My son and I jumped into cars this week big time. Bought an Associated RC10T3 electric on Tuesday and liked it so much went back and bought a RC10GT RTR on Friday. The electric one works great. Really well made and fun to drive. The nitro one sucks! I have yet to get one whole tank through it without something breaking or falling off. It came out of the box with the linkage completely out of adjustment and the engine's carb not even close. Got that fixed and then the spur gear's screws loosened up and it stripped out. Got that fixed then the pipe's bolts let go. Replaced those and thought we had it licked then 3 of the recoil starter's screws let go and sprung the *&%# thing.

What can I say? I'm frustrated and pissed!

I'm an experienced airplane guy and know how to tune engines and radio's. Not a mechanic, but I do understand the basics. I was willing to put up with it for a while but when I lost the recoil starter I gave up.

Has anyone else had problems with Associated? The electric is really great but the GT I got seems to be a lemon. I'm going to see how good my LHS's customer service is. I want a refund or at the very least, another new one.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading my vent.

I just got a rc10gt from a member, I bought it with differential problems but all that it needed was a $2 part and it works great.
i love the truck and didn't have any problems with it yet

i think you just got beginner bad luck with nitro.
sure battery is a more charge and go type thing. and thinsg dont vibrate loose as much as with nitro, but get your self some thread lock ($3) and go over the car and thread lock anything that might come loose and cause a part to either fall off and get lost or fall off and cause you to lose control.
dont give up.
once it will kinda be like that forever actually.

All I can say is RTR......It was put together like ***** by people who don't care.I bet if you would have built it,it wouldn't have fallen apart.I know how I work and I assemble things all day,and I see how other people work too and there's no way I'd buy a RTR.They just don't care as much as you do

yes but we are almost forced to buy a rtr. I have the gt plus with a o.s. .12 cv-r in it and Ive never had any problems with it at all. You should have used loctite on the screws before running it.

Even if it was new out of the box I would have taken out the screws one at a time and put blue thread lock on all of them cuz with the nitro they vibrate

I never put any loctite on mine when it was new and the only thing i had fall off was the header and i think that was because the gasket broke. But i have heard a lot of ppl had problems with things falling off.

RTR= Ready to Reconstruct?
These kits are put together in sweat shops my underpaid monkeys. If at all avoidable dont purchase.....eventually you will replace the substandard equipment they come with anyway. They look like they will cost you less but in the end they are more expensive

first suggestion you will recieve: take it back to your LHS< and get it replaced, or get you rmoney back and buy a kit form of the rc10gt... Nitro's are alot more prone to shaking out screws than electric. If not, like they said, loctite everything.

I've learned that RTR isn't really ready. Should be ARR like the airplane ARF. After I calmed down last night I checked it over again and found that EVERY screw and bolt was loose. Everyone! So I locktited them all and called my LHS. They're going to go through the whole thing again and install a new pull-start.

It was a learning experience for me that I'll never forget. Everything that has been written by you guys is true. It will probably cost me more in the long run and they are probably made by some really bored factory guys who could care less.

On the bright side, I took my son to a real track today and had a blast with the electric one. I wish I had done that before because I would have bought another electric one instead. Speed is really not a factor on a small course. It's also wayyyyyyyy harder than it looks to stay upright and pointed in the right direction!

glad its working out for you...hope this doesn't put you off from nitro or Associated as they do make a quality product (sometimes they just dont put em together right) any way HAVE FUN!!

Hi,

I bought a Traxxas Nitro 4 tec RTR, am i must say they have done an awesome job!!!

No complaints here, every thing work 100% out of the box, just added fule and batteries...

Get a traxxas.....

Stick with it. Using blue locktight is a very important step to keeping the nitro cars together. Ive had too many all vibrate loose to just be a mystery, they need something to hold them in place. Nitro is quite a bit tougher than electric no doubt, but with some patience, and time it will pay off. At least you have a background with airplanes, and you will figure it out. Besides once the tires and screws all stay where they are supposed to, the next problem once they run right, is keeping them from smacking into things because they are soooo fast! You will figure it out, I was where you are before, and looking back now I can laugh. Its like anything else, as soon as you understand it, you'll be able to help others too (your son) and have a ton of fun too. Good luck, have fun.

Associated is great and don't give up on Nitro yet haha.This thread has however reinforced my dislike for RTR.

Don't give up. Nitro is almost always a pain in the arse when you first get it. But give it time and when you get everything straitened out I think you will like it much more than electric. It just takes time and trial and error.

I have had my rc10gt rtr plus since christmas of 2002 and it is great! I have been racing and do ok for a short timer. I plan to update the tires and stuff, but the truck is very good. I have had no problems with the engine and I have had the glow plug for at least 15 tanks now! I had to fix the manifold bolts that kept coming out . I used lokctite and duratraxx 3mm bolts and washers and locking nuts. It is a solid veichle with may parts available for upgrades. CVD's are the next thing I am getting....


Chris

Depending on how long ago the truck was built, it might have the smaller rear axles. If so, I would VERY STRONGLY reccommend upgrading them when you get the CVDs. Also, when you go to do bearings, remember your axle size.

I did several upgrades at once (the lunsford titanium front axles, MIP CVDs, and full bearings) and it eliminated nearly all of the slop in my truck. Also remember that if you upgrade to the bigger axles, you will need new wheels. Yes, you can drill them out for the new axles, but it really doesn't get you very far, they will wobble horribly in a few tanks of gas.

Of course, if you have the newer axles, then you don't need to even worry

the new rtr gt plus comes with bearings. and has 3/16" axles

I had the same thing happen to last year with my ntc3. Some manby parts were broken and i still have problems starting it. So dont give up and keep fixing it. It will become better and better.

Your experience with your RC 10GT sounds a bit like mine with one exception; I didn't start with an electric. Electrics require much less mechanical attention than nitros do, but they have their drawbacks as well.

Like yourself, my only prior RC experience came from 20+ years of flying RC planes. I knew about the engines and radios and that was it. I experienced just about every problem you can possibly experience with my RC 10 at first except for any major catistrofic failures. If you have any mechanical skills at all, you'll quickly learn about which things need attention, which need beefing up, which need loctite, and soon you'll have a darn near bullet proof vehicle.

The RC 10GT is really one of the best designed and built (not assembled) stadium trucks there is. Once you get all the bugs worked out, you'll have a very fast, nice handling, and very durable vehicle. You may even forget about the electric all together.

because it has the same front suspension as it did 12 years ago...

I got this truck for my 8 year old two weeks ago for us to run together. Was $350 to start. Then the throttle servo gear cracked off. I put high torque steel gear servos in. Got new Pro Line wheels and some rpm hopups. Reciever broke got a new radio and reciever. went thru 5 pull starts. Bent the chassis in full speed head on collision. The piston arm in the motor broke so I put in an OS .15 Max engine which runs great. New spur gear. $800 dollars later and I haven't had so much fun in three years fixing it and getting it tuned for my Son to drive who loves it. Great hobby.

do i sense sarcasm? i cant tell :O

Great hobby is truthful. I knew what I was getting into. and genuinely enjoy fixing things. I had a RC Duraplane when I was a teenager but couldn't get it fly. I am being serious.

I hate those full speed, wide open throttle drives that go straight into the curb!