dp20004

I was thinking of geting a Associated 1/8 Monster GT 8.0 RTR but havent found any reviews on one. I want a good 1/8 scale monster truck but not sure what is good my budget is $800 any ideas. Thank you in advance

Barber420

My Feedback: (1)

Great truck!!! More power than you will ever need though. On my buddies we run it a little detuned so it's not CONSTANTLY pulling wheelies. If you have it tuned in and pull the trigger even a 1/16th of an inch it will lift the front tires![X(] Seems to be very tough, and we haven't broken anything on it yet. No house jumping or anything, but it's been driven hard. The radio that comes with it is very nice compared to most RTR's too. Their is a thread on here all about the MGT series of trucks. Do a search for MGT 8.0 and you'll learn a lot about them.

KILL--ROY

Stay away from the 8.0, the transmissions are crap.
I had one and it runs great, but the trans was always a problem.
I had two of these trucks and they both stripped gears in the trans

If you want a good truck get a savage, I have one it is a good truck, also look at the tmaxx.


Are you new to the hobby?

Barber420

My Feedback: (1)

Really? You sure it wasn't the operator? I've seen an MGT 8.0 take MASSIVE amounts of abuse and never have a problem. Maybe you were driving it crazy, or maybe you just got a bunk unit. It does happen. I think any truck that can take a jump 40' high and 60' long, land, and drive away is pretty tough.

ilanstylz

My Feedback: (12)

I've read up on alot of different trucks (also trying to decide which one to get), and every single monster truck such as savage, losi, associate, traxxas etc etc has problems with their setups.......... I say go for the one you think is the best for you, one that you will be happy with and not have one regret after buying it......... I only own associated products so I can only vouch for them, they are great products and offer tons of aftermarket products and support... From what I read savage and losi's are great trucks as well, I am actually thinking of getting the new losi xxl when it comes out next month, because it looks very promising and losi is known for their durability... So whichever truck you decide to go with, make sure you do alot of research on it beforehand such as: breaking in and tuning issues, part availability (at LHS or online), is it good for bashing/racing or both etc etc.........

keithinspace

My brother has two MGT 4.6's and two MGT 8.0's. And my Dad has a MGT 8.0.

There are some small issues each have had, but in general they have all handled an ENORMOUS amount of abuse. I run a Traxxas REVO and for quite a while was VERY frustrated with my breaking after 1/2 tank while my brother was running around me for 4 hours. And the 8.0 makes absolutely stupid power.

I've finally gotten the REVO to be pretty much bulletproof, but I've observed the MGT to be a very durable truck. I haven't seen them have any tranny problems, gear problems, or engine problems. Most of the issues have been with some poorly designed items at the wheels, body mounts prone to breakage, and some suspension linkage issues since the rods are in single shear instead of double shear.

Generally speaking, I admire the MGT and wouldn't mind having one. In a new truck purchase, I'd choose between the HPI Savage XL 5.9 or the MGT 8.0.

driller2948

They all have transmission problems! For example if you put a modded picco .28 on a savage you will put a lot of stress on the transmission and diffs. Go look at what others are saying in the hpi forum. Same goes for the previous MGT's .21 & 4.6. The 8.0 tranny's are much improved but I don't believe they can hold up to the low tourqe of the .50 thats why they are failing. I have heard 8.0 owners are pulling and selling the engines new on bay and replacing with either a picco .28 or LRP .28. With very good succes. The new thing now is the LRP .30! BudBud just lost his savage transmission to a .30. Although that transmission was put through a lot of abuse with previously modded piccos. I love my MGT and would like to have a savage but bought a truggy instead. There are a lot of savage owners on this forum more than MGT owners I believe! If you buy a MT what ever brand that may be you likely have transmisson issues buy a truggy and you will not. (SORRY NOT TRYING TO START A DEBATE MT VS TRUGGY JUST AN OPTION THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED).

If you chose a MGT 8.0 sell the .50 engine get an LRP or PICCO they are the most popular and shouldn't have a problem with forum support. The radio is much better than most although the steering servo should be replaced with something around 275-330oz of tourqe an 13-15sec of speed. You can use the steering servo 111oz @ 20sec for your throttle & break but for under $50 you gan get 133oz @ 14sec. that will give you much better throttle response. Then use the 111oz @ 20sec for your shifting servo or go forward only. Shim the diffs and you have a very nice rig.

If you chose a Savage the are much better out of the box forward only. 5.9 engine is ok most sell on bay and replace with LRP or PICCO. Radio is not as good as the MGT, steering servo 300oz @ 20sec very strong just not fast enough same goes for the throttle & break you will eventualy replace both. Shim the diffs and you have a very nice rig. The new 3 spd transmissions have not been as durable as the older 2 spd with modded engines.

As far as reviews go I can't help there but here's a few other site you can check:
http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/for...0&daysprune=-1
http://www.rcnitrotalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=63

Jarrett123

Well you have a pretty good budget there so you could get something like a Savage ss and start out with better electronics. Or you could just replace the ones on the MGT i would wait to replace though. Why waste a good servo. Wait till it breaks. I am in the process of buying either a savage or MGT 8.0. I found a savage ss that comes with the engine for $370 on AMAINHOBBIES.COM and thats the only place i can find that has it, but those are my two choices. I like to build, but the MGT's power seems great. So im gonna research and find which one is best for me.

CHAVAN30

My Feedback: (2)

driller, where do you bash at? i am in your area and am looking for a good bashing spot.

driller2948

Man!  I bash when and where I can.  All my buds have moved on[] I have no-where really to bash.  Normaly I bash in the feild behind my drilling yard or around the house.  It's nothing special!  This area is building up big time.  It's fat clay and limestone.      

HoverDude

Maybe you delt with a faulty Tranny from the start. Let me tell you, my bro' and I bash, smash and crash our MGT 8.0's like we want to break them !!!
I couldn't tell why, but we love playing chicken and all kinds of stupid crap like that and the only thing that brakes on my truck is the body posts. (mainly the front)
When we go bash with our buddies, whom drive HPI, Traxxas,...they always go home with broken A-arms and stuff like that.

And to cure my body post problem, I got rid of them in the front and rigged two hinges where the bumper meets the bulkhead. So now the body openslike a corvette hood and allI have to do is unclip the rear post. It's nice not having to deal with body clips. : )

Barber420

My Feedback: (1)

Good idea. You should post some pics of it!

HoverDude

Check out the prop-rod !

HoverDude

Two more pics.

Barber420

My Feedback: (1)

So how exactly does that work? It looks like you used one of those hardcore paper clips(don't know what they're called) and two zip ties, but I don't quite get how it's all attached. I just looked at mine, but still don't quite get it. Could you explain it a little more in depth please.

HoverDude

1st, the paper clip is just to hold the prop-rod, that's all.

2nd, I drilled 2 small holes under the sticker of a grill. (look at pic for placement of holes.)

3rd,I used 2 zip ties and wrapped them around the black bumper brace directly over the silver plate.

That's all,... just make sure you remove body post in front completely and leave alittle slack for body to open forward.
If zip ties are tight you will not be able to have the hood effect.

p.s. paper clip is snapped on front of shock tower.

Barber420

My Feedback: (1)

Okay, that's simple enough. The paper clip is what was throwing me. I'll have to try it when I get my RPM a-arms and am able to drive it again. Good tip!!

ausrcnut

That's some pretty good Tech there. You're quite right. All trucks are engineered to the systems they are integrated with, and everything is built around the engine. Everything is engineered for the minimum figures for the power output of the supplied engine. Thus when we go changing engines, things break. So, we really need to start over engineering a truck, Im actually surprised that the Germans havent built a typical over engineered beast. Speaking of which, just for ****s n giggles, I bought on of the german made SEBEN Racing 1/8 MT. Then ordered the Associated 8.0 engine from Tower and fitted. It wont stop wheelying anddoes 4wd donutson the tar. I dont think it'll last too long though, but is still holding out...!!! haha

ntrain42

How is the MGT 8.0 compared to say the Savage XL or Losi XXL? If we were judging these 3 trucks on just the chassis alone(not the engine or electronics)and you had to buy your own engine and electronics what are the plus/minus between the 3?

del1969

Stay away from the MGT and savage. the Losi is the way to go if you have the money.
The Losi will out handle the other to. The savage is the toughest.

ausrcnut

Hi ntrain42.

How is the MGT 8.0 compared to say the Savage XL or Losi XXL if we were judging these 3 trucks on just the chassis alone....??

It TOTALLY depends on what you are looking for. Some people get wrapped up in the "engineering"side ofit,and end up buying a truck for its engineering complexity, because at the end of the day, it is the hobby. Imagine trying tobuild oneof these trucks in real life....you'dbe spending $$$$$$ of dollars. This way, wecan still mod andexperiment with complex engineered sports vehicles at a fraction of the cost.But depends on the audience and the application the vehicle was design for in the first place. If you are after a complete ready to RACE truck out of the box, the only one to go for is the Traxxas or LOSI. But dont go bashing too hard as this is not what its been designed for. Bottom line is, just about no truck is race ready. Every truck will need to be adjusted accordingly to race conditions.

* MGT is a flat pan chassis truck. Itsan awesome truck. Its simplistic, strong, and it "works". Hear of the "KISS" notion...Keep It Simple Silly", well, thats the MGTall over. Ruggered, and designed for the racetrack in mind, its beenover-engineeredalso being aimed at the general weekend warrior. Lets face it, who wants todesign, build and marked a truck that's gonna be a failure. This is whyAssociated have done this.Itslight (due to the flat-pan chassis and selected aluminium components, strong, great at jumps, handles well for a stock vehicle, and goes like bat outta hell. Yes it munches fuel, but there are mods that can fix that.

* SavageXL is a H frame chassis, more complex, extemely strong and riggid as well as heavier. The engineering aspect of the XL is very complex. They build this truck with strength and realism in mind. They wanted this truck to be complex, realistic....strong, and aimed at the experienced hobbyist. Like most will agree....the hobby is about the tinkering, modding and experimenting....not just the playing. This truck handles reasonably out of the box, but WILL need suspension tweeking for the race track. It is build well, and can take a beating for a heavier truck. Its one of my favourite for the sheer build design and complexity. SavageXL with a .32LRP and you'll be grinning all day. The cen gst 7.7 is a upscaled version of the Savage XL. Again, with motor modifications, the cen is a sheer over-engineeredbullet proof complex truck.

* LOSI XXL is another flat-pan chassis vehicle. This vehicle was designed for the race track. Like the MGT it also is verysimplistic andis also over engineered, so it CAN take a beating. Suspension is just awesome.Truck is lighter, so it naturally responds and handles better, but also because it was designed to handle betterfor the racemarket. LOSI is racing bread all over, thats their speciality. The power to weight ratio is great, with only a 4.6 engine, it can propel the craft the same as the MGT. In my view, the LOSI XXL is a super refined MGT. But if you were to get a strong bash truck for jumps and sheer fun, and didnt care abouthandling tooo much,the MGT would be the go. If you wanted a MGT but were fuel concious, send your 8.0 engine to POWERHOUSERCPERFORMANCE and they will getthat engine"breathing fire on the sniff of an oily rag". again, all goes into the hobby of experimentation. If you wanted to bash and play, then get a Tamiya super hornet or a matchbox car.

ausrcnut

If you'd like to see some MGT 8.0durabilty, view this link. Its well worth the watch, and at leastit will tell you if this is thetype of vehicle you are searching for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjnOc...eature=related

ntrain42

Ive seen all these trucks on youtube. THe MGT 8.0 seems like a cheaper version of the Losi XXL. The Losi from what I gather comes with a better "LRP" engine, better name brand 2.4ghz transmitter(DX3S), has a better designed dual servo sterring system, and nicer suspension with the single big bore shocks. As was stated, its like the Losi XXL is a refined version of the 8.0, I would agree with that from quick research. And no, this is not me knocking the 8.0, as Im sure its a fine truck regardless, the XXL on paper just seems to have a better overall chassis design on paper.........and it seems like it comes with a better radio and engine for the price paid.

Barber420

My Feedback: (1)

I'm sure, unless they recently changed, that the LOSI does NOT come with an LRP engine. LRP comes in AE stuff. Also, seeing them on YouTube doesn't count. You NEED to drive them to have an opinion. Sounds to me like you've never seen either in action in real life, and have limited knowledge since you think Losi's come with "LRP" engines. Don't post comments based on watching videos on the internet. You have no idea the mods of the truck, skills of the driver, fuel being used, etc...

Losi = More race, but bashable

AE = More bash, but raceable

Enough said.

ntrain42

Ive seen and played with the Savage XL and TA MGT 8.0 over the weekend at the LHS(THey dont carry Losi brand), so your right in one respect, I do need to drive a Losi in reality for a final verdict. But considering that it can be agreed upon that overall in general all 3 of these trucks are in reality the same quality class as each other, each with their own strengths and weakness's that doing research on the internet does have merit.

As a side note, concerning the Losi 454 engine. It is in reality a (rebadged for Team Losi) SH motor and its identical to the LRP badged spec.3 .28 engine with its own custom heatsink. There is no question on that whatsoever.

The .50 TA engine itself is really a rebadged Super Tiger engine, not bad itself either andbuild quality is going to honestly be about the same. Regardlessthe .50 is basically a converted heli engine and isgoing to have more low end torque, but the midrangeand top end will favor the smaller .28 IMO since inreality thesenitro buggiesare already spooling up the engine pretty high just gettingoff the clutch.AndIMO proper gearing and clutch slip is more important for these vehicles than a few extra cc's for a bit more low end torque. Again thats MYTAKE and MYOPINIONonly. Im sure other people have different views.

As for not being able to get my hands on an XXL to play with and compare to an MGT 8.0, my research does come in handy. On PAPER the XXL has a number of small advantages. It has a slightlylonger wheelbase and wider track for improved stability. It uses 4 large body shocks vs. 8 smaller ones which I feel would and should be a slight improvement for damping and rebound. It has a bit more useablesuspension travel as well and a bit more ground clearance. Then add in what I would consider a bit better steering setup using dual servos. A nicer 2.4ghz transmitter and reciever and it seems like a better product for the money spent. Is that necessarily the case? No, but indications points toward it. But being an HD mechanic and doing custom headwork for motorcycles for the past 15 years helps with knowledge and insight. What tends to improve performance on real life cycles and atv's also applies to the scaled hobby side as well. My question though is how goodthe plastics are thatthese vehicles use?My guess is they are probably comparable, just likeeverything else.

Youtube also has some videos which can also be informative, many timesgetting to see howstable a truck runs over ground, bumps etc, helps get a feel for thetrucks potential. Again, your right, its not like hands on, but its better than nothing. Again it can be a useful tool, esecially the videos posted that give good in depth "reviews" on the product in question. Ive seen a few whereinfo is given on the suspension setup, nitro content used, mods if anymentionedetcetc. etc. Again, nothing more than another useful tool to be used to make an informed decision.

And hey, your post comes off as offended by my threads. Seriously don't be.Im married with kids nearing the age of 40, my posts are not here to step on toes or offend, just merely speculation based on the facts presented. I used to be in this hobby hardcore back in the 80's and 90's, just getting back into it now(boats,bashing trucks and 1/8th scaleracing buggies and large scale as well), but I am an extremely fast study. Alot of things have changed, but many things, basic concepts etc.remain the same as well.

And since I want to spend my money right the first time, I make sure to do as much research as possible. Back when I was into this, we didnt have the internet. We were stuck with paper catalogues and the local hobby stores. And making countless trips down there to play with and do research on potential purchases, and if you had a lack of quality hobby stores in the area or they didnt carry products you were interested in, you were SOOL. THe internet and these forum boards are a serious luxury. People should encourage posts and threads comparing and nitpicking products. It makes everybody else's purchasing decision that much more informed.

cheers
Ntrain