It seems every where you turn a new short course truck is hitting the market, and for good reason. Short course trucks not only look like their full size counterparts, but they handle well too. The large bodies help protect the suspension components and for the most part are durable.

ARRMA is a fairly new contender to the RC world and have launched several new vehicles. While their vehicles may incorporate the same twin vertical plate chassis design, the dimensions differ and each is its own vehicle.

The ARRMA Fury is the first ARRMA vehicle I have reviewed and I must say it is refreshing to see a completely new SCT chassis design that works.

It appears as though ARRMA designers may have pulled some late nights designing this truck, thinking of some innovative design characteristics. Let's look a little closer at the design innovations of the Fury starting with the bumpers.

CHASSIS:

Bumpers:
I can appreciate the front, rear, and side bumper design of the Fury. All three areas absorb much impact saving the truck from damage. The front bumper is flexible and has the ability to absorb otherwise potentially damaging force upon impact.

The rear bumper is hinged with a spring loaded action. This is particularly helpful if your buddy enjoys ramming into the back of you or if you are jumping and land on the rear of the truck.

The two side bumper guards are also hinged which allows spring like action to absorb side impact.

As you can see in the pictures below, the Fury chassis is comprised of twin vertical plates which is rigid and helps keep the weight of all components in the center of the truck. This not only reduces roll but provides a strong back bone for the Fury.

Battery Tray:
A single body clip and plastic pin secure the bottom loading hinged battery door. The compartment allows the use of 6-7 cell NiMH stick packs, no hump packs, and 2S LiPO packs. The batteries sit on the bottom of the chassis to keep the center of gravity low. The bottom loading door means you don't have to remove the body to change battery packs.

Disassembly:
This is another area of the Fury that has been well thought out. The entire rear bumper and motor guard assembly can be removed by extracting a few screws and two clips. This allows easy access to the motor and transmission assembly.

The front bumper assembly including body post assembly can be removed by extracting two screws and four clips making it easier to work on the front end.

The only issue I have as far as access ability goes is the steering servo. While it is well protected, it is difficult to remove. The servo is secured inside an enclosure made up of two halves and several screws must be removed to access the servo and linkage. I don't guess that matters much though, since the servo is seldom in need of maintenance.

Suspension:
The rear suspension consists of lower H-Arms and quick adjust upper links making adjustments quick and easy.

The front suspension consists of lower H-Arms and upper A-Arms. Although adjustments are more difficult, this is a durable design. The ARRMA Fury was designed for beginners and intermediates alike so durability is key. Toe in/out is easily adjusted with the quick adjust links.

The suspension is held together with threaded cap pins and clips have been added to the outer pins for more "stay" power.

The Fury uses standard plastic bodied oil filled coil over spring dampeners. Plastic collars are used to adjust ride height and the rear H-Arms allow an additional lower shock mounting position. The front shocks are mounted inside the front lower H-Arms rather than being screwed to the side. This helps to reduce front H-Arm flexing under load and adds strength.

Plastic Quality:
The quality of plastic used is right on the money. There is enough flex for the plastic to be durable, yet rigid enough to hold composure. The finish of the plastic is smooth and clean.

Drive train:

The Fury transmission is completely ready for brushless power. The only plastic gear is the slipper spur gear and that's not an issue. The transmission has three gears all of which are metal. The differential housing and inner gears are metal as well. Sealed bearings support the heavy duty gears and allow them to spin smoothly.

The adjustable slipper clutch is of standard design using spring loaded pressure plates and friction pads.

I think the best design characteristic of the transmission is the ability to completely disassemble it without removing the motor or slipper clutch. This allows differential lube changes without having to reset the motor gear mesh and slipper tension.

Electronics:

Radio equipment:
The included 2.4GHz radio system includes innovations of its own. With the push of a button, the steering wheel can be swung to the left, right, or anywhere in between. This allows both left handed and right handed drivers to comfortably take part in the action.

The transmitter allows adjustments such as steering and throttle trims. A 3rd channel can be actuated by the push of a button. Steering dual rates can be adjusted through a dial located below the steering wheel. Dual steering rates help beginners avoid over steer.

The small 2.4GHz receiver is housed inside a watertight receiver compartment. While I don't recommend submerging the vehicle, it can be driven through puddles without destroying your receiver.

ESC:
The Mega waterproof brushed electronic speed controller allows the use of NiMH and LiPO batteries. Programming the receiver is necessary when using LiPO packs as it is currently set to NiMH. The internal low voltage cut off used for LiPO packs can be activated by following a few steps. The instructions for this procedure and other ESC settings can be accessed online at www.arrma-rc.com/go. You can download instruction manuals from this location along with other helpful documentation.

Onyx 6-cell NiMh 2500 Mah battery pack Onyx batteries are a good choice for the ARRMA Fury. A single pack will allow around 15 minutes of run time depending on your driving style and terrain.

The easy to use Onyx 220 charger can easily charge 4-8 cell NiMH or NiCd battery packs. With push button control, audible tones, and and a 2x8 LCD screen, this charger allows you to easily select charge programs for specific battery packs.

You can program up to 5 batteries to the charger's memory for instant recall. This charger includes options like adjustable peak detection sensitivity, adjustable safety timer, charge current, and battery type.

An auto trickle charge function takes over once the battery is peak charged to retain full charge until ready to use.

A built-in AC power supply allow the charger to be used in doors and DC alligator clips allow it to be used with a DC power source as well.

Specifications: AC input: 110V AC 60Hz DC input: 11-15V DC, built-in lead with alligator clips Battery types: 4-8 NiCd or NiMH cells (4.8-9.6V) Battery capacity range: 50-9900mAh Fast charge current: 0.1-5.0A linear, adjustable (40W maximum) Fast charge termination: peak detection Fast charge safety timer: off-300 minutes Peak sensitivity: 3-20mV adjustable Trickle charge current: automatic, 1/20 fast charge setting (0-250mA) Controls: 4 pushbuttons Battery memories: 5 Display type: 2x8 reversed LCD with back light Audible indicators: indicates start, stop, errors Output connections: built-in lead with standard connector* built-in jack for charging 4-8 cell radio batteries Protective devices: solid-state reverse polarity and current overload Case size: 5.7 x 5.1 x 1.8" (145 x 130 x 45 mm) Weight: 20.4 oz. (578 g)