New Rig - Need Input

[itr1275]

Hi All,

I'm looking to build a scale rig and I know virtually nothing about it, other than Youtube. So take it for what it's worth.

I'm considering the following.

The SCX10 III. The kit is not without fault (clicking and leaking shocks) but everything seems to be fixable. The price is reasonable and there upgrades (or coming soon) for everything. Axial seems to be the standard.

The Vanquish VS4-10 Pro or Ultra. It's expensive but everyone seems to love it. It also has most of the upgrades I would want to get anyway.

The Traxxas TRX4. Seems to be the best bang for the $$. However, it doesn't speak to me. There are some upgrades but not like Axial.

Yah I know this like discussing religion to some and it comes down to personal preference, but I'm starting at 0 and have no preference nor context.

Any feedback on quality, performance, price, support, general good or bad feelings are helpful. Or did I miss something important or other choices.

If you would be so kind as to give me some input on why you like each kit or why you would not recommend it.

 

[talltee9]

I would say I have a trx4 blazer. Its a really great truck. Although honestly my only comparison would be to my vaterra ascender, so take that for what its worth lol. Axails seem to have a ton of upgrades but you can easily sink a couple grand into a crawler. Just reading your post however I think you would be most satisfied with the vanquish. They seem to pretty super Although I don't know much about them myself besides YouTube. It may be worth it to shell out the cash for it upfront, I got my ascender first which in hindsight I probably wouldn't have gotten. I still love it but next to the trx4 it's a different animal. I say if the vanquish really jump out to you grab it. But you really can't go wrong with either one.

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[talltee9]

Oh and also have you looked at the rc4wd trail finder 2? Don't know much about the performance. But as far a scale goes there pretty sweet.

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[Kingmeow]

If your budget allows it, get the Vanquish. I have two Axials and never owned a Vanquish (budget reason) but I've heard so many excellent things about it.

Buy once, don't buy twice.

 

[talltee9]

If your budget allows it, get the Vanquish. I have two Axials and never owned a Vanquish (budget reason) but I've heard so many excellent things about it.

Buy once, don't buy twice.

Sound advice!

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[Phildirt]

When you say "scale" do you mean scale? The 10iii and TRX4 have portals so if you are wanting accurate the only thing close there would possibly be the 10iii with the straight axle conversion that just came out. Personally I'd get either an SSD Trail King or Element Enduro builder's kit and put a body of your choice on it, both are 12.3 wheelbase so tons of options including any of the Traxxas bodies (Bronco or any of the 3 Blazers). Or the RC4WD yota 4 door and extended cab versions are both 12.3 wheelbase. If you mean scale as in 'looks kind of real' then I'd go TRX4. That Vanquish is just really expensive for a casual/fun rig imo. You could pretty darn near reverse engineer it with all of the good bits on any kit chassis without that price tag. Before I get roasted for that - disclaimer I am a noob, this commentary is based on reading about 10,000 posts on all 8 trucks everyone is building over and over LOL.

Last bit of advice - not sure why you think you'll need to upgrade any of the major brand kits right off the bat. I would build or buy an RTR and wheel the piss out of it/see what breaks instead of throwing parts on it out of the box. That way you see what works/what doesn't and you have a performance baseline. Believe it or not you don't need new shocks, shock towers, drive shafts, servo horns, batter trays, or 5lbs of brass weight to have fun with one of these trucks. It does make for a more interesting thread though lol. I am about to pull the trigger on an Element rig and my only plans are wheels, tires, and foams. I'll save the rest of my money for another kit later this year instead of re-engineering that one haha.

 

[itr1275]

Oh and also have you looked at the rc4wd trail finder 2?

I have, and love the bodies. But I've also got a fascination with 3/4 link suspension. I have nothing with a solid axle in real life (all Toyotas), so I want to live vicariously through my RC.

 

[itr1275]

When you say "scale" do you mean scale?

Nope, I won't be buying fake shovels and a dog since I already have the full size version of both. ;-)



I mean a scale type kit. We all know the portals are not common in the real world, but we like them because they are fun. To further that point no Toyota product that I know have has ever had a 3/4 link front suspension, but people run Land Cruiser and 4Runner bodies all the time.



My vision to do what I would do to a real truck to make it capable off road. So if were to SAS my Tacoma or 4Runner it would be a 3/4 link for sure.

 

[itr1275]

Last bit of advice - not sure why you think you'll need to upgrade any of the major brand kits right off the bat. I would build or buy an RTR and wheel the piss out of it/see what breaks instead of throwing parts on it out of the box. That way you see what works/what doesn't and you have a performance baseline. Believe it or not you don't need new shocks, shock towers, drive shafts, servo horns, batter trays, or 5lbs of brass weight to have fun with one of these trucks. It does make for a more interesting thread though lol. I am about to pull the trigger on an Element rig and my only plans are wheels, tires, and foams. I'll save the rest of my money for another kit later this year instead of re-engineering that one haha.

Sound advice. I could spend a small fortune at SSD and I may get nothing for it but a sticker. The upgrades would be things like steel inards, better tires, metal axles housings. Run that and then start looking at chopping and adding.



However, I need the right starting place.

 

[itr1275]

I little financial analysis. For what it's worth I can buy 3 Traxxas TRX4 RTRs for the price of one Vanquish. It really makes me think.



All kits would use the same electronics (except the RTR). Listed in order of price low to high.

• Spectrum S6250 Standard Digital Servo
• Castle - Mamba Micro X Crawler Edition ESC/Motor
• Spektrum - (2x) SX107 Dig Servo
• Flysky BS6 Receiver

TRX4 RTR - $373.95
No additions

TRX4 Sport kit - $650.42
+Spektrum SX107 Servo (2)

Element/SSD - $937.61
+Pro-Line Tires (2)
+Beadlock Wheels (2)
+Tire Foam
+Body

SCX10III - $855.44
+ Spektrum SX107 Servo (2)

Vanquish VS4-10 Pro - $1,167.46
No additions

 

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

If it was ME choosing my next rig, the Vanquish is out of the question. It's just too much. Then comes the SCX10iii. Out of the question as well. It looks good, but It has too many pointless things/features on it. The TRX4 RTR. If your getting a TRX4, might as well get a Bronco/Blazer/Defender, but I already have one, don't need two!

I'd go with the Sport kit and your electronics you have picked out. Possbily even throw in some G8 compound PL tires and INJORA beadlocks, but the Canyon Trails with lugs cut out do good I've heard. Oh yeah, gotta have the expo. rack on the body. Yeah yeah, people'll say it adds weight up high, but the Sport looks goofy without it most the time IMO.

Maybe you even go with a Defender or Bronco/Blazer chassis? Personally, my favorite part is having the ability to challenge myself by having the 2 speed and switchable diffs. That way your not fully locked 100% of the time.

Whatever you get, the main idea is having fun! Your rig may not be the best one the world, but as long as your having fun, that's all that matters!

Just my .02 cents

 

[Phildirt]

If it was ME choosing my next rig, the Vanquish is out of the question. It's just too much. Then comes the SCX10iii. Out of the question as well. It looks good, but It has too many pointless things/features on it. The TRX4 RTR. If your getting a TRX4, might as well get a Bronco/Blazer/Defender, but I already have one, don't need two!

I'd go with the Sport kit and your electronics you have picked out. Possbily even throw in some G8 compound PL tires and INJORA beadlocks, but the Canyon Trails with lugs cut out do good I've heard. Oh yeah, gotta have the expo. rack on the body. Yeah yeah, people'll say it adds weight up high, but the Sport looks goofy without it most the time IMO.

Maybe you even go with a Defender or Bronco/Blazer chassis? Personally, my favorite part is having the ability to challenge myself by having the 2 speed and switchable diffs. That way your not fully locked 100% of the time.

Whatever you get, the main idea is having fun! Your rig may not be the best one the world, but as long as your having fun, that's all that matters!

Just my .02 cents

What are the pointless things/features on the 10iii?

 

[Kingmeow]

What are the pointless things/features on the 10iii?

I'm curious too. :???:

 

[Lashlee]

FWIW, I have an older 2.2 Wraith, an Enduro (that's now using GSpeed rails with a TGH trans), a Carpa (that's converted to a TGH Sherpa) and a VS4-10. In the long run, after mods, there is a good chance you'll have more in a given rig than what you can buy the Vanquish for. I prefer a kit, and feel like the go to option for most people is the TRX4 Sport. I'm not a Traxxas hater, but I do like a little variety. I've driven (and help build) a 10.3. If it were me, I would get the 10.3 kit, and potentially look at a different body , only because the extra parts of the 10.3 body make it a little top heavy. The Gladiator is another option with the longer wheelbase that makes it surprisingly capable.

If this is your first purchase, keep it simple since you might not be that into the hobby once you've got a controller in your hand, but make sure the rig you purchase is up to the task.

 

[Topher Builds]

SSD trail king all day long for this type of project imo. Won’t need any upgrades but upgrades will help if you decide to down the road. No true weak spots out of the box.

What are the pointless things/features on the 10iii?

The 2 speed and the multi piece chassis IMO. I’ve yet to see anyone do anything with the chassis adjustability and it seems like a complicated/heavier approach than a standard chassis for a feature to print on the box. But the quality is there, AR45P axles are a more than welcome addition to our options, and I love me that JLU body.

 

[talltee9]

SSD trail king all day long for this type of project imo. Won’t need any upgrades but upgrades will help if you decide to down the road. No true weak spots out of the box.







The 2 speed and the multi piece chassis IMO. I’ve yet to see anyone do anything with the chassis adjustability and it seems like a complicated/heavier approach than a standard chassis for a feature to print on the box. But the quality is there, AR45P axles are a more than welcome addition to our options, and I love me that JLU body.

Ssd trail king kits is on sale at amain too... just thought I'd throw that In lol

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[Phildirt]

I've Googled, YouTubed, and forum searched myself silly on every kit, RTR, platform, builder...given myself a headache. I have decided I am (A) not good enough with a controller or experienced enough with terrain to think that hard and (B) a lot of the upgrades would be wasted on me until I figure out the first point...At the moment my plan is TRX4, likely the Defender. It has the looks, aftermarket support, quality, reputation, reliability, and ease of operation that I need to get more rooted in this hobby. Then in a year or so I can go nuts on a build or see what else has come out. It's kind of funny to me that I thought so hard about something I know so little about lol. I've bashed around in my OG scx10 in the back yard with no shock oil, no foam in the tires, on a crappy hobby store ESC and had a blast so there's definitely a learning curve. I just decided I am better off with something solid that I can make a few tweaks to if I feel limited, which I likely won't. My current M.O. is 'crawl, stop, take photo, look at photo, edit photo, oh yeah remember I'm supposed to be crawling' lol. Hard to justify a $1K+ setup doing that.

I know that doesn't help you decide, but just some perspective from another noob.

 

[talltee9]

I have, and love the bodies. But I've also got a fascination with 3/4 link suspension. I have nothing with a solid axle in real life (all Toyotas), so I want to live vicariously through my RC.

https://www.amainhobbies.com/elemen...t-suspension-conversion-kit-asc40103/p1171437

If I'm not mistaken this can be installed on different brand rigs pretty easily. I remember watching a video on it. If you do happen to get one of the other kits heres a not soild axle option

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[ScaleLifeNewbie]

I'm curious too. :???:

What are the pointless things/features on the 10iii?

The motor cover. You’ll never see it with the body on, so what’s the point?
The 2 speed. It’s only a 40% increase in speed, can’t really tell the difference like you can with the TRX4.
DIG. Not a lot of people want it/use it, including me.
The split rail frame. Seems like a weak point to me. (Not so much pointless, just something I don’t like)

I’m not bashing the 10.3, just feel like for the price, it could at least have switchable diffs and ditch the dig.


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[Phildirt]

The motor cover. You’ll never see it with the body on, so what’s the point?
The 2 speed. It’s only a 40% increase in speed, can’t really tell the difference like you can with the TRX4.
DIG. Not a lot of people want it/use it, including me.
The split rail frame. Seems like a weak point to me. (Not so much pointless, just something I don’t like)

I’m not bashing the 10.3, just feel like for the price, it could at least have switchable diffs and ditch the dig.


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The motor cover would be the least of my worries. The dig works fine just not while crawling, I agree it's pointless. 2 speed is nice for a trail truck even if it's just a little faster.



The selling points of the 10 iii are the scale factor, axle compatibility with other SCx10 offerings, and in the case of the Gladiator "something new", the TRX4 platform is aging. I would agree that the TRX4 is better thought out/executed/has way more usable features (especially in the RTR form). I would expect Axial to offer another version of the 10iii before Traxxas does anything earth shattering with the TRX4, they are still selling. I'd like to see a kit version of the Gladiator or a straight axle version of both among other things.