I have an aftershock 3.5... almost a gallon through the engine at this point. i like it well enough, but a few main concerns about durability... please keep in mind, these are replace-often parts on many rc's, but my complaint is more with the ease with which they break.
There are common-break parts that broke in situations where i feel they shouldn't have.
1: the plastic spur gear stripped very easily... especially as it started getting colder, the plastic became brittler, and the teeth just snap off. The parts are cheap though, and i'm still searching for a metal spur gear replacement... redcat told me they would have a steel spur gear upgrade early next year. for a RTR basher, i shouldn't have had to dbl check the gear mesh, but it was too tight IMO. subsequent replacements have lasted longer, but its still a weak point if you're heavy on the throttle.
2: the steering knuckle/hub - this truck is sold as a short course basher.. i've broken the steering knuckle or hub several times too many IMO - which i normally wouldn't be bothered by, except they broke under circumstances that made me say "well - that really shouldn't have broken from such a small hit." replacement parts are very cheap, or they have aluminum upgrades for them.
3: In one case early on - the servo saver separated - a complete factory defect or assembly defect.. i'm not talking about something threadlocker would have saved.. i mean the assembly itself separated. this caused the wheels to turn to full lock very quickly, and the vehicle flipped. I'll be the first one to admit driver error - and in this case it simply wasn't.. i was going straight and hadn't touched the steering at that point. I saw the parts fly off (still going straight) and by the time i let off the throttle, it was too late. i was more than a little ticked, because the flip took a few parts with it, and the body is all scuffed.
4: the engine was harder than normal to tune and break in. I've broken in several other engines and they were predictable, and pain free.. this engine was a major pain in the butt for whatever reason. Even now - it doesn't hold a tune very well, and i have to play around with it a bit when i first start out. Some of that is the cold weather, but not all.
With all of those concerns listed - once this thing runs well, i love it. it sails through the air, lands well from jumps, has some good quality suspension parts, and the brake is one of the best i've seen (until it overheats lol)
it'll leave peel out marks on the pavement, and throw up dust and grass blades like it was it's job. cornering is so-so... some upgraded shocks could help here.. but overall - a very very good truck... just my concerns above which can be addressed with upgraded parts, or mindful use. (or since they are cheap just keep extras around)
BTW - i've been doing business with rufaster, and have gotten nothing but great service from them, and fast shipping.
