Build Log – Team Durango DEX8T Truggy
Truggies just aren’t for the track, they make excellent bash vehicles as well, hence the reason we are reviewing the latest truggy from Team Durango– the DEX8T. With a new design for 2015, the DEX8T promises stellar on track performance, while still being a machine that can dominate your local bash spot.
The DEX8T only comes as a kit so we decided to take a bunch of pictures and notes while we put out test unit together. Read on to learn more about our experience while putting it together.
How long did it take to put the kit together? Not very long, in fact it took us just under 4 hours to build it to the point that you see in the pictures. We spent another hour or so painting up the body, adjusting the camber, and calibrating the ESC, but because the Durango comes with many sub-assemblies already put together, it goes together incredibly fast.
Was the kit missing any parts? Nope, our kit was dialed with nothing missing.
How about the manual, was it well written and easy to follow? Yes, we found the manual to be very easy to follow, but it did have a couple of issues. In step #1 the manual fails to specify that the four small screws needed to seal the top of the shock caps can be found in an unmarked bag (that also contains foam pieces that go in the shock cap bladders). In step #17 the manual fails to mention that you’ll also need bag 32 to complete the step, and in step #19 you’ll also need bag 49. Otherwise it was spot on.
Were all the pre-assembled parts properly put together? Yes they were, but with one exception. In step #7 the steering posts were upside down in the steering assembly. This was easy enough to fix and didn’t even require tools.
How good was the hardware? Not bad, the DEX8T uses all metric/hex bolts, and while not ultra hard, we didn’t strip out any heads during assembly.
Could a noobie build this kit? Absolutely. The DEX8T is a large vehicle making it easy to see and wrench on, while all the pre-assembled parts simply make it easy (and fast) to build.
What was the hardest part of the build? We didn’t have to modify or trim any pieces for bind free performance, so we would say that the hardest part was getting the proper amount of oil in the shocks. Pay super close attention to the manual and your build will be a smooth one.
What is needed to complete the build? You’ll need three different weights of diff oil, two different weights of shock oil, tools, wheels & tires, polycarbonate paint, a steering servo, thread lock, a brushless motor, a pinion, an ESC, a receiver & radio, a LiPO battery, and a battery charger.
How was the quality of parts in the kit? Very good. We didn’t find a bunch of flash on the plastic parts and the aluminum parts were very well machined.
Any last thoughts on the build? It went together well with virtually no issues. Hardcore purist will want to completely disassemble the diffs and shocks to make sure they are perfectly built (they come pre-assembled), but for us bashers we just filled them with oil and they felt good to go. The center diff on the Durango moves to set gear mesh which is a bit different than most kits out there, but overall it uses the fairly standard 8th scale layout which is tried and true.
The DEX8T is in stores right now with a street price of $599. Our full review should go up in the next couple of weeks, until then you can hit up This Link over on the Durango website for more details.
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