Next Vehicle - Truck or Buggy, 2WD or 4WD
01-30-2019, 05:26 PM
#1
Next Vehicle - Truck or Buggy, 2WD or 4WD
For starters, I've been in the Traxxas forums for a little while now, and own a Traxxas Rustler 4x4 VXL...although it's anything but stock. Technically, I've been building it up to race. While the local track does have numerous races that follow ROAR rules, they also have non-ROAR club racing, which is where my Rustler fits in. I posted what’s below on the forum there, and someone made sure it was completely removed from the forum. While some of the mods there will contact a person, giving them the opportunity to “adjust” their post (if it violates any forum rules), others just delete/block/close/etc, and never bother contacting the person who posted. As I’m fairly certain I didn’t violate any of the forum rules, it leaves me wondering what happened. Anyway, this was my thread opener.....
My race-prepped Rusty 4x4 is almost complete, and I’m ready to start planning out my next vehicle. I’ve already taken the Rusty to the track several times, and it’s looking good (despite the fact that it’s still running on the stock tires, and is still running the stock electrical equipment…I should have the new ESC, motor, and servo installed by the end of the weekend). While it won't be able to compete in ROAR-sanctioned races (primarily due to the wheelbase being 0.49” longer than allowed, the 2.2" Max wheel size limitation, and the fact that ROAR killed-off the stadium truck class in 2016), it will still qualify for club-level racing. That being said, I want to start working on a ROAR-approvable vehicle. The question of what to get is at hand.
As my knowledge in currently-available vehicle models is somewhat limited, I'm asking "the masses". In short, should I get a buggy, or a short-course truck (eventually, I will have both). Also, 2WD, or 4WD? There are several possibilities, from several manufacturers (although, unfortunately, Team Associated discontinued the SC10 4x4…although, at the same time, there is still (supposedly) the ProSC 4x4), including Team Associated, Losi, (TLR), Pro-Line, Kyosho, etc. Since ROAR killed off the “stadium truck” class, many clubs have also killed off the class (our local track hasn’t exactly “killed it off”, but they did recently combine it into the short course class, to help “give it some extra life”).
While I will still be getting a Slash 4x4, for my eventual BackSlash project, chances are fairly high that I will not be going with Traxxas on this. Using the Slash as an example for the “1/10th Short Course Truck” class, both 2WD & 4WD versions have a wheelbase that’s longer than ROAR rules allow (2WD is 13.2”, 4x4 is 12.75”, maximum allowed by ROAR is 12.59”). Besides, for this build, I really want to BUILD it, thus I’d prefer to start with a kit…yes, I could get an RTR, and build up from there (as I’ve been doing with my Rusty 4x4), but I want to “dig deeper”. I still remember the first computer I ‘built’ over 25 years ago – I took a cheap Packard Bell computer, and replaced the motherboard, case, & power supply. Since then, I’ve been truly building computers, purchasing all the individual components, and putting everything together. I’m not quite prepared to build an RC in the same way…yet…thus the reason I’m looking at the possibility/probability not a kit.
The ‘big question’, as the thread title indicates, is a matter of “what to get”? Do I go with a short course truck, or a buggy? Do I go 2WD, or 4x4? Everyone here has experience with Traxxas vehicles (I’ll admit, mine is less than most of those here, but I learn very quickly), but these two questions are really directed at those who also have experience with non-Traxxas vehicles. While I am leaning towards a 2WD short course truck, I don’t yet want to eliminate the other three possibilities. This vehicle would be 99% track use (the remaining 1% would be driveway use, when testing).
So…what’ll it be????? Should I go with a short course truck, which is what I’m leaning towards…or do I go with the buggy, which is what I was considering getting before I got the Rustler 4x4? Whether I go short course truck, or buggy, should I go 2WD, or 4x4?
My race-prepped Rusty 4x4 is almost complete, and I’m ready to start planning out my next vehicle. I’ve already taken the Rusty to the track several times, and it’s looking good (despite the fact that it’s still running on the stock tires, and is still running the stock electrical equipment…I should have the new ESC, motor, and servo installed by the end of the weekend). While it won't be able to compete in ROAR-sanctioned races (primarily due to the wheelbase being 0.49” longer than allowed, the 2.2" Max wheel size limitation, and the fact that ROAR killed-off the stadium truck class in 2016), it will still qualify for club-level racing. That being said, I want to start working on a ROAR-approvable vehicle. The question of what to get is at hand.
As my knowledge in currently-available vehicle models is somewhat limited, I'm asking "the masses". In short, should I get a buggy, or a short-course truck (eventually, I will have both). Also, 2WD, or 4WD? There are several possibilities, from several manufacturers (although, unfortunately, Team Associated discontinued the SC10 4x4…although, at the same time, there is still (supposedly) the ProSC 4x4), including Team Associated, Losi, (TLR), Pro-Line, Kyosho, etc. Since ROAR killed off the “stadium truck” class, many clubs have also killed off the class (our local track hasn’t exactly “killed it off”, but they did recently combine it into the short course class, to help “give it some extra life”).
While I will still be getting a Slash 4x4, for my eventual BackSlash project, chances are fairly high that I will not be going with Traxxas on this. Using the Slash as an example for the “1/10th Short Course Truck” class, both 2WD & 4WD versions have a wheelbase that’s longer than ROAR rules allow (2WD is 13.2”, 4x4 is 12.75”, maximum allowed by ROAR is 12.59”). Besides, for this build, I really want to BUILD it, thus I’d prefer to start with a kit…yes, I could get an RTR, and build up from there (as I’ve been doing with my Rusty 4x4), but I want to “dig deeper”. I still remember the first computer I ‘built’ over 25 years ago – I took a cheap Packard Bell computer, and replaced the motherboard, case, & power supply. Since then, I’ve been truly building computers, purchasing all the individual components, and putting everything together. I’m not quite prepared to build an RC in the same way…yet…thus the reason I’m looking at the possibility/probability not a kit.
The ‘big question’, as the thread title indicates, is a matter of “what to get”? Do I go with a short course truck, or a buggy? Do I go 2WD, or 4x4? Everyone here has experience with Traxxas vehicles (I’ll admit, mine is less than most of those here, but I learn very quickly), but these two questions are really directed at those who also have experience with non-Traxxas vehicles. While I am leaning towards a 2WD short course truck, I don’t yet want to eliminate the other three possibilities. This vehicle would be 99% track use (the remaining 1% would be driveway use, when testing).
So…what’ll it be????? Should I go with a short course truck, which is what I’m leaning towards…or do I go with the buggy, which is what I was considering getting before I got the Rustler 4x4? Whether I go short course truck, or buggy, should I go 2WD, or 4x4?
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