RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

Hey guys im new here and new to r/c... basically I have always thought it was cool and just decided to get into it this past week.. I have been doing all the research I can online and at the local shops.. I think we have every brand but jammin.. anyways Long story short I was wanting a rtr to start out with.. I wanted to do some racing but not sure how much.. no indoor tracks here but I will be in Ohio in january... Well I saw a rc8 on ebay with hardly anytime left on it and I said I would pay $425 for it no more! well I kind of accidently half heartedly won it.. I mean the car looks great but I am new I don't know what I need or what... either way i just bought my first rc car... ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ASSOCIATED-RC8-W...QQcmdZViewItem ) theres the link it has a thunder tiger exaust and rb s311 motor 3-port.. I did a quick google search and found out the motor ran about $279 and the pipe $89 well add that up and a 500 dollar car i was thinking i just saved some money even if it is used... it also says "THE DIFFS ARE 5/5/5 AND 30 WEIGHT IN THE SHOCKS" what did that change with the diffs? should I leave it? Also I don't know what most people run for oil weight..? what do you recomend.. I am REALLY worried now that I read all these post about them breaking.. I am affraid I just bought a messed up 2 month old RC8! I am pretty bummed I was really looking forward to geting a car... Did I just get ripped off by diving in head first too soon? if not or atleast not TOO bad... what else do i need .. this is my first car i don't want or need the top of the line everything... or should i throw this thing Right back on ebay and start over..??? I figure 800 bucks would have me at the track ready to get going with good stuff? unless this thing is just trashed... he said "it didnt suit his style" which could be true.. or it could be a nice way of putting this is a "POS" or lemon.. any input or advice I would love to hear...
thanks guys

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

personally, i would never buy anything used. it's just me. you never know what people have done to the used item or used it as[X(].
just check all the screws, make sure the engine doesn't have a rat living in it, and make sure it moves. i had the rat problem with a go-kart my dad bought on ebay

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

SpLiTFiRe,

I think you may have made a very good buy! I'm not sure I would recommend the Associater RC8 for someone new to nitro buggies, but wait - if you have no preconceived notion on how they run and drive, that may be a good thing! The RC8's layout and geometry give it handling habits that an experienced racer or driver could take a while getting used to. Since you don't come to the sport with that baggage, I believe you're going to do just fine. If I were you, I'd rejoice in the great deal you got and forget about selling it! The RC8 is state-of-the-art in the buggy world, and even the best have things break from time-to-time. Don't let that discourage you.

It appears you will need a radio with 2 high-torque servos, and I'd suggest the best 2.4 gHz 3-chanel you can afford. It doesn't have to be top of the line, but should be something you can grow into as time marches on - not something you'll want to replace in the near future. You'll most likely need a 5-cell hump-back 6V rechargeable battery and charger for the on-board electrics. If not pull start, you'll need a starter box and battery(ies).

If all this is overwhelming to you as a new comer, then by all means sell it on eBay or elsewhere and get yourself a good RTR kit that comes with everything you'll need. BUT, I believe you got yourself a great deal on that RC8!

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

[:'(]

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

thanks cobra! If I made a good buy then I will keep it forsure.. Do you think I will be able to get the rest of my stuff for at around or less then 400 bucks... I am trying to set a limit because this is my first car for all I know I could be terrible.. I think I can do it.. I am going to be in ohio north east ohio starting january so I hope I can find a indoor track near by.. what are somethings to look for once the buggy arrives..? I read about gluing the carbin fiber.. did you look at the pictures of the buggy? im pretty pumped! Yeah I figure that if it's my first car I have nothing to base it off of what ever i learn from this car will be the "norm" for me and standard.. I guess that .21 motor that comes with it is plenty good!? I am looking at a starter box, a battery, a charger,radio that comes with 2 cervos?, and the batterys for the radio and car...? I think that's all are there any "special" tools I need for this car... ? also the pin problem.. do i need the washers!? I would like to keep the car in tact... do you know what the 5,5,5 diff means? I was just making sure he didn't screw this thing up! it comes with the kingz upper bracket so I guess i got that covered as I saw this car at my lhs and could see how that would brack easy! if there is anything that i should know let me know please thanks! and thanks for the help on the car!

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

I'll start with my answers to the easy questions first:
- $400.00 will be enough to complete your needs.
- 5/5/5 diff means he has 5,000 wt. silicone oil in the front, center, and rear differentials.
- The RB engine is a good one.


I have to guess that the included manual shows at least an "exploded" parts list. If that's the case, and since you don't know how the buggy was treated or maintained, I would suggest pretty much a tear-down and "rebuild". If there is no exloded parts list, try the AE website and see if you can download one. Take your time and do one section of the buggy at a time and clean everything well as you go along. When reassembling, make sure you use blue loctite on all the metal-to-metal screws and bolts. If the manual specifies the oils weights by differential, followthose recommendations because 5/5/5 does not give you any bias between front and back drive wheels. If it does not, I would ask on the RC8 thread to see what everyone is using in theirs, and how happy they are with what they're using.

When you buy your radio, make sure you get high-torque servos and at least one with metal gears. The one with metal gears should have a minimum of 140 oz./torque (the higher the better) and that's the one you'll want to use for steering.

The edges of all carbon fiber parts should be lightly sanded with 220-400 grit sandpaper or emory cloth and be sealed with a coat of thin CA adhesive (this may have already been done, but be careful when checking because carbon fiber can give you a real nasty splinter).

I don't have an RC8 so can't help you on your "...also the pin problem.. do i need the washers!?" but the Official RC8 thread guys should be able to help you out there.

RC Car Action Magazine usually has a national listing by state towards the back of the magazine so you can check there for a track in the section of Ohio you're going to in January.

Good luck!

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

Oh, yeah - tools. You'll need some assorted hex wrenches (may be metric - I'm not sure what AE uses), a wrench for the wheel nuts, needle nose pliers, a phillips and regular screw drivers. Actually, the tool question would be a good one to ask the guys over on the Official RC8 thread.

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

thanks once again! i thought this was the "rc8 thread"!? I will go search for it now but just incase i never find it if you would give me a link that would be awesome.. big forum but i will atleast look! thanks alot ! I will do as you suggested thanks again!

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

A good radio that is digital and wont break the bank is a futaba 3pm 2.4g fasst. it has a great list of funtions including brake mixing, end point adjustments, dual rates, and a whole lotta things that will take you pretty far without being overwhelming with programming. And for servos I would suggest a JR DS8711 for steering and a DS821 for throttle...

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

You got me! I guess THIS is the largest RC8 thread. "The Official RC8 Thread" has a total of 3 posts, the last one being back in September! Sorry about that!!

Actually, given the innovations of the long anticipated AE RC8, I assumed that there was a larger RC8 thread but my search doesn't show one.

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

are you talking about the futuba magnum fasst? i thought i saw another one that wasn't the magnum.
wuld you rather go with the associated coreless servos or the ones you mentioned? i read that the ae servos were pretty good

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

Yes futaba has 2 different 3pm's one is a standard FM radio and one is a 2.4g digital... http://www.towerhobbies.com/products.../futk2020.html

And with the servos I havent had any experience with the coreless AE servos. I have heard they are pretty good too, but I cant give any input on them...but from their specs they dont look that bad but the JR has almost the same transit speed and DOUBLE the torque for the same amount of money...

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

How does the RC8 RS RTR compare to the regular RC8. I see it has aluminum shock towers so no worries of broken carbon fiber. Obviously the .28 engine voids it for competition. I just want a high quality 1/8 buggy that is easily upgraded, fast and tough.

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

Oh and just a little tip for those who are concerned about the chassis plate/upper arm hinge pin retaining plate breaking...if you take the plastic plate off and boil it for 20 or 30 minutes it will make the plastic softer and more flexable...less prone to breakage!!! thats what I did with mine and I havent broke it yet and the barriers at my track are not very "user friendly" lol...

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

I guess I don't know enough about the cervo world or anything at all except you want a higher torque on your steering then the throttle... how important are the cervos really!? and how much am i I looking to spend with your setup? I see the radio is about $200... but some of them come with cervo packs are those junk or will those work for me and I will never know the diff!?

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

The servos that come with a radio are not junk; however, they are not suitable for nitro vehicles. You want a steering servo with at least 120-180oz. (or more) output of torque AND metal gears. Ones that come with a radio are generally significantly below that in torque, do not have metal gears, and will strip themselves quickly fighting the force required for steering. Get a radio that comes with its receiver and no servos, or if you can, choose the servos that come with it (you'll pay more for the radio that way but will get the servo torque you need). If you see servos for sale without the output torque rating given, don't buy them. A minimum example would be the Futaba S3305 as shown here: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXDWF8&P=ML scroll down and read the specs. You will want a 5-cell NiMh rechargeable receiver battery so read the outputs of servos at the 6V level.

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

thank you very much for the help once again!!

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

which one would you choose? Futaba 3PKS 3-Channel or the futuba magnum 2.4 gh

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

That's a good deal on the RC8/S3. If the motor only has a gallon thru it, it is just starting to break in. Take care of it and it will last many gallons.

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

The 3pks is an awesome radio, bust just starting out in nitro and racing, the 3pm digital is only 180 bucks and has all the features an entry level racer would need...

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

yeah but i want to race alot more than usual. i guess. think i should go with the 3pks?
i love the fail safe feature. i had a bad accident with my redcat. (it almost drove itself into the river.)
oh yeah does it have a timer? and how am i supposed to move the steering wheel down and left and etc.?

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

wait...does the 3pks hop channels so there is no frequency glitches/problems like the magnum?

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

All futaba fasst systems hop channels. i have been racing for 15yrs and had an airtronics M11 and sold it and got the 3pm 2.4g and love it. About the only thing it doesnt do is servo mixing, which on club level racing isnt a really big issue. IMHO for the money it is one of the best digital radios you can get.

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

And I forgot to add that the 3pm has the FS also, and it works quite well too...

RE: THE ASSOCIATED RC8 THREAD!
 

i forgot to ask what servo mixing was. and why does it matter?