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You guys knew I’d be talking about the Traxxas truck this week, right? When I first saw the photos making their rounds last weekend, I actually thought it was a hoax at first. People have done this several times in regards to Traxxas releasing a scaler. It took awhile before I could confirm it was real, but yes, it was indeed. I [...]
Back in my Bigfoot days, a commonly asked question from many a casual fan was “What does 4x4x4 mean?” For those that don’t know, that slogan used to be painted on many of the trucks. 4x4x4 means four wheel drive with four wheel steering. When people think of monster trucks, four wheel steering (from here on out 4WS) is probably one [...]
Last week there was a chain message going around Facebook where if you got tagged, you had to post a picture of your first r/c crawler and describe how you got into it. I got tagged by a few friends…but I abhor those things so I never did my part. I figured it would be better to just share it [...]
Last week Pro-Line made some headlines in announcing their boss looking 1.9″ Interco Bogger tire. The gigantic mud tires got me thinking about what tires I’d like to see done in the future. Many popular off-road tires have already been replicated in r/c size; some, like by several companies even, like the aforementioned Boggers. Still, there are pieces of rubber out [...]
It’s hard to believe that the launch of the Traxxas T-Maxx was 18 years ago. There have been a lot of releases before and since, but nothing compares to the seismic shift that occured in this industry back in 1999. Given how much time has passed (I was a sophomore in high school!), I’m sure there are many of you that [...]
I was recently at a local racing facility bumming around when I happened to see a relic of a bygone era hanging on the wall- a Frequency Board. That really brought back memories! For those unaware of what a frequency board is/was, it’s a big piece of wood that has clothespins hanging on it. Each section is labeled with a specific frequency of [...]
Piracy within the scaler community has gotten pretty crazy of late. No, I don’t mean someone has mounted a Galleon hull to a solid axle truck – though I’m sure someone has done that – it’s foreign made, blatant rip-off parts that I’m talking about. This has always been a thing within the hobby. Heck, last month while Christmas shopping [...]
Whether you have a Clod or shaft truck, differential preference seems to be the super important subject that no one really talks about. It’s just not as sexy as discussing, say, brushless options or what tires to use. Locked, open, one axle locked and the other open, limited slip…so many choices! Before getting into the r/c discussion, let’s talk about how [...]
Hola scalin’ faithful. Welcome to 2017, a year of great promise. Sorry, perhaps it’s blinding optimism, but I don’t subscribe to thought that seems to permeate with many that “it’s only gonna get worse”. Don’t have time for that! Hey, so this week I want to talk about 4 wheel steering (4WS). 4WS was mainly a monster truck thing until competition [...]
So much for the end of the year having a slow news cycle, eh? Out of nowhere, Team Losi has announced the Rock Rey RTR Rock Racer (say that 5 times fast!). It has a Yeti style solid rear/ IFS front setup with more of an RR10 Bomber style and stance. As far as looks go, they knocked this one out of the park. If [...]
RC4WD is known throughout the hobby as the kings of the detailed hard body. We finally had the chance to get our hands on their Chevrolet Blazer Body Set to see what it was all about. Read on to see what we thought. From: RC4WD Direct Link: Chevrolet Blazer Body Set Specifications:Injection Molded Plastic LED Lighting Compatible Wheelbase: 11.3in / 287mm Width of Body: 8.78in / 223mm Width [...]
One is not a true monster trucker until they experience the taste of burnt rubber, at least once, by way of cutting/shaving a set of tires. Monster truck tire cutting is an art that dates back to the late 80’s, but it came into vogue during the early 90’s when modern racing began. The then-standard 66″ flotation tires that companies like Goodyear [...]
As Christmas approaches, there is a good chance that a number of you may wind up with a fancy new scaler under your tree. There’s an even better chance that it will be of the RTR variety. And if that is indeed the case, it probably has some bunk tires. Tires are usually the most important thing on any r/c vehicle, [...]
Heya folks. Doug here. I write the Everybody’s Scalin’ series that runs Friday afternoons. Now I’m writing this as well! Yes, that’s right, I’ve finally begged and pleaded enough for the brass to let me have a regular monster truck column. I love scaling, but monster trucks have always been the thing closest to my heart. I’ve been hardcore into them [...]
It’s always interesting to see when certain things I write get people all hot and bothered. Last week was one of those times that I unknowingly struck a nerve. When giving recommendations for a first scaler to an inquisitive noob I opined that a Sawback should not be on the list. Boy did I catch some hell for that! Comments, e-mails and [...]