Confused With Which Short Course Truck To Buy?

[willashcroft]

Traxxas Slash

The Slash was the truck that started the Short Course craze. It wasn't designed as an all out race truck, more or less as a basher instead.

Looking at it, it is based off a mixture of Stampede and Rustler designs.

For the price you can't argue at all. Included in most packages is a 7cell NiMH battery pack and wall charger to get you started, and depending on what version you buy, you also get a 2.4 Ghz radio. Other features are:

• Titan® 12-Turn 550 modified motor

• XL-5 waterproof electronic speed control

• Water-sealed receiver box and steering servo

• Metal gear Magnum 272™ transmission

• Revo®-spec torque-control™ slipper clutch

• Adjustable steel turnbuckles with captured rod ends

• Scale ProGraphix® truck body

• The tires are mounted on satin-finish 2.2" Slash wheels

• Powder coated progressive rate white springs

• The ESC and receiver mounted directly to chassis

• Included optional 23-tooth pinion gear

Pros:

Tough. These trucks are generally able to withstand great abuse.

Great bashers

Has the best stock electronics out there. Strong, fast, and waterproof!

Perfect for the new guy to RC

Parts Support. You will be hardpressed to find a (LHS) that does NOT stock parts.

Cons:

Not very raceworthy. The chassis design tends to have a high center of gravity.

Not the best Handling SC Truck Available.

Slash 4x4

The Traxxas Slash 4x4 sports a design like no other on the market.

It was also designed to be versatile for use both on and off of the track with its rigid chassis. With its high ground clearance and powerful 4-wheel drive system in addition to the racing suspension, with the optimal placement of the components in the chassis, there is a balanced weight bias from both the front to the back bumper and side-to-side which enhances the Slash 4x4's performance.

In terms of power, the Velienion Brushless System delivers what you need. Its design is optimized for both power and speed via components that work together and for a beginner, the simple on/off feature and ease of use is attractive. When learning how to operate your Slash 4x4 the training mode option makes it easy via hands-on usage how to use the truck, And You do not have to worry about water, mud or snow as the electronics on board are waterproof!

HPI Blitz

This truck from HPI is based off of the HPI E-Firestorm. The only real differences are a longer chassis with SCT tires and wheels, with a SCT body. Because it is based off the E-Firestorm, the Blitz benefits from having a low center of gravity. It is considered a very good contender on the track, since it does not have the tendency to spin out in the turns out of the box. This truck also seems to have a very high durability rate for the most part, since almost all the parts are flexible enough to absorb impacts and keep on going. Unfortunately, there does seem to be some issues with the Blitz.

Pros:

Durable and race worthy. Great for bashers and racers alike.

Customer Support

Very tunable.

Cons:

Has a few shortcomings, but are all easily fixed to be non-existent for the most part.

Isn't the best handling truck out there.

Team Associated SC10

This is considered one of the best racing rigs out there, being based off the T4 much in the same way the Blitz is based off of the E-Firestorm. The good thing about this is, the T4 has 7 ROAR championship titles under its belt, giving the SC10 a very good racing pedigree. It has good track manners and is very tunable to get the feel you want. Another popular thing about this rig is that most people like it because it has one of the better looking bodies out the box. Not something that will get you to the podium, but nonetheless something to mention.

• '09 Championship short course racing truck body, painted and decaled

• Updated suspension settings for more rear grip and stability

• KMC-style wheels and aggressive tread multi-terrain scale tires

• Realistic front and rear bumpers with AE logo rear mud flaps

• 2.6:1 ratio gearbox with sealed gear differential and externally adjustable slipper clutch

• Molded composite low-CG chassis with increased strength

• Hinged battery hold-down strap fits NiMH and LiPo battery packs

• 14 precision rubber-sealed ball bearings

• Reedy 17-turn ball bearing motor

• Durable front and rear body mounts

• Rugged steel turnbuckles

• Fully adjustable suspension geometry

• Angled bellcrank "coplanar" steering with integral servo saver

• Vertical ball ends that allow roll-center adjustments front and rear

• Steel rear dogbone drive shafts

• Many Factory Team, Reedy, and LRP option parts already available

However, you must use SC10 specific wheels because AE uses a pin type setup rather than the standard 12mm hex. Also, the stock electronics are known to fail quick. The motor is one of the fastest on a stock truck out there, but it doesn't last very long at all.

The only other area of concern is that the front end tends to be weak. Many racers use a brace plate to help protect the chassis from snapping.

Pros:

Very Raceworthy.

Comes with 2.4Ghz radio now!

Highly tunable.

Cons:

It does have history of being fragile. This all depends on how it is raced, but it is normal to break some things on the suspension until you can stay off the walls. Not the best choice for the everyday basher.

Losi Strike

This truck from Losi is based off of their Highroller truck. It is now thought of more of a basher than anything else, not being ROAR legal and having more than a few issues. This chassis design is much like the Slash being that it inherited a high center of gravity. It can still be made to race, but it takes a lot of modding to get it there. Many parts seem to prematurely wear out. However, for a first truck to get into the hobby with, it does have a great deal of features for the buck. Many places are selling the truck for around £120, depending on who you go to, of course.

• WATER-RESISTANT NIMH AND LIPO COMPATIBLE REVERSING ESC

• 12T 550-SIZED PERFORMANCE MOTOR

• ADJUSTABLE, ALUMINUM OIL-FILLED SHOCKS

• MID-MOUNTED MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION DESIGN

• BRUSHLESS-READY ALL-METAL 3-GEAR TRANSMISSION WITH FULL BEARINGS AND SLIPPER CLUTCH FOR EFFECTIVE POWER HANDLING

• PRECISION DIGITAL SERVO

• REALISTIC FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS FOR RACING PROTECTION

• SCALED CHROME WHEELS EQUIPPED WITH ALL-TERRAIN SCT TIRES

• FULL BALL BEARING EQUIPPED FOR EFFICIENCY AND SPEED

• METAL UNIVERSAL JOINTS PROVIDE INCREDIBLE DRIVELINE STRENGTH IN RACE AND BASH CONDITIONS

• MULTIPLE SHOCK AND UPPER SUSPENSION LINK MOUNTING LOCATIONS FOR SUSPENSION TUNING

• ADJUSTABLE BATTERY PLACEMENT TO TUNE VEHICLE HANDLING

• NARROW, CENTER CHANNEL CHASSIS FOR ULTIMATE BALANCE

• NERF WINGS PROVIDE LATERAL BODY SUPPORT TO LIMIT VEHICLE TANGLES

• OVERSIZED, CAPTURED BALL ENDS FOR ULTRA SMOOTH

SUSPENSION ARTICULATION

• SUPER EFFICIENT PLANETARY DIFFERENTIAL

• ADJUSTABLE TURNBUCKLES FOR FINE TUNING THE RIDE

Pros:

Decent basher

Can be had with 2.4 Ghz radio for ease of use.

Dirt Cheap! (£120)

Cons:

Takes a lot to get it race worthy at the club level. More than a few parts need upgraded.

It is built fairly cheap for a reason.

Jammin SCRT10

Jammin have announced their entry into the Short Course market with the release of the SCRT-10. A true 1/10th scale performance short course truck, this car not only looks the part but also performs on track by being the first in class with a 4wd drive train. Features include an all steel drive train, three oil filled diffs, oil filled shock absorbers, sway bars, full sealed ball bearings and realistic high traction tires with beadlocks.

Pros:

Very rugged truck which stands up to a lot of abuse. Well laid out 3-diff drivetrain. Built like a tank. Takes 1/8 scale motor/ESC and is well able to take the power. Fast on 3S...crazy on 4S. Very tunable setup.

Cons:

Battery tray is limited in size as stock. Stock tyres teflon coated and generally poor grip on most surfaces. Not cheap to put together if you want good spec motor/ESC. Also throws mud into the shell like nothing else I know! Rear shocks are a bit soft and need stiffer springs.

Overall, this is a pricey truck to put together if you want a good spec. Running 1/8 scale motor/ESC youare limited to the pinion size you can fit my centre diff clearance. Running on 3S with a17T pinion you have a very quick truck though. Stock tyres are rubbish, but you can fit wheels and tyres intended for a Slash which work better. Some trimming of the wheelarches is needed though. Plenty of hop-up parts out there now, including a redeigned chassis with lay-down battery tray. Inner cover is a must, though you cans use a Hong Nor buggy shell! It fits! Mesh covers are also out there, and make a lot of sense. Bash it, Race it, Enjoy it... if you can afford a good spec motor, it's brilliant. If you are struggling on minimum spec, you may find its weight a drawback as it stretches 1/10 scale electrics.

AE SC8

It is a 1/8th Scale Truck compared to the rest which are 1/10th. It comes nitro powered as standard but conversion kits are available.

Pros:

Handles well

Tough

Looks very true to life or "scale"

Quality radio gear + engine

Roll cage

Cons:

Expensive

• Mounted and assembled scale wheels & tires with foam inserts and bead guards.
• Functional full roll cage with integral dirt shields.
• Powerful Pro.28 engine with slide carburetor and dual stage air filter.
• Pro-Start hand-held starting system.
• S2008 metal gear high-torque steering servo.
• Hard-anodized shock bodies, 4mm shock shafts, and protective rubber boots.
• Hard-anodized 3mm thick 7075 aluminum chassis.
• Team Associated 2-chamber tuned muffler.
• 3mm low-profile black anodized aluminum shock towers.
• 3mm black anodized aluminum steering rack with ball-bearing steering system.
• Sealed radio box with thread-through molded antenna mount.

Thanks to Nitroholic, Timaaay, And Other forums/Websites used to create this thread.

Edited March 1, 2011 by willashcroft

[Indie]

Excellent little write up there Will

Will be good to see the others edited in there like the Slash 4x4, SRT10 etc

[willashcroft]

I'm still on it Chris

[The Trooper]

Good right up mate, but.. what about the ansmann short course truck?

[36racing]

maverick sc?

[willashcroft]

maverick sc?

Like I said before. I'm still working on it

Pm me if you have any to add, or have a sc truck you have reviewed etc, and I will of course add it to the thread

[HootMaRoot]

nice write up

but you should chance the title to

"confused on what SCT to buy"

and then get a mod to sticky it

[Indie]

Topic now pinned

[Wrcallar]

You should include the 1/16 range too!! Good job though!!

[RC4ever]

Great job:0) glad I got the slash 4x4 now, look forward to the other reviews

[willashcroft]

Will work on getting some more reviews added, Added some Pros and cons for the SCRT10, Thanks to Nitroholic

[lazkopat]

Dude you should include a review on Hobao's hyper 10 sc aswel

[j_seyfarth]

Does anybody know how the Ansmann Short Couse X2SC drives?

Would be nice to also have that to compare with the others.

[Simonpunt]

Bought my son a kyosho drt for Christmas would the fit in this category? And what are people's thoughts about this truck?

[bcampos]

Hi,

I'm going to buy a SC Traxxas 4x4 (Electric), but i saw ther are 2 models (top) the Platinum and the Ultimate, i'm confused, which of them is the best? there are diferences between them?

I saw in a forum a discuss about the original tires, they say the original tires are not good it's better buy another's, is it true? if so, what tires sould i buy?

Thanks for all,

Bento

[The Rat]

Ultimate. The tyres will be fine to start out with.

[Rhyssw]

Hi,

I'm going to buy a SC Traxxas 4x4 (Electric), but i saw ther are 2 models (top) the Platinum and the Ultimate, i'm confused, which of them is the best? there are diferences between them?

I saw in a forum a discuss about the original tires, they say the original tires are not good it's better buy another's, is it true? if so, what tires sould i buy?

Thanks for all,

Bento

Go for the ultimate, but make sure you buy it from the US off ebay as we charge wayyy too much for the ultimate, also when i got my ultimate i never got charged duties so i ended up saving like

Edited January 29, 2012 by Rhyssw

[bcampos]

Hi,

Thanks for yours advises.

Regards,

Bento

[wg23nath]

the original tyres are really bad for grip on almost all surfaces.im running mine on soft ansmann addict tyres,good grip for damp mud,but only use my car for bashing.the firestorm flux wheels fit well,just depends on what you want them for.have a look at the fastrax bullseye tyres for the rear,and maybe some pro-line slicers on the front.

[DREDD]

how fast is a stock 4wd slash ?

[Dom C]

On 2s with a 16t pinion (14t pinion is fitted way undergeared) about 35mph + on 3s maybe 55mph ish.

[langywangy]

I'm Selling mine. Will be in sale section this week. Great truck but I've only used it three times as don't have time. I'm getting the full 60mph I think on 3s overlander.

[Noj]

I'm Selling mine. Will be in sale section this week. Great truck but I've only used it three times as don't have time. I'm getting the full 60mph I think on 3s overlander.

not wanting to urinate on your bonfire dude but I reckon you're not getting 60...... the damn thing will have taken off and flopped on its roof way before 60........belive me, I've been trying this craziness for ages and have given up lol

[langywangy]

Ok i'll rewrite that. Its fast!

[tartman]

I have the Hong Nor sc10, ITS AWSOME. Got me 3rd overall(2 days) at the area 51 meet last month. LOVE IT.

Driven in anger 90% of the time and only broken a carbon body mount(one of made and silly idea, made one form 4mm lexan now and unbreakable)

a couple silly things. Oh and the front bumper hehe.....

I use a 5.5T bullistorm motor and cheap 150a hong kong ESC from hobbyking, 1/10th electrics, with a 7.4v lipo and i have to say its DAMN fast.

If i did not have the brakes up high i would have mashed it big time......

I have only one problem, I got it as i wanted a 4x4 as not a 2wd lover, but looks like some of the bigger meetings are allowing 2wd SC only, unless more people buy them and get racing we may lose the clubs need to hold a heat of 2 for them.

We ar SHRCCC will hold a heat if 6 or more are at a meeting, we love them, and happy to mix the 2wd and 4wd together, I think thats fair as there are advantages to both classes.

SO, Get ya short course no matter what one(great write up by the way) and get racing, not bashing.............