benzy2

I have for a while wanted to get a nitro truck. I have been in the lhs a few times this week and there are a couple that stand out. First would be a Savage x 4.6 RTR. It sounds like the f4.6 motor runs pretty well and that the savage is a pretty tough truck. It looks fine and dandy but it is priced at $450 or $460. The traxxas stuff is eye appealing at first but after any research sounds not worth the effort. There is a once ran tmaxx sitting in the store for $310 though that doesn't look too bad for the money. Still Traxxas scares me a little. The last real option I see there is an aftershock. It is priced at $340. I thought this seemed very reasonable. I know it isn't the LST2 but from what I see it may be better, at least for me. Everything I have seen makes the aftershock look fast enough and powerful enough for me, at least for a few gallons. I figured after i get the hang of nitro a bit I could upgrade to lst2 specs though maybe with a few non losi parts like rpm arms. I figured after the extra beef I would then look at upgrading the motor, or at least things like a pipe to start. For some reason I find the upgrading to be as much fun as the running. If I went with the LST2 I think I would get bored just because I wouldn't have much to do. I would also replace a few of the parts on the LST2 anyways which seems like paying a premium for parts that won't be used. I also like the lessor initial cash flow to get into the aftershock. With how convertible the shock is to lst2 specs it seems like even though it may be a little more expensive long term I get the parts I want and the ability to stretch the expense out over a longer time frame which is a big help. Is there anything I should be aware of? I was pretty set on a Savage until I saw the aftershock sitting there. The guy i bash with is fairly big into losi as well so I'm sure there is some knowledge there I could be using.

scott36

My Feedback: (54)

I have 2 of the after shocks and you will like them, i did turn mine it into truggys tho with max sized tires.

HerrSavage

I think you already know what you want..

After the first sentence in your post I was thinking "OK, just get the LST2, cuz you'll save over the long term etc etc etc...", but since you explained it the way you did, it sounds like the AS is what you want. It's a relatively cheap initial investment, and then yeah, you can upgrade over time.

The main LST2 parts you want you can get from ebay chop-shops for fairly cheap.. You'll pretty much want the exhaust pipe right away from what I understand. Then, a more major expense...., get yourself some RPM arms with Lunsford links if you start breaking arms...(or just buy 10 stockers for half the price ha ha...), and yeah, just have a blast for a few gallons til it's time to upgrade the engine, and you're good to go... I would do 17mm hubs too, and yeah, the LST2 tranny OWB is supposed to be a lot better, but I just picked up a whole LST2 gear cluster for 35 bucks from jennysrcparts on ebay - a great LST2 chop-shop btw...

Go for it...

hoplesshunter

I think you will be happy with the aftershock I know I love mine. Like you said get the pipe, aluminum shoes, and 17mm. You can get them all pretty cheap from ebay. btw you can't go wrong with losi.

benzy2

Which pipe specifically is best, or at least for the money? I see a lot of posts about getting a new pipe but being new to nitro I don't know what are good pipes and what aren't or what will give torque instead of top end or what not. I hear that a pipe with low end is what I would want. Is the Losi HT pipe the best bet for the dollar or is there something else I should be looking at? So many options that I just don't have enough knowledge on.

Sugafree

HT Pipe Rocks! & can be found cheap on e bay....

MuggyDude

Well, if you just want to stay at your hobby shop go with the Aftershock. But for $340, you could easily find a Muggy with many upgrades. I got my muggy for $330 shipped a few years ago with a better pipe, failsafe, temp gauge and a few other goodies. Best decision I ever made. I've learned so much about the mechanis of nitro and real life cars just with this truck. And you also get a chance to take it apart slowly one section at a time over the spring and summer, so by fall you'll know your truck inside and out. And this is just if you want to, as I didn't have to take anything apart when I got, I just took apart the diffs when I wanted to get into racing (to fill them with silicone fluid), the engine when the performance was getting a little rusty, the clutch when the shoes mushroomed and so on. I'll tell you, there isn't one thing on this truck that I don't know how to take apart and asess if anything is wrong.

A lot of people want to stay away from Ebay because they think you can easily get ripped off, Ebay takes a huge % of your sale, and that the products will be a big scam. These are all wrong almost all of the time. By using paypal, you will get a full refund if A: the item doesn't show up or B: the item is nothing like the description. The all-in-all final fee of selling an item is probably about 10% of the price you sold it for. If you sell an item for $150 you will receive about $135. And another thing people don't know is the buyer pays for shipping, not the seller. The trick to staying away from people who rip people offf is to look at there feedback and read most of it and make sure the seller has at least a 97% positive feedback score, preferably 100% positive.

Here are some Muggys on Ebay I would recomend as an experienced Ebayer:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Losi-Muggy-JR-87...1%7C240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.com/TEAM-LOSI-MUGGY-...1%7C240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.com/team-losi-muggy_...1%7C240%3A1318

Also here are some Aftershocks:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Team-Losi-Afters...1%7C240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.com/LOSI-AFTERSHOCK-...1%7C240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.com/Team-LOSI-AFTERS...1%7C240%3A1318

benzy2

I know the benefit of buying used and I do trust ebay using paypal. I would like though for this first nitro truck to start with what I know is a clean engine/truck so that if things aren't working right I know it is something I am doing. I'm sure latter on for future purchases I will use ebay but this first one I want to know it is right even if it means a little premium. I know it isn't the best choice for the dollar but I feel more confident in this route. I don't need to buy from the lhs but I would like to buy new.

MuggyDude

That's definetely right, and I completely understand why you want new.

241 racing

My Feedback: (20)

The shock is a awsome underrated truck,get it you will like it.The ebay chop shops are the way to go when it comes to upgrades for sure.Just run it and build it the way you want through the shops when you have funds to do so,untill then run it and have fun.

glk420247

Whats up Benzy2? I only live about 1/2hr from you, just north of Fostoria. Although I don't own the AFT, I would high recommend any Losi product. I run the Lst2 and love it. I also would go with the lst2. But hey it is all about preference. Get the AFT and have a fun with it that is all that matters. Later bro.

benzy2

So I'm giving up on the local hobby shop. Their prices on the aftershock went up to $375 which is just too much. Amain has them for $299. I don't mind supporting the brick and mortar stores but that is too much of a difference price wise. Some of the people there are helpful but their policies about return and warranty help are terrible. I always felt buying at the local spot was going to be a bit more expensive but you knew you would get help if something went wrong. With the policy that I should just call the manufacturer I don't see what service I am paying more for so I'm going online. With how much different their prices are than the internet dealers you can get overnight shipping and still be cheaper.

Anyways, who has the best deal on the aftershock right now? I was looking at just going LST2 but I plan on going with a 2.4 DSM radio before long on all my cars which would knock the benefit of the LST2 FM radio out. I was planning on going with an LRP .28 eventually so the nicer LST2 motor really isn't a big draw. The parts to convert the aftershock to the LST2 seem to run about $100. If I go with the aftershock I am looking at $400 to have a LST2 chassis and then would dump the TX/RX on ebay along with the stock motor. I figured I could get $100 for them putting me at $300 before the new radio and motor. Toss in another $240 for a DX3S and another $170 for the motor and I am looking at a total of $710ish. I can only seem to find the LST2 for $650 but the new LST XXL is also priced at $650 so if I do decide to go LST2 I am going to wait a while and see what it does price wise. With the LST XXL having the DX3S, which is the radio I was looking at getting, I am seriously considering it. I will have to give it some time to prove itself but it sounds like what I am looking for. If the factory motor is decent it sounds like it may be the best option out there.

The other thing I think I am turning on is buying used. I really like the prices of a lot of the trucks out there for sale. I think I have the ability between the instructions and forums like here to get any problems figured out and worked out. Yeah the motor won't have as much life left on it as if it were new but that just means I get the fun motor sooner.

The last thing to catch my eye was Losi's new 1/10th scale crawler coming out. I just found out there is a rock crawling club near me and I think that sounds like a ton of fun. At first is seemed boring but it certainly is a lot more of a mind game than it is a skill game, which seeing how bad I drive is something I find appealing. It was just another thought.

So I don't know what I am going to do. I think I am sticking with Losi. I'm not certain but they seem to be what I gravitate to and they seem to fit all the areas I am interested in right now as well.

twomanytoys

I got a used aftershock from ebay in almost perfect condition for about 225 shipped. I sold the m26ss motor for 70.00 and bought a LRP. I did buy the lst upgrade kit but I have ot needed to install it yet. This truck in stock form is tough and with the LRP its SICK. Im running the Aftershock with the Savage XL wheels and tires. It handles awsome and pops wheelies like there is no tomarrow. You can find good rollars or good used aftershocks on ebay and get your motor of choice. If you buy new sell teh stock motor with exhaust, wheels and tires and maybe even the body and buy new stuff.

MuggyDude

I experienced this when buying my new Rustler VXL. On Ebay I could get a brand new one for about $260. At the hobby shop it was closer to $330. I just can't spend $70 bucks just for the hobby shop help which the usually give to me anyway because I still buy almost all of my small parts there.

HerrSavage

x2 That's good advice IMO. If you get new, sell the whole engine and pipe stuff out of it, and buy an LRP and get an LST2 pipe off ebay..

To benyz - my guess is the new engine in the Losi XXL will be a LRP Spec 3 twin. And yeah, you get a good radio right away. In the long run, as with the whole LST2 or Aftershock ?? issue, you'd probably be better served. If that's too much of an outlay all at once though, another option might be just a new LST2. Cuz once the new one's out, the LST2 might be even cheaper(under $500 maybe??) New LST2's here in Germany have been going for €499 WITH Spektrum DX3.0.. Which is a crazy good deal(normally NOTHING in Germany is cheap....) If you're patient and diligent and look around, I bet you can find a new LST2 for 500 bucks within then next month or two....

And yeah, used is also an option. According to the forums MT racing has been kind of dying in the last couple years. So all these poor guys with mega-modified LST2's now have to sell them for a huge loss... Used - high risk, potentially high reward....(and of course potentially a disaster..)

Sugafree

A main had the LST2's for $479 for a the past month or so.....But they are no Longer on there site at All.........
So I'm assuming the XXLST will be Replacing it, (As other than the longer Chassis Rails & New Engine/Radio/Tranny Gearing & New Body) It's basically the Same Truck......(Which already Kicks Ass!)

benzy2

Well I found an LST locally for a decent deal so I think I am going with that. For the price I think it will be my best bet. That and I can pick it up which means no waiting on the big brown truck to bring me all that fun.

benzy2

I picked up the LST. It looks pretty clean. It has supposedly gone through around 1.5 gallons. Being my first nitro I have a bit of reading yet to do to make sure I don't harm anything. Looks like it should be a ton of fun though. At least with a foot of snow on the ground I'm not tempted to run it before I have read up on proper care.

benzy2

The servo that switched to reverse was dead. A cheap fix. Picked up some spare glow plugs, a thermometer, a gallon of gas, a few wrenches, some after run oil and air filter oil. I think that covers all the stuff needed to get running.

I have a question on how much torque the stock steering JR servos have. For those of you with an LST will the servos turn the wheels at rest? If I give the truck a very slight push forward or backward the wheels turn like the should but the don't have the torque at rest to turn the wheels. I don't know if this is normal or if it means the servos are getting weak. The LST is pretty heavy so I just don't know if it is normal or if I should start looking for replacements. I guess running it first would be a good thing.

scott36

My Feedback: (54)

i think the servos in the lst are the same as the ones in the aftershock and lst2 witch are jr570s, they have about 80 ozs of tourq each and they will struggle to turn the wheels at a rest on the bench so that is normal
i put 2 of the high end water proof traxxas servo on my aftershock giving me about 250 ozs of tourq but these are not metal geared tho. there are plenty of high tourq servo out there to look at when the ones you have go bad. get some run time on it for now.

Sugafree

Add some Saver Springs over the Stock Savers....It'll help the Servos Turn and center Better....JR 650's are a good Up grade for the money too....

twomanytoys

If you want a good cheap servo that is digital metal gear and high torque check out the MG995 or Tower Pro mg995. They are rated at 208oz/in @6v. I have these on all my trucks and they work great. 2 of these on my Aftershock gives over 400 oz/in. Turning the tires at rest is no problem.

benzy2

Ran a tank through it today. Too wet and too much snow to do much other than run it up and down the street. The brakes need adjusted but that is simple. I set the needles back to factory settings and things were a little off. The low end was very rich, blowing a bit out the pipe. The high end seemed to be a bit too lean. The car bogged midway through a pass and there wasn't any blue smoke. I was pretty easy on it and it never got overly hot so most the run was wet. I think I have time tomorrow to get it out and run the top a bit richer and the bottom a bit leaner. The guy before me had the hsn set a turn or so richer than factory spec and the bottom a bit leaner which is exactly the way I think I need to head. Still it fired up pretty easy which made me happy since it was used.