Matt Trimmings

iTrader: (170)

Mod vs Stock...some like additional weight that a full pack offers over the shorty in certain conditions.

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

A saddle packs is a stick pack cut into 2 pieces. Given a correct battery strap, the saddles can be used anywhere a stick was used before. Saddles/sticks are mainly used for runtime or weight. Runtime in sct 4x4 trucks and suck. And weight when use for calming down a car or running on an outdoor surface. But like Matt said, the lipos have gotten smaller as in the short and for 2wd buggy this is very popular, because they give plenty of mah and are light, thus allowing you to add ballast where you desire. The fact is, chassis space is becoming less and less. Even more so in MM. Having the motor in the middle of the chassis makes stick pretty much impossible. Reedy came out with the square pack, to eliminate the jump and include the balance port in the case. So its a little nicer, but not required. If you run 4wd buggy and 2wd buggy like I do, then saddles are preferred. I really dont think AE misstepped with this configuration. I think they were spot on given the current roar rules. Everyone running inline electronics with shorties on the b4, were not conforming to roar with the use of the shelf, and I personally didnt like the shelf. Even the TLR22 guys are putting the esc on the chassis. They made choices based on performance and current roar rules.

Wild Cherry

both have a place or nitch for performance

The square offers more weight which adds stability and grip

The shorty is lighter so improved performance on jumps & landings will be why some use.

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

+1 I put a 8.5 in my car to run locally with a shorty installed and it was near undrivable. many of the mod guys run full packs (sticks/saddles) locally for outdoor mod. Personally, I like how the weight calms the cars down. They feel more consistent to me. If not for 17.5, I would not own a shorty probably.

aeRayls

iTrader: (3)

I tested back to back several weeks with the b4 full versus shorty. I ran shorty most of last winter season and though my car was great... UNTIL I went back to a full pack. So I tested a lot...

I was always able to achieve the same exact fast lap time with both. However, I easily had more fast laps and consistently with the FULL pack. Was a lot easier to drive and drive hard. The shorty was too easy to over drive in mod.

If you run on an outdoor track, no question a heavy car works better.

If you run stock, I'd have to say shorty.

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

I'm actually using a full pack in my 4.2 for that reason but wouldn't it be better to have a shorty and weights that you can move around? I'm not a square pack hater, just don't get why it's necessary - it seems to remove options for weight placement. Don't really think the capacity thing is why - my shorty's are 4600mah and I think in my last mod main (8 minutes) I used under 1000mah with about 1-3 minutes of warm up with a 7.5 motor.

Matt Trimmings

iTrader: (170)

Its not neccessary...Why buy a shorty and a couple dozen little stick on lead weights (that can come off) when you can accomplish the same thing with a saddle/square pack. You should want the bulk of the weight (battery) together...not a shorty with 5g here, 5g there, 10g over there etc....

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

generically, you would think so. But 2 things in my experience have been the opposite. I used a shorty and added weight in the tray to make it the same weight as a full pack. It just never felt as good to me as an actual full pack. Lastly, I have struggled with the whole power to weight ratio. Higher mah packs "should" have more power. I.e. a 6500 mah stick vs a 4500 mah shorty. Why? well the high mah pack with "dip" less under a load and have a higher avg voltage after X number of minutes. In mod, this is of little concern. In stock, I have seen my stick packs with a good IR, perform my shorties with the same IR. half way into the race, my car can still clear jumps that the shorty starts to come up short on. This has been from my own personally testing. Both on the bench using constant load and on the track. Again, this was done in 17.5 outdoors. In mod, I just need the extra weight. Power does not even enter into my concerns.

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

I wasn't referring to stick on weights. I was saying they could have designed in a moveable, probably screwed in, weight system. Like I said, I'm not hating on the square pack and it sounds like it is because the car isn't stable enough without that extra weight (in mod). I get that, I'm running a full size pack now for the same reason. Heck, I'll probably buy a square pack (or nice saddles because I run 4wd mod too).

Corners

iTrader: (2)

I'd like to see a pic with saddle packs installed. From the pics, the stock battery strap doesn't look like it would work all that great.

So, what's everyone doing for batteries? Saddle, shorties, or the new brick? I was thinking of buying so saddles so I can use them in other vehicles, but now I'm thinking shorties.

C4PT4IN

iTrader: (13)

Oh I knew what 'they' were running But I'm a 'tad' bit slower

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

I am thinking you might jumper the packs up front where the esc is.

Bubonic-X

iTrader: (4)

The saddles are exactly the same size as the brick pack side to side. only diff is what wildcat said. you use a small jumper

bilster44

iTrader: (1)

Can the middle of March get here any s l o w e r ?

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

I am on the fence about the MM after reading what Maifield and the Engineer said. I find it very odd that they are not really trying to sell the MM as being for the masses. Yeah, I know MM is not for the masses, but I would feel better about buying a MM if they could at least lie to me, lol. Maifield says its a tire game. Well, I race outdoors on watered clay with mixed traction from heat to heat. If I have to look at the track and pick the perfect tire each time, I think I might be better off in RM. I will probably still get one, just to see for myself, but those guys are dashing my hopes. lol