don’t
accept standard
under the chassis. Since I’d rather have a lower center of gravity than ground
1.9-inch tires
clearance under the chassis, I also took the time to lower the truck’s ride
Remove the rock-light buckets
If you aren’t planning on installing
rock lights on your Coyote,
height by raising the preload collars. The new tires and their comp-worthy
rubber and tread design made a big difference in the performance of the
- Needs some tuning to
work its best
remove the buckets for maximum Coyote. The extra ground clearance under the axle and improved grip from the
tires allowed the truck to get over some obstacles that hung it up before. The
ground clearance. They’re a nice
tires really shined on the rocks; they were able to conform better to various
touch, but they protrude lower
surfaces, and the tread was on point getting grip at all times. Run time with
than any other item on the
the included 1400mAh battery was 30 minutes, so run times over an hour SOURCE
bottom of the chassis. will be possible with an inexpensive upgrade to a 3000mAh (or higher) NiMH Carisma Scale Adventure
battery—even longer if you go LiPo. carismascaleadventure.com
Avoid axle binding
The Coyote’s axles will bind if you
tighten the wheel nuts firmly,
but if you stop at “snug,” there’s FINAL WORD
no binding. For extra security Carisma Scale Adventure is new to the trail & scale scene, and its first attempt at a truck for that segment is pretty good.
The Toyota Stout styling is an attractive alternative to the usual Jeep, Hilux, and Range Rover trail-truck styles, and with
against loosening, apply a drop of
items like a full-metal drivetrain, 4-link suspension, axle-mounted servo, and more, you can’t go wrong. The Coyote is
medium thread-lock to each nut.
ready to go to work out of the box, and first-time trail drivers will be happy with it, but experienced trail runners will want
to give it a little bench attention to get the most out of the platform—which is pretty much what we experienced trail
guys do with every truck. ✇

42 RCCarAction.com
 EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET STAR TED IN RC!
UP! BY THE RC CAR ACTION TEAM

One of the coolest things about the RC car hobby is its its incredible depth—there’s just so
much stuff to choose from. But on the flip side, it can seem like there’s an awful lot to learn
before you feel like you can dive in with confidence when its time to part ways with your hard-
earned dollars. No worries—everything you need to know to get started in RC is right here!

KITS & RTRS

No matter what type of vehicle
you’re into, you’ll need to decide
whether you want to build it
yourself with a kit or let the
manufacturer build it for you as a
“ready to run”—or RTR, as they’re
generally called.

KITS
Inside a kit box you’ll find bags of parts, which are
labeled or numbered to correspond with assembly
steps outlined in the manual. Some kits come with complicated components (like
shocks, differentials, or turnbuckles) already put together. A few kits, such as
some of those from Tamiya, include electronic components needed for comple-
tion; one of the perks of assembling your own kit is choosing the additional
equipment yourself so that you can choose exactly what you want.

It’s easy to
build your own
car—just follow
along as the
manual tells
you what goes
where. This is
Tamiya’s Toyota
Land Cruiser 40
on the CC-01
chassis.

44 RCCarAction.com

Ready-to-run models are just
that: ready to run. Most require no
assembly, or at most, you have to slip
the wheels onto the axles or insert an
antenna tube.
RC-Specific Tools
All kits and RTRS include a few essential tools for assembly and/or maintenance, but
your bench sessions will be a lot more fun with a set of quality tools—which don’t have
to be expensive. Collect these as you get deeper into the hobby.
Hex drivers: Most cars use metric fasteners, and
a set of 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0mm drivers will cover
every screw and bolt.
Nut drivers: Just about every RC car includes a
four-way wrench to fit the various nuts on the
model, but it’s more convenient to use a nut
driver for the most frequently removed nuts on
the axles (7mm) and shocks (5.5mm).
Slip-joint and needle-nose pliers: There are a lot
of small parts involved in RC car construction.
It’s easier to use pliers than your fingers—and
safer too!
Curved Lexan scissors: When it comes to
trimming out bodies or cutting stickers, there’s
nothing better.
Hobby knife: Also called by the popular brand
name “X-Acto,” a sharp hobby knife will come
in handy more often than you’d imagine: from
trimming excess flashing from molded parts to
digging dirt out of the head of a screw.
Body reamer: If you need to create a body-post
hole in a new Lexan shell, there’s no faster,
easier, or safer way to do it than with a body
reamer.
READY-TO-RUNS
While kits commanded the industry in its early
days, nearly all mainstream manufacturers offer
at least a large portion of their product lineup as
RTRs. Many RTRs require only AA batteries for
the transmitter, while some even include those for
you! An RTR is the easiest and fastest way to get
rolling, although you miss out on the opportunity
to learn the mechanical structure of the car by
building it. RTRs often come with basic running
gear to keep costs down, but an increasing number
of them include top-shelf equipment.
If you like the idea of assembling bags of parts
into a working vehicle that you’ll be able to drive
or you’d rather splurge for the components you’d
prefer to use, choose a kit. However, if you’re
itching to shred the backyard in as little time as
possible and don’t mind upgrading later as you gain
more experience, an RTR is a great way to go.
Sprue cutter: Also known as a “flush cutter,” this
tool is used to snip plastic parts off their “trees”
(the correct term is “sprue”). The tool makes a
clean cut without leaving a nub on the part.
MARCH 2018 45
 ELECTRIC POWER
up! The Losi Tenacity
SCT shows off its
considerable electric
horsepower
THE MOST POPULAR
CHOICE
Charge it up, plug it in, and
flick the switch—there’s
nothing simpler than
operating an electric vehicle.
Today’s motor and battery
technology has closed the
gap on nitro when it comes
to power and run time, and
the lack of noise and exhaust
fumes make them the ideal
choice for running indoors.

MOTORS
Whether brushed or brushless, an
electric motor spins when powered by
a battery and speeds up when more
battery power is applied. Electric motors
are typically rated in turns, which indicate
the amount of wire wrapped around the
armature (brushed) or stator (brushless);
the lower the number of turns, the faster
the motor. Though brushed motors are
less expensive and still popular in basic
RTR kits, brushless motors have become
an increasingly common choice for their
superior efficiency and lack of required
maintenance.

SPEED CONTROLS
In an electric vehicle, the speed control acts as
the throttle; it uses a signal from the receiver to
determine how much voltage to send from the battery
to the motor. Similar to radio systems, speed controls
vary from plainly simple, with a one-touch setup
and trouble-free operation, to feature-packed with
adjustable throttle parameters like deadband (the
space between throttle and brake), throttle curves
(adjusting the linear or exponential throttle response),
and braking strength. The Novak GTB 2 shown here is
an example of a top-flight racing speed control.

CHARGERS
Battery chargers come in AC/DC or DC-only varieties,
with the latter requiring an external power supply
(either an AC converter or large 12V battery, like that
used for a full-size car). Chargers, like other important
RC items, can be as simple (start/stop button) or
complicated (multiple charge profiles,
adjustable parameters, etc.) as you’d
prefer. If you’ll be charging batteries of
different chemistries (NiMH, LiPo, lead
acid, etc.) or multiple batteries at once,
or you want to monitor the charging cycle of your batteries
to ensure peak performance for racing applications, you’ll be
better off with a higher-level charger.

BATTERIES
Aside from the alkaline AAs that are often used to power a trans-
mitter, RC batteries are separated into two groups: lithium-based
(typically lithium polymer, or LiPo) and nickel-based (most often
nickel-metal hydride, or NiMH). Because of their chemical makeup,
LiPo batteries offer significantly better power and run time due to
their lower resistance and higher discharge rates, but they require
specific chargers and special care to be used safely. NiMH packs,
however, are typically less expensive and don’t require special care.

46 RCCarAction.com
NITRO RC FUELS
Hobby fuels specific to RC cars are
PUT A REAL ENGINE TO WORK made with a blend of nitromethane,
If the sound of a blaring engine burning fuel and methanol alcohol, and oil. The
percentages of each ingredient
spitting out exhaust fumes is exciting to you, look
are recommended by the engine
into buying a nitro vehicle. You’ll need to be patient manufacturer and can vary. Fuels
when learning to tune and maintain an engine, but the with more oil can prolong engine
realism and thrill of a real engine screaming through life and give newer engine tuners
its rpm range is something electrics don’t offer. more protection against premature
failure, while racing-specific fuels
use higher nitro and alcohol content
NITRO ENGINES to offer more power.
Nitro engines vary in displacement
(the most common ranging from
.12 to .28 ci) and case size (small
block, which are .12-.20 ci, and big GLOW PLUGS
block, which are .15-.28). Case Rather than an electronic ignition system
size is dictated by the chassis and a spark plug, a glow plug is used to
and engine mounts, with larger ignite the air/fuel charge under extreme
displacement engines trading compression. Glow plugs are available in
fuel economy for added varying heat ranges to correspond with
power—just like a full-size engine type and fuel content.
car engine. Nitro engines
use a carburetor for
throttle control, and the
carb has tuning valves
called “needles” that
EXHAUST PIPES
Exhaust pipes for nitro-powered RC
are used to adjust
cars vary in shape and construction,
the ratio of the air/
as pipes are “tuned’ to offer
fuel mixture.
maximum performance at varying
rpm ranges to suit different vehicles,
engines, and environments.

Traxxas TRX3.3 Racing Engine.

RECEIVER PACKS
Nitro vehicles require a battery to
power the onboard electronics. Re-
ceiver packs, like the batteries used
to power electric vehicles, are built
with either NiMH or LiPo cells and are
built in different configurations to suit
various chassis.

Going GAS Fuel-burning cars are often called “gas cars” even when
they burn nitro instead of gasoline. But there are RC models that burn pump
gas! Massive 1/5-scale machines like this Losi Monster Truck XL are pow-
ered by what is essentially a chain-saw engine for super-size thrills—and a
super-size price. Big gas burners start at about $1,000.
BODIES
up!
Made out of clear Lexan and painted from
the inside so that the paint looks shiny
and is protected from impact, all RC cars
have a body that’s clipped or otherwise
fastened to the chassis. Some classes,
like on-road touring cars and short-course
trucks, use bodies that are fairly universal
among cars within the same class, while other
buggies and trucks must use bodies created
Would you believe this hot rod is
for that specific platform. Many aftermarket actually a Traxxas Revo monster
companies make shells to fit different vehicles, truck? Swapping bodies allows you
but you can get nearly any body to fit any vehicle to transform your car or truck into a
(within reason) with some creative trimming and variety of vehicles.
reconfiguring the body posts.

SERVOS
To wrestle the front tires to the left and right, a system of linkages and
bellcranks connect the front suspension to a servo that receives its
signal directly from the receiver. Inside the servo, a motor spins a network
of gears, which, in turn, move the servo arm on top. Servos are made with
a variety of gear materials (plastics or metals) and feature different internal
gearing and motors to create servos that have different transit speeds (the
time it takes for the servo to rotate 60 degrees) and torque (measured in
ounces per inch, indicating how much weight the servo could lift using a 1-inch
The pinion (small) and spur (large) gears servo arm).
can be changed to optimize the gear ratio
for speed or efficiency.

PINION AND SPUR GEARS PIT BAGS

The pinion and spur gears are the While an inexpensive
primary gear reduction on an RC plastic tub will suffice
car (combined with any internal for transporting
transmission gears), and can be your equipment,
swapped for gears of different sizes dedicated RC’ers
to change the car’s acceleration rate use pit bags to
and top speed. In addition to the store, transport, and
number of teeth on the gears, tooth organize their gear.
size and spacing (known as “pitch”) Pit bags range from
also vary. Consult your model’s a standard duffle
owner’s manual to make certain that bag to haulers with
you purchase gears of the correct cardboard drawers, assorted
pitch; 48 and 32 pitch are the most pockets, wheels, and a long
common. carrying handle.

Futaba’s 4PV
is a premium
computer radio.

This Pro-Line FaultLine rim uses a “bead- This Pro-Line Badlands “premount” is
RADIO SYSTEMS
permanently glued to the wheel.
Without a transmitter and receiver, radio control
lock” design to hold the tire without glue.
would not be radio control. Radio systems for RC
TIRES AND WHEELS cars have at least two channels: one for steering and
Just like full-size cars and trucks, there’s a seemingly endless variety of wheels and tires one for throttle/brake. Some models have three or
you can install to change up your vehicle’s style or to suit the terrain. Most RC tires are glued more channels to control such functions as locking
permanently to the wheels because that’s the only way they can stay on at high speed. An differentials and multispeed transmissions. Competition
exception is scale off-road trucks, which are geared for torque rather than speed and often drivers often upgrade to transmitters with computer
use “bead-lock” rims that clamp the tires into place. This allows the rims to be reused and displays that allow greater adjustability and can store
fitted with different tires. Tires can be purchased unmounted for installation on the rims of your settings for multiple models. But to get started in RC, all
choice, or you can get “premounts” that are factory-glued and ready for action. you need is a basic unit. ✇

48 RCCarAction.com
 PERFORMANCE TEST
LL L E V E
KI L
S

AT A G L A N C E MAX SPEED TECHNOLOGY

RMX-D VIP 4WD
TYPE
Drift chassis
SCALE
1/10
DRIVETRAIN
4WD belt
POWER
MST’s top-of-the-line drifter will
Electric have you doing the electric slide!
BUILD TEXT & PHOTOS BY JIMMY LOUIS
ARR
PRICE
$710

50 RCCarAction.com
Max Speed Technology (MST) has been synonymous with RC drifting for many
years now. It has been making high-end and entry-level drift cars as part of its vehicle
lineup since 2010 and has quickly risen up the ranks in the RC drift world. MST was the
first to release a front-motor drift chassis and the first to release a factory-made rear-
wheel-drive chassis. This 4WD beast is one of its newer chassis and contains all the bells
and whistles to help you get sideways with style. Lots of people spend tons of cash to
get a golden setup with carbon-fiber and aluminum aftermarket hop-up parts, but MST
gives you all that and more in one box. Let’s slide on down and check it out!

MARCH 2018 51
 PERFORMANCE TEST
High-Angle
Steering
Components
2.8 in.
(70mm)
Drift cars set up for
countersteer need
super-high steering
angles to execute
and maintain the best
slide. The MST RMX-D
VIP features specially
designed 3mm spring
steel CVDs up front
that allow the steering
to reach angles
nearing 80 degrees
7.5 in. (190mm)
without chatter or
binding, combined
with Y-shaped lower
suspension arms to
prevent contact between the wheels and arms. The bearing-supported, sliding aluminum steering
rack in conjunction with the locations of the steering links are the keys to getting these extreme
steering angles. As the rear of the car slides through the turn, the front wheels must track the
turn with precision, and the full aluminum and carbon steering components help with that.

Anti-Torque Motor Mount

10.1 in. (257mm) The motor mount in the RMX-D
VIP uses a reversible anti-torque
15.4 in. (390mm) design. The motor is mounted
with the pinion facing the left
side of the car, so acceleration
torque pushes the rear wheels
down to increase grip. The mount
is designed so that you can flip
VEHICLE SPECS the motor if you wish to have the
Item no.: MXS-532127 opposite effect. For those who
Scale: 1/10 want a higher center of gravity,
Price: $710 there is a mount available that
Weight, as tested: 3 lb. 11 oz. (1679g) allows you to position the motor
on top of the gearbox for more
CHASSIS chassis movement in the turns to
Type: Flat plate with twin vertical plate upper increase traction.
Material: Carbon fiber
The pinion gear rotates counterclock-
wise, so motor torque is applied to the
SUSPENSION
rear end.
Type (F/R): Lower Y-arm with adjustable upper link/
lower H-arm with stainless-steel turnbuckle upper link
Shock positions, towers (F/R): 8/8
Shock positions, arms (F/R): 6/4
Camber-link positions, towers (F/R): 1/2
Countersteer Gearing
The RMX-D uses a combination of gears and belts to spin the front and rear wheels. But unlike
Camber-link positions, hubs (F/R): 3/4
a typical touring car, which spins the front and rear wheels at the same rpm (call it a 1:1 ratio,
front to rear), the RMX-D is configured so that the ratio is 1:1.35 for a “countersteering” setup.
SHOCKS
What is that? Well, full-scale drift cars are primarily rear-wheel drive (RWD), while RC drifters
Bodies: Aluminum, 10mm bore
are 4WD. By using different-size pulleys on the layshaft (small for the front wheels, larger for
Shafts: 3mm nickel-plated steel
the rear wheels), the RMX-D’s rear wheels are driven 35 percent faster than the front wheels,
Volume compensation: Bladder
causing the car behave
as if it’s RWD—while still
DRIVETRAIN
having some pull from
Type: 4WD belt with 1:1.345 countersteer ratio
the front end to keep
Differential: Rear spool/front one-way
the car stable. If the
Driveshafts (F/R): Spring steel CVD/dogbone
front and rear wheels
Bearings: Sealed ball
were driven equally
(a “50/50” setup in
WHEELS & TIRES
drift-speak), the car
Wheels: One-piece 10-spoke chrome
would not be able to
Tires & inserts: MST drift
maintain drift angle by
countersteering in the
TEST GEAR (NOT INCLUDED)
same way a full-size
Transmitter & receiver: Airtronics MT-4 92524
RWD drifter does,
Battery: ProTek R/C 5500mAh 35C LiPo
thereby ruining the
Servo: ProTek R/C 100T digital
illusion of scale—and
Speed control: Castle Creations Mamba X
drifting is all about
Motor: Castle Creations 1406 7700Kv sensored
scale and style.
Body: Yokomo Blitz ER34 Note the difference in pulley sizes: large for the rear wheels, smaller for
the front.

52 RCCarAction.com
 Rear
spool
1:1.35 coun-
tersteer
gearing
8mm offset
wheels with Aluminum
medium-com- shocks
pound drift tires and soft
springs

Front one-way
High-angle spring
differential
steel front CVDs

Drift Wheels & Tires

What’s a cool car without cool
wheels to put on it? This kit
features a set of 10-spoke
chrome hoops wrapped in MST
drift-compound plastic. The
Twin-plate wheels feature an 8mm offset
top deck out of the box, which lets you
with adjust- run the wheel faces flush with
able flex the body of your choice for that
Bearing-supported “hellaflush” look. As is typical for
aluminum drift cars, the tires are actually
steering rack hard plastic. There’s just enough
grip to get the car going and
maintain drift control, while
allowing the right amount of slip
to stay stylish and maintain a
smooth drift through the turns.
30g chassis-
balancing weight

The chassis comes with a 30g Thick 3.5mm shock towers Clamping 12mm hex hubs and
weight that mounts in the front resist flex, and offer plenty of urethane-captured ball studs on
bumper for handling balance. tuning options—eight holes the C-hubs come standard.
per shock.

The speed-control tray doubles as the battery hold-down. Twist-open

latches eliminate clips and screws.

Central Battery Location

The battery is centered in the 2.8mm graphite chassis to
help balance weight between the left and right sides of the
chassis. This helps with directional changes by maintaining a
low polar moment of inertia, and keeps the car predictable in
the turns. The battery is removed by twisting two keyed knobs
on the speed-control tray and lifting the unit out of the way. The RMX-D pops out of the box nearly
This allows you to slide the battery in and out of the chassis fully assembled, so it’s a quick bench
without the use of clips, pins, or screws. session before you hit the track.
 PERFORMANCE TEST

TEST GEAR
ProTek R/C 100T
High-Torque
Servo
A drift car needs a fast
servo to provide the lock-
to-lock transit speeds BEHIND THE WHEEL
needed to maintain a good
After I opened the box and realized there was actually very little for me to do for setup,
drift. If you are using a gyro
I decided to take the extra time and have a cup of cocoa. When I came back to the
for stabilization, fast servo
car, I proceeded to build the shocks according to the instructions, using the kit shock
speeds also are able to make
oil and springs. I also gave all the screws that thread into metal the once-over with
quick micro adjustments
blue Loctite to make sure nothing came loose during testing. Final assembly went
to help keep your line. The
smoothly, but the battery system is a little finicky, so pack changes aren’t speedy. Once
ProTek R/C 100T gives you
I had everything together, I headed down to Super-G R/C Drift Arena in Baldwin Park,
a quick 0.14-second transit
California, to give the car a good wringing out. The surface there is polished concrete
time (at 6.0V), which is more
and is perfect for getting your drift on. Initially, the car started off a little squirrelly—
than enough to do the job.
the result of slick plastic tires on a slick concrete floor—but the 4WD gives just enough
This servo also features
grip to get up to speed pretty quickly. When the first turn came up, I flicked the car
metal gears, so if you clip
to the outside of the turn and then back to the inside, and the rear end stepped out
a rail while you are in full
cleanly and smoothly with no undue reactions. The soft and supple suspension soaked
countersteer, it won’t strip
up any irregularities in the track surface, and I executed a perfectly controlled slide
out—bonus! The 100T also
through the first turn. The chassis is very predictable and stable, and the centered
has an aluminum center
battery allows the chassis to change directions quickly. The steering gave me more
case to help dissipate heat—
than enough angle to counter the rear slide
another bonus since the A body is not included. I went
and bring the car back from (what
servo is one of the hardest- with a Yokomo Blitz ER34 and
seemed to me) the brink of
working components during added wing standoffs from
disaster, and the deep EasyMade88. You can also see a
an intense drift session.
steering angle allows for Monster Parts interior in there;
dramatic drifts. Drifting look ’em up on Instagram
may be the “ballet of RC,” as monster_parts.
but I happen to be the
PLUS one, however, with two left

+ Precision fit and

finish
feet. But being podiatrically
challenged didn’t keep me
from having a blast getting
+ Includes wheels and
drift tires
sideways around the facility.
I found the Castle system

+ Hopped up and
75 percent
to be a little overpowered for
this setup, but the programming
software allowed me to tune down the
assembled out of
power, rendering the car a tad more docile. To
the box
get another opinion, I handed the transmitter to a
+ Optional RWD
conversion to give
more “professional” driver to get his feedback, and he found
the chassis to be as balanced and smooth out of the box as the
you two cars in one chassis that he’d been working on and perfecting for the past few

+ Extremely adjustable
months. The shocks provided more than adequate damping, and the steer-
ing was butter smooth with very little slop, if any. A slop-free steering system
is usually worth another empty wallet’s worth of hop-ups, but out of the box, the
MINUS RMX-D’s bearing-supported steering rack was smooth and pointed the front wheels

- Battery is not the

easiest to remove/
with precision.
SOURCES
Max Speed Technology
insert rc-mst.com

- Expensive
FINAL WORD
Amain Hobbies
amainhobbies.com
Castle Creations
The MST RMX-D VIP 4WD is an amazing bit of kit right out of the box and built to the manual- castlecreations.com
suggested specs. The fit and finish is jewelry-like, the handling is confidence-inspiring even Super-G R/C Drift Arena
for a relatively new drifter, and the adjustability can put even high-end touring cars to shame. supergdrift.com
Monster Parts (Instagram)
There are other lesser-expensive chassis out there for newcomers wishing to dip their toes
monster_parts
into RC drifting. But as you get better and the hop-ups start adding up, you’ll wish that you had
spent the money up front for something like the RMX-D VIP in the first place. ✇

54 RCCarAction.com
 PERFORMANCE TEST
LL L E V E
KI L
S

AT A G L A N C E
TYPE
Buggy
KYOSHO
SCALE
1/10
DRIVETRAIN
2WD ULTIMA RB6.6
READYSET
POWER
Electric
BUILD
RTR
PRICE
$250
Kyosho’s World Championship–
TOP SPEED winning 2-wheeler goes RTR
21
MPH TEXT & PHOTOS BY JOEL NAVARRO

56 RCCarAction.com
 Since its release in
January 2014, the
Kyosho Ultima RB6 has
become one of the top
2WD buggies on tracks
around the world, earn-
ing an IFMAR World
Championship title in
the hands of Kyosho
team driver Jared Tebo.
After an update in
July 2016, the Ultima
RB6.6 made its debut
with three mid-motor
configuration choices
to tailor weight dis-
tribution to specific
track conditions. Fast-
forward to today, and
an RTR version of this
Worlds-winning buggy
is available to you at
the budget price of
$250. You get plenty
of car for your hard-
earned money, with fea-
tures that include fully
adjustable suspension,
a 4-gear mid-motor
transmission, and
waterproof electron-
ics. As expected, the
“Readyset” RB6.6 omits
some of the competi-
tion version’s higher-
end touches, but the
essential chassis and
suspension geometry
that made the RB6.6 a
world champ are intact.

MARCH 2018 57
 PERFORMANCE TEST

5.5 in.
(140mm) 4-Gear Mid-Motor
Transmission
The RB6.6 can be set up with
four different transmission
configurations: rear motor, mid-
motor 3-gear, mid-motor 4-gear,
and laydown mid-motor. The
Readyset version comes with the
4-gear mid-motor transmission,
which uses a grease-filled gear
differential. The steel outdrives
lead out to steel dogbones that
9.8 in. (249mm) deliver the power to the rear
wheels. A slipper clutch is accessible
through the spur-gear cover and is
adjustable to cut down wheel slip. Everything operates smoothly as built by the factory, and a
full set of ball bearings minimizes power loss to friction.

World-
Champion
11.2 in. (285mm) Suspension
The suspension
15.5 in. (395mm) geometry that
made the RB6
series of cars
successful is
unchanged for
VEHICLE SPECS the Readyset
Item no.: 34310B model. To keep
Scale: 1/10 costs down, steel
Price: $249 and plastic have
Weight, as tested: 3 lb. (1511g) been substituted
for more exotic
CHASSIS materials. Plastic-
Type: Stamped plate with plastic reinforcement body shocks
Material: 3mm aluminum replace the kit car’s
aluminum units,
SUSPENSION but they’re still
Type (F/R): Lower A-arm with upper adjustable threaded and have 12mm bores for track-ready performance. Steel turnbuckles set camber and
camber link toe, and the camber links snap onto vertical ball studs for minute roll-center adjustments—not
Shock positions, towers (F/R): 3/4 important for fun-running but useful if you’re looking for precise track tunability.
Shock positions, arms (F/R): 2/3

SHOCKS
Bodies: Threaded plastic, 12mm bore
Shafts: 3mm steel
Volume compensation: Bladder

DRIVETRAIN
Type: 2WD
Differentials (F/R): Rear gear diff
Driveshafts (F/R): Steel dogbone
Bearings: Metal-shielded ball

BODY, WHEELS & TIRES

Body: Buggy racer style
Wheels: 2.2-inch wheels
Tires & inserts: Front ribbed with rear mini pin

INCLUDED ELECTRONICS
Transmitter: Kyosho Syncro KT-231P+ 2.4GHz
Receiver: Kyosho Syncro KR-331
Servo: Kyosho Perfex KS4031-06W
Speed control: Orion 45-amp LiPo/NiMH Waterproof (2S
LiPo, 6–7 cell NiMH)
Motor: Kyosho G15 15-turn brushed motor 3mm Aluminum Chassis Plate
Like the competition kit model, the RB6.6 Readyset is built on a 3mm aluminum chassis plate.
TEST GEAR (NOT INCLUDED) Kyosho trims costs by skipping the milling and hard-anodized finish of the premium-spec Ultima’s
Battery: Peak Power Plant 2S 5000mAh 7.4V LiPo chassis, but you’ll never miss it (and if you’re counting grams, the RTR is just 12g over ROAR’s
Charger: Hitec X1 Pro 1499g minimum weight with a “full-size” 2S LiPo onboard). Molded side plates, a short front
upper deck, and “waterfall” brace ahead of the motor lend additional stiffness to the plate chassis.

58 RCCarAction.com
 4-gear mid-motor
transmission
Steel
turnbuckle
camber &
toe links
15-turn
brushed
motor

45A water-
proof speed
control

Dual-pad
slipper
clutch

Deans-style 3mm aluminum

plug chassis plate Ribbed front/mini
Plastic pin rear racing-
threaded- style tires
body shocks

Orion Brushed Power

The Orion-built power system keeps
things simple, with a 15-turn sealed-
endbell brushed motor taking volts
from a 45-amp speed control. Jumper
plugs set battery type (NiMH or LiPo, of
course) and throttle mode—it’s set for
forward/brake/reverse control from the
factory, or you can deactivate reverse Syncro KT-231P+ 2.4GHz transmitter
for track duty. A Deans-style plug (or Kyosho specs a nice pistol with this Syncro unit, which sports a stylish red-
“T-connector”) is installed, so it’s easy rubber grip and a comfy angled wheel. In addition to the usual trim knobs
to find batteries. Just be sure to stick and reversing switches, the radio has adjustments for steering rate and
with 6-cell NiMH or 2-cell (“2S”) LiPo throttle endpoints. The latter is more commonly adjusted with nitro cars, but
packs as the speed control is not rated being able to “turn down” full throttle from the radio is handy for reducing
for more than 7.4 volts. top speed—like when you want to let a less-skilled driver take a spin.

MARCH 2018 59
 PERFORMANCE TEST

TEST GEAR
Peak Racing
Power Plant 2S
5000mAh LiPo
All you’ll need to get the RB6.6 into
action is four AA batteries for the
radio and a battery to power the
car. A LiPo pack is the best choice
for maximum speed and run time,
and I went with a Peak Racing
pack. The 5000mAh capacity
can go more than 20 minutes per
charge, and its Deans plug means
it’s ready to plug right into the
RB6.6.

PLUS

+ Nice radio

+ Trackworthy handling

+ Competition-bred
adjustable suspension

+ Smooth power from the

speed control

MINUS

- Hard-compound tires
down on traction

- Pricey for an RTR with

brushed power

FINAL WORD
Having raced for many years, I
know how expensive it can be
to put together a competitive
car. I can honestly say that
BEHIND THE WHEEL you’re getting a lot of bang
My regular bash and photo spot has a lot of loose loamy dirt, which I did not expect to be a good match for the for your 250 bucks with the
Ultima’s ribbed front tires and rear mini pins. So I was pleasantly surprised when the car showed a good balance of Ultima RB6.6 Readyset. This
traction with a bit of understeer that made it easy to drive. On small bumps and imperfections, the suspension felt RTR buggy performed beyond
buttery smooth, keeping the chassis level and in check. Because this is a race car, ground clearance is kept low to my expectations everywhere
keep the center of gravity closer to the ground. If you do need to raise the ride height for more ground clearance, you I drove it. You can just slip a
can quickly do so by giving the adjustable spring collars on the shocks a few turns. This made a world of difference, sport pack into it and enjoy
improving handling on the roughest sections I drove over. The RB6.6 is a well-balanced car, so it was no surprise to play driving, but the car really
see that it jumped well too. When I could find a large dirt mound, I got some air time and it showed no ill tendencies, shines on a racecourse, where
and landing back on earth was nice and smooth thanks to the 12mm big-bore shocks. Since the Readyset carries over its considerable track cred
so much racing DNA from the Worlds-winning kit car, I also tested it at SDRC Raceway, in Miramar, California. After can be put to work. It didn’t
a few laps with the stock tires, it was apparent that the firm compound that Kyosho specs to provide long wear for take much to get the RB6.6
fun-running was not letting the car achieve the lap times it was capable of. I swapped the stock shoes for a set of up to speed and running
Pro-Line Positrons in clay compound, which are a local favorite for SDRC. The tires made a huge difference in handling, competitive laps, which is
and the Ultima definitely felt more like a kit-built racer than an RTR fun machine. Turn-in was crisp, and the car rotated a testament to its world-
nicely through turns like other mid-motor cars. Performance improved further as I adjusted the ride height, camber, championship design. ✇
and toe settings to suit my driving style. You can go much deeper into tuning since the Readyset model is as adjust-
able as the full-race model, but impressive strides can be made just by getting the essentials dialed in. As I put in
SOURCES
more laps and the Positrons wore in, I settled into a groove and the RB6.6 proved itself to be a consistent handler, as
Kyosho kyoshoamerica.com
less than half a second separated my fastest and slowest average lap times. Orion teamorion.com

60 RCCarAction.com
 how to

10 TIPS FOR PERFECT PAINT

Spray-paint like a pro!
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEVIN HETMANSKI

WHETHER YOU’RE PAINTING A CLEAR POLYCARBONATE SHELL or an ABS

or styrene “hard” body, odds are you’re going to reach for a can of spray paint
to get the job done. Spray painting, however, isn’t as easy as aiming the can
and pushing the button—technique matters, as does proper masking. But no
worries: With a few easy tips, anyone can lay down smooth color on any type of
RC body. Here are 10 tips to help you spray-paint like a pro.

tip 1 Choose the Right Paint

Testors’ Pactra paints are exclu-
sively for polycarbonate (clear)
bodies. For ABS and styrene
(“hard”) bodies, use the spray
enamel paints.
for Your Plastic
Most RC bodies are made out of clear polycarbonate
(also known as “Lexan,” which is actually a brand
of polycarbonate plastic). “Regular” spray paints
don’t adhere well to polycarbonate, especially when
subjected to the flexing and impact of RC use. Paint
formulated specifically for polycarbonate plastic is
essential, and Pactra is the classic brand just about
every hobby store carries.
If you’re painting an ABS or
styrene “hard” body (like a
plastic model kit), “regular”
spray enamels are fine—but
it’s still best to use a hobby
paint, such as Testors,
because it will cover in finer
coats to maintain sharp
detailing and is simply
higher-quality paint than
a cheap can of hardware-
store paint.
Scuff up the surface to be painted, and stop when a uniform dull finish
has been achieved.
tip 2 Scuff for Better Paint
Adhesion
You can apply paint directly to smooth plastic, but
scuffing the gloss off will allow the best adhesion. The
peaks and valleys that the scuffing provides give the
surface some “tooth” for the paint to grab onto. When
scuffing a Lexan body, use a Scotch-Brite pad to do
the job because it’s flexible and easily conforms to the
various surfaces inside the body. You can also use a
Scotch-Brite pad on an injection-molded body, or it
can be scuffed up with 1,000-grit wet/dry sandpaper.
When scuffing either body, stop when there’s a uniform
dull surface.

62 RCCarAction.com
tip 3 Improve Paint Flow by
Warming the Can with Water
After shaking the paint thoroughly, fill a plastic
container or coffee mug with hot water (from the tap,
not boiling) and place the can in it for about 10 minutes.
If the water cools quickly, replace it with more hot
water to make sure that the heat reaches the paint.
Warming the paint will increase the pressure in the can,
thin out the paint for an improved finish, and speed up
the drying time.
Warm paint
sprays better
than cool paint.
tip 4 Don’t Skimp on the Tapes
You Use for Masking
Despite its name, traditional beige “masking tape” isn’t
very good for masking RC bodies as it tends to leave
adhesive residue behind and the tape edges aren’t very
sharp. Tapes manufactured specifically for masking
won’t leave residue behind and have crisp, sharp edges
for a clean paint line. High-quality 3M/ScotchBlue and
FrogTape (green) painter’s tapes are both good choices
and easy to find in stores, but they aren’t sold in widths
narrower than 1 inch. For fine masking, hit the hobby
store, where you’ll find premium tapes as narrow as
1/16 inch for masking super-precise stripes and graphics.
Above: Blue or green painter’s
tape from the home-improve-
ment store is useful for masking
large areas. Right: Testors’ tape
three-pack includes 1/4-, 1/8-,
and 1/16-inch rolls.
tip 5 Keep Your
Tape Clean
Premium tapes are worth the extra
cost because of the sharp edges they
provide. To ensure that you always get
a crisp edge, you must keep the edges
of the tape clean. When you put the
tape down, make sure that it lies on a
clean surface free of dust, lint, or grit.
If you don’t, that junk will stick to the
side of the tape and that can make your
paint lines fuzzy or allow paint to bleed
underneath. A good practice is to keep
your tape in a ziplock bag. It will protect
the tape in storage, and it also serves as
a clean surface to place the roll onto as
you use it. Yuck. All that junk on the tape is going to prevent a
crisp paint line.
Rub down the
tip 6 Burnish
edges of the Masks to Seal
masks before Their Edges
painting. It’s hard to photograph, but if you
look at the edges of your vinyl or
paper masks through the clear
body, you can see a difference
in tone where the adhesive is
firmly sealed and where it’s less
well adhered. Use a fingernail or
a plastic card to rub the edges of
the masks down before painting
to ensure a good seal. It’s wise to
recheck the edges with each coat
of paint as the masks can lift due
to curves in the body’s surface
or tension on the tape. Give the
masks a quick rubdown before
any paint flies.
The first coats should
be mist coats, which will
seal the tape and help
prevent bleeding.
tip 7 Seal Masks with a Light Coat of Paint
No matter what type of body you’re working on, it pays to apply two light mist coats
before you go for full coverage. These coats will ensure the edges of the masks are
well sealed (and if they aren’t, any bleed-under will be minimal). Let the mist coats
dry, and inspect all the masked edges for full sealing before applying your full-
coverage coats.
MARCH 2018 63
HOW TO 10 TIPS FOR PERFECT PAINT

Smooth strokes are the key to

even coverage. Don’t “scribble” the body. You’ll waste paint
and get uneven coverage.

tip 8 Spray Using Smooth Strokes

Shake the can thoroughly, and hold it eight to 10 inches from the body. Spray in smooth strokes across the body. For the most even coverage,
start spraying ahead of the area you’re painting, and stop spraying after you’ve past it. Don’t just hold the nozzle down and “scribble” the body—
you’ll waste paint and get uneven coverage.

Turn the can upside

down and press the tip
down until only clean
propellant sprays out.

tip 10 Clean the Nozzle to

Even if a can of paint is just about empty, it’s worth keeping for brush touch-ups.
tip 9 Use a Brush for Hard-to-Reach
Spots and Touch-ups
Many bodies have deep recesses into which spray paint doesn’t reach
easily. To get full coverage on those areas, spray a bit of paint into the
can’s cap so that you can dip a paintbrush into it and apply the paint
directly. This is also useful for touching up hard bodies that have been
spray-painted—there’s no worry that a bottled color won’t match the
spray color.
Prevent Clogging
When you’re done spraying a color, wipe the tip of the nozzle so that
the paint doesn’t dry and clog the tip or alter its spray pattern. To
completely clear the nozzle, turn the can over and spray until the paint
stops flowing and only clean propellant comes out. Note: This should
only take two to three seconds; if the paint flow is still strong after a
few seconds, stop to avoid wasting paint.
Now Go Paint Something!
Now that you have the tools you need to achieve the perfect paint job,
grab some paint and make some magic happen. The nice thing is that
the tips and tricks in this article can be applied to all paint projects that
you work on. Don’t forget to show off what you end up with, and send
photos of your project to readersrides@airage.com. ✇

64 RCCarAction.com
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 Test Bench TRIED • TESTED • TORTURED

Futaba
7PX T-FHSS
Super Response System
FUTABA’S ULTIMATE VISION OF PROFESSIONAL,
PRECISE RADIO CONTROL
TEXT & PHOTOS BY PETER VIEIRA

Futaba makes radio systems for every

application and price point, but the brand
has always been best known for its
top-of-the-line systems. From
the Magnum PCM of the ’80s
to the latest PX series,
racers will tell you that
Futaba makes truly
premium stuff, no
matter what brand of
pistol they take onto the
drivers’ stand themselves.
With the 7PX, Futaba has
outdone even itself. It’s the
first Futaba surface radio to get touchscreen
controls, and despite its deeply sophisticated
array of features and adjustments, it’s easy
to get to the essentials and dial in critical
settings without even cracking open the
192-page manual. And of course, the 7PX’s
fit, finish, and feel are super deluxe as well as
customizable. Let’s take a look.

If you’re wondering just

how deep the 7PX goes
regarding functions and
adjustability, consider
this: The manual is a
192-page soft-
Above: The receiver is a cover book.
4-channel unit, but Futaba’s
S.Bus system lets you put all the
7PX’s seven channels to work.
Setup
The 7PX arrives bound to the included R334SBS receiver, which gives you four
channels to work with. That should be plenty for any car or boat application,
but if you need more, Futaba’s S.Bus system lets you add servos via an optional
decoder. Or you can use S.Bus to add telemetry sensors. I only needed three
channels for the Gmade GOM I used to test the 7PX, which left an extra channel
for LED lights. I like my radios with a standard-position wheel, but the 7PX does
include a drop-down adapter and I installed it for photos. The process is a little
finicky but far from difficult, and it only requires a few minutes. The 7PX can also
be converted for left-hand use with either wheel configuration. Trigger and
wheel tension are adjustable, and the trigger can be moved closer or farther
from the grip. For my GOM setup, I assigned the transmission’s shift servo to
the push-button switch on the side of the transmitter. A big chunk of the 7PX’s
utility is the ability to customize the functions of its 11 digital trim buttons, “push
switches,” and a “digital dial.” So if you want to operate a winch, turn lights on
and off, lock and unlock differentials, etc., there are plenty of ways to do that.
You’ll also find preprogrammed mixing options for 4-wheel steering, tracked
vehicles, and other applications. There’s a lot (and I mean a lot) to explore—
hence the 192-page manual.

The star of the

7PX show is the
smartphone-
sized 4.3-inch
touchscreen.

Do you prefer a
big-wheel feel?
Futaba supplies a
46mm wheel that
you can swap for
the installed
The 7PX includes a drop-wheel adapter that installs in about five minutes. It can be 41mm wheel.
rotated forward and backward to fine-tune feel, and the wheel can also be mounted
on the left side of the radio for southpaws.

PLUS

+ Does literally anything

you could need a surface
radio to do

+ Ultra-deluxe fit, finish,

and feel

+ Drop-wheel adapter
included and left-hand
convertible

+ Adjustable wheel and

trigger tension, and trigger
position

+ Big screen; easy touch-

screen navigation

MINUS

- Sticker shock. $600!

- You may want a

thinner grip
Trigger tension and position is set via screws under the radio, and
there’s an extra “push switch” hiding under there too.

MARCH 2018 67
 Test
Bench

SPECIFICATIONS
7PX Transmitter
Price: $600 (w/ R334SBS receiver)
Item no.: FUTK4908
Channels: 7
Weight (w/ four AA batteries): 1 lb. 6.2 oz. (629g)
Frequency: 2.4GHz band
RF power output: 100mW EIRP
Operating protocol: T-FHSS SR/T-FHSS/S-FHSS/
FASST-C2
Current drain: 350mA or less (vibration off,
backlight on)
Antenna: 1/2 dipole
Screen: 4.3-inch (109mm) color backlit
touchscreen
Drop-wheel option: Yes (included)
Left-hand convertible: Yes
Headphone jack: 3.5mm
Adjustable wheel and trigger tension: Yes
Adjustable trigger position: Yes
Menus are easy to navigate, and many screens include graphic displays.
Vibration alarm: Yes
Low-battery alarm: Yes

Programming Adjustments
• 4WS, dual-ESC, tank, brake, gyro, steering, and
WHAT CAN IT DO? custom mixing
There’s far too little room here to cover everything the 7PX can do above and beyond the • 40-model memory
usual trims, endpoints, and rates, but a few neat features stand out. For example: • Up/down/interval/lap timer
• Idle up
• You like tanks? There’s a tank mix already programmed into the 7PX, so it’s easy to set up • Throttle acceleration
your military machine’s steering.
• Servo speed
• Custom Clod builders and other “motor on axle” guys, take note: There’s a “dual speed • Fail-safe
control” mix. • Steering and throttle subtrim, endpoints, rate,
• Nitro and gas guys, you can use Idle Up to set a high idle speed for warm-up. exponential
• Nitro boaters, you can use Engine Cut to set a closed-carburetor position. • Antilock braking
• Drifters, if you’re running a Futaba gyro, you can adjust gain right from the transmitter. • Engine cutoff (throttle servo position preset)
• Rollout calculator
• Telemetry data can be displayed “dashboard style” for temperature, rpm, voltage, and
• Gear-ratio calculator
current (with optional sensors). There’s also an optional GPS sensor that relays speed and
distance data. R334SBS Receiver
• Antilock braking is fully adjustable for trigger point, delay, cycle speed, and duty ratio (how Channels: 4
long each “on” and “off” brake pulse is). Traction Control is equally adjustable. Protocol: T-FHSS SR/T-FHSS 2.4GHz
• Not sure how to gear your car? The 7PX has a built-in gear-ratio calculator that lets you Operating voltage: 3.7–7.4V
set pinion and spur tooth counts and transmission ratio. Pan car racers, there’s a rollout Modes: Normal/High-speed mode auto detection
calculator for you. Dimensions: 1.33 x 0.88 x 0.44 inches (33.9 x
• What’s the micro SD slot for? When you insert your card, you can save and load setups and 22.3 x 11.3mm)
software updates. The 7PX will even take screenshots, which you can save to the SD card. Weight: 0.26 oz. (7.3g)
• The 7PX talks, if you plug your earbuds into it. And unlike Futaba’s 4PV, which talks way too
much, you can set how frequently the 7PX whispers in your ear. Source
Futaba futabarc.com

Testing
I am officially spoiled by the 7PX’s touchscreen. No
clicking and scrolling, and no blocky, monochrome
Game Boy graphics. The interface is easy to navigate
for the essential setup items like servo reversing
and endpoints, and Futaba’s default assignments
for steering and throttle rates are two switches
on the grip, so they’re easy to thumb. Or you can
move them anywhere you like—everything can be
configured easily. Wheel and trigger action are extra
slick, and the wheel’s foam grip is actually dual-
stage: The foam on the face side of the wheel is
softer than the body side. I flipped the foam because
I like the firmer feel. The 7PX is nicely balanced, with
a heft that imparts a sense of high quality. And the
7PX is indeed a bit heavy, tipping the scales at about
three ounces more than a Hitec Lynx 4S and the
Spektrum DX6R. Some of those extra grams are in
the pistol grip, which is the “large” version according
to the manual. You can get a thinner “small” grip
separately if you prefer. As expected, testing in
the field was surprise-free, with more range than I
could ever put to use (antenna up or down, it didn’t
matter) and forget-it’s-in-your-hands comfort.
And yes, it’s “fast” with Futaba’s Super Response
technology, but I’ve never been able to tell a “fast”
radio from a “slow” one when comparing modern
equipment.
The Verdict
Aw man, I wonder if this $600 radio is any good?
Duh, of course it’s awesome. Six hundo is a bunch
of bank, but you can’t say Futaba doesn’t put the
money into the radio. It is physically flexible, with
tension and position adjustments for wheel and
trigger, and has NASA-grade programmability to
handle any kind of accessory- and channel-mixing
scenario you can dream of—all easily punched up
via touchscreen. And if all you care about is scalpel-
precise, high-speed response to win races, the 7PX
does that too. The 7PX is a premium tool for anyone
who appreciates the very best in RC tech. ✇
 STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

I T E
Statement of Ownership, Management, and

P S
ERSHI
Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685). 1.
Title of Publication: RADIO CONTROL CAR

M B E ACTION! MORE FUN!

ACTION. 2. Publication no.: 0886-1609. 3. Date

M E
of Filing: December 13, 2017. 4. Frequency

MIUM CARS! MOR

of Issue: Monthly. 5. Number of Issues

PRE MORE
Published Annually: 12. 6. Annual Subscription
Price: $24.95. Complete Mailing Address of
INCLUDES
Known Office of Publication: 88 Danbury
12 MONTHS OF
RC CAR ACTION
Rd., Wilton, CT 06897. 8. Complete Mailing
Address of Headquarters or General Business
Office of Publisher: Same. 9. Full Names PLUS SPECIAL
and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher,
Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Louis ISSUES
V. DeFrancesco, 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT & MORE!
06897. Editor: Peter Vieira, 88 Danbury Rd.,
Wilton, CT 06897. Managing Editor: None. 10.
Owner: Air Age, Inc. 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton,
CT 06897. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages,
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Visit RCSIGNUP.COM now for yours!
20 TOP CARS Get started in RC for
just two bills! BY THE RC CAR ACTION TEAM

Traxxas Bigfoot
1/10 RTR 2WD Monster Truck 〉〉 $200
The Traxxas Stampede might be the best-selling RC truck of all time, and when
it’s dressed as the mighty Bigfoot, who can resist? The proven 2WD platform
is known for rugged and fast fun (top speed of 30mph), and Traxxas includes a
7-cell battery and charger—all you need to add are AAs for the transmitter. The
lifted chassis gives extra clearance for off-road obstacles, and deeply dished
satin-chrome wheels wear realistic, carved-look chevron rubber. Beneath the
Bigfoot body you’ll find a “brushless ready” steel-gear transmission, Titan 55
power, and oil-filled shocks for a cushy ride. Lots of truck here for $200.
traxxas.com

70 RCCarAction.com
UNDER $200
Since we’ve got a “getting started” theme for this issue, we thought it only fitting that we collect a
few models that represent answers to the number-one question for anyone looking to get into the
hobby: “What car should I get?” There are literally hundreds of great cars and trucks you can get
started with, but we’re betting most of you are looking to keep as much money in your pocket as you
can. And so we’re (mostly) sticking with a cap of $200. These are far from the only quality models
you can get for less than two bills, but they are some of the best choices. Which one do you want?

Tamiya Aqroshot & Neo Fighter

1/10 2WD Kit 〉〉 $125
Choose your flavor: sleek single-seater
or futuristic fantasy truck. Either way,
you’re getting a quick-building kit that’s
fun to assemble and a durable performer
when you’re done. The Aqroshot truck
and Neo Fighter buggy are both built
on the DT-03 platform, which features
a clever clamshell chassis and inde-
pendent suspension. Oil shocks smooth
the ride, and Tamiya supplies a “Torque
Tuned” 540 motor and quality speed
control to trim a few items off your
shopping list. You choose the radio
system, steering servo, and battery.
tamiyausa.com

MARCH 2018 71
20 TOP CARS UNDER $200

Traxxas Bandit
1/10 RTR 2WD Buggy 〉〉 $196
Is the Traxxas Bandit RC’s most popular RTR buggy? Gotta be. The sleek machine hits the dirt with
chrome wheels, oil-filled Ultra Shocks, and the steel-gear Magnum 272 “Brushless Ready” transmission
with Torque Control slipper clutch and telescoping universal-joint driveshafts. Electronics are waterproof,
and Titan 550 power with included 7-cell 3000mAh iD battery means you’re looking at top speeds over
30mph. Traxxas even throws in a 4-amp DC charger, so you don’t have to rush out and get a fast-charger.
traxxas.com

HPI E10 Drift

1/10 RTR 4WD Drift Car 〉〉 $200
This version of HPI’s E10 sedan chassis is topped off with racing
champion Dai Yoshihara's Formula Drift Nissan body. The base is
an injection-molded plastic chassis that comes out of the box
configured for maximum grip and with rubber tires, but it can be
altered for drifting. Shaft-driven 4WD is used to put the power
of the included 27-turn brushed motor to the ground, and
the electronics are waterproof, so there’s no
need to worry when it comes to driving
in the wet. HPI helps get you going
by including a NiMH battery, wall
charger, and AA batteries for the
radio. There’s a long list of option
parts available for those who are
looking to make it their own.
hpiracing.com

72 RCCarAction.com
 Prefer monster truck styling? The Granite Voltage is iden-
tical to the Fazon except for its body, wheels, and tires.

Those aren’t AAs. Arrma’s new Voltage-series trucks

run on 18650 Li-Ion cells. Only two of the 1500mAh
cells are required, but up to six can be installed to boost
capacity to 4500mAh for longer run times.

Arrma Fazon & Granite Voltage

1/10 2WD RTR Truck 〉〉 $140
Arrma’s new Voltage RTR trucks include the stadium-style Fazon
and monsterized Granite, and both tick off some nice specs for
their down-low asking price of $140. Full ball bearings, waterproof
electronics, and oil-filled shocks are standard, and the installed
20-turn motor delivers a top speed of 25mph. Arrma really gets
creative in the battery department. Two Li-Ion cells are included and
slot into the chassis like AAs, only bigger. You can add extra cells to
boost run time or install a conventional NiMH or LiPo battery. Pretty
trick! An AC charger is included for the Li-Ion cells, so all you need to
hit the dirt is four AAs for the radio.
arrma-rc.com

MARCH 2018 73
 ECX Ruckus
1/10 RTR 2WD Monster Truck 〉〉 $190
ECX offers the Ruckus two ways: with 4WD and brushless power
for $350, or 2WD and brushed power for $190, as shown here. Oil-
filled shocks and flexy plastics let this monster absorb hellacious
hits, and with a 15-turn motor onboard, it’s got plenty of scoot.
And long run time, too; ECX has upgraded the truck to LiPo power
with a Dynamite Reaction pack and AC balance charger. You also
get AA batteries for the radio, so there’s nothing else to buy.
When ECX says “ready to run,” it means READY.
ecxrc.com

Kyosho Mini-Z MB-010S Optima

1/27 RTR 2WD Classic Buggy 〉〉 $190
Kyosho’s hugely popular Mini-Z lineup includes detailed
models of rally cars, street machines, trucks, and even F1
racers. But our fave is the Optima, Kyosho’s classic 4WD track
ride brought back as a micro masterpiece. The styling is spot-on,
and it’s 4WD just like the 1/10-scale original. You’ll need to add eight
AA batteries (four for the car, four for the radio), but otherwise the
little off-roader is ready to rip.
kyoshoamerica.com

74 RCCarAction.com
RC4WD Gelande 2
1/18 RTR Micro Trail
Truck 〉〉 $200
This 5-inch-long trail rig tops
out at our $200 limit, and you’ll
see that it’s worth the money
when you get a close look.
The Gelande 2 shown here is
the 1/18-scale version of its
popular 1/10 brother, and metal
construction makes it the most
durable vehicle out of the bunch.
It’s also the most realistic.
Features include an aluminum
ladder-frame chassis, a 4-link
suspension, a metal-gear micro
servo, 40mm shocks, and cast
Yota axles. Topping it off is a well-
detailed injection-molded body,
and it’s mated with stamped
steel wheels and scale tires.
store.rc4wd.com

What About
Nitro Power?

If you’re wondering why all our picks are electric models, it’s because RTR nitro-
(engine-) powered cars start at about $280, and if you’re just getting started in RC The Nitro
with a nitro car, you’re gonna want an RTR. In addition to the price jump, you’ll have Sport’s TRX
to add an extra $30 or so for fuel (and potentially other accessories) before you .15 engine
features elec-
fire up your machine, so the entry price for nitro power is more like $330. Still all in tric starting
for fuel power? Check out the Traxxas Nitro Sport. This electric-start nitro burner for an easy
includes a fuel bottle and battery for the starting system, so you’re a jug of fuel and entry to fuel
eight AA batteries (for the radio gear) away from real fuel-burning engine power. power.

MARCH 2018 75
20 TOP CARS UNDER $200

ECX Barrage
1/12 RTR Trail Truck 〉〉 $190
The Barrage is officially 1/12 scale but barely ECX also offers the Doomsday,
smaller than 1/10 rides and highly capable on which gives the Barrage a wider
the trail. Replica Falken tires, linked suspension, stance and a “monster truck of
the wasteland” look, complete
and solid axles on a steel ladder chassis give the
with orange LED headlights.
Barrage off-road bona fides, and there’s even
LED headlights and taillights to keep you rolling
after sundown. Some surprise specs include
steel universal joints, aluminum C-hubs, and
CV-style front shafts. Nice stuff! A Speedpack
NiMH battery, charger, and transmitter AAs are
all in the box—just charge up and hit the trail.
ecxrc.com

76 RCCarAction.com
 Tamiya TT-01 E MAN TGS
1/14 4WD Semi Truck Kit 〉〉 $135
This rad racing rig is technically 1/14 scale since the
full-size MAN TGS is so large, but the TT-01 chassis
beneath the multipiece Lexan bodywork is Tamiya’s
popular TT-01 shaft-drive 4WD tourer. It’s a simple
and fun build with gear differentials and friction
shocks, and the finished model is an entertaining
ride that’s becoming a popular spec racer. Tamiya
supplies a motor and speed control to get you rolling;
you provide a radio system, battery, and servo.
tamiyausa.com

HPI Q32 Series

1/32 RTR 2WD Indoor 〉〉 $55
HPI’s palm-size Q32 machines are simple, durable,
and fun for indoor action. They may not have all of the
adjustments that you typically find in a larger vehicle,
but they do offer proportional throttle and steering to
give them smooth control. Buggy, truggy, and even F1
styles are offered on the same platform, and all include
a built-in battery. To charge, just plug the Q32 into the
radio. Perfect for beginners but fun for anyone.
hpiracing.com

MARCH 2018 77
Tamiya Konghead
1/18 6X6 Monster Truck Kit 〉〉 $170
The Konghead is one of the latest vehicles
from Tamiya and also one of the most
unique. The G6-01 chassis is basically one
long gearbox, and all six wheels are powered.
You can even set it up to steer the rear
tires as well as the fronts if you add an
extra servo. Friction shocks simplify the
build, and even first-time wrenchers will
have no trouble thanks to clear instructions
and Tamiya precision. Set aside extra
lawn-mowing money for a radio system,
speed control, servo, and battery since the
Konghead is a kit. And if you wish it were
a school bus, well, funny you should
mention that…
tamiyausa.com

If the Konghead’s Peterbilt styling isn’t your thing, Tamiya’s got the King Yellow for you.

78 RCCarAction.com
HPI Jumpshot ST
1/10 2WD RTR Stadium Truck 〉〉 $210
We could have just as easily gone with the
Jumpshot MT (monster truck) or SC (short-
course truck) here. They’re all good and
built on the same chassis—we just like the
ST’s proportions the best. The Jumpshot’s
twin vertical-plate chassis echoes the
big-brother Savage series, and HPI specs
waterproof electronics with 15-turn brushed
power. There’s nothing left to buy before
hitting the dirt, thanks to the included
Plazma 2000mAh battery and AAs for the
transmitter.
hpiracing.com

The Jumpshot platform can also be had in monster truck

and short-course styles. Same features, different looks.

ECX Barrage 1/24

1/24 RTR Micro Trail Truck 〉〉 $99
Wow, this is a pretty rad little ride. ECX’s micro machine is built on an aluminum ladder
chassis with full-time 4WD via front and rear solid axles just like 1/10 trail trucks, but it
measures just 9 inches long. The RTR rig includes LED lights for after-dark adventure,
included AA transmitter batteries, and a USB charger for the supplied NiMH pack. There’s
even a functional spare tire on the cab-and-cage body! ✇
ecxrc.com

MARCH 2018 79
 RACE WATCH
RICK HOHWART AND TEAM
ASSOCIATED DOMINATE AT
ROAR PAVED NATS
The ROAR Paved Nats were held at N-Control RC Racing Circuit in Dale,
Texas, and drew some of the best on-road racers from North America to
compete for the prestigious title. With a big list of classes, it was a trophy
hunt for the honors, but like most on-road events, the Mod Touring Car
class drew the most attention. Rick Hohwart established the TQ early
and the veteran seemed destined for the title, but a fifth-place finish in A1
meant his work was cut out for him and he would need to rally back. That’s
just what happened in the next two mains; he drove in a league of his own
and used his up-front spot to wreak havoc on his competitors. Teammate
Randy Caster wasn’t going to let him have it easy, however, and in spite
of starting third on the grid and winning A1, his luck would run out and he
ended up in a respectable second overall. Serpent’s Ralph Burch also made
a strong move in the mains for third spot on the podium from the P5 spot.
PHOTO JCONCEPTS

MAIFIELD AND YOKOMO

SWEEP IFMAR ELECTRIC Modified Touring Car
F Q Driver Chassis
OFF-ROAD WORLDS 1 TQ Rick Hohwart Team Associated
Last month, RC Car Action went to press just as Ryan Maifield won the
2 3 Randy Caster Team Associated
2WD leg of the IFMAR Worlds. “Who will win 4WD?” we pondered.
Surprise, Maifield again—you can bet Yokomo is very happy they signed 3 5 Ralph Burch Serpent
this guy. Maifield gridded his car in fourth and had to work for the win. 4 2 Chris Adams Xray
It was quite an accomplishment, especially with big hitters like Xray’s Ty 5 6 Keven Hébert Team Associated
Tessmann leading the way from the TQ position in the class. The track 6 4 Sam Isaacs Awesomatix
was treacherous, and that caused many lead changes throughout the
7 8 Lex Tyler Xray
three A-mains, making for exciting unpredictable racing. Maifield posted a
win in the first main, then after having solid results in the other two mains, 8 7 Cristian Tabush Gizmo Racing
he ended up the overall winner. 9 9 Brandon McNally Serpent
10 10 Eric Epp Team Associated
4WD Buggy
F Q Driver Chassis Motor Speed Control Battery
1 4 Ryan Maifield Yokomo Orion Orion Orion
2 2 David Ronnefalk HB Racing Orion Orion Orion
3 5 Spencer Rivkin Team Associated Reedy Reedy Reedy
4 TQ Ty Tessmann Xray Orion Orion Orion
5 6 Jörn Neumann Xray Orion Orion Orion
6 8 Naoto Matsukura Team Associated Hobbywing Hobbywing Sunpadow
7 9 Ryan Cavalieri Team Associated Muchmore Muchmore Muchmore
8 7 Dakotah Phend TLR Orion Orion Orion
9 3 Bruno Coelho Xray Hobbywing Hobbywing EZ
10 10 Dustin Evans Team Associated Reedy Reedy Reedy

82 RCCarAction.com
 On the move and running fast lines in Mod 2WD Buggy on carpet.

PRO TIPS WITH JASON RUONA

OF JCONCEPTS
JConcepts is one of the leading companies in RC racing, and many racers reach for
JConcepts gear to cross the finish line faster. Jason Ruona is the man behind the
company and gave us these tips to share:

■ You can never do enough car maintenance to have a great-performing car. Keep
your car in good working order and check it thoroughly after each run.

■ Make sure you’re on the right tires. Check with the local fast guy or go online and
find out from someone that can point you in the right direction. Tires are a huge deal,
and if you are on the wrong ones, you’ll be at a big disadvantage.

■ Practice how you race. Keep your car in top condition, and try to practice under the
same conditions you will be racing. Use the same tires, and use the same setup.

■ Practice using the same length of time as you race. If you are racing five minutes,
practice with five-minute runs.

■ Be the best sportsman you can, and set realistic goals for yourself. Don’t try to
accomplish something you’ve never come close to doing or that is beyond your
scope. You may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Jason Ruona is a passionate racer with years of top-level experience.

KNAPP TRIUMPHANT
IN MOD 1/12 SCALE
AT U.S. INDOOR
CHAMPIONSHIPS
With more than 500 entries, the 37th
annual U.S. Indoor Championships was
the largest road-racing event in the
United States. Held in Cleveland, Ohio,
over the Thanksgiving weekend, this
traditional carpet classic attracts some
of the best drivers. The 1/12-scale
classes steal the show, and in the
Modified class, it was CRC’s Andrew Knapp
who came out on top in the A-main from his
TQ spot on the grid. Second place was earned
by Team Associated’s Keven Hébert, and
taking the last spot on the podium was Top
Racing’s Ray Darroch.

MARCH 2018 83
RACE WATCH

UNDER THE HOOD

MASON EPPLEY’S TEKNO EB410
Tekno has been creating quite a buzz with its new EB410 buggy since it has taken an
unconventional route, with a design that bucks the current trend in platform layout you’d
normally expect to see. Factory team driver Mason Eppley’s buggy is seen here as it ran at the
International Offroad Carpet Championship (IOCC) on CRC’s Fasttrak II carpet. A highlight of the
design is the positioning of the electronics and battery, which makes for an aggressive forward
weight bias, but there are several other big features that set it apart from the competitors.
Eppley admits that, on carpet, they still have some things to figure out, and he was also quick to
point out that, for him and teammate Joe Bornhorst, carpet is a foreign surface compared to the
dirt of the nitro tracks that they have run on. Let’s take a closer look.

EQUIPMENT
Main sponsors: Tekno RC, AMain Hobbies,
ProTek R/C, Team Tekin Racing, Pro-Line
Racing, MIP, Schelle Racing Innovations,
BOOMrc Graphics and Design
Transmitter: Sanwa M12S
Speed control: Tekin RSX
Motor: Tekin Gen3 5.5T
Battery: ProTek R/C 2S 6100mAh LiHV
shorty LiPo
Servo: ProTek R/C Low Profile 160T
Body: Tekno EB410 kit
Tires (F/R): JConcepts Swaggers/JConcepts
Pin Downs (spec tires for International
Offroad Carpet Championship)
This was the first time Mason Eppley had driven on carpet, so his testing and experience was limited. But he and
teammates Ryan Lutz and Joe Bornhorst helped each other out and shared their testing notes. Eppley finished eighth,
while Lutz finished third and Bornhorst in respectable seventh overall. Not bad for the buggy’s debut on carpet.

The EB410 is light when compared to other 4WD buggies, so

The weight bias on the buggy bucks the current trend, with the electronics laid out farther forward than Eppley removed the rear brace and added a TLR screw-in brass
other buggies. weight to improve handling.

84 RCCarAction.com
 A ProTek R/C Low Profile 160T servo is used, along with an aluminum servo horn.

Eppley ran a center diff. Tekno reportedly has a slipper clutch in the works.

The front end of the buggy shows off the unusual geometry of the front arms. Big-bore
13mm shock bodies on both ends are also a highlight.

The chassis is an anodized aluminum piece with strategic milling. You can also see the
front and rear arms, which have smooth bottoms to aid in durability and stiffness.

Notice the grip

on Eppley’s
M12S. He uses
Lizard Skins
tape to help
it feel more
comfortable
and so that it The rear end illustrates how low drivers have to set up their buggies to run on extremely
won’t slip when high-bite carpet.
his hands are
sweaty. He
also angles his
wheel and uses
aftermarket
gray foam.

Here’s the kit body in Eppley’s signature livery. The body also uses cab-forward styling
with aggressive handling traits.

MARCH 2018 85
ESsential RC
TroubleshOoting
The basics you need to know to keep on the go BY THE RC CAR ACTION TEAM

RC cars lead a hard life. Even models with relatively mild power would be insanely powerful if scaled up to full size, and
most One
of of
usthe coolest
don’t things
exactly takeabout the
it easy onRCourcar hobby is At
machines. itsbest,
its incredible depth--there’s
we’re hammering just soand
the throttle much stuff to choose
shredding from.all,
hard—after But on
it’s not like we’re inside the car and can get hurt. At worst, we’re whacking immobile objects. Try that in the family Camry. So to
the fl ip side, it can seem like there’s an awful lot to learn before you feel like you can dive in with confi dence when its time
stuffpart
canways
wearwith
out,your hard-earned
go wrong, dollars.
or just plain No worries--everything
break. The good news is thatyou need
every to know to
component inget started
a hobby in RCcan
model is right here!
be replaced
and repairs are easy. Here are some common troubleshoot situations you’re likely to encounter.

VERY SHORT RADIO RANGE NITRO ENGINE

OR GLITCHING WON’T START
If your engine was running
Radio range varies with different radio systems, but
previously but now won’t
even the most basic radio included with a low-priced
start, the most likely problem
RTR should provide 100 feet or more of range. If your
is ignition—in other words,
model’s range suddenly falls off or the car acts errati-
the glow plug. Remove the
cally, there are three likely culprits:
plug, and insert it into your
•Low batteries.
glow igniter. It should glow
bright orange. If it only glows
Make sure that the transmitter batteries are fresh (or
dimly—or not at all—first
fully charged if rechargeable). If you have a nitro model, Traxxas nitro models have diagnostic circuitry
check the glow igniter to
make sure the receiver battery is fully charged. built into the electric-starter unit to let you
make sure that the battery is
know if there’s a problem with the glow plug
•Damaged receiver antenna.
charged and the contacts are
clean. Or insert a spare glow
or starter motor.
Inspect the antenna to make sure that it hasn’t been
plug in the igniter; if it glows
cut or ripped out. And if it has been cut because you
brightly, then you know the
thought it was “too long,” oops—that’s a big no-no.
problem is a bad glow plug—
• Damaged battery, servo, or speed-control wiring.
install your spare.
If any of the other components have worn or exposed
wires that are causing short circuits, that will surely
affect your radio gear. Inspect everything and insulate
with vinyl tape if necessary.

First thing to check: If your glow starter is fully charged

How are those and the glow plug doesn’t glow bright
transmitter batteries? Don’t forget the copper orange, it’s time for a new plug.
gasket when installing a new
glow plug.

86 RCCarAction.com
 CAR GOES RIGHT INSTEAD OF LEFT,
OR BACKWARD INSTEAD OF
FORWARD
This is an easy one: Your throttle or steering
channel is reversed. Take a look at your
transmitter (or better yet, the transmitter
section of your car’s manual) and you’ll see
that the steering and throttle channels each
have a switch that can be set for “Normal”
(usually NOR or N) or “Reverse” (REV or R).
Place your car on a block so that the wheels
can spin freely without the car taking off,
then turn on your radio and the car. Flip the
channel-reversing switch for whichever
channel is operating “backward,” and con-
firm that the car responds properly.

Just a grain of sand can cause

an annoying click.

CLICKING NOISES
Barring something obvious like a twig stuck in the wheels, clicking is most
often caused by a grain of sand or a tiny pebble getting stuck in the spur gear
or, less frequently, the pinion gear. Remove the gear cover if your car has one,
and inspect the gear teeth carefully—you’d be surprised how little grit it takes
to make a lot of noise. Use the tip of a hobby knife to scrape out the offending
debris and all should be quiet again. If you find the debris was actually a broken
gear tooth, replace the gear—you’ll only break more teeth if you leave it in. If the steering or throttle control is “backward,” check the transmitter’s
channel-reversing switches.

RUSTING METAL PARTS AND FASTENERS

If you run your car in soaking conditions and then just park it, the steel parts will
quickly rust. That goes for hardware, bearings, hingepins, and anything else steel.
To prevent rusting, remove the body, wheels, and battery, and dry any standing
water on the car. Next, hit all the metal parts with a water-displacing spray, such as
WD-40. Be sure to get the bearings as rust will ruin them instead of merely being a
cosmetic bummer. Be generous with the WD-40, but be aware that it will degrease
the bearings since it is a solvent. After cleaning, relubricate the bearings with bear-
ing oil. For long-term rust protection, a corrosion inhibitor, such as CorrosionX or
WD-40’s Specialist Corrosion Inhibitor, can be applied.

Too late for your car’s rusty screws?

Replace them with stainless-steel
hardware; this set is from RCScrewZ.
A long-term corrosion inhibitor will help keep rust at bay.

MARCH 2018 87
ESsential RC TroubleshOoting

PHOTO BY DUBAIDRIVES.COM
As with full-size vehicle, extended driving in high-strain conditions (like soft sand) can
Fresh seals and shafts will cure lead to overheating.
leaking-shock issues.
MOTOR RUNS HOT
It’s normal for your car’s motor to get hot during a run, but if it’s too hot to
LEAKY touch, that’s a different story. If you’re using the recommended battery in

SHOCKS
Leaking shocks are generally
your car and haven’t changed the gearing, then overheating may have
three causes:

caused by worn seals—replace the

seals and the leaking stops. If new seals
•Something is binding. A crash may have caused the motor to move, and
the gear mesh is now too tight. Or there may be grass, string, or other debris
don’t stop the leaking, the problem is with the wrapped around one of the axles. Check the gear mesh (your manual will
shock bodies or shafts. If the bodies are cracked explain how), and make sure the wheels and drivetrain spin freely.
or the threads for the caps are damaged, replace
them. Likewise, the shafts should be straight and
free of pits, nicks, or gouges, which will quickly damage new
•It’s the terrain. Nonstop slogging through soft sand, tall grass, sticky mud, or
other conditions that continually strain the motor will lead to overheating.
seals and cause leaking. If the shafts are damaged, replace
them. For maximum seal performance and life, use
ProTek R/C’s Premier Blue O-ring grease to
•It’s your driving style. If you’re driving full throttle for the entire battery
charge or you’re slamming the car from forward to reverse and back over and
lubricate the seals during assembly. over again, it’s going to overheat the motor.

ProTek R/C’s Premium Blue seal lube

will make sure that your shock
seals perform at their best
and extend their life.
HARDWARE WON’T
STAY TIGHT
If you have screws threaded into metal that frequently
loosen, apply medium thread-locking fluid (it’s usually
blue) when you install them. Don’t use heavy-duty
fluid (red), which is basically permanent. If you have
BATTERY IS CHARGED AND THE screws that are coming loose in plastic parts, don’t
use threadlocker as it may attack the plastic. Instead,
ELECTRONICS POWER UP, BUT THE CAR use white glue or brush some enamel paint onto the
threads to help prevent loosening. Depending on
DOESN’T RESPOND the part, you may also be able to drill the screw hole
If the steering operates properly but the motor simply won’t turn, you may deeper and install a longer screw, or drill the hole all
have an unplugged motor wire. Check that first. If you still can’t get any spin, the way through the part and install a screw that
recalibrate the speed control. Ugh, sounds hard, right? It’s not. The process passes through so that you can secure it with a nut.
varies with each model, so check your manual, but all you have to do is hold a
button and watch the LEDs light up or listen for beeps as you move the trans-
mitter’s trigger to forward, neutral, and brake.
If everything powers up normally but nothing works, the problem is likely a
communication issue with the transmitter and receiver. Specifically, they need
to be rebound. Once again, actual steps vary with each model, so check your
manual. The usual process is that you hold down a Set or Bind button on the
transmitter as you turn it on, then
power up the receiver as you press
its own Set or Bind button (or
Link button). In a second or two,
the transmitter and receiver will
recognize each other and are
then bound. You should now
be ready for action.
If your transmitter isn’t
“talking to” the receiver, you Left: Medium-strength blue threadlocker is what you want for RC. You’d think they’d
may need to rebind it. put it in a blue tube… Right: For screws that thread into plastic, white glue can stand in
for threadlocker (which may attack plastics).

88 RCCarAction.com
VEHICLE WON’T TRACK STRAIGHT
Because of normal play in the steering system and often because most
surfaces aren’t truly flat (most streets actually slope to each side for drain-
age), it’s normal for an RC model to drift slightly left or right the farther you
drive. But if your car is curving noticeably as soon as you roll away, you need
to do some fixin’. First, you should check the steering trim on your radio to
make sure that it’s centered. The manual for your radio system should point
you to the right button to push or knob to turn to get this done. Just click or
twist until the car tracks straight. Already tried that? Inspect the servo saver
to make sure it’s not loose in its mounts. That’s not it? Try to wiggle the output
arm or servo saver to see if it’s loose or otherwise wobbly. Tighten or replace
if needed. If that’s not the culprit, check each moving part and linkage from
the servo until you reach the wheels, checking for looseness. A tick of play is
normal, but nothing should be flopping around.

Traxxas speed controls light up green in LiPo mode. When set for NiMH batteries, the
LED is red.

Most RTR and sport transmitters use a knob to adjust (or “trim”) the steering’s neutral
position. All batteries are labeled with their
chemistry type. Shown here:
nickel-metal hydride (NiMH, top)
and lithium polymer (LiPo).

VERY SHORT RUN TIME WITH FULLY

CHARGED NIMH BATTERY
We’ll assume that you don’t have an overheating problem that is tripping a
thermal-overload protection system. The likely issue is your speed-control
setting—it’s probably set for a LiPo battery, which has more voltage than a
NiMH battery. When the NiMH battery is fully charged and its voltage is at its
highest, the speed control “thinks” it’s a LiPo. But when the voltage drops
after a few minutes, the speed control thinks the battery is in danger of being
overdischarged, which is bad for LiPo batteries. So the speed control shuts
down. The fix is easy: Make sure that your speed control is in NiMH mode
If trimming the radio doesn’t work, you
when using a NiMH battery. Some speed controls only require that you to
may have a loose servo output arm or
move a plug; others require you to use a setup button to change modes. It’s
servo saver.
easy either way—just check your manual.

GET IN THERE!
RC cars are designed to be disassembled for maintenance and repair—it’s not like you’re rolling the dice on something that’s not supposed to be “user service-
able,” like a Blu-ray player or hard drive or something. So don’t be afraid to get in there! There’s no mistake that can’t be undone if you goof, but don’t be surprised
when you get the repair right and it’s way easier than you expected. ✇
 The Traxxas T-Maxx owned nitro
tailpipe BY THE RC CAR ACTION TEAM
monster trucking with its debut in
2000, leaving Traxxas to top itself,
which they did with the Revo in
The iconic Tamiya Bruiser bore the DNA of monster trucks 2004. We named it our Truck of the
to come and starred on the cover of RC Car Action no. 1. Year, and
Twenty-six years later, it was back on the cover in it’s been
August 2012 when Tamiya rereleased the rig. the top
nitro truck
in the RC Car
Action Read-
ers’ Choice
Awards every
year since its
debut.

MONSTER
MAGS
As long as there’s been RC monster trucking,
there’s been RC Car Action. We’ve always had a
soft spot for these big-tire bashers, and that’s
why they’ve been featured on our cover
many times throughout the years. Here’s
a look back at some of the classic covers
and the brawlers that started it all.

What monster
truck showcase
would be complete
without a Traxxas
Tamiya’s classic
T-Maxx? The mighty
Blackfoot at the
Maxx was featured in
beach for our
2002 when the truck was revised with
February 1987
potent TRX 2.5 power.
cover. Truck racing
exploded after the
In 1999, we brought you another MT
Blackfoot hit stores.
Shootout, this time in 2WD fashion.
The Hi Rider Vette and Blackfoot
(both in their second generations),
the Midnight Pumpkin, and
Sledgehammer went head-to-head
with newcomers including the Traxxas
Stampede and MRC Ironman.

Our April 1988 issue was

packed with awesome
reviews, but it will For the May 1988
forever go down in issue, we lined up RC’s
history as the Clod heaviest hitters for one
Buster issue. Thirty killer shootout. With names
years ago, the Clod like Tamiya, MRP, Mauri,
debuted and inspired and Kyosho, our “Aggression
RC fans everywhere Session” was a who’s who of
to build and love monster truck history.
monster trucks.

90 RCCarAction.com
 RE BA SH
MO A SH
LESS C
RUCKUS®
TORMENT ™

K&N TORMENT ™

CIRCUIT ™

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