Heshup

Hello everybody! Just found the forum a while back. Been doing a lot of reading. What a great place! Just filled full of lots of good info.

I am wanting to build a monster truck, 1/8 scale. I do not want to buy a truck, take it out of the box, start it up, and run it. No fun in that. I have read several articles where beginners should not attempt this task, that they should buy one put together for their first one. I am a beginner but I do not feel that I fall under the beginner's category by any means. To me, the thrill of owning one of these, is building one of these. This being said, I am asking people here to help me put together what I will need to build an awesome monster truck. We need to think rugged, fast, using the best parts. I believe in you getting what you pay for. I want it to be nitro.

I have ordered and received the new 2007 Tower Hobby catalog, as I see most people here talk highly of them. What I fail to see in this catalog is where one can buy a kit that one can build. If anybody has any info of any other great places for buying kits, all links would be greatly appreciated.

I would sincerely appreciate all the help I could get putting together this kit.

Many thanks.
Stone

HerrSavage

For a 1/8 MT kit, then HPI Savage X SS - no question. About the best thing going anyway - for pure bashing..

Chronic

Yep, the Savage X SS. HPI is the only MT manufacturer(that I'm aware of anyway) that recognizes people like you who prefer to do their own assembly, so that's about the only MT kit you're going to find. Like any good kit should, it comes with lots of factory hopup parts. You have to supply all of the eletronics, but the kit does come with a decent .28 size engine to get you started.

DaveG55

I thought Koyosho and Tamiya made MT kits. 'Course you won't find those on Tower. I'd guess that the Savage X SS is far and away the most popular kit and the truck you'll find the most aftermarket support for.

CESSPOOL

Buy the truck you want and take apart!

I wanted the same thing when I got my truck a few months back. I was into RC cars about 12-15 years ago, and thought half the fun was building them. I was bummed to find out losi didn't offer and MT Kits. If I would of known about the Hellfire SS kit, I would of waited for it. the truck is flipping sweet! if I would of known about the savage x kit It may of got me. But in my posts about kit MT's, I don't remember ever seeing it. But I was a die-hard Losi fan back in the day, and was kinda partial to them upon re-entering the scene. So i bought an LST2 and took it apart and put it back together.

But you probably won't be dissapointed with the savage's durability. Hell, I may buy one now just to build it...

Chronic

I'm not completely sure. Neither of them offer their "top shelf" MTs in kit form anyway. The Kyosho Mad Force was available in kit form(look at my sig) but not anymore.


The SS is a nice buy if you want a Savage. I'm no fan of HPI electronics, so the kit is nice in that regard. Instead of getting another useless AM radio and weak servos to sit and collect dust, they give you tons of hopup parts instead. It also has a healthy long lasting .28 engine in the box. You get stronger chassis plates, stronger engine plate, aluminum diff cups, hardened and shimmed diff gears, adjustable upper arms, adjustable links, steel spur gear, hardened and vented clutchbell, Dirtbonz tires, a tuned pipe, HD diff shafts, HD joint cups, HD dogbones. I don't even think that's the whole list either, it comes with quite a few upgraded parts... for about the same money as the RTR.

duckedup

The more I hear about the XSS, the more I think about getting one... I had it narrowed down to the LST2 or the Muggy for my next truck.. then checked out a CRT kit.. and now considering the XSS.. man I hate being so indecisive![:@]...... I don't really want another basher but that kit looks really nice. (and being a kit is a big plus IMO).. there's so many upgrades, makes it hard to over look..

sorry, not trying to steal the thread, just had to get that out..

chrobar

Definately the XSS by ALL MEANS!! So many goodies I can't count them all. It's also a kit so you buy your own REAL electronics.

Heshup

Is there something I need to know about the HPI?


I like the Savage X SS. The one thing I don't like is the body. Lets just say I be a big fan of Toyota. Not bad price. I figure to spend about $800+. In fact I figure I will have a grand or so before it is all done. The money is not a problem. What are the electronics that people are talking about I will need that don't come with the kit.

Keep the info coming

Thanks
Stone

Heshup

No problem just jump in any time.

Stone

Fiegs

The electronics you would need to buy for the kit is
the transmitter and reciever
along with a throttle and steering servo.

duckedup

RTR trucks usually don't come with very good electronics- AM, sub-par servos etc... (except the LST2, it comes with a nice setup)

$800 is a great buget to work with, you should be able to put together a nice ride with that [sm=thumbup.gif]... with the XSS kit you'll need to provide your own electronics (radio, receiver, servos).. One to consider would be a Spektrum system, no need for crystals, no glitching, no interference and a built in failsafe.. with a budget like that, you've got a few nice radio options though.. The Spektrum DX3 radio system comes with the servos you'll need and I believe it comes with an extra receiver too.

If you don't like the body, you can paint your own or buy an already painted body.. (there's several on ebay usually)

HerrSavage

There are DOZENS of body options for the Savage...

Heshup

Need to get the order in on this MT, wife is on my butt big time to get this done. Forgot to say this is her X-Mass to me this year.

So I can deal with the HPI Savage X SS. Need to know if they be anything I can upgrade on the X SS to make it better.

Now the electronics, radio, receiver, servos. I have no clue as to what are good brand/models. I do need the reverse for this MT. I figure they will be some small things I will need as I go through the build. I do like the Roto Start System. Are they any good or should one go with the electric start? This has two disk brake system and I have seen some trucks that had four wheel disk brakes. That was so cool. Good or bad?

Now if you like to talk about computer parts then you need to ask me what are the brands and what it takes to build a kick gaming rig. This is what I do on the side and have for years.

So some more input and point me to the parts will help.

Thanks so much for everyones input so far.

Stone

duckedup

I'll let the Savage guys chime in on what you might need/want for extra hop-ups.. With the XSS kit, you're basically getting a hopped up truck already though.. you might need/want to get a 5 cell rechargable receiver pack though, not sure....

As for the radio..
-Futaba........(3PM, 3PK..)
-JR..............(XS3, XR3..)
-Airtronics....(MX-3, M-11..)
-Spektrum....(DX2, DX3..)
-Nomadio
^^ all good brands..
Since you've got decent budget, make sure you get at least a FM system. Synthesized is one FM option (no need for crystals, change the channel on radio/receiver if/when needed), FM with crystals (non synth) is the other FM option, you're just stuck on the same channel and have change the crystals to change channels.. DSM is the next step up (Spektrum), killer range, no glitching, no interference.. Spektrum has it's own complete radio system (example: DX3) but you can also get a Spektrum module for all the above mentioned brands (except the Nomadio, it has a different system)..

A radio like the JR XS3 synthesized FM is a great system for the $$, that's what I run and I love it so far.. You can find it for around or under $100 on ebay and that's hard to beat considering all it's features and being synth.. If you go that route, you'll probably want to get a nice servo separately, look for a servo with metal gears and with at least 180oz of torque.. (Airtronics, JR, Futaba, KO, etc.. all make servos)
The other system I like is the Spektrum DX3, I've already mentioned it's features though so I won't waste anymore space.... that one will cost quite a bit more though.. (I'm not sure how powerful the servos are that come with that system)

Here's a couple links..
-[link=http://cgi.ebay.com/JR-RACING-XS3-RADIO-RECEIVER-3-Ch-RS310-FM-40MHZ_W0QQitemZ170034263240QQihZ007QQcategoryZ1200 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]JR XS3[/link] ... this is just an example, you can find them for less..
-[link=http://cgi.ebay.com/JR-Racing-XS3-Pro-Synth-FM-Pistol-75MHZ-R-C-Radio-NEW_W0QQitemZ180054113489QQihZ008QQcategoryZ34063Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]JR XS3 Pro[/link] ... basically the same as the above radio, it's got 10 model memory instead of 6 and it's silver.. might have other extra features, not sure though..
-[link=http://cgi.ebay.com/Spektrum-DX3-0-DSM-2-4-Ghz-Radio-Transmitter-SPM20300_W0QQitemZ220051535808QQihZ012QQcategoryZ3 4063QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]Spektrum DX3[/link] ... another example, this is a good price though..

Servo..
[link=http://cgi.ebay.com/Airtronics-94358Z-200-oz-in-10s-High-Torque-Servo_W0QQitemZ260057336552QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4402 8QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]Airtronics 94358Z, 200oz.[/link] .. *just an example.. there are others for a little less but that's a good one, just make sure it's around or over a 180oz and metal geared..

Chronic

You are going to need a radio and reciever, three servos, the reverse module, a 5 cell "hump" style battery pack, and a failsafe.

As for a radio recommendation, I would suggest the Spektrum DX3. I've seen people talk about seeing it on sale for less than $200 lately... and that is a screaming deal. I paid $240 for mine. You get two servos with it(JR 590 and 270) and they are perfect for throttle/brake and reverse duties. The Spektrum has a built in failsafe too, and it comes with a second RX in the box so you can also use it on a second RC without having to buy anything extra. You'll need a steering servo and I would recommend getting a good one right off the bat. I can recommend the JR Z9000T. It has 320oz of torque, which is 4 times stronger than what the RTR Savage comes with... and it's faster too! It's kind of expensive at $110, but to be honest I haven't seen a servo yet for under $70 that I would suggest using for steering a Savage, so $40 more isn't the end of the world. Get a 5 cell nimh hump pack and don't even bother with the 4 AA batt holder that it comes with. You'll get much better response and run times with the rechargeable pack. You need to buy the optional HPI reverse module if you want reverse.

I would also suggest getting some aluminum clutch shoes for it. Very few people are happy with the composite shoes it comes with and you will see better performance from the aluminum ones. The stock shoes often slip so bad that they create enough heat in the clutchbell to melt plastic spur gears(the SS has a steel spur though). The Nova brand shoes are nice and they last a good amount of time too. Mugen brand shoes are also popular with Savage guys. Any of the common 1:8 3 piece shoe sets will fit the Savage.

There is a common mod called the "Ofna linkage mod" that alot of people do to replace the stock stuff. A quick web search should turn up some info on it. It replaces the stock components with Ofna pieces, and you get better brake actuation and throttle response from it. The stock throttle/brake linkage is kind of crappy, but it works so this one isn't really a "must have".

The foam inserts that HPI supplies with the Dirtbonz tires is too soft, but luckily they aren't pre-mounted with the SS kit so it's easy to fix. Get some Pro-line, or similar, foams for them. The tires will last longer and the truck will handle much better.

Replace the plastic bushings on the steering posts with some 6x10x3 bearings.

You might also want to grab an aftermarket screw kit instead of putting it together with the hardware HPI supplies. The stock stuff is phillips head self tapping screws. You will end up replacing them because of stripping and breakage anyway, so you might as well do it right the first time and use hex head machine thread screws. I like the $20 screw kit that SMFstore.com sells.

I know that seems like alot, but you asked for suggestions... so there they are.

Heshup

This is what I come up with so far.

Savage X SS.

Spektrum DX3.0

Steering servo JR Z9000T

5 cell nimh hump pack. One brand better than another?
I know on my Cannon Power shot S3-IS I use nothing but POWEREX MH-4AA270BH 2700mAh AA Ni-MH. Best money can buy. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817355002 I was never a big fan of AA rechargeable till I came across these. They put that bunny to shame! LOL!

Aluminum clutch 1:8 3 piece shoe sets. Nova, Mugen Brand.

Foam inserts. Pro-line or similar.

6x10x3 bearings. I take I will need four of them.

Screw kit.

HPI reverse module.

I will need a good tool kit to help put this together. Any input on what would be a good tool kit.

I have search for the Ofna linkage mod and found some input for this. Still looking for a good place to get that and a little more understanding as just what to get.

Chronic and duckedup You have been great and not to forget the others that have posted. You all have been great! Keep the input coming.

Thanks
Stone

chrobar

that what you've got there is a great start. All of that and some fuel and a glow starter and you've got a killer mt.

Heshup

Wife asked to see a link to this truck so I sent her the link to Tower Hobbies. Well the next thing I know I was sent a email from T H telling me she ordered the Savage X SS late last night from her work, the cost was $419.99 free shipping. She had no clue that I had coupon code for $40.00 off. I called T H this AM when they opened and talk to this young lady and told her what happened and she credited her card the $40.00. So wife got the X SS for $379.00. They had done charge her card and the order had been filled. I like companies that take care of their customers. I will be doing more ordering from Tower Hobbies.

Now if the rest of the build goes like this I see this MT getting a few more hop-ups. Now to find this Spektrum DX3.0 for under $200.00.

When I do this build I will start a new thread and have photos of the entire build.

HerrSavage

Hey, can I have your code for 40 bucks off????????????? Is that possible??? If so, that would sure be swell..........................

Chronic

Not the newer DX3.0, but the older model, the DX3. I'm sure the price has dropped now that it's replacement has hit the market.

I can't help you with where to find it for that price, I've just seen a couple of people mention it. Ebay maybe? Go to the HPI forum and ask, I think that's where I saw a couple of people post about it.

Tower does treat it's customers well, and they have a very nice selection of parts. Some other online shops that I can highly recommend based on my past experiences are: KillerHobbies.com --- SMFstore.com --- and Amainhobbies.com. Between the four of them you can almost always find what you need. Matt at Killer is a great guy and he really looks out for his customers. The guys over at SMF are awesome to work with also.

Heshup

I order the 2007 catalog and a small Tower Talk catalog came with it. The codes came in Tower Talk catalog and says that you can use these in the main catalog, Tower Talk or online.

This should be good for anyone that want to use them. The offers is good till Dec. 31 06.

199.99 - 249.99 save 20.00 code 010ra
250.00 - 299.99 save 25.00 code 010rb
300.00 - 399.99 save 30.00 code 010rc
400.00 - 499.99 save 40.00 code 010rd
500.00 - 699.99 save 50.00 code 010re
700.00 - 999.99 save 70.00 code 010rf
1000.00 - or more save 100.00 code 010rg

Every one enjoy the savings

Stone

Heshup

Chronic
Thanks for the heads up on the links.

Stone

Heshup

After searching the web about the JR Z9000T servo I ran across a Service Bulletin http://www.jrradios.com/Articles/HobbyWire.aspx on these servos sold between May 1, 2006 and August 31, 2006 have faulty motors. My concern is how many of these are still being sold. I wonder if the package has any date on them as to the production date.

Stone

dralion

Thank you for asking this question and running this thread. I am very interested in doing the same thing - buying a monster truck. I too have been interested in building mine from the ground up and have done the research on the radios and trucks. However, hearing about the extras that make the Savage a better vehicle really helps. The experience shared on this thread is very valuable. Thread-starter: please post pics and keep us updated as I look forward to doing the same thing you have.

Kevin