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Whats a good basher buggy ?
- Thread starter NITRO 21
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I would have, but I mention the Storm enough as it is.. didn't want to sound like a broken record.
In terms of quality, the Storm is a top notch rig. It's durable and handles very well. It has very good balance and there's so much aftermarket for it to keep you busy for a long time.
Comparing my Storm Pro (converted from a Storm RTR) to a Mugen, or Hyper 7, or pretty much any of the buggies, it compares very well. Everyone that drives my car is surprised how well it drives, how good the handling is, etc. I think a lot of folks kinda overlook the Storm; it's up on the shelf at almost all hobby shops but it's never the one people are buying. When they take a close look at my buggy, they like it a lot.
I haven't owned any other buggies, so I couldn't say that it was MORE durable then another buggy. But I don't break it very much.
The Storm RTR is pretty much exactly the same as the storm pro in terms of design; the RTR has some plastic where the Pro has metal, and the RTR has dogbones except for the front. There's other small differences (some bearings, etc) but nothing big.
Anyways, that's my opinion on the Storm =) I won't recommend you get one, I don't want that responsibility. But it is an option.
In terms of quality, the Storm is a top notch rig. It's durable and handles very well. It has very good balance and there's so much aftermarket for it to keep you busy for a long time.
Comparing my Storm Pro (converted from a Storm RTR) to a Mugen, or Hyper 7, or pretty much any of the buggies, it compares very well. Everyone that drives my car is surprised how well it drives, how good the handling is, etc. I think a lot of folks kinda overlook the Storm; it's up on the shelf at almost all hobby shops but it's never the one people are buying. When they take a close look at my buggy, they like it a lot.
I haven't owned any other buggies, so I couldn't say that it was MORE durable then another buggy. But I don't break it very much.
The Storm RTR is pretty much exactly the same as the storm pro in terms of design; the RTR has some plastic where the Pro has metal, and the RTR has dogbones except for the front. There's other small differences (some bearings, etc) but nothing big.
Anyways, that's my opinion on the Storm =) I won't recommend you get one, I don't want that responsibility. But it is an option.
Nitro_Freak
RCTalk Addict
a lot of people told me that the storm is pretty weak when it comes to durability. that's probably the only reason i didn't get it when i was buying a buggy...
For real? Weird. I've heard pretty much the opposite. Not too many people talk about the Storm, but those that do usually have good things to say about it in pretty much any regard.
Oh well. I think it's a tough little machine, your experience may vary.
Oh well. I think it's a tough little machine, your experience may vary.
NITRO 21 said:
I've heard a lot of folks say good things about the X-terminator, so I'm sure you'll be happy with it. The thing is, a lot of it is personal preference. I like the Storm, it's the one I chose after doing a little research. There were things I liked about it that you may not - and that's why having so many different brands to choose from is so great!
Truthfully, most of these things are about the same in the end. One might have this nifty thing that another one doesn't, but they are all basically the same. You can race pretty much any of them with confidence, as long as you take care of it and take the time to set it up for the way you drive.
And the best part is, no matter what you break, it's always replacable, and it's fun coming up with your own ways to make something stronger or better.
Have fun bashing =)
cbreaker said:
Well Put my friend. I have the PCR PRO and have ran with the Xterminator. That thing rocks. ONLY XTM KIT I LIKE. I am getting the storm tomorrow and have a grip of parts that are coming with it!!!
Sweet, if you have any questions or problems with the Storm, please feel free to ask me. I've done a lot of work on mine, and I've touched base with a lot of long time Storm drivers. So ask me if you need anything or if you'd like some advice.
Ericke1
RCTalk Addict
Also consider the Mayhem, i read a review in RC Driver and they gave this buggy some great marks for performance, durability, and value. Only thing they didnt like is the body.
Last edited:
Although discussed many times over, I'm not a "use the search" nazi, so here's the low-down:
1. Shock towers. Replace them immediatly. And don't go with cheap-o aluminum ones on e-bay - go for the dynamite, or Storm Pro, or Hardcore Racing shock towers. The hardcore racing ones own but they are very expensive ($42 each); the dynamite ones are the same metal as the Storm Pro ones, and they are red. Fioroni makes some too, but I'd rather just have the Hardcore Racing titanium ones over them (Fioroni is usually not cheap.)
2. Pipe. Ditch the GS noisemaker and get another pipe - any pipe really. You're better off going with a low end pipe. A decen't pipe isn't too expensive. There's no performance advantage to an "in line" pipe but they are more durable (and more expensive usually.) The stock GS engine is a good runner, and it will do a lot better with a good pipe. This isn't really a durability thing but it's the first thing I did to mine.
3. Hinge pin mounts. These are hard to find right now and kind of expensive. This will replace your plastic ones. Dynamite makes them, for about $12 a pair, but I have not seen them in stock anywhere for months. Horizon is out of the GS Storm Pro ones too; but the GS ones are expensive. You can find them on e-bay a lot but expect to pay for them. For the time being, you can put longer screws in your plastic ones, and put a lock nut on top to hold them in place. This works well for some people. The whole problem with the plastic ones is that the screws like to back out, and when they do, the whole arm can swing and snap, possibly damaging the shock, dogbones, etc. Check the screws often.
4. Consider getting a hexscrews (hexscrews.com) set. These are about $30 and worth it. It will convert your storm to all hex screws, and they are very tough. And the good thing is that you will have all your old screws as backups when you bend one (it happens..) Note that the Hexscrews set for the Storm RTR includes longer screws for the plastic chassis braces. Forget the RC Screwz set, I got this one and although the silver screws look nice, I've stripped out too many of them to ever consider getting them again. They also tend to bend pretty easily.
5. If you haven't already, make sure you ditch the 4-cell pack and get a 5-cell hump pack. Much more powerful. While you're at it, try to get a better steering servo, and move your JR 590 to the throttle position for better brakes.
Really, the shocks towers are important. You'll bend the RTR ones immediately. Beyond this, the benefits will be smaller but each one helps. Things like the carbon fiber plates are nice, especially the center diff one with the bearings for the brakes. The two-peice center diff holder from Dynamite is also nice; it's more rigid and makes pulling the center diff a lot easier.
A quick hopup you can do is to replace the bushings in the steering arms with bearings. This will help smooth the steering. The Storm Pro steering plate is very nice too.
If you plan on getting CV driveshafts for the thing, which you can often get at resonable prices on e-bay, keep in mind that the center CVD's will be too long for the Storm RTR chassis; you'll have to upgrade to the Storm Pro chassis at the same time. (You can often find the Storm Pro chassis on e-bay for a resonable price.) The Storm RTR center dogbones will be too short for the Storm Pro chassis, so if you upgrade either you have to do both at the same time.
Some people have had issues with the chassis braces (torq rods they are sometimes called) popping out of their ball-ends. I never had the problem, but I did upgrade to the Storm Pro chassis braces anyways. They are more rigid. Another problem some folks have had that I don't is the bulkheads snapping where the shock towers attach to them. Fioroni makes a rear bulkhead brace that will solve the problem, but I have not felt the need to get it because I never had one break. Bulkheads are cheap anyways =)
One thing I suggest you do is mount the wing mount differently to the bulkhead/shock tower. There's four screws holding it in place. I use longer screws on the bottom, and then screw them right through the bulkhead and throw a locknut on the other side. Since I did this I have not had my wing mount rip out of the bulkhead; it happened to me three times before I did that. It didn't really break anything, it would just strip out the bulkhead's screw hole and the wing would fall off.
Last but not least, make sure none of the plastic parts are binding with each other. I had to pull apart my front end when I first got the thing because everything was so tight. I just used some sandpaper and opened up a few places just a little bit, like where the C-Hubs sit and the upper suspension arms hook up in the middle. Once I went through it, it was really nice and smooth.
There's a lot of cool hopups for the Storm out there, so have some fun with it =)
1. Shock towers. Replace them immediatly. And don't go with cheap-o aluminum ones on e-bay - go for the dynamite, or Storm Pro, or Hardcore Racing shock towers. The hardcore racing ones own but they are very expensive ($42 each); the dynamite ones are the same metal as the Storm Pro ones, and they are red. Fioroni makes some too, but I'd rather just have the Hardcore Racing titanium ones over them (Fioroni is usually not cheap.)
2. Pipe. Ditch the GS noisemaker and get another pipe - any pipe really. You're better off going with a low end pipe. A decen't pipe isn't too expensive. There's no performance advantage to an "in line" pipe but they are more durable (and more expensive usually.) The stock GS engine is a good runner, and it will do a lot better with a good pipe. This isn't really a durability thing but it's the first thing I did to mine.
3. Hinge pin mounts. These are hard to find right now and kind of expensive. This will replace your plastic ones. Dynamite makes them, for about $12 a pair, but I have not seen them in stock anywhere for months. Horizon is out of the GS Storm Pro ones too; but the GS ones are expensive. You can find them on e-bay a lot but expect to pay for them. For the time being, you can put longer screws in your plastic ones, and put a lock nut on top to hold them in place. This works well for some people. The whole problem with the plastic ones is that the screws like to back out, and when they do, the whole arm can swing and snap, possibly damaging the shock, dogbones, etc. Check the screws often.
4. Consider getting a hexscrews (hexscrews.com) set. These are about $30 and worth it. It will convert your storm to all hex screws, and they are very tough. And the good thing is that you will have all your old screws as backups when you bend one (it happens..) Note that the Hexscrews set for the Storm RTR includes longer screws for the plastic chassis braces. Forget the RC Screwz set, I got this one and although the silver screws look nice, I've stripped out too many of them to ever consider getting them again. They also tend to bend pretty easily.
5. If you haven't already, make sure you ditch the 4-cell pack and get a 5-cell hump pack. Much more powerful. While you're at it, try to get a better steering servo, and move your JR 590 to the throttle position for better brakes.
Really, the shocks towers are important. You'll bend the RTR ones immediately. Beyond this, the benefits will be smaller but each one helps. Things like the carbon fiber plates are nice, especially the center diff one with the bearings for the brakes. The two-peice center diff holder from Dynamite is also nice; it's more rigid and makes pulling the center diff a lot easier.
A quick hopup you can do is to replace the bushings in the steering arms with bearings. This will help smooth the steering. The Storm Pro steering plate is very nice too.
If you plan on getting CV driveshafts for the thing, which you can often get at resonable prices on e-bay, keep in mind that the center CVD's will be too long for the Storm RTR chassis; you'll have to upgrade to the Storm Pro chassis at the same time. (You can often find the Storm Pro chassis on e-bay for a resonable price.) The Storm RTR center dogbones will be too short for the Storm Pro chassis, so if you upgrade either you have to do both at the same time.
Some people have had issues with the chassis braces (torq rods they are sometimes called) popping out of their ball-ends. I never had the problem, but I did upgrade to the Storm Pro chassis braces anyways. They are more rigid. Another problem some folks have had that I don't is the bulkheads snapping where the shock towers attach to them. Fioroni makes a rear bulkhead brace that will solve the problem, but I have not felt the need to get it because I never had one break. Bulkheads are cheap anyways =)
One thing I suggest you do is mount the wing mount differently to the bulkhead/shock tower. There's four screws holding it in place. I use longer screws on the bottom, and then screw them right through the bulkhead and throw a locknut on the other side. Since I did this I have not had my wing mount rip out of the bulkhead; it happened to me three times before I did that. It didn't really break anything, it would just strip out the bulkhead's screw hole and the wing would fall off.
Last but not least, make sure none of the plastic parts are binding with each other. I had to pull apart my front end when I first got the thing because everything was so tight. I just used some sandpaper and opened up a few places just a little bit, like where the C-Hubs sit and the upper suspension arms hook up in the middle. Once I went through it, it was really nice and smooth.
There's a lot of cool hopups for the Storm out there, so have some fun with it =)
- Thread starter
- #35
Thanks for the tips I am looking into the hexscrews set and the hardcore racing shock towers do you know if I will have to order through there site or is there somewhere else that sells them, also I have noticed that the brakes are not that great but thought it might just be something I have to adjust with the radio as I am still learning about it, finally does anyone know if the body should be cut more than what it was because the exhaust header burned a hole right through it.
I got my front hardcore tower from Horizon, and I ordered the rear one direct from Hardcore. Same price. You can probably get them from anyone that sells their stuff. Ordering from Hardcore direct was easy, and they had the part in stock.
The brakes are okay stock; I have not found them to be weak at all. The Storm Pro has the dual disc brake setup (two front two rear) and it probably helps reduce fade. This is a pretty easy upgrade, all it takes is for you to add two more discs and a center caliper that's padded on both sides (you normally buy the calipers and pads seperately, and you use rubber cement to glue them on.) I only have singles and it works well. I'm sure if you adjust them a bit you'll find the braking power to be good - especially if you put the JR590 in your throttle position because that 270 is a pretty weak servo (40oz I think.)
I had to cut my Storm RTR body where the manifold sticks out. Mine started to melt too. I just used an x-acto knife.
The brakes are okay stock; I have not found them to be weak at all. The Storm Pro has the dual disc brake setup (two front two rear) and it probably helps reduce fade. This is a pretty easy upgrade, all it takes is for you to add two more discs and a center caliper that's padded on both sides (you normally buy the calipers and pads seperately, and you use rubber cement to glue them on.) I only have singles and it works well. I'm sure if you adjust them a bit you'll find the braking power to be good - especially if you put the JR590 in your throttle position because that 270 is a pretty weak servo (40oz I think.)
I had to cut my Storm RTR body where the manifold sticks out. Mine started to melt too. I just used an x-acto knife.
