Competition to the HobbyKing Basher 1/8th Nitro Circus MT Updated 10/30/13

Well since a Price point had been given out of $250 dollars for the Basher I think It would be fair to take a look at its competition .

Now for the most part there are not a lot of 1/8th scale monster trucks in this price range but assuming that this is going to be sold ARR needing a radio and Batteries I think it safe to assume adding a few additional dollars to your budget would be suggested . The great thing is you can mild or wild with picking the stuff to go with this truck and in many cases it is a better deal to buy these items separately so keep that in mind when shopping This list will start from Low to high and these prices are not list prices but retail.

So here is our base line .

HobbyKing Basher 1/8th Nitro Circus MT 
RTR $322.06  ARR $279.00

POWER SYSTEM

Powerful 2075KV Brushless Inrunner Motor

80A Brushless ESC w/ Reverse
4S or 2x 2s Lipo Battery w/ HXT 4mm Connector (Required)
15Kg Heavy Duty Steering Servo

• DRIVETRAIN

  Full time 4WD
  Steel front, center and rear sealed differentials
  Hardened steel pinion gear
  Heavy duty drive shafts
  Hardened metal drive cups
  Full ball bearings

CHASSIS

3.5mm alloy chassis plate
Adjustable screw shock absorbers
Oil filled, big bore shock absorbers
3.5mm shock shaft
Adjustable toe-in and toe-out
Adjustable camber and castor
Independant wishbone suspension
Officially licensed Nitro Circus engraving

MEASUREMENTS

Length: 577mm
Width: 480mm
Height: 314mm (To top of cab)
Ground clearance: 110mm (Adjustable)
Battery area: 138mm x 46mm x 25

First contender 

Integy i8MT 4x4 Brushless RTR 1/8 $240.49

www.integy.com

FEATURES:Chassis: 0.14" (3.5mm) thick aluminum with plastic side guards
Drive: Four wheel shaft
Differentials: Three bevel gear type
Motor:Brushless, 3674 size 1510kV with heatsink motor mount and cooling fan for efficient heat dissipation
Radio: GT3 2.4GHz with high-torque steering servo
Electronic Speed Control: 80A continuous, 380A burst current, with XT-60 battery plug (see battery recommendations)
Shocks: Composite body big bore oil filled
Tires: All terrain 3.25" (82.5mm) wide, 6" (152mm) diameter with foam inserts
Wheels: Six spoke plastic black in color, 3.4" (87mm) diameter, 2.2" (56mm) wide
Bumpers: Front and rear plastic
Body: Trimmed and painted polycarbonate
Caster: Adjustable, caster/toe-in refers to the angle of the front suspension when viewed from the side of the car in relation to the chassis
Camber: Adjustable front and rear, camber refers to the angle of the tops of the tires from vertical when viewed from front or behind vehicle
Ball Bearings: Full set included
Includes:RTR i8MT Monster Truck with Brushless Motor, 2.4GHz Radio, High-Torque Steering Servo, Motor Cooling Fan, Painted Body, Decals and Instruction Manual
Requires:AA Batteries: Eight for transmitter
Battery: 11.1V LiPo 3S (A connector to match the selected battery will have to be soldered to the ESC leads if not using a battery with an XT60 connector)Battery Charger: To match selected battery
Maintenance and track equipment Vehicle
Length: 20.5" (521mm)Width: 14" (356mm)Wheelbase: 12.5" (317mm)Weight: 8.2lbs (3719.5g)BodyLength: 16.8" (427mm)Width: 6.9" (176mm)Height: 4.9" (126mm)

Team Magic E6 Trooper Electric Monster Truck RTR w/H.A.R.D. 2.4GHz Radio System $317.00

www.amainhobbies.com

E6 Trooper Features: 

• THOR Brushed ESC
• THOR 775 Power motor
• HARD 2.4GHz radio system and heavy duty metal gear servo 
• Hardened steel transmission gears
• 4mm aluminum shock towers
• 6061 aluminum spur gear linkage plate
• High quality bearings
• Adjustable turnbuckles
• Aluminum servo horn
• 3.8" chrome wheels and 5.575 all terrain tires
• Center driveshaft dust cover
• Hardened steel CVA driveshafts
• Tub style chassis
• ESC protection cover
• Super strong long travel suspension 

HARD 2.4GHz Specifications: Channels: 2
RF Power: Less than 20dbm
Modulation: GFSK
Code Type: Digital
Sensitivity: 1024
Low Voltage Warning: Yes (less than 9V)
DSC Port: Yes (3.5mm)
Charger Port: Yes
Power: 12V DC (8 AA Batteries)
Weight: 328g
Antenna Length: 26mm
Size: 159x99x315mm
Certificate: CE FCC

E6 Trooper Specifications:
Length: 500mm
Width: 410mm
Height: 220mm
Wheelbase: 350mm
Track: Front-410mm; Rear-410mm
Ground Clearance: 76mm
Weight: Approx 4290g

Needed to Complete: 

• (8) AA Batteries for transmitter
• (2) 7.2V Rechargeable Batteries & Compatible Charger

Redcat Earthquake 8E Brushless Electric Truck $329.99

www.redcatracing.com

Features:
1/8 Scale 
Fully Assembled, Ready to Run
4 Wheel Drive Shaft System
Chassis Type: Fiberglass
2.4 Ghz Radio Remote Control
Includes remote and manual Specifications:
Ground Clearance: 58 mm
Length: 510 mm
Wheel Base: 325 mm F/R
Height: 250mm
Width: 380mm
Motor Type: Electric Brushless 8T 2400RPM 540
Chassis Type: 3.0mm 6061 Aluminum
Shocks: Oil Filled Big Bore Shocks
Speed Control: Brushless ESC EZRUN-80A
Battery: Dual LIPO 7.4V Batteries (20c 3200mAH 2s) & Charger included
Radio System: Redcat DSM-2C 2.4 Ghz Remote & Receiver

HPI E-Savage Truck with GT Truck Body w/Batteries & Charger $349.99

www.hpiracing.com

INCLUDES:

• Dual 14.4V high power electric motors
  
• Low-mounted dual batteries
• 8 long travel shocks
• Savage style TVP chassis
• HPI GT Speed
  Specifications: Controller (14.4V)
• Safety protected reverse
• GT escape charger (with DC 12V adapter)
• Dual Batteries (HPI GT 7.2V 3300mAh/2pcs)

Length: 455mm (17.91in)
Width: 363mm (14.29in) 0
Wheelbase: 293mm (11.54in)
Tire Size: 138x70mm (5.4x2.8in)
Weight: 9 lbs

Redcat Racing AVALANCHE-XTE Avalanche XTE 1-8 Scale Brushless Electric Truck with 2.4GHz Remote Control $349.99

www.redcatracing.com

Motor Type: Electric Brushless.

 Drive System: 4 Wheel Drive.

 Length: 526mm.

 Width: 442mm. 

Height: 230mm. 

Wheelbase: 365mm. 

Ground Clearance: 60mm. 

Chassis Type: 6061 Aluminum. 

Shocks: Oil filled Big Bore Shocks. 

Speed Control: Brushless ESC 80A. 

Battery: Dual LIPO 7.4V Batteries (20c 3600Mah 2s) and Charger Included. 

Radio System: 2.4GHz Radio System.

Iron Track Raider MegaE8MTL 1:8 SCALE RTR 4WD Brushless Monster Truck  $369.00

www.nitrorcx.com

Electronics:

2.4ghz Transmitter and Receiver

11.1v 2700mah Battery Pack 

3674 2075kv Motor

S8A 80amp Brushless ESC

9KG Metal Geared Servo

Specification:
Length: 596mm
Width: 403mm
Height: 248mm
Wheelbase: 370mm

Required to Run:
2-3cell Li-Po charger
AA Batteries for Transmitter

Not recommended as It and its brothers have more durability issues than others in this price point.

1/8Th EP Mad Beast Monster Truck Racing Edition Ready to Run w/ 540L Brushless Motor/ ESC/ Lipo Battery $369.00

www.nitrorcx.com

2 Channel 2.4ghz Exceed RC Radio System
540L (36x65mm) 2150kv Sensorless Brushless Motor
XeRun 80A-R Programmable ESC 2-4S LiPo 3A @ 5.75v
ND1009 Metal Geared Steering Servo
Two 3mm thick aluminum chassis plate
8 Aluminum body shocks w/ adjustable threaded collars
Aluminum steering hub
Hardened & Coated Steel Gears 
Multi-piece Anti-Sway Bars
Fully Sealed Ball Bearing Set
Robust Slipper Clutch AssemblyTwo 7.4v Li-Po 3300mah 20C Cont / 40C Burst batteries included

Pistol 2.4Ghz Remote Control Radio

WheelBase:15"
Weight:5.2kg
This item Does NOT come with Charger

Redcat Racing Terremoto 1/8 Scale Brushless Electric Monster Truck. $379.99

http://www.redcatracing.com

Specifications

Motor Type

Electric Brushless KV 2260

Transmission

Forward and Reverse

Drive System

4 Wheel Drive

Length

550mm

Width

460mm

Height

240mm Without Body

Wheelbase

376mm

Ground Clearance

95mm Adjustable

Shocks

Qty 4 Big Bore Oil Filled Aluminum Adjustable

Speed Control

Waterproof 80A ESC

Battery

Qty. 2 - 7.4v 3200mAh 20c LIPO & Charger Included

Radio System

2.4GHz Radio System

Now this is not a complete list but a grouping of the low end 1/8th scale models (less than $400) that are available in the US at this time. All of these trucks are relatively comparable With the exception of the HPI it does have a bit more parts support but it also has a less powerful brushed system.The Team Magic truck is a little out of its element being compared to these trucks as well since parts support in the US is spotty/ possibly less than any of the other's listed here and it is powered by a brushed system .

Now with the information in front of you you're probably  wondering what the batteries and radio are worth to you as to be completely honest you should just forget the included chargers with the RTR's exist, as to be frank there a joke .

A basic 2.4ghz radio system 
Price Examples
Hobby King GT-2 2.4Ghz 2Ch Tx & Rx (USA Warehouse)$19.96
FS-GT2 2.4G 2CH Gun Transmitter w/ Reciever $21.99

best batteries listed in the RTR's are 2 x 3600 mah 2s 20c packs 
Price Examples
ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 2S1P 25C Car Lipoly 2x $15.50

GForce 25C 4000mAh 2S 7.4V LiPO 2x $16.99

All about the hobbyking basher.

Well since I have been thinking about this truck a lot lately so I thought I would post a bit of info here and about it like its closest competitors and what is known about the truck at this time.

Well the first views of this truck where on the Hobbyking facebook page October 18, 2012  and at the time everyone was focusing on the soon to be  named SkullCrusher 2wd monster truck that Hobbyking had been teasing  everyone with .

As can be seen in the photo's they had rigged it up with lots of cameras to use it as a chase car  for some of their online video's.

Then all went quiet on this Truck till 6/1/13-6/2/13 and Hobbyking unveiled it at RCX  and a website had sprouted up with no announcement http://www.basher.com/ and then a video appeared.  On YouTube for RCX  and then another just featuring the Monster truck after that another video just teasing us with a frankentruck version . 

Now after paying attention on the last video it is stated that the truck will have a $250 dollar price point and that was a big deal as everything up to that point was just speculation . Somewhere during all this the Hobbyking TrailBlazer 1/8th scale MT disappeared from the US warehouse and I suspect others to make way for this monster but as of now it is still a no show .

But here are the pic's we have to go by for now and the spec's as currently published. 

POWER SYSTEM

Powerful 2075KV Brushless Inrunner Motor
80A Brushless ESC w/ Reverse
4S Lipo Battery w/ HXT 4mm Connector (Required)
15Kg Heavy Duty Steering Servo

• DRIVETRAIN

  Full time 4WD
  Steel front, center and rear sealed differentials
  Hardened steel pinion gear
  Heavy duty drive shafts
  Hardened metal drive cups
  Full ball bearings

CHASSIS

3.5mm alloy chassis plate
Adjustable screw shock absorbers
Oil filled, big bore shock absorbers
3.5mm shock shaft
Adjustable toe-in and toe-out
Adjustable camber and castor
Independant wishbone suspension
Officially licensed Nitro Circus engraving

MEASUREMENTS

Length: 577mm
Width: 480mm
Height: 314mm (To top of cab)
Ground clearance: 110mm (Adjustable)
Battery area: 138mm x 46mm x 25

Basher a Hobbyking monster truck

Well I have had several people message me on Youtube asking if I plan to buy this truck when it is finally released since I got a Turnigy Stadium King 2wd truggy pretty close to when they were released . So far I have determined I probably will pick one up but I will likely not be a first adopter for a few reasons .

1. I am cheap and broke this means I will have to save and scrape up the money to purchase the truck nothing too unusual there even given its suggested price point of $250 (and yes if the truck is a durable little bugger that's a great deal).
2. Given the buzz around this truck I'm sure hobbyking will be bringing this truck to the US warehouse rather quick and I'm  content with waiting for it to make it to Washington as this normally brings the total price down a bit .
3. At the moment I think I have my hands pretty full right now and I'm not up to racing the other Youtube channels for views or anything like that so being the first doesn't really drive me to gotta have it first.

Tires tires tires there without a doubt the most expensive ongoing cost when you're racing and i found a deal.

Alright i was shopping around for tires for my new RC10B4.2 RS before It even got here as I was positive the stock ones would not be very competitive . In my search I noticed Team Losi tires were a bit cheaper than other manufactures . This lead me to doing a bit of research and eventually I started looking to see what was on ebay . Really it didn't take me all that long to find a good deal . To my surprise the seller was Associated Electronics also know as Team Associated . After ordering 4 pairs of tires and having them shipped to me door for just less than $24 I'm glad to pass this on to you. Here is a link to there store http://stores.ebay.com/teamassociatedclearance  and If you need some help in deciding what to get I reccomend checking out this link to get a Idea of what your buying or need .  http://www.petitrc.com/setup/tires/losi/.  Just in case I would like to point out that these were most likely bought By Associated for testing purposes and these are probably the left over's that they didn't use. 

.

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.

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

 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

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 .

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.

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 Number	Product Description	Stock Status/Quantity	Extended Price
LXDNDVBY	Associated RC10B4.2 RS 2.4GHz RTR Blue/Yellow	In stock, shipping 1	$249.99
LXSF70	Associated Factory Team Green Slime	In stock, shipping 1	$2.29
LXBVF9	Associated Factory Team Buggy Front Spring Kit (8)	In stock, shipping 1	$10.99
LXBVG0	Associated Factory Team Truck/Buggy Rear Spring Kit(10)	In stock, shipping 1	$10.99
LX2594	Associated Shock Rebuild Red O-Ring (8)	In stock, shipping 1	$2.79
LX3305	Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 30 Weight 2 oz	In stock, shipping 1	$3.69
LX3304	Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 20 Weight 2 oz	In stock, shipping 1	$3.69
LX3306	Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 40 Weight 2 oz	In stock, shipping 1	$3.69
LX2605	Associated Shock Rubber Cap Gaskets (4)	In stock, shipping 1	$1.50
LXEAK4	Associated Kimbrough Spur Gear 84T	In stock, shipping 1	$3.69
LXEPF7	Associated Factory Team Heavy Duty Servo Saver Spring	In stock, shipping 1	$1.50
LXBNFX	Associated Front Buggy Dish Wheel Yellow (2)	In stock, shipping 1	$5.49
LXCRVB	Associated Buggy Rear Wheel Hex Yellow B4.1/B44.1	In stock, shipping 1	$5.49
LXCTER	STRC Alum Front Hinge-Pin Brace Associated SC10/B4/T4	In stock, shipping 1	$8.79
LXEX34	Robinson Racing Pinion Gear 6-Pack Even 16-26T	In stock, shipping 1	$12.69
LXZWK3	Associated Factory Team Arm Mounts 2.5/3/3.5/4 (4)	In stock, shipping 1	$5.49
PC7140	$40 Promotional Discount	In stock, shipping 1	$40.00-
The following is a membership and is not a shippable physical product
L61010	Tower Hobbies #1 Super Saver Club Membership	In stock, shipping 1	$9.99

Order Summary

In-Stock Subtotal: Standard Shipping: Total Current Charges:

$ 302.75 Waived $ 302.75

Only a few more to items left to order.

Latrax and Traxxas's motivation for bringing it back.part 2

Now this the second part of what I think could be expected of the Latrax line and why.
,
As most Traxxas fans are aware Traxxas is kind of running low on  electric 1/10 on road chassis's as of late. Yes they have introduced the Rally but its not really a dedicated on road car as it is primarily for multisurface driving as it should be . This hole has been empty for quite some time since the electric 4-TEC
was discontinued and given the popularity of awd touring / drift cars especially entry level RTR cars I could see them marketing a new 1/10 onroad chassis with the Latrax line as there are several brushed models and even a few brushless cars below $200 so I can see this as a very possible direction for them to be heading .

Now a few people have been hoping for a electric 4-TEC  Re Release and I don't think that will be the case if they were to try and recycle some of their older Technology I would think it would be based more on the Nitro 4-TEC . Despite their similar names both the electric and nitro were very different but I really think a all new chassis and design would actually be more likely . With the XO-1 in their stable another electric on road speed demon seems a strange direction to go so I'm going with a new 1/10 on road chassis optimised for drifting as that seems like a logical choice.  

Well now I'm out of Ideas again maybe there will be a part 3 to my speculation.

Latrax and Traxxas's motivation for bringing it back part 1

Well there has been a lot of chatter about the new Traxxas brand Latrax and there LaTrax Rally – 1/18 Scale 4WD Rally Car and the purpose of this new brand is pretty well summed up on the about Latrax page.http://latrax.com/about.htm

Now the important part to me of this mission statement if you will is this : 

Today, LaTrax is powered by Traxxas and is staying true to its heritage by offering fun, high-quality, radio-controlled models that are backed by world-class Traxxas customer support, and priced under $200. LaTrax delivers the perfect combination of great value, leading performance, ease of use, and award-winning support that make radio control fun for everybody.

Now this statement has lead me to wonder if Traxxas is planning to use this line to retire some of the older Traxxas models and rebrand them under the Latrax name as they fit in this category and would be a easy way to fill the lineup. I mean you can't have a RC brand with just one RC.

Now bear with me here some of the vehicles that I think would be retired are some of the most popular RC's of all time but most are some of the oldest RC's still in production today, only being beaten by several tamiya models.

The vehicles I'm referring to are the  Traxxas Bandit , Rustler , Stampede 2wd , and even the Slash 2wd .

Now why do I think these fit in the Latrax lineup: The Xl-5  Bandit currently has a Suggested Sale Price of $199.99 the Rustler XL-5 is currently at $224.99 the Stampede is currently at $229.99 and finally the 2wd Slash XL-5 is suggest at $209.99. A $30 dollar price cut is all that would be required to get them under the $200 price limit and as I count it this would add at least 13 part number to the Latrax vehicle lineup. 

Then comes the question why make a whole brand just to move a few models .Well the simple answer is the most obvious the cars still make a lot of money for the company and as they have a huge following because of their reliability and aftermarket support this makes them the #1 recommendation for the first time hobbyist . All this makes taking them out of production a bad business move even if there replacements are just as good or better there will be public outcry. 

So you're asking yourself why not keep them under the Traxxas name . Well Traxxas has slowly been changing their image over the years and It seems they are taking new technology and racing more seriously  and the big 3 don't really fit in to this  image well . Now I'm not saying  any of their other cars are top of the line race machines but most are or were at the top of their Category . 

Now to those of you who disagree about the taking Racing seriously all I can say is just look at the LCG Slash 4x4 conversion kit . If they didn't care about racing it wouldn't exist let alone the Slash 4X4 Ultimate or the Slash 4x4 platinum edition Granted they may not be the top of the line racer but they are competitive.

Now if nothing else you should be able to admit Traxxas has always kept themselves

in the spotlight or right at the edge of it and its always been a mixture of  innovative / inventive products that have kept them there . 3 new vehicles from traxxas would be a huge deal 

I really do mean every word I have Typed hear as I love Traxxas and I really do see this as possible direction and motivation for Traxxas to bring this brand back .

So if you have read this far I'm sure you are wondering what I think the replacements may be .

All I feel I can predict on this matter is that the Stadium truck would probably be based loosely on the Traxxas Jato  as most of suspension would already be in production and the front bulkhead would be easy to adapt. A replacement for the slash would probably be similar but with a stretched chassis and new control arms .For a 2wd buggy I could see using the jato front bulkhead with new control arm found all the way around and new shock towers . As Losi has brought aluminum chassis back to 1/10 2wd racing I could see Traxxas implementing one also on the new models . When it comes to the Transmission I don't claim to  know what they might do but i would like to see quick differential removal like the Jato has as I think that would be a nice addition .

Now on the new vehicles I don't see brushed power at all . I see a RTR Vxl brushless powered trucks and buggies and hopefully some highly optioned rollers similar to the Slash 4X4 Platinum Edition some time after the RTR releases.

Granted they have always specialized in RTR models in the early years they were also successful at producing competitive off road racers . Can you imagine if Traxxas had a win in a Nationals championship today with a buggy or stadium truck . It would probably be the biggest news of the year . If you want a small history lesson and to look at some of the old Traxxas ads referencing different wins follow this link.http://www.rc10talk.com    

Now you're thinking I left the Stampede out and to be honest I'm not sure they would add a new 2wd monster truck. To me a 2wd monster truck is a beginner RC and it really wouldn't fit into the Traxxas line up any more as the remaining Vehicles would be targeted at the more experienced Hobbyist. Think of it as a Latrax would be your first car and a Traxxas would be your second or Third car. 

Tires for your 1/16th scale ZD Racing RC trucks and buggies

Well This post was inspired by a person who asked me a question on ebay about whether I had any tires for the 1/16 RC cars for sale . Since I have put all of mine to use I decided to pass on some places to get tires cuz well im a nice guy and I'm going to pass this on to you as well .


Ok tires for the MT and Truggy.

http://www.amainhobbies.com at the time of this writing has a few of the stock rims and tires left.

Monster Truck Wheel 6107
Truggy Wheel 6113

Tire Set Monster Truck 6106
Tire Set Truggy 6112



                                                                                                                                                                   

http://www.gotnitroonline.com/ has lots of compatable parts.

Wheels White 2pcs 32150

Truggy 1/16th Scale Tires 32160

Truggy Tire Set Mounted 1/16th Scale 33186










White Rear Dish Wheels (Rims) 2 pcs 30734W

White Front Dish Wheels (Rims) 2 pcs 30732W

Vulcan, Photon Yellow Front Dish Wheels (Rims) 2 pcs 30732Y

Yellow Rear Dish Wheels (Rims) 2 pcs 30734Y

Vulcan Photon Rear Tires 2 pcs 30737

Front Tires 2 pcs 30731



Rear Tires Mounted on Rims for Buggy 1 16th Scale B1036
   
Front Buggy Tires Mounted 1/16th Scale Buggys B1035

Front Tires 2 pcs 30731



                                                                                                                                                                   

Hobbyking.com also has sever compatable parts

monster beetle tires

monster beetle rims

1/16 buggy front tire
1/16 buggy rear tire

1/16 front buggy wheels yellow
1/16 rear buggy wheels yellow

1/16 front buggy wheels white
1/16 rear buggy wheels white

Well one more Item for the list of stuff I would buy right off the bat for a RC10B4

Well RPM just announced a new product for the RC10b4 SERIES of Team Associated buggies and its Just in time for me to put it on my list of things to buy IF I BuY a RC10B4.2RS that is .

Here's a link to it on there web page


Here is there description 


B4, B4.1 & B4.2 Front A-arms & Bulkhead
RPM A-arms for the Associated B4, B4.1 & B4.2 were designed to solve several customer-related complaints about the stock A-arms. Foremost is durability. Our B4 front A-arms are designed to withstand some serious abuse! We’ve redesigned the entire front end, replacing the stock front bulkhead with a version that helps spread impact forces over a larger area at the inner hinge pin mounts. RPM front A-arms are wider at the inner hinge pin by nearly 3/16” without altering suspension geometry.
We also focused on the hinge pin retaining system used on the stock A-arms. Using a small screw hole so close to the hinge pin like the stock arms do creates structural weaknesses. We moved the hinge pin retaining screws in-line with the hinge pins, significantly strengthening our A-arms in the process. By eliminating the smaller 2-56 hinge pin retaining screws, we’ve also eliminated the problem of the hinge pins falling out due to varying screw head diameters.

Our final focus was on slop elimination. Our strict quality control allows us to tighten up all of our tolerances without fear of binding the suspension system. The final result: a smooth, free moving suspension system with minimal slop. Our tighter tolerances on our A-arms allows other critical adjustments such as camber and toe angles to be much more consistent, which provides better and more consistent control of the B4.

RPM B4 A-arms come with all necessary mounting hardware and instructions. RPM B4 A-arms are sold in pairs and include the front bulkhead.

Tech Notes: RPM B4 Front A-arms require the use of the bulkhead we supply in the kit. Stock or any other aftermarket bulkheads will not work with RPM A-arms.

73732

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

Suggested Retail
$14.95 pair w/ bulkhead


hehehe

The list I posted

Now the list a couple postt before this may lead some to think that this is exactly what I would do but thats not entirely true as I have said before I haven't really  raced before and I don't know If I would really like it . So in reality I probably would not end up placing that order to hobbyking for at least a little while as I don't have a instant need for a new brushless system . I do have a sensorless system and even though it isn't as smooth as a censored system it will still get me around the track fast enough to be competitive.I also have a couple servos that would be overkill or just good enough so I don't need one immediately    The Tower hobby order would be just like I showed it. A few parts to tune and a few durability upgrades to save me money down the road . Now one kink is that Rpm has added a new product that will be on list now and I'm sure if I placed this order something else new will come to the market with in a day or 2 but thats the way it works.