first nitro
 

I have never had nitro be for. I was wondering if a mammoth ST would be a good truck to start with, by the way i have an E-maxx so I Know what im doing with electrics but I'm not sure about the nitro thing.

RE: first nitro
 

The mammoth st is very good handling truck but it has issues with the front and rear differentials. The two speed trans is a locked center drive instead of a single speed differential and that puts alot of strain on the diffs in the front and rear. The diffs need to be disassembled and shimed and most people change the two speed to a single speed center diff and that costs about $60. The chassis is a little thin and it needs aftermarket braces to make it durable. I have one on my work bench right now that I am beefing up for a young kid and I drove this truck in the fall before it went haywire and it is taking quite a bit of parts to make it bulletproof.

RE: first nitro
 

Thanks for the info man. By the way is the a beter truck to start out with, you know more bang for the buck the the Mammoth st.

RE: first nitro
 

Oh and I for got to ask, what does the center diff do besides replacing the spur gear, and are they open diffs. If the diff is open won't the front wheels spin like crazy when you accelerate hard, if not can sombody explane it to me cuz I don't get it. Thanks

RE: first nitro
 

The center diff is sealed as well as the front and rear diff. They are tuned with fluid. They are made with either bevel cut gears the rotate around two larger gears and send power to each wheel or from front to back or they are made with straight cut gears like the Mammoth. They are less common and harder to tune. I f you start with the Mammoth you will laern how to service them very quickly and you will spend more money than if you would buythe Mayhem ST, Jammin CRT, Lightning GT. These choices would be easier to start out with and if you decide to race you will be all set. You can not select rc cars by price in this hobby. You will be better off selecting by purpose and known durability.

RE: first nitro
 

Yeah, a guy at our track has a Mammoth ST and it sucks.......I like it...It looks cool...But what a pile. I would go for the Mayhem ST, Jammin RTR, and that new hellfire is pretty cool!!

RE: first nitro
 

Have you driven it? Have you seen the price? Its worth it for $369, all you need a RCvisions hinge pin retainers and Dadders braces and it will be hard to beat.

RE: first nitro
 

thanks guys. how much is a center diff that will fit the mammoth ST? My LHS sells the it $349.99, and with every thing would be like $440 or something. would that be a good price. Where can I find the braces for it/how much. Does the Mammoth have any weak spots that need to be replaced a lot. What % of nitro should I run with the truck? Thanks in advance.

RE: first nitro
 

You need the diff, and a shim kit so you can shim the front and rear outdrive pinion in those diffs while your at it. Your diff fluid about 50,000wt for the center and 20,000 to 30,000 for the front and rear diffs. This will set you back about $60. If you talk to annie_ himself you should be able to get some details about the conversion. I have all the parts on order so I havent dug into the one I'm repairing for a friend. When all is said and done you will be spending more than you would for a CRT, LSP and I would not get the Hellfire until it's been out for a while but that's just my opinion. Good luck. From what I can tell you have to use XTM parts cause I tried diffs from 5 different makers and none would work without some remodeling.

RE: first nitro
 

Thanks dude. how would it hold up as a basher. I don't plan on racing that much if at all.

RE: first nitro
 

If you run it hard on asphalt, youll be working on the diffs sooner than you will want to. Same with grass or any other super high traction surface. Are you sure you shouldnt be shopping for a Savage.

RE: first nitro
 

Yup, cuz a savage is too expensive for me to buy because I'm only 14 and money isn't always easy to come by so I have a very tight budget, like $500 MAX. Besides the point my parents are not too crazy about my R/C hobby and don't want to see me wast my money. thanks