New Scale Rig - Need some input.

[itr1275]

Noob here post #2, try to be nice. ;-) This can be a religious discussion for some.



My plan is to something mainly for scale crawling.



Sorry if I missed the previous post. I did a search and don't think it's been addressed directly. There is one thread that had TRX4 with SCX10 III, when the SCX0 III was brand new and no one had it. Others with VX10 chassis and TRX parts, or SCX10 III with VS4 chassis. etc...


Starting with I no experience with scale rigs and have some questions. I know that a lot of this comes down to preference, but since I have no preference it really doesn't apply.



I have seen a ton of videos on this, but I have not seen a summary that says what they can and cannot do, or even personal preference. Mostly they just wheel them and say they are great.


The choices are
Vanquish VS4-10 Ultra
SCX10 III
Traxxas TRX4 Sport

The Vanquish is a bit pricey and you get some good stuff for it. Most of it are things that I would like to do on the others anyway. Also there is a non-portal option if I want to go that route. The Vanquish would be the winner, but the $$ add up quickly.

I've seen the "clicking" problem with the SCX10 III and seen the fixes, the pin and the gear slop both. It seems like a bad design combined with a documentation issue. Also the shocks are said to leak. Even though SCX seems to be the standard for scaler and mods it's also seems to be lacking a QA dept.

The TRX4 looks good on paper. Not a fan of the (un)locking diffs and the parts have limited interoperability with other brands. It is also the most reasonably priced. So what's wrong with it, aside from to much plastic?



Please post your preference and why. And/or why you would not buy the other brands.

 

[MAGNUMB]

TRX4 Sport
Carisma SCA-1E

 

[RCBrutus]

I own both the Ultra and the 10.3. Both are very capable and I run these more than any of my other rigs that are currently built up. Here are my thoughts on both:

10.3. Very scale body, so much so that I kind of cringe whenever I roll it. Mine is currently still stock, and it climbs well right out of the box but it does have a high COG. Some weight down low would fix this but I haven't invested in any yet. My shocks leak, but significantly. I have no plans of replacing them at this time.

VS4-10 Ultra. Obviously more expensive of the two, but the performance differences between this rig and the 10.3 show. Much heavier and has a lower COG, this rig can make climbs my 10.3 cannot. I have only added 21% overdrive, changed out some of the plastic parts in the trans to the aluminum upgrades and used a 13T pinion. The shocks leak pretty bad, and I will need to replace these once I tire of refilling them before each outing. All in, this is my go-to rig.

 

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Nothings wrong with the TRX4, unless you add in the shitty servo/ESC/motor that a lot of RTRs have problems with. My ESC died the 2nd day I had it. Tried to contact Traxxas, never heard back. Then my servo AND motor died when I threw on 2.2s. Went for a rock crawl, bound up the servo, and it stripped almost every gear in it lol. Was doing a very loose dirt hill climb, and right at the top I was spinning. I stayed on the throttle for maybe a minute or two and the motor decided a smoke show was necessary. Long story short, now I have a replacement XL--5hv ESC, an RC4WD 45t motor, and an Ecopower WP120T. Still on factory mini servos for hi/low gear and diffs. I think the ESC was just a dud, because I haven’t had problems since.

I think for scale crawling, the Defender/Bronco/Blazer will be your best bet. I know you said you don’t like the idea of the unlockable diffs, but it really is a neat feature to have. Or, you could get a TRX4 Sport and get a Bronco/Blazer/Defender body and not have to have the unlocking diffs.

The 10.3 is cool and looks great, but I’m just not a fan of the chassis.

Just my .02 cents.


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[meatmonkey]

They are all good options. The Trx4 is the best value IMO, get the kit and skip the mediocre rtr electronics.

My friend has the Ultra and I have a few hours of wheel time with it, and we've run a couple 8+ hour endurance events side by side. While it does drive nice, I cant say that it'll climb anything my trx4 won't. All those metal parts add weight, which isnt helpful for climbing. Other than stretching out the stock rod ends it's been reliable. There is no doubt the Ultra is dead sexy just sitting on the workbench, but that eye candy doesnt automatically mean it's a superior truck on the rocks.

I havent fallen for the scx10.3. Flimsy panhard bar and mounts just aren't doing it for me. Not enough difference in the 2speed ratios to make it beneficial. It's a fine truck for scale driving, but I'm too hard on equipment to give it a chance. The Trx4 is a tank compared to a 10.3.

While it's true that certain aspects of the trx4 don't lend themselves well to swapping into other platforms, such as the lockers or trans/motor mount, those features work excellently in the truck they were designed for.

 

[Cyclist]

I would love a vs4-10 ultra just because it looks like a great kit to build, and it looks good. That being said, my TRX4 Sport kit came out really good and I got to pick the electronics I wanted to use. It's a solid performer at any price and I'm very pleased with it. The SCX 10.3 looks good, I just prefer the simpler single speed transmission of the TRX4 Sport.

 

[Phildirt]

Enduro FTW

I would have grabbed a TRX4 if I didn't just get a Trailwalker. Still might get one just to have a 1.55 and 1.9 setup.

Don't forget when looking at "top of the line" they are targeting aficionados, not people new to the hobby. I'd grow into that so you appreciate it later.

Also don't forget when looking at "this component sucks" that you are reading responses to a forum where just like in real life bad news travels faster. Not saying it's not a good heads up, but also factor in how many they produced (failure rate)

EDIT: this came to me upon reflection lol...I got trapped into the overthinking my first new crawler. What I had to wrap my head around was "do I plan on sticking with this hobby, and will I ever buy another one"..when I could answer YES to both it made the decision much easier. There is not a perfect RC truck, but there's one that is perfect for this season (taking into account budget, skill, how often you will use it, how handy you are, how much you like to tinker) - what I'm getting at is just from reading these threads I have realized I will probably end up with a 10iii, Bomber, TRx4, Gatekeeper...etc etc by the time it's all said and done. So the 'pressure' to pick the perfect rig was gone. I went with what was on sale - that happened to be an Enduro. Had the SCx10iii been $250 I would have bought 2 of them LOL.

I have determined that there is a 'best' rig for each of these categories but none does them all. Not from experience, I am a noob too...just from reading:
Scale looks/driving
Durability
Ease of maintenance (already upgraded)
Bashing
Crawling

Some come awful close to nailing a few categories though, like the SSD Trail King. It hits both scale looks and 'upgraded'. But it isn't the best at crawling.

Not sure if that helps, but it's something I've been thinking about for around a month or so.

 

[MOguy]

Things to consider before you start building is the rules where you comp and what class you want to compete in.

Another thing is there is no perfect answers, just trade offs.

Out of the box the TRX4 is the hard to beat. I have the version with the lockers and 2 speed trans. I use the lockers allot in competition, it can really increase the maneuverability. Where I comp if I use the lockers I am but into Class #. The steering isn't great on a TRX4 but with a little positive caster and Dremel work you can get it pretty good.

I did an Enduro for a Class 1 build. I didn't like it. More torque twist ( there are things to help reduce it) then I like and the low pinion axles got hung easier. I but some AR44 axles under it and now I really like it.

I but the Enduro axles under a comp build. I was able to set the pinion, links and shock angle to GREATLY reduce the torque twist and because the higher pinion angle it clears obstacles better. The steering is also a bit odd.

If you hear people talking about loading up the the axles with brass, don't listen. If you want it for comp you need it as light as possible and then add a bit of weight on the axles or in the wheel but you don't need as much as some people think.

If you are keeping a heavy body with allot of decorations you will need more weight down low but for a comp truck you won't need as much.

Then you need electronics. For a crawler you will want and ESC you can program, I like the Side Winder 4. I also like Revolvers for motors. The 3 bros G13 is a good choice for a servo. I like SSD wheels with allot of back spacing and Vanquish brass ( I know I said stay away from brass but this and a brass diff cover are the exception) hubs. They come in different widths.

When you comp you have to get through gates. Depending on the class those gates can be 12 inches (maybe 11 inches ) wide in some classes wider in others. That is why I like a lot of back space so my wheels don't stick out. Then I add the appropriate size hub.

Not sure what you budget is but get prepared to spend some money.

 

[Inspector86]

The TRX4 looks good on paper. Not a fan of the (un)locking diffs and the parts have limited interoperability with other brands. It is also the most reasonably priced. So what's wrong with it, aside from to much plastic?

Not sure I understand this comment. If you don't like the option to lock/unlock diffs buy the TRX4 Sport. Limited parts interchange is not exclusive to the TRX4, this is a fact between ALL the brands. Too much plastic? The TRX4 has approximately the same plastic parts as the SCX10, Gen 8, Ascender, etc.

 

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Not sure I understand this comment. If you don't like the option to lock/unlock diffs buy the TRX4 Sport. Limited parts interchange is not exclusive to the TRX4, this is a fact between ALL the brands. Too much plastic? The TRX4 has approximately the same plastic parts as the SCX10, Gen 8, Ascender, etc.

Yeah I was confused on the too much plastic as well. Don’t know where he got that from.


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