Intro, and I need some parts

[Summitp]

Hi guys. Was surprised to come across this forum while searching for parts. I've got an associated rival, and I love the truck. It has a factory team steering kit, shocks are running heavier oil with red and gold springs, has a high torque steel gear tower hobbies (hitec) steering servo, and a castle Monster 2 ESC and motor. Thing rips.
We have a track built in our back yard, and there also a couple small cliffs that are fun to drop. All in all good times.
However ... There are some weak spots in the vehicle, a arms, shock towers, body mounts. I solved the shock towers and body mount issue by tying the front and rear towers together with some aluminum channel stock from the hardware store. Haven't broken a shock towers or body mount since.
The a arms, thats ok, because if you have a gnarly wreck, something has to give, and I have a bunch of spares. But.... I am in like my 3rd diff case. And I don't have any more spares. And I can't find any anywhere.
Anybody have one they would like to let go?
I stumbled across a used MGT 8.0 on local classifieds today, and I will be snagging that this afternoon.
Here is a long zero edit (some good, lotta bad) go pro vid of my truck in the backyard a couple years ago. Pre shock towers solution...

 

[marauder]

I do not, but others here may. Welcome to RCTalk! Good luck!

 

[D3MON]

Hi guys. Was surprised to come across this forum while searching for parts. I've got an associated rival, and I love the truck. It has a factory team steering kit, shocks are running heavier oil with red and gold springs, has a high torque steel gear tower hobbies (hitec) steering servo, and a castle Monster 2 ESC and motor. Thing rips.
We have a track built in our back yard, and there also a couple small cliffs that are fun to drop. All in all good times.
However ... There are some weak spots in the vehicle, a arms, shock towers, body mounts. I solved the shock towers and body mount issue by tying the front and rear towers together with some aluminum channel stock from the hardware store. Haven't broken a shock towers or body mount since.
The a arms, thats ok, because if you have a gnarly wreck, something has to give, and I have a bunch of spares. But.... I am in like my 3rd diff case. And I don't have any more spares. And I can't find any anywhere.
Anybody have one they would like to let go?
I stumbled across a used MGT 8.0 on local classifieds today, and I will be snagging that this afternoon.
Here is a long zero edit (some good, lotta bad) go pro vid of my truck in the backyard a couple years ago. Pre shock towers solution...

Awesome to see more of these surfacing!
i run the MGT though so still nitro powered.
as far as Diff cases, @cbaker65 had an idea and created a strap to anchor the two lower A Arm pins together so it wouldnt pull the diff apart. (will try to find the link)
Since he did i have as well. once i break mine i plan on trying to fab a piece to separate the Diffs from the A-Arms, but as of yet i have not broken one. (i do say "Yet" )
On ebay there are companies that make aluminum ones, that if my own creation doesn't work correctly, ill go that route. they are about 75$ for a pair, so definitely not cheap. are you running RPM A-arms and still breaking? or breaking the factory ones?
should get a pic of your shock tower brace, might use that for inspiration. havent had the issue yet but again, "yet".
more pics are always welcome!

 

[Summitp]

I do not, but others here may. Welcome to RCTalk! Good luck!

Thanks. Here are a few pics of the truck in question.

 

[D3MON]

used to use that material for my bumpers when i broke them lol
truck looks awesome!
been wanting to check one of the rivals out, crazy how close to the same yet different than the MGT they are.
are those true beadlocks or just beadlock look?
how are those springs handling for you?

 

[cbaker65]

The issue on these are ,the hinge pin brackets are incorporated into the diff housing ,an are prone to snap
off on impact ,so I fab up some plates to tie both sides together ,much like how you tied the shock towers together ,
together ,it makes them stronger!

It is not hard to make ,I think it only took 30 min.!

 

[D3MON]

The issue on these are ,the hinge pin brackets are incorporated into the diff housing ,an are prone to snap
off on impact ,so I fab up some plates to tie both sides together ,much like how you tied the shock towers together ,
together ,it makes them stronger!

It is not hard to make ,I think it only took 30 min.!

+1 to this ^

 

[Summitp]

Yep. A plate like that would do the trick. Mine broke at the rear where the tie rod that keeps toe static, snapped off leaving a recessed screw in the box, and I mangled the case trying to remove it. So I need a new case now. I had tried cutting a groove with a Dremel, and using a flat head, but that didn't work, and then I tried my reverse drill bits to drill it counter clockwise, but that didn't work either. I think I had stripped the threads in the plastic in the past and used jbweld to hold the screw in there. So it's not coming out. I will make some plates like that.

 

[Summitp]

Those wheels are just bead lock look. I have broken 2 wheels, and now use some big trenchers.
Our track has an uphill with a turn to the right at the top of the hill, and it drops down about 5 feet still in that right hand turn, so the left rear wheels take a beating. Breaking wheels on the rival, and on the arrma senton. Arrma senton blx is a GD beast by the way. That thing is indestructible. Well almost.

 

[D3MON]

Those wheels are just bead lock look. I have broken 2 wheels, and now use some big trenchers.
Our track has an uphill with a turn to the right at the top of the hill, and it drops down about 5 feet still in that right hand turn, so the left rear wheels take a beating. Breaking wheels on the rival, and on the arrma senton. Arrma senton blx is a GD beast by the way. That thing is indestructible. Well almost.

one way I've found that really helps me on stripped screws is to drill a 1/8 hole through the center and then use a torx bit (T7 i think) and hammer the bit into the screw so it gives it bite, it will damage the torx bit some, but so far has saved me many times. i have a set of cheap torx bits just for doing this now.
might be an option.
diff cases are really hard to find nowadays sadly, every now and then you can find the complete front/rear diff, but cases are quite rare to find.

 

[Summitp]

Yeah, I had bought a whole bunch of spares through dollarhobbyz when they were parting out new kits, but am slowly making my way through the spares, and have no more diff cases. I still have lots of parts, full set of new shocks, multiple sets of a arms, bumpers, etc...
I'll take another crack at getting that screw out, I have full size car projects demanding attention as well.

 

[D3MON]

Yeah, I had bought a whole bunch of spares through dollarhobbyz when they were parting out new kits, but am slowly making my way through the spares, and have no more diff cases. I still have lots of parts, full set of new shocks, multiple sets of a arms, bumpers, etc...
I'll take another crack at getting that screw out, I have full size car projects demanding attention as well.

just got done with a triple engine swap, and head gaskets on 2 other trucks on top of work as well, definitely know how that goes.
i got lucky and have 1 spare case that i dug out of my LHS in the random parts boxes in the back.
i need to bite the bullet and get some more shocks, at the moment running Traxxas Ultra shocks 1 per corner and 1 stock MGT per corner.
the Ultras work fine, but not quite as beefy. shock shaft diameter is .5mm thinner IIRC.
random tip though, the springs on both are the same diameter. got some RC Raven springs (I highly highly highly recommend and are only like 12$ for the full set.) and fit on both MGT and Ultras perfectly.

 

[Summitp]

And here she is. New to me MGT 8.0. can't seem to keep the engine running. Got some Traxxas fuel, dude at the hobby store said it would work well.
I'll have to read up on engine tuning and figure it out. It does not appear too abused to me.

 

[D3MON]

And here she is. New to me MGT 8.0. can't seem to keep the engine running. Got some Traxxas fuel, dude at the hobby store said it would work well.
I'll have to read up on engine tuning and figure it out. It does not appear too abused to me.

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beautiful truck!!
as much as i hate to say it, traxxas fuel is not good. have had so many issues with holding tune and consistency with it. also because the oil content tends to burn hot. i still have a 1/2 a quart of it from years ago that after the first few tanks i used it solely to clean engine parts with.
i have been happy with sidewinder 20% and as far as the fuel itself goes 30% (i am not a huge fan of 30%, tune window is way to small and alot more temperamental with temps. (i.e. doesn't run well until it is up to temp.)
VP power basher 20% also seems to run great.
Edit: Byrons is good too!
definitely post some vids and pics!
imo first upgrade you should do is get some rc raven springs. blues are quite soft and the added weight of the 8.0 engine, gonna need something stiffer!

 

[D3MON]

beautiful truck!!
as much as i hate to say it, traxxas fuel is not good. have had so many issues with holding tune and consistency with it. also because the oil content tends to burn hot. i still have a 1/2 a quart of it from years ago that after the first few tanks i used it solely to clean engine parts with.
i have been happy with sidewinder 20% and as far as the fuel itself goes 30% (i am not a huge fan of 30%, tune window is way to small and alot more temperamental with temps. (i.e. doesn't run well until it is up to temp.)
VP power basher 20% also seems to run great.
definitely post some vids and pics!
imo first upgrade you should do is get some rc raven springs. blues are quite soft and the added weight of the 8.0 engine, gonna need something stiffer!

also i recomend looking into this site: http://csgbenefits.org/mgt/
ended up emailing the guy that runs/keeps open the site month or so back, pretty cool guy! great tips on there!

 

[Summitp]

I'll check that site out. I really just bought this truck for parts. It was only $100. My rival suspension is already tuned for the bashing we do. And we'll see how I like the gas compared to electric. With 6s, power is insane with the monster 2 setup, and run times are into the 20-25 minute range. If I end up digging the gas better, I will swap the diffs and shocks and steering setup over to the MGT. In the near future, one truck is getting cannibalized.

 

[D3MON]

I'll check that site out. I really just bought this truck for parts. It was only $100. My rival suspension is already tuned for the bashing we do. And we'll see how I like the gas compared to electric. With 6s, power is insane with the monster 2 setup, and run times are into the 20-25 minute range. If I end up digging the gas better, I will swap the diffs and shocks and steering setup over to the MGT. In the near future, one truck is getting cannibalized.

i bought another MGT that i was gonna use as a parts truck.... ended up building it up instead lol!

 

[cbaker65]

I am not a fan of the 8.0!...bleh

However ,just the rolling chassy of the 8.0 is well worth a 100 bucks ,in my opinion ,you are going to have a hard time
with that 8,o ,an also ,it is a fuel hog an will smoke up that quart of fuel in just a few minutes if you do get it to run!

I would ditch that engine ,an put a 28 size in it!

 

[D3MON]

I am not a fan of the 8.0!...bleh

However ,just the rolling chassy of the 8.0 is well worth a 100 bucks ,in my opinion ,you are going to have a hard time
with that 8,o ,an also ,it is a fuel hog an will smoke up that quart of fuel in just a few minutes if you do get it to run!

I would ditch that engine ,an put a 28 size in it!

from what I've heard about the 8.0, they are kind of a hit or miss, people either loved them or hated them. that chassis i agree is well worth the 100$, i mean.. that transmission is worth 100$+.
i can't say enough good things about my axial i got. love that thing, mach 26 I've had luck with, HPI .25 and 4.6 are great too, probably smaller than you are looking for but the AE .21R pro from the mgt is really awesome too!

 

[cbaker65]

from what I've heard about the 8.0, they are kind of a hit or miss, people either loved them or hated them. that chassis i agree is well worth the 100$, i mean.. that transmission is worth 100$+.
i can't say enough good things about my axial i got. love that thing, mach 26 I've had luck with, HPI .25 and 4.6 are great too, probably smaller than you are looking for but the AE .21R pro from the mgt is really awesome too!

Yes ,I believe your right ,the tranny alone is worth a $100 bucks!

He is better off checking the engine to see if it has good compression an the wear of it ,an if it is any good ,
then put it up for sale before any damage comes too it ,then invest in a more user friendly engine!...