Just for a laugh (and a bit of free R&D for CEN), I thought I would start this to see what people thought the next generation Fun Factor should have in the way of changes.
Personally I would be looking for a change in design of the bulkheads to allow the use of thicker diff cups. Also longer and thicker a-arms and maxx size wheels, 3mm thick chassis and the NT.18 as standard.
Obviously this is just a bit of fun but it would be interesting to see what changes other people would make. Thoughts?

Good points,
I think they should first concentrate on the diff cup/cvd/dogbone strength issue (a slight redesign and slightly better grade steel will almost cure this problem).

On that issue I think the only saving grace for cen is that is that they built the weak spot into the car in the right place if you look at it this way - the diff cup is the cheapest part of the drivetrain (and easy) to replace. But they just built these components too weak. We dont mind things breaking after major crashes, its just (CEN) we get @#*%ed off when things break to often.

I think the easiest way to cure the chassis flex is to have some sort of full length top deck on the chassis setup - see forum "MT2 Chassis Modification"

As for the engine, I think the NT-16 is way good enough for an entry level machine, half the fun is modding these things yourself (as long as the purchase price reflects the need to mod if you know what i mean). And the cheapest way is the .18 piston/sleave/rod upgrade.

Definately upgrade the steering servo on the stock machine, this is just crap, mine busted after running in the engine, and it wasnt worth the hassle for me to claim under warrantee and for what, another crap servo!!!!!

Re-design the mount for the boby posts, this thing likes to pop wheelies on rough terrain (in standard form) and (the rear one) breaks really easily.

One last thing, the standard screws could be of better quality steel aswell, when they are loctited in (from factory) i was rounding them, and Im no amature when it comes to screws!! Man for 18 bucks I got a stainless cap screw set from RC Screws!!! Cmon CEN!!!!

I may add to this list..........just my thoughts anyway.........cheers all

My reasoning behind the longer arms would be so that CEN could use the shocks from the upcoming Matrix on the Fun Factor aswell. This would toughen up the suspension and save the company a bit of money!!
Definitely agree on the screws. Harder steel please. Maybe a change in the upgrades offered. Something like titanium cvds and upgraded shock towers for those not wishing to buy the complete JT Racing kit.

after 2 years with my mt2 I have a few things that i would like to see fixed....
1. Diff cups

2. needs all cvd not just in front and they need to be thicker.. not the junk metal they are currently made of..

3 strengthen chassis... I made my own mod to the rear and it works great, but i should not have to do this...

4. body mounts... these are a joke...

5. wider wheel base... truck is a handful on tight turns

6. larger hexes to use t-maxx size wheels and tires...

7. better screws.. i switched to rc screwz.....

other than that, I love the truck and will always keep one in the stable....

i think they need to make some better hop-ups for this thing. and yes i do agree on the cv cups and the screws are complete garbage. Although i shouldnt complain. I should appreciate what i have.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't start this thread to take pot shots at CEN. I thought that if CEN was aware of the changes people would make or the upgrades they would want, it may spark some ideas from the factory and give them some consumer feedback at the same time. Everyone on this forum loves their CEN or they wouldn't be here!

Better diff cups, CVD's and sealed diffs please. If not the diff cups or CVD's at least the sealed diffs, I'm tired of getting slimed every time I pick up my truck.
Sealed diffs even as an upgrade part would be O.K.
I think that CEN makes a very good truck with the exception of the leaking diffs. In fact the leaking diffs are the only thing I find annoying about the truck.



rolland

ya,i agree with that ,cvd's ,diff cups way to soft, i found the fibre brake disc to wear down quicker than what i'd like to see,
high torgue servo's or a least better radio gear.

id like to add: spur gears that u can replace without stripping half the bloody truck down to its bare diffs. man this does my head in so much... yea i just stripped the spur.

I am going to repeat again about my frustration with the cvd..... I have to buy yet another set because I bent one again on a broken diff cup.. while trying to straighten out the end... guess what... It snapped... there is another $35.00 gone...
PLEASE cen .... make some out of a stronger metal... this is getting old...
I have a 1989 kyosho usa 1 that I abuse on a reg basis and it still has the original cvd and dog bones... they are 2 times thicker...

save those cvds wont u cenracer!

poor judgement... The end with the dogbone snapped off... I usually recycle the cvd end because I have been known to snap the wheel shaft off... do you want the broken shaft end??????

lol - nah i dont need those thanks mate, i was just suggesting the tmaxx shaft mod...

cenracer,

If you aren't going to do the t-maxx shaft mod, I would like the broken shaft if there is enough left to use. You've seen the pictures of poor judgement's mod, if you knocked the pin out is there enough left of the dog bone end to mod? I'll be happy to pay the postage. Let me know, thanks.

bolegs... I'll look at the picture of the mod.. If it works I'll send them to you.. I don't care about shipping... can't be more than a dollar to you.. I would do the mod that poor judgement tried... but it doesn't seem to be perfected yet.. I'll let you know... meanwhile, I'll keep breaking cvd.[:@][:@][:@]

of course it is up to u, but i havent broken one of the tmaxx shafts in normal use, even in 2wd with the tmaxx wheels and the os 18 behind it. the one that did break, well, i kinda asked for that! keep going with the cen shafts - u will soon have enough broken bits to mod a set of 4! oh and the tmaxx shafts are a lot cheaper to replace when they do break, or if they break...

Thanks cenracer,
If you have any mod-able broken cvd dogbone ends & won't be doing the mod yourself, just PM or email me and I will send you my address.

for the chassis flex, maybe something like i use. look at my gallery to see what i mean.

I have almost solved the problem with the Diff Cups..........

Place 4 "O-Rings" the Rubber donut washer type things over the Shock Pistons, this limits the travel on the Suspension, therefore stopping the twist on the Diff Cups......I tried it, and have not broken a diff cup for about a week, and it has been playing on a Skatepark today, going up and down the half-pipe and over skate ramps.

I agree with CenRacer, stronger parts are needed. And how about adding spur gears in aluminum or metal? Either factory installed or at least as an upgrade option. I would also like to see a wider and perhaps a little thicker chassis. Having the NT-18 engine as a factory install would be nice too. [sm=thumbup.gif]

They are going to have to redesign the whole truck if they want to stay competitive. The FF's weren't even allowed to run with the T-Maxx's at Pro-Line this year. They were only allowed to run in the outlaw class.




rolland

They aren't allowed to run in the small block class over here either. I made a few enquiries about class regulations and its the 2.2inch wheels that are the issue. I am a bit gutted as I was pretty set on creating a racer and was just about to order a Nova Rossi LS15S5 to power it. If I want to race the CEN, it would have to be in the stadium truck championship and that is not too popular over here and is mainly run in the south of the country.
I think it would be a good idea for CEN to develop wider/ stronger a-arms and perhaps redisign the diffs and drives to allow the use of maxx sized wheels. It is already a fast truck well capable of beating Revos and TNXs' but unfortunately we are not allowed to prove it!

I am not exactly sure why they are not allowed, could be wheels and tires or because it is a truggy the rules at pro-line just said that CEN could not run in the small block or big block class but they could run in the outlaw if they met the tire requirements.
This is all the website says "No 4-wheel drive 1:10 stadium style trucks (this includes CEN type trucks)." I don't believe it is size related because a JT Racing CEN is just as big as a T-Maxx.

If wheels and tires are the only problem then maybe CEN shoud offer an upgrade kit with the necessary parts to run maxx size wheels and tires for those of us that want to race.



rolland

I have heard that they were banned from proline events because too many people complained after they were beaten by the little trucks last year, I don't know if it is true or not. I think is completely bogus that CEN got screwed anyways, there isn't anything on my MT that makes it illegal. BOGUS I tell ya!

I asked if the truck would be allowed to run if it were equipped with tyres that would be large enough to give the wheel/ tyre combo the same diameter as maxx sized wheels with proline bow-ties on. The answer was still no. I cant for the life of me think why they would want to shut out so many potential new racers. Not just CEN owners but HPI MT2s' and TT SSKs' and the like. Kind of frustrating really.