ASK Cubby, Version- The Questions Roll In, The BS Rolls Out

” Recommendation for Newbie

I followed your recommend to go with the ECX and we love it. My kids are having lots of fun and very little broke on the car despite terrible abuse! I am ready for a second vehicle and thought I would ask you again given how happy I am with your recommendation! I am looking to get a rally car. My choice are the Associated ProRally, the Kyosho DRX and the Vaterra RallyCross. I have read you rally review you you seemed to like the Kyosho but the other vehicles were not featured. If I understand the Associated and Vaterra correctly, they are SC trucks with a rally shell. Personally, I like the bodies of the Kyosho and Vaterra better but I know Associated usually make good vehicles. I will mostly drive this using 3S batteries.

Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. If you prefer other vehicles, I am happy to hear also. I looked briefly at the Losi and the Basher 1/8 Rally (Team C rebrand).

Thanks again for your help,

Jean S.”

Cubby- Yo to the yo Jean, congrats as your email has been picked as “Letter of the Month”. This entitles you to a brand new BSRC t-shirt. Shoot us your snail mail and shirt size for the hook-up.

So you are looking for a new rally car and want to know what I would recommend. First off, I would scratch the Associated off the list and here is why. Some (perhaps most?) companies in the rc biz consider BSRC a “necessary evil”. Meaning… that while they might not like the fact that we don’t by old school rules, they know that we are simply too big to dismiss, so they deal with us anyways. The “almighty” Associated does not talk to us other than a generic press release now and then. Seeing as how we are arguably the biggest/baddest/most influential basher site in the world, you would think they would swallow their pride and talk to us if they remotely cared about the bashing market. They seem not to, so I would not give them your business. There are PLENTY of other companies that actually do care about every day bashers and will gladly accept your hard earned cash.

So that leaves the Kyosho and the Vaterra. We’ve never reviewed the Vaterra rally and I’ve never personally driven it, so I can’t say if it’s good or bad. I have driven (read- abused) the Kyosho DRX and thought it was solid. It took some abuse, I thought it drove quite well off-road, and I was a fan of how detailed its body was. So there ya have it, pull the trigger on the K-Car then walk around with a smile that can’t be wiped off with a wire brush.

“Lumpy Tires

I am having the weirdest problem with my Arrma Granite. One day after a bunch of mudding my tires have become extremely unbalanced, to the point where the entire truck shakes while doing speed passes. What’s up with that and how can I fix it cheaply!!!???

Eli M.”

Cubby- Yo, hey now Eli, I’m going to assume (yes, I know it’s bad to assume things but I am forced to when answering emails with very little information) that the dirt you got on the outside of your tires has worn/been thrown off since you went mud’n. Your truck is shake’n like a 30 year old Maytag because… wait for it… just a bit longer… your tires are severely out of balance. Thankfully your solution is both cheap and easy.

1. Some mud/dirt is trapped on the inside of the wheel causing the imbalance. This is free to fix by simply taking a straight slot screwdriver and scraping around on the wheel to remove it.

2. Or… your problem might be that you’ve gotten a bunch of water inside the wheel that has soaked into the foam insert. Your solution here is also free, simply squeeze each of the wheels to remove the excessive water. This should be done immediately after each water/mud run.

Yes indeed that’s it for this week. Consumers, shoot your questions to me at thecubreportrc at gmail.com, or if you are an industry type and want some frank conversation, that’s an address where I will actually see your mail. Consumers, if your letter hits the big time you’ll win a free sticker pack, or if I proclaim yours as “Letter of the Month” (like Jean’s this month) you will get a free BSRC t-shirt.