ugly duck
Posts: 357
Joined: 3/28/2008
From: Calgary, AB, CANADA
Status: offline
|
This started out as a PM, but I thought I should probably get a group opinion on this. It ALSO started out as a cross-post, but I didn't realize (and I still don't see the reason) that cross-posting is not allowed, so it got deleted from BOTH forums.
I'm trying to figure out what my next truck is going to be, and I'm torn between the two styles. I've heard much about the toughness of the old-style 1/8 truck, but so many people have been singing the praises of the MegaP that I'm not sure what to do, and with the new Redcat Ultralight series coming out they need to be investigated too. To be honest, I'll lean towards Redcat because my Redcat dealer is in Canada and I save so much money on shipping and duty by shopping with him, but the Himoto MegaP is cheaper than the Avalanche to begin with.
The reality of it is that I want something simple, tough, and fast. My Volcano is simple and it's fun enough but it's not really tough OR fast. I don't mind replacing the odd part and I know that the majority of my major failures have come from bad driving, which is why I am not buying a new truck until next spring, so I have some time to learn. It's the little things about my truck that bug me: spur gear wear, wobbley suspension, dogbones that are ready to fall out at one end but compressed solid at the other... stuff like that. These are examples of things that make the truck feel "cheap" to me, and things I'd like to avoid in my next truck.
The Avalanche chassis is still 2.5mm like the smaller truck, and I've folded my smaller (lighter) truck in half already so that's my first alarm bell. The Avalanche also doesn't seem to tie the front suspension directly to the rear suspension through a continuous top plate, which is another disadvantage. Where it IS rigid, it does look pretty strong, though, and I'm sure that I could build braces or whatever if they're needed. It does have the triangulation bars, though. The MXT-2S appears to have a more boxed-in chassis and it's all out of the durable nylon, so it should be rigid and light. The Landslide (Redcat's MXT-2S concept) has an Avalanche chassis with less aluminium and more nylon, so it's lighter but not as tough as the Himoto, I imagine.
The suspension of the Avalanche is extremely overbuilt, at least in appearance. I'm not sure about the front steering hub, but it doesn't seem to give people too much trouble. I assume that the Landslide will be the same as the Avalanche. I haven't seen too many good pictures of the Himoto front suspension, but from what I have seen it looks a LITTLE spindly on the top end, but the alloy uprights are a nice touch. It appears to be a C-hub design, which makes it a bit more complex and with the possibility of more slop, so I'm not crazy about that, and I assume that it's got considerably less caster than the Avalanche. All three trucks have sway bars and are nice and low to the ground so handling is going to be good, but the center diff should bring a small advantage to the Avalanche until the front wheels start spinning.
The drivetrain is where I'm a bit concerned for the MegaP: The smaller engine is going to be working harder, and with the two speed transmission there's an element of complexity and possible source of frustration. The Avalanche has it's center differential and single speed transmission so not only will it handle better but it's simpler at the same time. I'm not really worried about wheelies, but I could at least temporarily defeat the center diff if I wanted to - I can't add one to the MegaP. The SH.28 is a known excellent motor, and being that it's already a big block I can put whatever big block I want to in it. The Landslide is similar to the MegaP in this area, except that it's got an SH.18 intead of the Infinity, but the SH will probably be in the MegaP by the time I get around to buying one. The one area I'm worried about with the Avalanche is it's skinny little spur gear... The Landslide and the MXT-2S both seem to have a much fatter gear, plus an easily adjustable slipper clutch, and with less torque from the motor the gear's in less danger. The Avalanche comes with the universal joint outdrives and I haven't heard of them breaking, but they don't look as tough as dogbones...
I don't know what "other" benefits these trucks might come with, so I'm relying on your expertise here. An example would be that if one truck comes without wheel bearings, because then I'd have to decide if I want to buy the truck with bearings because I'd have to upgrade the other truck to bearings if I didn't, but then I'd have sealed bearings and not the crappy shielded ones the factory would supply. The radios and servos are probably all crap on these trucks, but I don't feel like upgrading (unless I get the Avalanche RTM) so the truck with the better gear would get the better score - radio box and sealing gets judged in this category as well.
So I see it like thus: the MegaP gains marks in chassis design and in sophistication, plus the spur gear/slipper clutch looks good, but it falls down in engine size and in the fact that it's got a 2 speed. The Avalanche is a known quantity with very tough suspension but possibly a weaker chassis, and it's got the big block with obvious benefits there, though I'm worried about the spur gear and outdrives. The Landslide looks like a cross between the MegaP and the Avalanche, bringing good and bad things from both, and is probably at the low end of the scoreboard. Redcat holds the lead regardless due to my personal situation regarding parts availability.
So what do you think, guys? I'm all ears. (Thanks for reading all this... I know it's long but I dwell on these things as you can see.) Hopefully the mods don't delete this thread this time... 
Matt
_____________________________
Sponsored by Redcat-Vancouver
Email: westcoasthobbies@shaw.ca
|
Printable Version
All Forums >> RC Cars, Buggies, Trucks, Tanks and more >> Himoto Racing Support Forum >> My new truck (second try) 
My new truck (second try) - 
