Question on Ofna 9.5 Pro Buggies

[Southern]

I'm looking for the most durable, strongest, toughest buggy I can find. I just want it for play. I would like it to be able to withstand some of the most EXTREME jumping and bashing offroad...

On the recommendation of a few guys that said they thought the Ofna 9.5 Pro was one of the toughest buggies on the market. The said they are tanks. I've never had an Ofna, so I wasn't familiar with them. (I've had other racing buggies over the years.)

I wasn't looking for a cheap RTR, but wanted a kit that I wouldn't mind abusing - doing extreme jumping off-road, construction sites, etc. Extreme, heavy use. I'm not planning to race it, so handling wasn't a concern. (I already have engines, radios and servos, so I don't want a RTR.)

Anyway, when I got the kit, I noticed it has cast steering knuckles. Are they durable? Should I get the CNC knuckles?

Also, I've seen people refer to the 9.5 as having a kingpin suspension. Looking at Ofna's matrix site, it looks like the lower-end 9.5s have kingpins, but the Pro has C-hubs. I don't know what kingpins are - can anyone explain the difference?

I don't really mind spending to get the toughest buggy, but if I need to start spending more money to make the Pro strong enough, it starts getting into Mugen Prospec or Kyosho 777 SP2 territory. (On the other hand, I don't know if I could bring myself to mistreat something as nice as a Mugen or Kyosho pro-level buggy...)

So, I guess I'm wondering if I made a mistake getting the 9.5 Pro. Is it stronger than a Jammin Factory Team kit? Someone told me they thought the plastics used in the Jammin and the 9.5 Pro were more brittle than others.

How strong is the 9.5 Pro compared to a Mugen base model MBX-5?

Oh - what about PBS steering? The kit I got doesn't have both, like the Ofna matrix descibes - just the C-hubs. Would it be any stronger converting it to PBS? Are those conversion parts even still available?

Thanks for any feedback, suggestions or tips!

 

[Plaidfish]

See if you had just asked here first I could have saved ya some serious coin on that same buggy you got...and already hopped up.....
Yes get the CnC knuckles but leave the C-hubs plastic till you feel confident you aren't gonna smack the boards hard anymore.....most of the K3 Kyosho parts will fit that chassis as well....get teh CnC chassis braces and the CF radio tray/front brace.....the CNC suspension pin capture plates are nice too since you have more adjustments w/ them......IF you can find one the CnC Chassis makes it handle hard turns WAY better as well....the jammin (I believe) is based on the 9.5 pro....it's just as tough and I hear 50/50 split from OFNA people they like one over the other......the jammin is newer so it's still getting the attention a new baby gets.....but it is deserving it for sure....
If you race keep the C-hubs....if you bash get the PBS setup.....it's a lilstronger but you loose a lil response in the steering

 

[Southern]

See if you had just asked here first I could have saved ya some serious coin on that same buggy you got...and already hopped up.....
Yes get the CnC knuckles but leave the C-hubs plastic till you feel confident you aren't gonna smack the boards hard anymore.....most of the K3 Kyosho parts will fit that chassis as well....get teh CnC chassis braces and the CF radio tray/front brace.....the CNC suspension pin capture plates are nice too since you have more adjustments w/ them......IF you can find one the CnC Chassis makes it handle hard turns WAY better as well....the jammin (I believe) is based on the 9.5 pro....it's just as tough and I hear 50/50 split from OFNA people they like one over the other......the jammin is newer so it's still getting the attention a new baby gets.....but it is deserving it for sure....
If you race keep the C-hubs....if you bash get the PBS setup.....it's a lilstronger but you loose a lil response in the steering

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not going to be racing this one at all, so adding adjustability doesn't interest me. I want to build a tank. Something that is just as strong as possible. I can still return the kit, if there is a stronger option...

It seems that the CNC knuckles would definitely add strength, as well as the 5mm CNC shock mounts and the CNC chassis braces. It seems that the CNC C-Hubs would add strength, but I don't know how durable the stock plastic ones are.

Now, as you can see, when you start adding up the add-ons, you're now in the Jammin Factory Team kit or Mugen Prospec or 777 SP2 territory, in terms of price. That's my delimma. Do I want to put that much money into a buggy like a 9.5? (What did they use to sell for, about a year ago?)

Am I trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear?

Thanks again.

 

[Plaidfish]

the higher end buggies will handle better and take more abuse but the 9.5 is more than capable of handling it's own...I raced mine very briefly w/ an RG and did pretty well for my first buggy.....2nd inthe B main twice.....now I have an XRay and I still can't do better than that....but I can really throw the XB8 around a lot more.......how much did you get teh kit for??
and do you have the other items needed to make it RTR.....I think the pro kit alone was around 325 last year (w/o the CnC parts)...don't quote me that's just what seems to stick in my head.......
Yes the CnC C-hubs are stronger but if you smack em around a bit they tend to bend the hell out of the steering linkages and knuckles......I left mine plastic since the parts are only 5 bucks a pair...it's a good cheap fail point......

 

[Southern]

I paid $400 for it, which seems way too much, after I opened the box. This is called a "Pro" kit, but it has 4mm stamped shock towers, stamped chassis braces, some of the cheapest pot-metal steering knuckles I've ever seen. The chassis is stamped. The C-hubs are plastic...

Anyway, when I got it, the guy said "this is the Pro version - it has everything, all the hopups, etc." It's really my fault for not researching it beforehand, but I bought it on a whim. I can certainly return it.

I guess I'm thinking out loud at this point and talking myself out of it... I don't know.

Thanks again. I'd still like to hear any additional thoughts.

 

[Plaidfish]

yeah for 400 that's a bit much....they had a limited kit that did have the hopups in it but it was like buying a prospec almost...it was only 50 bucks or so cheaper.....

 

[kx250ryder]

The newest 9.5 Pro kits have graphite radio tray, upper plate and diff support. They also come with PBS and C-Hub suspension, chrome CVA driveshafts, and a center Torsen diff.

I have a 9.5 Pro that I bought used, so I don't know what the stock shock towers are. I have a really thick graphite front tower, and a CNC rear tower, so I don't know which is factory.

Thus far, the only problems I have had, were with shearing screws. From time to time, I shear the screw that holds the tie rod to the knuckle. Also, I have sheared the wing mount screw a couple times. I haven't broken a single chassis piece yet, only screws.

Oh, my center Torsen diff keeps losing a e-clip that holds on one of the internal gears, so I guess you could list that too. But I am going to scrap that thing, and switch to a conventional center diff anyway.

I have wrecked six ways from sunday with that car, and it still keeps going. I don't think durability will be an issue for ya.

 

[olds97_lss]

Just curious, why if your intending on having it for bashing only, why you didn't go for a truggy type rig instead of a buggy? I find that a buggy just doesn't get around that well when it's not on a groomed surface.

I screwed my hb lightning all up just so I had some extra ground clearance and larger rims so rocks and bits didn't get jammed up in the rims all the time... It's fun now though... although, it's like driving a moped. Fun, but you don't want your friends see it. I didn't/don't have the $ to do it right, so I did it "right enough" instead.

 

[Southern]

Just curious, why if your intending on having it for bashing only, why you didn't go for a truggy type rig instead of a buggy? I find that a buggy just doesn't get around that well when it's not on a groomed surface.

I screwed my hb lightning all up just so I had some extra ground clearance and larger rims so rocks and bits didn't get jammed up in the rims all the time... It's fun now though... although, it's like driving a moped. Fun, but you don't want your friends see it. I didn't/don't have the $ to do it right, so I did it "right enough" instead.

That may be a better option. I wonder if a truggy will withstand as much abuse, since they have more rotating mass in the wheels and tires.

At any rate, you have a good point.

Thanks.

 

[kx250ryder]

Olds has a point. Truggies are probably better in almost all conditions than a buggy, but they carry a hefty price tag. The OFNA/Jammin CRT which has basically made all previous truggies obsolete will cost you 550+.

 

[Plaidfish]

I wonder if you can use the CRT setup from the bulkhead out on a 9.5?? I heard the Jammin is based on the 9.5...amybe the arms will attach to the bulks.....that would kick arse.....shorter wheelbase truggy for super tech tracks....