Newbie looking for advice

[Burt25]

Hi,

This is my first post - looking for some advice on choosing an off -road nitro rig. I'm not that bothered about racing and want something that I can generally have some fun with (on grass in my garden and over a rougher gravel yard area where I want to set up some jumps etc) I'm confued over pros and cosn of Buggies / truggies / stadium trucks / monster trucks. So what do you guts recommend as a good all round machine (perferrably 4WD, good quality, upgradable, suitable for a novice and quick)

Hope you can point me in the right direction! - happy to spend up to -$500ish

 

[jetmechG550]

Welcome first off. With what you have in mind, you'll probably want a monster truck. A buggy or truggy are really designed for the track and not set up well for just bashing around. With that in mind, check on what's available locally so you can get parts when you need them.

 

[nicholas655]

for that price , i would go with a revo or a savage , revo is fast and a grewat basher wit ha few upgrades and teh savage is a tank and ready for bashing (go revo) and check what is at your lhs of course like he said ^^^^

 

[Burt25]

Been looking at the Savage X4.6, Savage 3.3 and Revo 3.3 - what are the monster trucks like if I do decide to occasionally take it on to tarmac? Are they liable to topple when cornering? Also Is there much difference between the Savage 3.3 & 4.6 (both in RTR form) Thanks

 

[nicholas655]

ummmm, there is no savage 3.3 , its a revo 3.3 , 2.5 2.5r

savage 25 savage x savage x ss

toppling when cornering is all about how it is setup , i got mine to never toppple when cornering, the tires play a good role also, i use the tmax cgevron tires and never have a turnover yet, me personally i would go with e revo 3.3 and upgrade on tat , its a great starter truck and you will have alot of fun. easy to work and fun to learn. and goes pretty damn fast.

 

[olds97_lss]

The revo is a small block rig and the savage is a big block.

The revo 2.5 or 3.3 is a 1/10 scale truck and is quite a bit lighter, uses a smaller engine so the diffs are smaller and the transmission isn't quite as robust. It's designed more for the racer.

The savage is a 1/8 scale truck and uses a big block engine, trans gears are steel, diffs are larger to handle the big engine power. It's designed more for the basher.

Both will roll over on concrete depending on how they are setup. If you slam the suspension so they are closer to the ground and run non-sticky tires (like t-maxx 2.5 chevrons) then on concrete they have more of a tendency to slide instead of roll.

For a general basher, going with a rig that uses a big block engine would be preferred by me. You get more torque and typically the engines are more forgiving to tune due to the extra power. Even when running rich, you still get decent power out of them. This is important when your running in grass, hill climbing or just putzing around.

The savage SS is known for it's ability to be a basher. The savage X was designed more with the racer in mind. The revo (2.5R or 3.3) were designed as racers, but many bicker back and forth about it's bashing abilities.

I have had a revo and a savage. Both built up to take a beating. More often than not, the revo broke something and the savage did not. The revo handled better, but better handling and broken is still broken.

What I can say is steer clear of the t-maxx. Good for it's time, but it's a really fragile rig as well.

 

[Burt25]

Think I'm veering towards the Savage I like the idea of the more imposing size and there seem to be more shops near me which stock HPI , however am I right in saying that the revo has reverse? Can I add that to the savage, or am I unlikely to need it.

 

[olds97_lss]

The savage has a reverse module available, but rarely is reverse used. Most revo guys (myself included) opted to remove reverse to gain a stronger transmission. To use reverse in the revo causes you to use a primary drive gear inside the trans that is half as wide which is prone to failure. The reverse gears themselves are also prone to failure.

I can't speak as to whether the savage reverse module is robust or not. I never used it or saw a savage with it.

If you want an 1/8 scale that comes with reverse, then you might want to look into the LST2. It's trans is pretty solid and has reverse. The only downside is that it robs a bit of power with the extra parts in the trans. The LST line is also very capable for bashers and racers alike. A few key upgrades and they are pretty tough. RPM arms w/lunsford upper arm links and a good roll bar are about all that is required.

The only thing about the LST2 is you have pretty limited gearing. Although, with stock tires/wheels, it moves pretty quick.

 

[HeartBreak]

The Savage reverse module is fairly durable. When in forward, two of the gears (the first and last in the assembly) "key into" each other (kinda like a servo horn) and lock together to make an extremely strong setup. I've had zero problems with mine.

 

[v12revo]

for bashing i like the lst. even for hauling ass at the track. i also have a revo 3.3 the only thing i keep having to buy is spur gears. i played my bro a game of tug o war his revo 3.3 with a os 30vg and my lst with a mach 427, he didnt do too bad but i dragged it! lol that was fun.

 

[nicholas655]

pick your self up some robinson spur gear and hardened clutch bell and you shouldnt have a problem with that anymore , or its your mesh that isnt set up right,

 

[Burt25]

Just ordered a Savage X 4.6 RTR - can't wait to get my new toy. Thanx guys for your advice!