Thursday, August 1, 2013

Well I got my RC10B4.2RS here are my gripes

I got it in the mail the other day and made a unboxing video for my youtube video and decided I didn't like it so I won't be posting it but I will be posting some of my complaints that I had right when I unboxed it and some I found while I was disassembling it .

So here is my list of complaints from most irritating to least and your opinions may change this order for you.


  1. Being this is a RTR Buggy I expected to be able to just pop a couple battery in and be able to test the electronics . This is not the case . Apparently Team Associated doesn't bind the Transmitter and receiver at the factory at first I thought it was fluke but the manual clearly states that they do not bind them at the factory . To me this is not the way for a beginner to have to start there RC experience and despite this being a simple procedure it could cause trouble for a beginner . 
  2. The pinion gear set screw was extremely tight so tight I think the Hex was stripped from the factory as with little to no force my hex driver finished stripping it . I then dug out my Pinion gear gear puller and removed it but the pressure required bent my puller a bit . At first I assumed thread locker had been used but this was not the case .
  3. There is lots of play everywhere . I am assuming that Team associated has changed there ball cups as Previous ball cups I have had from them where normally a bit too tight and needed to be polished and broke in a bit but the ones included are very loose and allow lots of play in the suspension. Another place of note would be the front caster blocks as there fitment to outer control arm pin is very loose and allows several degrees of movement forward and back allowing the caster to change a great deal. There is also excess play between the rear control arms and the rear hub there are 2 spacers located here to allow changes to the wheelbase but really there is enough room for a spacer with around a 1 mm thickness to be installed.
  4. Alright now we're getting to thing that are more nit picky the esc was not properly secured to the chassis . double sided tape was put on the esc but it was not stuck to the chassis.
  5. The motor wires were not secured or  routed in what I consider a reasonable manner as they where route between the shock tower and shock and was allowed to flop around and rub the shock . 
  6. The decals on the body where not properly installed on the body and the corners had rolled up and would no longer adhere to the body. Once again not a deal breaker but frustrating as the decals in question did not have duplicates in the included decals .
  7. The pre mounted tires that were included had been glued in a pretty sloppy manner leaving glue on the rims in a very visible yellow hue on the white rims a little simple clean up would have prevented this .
  8. Every other screw on this Buggy uses a hex but the one that attaches the arm to the servo. All it would have took was one more screw.
  9. The receiver box really should have had a bit of servo tape put under it to help secure it to the chassis.
So far these are my complaints . As a premium RC manufacture I must say a few of these made me a bit disappointed as I would understand a little play in the suspension but this has much more than I can consider acceptable . 

T.T.F.N.


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Now why didn't I buy the RPM stuff to go with my RC10B4.2ES from .

Well I skipped a few Items I had on my list when I placed my order To Tower Hobbies and I'm going to try to explain why I skipped them for now .

 LXGGV2 RPM Front Mini Bumper Black B4/T4/GT2

1$ 4.89 Delete this item
 I skipped this for 2 reasons . Number one is because I'm broke and cheap so I opted out on this one to spend a little more on necessities as i don't feel that at this time I will really benefit from the Little bit of extra protection or weight that this item adds . You can expect me to add it in the future .

 LXVT96 RPM Heavy Duty Rod Ends Purple 4-40 (12)

1$ 4.89 Delete this item
Now when I was putting stuff in y shopping cart I realized I already had around 20 new Team Associated ball cups setting in a parts box doing nothing . So I decided to hold off on these till I upgrade my Tie rod's to titanium  as it seemed silly to me .

73732 Front A-arms & Bulkhead for the
B4, B4.1 & B4.2 - Available 07.31.13

Suggested Retail
$14.95 pair w/ bulkhead

Now I didn't order these simply because of 3 reasons .
1 These are not scheduled to be released for sale till 7/31/13 and that is the same day that Tower has several of their discounts ending on  and I felt I would forget and end up paying more because of it .
2 The part has not really been proven yet and to be honest RPM is due for a flop .
3 If I bought these i would have a stock front suspension just lying around collecting dust . 

So I will wait till the ordering frenzy dies down and after i break a few control arms .

Another pair of things missing off my list was a set of tires and to be blunt my cheaper side won out . My decision here was because I found a good deal on some Team Losi treads on ebay from associatedelectrics and I felt they would do as good or a little better on the outdoor course I
 planned to run on compared to the Proline tires .

Monday, July 29, 2013

It almost here

Well my Tower Hobbies order is almost here It hit the big town today and should be on my porch tomorrow. For those wondering what this means for my Blog and YouTube page I think the main thing that I'm going to cover with this buggy are basic ways to improve , modify and customize on a budget and alot of people don't realize how much there is to do even if your car is a RTR.

Friday, July 26, 2013

well I made a order with Tower Hobbies .

Well I didn't make the order exactly like I planned but It was close and I think I will have all I need for now .

Stock NumberProduct DescriptionStock Status/QuantityExtended Price

LXDNDVBYAssociated RC10B4.2 RS 2.4GHz RTR Blue/YellowIn stock, shipping 1$249.99
LXSF70Associated Factory Team Green SlimeIn stock, shipping 1$2.29
LXBVF9Associated Factory Team Buggy Front Spring Kit (8)In stock, shipping 1$10.99
LXBVG0Associated Factory Team Truck/Buggy Rear Spring Kit(10)In stock, shipping 1$10.99
LX2594Associated Shock Rebuild Red O-Ring (8)In stock, shipping 1$2.79
LX3305Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 30 Weight 2 ozIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LX3304Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 20 Weight 2 ozIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LX3306Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 40 Weight 2 ozIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LX2605Associated Shock Rubber Cap Gaskets (4)In stock, shipping 1$1.50
LXEAK4Associated Kimbrough Spur Gear 84TIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LXEPF7Associated Factory Team Heavy Duty Servo Saver SpringIn stock, shipping 1$1.50
LXBNFXAssociated Front Buggy Dish Wheel Yellow (2)In stock, shipping 1$5.49
LXCRVBAssociated Buggy Rear Wheel Hex Yellow B4.1/B44.1In stock, shipping 1$5.49
LXCTERSTRC Alum Front Hinge-Pin Brace Associated SC10/B4/T4In stock, shipping 1$8.79
LXEX34Robinson Racing Pinion Gear 6-Pack Even 16-26TIn stock, shipping 1$12.69
LXZWK3Associated Factory Team Arm Mounts 2.5/3/3.5/4 (4)In stock, shipping 1$5.49
PC7140$40 Promotional DiscountIn stock, shipping 1$40.00-
The following is a membership and is not a shippable physical product
L61010Tower Hobbies #1 Super Saver Club MembershipIn stock, shipping 1$9.99
Order SummaryIn-Stock Subtotal:
Standard Shipping:
Total Current Charges:
$ 302.75
Waived
$ 302.75


Only a few more to items left to order.