Schumacher 4WD Menace Truck Forum [Archive] - Page 2

the rock

02-20-2004, 01:22 PM

I havent taken out the menace.... Im actually going to do a little mantainance.... DO THIS!!! The fences.. or dust covers on the diffs... MAKE sure you super glue them on... just like two or three dots on three corners... they fall off.... They are off right now on my menace...

I MELTED mine off my fusion because the rear one came apart... and it also ruined my belt. Soooo before I take out my menace I want to do this.

Thanks fot the info on the gyro effect guys... I new the 4wd was much easier to correct in the air.... but I was wondering if the BIG tires make it even easier than a 4wd buggy.... ;)

:cool:

Monsterbrad

02-20-2004, 10:47 PM

Hey rock

CAn you describe this problem a little better with the Menace difs?
Also trucks and the big tires do help them while in the air cause of the big tires.4wd makes a huge dif when jumping anything.

the rock

02-20-2004, 11:28 PM

sorry for the bad explaination I was in a hurry :)

The front and rear diffs.... the big white gears, have on both sides what Schumacher calls "fences". I would call them dust covers. Those fences come apart. If you put them on normally with finger preasure... after some use they vibrate off... and are no longer "properly" attached to the diff gear... allowing dirt to enter... AND the belt to over-lap the diff gear and rub against the loose fence.

This happend to my fusion.... and when I was running her...it felt as it had brakes applied.... a drag.... had NO idea what a was.... but I did notice the belt was grinded on one side.... when I took the diff off to replace the belt is when I noticed the fence was melted and fused.... maybe thats where they came up with the name "Fusion" :)

I picked up my menace... and the the right rear fence had also came apart. This has actually happend to me before on the fusion and the menace... pressured them back in and got back on my way.... well now that my Fusion melted it and damaged my belt... I see it can become a problem on either car!!! I also noticed that my diffs where full of dirt everytime I would rebuilt... it was because of this.

So I called Schumacher and said hey... whats the deal... what do I do to stop the fences from coming apart.... they told me they add about two or three drops of super glue on the fences to avoid them from coming apart.

:cool:

Monsterbrad

02-22-2004, 01:58 PM

Hey rock

Thanks I'll look into that before the truck hits the ground for the first run. Always nice to work on when they are new and un touched and not dirty. Also did you change the pipes pressure fitting to the side yet??

the rock

02-22-2004, 09:03 PM

Hey monster... im going to tear her apart tomorrow... and change the pipe... DEFENTLY.... How did yours come out?

Monsterbrad

02-22-2004, 10:19 PM

Hey rock

I have not even touched the menace yet still playing with the savage. I will let ya know when I get to it I could mess with it whenever I am layed off right now sO all I have is night school that I am taking but the Savage is AWESOME I can tell ya that much get one and ditch that maxx. You will love the savage it takes a huge amount of abuse and to me
ABUSE = FUN :-)
Happy RCing everybody

the rock

02-24-2004, 05:42 PM

Im going to do my menace tonight I think..... I HATE seeing a car out of comission... at least it can sit there but ready to rumble ;)

Ill get some pics of my mutant this weeknd!!! have you seen the Mutant TMAXX? It has NOTHING to do with a normal tmaxx!!! just to give you an idea I have close to $2,500 into it!!! :eek: Its tough as nails....

;)

the rock

02-24-2004, 06:37 PM

Monster...

Well I finished the nipple on the pipe... only that I put a 1/10 rubber air filter 90 degree fitting on the rubber extension off the pipe... so it points backwards... My question is... Do you think its a bad idea to have the exhaust hole poiting up???

Monsterbrad

02-25-2004, 01:12 PM

Hey rock

I would say yes because there is just s little bit of oil that comes outa there with nitro engines and that could collect in the pipe and make a mess eventauly. I am going to take the fitting out of the bottom of the pipe and move it to the side and plug the old hole with JB weld.

CRSMP5

02-25-2004, 10:28 PM

loctite set screw into pipe in old hole.. and drill new one.. or cap old nipple and make new one.. do not jb weld it..

the rock

02-25-2004, 10:34 PM

yeah thats true... to bad... it looks REALLY cool.... makes it look like something crazy on a stadium monster truck or something.... ill drill and plug the new hole.... coolio... thx guys

Monsterbrad

02-26-2004, 11:55 AM

Hey cr?
WHy don't you like the JB weld idea ?
I have used this a few times on the pipes fitting being careful of course,I never use it to plug a hole with out the use of a screw first to plug the hole. I like it cause I know that it won't come out in an impact.

CRSMP5

02-26-2004, 08:17 PM

the pipe is pretty... the pipe looks sweet.. to hack it with a glob of jb weld.. sorry.. cannot imagine it.. i bet any 4mm set screw is a perfect fit in it.. so loctite.. and walla.. professional looking mod..

Monsterbrad

02-27-2004, 01:49 PM

CR

are you planning on keeping your menace I know you mentioned selling it on that other savage site.?
I would keep it just cause its so darn fast
Mine is still waiting for break in but before I do that I have to fix the pipe and glue the shields for the difs.
Anybody else have any ideas of things to do ?????

CRSMP5

02-27-2004, 08:09 PM

have not decided yet... all i know is its sick fast and pnly good for hey check this out when you got some idiot talking trash.. :D

the rock

02-28-2004, 07:15 PM

Ooopps

02-28-2004, 08:10 PM

Well it looks like a February Thaw in Michigan, Wiped the cobwebs offa the Menace and took her out on the road. This thing is to fast for its own good plus it handles like crap at higher speeds, kinda like a feather in a hurricane.

Here is what I have Broken so far:
1: Rear arm: My fault, to big of jump
2: Top layshaft, the main belt drive pinion is attached to the layshaft via a pressed in roll pin. This broke just after breaking the motor in.
3: Blew a clutch bearing and took out all (3) speeds.

Things that need to be fixed:
1: Ball diffs, need ceramic balls.
2: Get rid of the TORX screws? What was Schumacher thinking?
3: Soften Suspension up a bit.

Anyone know of an off the shelf 2.2" wheel that fits this thing?

I like the Menace but I think it has to much power to be "controllable". Then again........

Ooopps

CRSMP5

02-28-2004, 08:26 PM

i think i said that 1st.. its good for a hey check this out.. :D

Monsterbrad

02-29-2004, 11:03 AM

Hey guys I think that thats what this truck was made for!!!!
HEY CHECK THIS OUT

the rock

02-29-2004, 03:47 PM

Monsterbad... What email can I send you pics of my Mutant MAXX??

If anyone wants to see it send me your mail!!!

:cool:

the rock

02-29-2004, 03:50 PM

I JUST put in my new Thunder Motor and an 11t pinion in it last night.... hopefully I will break it in soon....

the rock

02-29-2004, 04:42 PM

here they are!!

the rock

02-29-2004, 04:44 PM

another

the rock

02-29-2004, 04:48 PM

one more

CRSMP5

02-29-2004, 05:20 PM

looks sweet.. except for the pipe body issue..

next.. for the ones who want to use something other than a set screw on the pipe..

how many knew it was a 3 piece pipe??

http://members.aol.com/sxuldveight/rc/feb_04/menace/pipe1.jpg
and the nipple holds it all together.. :rolleyes: and it is backwards thread also.. and mine leaks fuel out of the seam of how its pieced together.. so there ya go.. will use some teflon tape, a set screw to relock it into place.. and drill a new hole for a fitting..

http://members.aol.com/sxuldveight/rc/feb_04/menace/pipe2.jpg

now.. why is mine apart so far.. well i was out today runing it.. it got squirrly, in 3rd gear in nnice big parking lot and off to the edge it goes.. ohhh noooo snow bank.. after a 20ft high jump off snow bank, it destroyed the right front suspention.. and knocked the belt out of proper adjustment where it got hung up on the side of the front diff.. man this thing is worse than a new 1:1 car trying to find hidden screws and figureing out how to get the front diff out.. what a PIA.. but i thought the pipe was a interesting find.. so had to share..

Monsterbrad

02-29-2004, 10:08 PM

HEy CR?

I see what you mean about the pipe.
Whats up with that????
Well I am going to just cap mine and leave it alone drill a new hole and go from there.
I think that the cold plays a big part in the durabiity of the cheap plastic that this truck is made from.
Rock doesn't seem to have to many problems cause he is where it is warmer than us,here in PA during the winter months.
Sucks but I have to admit I havn't even taken the menace out yet still thinking about taking it apart to see about the seals rock was talkin about.
CR have you had any problems with this seal thing for the diffs??
Rock was saying that they can some lose and tear up the belt but it seems like a ton of work to get to them.

CRSMP5

03-01-2004, 10:17 AM

mine are tight.. since i had to dismantle it completly to get the belt off the edge of the diff.. im thinking of figuring out what he speaks of though.. i need to get a turnbuckle that will work today.. so im motivated to put it back together.. watchign a front wheel fly off liek a f1 hitting a wall was kewl.. just wish i had th eviedo tape going.. the kids playing basket ball were loving it though.. :D it was also almost 60f when it hit.. the snow bank was from plowing that has yet to melt all the way.. so had nothign to do with temp.. i actually fractured the lower a arm down the middle.. aka, diff housing to wheel middle, long ways.. :eek:

im going to find nylon block and make my own control arms, c hubs, to see if i can get durability to where i trust racing it.. th eplastic coated glass stuff is just to brittle cause the second i have someone tap it on the track it will loose a wheel.. nylon will be more forgiving..

next.. how many people have blue clutch bells on theirs? ,ime is discolored from heat.. and it is stock gearing so i find that a odd issue..

the rock

03-01-2004, 10:45 AM

Monster:

All I did was remove the front and rear purple covers... two screws on each. And drop like two drops on the exposed shield... shouldnt take more than 5 minutes ;) It seems to be a commun problem as Schumac tecs do it as well. Prevention prevention... mine actually MELTED and FUSED the shield... then damaged the belt. I replaced everything last night... I will show you a pic of the damaged goods in a while!!!

As far as trusting the car on a track.... I have driven this truck in our local track MANY times. Racing buggys, GTs, open class.... 7 lap heats.... I have yet to break ONE piece... the only problem I had was the 1st gear hub which seems to be fixed.... if I recall corectly I think I have broken one arm.... BUT nothing can be TO durable... if you can make some stronger plastic all power to ya... I personally am praying that RPM makes some parts for this ride!!! :cool:

the rock

03-01-2004, 10:58 AM

remember that when you put the super glue drops... to spin the wheels to keep anything from sticking....

the rock

03-01-2004, 11:01 AM

belt... keep in mind that this happend to my fusion... but I have seen my menace shields off also... and it can easly happen to the menace at high speeds

Ooopps

03-01-2004, 02:53 PM

My Clutch bell is blue also, kinda weird considering I do not run with a drag brake.

Monsterbrad

03-01-2004, 10:11 PM

Hey Rock

Thanks a bunch for explaining this I can tell that you love this truck I do to don't get me wrong it looks cool and the speed is GREAT:-). I will do the mod to the dust shields and I am still workin on changing the pipe.I see that its turning out to be a pain in the butt cause the fitting kinda holds the pipe together.
I am going to thread a screw into the pipe where the old fitting was to hold the pipe in place.Then JB weld it nicely (CR) :-) in place making it look good. THen I am going to mount the nipple on the side like it should be.
Glue the dust shields break it in and then pound the heck out of it!!!!!!!!
Keep us posted rock:-)

CRSMP5

03-02-2004, 09:14 PM

well my menace is back together..

the diffs are ca applied, the damage fixed, and the pipe is modded..

the only part i lacked was the turn buckle for the front.. i snapped one off in the crash, but ofna makes a 2.50$ set of 3 thats a perfect fit :D

the pipe. i faced the fitting towards the air filter.. i also used orange silicone on the threads as i screwed the pipe back together to get my oil seeping issue solved.. it drips right onto the brakes/3speed makes it a real mess.. i used a 3x3mm set screw in the original hole.. perfect fit..

now why did my belt get pushed onto the diff.. when reasembly i found the metal belt gard got bent in the crash, like the cvd smaked it and shoved it inwards.. pushing the belt off to the edge.. :rolleyes: but its now fixed..

a hit for any "newbies" wanting one of these.. the instruction manual sux, to remove engine, remove fuel tank, header/pipe, upper deck screws, then you can snake the engine out.. it is far from user friendly.. but man.. the words.. hey check this out is worth it.. LOL..

Monsterbrad

03-02-2004, 10:02 PM

Hey CR and Rock

Got mine all fixed up just waiting for my new reciever and off to break in I go.
I can't wait to see how fast this thing is.
Hey how are you guys breaking them in do you do the idle thing for a few tanks then start running it around.
I have done this forever and it seems to work the best.
I run 2 tanks through at idle keeping the temp around 130
then start running it around super rich leaning out slightly to get the temp to start to come up heat cycling of course inbetween tanks.
I can't wait to fire this baby up
I'll keep ya posted weather depending.

CRSMP5

03-03-2004, 09:38 AM

you want to keep temps close to 200f.. or 90c.. any colder premature wear occures... do the idle, then some figure 8s.. how to tell when broken in.. when its warm, after running stick the drill on it.. remove the glow plug and turn the drill by hand to see if the pinch is gone.. once the pinch is gone or not noticable its broken in.. the pinch will return when cooled off so do the test once its warm.. thats just a simple easy test to tell when a engine is broken in.. normally id give the pull start a tug or spin the flywheel by finger. but on this neither of those a option..

and you will se 1-2nd it is quick.. very very quick.. make sure your drill is charged too.. if th ebatt is weak and not spinning fast enough it makes starting difficult..

my break in took like 4 tanks.. broke in very fast.. but keeps tune well.. find a BIG parking lot for tuing too... cause unless you can do some wot passes tuning is difficult..

Monsterbrad

03-03-2004, 09:44 PM

That sounds good
There are many arguments about the temp for the first idleing tank. I try to keep the temp down cause the bearings on the rod and wrist pin are wearing in and lots of lubercant helps this process.
I do know that there has been lots of issues about race engines... These guys do realy quick heat cycles up to 200 plus then let it sit till it cools to room temp.
I see this being bad for us guys looking for long term engine life.
it does not let the rod bearings set in good.
I wish there was a final answer to all this???????

the rock

03-03-2004, 10:27 PM

well like religion I do this on ALL my motors:

1st entire tank idle (complete idle, temps between 180-200
let cool to about 90

2nd tank idle with SMALL spurts of gas... about 1/8 spurts. 180-200 - then let it cool to about 90

3rd tank on the ground, stock needle settings... run back and forth in ovals on and off the gas... NEVER more than 1/2 throttle. Temps 200 and above. Let her cool down.

4th tank on the stock settings... run up and down the street about 90% of the time no more than 1/2... then about 10% of the time WOT. Let temp go down again.

5th tank... running it in all power bands. Hard starts, WOT, mid range tests. Everything. Let her cool down.

6th tank start to tune the needles.......

Monsterbrad

03-03-2004, 11:04 PM

Hey rock

How much fuel have you run through an engine before it has given out?

the rock

03-04-2004, 08:06 AM

Monster...

Its hard for me to tell... I have 6 cars and all in running condition.. I use them all and go through gallons pretty fast....

The only car I have changed my motor in due to wear was my GT, a .15 OS. It was the first car I got when I got back into the hobby about 1.5 years ago. I changed it maybe 2 months ago (I have a rossi .12 now, FLIESSS). I usually run about 5 or 6 tanks a weeknd on my GT. On my MBX5 I can safely say I have about 3 to 3.5 gallons to it and it runs like its on its 15th tank.

CRSMP5

03-04-2004, 10:24 AM

i have a 21bb from a savage with over 5 gal in it.. runs strong. block is even cracked from bad jump.. probally happened in the 1st gal of fuel.. took till i put it in a project to find crack.. :rolleyes:

picco 26 with over 3 gal

8 port race.. this engine i can say i screwed up somehow.. the stock carb screwed with me and by the time i put a os carb on it it was too late.. has over 5 gal though

rb ws7II with a gal thru it.. WOT break in method. sitting waiting for warm weather.. the head cools too well.. and it dislikes water.. the lsn gets wet screws up the mixture..

s-25 1.5 gal thru it, WOT break in again, loves wet/dry.. does not effect it so a great snow/water bashign engine

i have a used s-25 great compression but unknown on life or mpg.. so ill see how many more it lasts vs the one above

the one that came in the menace i have almost a gal on.. still extreamly high compression, will make clutch on drill slip, but pinch is non existant when warm.. so all is good.. im so far impressed with this engine by the way...

Monsterbrad

03-04-2004, 04:25 PM

Hey cr
I had this engine the ttr thats in the menace a while ago in there original 21 truck with the single speed the desert storm I think it was and it was a great engine.
That was before my temp gun days and I am sure that I had it over 300 on every run it only lasted about 3 gallons but i beat the heck out of it.
I have read other people say great things about the engine too.
The best 21 I have had yet is the novarossi p-5 !!!!!!!!!
That mill was AWESOME!!!!!!!

Kevin M

03-04-2004, 04:28 PM

r there any other wheels and street tires that u can use on a menace besides the ones that schumacher makes?
like proline ????? The schumacher venum street tires are kinda pricey and my hobby shop does not carry them.
thanks kevin

CRSMP5

03-04-2004, 06:33 PM

im using proline road rages.. since my box of goodies came with spare set of wheels i used them.. traxxes norml wheel hexes fit it.. look back a few pages for B's post.. for some ideas on wheels to use..

Kevin M

03-05-2004, 08:06 PM

thanks but will the rpm 2.2 in. wheels work?

CRSMP5

03-06-2004, 08:57 AM

you need to look t Bs post.. must have a hex.. i think he said the traxxas ones will but you need the right offset.. and proper sized hexes..

Kevin M

03-07-2004, 07:31 AM

ok, thanks

Mirage one

03-08-2004, 12:46 AM

:) Hi guys, any of you has problems slowing down on high traction surfaces?I run only on tarmac and the belt skips like crazy when braking(clap! clap! clap!) It never skips under acceleration. The guys at Schumacher said this was normal but i am just curious. I wish they would have given us more adjustment on the idler pulley, it was already maxxed out out of the box and the belt seems awfull loose still, at the speeds the Menace can achieve it would be nice to be able to slow it down at a reasonable rate. Any input? P.S. I am also plagued with the first gear hub problem.

CRSMP5

03-08-2004, 09:57 AM

the fix for the 1st gear hub was solved a page or so back, it was a matter of the brake grabing with too high a idle, at least the expected cause of it, so hows your idel speed and brake drag?

mine does the click click thing.. i just remove braking out of it via the remote when i hear it.. i think its a bad thing... hate to see ya hurt the belt with it..

Mirage one

03-08-2004, 11:32 AM

Thanks for the tip, i was aware of the brake drag situation and mine was set-up properly from the start. My first hub went because of the retaining nut not being tight enought but the second time, the pin on the shaft actually made a perfect 360 degrees groove in the hub without any other damage. Pretty weird,i re-ordered 2 more hubs from Adrian at Schumacher in the meantime i am going to try to locate a longer pin to try to get a bit more grabbing surface inside the hub.

Monsterbrad

03-08-2004, 11:50 PM

Hey guys back again
Just put the radio in the Menace and I noticed that the brakes suck just rolling it around in my basement I had to double collar it to get any kinda brake out of it.
Just seems like it won't stop with out the colar infront of the brake arm that comes from the transmission.
Has anybody else had this problem.
Now I read that you guys are saying that the belt skips when the brakes are applied on the street.
Whats up with this I bought this thing to run on the street not in the dirt.
I will keep ya posted to what happens after break in.
Still waiting for better weather .....................

Kevin M

03-09-2004, 06:20 AM

i had that problem when i first got my menace. i tweaked around with it and got more brakeing but it still needs more.:(

CRSMP5

03-09-2004, 09:57 AM

mine stops just fine.. also rember till the brakes are seated it will brake poorly.. use them some.. play with the adjustment.. mine is set by instructions with no issue..

i have a jr xr3 radio on mine, i have the brakes set to 55.. if i go any more than that they brakes will click on road.. but if i bump it down to 50 it stops.. :D its just a matter of brake adjustment for the click belt pop noise..

the rock

03-09-2004, 01:47 PM

yeah I dont have a problem with my brake either. If its to tight I can roll it with the car off and hear the click, but I also have it set up to "no clicks" and it brakes just fine.

As far as the 1st gear hub.... I havent taken mine out again since my last test. BUT I hope its fixed.... maybe you are right and the torque on the asfault is just to much for the plastic hub. Thats a good idea about the longer pin... PLEEEASE let us know how that worked out for you. If mine does it again im going to try the longer pin.... if it still fails im going to have an aluminum one machined (havnt put much thought if that would just send the stress somewhere else and bust another piece). But with some trial and error we WILL find the solution.

Ill get those vids out to you also!!!

Lets keep eachother posted. I havnt done the pipe yet :(

Mirage one

03-09-2004, 07:30 PM

:cool: Thanks Rock, i am impatiently waiting.As far as machining a new hub it would be quite the task(but nothing is impossible wright?) What i mean is that an intricate part like this with thoses curved and elevated teeth would have to be designed on a numerical control milling machine, i don`t have to tell you that unless you plan on making several thousands, the price would be astronomical. Unless you have a friend in a good production machine shop. As far as my braking problem, i will have a new idler pulley machined(this one is simple) at a bigger diameter if there is space to do it inside the cover.This should give me some adjustment to play with and make the belt a little tighter. These belts have plus and minus tolerances when they are manifactured, i was probably the lucky winner of a longer one, anyway that is what Adrian thinks. Over all i love this truck, faster than most pan cars but with forgiving ground clearance and four wheel traction without a center diff witch is the best set up for even tire wear from front to back.

Monsterbrad

03-10-2004, 09:41 PM

hey guys back again

Well its broken in and All I can say is

WOW :-)

THis thing just plain rips holy cripe
The brake thing I fixed that by adjusting the xr3i to compensate for the reverse travel on the servo.
I love driving something with so much power it just walks anybodys trucks and keeps on running away.
Cool as heck!!!!!

I have read problems about the belt and rocks I have experienced this already but they seem to find there way out or it will just take a while to trash the belt.

the rock

03-10-2004, 09:56 PM

Mirage... sorry on the lag with the vids... ill get them to you soon.... and I know a machine shop that MIGHT be able to do it....

Monster... CONGRATS!!! Yeah this puppy rips... have fun

Mirage one

03-11-2004, 07:29 AM

No problem Rock, if you do find somebody who would be able to make some hubs i am shure that there would be a little line-up to try to get one of those. Where are the after market companies when we need them!!! There is probably not enought of these Menace to justify a big following. It would be nice if Schumacher themselves would produce a more durable replacement hub or even just a metal insert for the pin to grab on. I am a bit busy lately but i think i am about to do some serious brainstorming. On the other hand i must admit that Adrian and his staff have to be at the top of the list as far as support and the verry speedy service they offer. I wish that bigger manifacturers would follow there example. Hats off.

CRSMP5

03-11-2004, 09:10 AM

the cs is the only reason i got one.. after readign how they stepped up to the plate on a few forums.. i had no doubt but to say this is the way to go..

glad you got it broken in.. it is a fast little bugger..

Monsterbrad

03-11-2004, 12:54 PM

Hey guys

Yeah this thing is crazy with speed my bud won't drive it he says its too much but I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never had anything throw rocks like this thing does.
Handeling is not that bad the stock tires are working good for me running it around on the pavement.

the rock

03-11-2004, 06:40 PM

WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!!!! (george of the jungle)
:)

Monsterbrad

03-11-2004, 10:16 PM

For all you people that are reading this thinking of buying one of these trucks
All I can say is you have to know how to drive to keep this thing straight even with it being 4wd its CRAZY powerful.
Third gear infront of the house here is NUTS and I am only running about 200 on the temp gun.
Its awesome:-)
Hey rock I would not want to hit anything with this thing at speed there would be alot of broken parts.
Keep on truckin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CRSMP5

03-13-2004, 06:51 PM

i need to sell mine.. LOl.. bought a hb lighting pro 2.. and that used my rb 28 money.. so up for grabs.. is a gal old menace (actually less than a gal but with 6 nitro vehicles hard to say exact amount).. i have alot of spare parts.. ALOT.. the list is a few pages back.. of those parts ive used 1 set (sise) of suspention.. rest still intact..

the stock body is still new, never used, as are the stock tires that have not even been glued yet..

would like to see 525 shipped for it minus the electronics.. 650 for it with electronics, hitech servos, 5 cell hump pack, charge harness jr xr3 radio on chanel 88, will also include the beer hauler body and street tires... is it a deal..

i love the truck.. but as ive said a few times.. its not practical for anything but a rush.. ill miss it if it gets sold..

Monsterbrad

03-14-2004, 06:39 AM

I will have to say I have had a ton of cars come and go and by far this is the most exciting thing I have had in a while.
I just wish is was shaft drive instead of belt.
I am worried that over time the belts might take a beating with the little rocks that are getting in there.
Other than that I am going to hang on to this beast for a while just can't get enough of the SHEER take off and 60mph top speed it WOWS everybody as long as you can keep it straight.
Keep it outa third
later

Mirage one

03-14-2004, 07:24 PM

;) Don`t worry, shaft drive takes a beating too with this kind of power and it is much more expensive to overhaul than replacing a belt.

Monsterbrad

03-14-2004, 10:33 PM

I have to say that this thing stock with the changing of the brake system a little is realy good for what I am doing with it.
NOT TO SAY HOW FREAKIN FAST IT IS
WOW:-)

Monsterbrad

03-15-2004, 05:30 PM

hey rock??
How is the truck doing??

plummers

03-19-2004, 01:30 PM

hi fellow menace fans, the problem with the belt slippin on high grip surfaces is due to the tensioner pulley being to small.a modified pulley was available.its only very slightly bigger but does improve but not cure the problem.

Ooopps

03-21-2004, 08:59 AM

I have been thinking on trying to use a more standard wheel on the Menace. I Bought some wheels for a Traxxas Stampede\Rustler, came with the Hexes, but the stub axles are to short for the wheels to bolt up properly (wheel offset is OK). I believe you could purchase MIP CVD axles for Stampede\Rustler (5mm axle),

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXNM68&P=0

and attach them to the Stock MIP dogbones. Before I buy the axles anyone have the parts and a Menace to try it out?

Thanks

John

matrixmaniac

03-24-2004, 01:03 PM

the menace is not the jumping machine schumacher claim it is ive gone through 3 sets of plastic wishbones and a set of alloy ones and now i have my own custom made wishbones which have out lived all of the suspension parts like hub carriers yolkes shock pistons anyone else busted up suspension parts

matrixmaniac

03-24-2004, 01:14 PM

i have not encountered any belt problems or this belt slap under braking my brakes are sharp stop quickly. the torque screws:rolleyes: what where they thinking.i think the shocks could do with being a little stiffer i think

Monsterbrad

03-24-2004, 03:14 PM

I have not run into the belt problem yet. Rocks are a bit of a problem but its not skipping like I have been reading on here.
I would say buy a new belt and see what happens. Like I read before the belts are all different lengths, I think thats what Schumacher told another guy on here.

the rock

03-24-2004, 04:05 PM

Originally posted by Monsterbrad
hey rock??
How is the truck doing??

Hey sorry for the late responce... I went out of town for like two weeks..... The truck is great and ready to rumble... BUT I havent finished the pipe yet :(

Mirage: Il promise to get the vids out SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!! I know what it feels like to wait for something your dieing to see!!!

Ooopps

03-24-2004, 06:27 PM

For anyone that is interested,standard CVD axles bolt up to the Menace Dogbones. The Traxxas axles add about 5mm to the length allowing the use of a wider range of wheels plus they are the same diameter as the stock axles. I beleive you could use Associated wheels with the Traxxas axles, at least my buddy does with his Rustler. If one wanted, you could prolly get Associated or Losi axles and adapt bearings to the stock housings.

Also, I have not had any issues with belt skipping, although the belt is not as tight as I would like it with the current tensioner.

I am also currently experimenting with Sping\Oil combos to try and get the thing Handle better. The stock shock length is about the same as a rear Losi XXX shock, might try that since I have more tuning options in my toolbox.

John

Mirage one

03-24-2004, 07:02 PM

:) Thanks Rock,can`t wait to see those videos. The good weather is about to show up around here and i am trying to gather the guys for some parking lot bashing this week-end. Still too much snow to run anywhere else.By the way guys, how tight do you run your diffs? 1/8 or 1/4 of a turn or more from max lock up ? Any input everybody? For high traction surfaces.

CRSMP5

03-24-2004, 11:02 PM

ive broken 1 complete fron corner, and 1 rear arm when i tapped the wheel on my 1:1 car at abt 1mph..

so next time i break any parts im going to find some nylon and build my own also..

i would still sell it though to anyoneinterested.. IMO its a great truck handle nice and all.. BUT it is more of a dirt oval/pavement racer than a jumping off road truck..

Monsterbrad

03-26-2004, 10:21 PM

Has anybody tried this Idea with the new wheels and axles ??????
I would like to use different wheels on the truck but I have to say that the stock tires as hard as they are and with no foam they are holding up pretty well. Backs are a little smoked but still have a little tread and the fronts are really good yet.
I don't like the dirt I am finding in the dif boxes it makes me worry about long term wear on the belts.

Ooopps

03-27-2004, 08:38 AM

I should be getting the new axles on Monday, will post pictures when I get it assembled.

John

Chew

03-27-2004, 08:56 AM

Awesome forum everyone! This truck looks amazing! I can't wait until mine gets here. Does anyone know what's up with schumacher US? No replies from AdrianM since 01-02-2004. I ordered a menace from them last week and the website tells me its being processed. For an entire week?! I tried calling and e-mailing with no response, I want this thing! No patience, I know, I want to order it from another company, but my previous order is just in limbo somewhere and I'd hate for it to go through and have to explain two new trucks to my girlfriend! Any help, please? :confused:

CRSMP5

03-27-2004, 10:24 AM

no idea.. just let us know what ya find out..

matrixmaniac

03-27-2004, 02:05 PM

took the menace out to the park today did some nice high speed runs looked really good then went to the ramps doing some nice small jumps of the ramps when it just stopped :confused: sat there motionless engine still running so i went over stop it no aparent reason so took it home started to strip it down when i noticed some very small ballbearings :eek: i new straight away they where the bearings the 3speed pinionbell runs on all 4 of them totally shot new set on order :(

the rock

03-27-2004, 03:28 PM

the rock

03-27-2004, 06:48 PM

sorry for off the subject remark guys.

Yo monster.... I JUST ran my third tank on my mutant maxx with the Thunder Tiger motor and I am VERY impressed. I put a 12 tooth pinion from a 13 and man does it take off. And the high end is also amazing. I honestly can say I cant really tell the difference between this motor and the Rosi Black Magic motor I just took off in power. And better than anything is the E-Start... it starts in a flash everytime and finishes the entire tank. I started it one time at about 240 temp and flashed in about 1/2 turn.... :D Im a HAPPY HAPPY camper right now... simplicity rules!!!

Mirage one

03-27-2004, 09:42 PM

:D You can send them to mlamontagne0430@rogers.com Thanks Rock, i would realy apreciate it.

Monsterbrad

03-27-2004, 11:58 PM

Hey rock glad to hear that you like this engine I like it to but I am going to have to say that I like my savage cause thats what I bought.
If I were to set up a monster from scratch I would probably make the savage into the zilla version.
But for now I like the 25 in the savage its a great truck and super tough lots of abuse and almost 2 gallons through it.
The Menace is sitting again waiting for a nice day for some quality speed runs up and down the street.
The TTR engine does kick butt though.

the rock

03-28-2004, 04:37 AM

right... all im saying is that I was nervous thinking that the TTR motor wasnt going to run how I wanted on my monster.... but it did exactly the opposite!!!

Did you ever finish your pipe?

the rock

03-28-2004, 04:46 AM

test

Monsterbrad

03-28-2004, 05:46 PM

Rock
Yeppers my pipe is done but I stripped out the gears pretty much all three which sucks but I was having a great time till then.
Where are you running the engine for temp???
I am staying around 220 or so and it seems to run pretty good.
I am impressed but I think I am going to have to start beefing this thing up a little, the tie rod ends are crappy they break realy easy.
Has anybody changed these to titanium?????

the rock

03-28-2004, 06:53 PM

im running my temps between 375 and 410..... it runs good too..... :p just kidding.... it get up to about 260-275... MAN but does it get hot here... and its REALLY humid.... no probs with my tie rods.... I just got back from the track... I THINK I got some good vid of my mutant..... maybe ill have some cool vids soon...

Mirage... did you get the vids?

Chew

03-28-2004, 06:56 PM

CRSMP5

How much $ are you looking to get for your menace? Normally I wouldn't think of buying a used r/c, but you seem like a real straight up kinda person, not to mention you've helped me numorous times on savagecentral.com. I might be interested, and I still haven't heard from schumacher, although it has been the weekend. How's anyone else's luck on contacting them lately?

Mirage one

03-28-2004, 07:16 PM

Hi Rock, i got fusion 1,2 and 3. The other ones did not come in because my mail box was full. Can you send them 2 at a time? I also tried to send you some videos but they keep coming back. Thanks. P.S. Working on a losi xxx-nt that i picked-up yesterday to play in the dirt.One wouldn`t want to get his Menace too dirty wright...Ha! Ha! :D

the rock

03-28-2004, 07:38 PM

CRSMP5

03-28-2004, 07:42 PM

Mirage one

03-28-2004, 08:38 PM

Yes Rock, those are the ones i got. Sweet :)

the rock

03-28-2004, 08:51 PM

ok I just sent you 2 more emails... let me know if you got them ok

Mirage one

03-28-2004, 09:02 PM

All the videos are in,thanks, you should try to empty your mailbox so i can send you a couple of videos. :D

the rock

03-28-2004, 09:09 PM

All the videos are in,thanks, you should try to empty your mailbox so i can send you a couple of videos. :D

ok i just sent you the last vids.... i also just cleared my serever... try it again please. How big are they?

Mirage one

03-28-2004, 09:28 PM

Everything is in. My videos are usualy brtween 3 to 4.5 meg so i can e-mail them. I will try to send one out now.

Monsterbrad

03-28-2004, 11:33 PM

Wow this forum is busy today.
Have any of you guys stripped the gears out in this truck???
I did after a backwards crash into a rock. I do believe the engine moved away from the gears messing with the mesh.
Took second gear out first then stripped 3rd.
Ordering new gears tomorrow from Speed Zone
Other than that the truck is a ripper and no other problems.
I asked this earlier but does anybody know of titanium tie rods for this thing??
Broke the first one today after a pretty bad flip.

CRSMP5

03-29-2004, 05:54 AM

ti tierods.. how about something from a losi type buggy? ill see if i can get the part number the guy used on his

Chew

03-29-2004, 05:54 AM

chew id take 550 with it with all the parts extras, jr xr3 radio and receiver on 88, on central in the sell section i have a list wth photo of what all you get.. basically im asking for 2/3 what i have in it.. but if you were not interested in stuff like the xr3 radio price can be dropped..

but with parts, radio, street tires, body, the new stuff and even a t-10 torx driver 550 is pretty reasonable.... figuring their rtr version is 500.. with a not so nice radio and no spares..

that is reasonable, i'm interested, i need to check with schumacher and make sure they haven't sent it out yet. I'm sure you've mentioned it before in the post, but how much fuel have you run through it, and how can we arrange (spelling?) a deal.

CRSMP5

03-29-2004, 08:22 AM

PM me on central.. im on there way too often to miss a pm there.. being a mod and all it takes up my time.. but paypal, postal money order but i do not see a way to pm you via this forum to give u my contact info..

figured it out.. you have a pm.. also under a gal of fuel.. id say alittle over 1300oz 600oz on break in, 300 on tuning and the rest just playing around showing off.. to show off ill say a tank at a time.. gets boring after that... not like jumping for height till broken like a savage/buggy can do that all day and not break anything.. dont trust the menace for anythign more than pavement..

Monsterbrad

03-29-2004, 10:05 PM

Hello again
Thats all I do with my menace pavement pound with it.
Somebody brags about something fast !!!!!!!!!!!
thats why I have this thing and I am hanging on to it.
I love the speed and sheer power this thing has lots of fun to drive but like cr says its not a monster truck in any way. I love my savage for pounding :)
Blew up the tranny though in the menace after running into a large rock sliding in reverse jamed the clutch bell into the gears and chipped a few then it lost second and third new gears on the way.
Anybody having problems with the brakes mine seems to be getting worse, I am going to tear it down before I put the new gears in and clean the heck outa the whole truck and check everything.
Also they did not put loc tite on anything from the factory surprised its stayed together this long thats what screwed up my gears.

CRSMP5

03-30-2004, 08:43 AM

no screws were metal to metal except the engine mounts that ive found. so no need for loctite.. dont use it on anything that threds into the plastic stuff they have, and everything else has lock nuts..

now another question.. did you reset the gear mesh or check it prior to running it the 1st time? mine was set too tight on the gear mesh right out of the box is why i ask..

Monsterbrad

03-31-2004, 10:50 PM

Hey cr and Rock
Here is what I figured
Out of the box the gears were a little tight but!!!!!!!
with the three gears the tolerances are going to be a little diferent between all three gears so this time I am going to go a little tighter because I lost the gears I think because they were too lose.There is so much force there if they are too far apart it will just strip cause of the torque and three speeds.
I am not going to go binding tight just closer than normal.
What do you guys think????
Still waiting for gears have the truck all apart for cleaning right now.

Chew

04-01-2004, 04:30 AM

Has anyone run this thing on grass? Mine should be here today or day after, :D and there is a huge manacured grass field, like a golf course lawn, where I plan to run it mostly. I can't wait to see this thing in action!

CRSMP5

04-01-2004, 09:19 AM

just make sure there is nothing to hit liek a goffer hole, stick or any non movable objects the grass may obscure.. cause it will do damage..

next gear mesh.. i set mine like any other car so i had slight freeplay on all 3 gears.. if you **** the engine any way too much one gear will be too tight, one will be too loose and the middle proper. it takes a few trys..

Monsterbrad

04-01-2004, 09:26 PM

About the grass running you should be ok just watch for build up of crap in the gear area but you will like it its crazy fast. I love mine but let me tell ya its a hand full to control. I have been driving rc's for almost 15 years and this thing is nuts.
Any how cr about the gear mesh I can see what you mean about getting it just right, I am going to play around with it right now till I get it right with minimal amount of clearance but still spins freely.

Combatcm

04-01-2004, 11:39 PM

I was thinking about getting this car back in november. I purchased an OFNA LX and not one thing has gone wrong with it. But, back then I really wanted one of these. I'm used to extended periods of off time, so parts won't be a big deal, however the amount of parts I need might be a big deal. Say you just drive it on road and not beat it, what just goes bad after a while? I am not familiar with multiple gear transmissions, will the 3 speed workings wear out?

Monsterbrad

04-02-2004, 12:12 AM

Hey rock where are ya this is a good question for you the post before this one please read.
I would say that if you buy this truck take the engine bolts out loctite them and set the gear mesh properly I put a piece of paper in between second and third and tightened things down worked well.
As far a durability don't expect this thing to hold up like an 8th scale they are one of the toughest things going my hyper 7 was extremely tough and my savage is very very good.
I would say after having this truck that it great for flat speed runs and blasts through the grass.
Would I buy it over again yes I sure would just to see this thing run is impressive very impressive.

CRSMP5

04-02-2004, 10:48 AM

Combatcm i suggest a spare set of plastic.. the suspention if brittle, if you have the yolks, a arms, c hubs and stuff like that a small wack will not make you wait a week for parts..

i also love my hotbodies lightning pro, well i have a pro2 now also, very durable and if you look down in misc section you will find all the info on it..

this is in no way ment for bashing, honestly if you were out at a track with professionals who do not like to run into others, the thing could be raced if you know how to jump.. but any bad landings, or direct hits will pretty much break something plastic on it.

it is a fast sick item any rc guru needs to own, it is in all honesty a menace, and quite impressive to see it on the move.

a few pages back i made a list of the "support" box i was able to snag for cost aka 150$ from teh LHS that was supplied with the truck when they received it, it is a 225$ parts set that would have all basic opps i broke it, lost this, items in it. all i have used from the box is 1 complete front corner, one rear control arm, the suspention mount that holds the shock tower into place, and the spare set of wheel to mount street tires on.

Chew

04-03-2004, 07:23 AM

Well I broke it in yesterday and all I can say is "SICK"! This thing is crazy fast! :eek: And it really likes the grass, great handeling. Instantly drew a croud of 20 or so people that didn't even notice the other t-maxx's and savages around. I see what you mean about the gopher holes though, doesn't take much to send this thing flying, it thinks it's an airplane! Cartwheeled it a couple times and broke the piece that holds the shock tower. Not going to bother ordering the part, I'm making a new one from stainless right now. :D

plummers

04-03-2004, 08:57 AM

hi fellow rc fans,come across a problem with my mates menace and now mine.the servo saver seizing up .the cars were only used on road until last weekend when the off road conditions were better and both cars ripped the teeth off the servos.on inspection found the servo saver had seized on the alloy shaft not allowing it to rotate.be aware of this it could get rather expensive.as if the hobby isnt already!!plummers

plummers

04-03-2004, 09:02 AM

hi again, forgot to mention any one had problems with the cvd's coming loose??i havn't but my mate has.rebuilt both rear with loctite left over night to dry and used the next day and both came loose. have used heat shrink to prevent the pins coming out :rolleyes: keep racin plummers

CRSMP5

04-03-2004, 10:02 AM

mine does not have enough run time on them for that issue of the cvds.. and anytime i goto use my rc i check the servo saver fisrt before i fire it up... once the radio is on turn a front wheel and check if its working...

i also think mine is sold :rolleyes: did not want too but funds made me do it.. ill know tonight if paypal shows up with the $..

Monsterbrad

04-03-2004, 12:49 PM

CR why?????
THis thing is just way to much fun just had it out I love it so much power !!!
This guy in the neighborhood stopped and asked me what that thing to 35or40 I said yeah at half throttle.
Nothing runs like this thing the guy said I don't know how you can control that thing. I have beeen driving these little cars for 15 years and this thing has all my skills used up for bashing it around.
WAY TO MUCH FUN
never enough power:-)

CRSMP5

04-04-2004, 05:27 PM

honestly my buggy with a picco 26 and a 18t cb gets me up there pretty good and i have room to make it even more like a 22cb if i wanted.. durability is not there, i have a rb28 on preorder, and its just a moment of finances...

Monsterbrad

04-04-2004, 10:02 PM

Hey CR I know what you mean about the buggy I had the p-5 in a hyper 7 pro which I kinda wish I still had but it would fly pretty good also and the durability was better but then again there is nothing like a 1/10th scale with a 21 in it. I was thinking about building the rc-10gt with the 21 in it like rock has but I am in the same situation money running out.
I do love the Menace though can't get enough of it just plain fast

Chew

04-06-2004, 06:22 AM

plummers, let us know how the heat shrink on the cvd's work. ran mine yesterday and lost one. $40 to replace? ouch!

Chew

04-06-2004, 06:31 AM

CRSMP5, congrats on finding a buyer, turns out I'm completely tapped out at the moment. 4 cars in less than 4 months, turning out to be the most expensive habbit yet! :rolleyes: Can someone say "nitro annonimous"

CRSMP5

04-06-2004, 10:37 AM

on central we have what we call the 12-stepprogram.. basically it is for those of us who cannot enter a LHS and not spend a min of 100$.. tbill nominated me as president a while ago.. and he is the vp.. :D

Chew

04-06-2004, 05:27 PM

How do I join? Thinking of changing my name to nitroholic! :rolleyes:

CRSMP5

04-06-2004, 06:13 PM

with 4 rc in 4 month your a auto member.. :D

Monsterbrad

04-06-2004, 11:31 PM

Hey guys put the new tranny gears in mine and she is back rippin again!!!
I love this thing just so much fun driving this thing up and down the street at 55 mph its AWESOME!!!!!!
Neighbors like it too

moep

04-07-2004, 05:26 PM

Hi all Menace-Guys,

I've ordered a menace a few days ago and I'm thinking of putting a different engine in there. I've got a rather mild .27 Sirio 3 Port Pullstart engine around, which I'd love to use in the menace.

Will it drop in right away? I think so, just want to be sure.

What about the stock pipe / header? Is there any way to use a RB 086 pipe or similar with the stock header and pipe position or is the stock pipe significantly shorter than other pipes?

tia!

Monsterbrad

04-07-2004, 09:15 PM

Get the truck and try it before you go changing the engine..
The gearing is designed for the TTR engine which is more than enough for the 3 speed. Trust me on this you'll see what I mean when you get the truck.
I have mine all stock the header and pipe that are on it work just fine it has great power.
The only thing I would like to do is aluminum arms and titanium turn buckles and stuff like that.
Just try the truck stock first Schumacher warns about the engine swap earlier in these posts!

CRSMP5

04-07-2004, 11:11 PM

i agree do not change the engine.. and trust me when i say taking it out is a major hr job, the upper deck has to be almost removed and the carb hides one bolt pretty good.. and as is.. it is too damb fast stock..

for the header idea.. you would have to put the pipe to the side of the truck.. the one thats on it is pretty much at max length.. else the pipe would stick out further then the rear wheel..

xdamxincx

04-08-2004, 02:10 AM

i have the purple aluminum arms for sale ... perfect shape... anyone interested.. i have no idea what i payed for them my memory sucks... make offers or email me ...xdamxincx@aol.com or im me...

Chew

04-08-2004, 05:59 AM

I also agree that there is no need to upgrade the engine. This truck is already overpowered. I think anyone who owns this truck will agree that there is no need for more speed than it has out of the box. I doubt you'll even get to see top end on this thing, unless you're running it on the salt flats, or a runway. :D Has anyone seen it close to top speed? I've had it in third gear for maybe 3 or 4 seconds and had to back off because the thing is almost out of sight! Probably somewhere around the high 50's. (mph)

CRSMP5

04-08-2004, 08:43 AM

mine always 99% of the time flipped on its lid by the point of maxing out in 3rd.. normally it flipped by time it was about to hit 3rd..

AdrianM

04-08-2004, 09:05 AM

We haven't run into this before on the Menace. It used to happen all the time in the Nitro 21 XTR. The way to fix the flipping on the XTR was to lower the front of the body so air would not be caught under it. I suspect the same thing is happening on your Menace.

As you accelerate weight transfers to the rear and this makes the nose of the car come up. I run the body on my menace as low as it will go front and rear with the rear raised just a little bit so the body is level or just a bit nose down at speed. I can hold it wide open until I run out of room with no flipping problems.

Adrian Martinez
Schumacher, Inc

bhstall

04-08-2004, 12:12 PM

Are there any links to vids......I want to see this....menace thingy......in action

CRSMP5

04-08-2004, 12:21 PM

a few pages back B has some vids on it..

now i wish i would not have sold it... :( ahhh well i figure ill end up buying another one one day.. maybe the on road one so i can hit 80.. but i always kinda though that was the flipping issue.. i had the beer hauler body on it.. and it was as low as it would go with out rubbing too bad.. ahhh what a thrill a menace is.. thanks for the tip Adrian... im sure others will need it :D

ALSO the street tires may have been at fault.. they would balloon up to 1/8th scale buggy size.. but could only find proline ones when i gave up on trying to use it in my back yard..

be very carefull watching vids.. it makes your bank account shrink..

doesgo

04-08-2004, 12:39 PM

www.slapmafro.com

A couple of the vids have Menace action....and destruction. "Leap 2" and "Scream" do for sure.

moep

04-08-2004, 01:16 PM

Is the stock Body a normal Proline F-350 T-maxx body painted by Atomik?

I'm curious, because I'd love to slap a new body with a more aerodynamic design onto the menace as soon as it has arrived here... the Sierra GMC would fit my bill just right, I guess.

Monsterbrad

04-08-2004, 04:09 PM

I can tell you this I put the crowd pleaser body on this truck and it looks killer all I did was paint it and lower and trim the fron body posts.
As far as fit any t-craxx or savage body will fit on this truck.
The body that comes on it is the atomic f-150.
I use my truck on the street mostly so its slammed down low and it handles great.

xdamxincx

04-08-2004, 07:01 PM

http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/i/18606391429_330_2.jpg?ext=.jpg&rand=7977282411214489665&border=2,255,255,255,1,0,0,0,0&outquality=90
http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/i/18607283333_330_4.jpg?ext=.jpg&rand=-2256810603552581357&border=2,255,255,255,1,0,0,0,0&outquality=90
sierra body .. with some other upgrades.....my menace rocks......

CRSMP5

04-08-2004, 07:45 PM

niot all savage/tmaxx bodies are direct fit.. look a few pages back at teh beer hauler tmaxx body.. you will see i had to mod the wheel areas to clear the tires due to its width..

Monsterbrad

04-08-2004, 09:39 PM

oops well ok there are exceptions to everything
I like the crowd pleazer body
Low and mean fits the trucks personality

AdrianM

04-09-2004, 09:23 AM

Those videos are pretty cool. I like how the Menace was the only car to clear the snowbank between driveways...by quite a bit actually.

One word of warning. All R/C cars...including monsters will break if you land wrong. Every jump should have a landing. I see 1/8th buggies run at long jump contests and I just cringe. I'm thinking how long will the receiver and crystal last under those conditions. I just hope there aren't any little kids around when the Rx goes... :(

Atomic makes the Menace bodies and yes they are exactly the same as the TMaxx Body except ours don't have all the depressions in the bed for the TMaxx engine cut lines.

Every body that fit a TMaxx will also fit on a Menace. As stated before the Menace is a bit narrower so you may have to modify the wheel cut out on the Beer Hauler or Hummer bodies but thats it.

Adrian

DodgeRamSRT

04-09-2004, 09:18 PM

rush freak

04-09-2004, 10:50 PM

i seen a menace that had t maxx wheels and it was awsome i didnt know they had the same hex hub

Chew

04-09-2004, 11:47 PM

I recently saw a picture of a Menace on ebay or somewhere, that had alu "wishbones" etc. Any idea where stuff like that is sold? I tried the Schumacher site, (which needs to be made a little more user friendly IMHO) but couldn't find anything like that for the Menace
You can get the aluminum parts from schumacher, but you have to call them, the web site is under construction at the moment, much needed. At least thats what they told me. Some alu parts are back ordered, so not everything is available right now, they said the parts go pretty quick. Order supposed to come in this week some time. Good luck!

DodgeRamSRT

04-10-2004, 08:48 AM

Thanks Chew :)

Monsterbrad

04-10-2004, 11:20 AM

Hey guys
I saw that truck on ebay with all the aluminum parts.
It was pretty cool but I can see where aluminum might get kinda heavy and another thing aluminum does not flex it bends and thats not cool either.
What is anybody elses opinion here????
Don't get me wrong aluminum would be cool but!!!!

mini300bhp

04-10-2004, 05:40 PM

Get all the ally parts exept for the diff mounts, as they are smaller and dirt will get in.

I've got all the bits on mine, and the truck is now almost indestructable. With the plastic parts, one tap on a curb and it used to break. Now Im taking it down the BMX track, flat out over all the jumps. All I've broken so far with extreem abuse and sick air (4-5 m high)and a couple of 2nd gear crashes into walls is this:

1 shock shaft
3 wheels
2 pivot blocks,
bent hinge pin
All the standard wheel bearings, which are now replaced with better ones (still yet to break one)

No bent ally bits.

Money well spent. Cheaper than going to the model shop after every run.

Chew

04-10-2004, 08:41 PM

My opinion on aluminum is that there is alot of trial and error on where to use it correctly. There are advantages in some areas, but usually it adds alot of weight, and it will bend and stay bent or weaken, or cause the piece it is connected to break. I made the mistake, in my opinion, to put too much alu on my savage, causing it to be too heavy, and break things that normally wouldn't. But on the menace I could see where alu would be almost necessary, like the suspension mounts. It would make a very brittle part much stronger, without adding much weight. I would not consider ever adding aluminum suspension arms to any vehicle. They are cheap and easy to replace. I am however planning to beef up the menace as much as possible. I love the truck, but I have ran it three times and broken something every time. First the suspension mount, then a cvd, then a tie rod, or whatever you call the thing that adjusts the camber of the rear wheel. This is just from "normal" running, flipping over, not jumping or bashing. Thanks for the heads up on the alu diff mounts, mini300bhp, this is what I mean by trial and error. Just my 2 cents :)

CRSMP5

04-10-2004, 10:06 PM

RPM suspention would be the bomb.. if the aluminum used.. what will give in a crash...

subzerothebest

04-11-2004, 08:21 AM

hello together I comes from Switzerland and looks search video for menace 21! sorry for my English! greet from Switzerland

eric

Monsterbrad

04-11-2004, 12:38 PM

I would say for video look at the slapmafro.com site they get this thing in action pretty good.
RPM stuff would be great for this truck.
RPM arms and aluminum caster blockes would be good or the other way around would be good to.
As far as the ties rods I am looking into something titanium.
I think I read back a ways that ofna has a set that fits but I am not sure.
Anybody else remember or feel like reading back that far??
I have only broken the gears which was my fault and the rear tie rod snapped in a pretty serious flip.
Other than that the truck has been pretty good.
Rocks a litle in the belt to but I just let that go i'll replace the belt when it needs it.

moep

04-11-2004, 02:09 PM

KrisP

04-11-2004, 05:13 PM

Hey guys I just bought a used Menace a week or so ago and I have a few questions. Is there any other places to buy replacement parts besides Stormer or directly from Schumacher? I had a run in with a hidden fence post, and it won. Also can anyone tell me how much toe front and rear they are running? I think the previous owner has this truck completely out of whack. It is seriously twitchy and pulls hard to the right with anything more than 1/4 throttle. Tie-rod measurements would be great.

Chew

04-11-2004, 08:00 PM

KrisP, you can also get parts from extreme hobbies, I'm waiting on an order right now so I don't know how good they are as far as shipping and customer service. I like schumacher US because the have good service and will ship express cheap. My tie-rods came from the factory at 73mm rear, 68mm front, and 64mm for the steering. My camber and toe is also stock which according to the manual is 0 degrees toe front, I don't think rear is adjustable, but I haven't torn it down yet, and front and rear camber is 1.5 degrees negative (top of wheel leaning inward). With these settings my truck runs straigt as an arrow, even with dirt and grass ripping off all four tires! Hope this helps.

KrisP

04-11-2004, 08:58 PM

Thanks Chew! It was a great help. I found most of the parts I needed at the LHS. I just need a 25 spline steering servo arm and a wheel. has anyone come up with anything in regards to changing wheels? I found this online:
http://monstergtforum.com/news/default.asp?cmd=view&articleid=1183

CRSMP5

04-12-2004, 07:51 AM

but their review dislike of "no servo saver" is not accurate. with seeing that posted id think the review is a joke.. the left bell crank is spring loaded and is the servo saver.. so with that inaccuracy is it correct or not.. :eek:

B!!!

04-12-2004, 08:10 AM

Generally, I think the Wild Hobbies reviews are pretty decent, but I did notice the "no servo saver" bit too. I'm sure it was just an oversite. It's a bit of a surprise though considering how weak the servo saver seems to be on mine. I have the deal screwed as tight as it goes, but there doesn't seem to be much resistance from the saver.

Also... what tool do you guys use to adjust the LSN? Short of taking the back apart a bit, I can't get in there with a screw driver to turn the needle.

KrisP

04-12-2004, 09:14 AM

Yeh, I noticed the no servo saver thing too. lol. The thing that interested me in the article is:

"A second option is to replace the hexes with the hexes from a Schumacher R12, this will allow you to use either Mugen or CEN 2.2" truck wheels and any 2.2" truck tire." I just wondered if anyone has tried this to confirm it works.

B!!! - I use a long flat screwdriver that come in a Craftsman Precision Screwdriver set, I got as a present. I fits perfectly under the pipe and makes for easy adjustments. So I would think any long skinny screw driver should work.

doesgo

04-12-2004, 09:56 AM

Well guys, I guess it's time to shoot a few mails off to RPM, whaddya think?

When they see that there are enough people wanting parts for it, they might consider to make some of them.

The address is:

Talk2Us@rpmrcproducts.com

It'd be nice, but they don't even make parts for the Savage or Losi Triple-XNT and so many other more-popular vehicles, I really doubt they's ramp up production for such a "niche" truck like the Menace.

Also, they seem to stay away from damage-prone parts. They make lots of stuff for the RC10GT, but they don't make shock towers for it. Why? I don't know the answer, but I'm guessing they feel they'd run into a lot of warranty issues if they did. Now put yourself in their shoes as far as making nylon parts for a 70mph Menace 21 and imagine the warranty claims.

Then again, it doesn't hurt to ask!

moep

04-12-2004, 10:04 AM

I agree that there's a very little (or none at all) chance of RPM producing parts for the Menace since there certainly are a lot of popular trucks ranked higher on the "to-do" list (Savage, Mini-T and whatnot), but I figured it's worth a shot.

BTW, KrisP: I've ordered a set of those Hexes with my Menace... they were no bargain - suprise suprise for us schumacher-owners - but I figured it'd be nice to run those standard 2,2" on the Menace.
I payed 20$ for those 4 aluminum-clamp hexes.

KrisP

04-12-2004, 10:10 AM

moep, you got a part # for the hexes?

B!!!

04-12-2004, 10:12 AM

I tried some regular HPI hexes on there, and they fit nice and everything, but the axles just weren't long enough put the nuts on past the nylon locking part of the nut - at least with regular HPI 5 spoke rims. I ended up buying an extra set of rims from Schumacher and will probably stick with them, but it would be nice to know if they work.

CRSMP5

04-12-2004, 10:39 AM

someone posted a page back on getting a different MIP axel to put on the menace bone part.. have not heard anythign from him since.. i wonder how that is working..

tsais makes a LONG tuning screw driver..
http://www.tsais.com/products/tools/TS2002MU300.jpg
These innovative tools are precision-made for accurately tuning the shift point for your two-speed transmission. A rotating collar on the tool’s handle is held stationary while the rest of the tool is rotated to make adjustments. Indexing marks on the rotating collar and handle provide a precise visual indication of the amount of adjustment

hmmmm ill have to get back on this one.. i no longer see the tuning driver they had back at xmas time set up like the 2 speed set up.. :(

and yes i own one of each the 2 speed and tuning so i know they made it..

KrisP

04-12-2004, 11:57 AM

Heres what I use.
http://images.snapfish.com/33%3A49%3B7923232%7Ffp54%3Dot%3E2328%3D3%3A8%3D529 %3Dxroqdf%3E23234%3C7%3A79782ot1lsi

moep

04-12-2004, 12:08 PM

Here's the Partnumber for the Hex that my local Schumacher-Dealer told me to get:

U2401 Purple Alloy Wheel Hex - SST (pr) - $11,70

They're sold in pairs, so you'll want to order two of them for one Truck.
I can't confirm if they fit yet, but I should be able to tell sometime next week.

DodgeRamSRT

04-12-2004, 01:28 PM

Just got my Menace a few days ago. Haven't had a chance to start break-in yet. I've read through pretty much all the posts, and there's lots of good info and tips here. One question I have is it was mentioned about "fences" by the belt being loose and possibly damaging the belt, and they should be super glued. What fences where? My truck will only be run on asphalt, does anybody have any recommendations as far as how many spring clips to use on the shocks and or shock position? I've already locktited motor mounts, checked gear mesh, tightened gears, modified the pipe (what were they thinking?) and fit my favorite Ram body on it. Any other advise/tips? Thanks for your help!

Monsterbrad

04-12-2004, 04:23 PM

All I can say is this
Run the truck the way it is now that you have bodied it fixed the pipe fitting and got the engine mounts fixed also.
One more thing check you tires mine were not glues at all none of them.
Lets see pics of the dodge too.
HAve fun take your time with the break in.
c-ya

CRSMP5

04-12-2004, 06:50 PM

DodgeRamSRT

04-12-2004, 08:54 PM

tires need glued.. BUT if you wanna add foams now is the time to do it.. or even mount street tires on the rims..

LOL!I went straight for the street tires and foams before I left my LHS with the truck. I'm kinda glad they didn't glue the stockers on. I'm thinking the stockers without foams would make the handling a little more interesting than needed. Also this is my first belt drive R/C, anything special I need to do or be aware of? Thanks for all your help!

CRSMP5

04-12-2004, 10:45 PM

belt drive is pretty simple.. be carefull with braking... if too much you will mak ethe belt slip/hop you will hear that, and it can wear the belt.. also in a bad front end crash to bend the belt guard to knock the belt out of position is possible.. when out of position the wheels will not turn... i found this out... :)

blizzard

04-13-2004, 12:43 PM

Has anyone got experience with 1:8 Buggy Tires on the Menace?

I'll be bashing my car mostly in grass and I'm worried that the rather small stock tires just won't cut it. Now I saw some pics of a Menace with 1:8 Buggy wheels a few pages back and thought that this would be perfect. It would probably also make the Menace handle a bit better due to the added weight - judging by the vids I saw so far, the Menace is just too light for such high speeds in offroad terrain, which is why it will jump on every little bump.

I've already got a few sets of buggy tires here, all I'd need would be some wheel adapters. I'm thinking of using the SST hexes that were mentioned above plus some 12mm->17mm adapters.

doesgo

04-13-2004, 12:57 PM

I think adding 1/8 buggy tires to a Menace will have the opposite effect of what you're looking for.

First, buggy tires are narrow and quite light, so you wouldn't be adding any weight compared to 2.2" truck tires.

Second, the extremely short sidewall of a buggy tire won't absorb much from the terrain which means the truck will most likely bounce even more than with truck tires.

Third, taking the weight of the Menace and putting it on narrow-contact-patch buggy tires means more pounds per square inch. That means more potential traction, but it also means it'll be even more prone to traction-rolls than it already is which, at the speeds of which the Menace is capable, can be disastrous.

But that's just one man's opinion...

Monsterbrad

04-13-2004, 10:14 PM

I would not put 1/8 scale wheels on here either !!!
Just to tippy with those narrow wheels on it.
Get a set of Losi masher tires and try those for grass they seem like a pretty good all around tire.
I am going to try a set here soon as well as a new set of on roaders for street use which is where this truck spends all its time.

the rock

04-14-2004, 12:15 AM

tires need glued.. BUT if you wanna add foams now is the time to do it.. or even mount street tires on the rims..

the gaurds.. its pretty simple.. BUT they will not come back off for diff maintence if you glue them..

if you just add two small drops of super glue you will be able to mantainance the diffs again... I have...

YO MONSTER!!!!

the rock

04-14-2004, 12:18 AM

the rock

04-14-2004, 10:51 AM

Adrian...

Or can someone please give me Shuc's USA number.... the sight IS down...

thx

B!!!

04-14-2004, 11:13 AM

Rock - Schumacher USA : 813-889-9691

By the way, we've got a new video out and there's some Menace action in it.
Farm Bash 6 (http://www.slapmafro.com/movies/FarmBash6.wmv) - go to www.slapmafro.com (http://www.slapmafro.com) for a description.

AdrianM

04-14-2004, 01:04 PM

The Schu site is not down...www.racing-cars.com. The SchumacherUSA.net is just a domain name for US email aliases.

the rock

04-14-2004, 01:07 PM

:cool:

thx

blizzard

04-14-2004, 01:29 PM

By the way, we've got a new video out and there's some Menace action in it.
Farm Bash 6 (http://www.slapmafro.com/movies/FarmBash6.wmv) - go to www.slapmafro.com (http://www.slapmafro.com) for a description.

AWESOME video... the only thing it's missing is some more Menace-footage. :D

I loved that scene when that XT (or whatever it was) went up the wall... sweet.

doesgo

04-14-2004, 02:17 PM

If B!!! would just stop breaking his Menace we could get more footage! It was tough enough to get him to wait until the last day of the weekend to go over the big jump....

The one that went up the wall was an HPI Nitro MT. Next time we're gonna put the ramp below the roof's peak and try to make it all the way up!

Chew

04-14-2004, 07:41 PM

B!!! and Doesgo, your videos rock! You guys are insane with the jumping, I nearly s#!t a brick when I saw you pull out that ramp in "out of control"! A tripple? Truly inspirational. What does "Slap Ma Fro!" mean anyway? Keep up the amazing work!

B!!!

04-14-2004, 08:03 PM

Thanks Chew! That jump is so big that it's kind of scary hitting it. You know that when your truck comes down, it's coming down hard. I'm hoping to someday pull off a quad with the Menace off that jump - you see how fast that thing rotates in the air?!? The landing is going to be brutal though. I just ordered some aluminum stuff for it so hopefully I'll get more than one shot. I'd prefer to land on the wheels, but that's going to be really hard when it's spinning that fast.

The SlapMaFro thing comes from an old English to Jive translator at JiveOn.com. Doesgo and I had a bit of fun with it a few years ago, and every so often it would put a "Slap ma fro!" after a sentance with an exclamation point. We thought it was funny and it kind of stuck with us.

DodgeRamSRT

04-14-2004, 09:55 PM

In the latest edition of RC Driver (I got mine today), they did a review of the Menace.
Got a pretty good review overall. They broke a couple of pieces (body posts and 1 rear hub), but they admitted it was after a few cartwheelingcrashing sessions LOL. They got it to a top speed of 62 mph, and figuered it'd go faster but they ran out of room. Oh yea, they did point out the servo saver... :)

CRSMP5

04-14-2004, 10:04 PM

B!!! has great vids.. if you have not checked out the rest of his collection your missing some great vids.. the good jump bad jump will make ya roll for a while..

Chew

04-15-2004, 05:42 AM

I agree CR, everyone should take the time to download every vid from Slap Ma Fro! They are the best vids out there that I have found. The sound tracks are the bomb also. "Leap" is one of my personal favorites. B!!! thanks for the infro, ha ha, good luck quading the menace, I can't wait to see that, but somehow iI feel I might cringe. I love how the menace cleared the snow between the two driveways in "Leap 2". Kinda expect it to break after that though.

Monsterbrad

04-17-2004, 11:38 PM

hey guys
Had the Menace over at my bro's house the other day and I raced a Corvette down the street from a stop he lost it was so cool he took of as hard as he could and the menace just walked him it was awesome.
I did however lose control once and flipped it realy bad from second gear and nothing broke I was amazed. Warmer weather has alot to do with these parts holding up to abuse I think.
This truck is awesome :-)

blizzard

04-18-2004, 02:09 AM

Hi Guys,

I ran the first few tanks through the Menace yesterday. Nice Truck!

I did a few mods first, which seemed useful to me:

I made a little external charger-jack for the Radiobox so I haven't gotta rip it open everytime I charge the pack.
Pretty easy: I just soldered a third wire to the unused solder-tabs of my on/off switch, made a little hole into the RX-Box to get the wire through and done.

Also, I added a set of Socks 4 Shocks to keep the Shocks clean.

Another thing was that the 3-Gear Transmission seemed very exposed pebbles and other dirt/grime through the hole in the chassis to me.
Soooo, I drilled a hole in front of the exposed area and mounted a piece of lexan with a screw and a nut. Seems to hold up good so far!

I'm running two Hitec 5625 Digitalservos which aren't exactly top of the line, but I figured that Airtronics 359s would be a waste of power due to the small wheels.
Anyway, the turning radius when accelerating was just plain HORRIBLE!
The Servosaver is way too soft, even when I screwed it all the way down.
Whenever I blipped the throttle while steering, the tires would "jump back" and the car had an insane turning-radius.

That was easily fixed though - I took the front two screws that hold the upper chassis off, unscrewed the servosaver, added two metal spacers and screwed everything back on.
Those metal spacers gave the servosaver-spring a lot more preload, which makes the servosaver release way later.
This thing handles like a little 1:8 Buggy now, it's awesome. The whole
steering assembly still seems a bit loose to me, but I'll see what I can come up with.

I've ported and polished my engine before the first run. This TTR .21 has a lot of porting-potential due to it's conservative port-layout.

Anyway, it fired up within 3 seconds and never stalled.
Rock steady idle, very reliable running. Can't judge the power yet, I've only got four tanks through it so far.

The acceleration of the Truck is already ridiculous.
I was running the engine extremely rich, hovering at about 180°F for the break in. A buddie's Savage 25 suddenly showed up for some bashing.

He lined up for a little dragrace with the Menace and we took off.
Seriously, I was able to toast him with 1/2 throttle and the sloppily rich engine! It's amazing, I can't wait what this thing will do with 3 gears and a properly tuned engine. :eek:

BTW, the suspension is also a lot better than expected... you just have to go a bit easy on the throttle and it'll stay planted.

I'll try to get some pics up later.

DevastatioN

04-18-2004, 10:34 AM

Hey guys, Im considering buying a menace. A local dirt rc track started up yesterday and I want to be ahead of the pack. It's just a friendly track not for money or anything but it will still be fun. There are about 6 of us. Four savage's almost all stock except for pipes and one buggy. The buggy is an ofna buggy. It's wasted tho. It would barely outrun the savage's. If I get a menace you think I would stand a good change at winning. If I do buy a menace which tires should I get for the track? Its meduim to hard packed surface. Well, quite hard actulley. Do you think these tires would grip well ? http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDT95&P=7 All the way around? Also which parts shuold I get for the meance? I will have about 75 - 100 worth of extra cash to buy parts. Could you give me a direct link to what I would need to mount those tires on it? And a link to the gear hub you guys are breaking? Anything that breaks common could you pleasee specify or give a link. Thankz a ton guys , DevastatioN

blizzard

04-18-2004, 01:11 PM

Stats of today's bash:

- Front Diff Screw snapped at the head - easily replaced, just took the diff out and fixed it with a new screw.
- Rear lower-arm broke at a bad crash. sucks, but I wanted to get aluminium arms anyway.
- the throttle linkage broke at the threaded part, right at the ballcup! I didn't expect that thick thing to break... argh.

oh well, parts should be here sometime this week.

KrisP

04-18-2004, 04:29 PM

I took the menace out today and ran it at a local park. Man it sure drew a crowd. To make a short story long. I lost a rear dogbone and the univeral joint that connects to the axle. From what I can tell I need part# U2694 and U2695 is that correct? I need to order parts just want to be sure I get everything I need.

xdamxincx

04-18-2004, 11:15 PM

http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/8/web/104000-104999/104990_79.jpg OLD
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/8/web/104000-104999/104990_81.jpg NEW
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/8/web/104000-104999/104990_82.jpg

DodgeRamSRT

04-18-2004, 11:32 PM

Well, I did the mods as reccomended in previous posts, and finished break-in on Fri. Ran 4 tanks through it on Sat., the brakes kinda stink, steering needs work too. It flipped over 4 times running into the wind and I melted the hub on first gear. I checked and double checked to make sure there was no brake drag as mentioned in previous posts, but oh well. I put in a JR metal gear servo for steering, and flipped over the nut for the steering servo so I could tighten it tighter (spring too soft), and it turns tons better. I also moved the brake rod to the outer most position on the servo horn to get a longer throw on the brakes, they still stink. It's easier to spin it out to bring it to a stop than use the brakes. I also dropped the body 1 more notch (as low as it will go), and opened up the back of the cab a little, and have only the smallest spring spacer in the front shocks - it's sitting pretty low and scrapes frequently. 3 more tanks threw on Sun., no breakage, and no flips, but I was pretty easy on it. Street tires are holding up pretty well. Gotta do something with those brakes though.... Has anybody tried to fit a touring car body on this thing? I know a 200mm is too big, but maybe a 190mm?

DodgeRamSRT

04-18-2004, 11:37 PM

This thing will slide forever when it goes on it's lid at speed! LOL! My roof is almost worn through! ;)

CRSMP5

04-19-2004, 08:30 AM

yea it does.. LOL.

you guys make me miss mine.. LOL..

MaxHP

04-19-2004, 08:52 AM

Well, abter 14 years out of the game, I picked one of these up from my local store Friday - all I can say is holy #@$&!!!!

Man have things changed! The last car I ran was a 2wd Modified electric oval car back in 91 (a converted Kyosho Ultima)....

Just breaking this thing in - I went through 2 tanks just idling around and no more than 1/4 - 1/2 throttle bursts as the guy told me to.... and it would still walk my buddies T-maxx like it was standing still! This thing is SICK!!

Anyway - I'm impressed with this thing (even if the steering servo destroyed itself first time out... arrrrgh!)!

So if I wanted to put together a box of spares to keep around for when / if this thing breaks.. what seem to be the most common parts to replace?

CRSMP5

04-19-2004, 08:58 AM

take a look a few pages back.. i have a nice list of what a support box should have in it.. its the support box my LHS got with it... the only thing i think i would add are some turnbuckles (ofna ones 3 for 3$ are exact same), body mounts and diff housing (aka white parts)... besides that i had a spare of every plastic item and stuff you think it may would break (shock towers) and upkeep (clutch, belt, diff rebuild kit)..

Chew

04-19-2004, 05:13 PM

The list is on page 9. Add a set of cvd's U2683 or at least the rebuild kit U2694 and attach the dogbones to the truck somehow. My cv came apart and I lost the bone so I wrapped a twist tie around the rear bones loose enough not to bind and connected it to the turnbuckle. The front doesn't seem to be an issue, looks like the yoke would hold the bone from falling out.

Chew

04-19-2004, 05:18 PM

What glow plug would anyone recommend? It's 85-100 degrees here year round, so cold weather is not an issue. I used an os a5 from my savage pit box when the stock plug went and it seems to be working fine, but I can't find a recommended plug anywhere.

Monsterbrad

04-19-2004, 08:39 PM

FOR SALE
Well I hate to do this but the Camaro needs a new distributor.
I will sell the Menace too its new owner for 300.00 shipped.
As long as you are not to far away from me.
Please let me know if anybody is interested.
This is a good deal the truck is in really good shape and will come with 2 bodies, A new crowd pleazer and the stock f-150.
I have to sell it so let people know.
I am taking it over to the LHS later in the week.
If you want pics let me know.
There are pics of the truck on here a few pages back
FOR SALE

04suby

04-19-2004, 10:44 PM

Hey guys, new to the board. Im very interested in getting a menace. I had a rustler 2.5 but gave it to my brother in law, now I need a new truck for myself. I mostly just drive around in my yard and field with occasional parking lot driving. I also have a track built that 5 of us race on. My question is. Is the menace going to take some abuse without breaking right away, Is this a good truck for what I am going to use it for. I have heard nothing but good things about the menace. I liked my rustler but wouldnt mind trying something else. Please let me know with your opinions if this is the truck for me. Thanks in advance I have to make my decision soon, I miss driving my rustler. Thanks

alfaracer

04-20-2004, 12:08 AM

Hi all,
Just got my Menace, and it's great :)
but I've a question about the glow plug , as I'm a newbie to Nitro.
after four tanks breaking in, I gave it some more throttle during the fifth tank. I went awesome, but suddenly stopped.
Now it seems that the standard glow plug (Bought the RTR Menace) has gone. I cannot see anything broken on it, but when I take it out and put in on the glowstarter, it does not glow. Also the engine does not start anymore.
I called my hobbyshop and wanted to order a McCoy no.9 (read this on the forums, as being the best) but they do not know this one. They will sent me a HPI glow plug, should work fine (?)

Anyhow, tell me about the glow plug:
-How long does it normally last ?
- why gets it broken : too lean or too rich ?
- how can you check its condition ?
- more details about McCoy no 9 please (brand, manufacturer ..)

thanks ! :D

blizzard

04-20-2004, 03:33 AM

Anyhow, tell me about the glow plug:
-How long does it normally last ?
- why gets it broken : too lean or too rich ?
- how can you check its condition ?
- more details about McCoy no 9 please (brand, manufacturer ..)

thanks ! :D

I'm glad you enjoy the Menace, it's one hell of a vehicle. :)

about your questions:

- that highly depends on other factors like fuel, glowplug brand & type, temperature, needle-setting and your driving behaviour/style. I've found that long WOT-Sessions in high grass will kill a plug in almost no time (5 Tanks) - on the other hand, I've had glowplugs that seemed to outlast the whole engines they were in. :D

- glowplugs usually don't like it if you're running too lean.

- if the bottom of a silver glowplug is brown or black, it's usually a good sign for a too lean engine. However, it's hard to check this when the body of the plug is black anyway... ;)

- I've heard good stuff about the McCoy as well, although I usually use Rossi plugs. However, my LHS seems to carry McCoy, so I'll give it a try.
I don't know much about those plugs... all I know is that #8 is medium to cold and #9 is cold.

Chew

04-20-2004, 05:34 AM

Small shavings or pieces of metal in the engine will also cause the glow plug to fail. If you go through a few of them quickly, like 1 or 2 tanks, you might want to tear the engine down and investigate. This can mean bigger problems or cause them. I've seen it happen on two different vehicles. :eek: I also blew a plug on the fourth tank with the menace for no apparent reason, maybe just a crappy brand or plug.

blizzard

04-20-2004, 07:42 AM

CRSMP5

04-20-2004, 08:03 AM

get the fusion springs.. they are lighter.. look a few pages back..

glow plugs.. i used mc in mine with no issue.. and adrian a few pages ago stated how nice the tt engine is with using any glow plug on the market ment for nitro cars... normal ones.. not turbo, so ill say a os or mc is the way to go..

04suby

04-20-2004, 10:41 AM

hey guys, I hate to bother but I posted a few posts up about getting a menace. thinking about going tonight for one. Just need some ideas on if this is the truck for me. Please give me a few ideas because this might be the wrong truck for me. Any complaints about them. It seems like everyone who has one loves it. Thanks guys please help

CRSMP5

04-20-2004, 11:17 AM

i love it but its not as durable as my 1/8th scale buggy.. but god is it fast..

the rock

04-20-2004, 11:35 AM

if your running tracks... buy a buggy.... if your bashing around and want HIGH speed runs buy the menace.... if bashing for you is jumping 10 feet in the air... its going to break parts fast.... dont get me wrong... i race my menace around my local track.. and do circles around the GTs....

doesgo

04-20-2004, 02:17 PM

It's probably just as tough as most other vehicles, it's just that the Menace goes twice as fast as most other vehicles! Crash the buggies and GTs and Savages at 60+mph and they'd probably break too.

blizzard

04-20-2004, 02:38 PM

Sorry for popping in and disturbing your conversion, but I've got a q':

I'm in the process of stuffing a Sirio .27 into my menace (engine arrived today - there's no such thing as 3 HP in a menace...) and I'm now wondering what alternative pipes I could use for it w/o having them stick out of the body.
I don't think the stock pipe will literally "blow" it, since it's overall size (and stinger-diameter) is about the size of a .15 pipe.

I've now done a little research and found that the CVEC Z165 dual-exhaust pipe is 4 1/2" long (according to CVEC), which is roughly the same size as the stock pipe.

I personally think that the CVEC system suc*s, but it seems to be the only bigblock pipe that would fit in there, so I might just gut it (take the baffle thing out) and put it onto the menace.

Any opinions?

Monsterbrad

04-20-2004, 04:24 PM

Keep us posted when you get that other engine in it.
About the pipes I would leave the stock one on it for now and see what happens you will not harm the new engine and the stock pipe fits nicely.
Any how I read earlier in the post that schumacher set up this truck to work with this engine that is in it so I am curious to know what happens with the switch.
On the other note the plug situatuion.
I use rossi 6 plugs and the engine runs great all the time.

Neveo

04-20-2004, 04:30 PM

HEy guys wondering if u can help me ? I run the Mi2 & i have had a few breakages of the C hub (steering yoke) I have been told that the menace has alloy C hubs available that would work on my car ! Is this so ? But they are only available as 0* degree tho ?

So if i can use them where can i get them from ? how much ?

TIA Steven

Chew

04-20-2004, 04:57 PM

Guys,

I just skimmed through the Fusion-Forum and noticed that some guys have cut their springs of the 3-Speed clutches to make it shift sooner.

Since the 3-Speed Menace's 3-Speed Tranny is identical with the one in the Fusion, I'm wondering if anyone has tried this yet?

Why would you want it to shift sooner? Seems like it's set up perfectly to me, except 1st gear could a little longer :confused:

the rock

04-20-2004, 06:56 PM

DodgeRamSRT

04-20-2004, 09:17 PM

I'm now wondering what alternative pipes I could use for it w/o having them stick out of the body.
I don't think the stock pipe will literally "blow" it, since it's overall size (and stinger-diameter) is about the size of a .15 pipe.

I've now done a little research and found that the CVEC Z165 dual-exhaust pipe is 4 1/2" long (according to CVEC), which is roughly the same size as the stock pipe.

I personally think that the CVEC system suc*s, but it seems to be the only bigblock pipe that would fit in there, so I might just gut it (take the baffle thing out) and put it onto the menace.

Any opinions?
I've got a Z165 in my MGT that has the same .21 as the Menace (stock). I really like the pipe, helped noticeably through all rpm ranges but more so on the bottom. I really had to lean out the carb settings. Overall I think it's a great pipe to fit in a smaller area, a little pricey though.

04suby

04-20-2004, 10:00 PM

After thinking about what truck I wanted to get, I finally went to my lhs tonight and bought a menace. Now all I have to do is put the servos on and get that set up then its time to start it. I bought a high torque servo for the steering. Im going from a 2.5 rustler to the menace. I hope I will enjoy it. Thanks for answering all my ?s. Im sure I will be pickin your brains a lot more in the future now that I have the truck. Thanks again guys. By the way, I got a futaba radio because the price of the truck was soo much, didnt have money left for a high end radio.

moep

04-21-2004, 08:40 AM

thanks for the input guys.

The just for your information Sirio is NO direct drop in at all.

I had to do a couple of mods to the engine and other stuff to get it in there:

The first thing I had to do is to dremel quite an amount of metal off the crankcase to clear the belt. I had to take some material off the upper chassis as well to fit the carb in there. Also, i had to cut some material off the engine's mounts (where the motor blocks are mounted) to clear the tranny.

It seems to fit now, but the crankshaft of the sirio is a bit shorter than the TTR's - I hope a few shims will do the trick. I'll keep you updated and will post some pics tonight.

// argh, wrong account. gotta tell steve to delete my other one... I forgot my password for a while :rolleyes:

nitrohead5300

04-21-2004, 09:39 AM

Moep.. Does the Sirio 27 you are using have a pullstart on it? If it does not how are you going to start it?

moep

04-21-2004, 10:31 AM

yeah, it does have a P/S on it. The Menace doesn't have a hole for a bump start in it's chassis, so the only way to start the engine is either the E-start... or a pullstart.

Neveo

04-21-2004, 02:59 PM

Hey guys wondering if u can help me ? I run the Mi2 & i have had a few breakages of the C hub (steering yoke) I have been told that the menace has alloy C hubs available that would work on my car ! Is this so ? But they are only available as 0* degree tho ?

So if i can use them where can i get them from ? how much ?

TIA Steven

PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP ME ?

subzerothebest

04-21-2004, 03:25 PM

at my new menace21 functions brakes very badly! is the problem well-known? what can one do against it?

greets from switzerland

Chew

04-21-2004, 04:23 PM

there are some posts on the brakes on page 13.

04suby

04-21-2004, 10:33 PM

the rock

04-21-2004, 11:51 PM

Hey guys, got my menace together and working on my 4th tank of fuel. The hottest it got was 165 after a full tank The brakes work awesome. if i hit them hard enough sometimes it wants to pull the back tires off the ground. Everything seems good soo far. It takes me a little bit to get it started. Maybe im not priming it enough. Id say it takes about 15 to 20 seconds to start it. Im used to my rustler starting after 5. Any ideas. Does this motor take more fuel to start up. I just dont want to flood it. Any hints or does this seem right. Thanks for your help soo far.

165 is way to cold. You need to get it to about 200-240 to reach its normal op temps to break it in correctly. Lean it out. My motor starts in less than 1 turn of the allen... not even one second. But do give it a little prime... when you see the fuel go in the carb wait another 1/2 second or so... the drill will speed up

04suby

04-22-2004, 10:45 AM

Thanks rock. Ill lean it out a little. Is there a rule of thumb to go with like quarter or eighth turn at a time.. also, How do u know if it gets flooded. The rustler wouldnt turn over any more. I figure with a drill, it would turn over anyway even if it is flooded. I gotta finish breaking it in then I have some adjusting to do. Thanks for the help so far rock.. I appreciate it

the rock

04-22-2004, 11:08 AM

if your on your 5th tank in my opinion you are ready to start leaning it out to its final adjustments... always do 1/8 turns. start with your high end needle. lean it out 1/8 turn and run it hard down a long street to see how your top end is... once its hot check to see were your temp is.. you want your high speed to sound nice.. shift nice.. and have some smoke coming out the exhaust... if it stills feels sloppy or sluggish lean it out another 1/8 and so on till it feels right... once the high speed in nailed.... do some off the line take offs... it needs to blast off the line with no hesitation... again 1/8 turns.... on the low end i always like to RICHEN it first 1/8... if it gets worse then you know you need to lean it out... good luck... remember to watch those temps...

04suby

04-22-2004, 06:00 PM

Thanks for all the info rock. Thats what I was looking for I started up today in the house and it started in about 2 seconds without priming it. about the 3rd time around with the drill. I was happy with that. I got home from work today and it is pouring. supposed to pour for the next 2 days. Might have to wait untill then to do the tuning. I dont want it to get over 260 degrees, right? Also is there any place to get aluminum parts other then direct from schumacher? Thanks for all your help so far. Your making it a lot easier for me

Monsterbrad

04-22-2004, 06:20 PM

So far there is no place to get the aluminum parts for this truck that I know of other than schumacher.
I know there parts are good cause I have seen these on a truck on ebay.
I would buy them from there cause they are direct fit parts.
As far as tempeture I run mine around 250 or under it seems to run good there. My savage on the other hand likes it hotter then that.
I would keep the ttr engine around 240 or 250 max.
Depends on what rock says too he has a couple of these engines and loves them as well as me.
I was going to sell the menace but I am going to hang on to it its just to much fun.

the rock

04-22-2004, 06:47 PM

glad to hear your keeping it monster... i was bumbed to hear you were going to sell it!!!

monster is correct. I LOVE this motor. In fact I like it so much im put one in my Mutant Tmaxx... took out A BRAND NEW Rossie Black Magic motor. I have ran my mutant 4 weeknds in a row with the TTR motor and man is it on fire... its just so easy to start and it has plenty of power for the track. Im also almost 99.99% sure im throwing one in my MBX-5 buggy as soon as my WS7II gives out. I also fit this motor on a custom 3 speed GT I did.

In all, my Mutant monster truck gets the hottest. Its a battle with all monster trucks though... I just ordered a McCoy #9 plug and im going to seel the side windows to have a direct flow of air hitting the motor. I need to drop like about 30degrees on the mutant. If that doesnt work I will try and re-gear... my menace runs about 250-280 sometimes... BUT I live at see level on a VERY humid island... temps are usually between 80-100 when im running. My mutant can reach 320..... If I can get her down to 280-290 ill be VERY happy....

The temps monster says are good... but remember a lot has to do with your weather!!!

All my cars if I run hard on my track in this hot weather they can all reach close to the 300's... and theres nothing I can do about it....

BUT if your weather permits you to vary your motor tempts between 200-280.... I would have to say a nice temp would be right around 240-250.

My fusion is the only car that I can very temps on the TTR from around 200-230... but thats because I have the lola body and the head is sitting in the direct air.....

doesgo

04-22-2004, 06:57 PM

Where do you get these Thunder Tiger engines without a Menace or Monster GT attached? I did some Google-ing and couldn't find any.

the rock

04-22-2004, 07:17 PM

Where do you get these Thunder Tiger engines without a Menace or Monster GT attached? I did some Google-ing and couldn't find any.

Shcumacher USA will sell them directly. Thats were im getting mine.. call them..

www.racing-cars.com

DodgeRamSRT

04-22-2004, 09:31 PM

Where do you get these Thunder Tiger engines without a Menace or Monster GT attached? I did some Google-ing and couldn't find any.
You can also get MGT engines off Ebay...

DodgeRamSRT

04-22-2004, 09:36 PM

04suby

04-22-2004, 09:55 PM

If it doesnt start up pretty quick I usually pull the plug to make sure its not flooded Im kinda scared to mess with the clutches, or gear mesh or anything with the tranny. The rustler didnt scare me but this 3 speed trans does. When i run the drill it seems like the slower i turn it, the easier it starts. Im not sure if I could change the clutch setting on the drill. Thanks again guys for all your help.. Ive learned a lot in the past couple of days..

CRSMP5

04-22-2004, 10:09 PM

clutch on drill... not truck..

04suby

04-23-2004, 05:28 PM

Hey guys, I went out and ran the truck hard today. If i let it idle for a little bit there is a little hesitation when I give it gas It runs pretty smooth other then that. only every once and a while it gives a little spurt when im into the gas. My highest temp after running a full tank out was 220 so Im thinking about leaning it out a little bit. If this is the wrong thing to do, let me know. Thanks again for all your help..

CRSMP5

04-23-2004, 06:05 PM

your LSn is still alittle rich.. reason for the bog..

alfaracer

04-24-2004, 01:28 AM

the same happens to mine Menace, especially when the engine is hot.
when I start again, it idles, and I want to start off, and it stops. Or I have to set the gas-leveler higher on the transmitter, but then it just doesn't stand still.
So I have to lean it a little? ok , I'll try.

besides that it is a fantastic car :) :p
got it yesterday into third gear (10 th thank) , man the speed is really unbelievable :D
But I also did already broke one turnbuckle, and also stripped the steering-servo and lost one glow-plug.
but thats rc-racing: you keep on buying spares :rolleyes: .

Monsterbrad

04-24-2004, 07:48 AM

I have had roblems with the turn buckles they look good but they are junky for durability.
I also stripped the tranny gears once and the clutch bearing needs replacing they are messed up right now.
Other than that the truck has been ok.
SUPER FAST
its a hand full with the totally bald stock tires that are still on it.
I am going to run those till they are through to the rims.
Hey Rock whats a good set of street tires for this thing.
I was thinking proline road hawgs but then again the side wall might be to soft.
Have any sugestions people ???????

the rock

04-24-2004, 08:28 AM

Hey Rock whats a good set of street tires for this thing.
I was thinking proline road hawgs but then again the side wall might be to soft.
Have any sugestions people ???????

monster... these are the once I use. They last forever and they have great grip.... they are soft and work very well on hard pack, especially street. Put them in the dirt and are excellent also.

Those road hawgs are good also... I have used them... PERSONALLY I dont like them as they are a little to thin side walled and smaller radius. On take off they spin easier... what I like about the dirt works as that they work like a funny car tire... ever notice how a funny car or any quarter mile car, the rear tires are big, soft and sticky... when the menace lauches with the dirt works they tend to give a little and flex like a dragster, you know when they wrinkle up... hook and not spin at all... well the dirt works do this on all four corners. At high speeds they do raise and get skinnier but drives straight and in no mean flips over at high speeds turns, and I think the taller radius tire makes for a higher top speed...

HEY.... maybe thats why im busting out my 1st gear hubs!!!! to much dam grip off the line... hmmmmmm :eek:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXUM92&P=7

alfaracer

04-24-2004, 04:06 PM

when I run at full throttle , the engine suddenly stops. blurrrr.....
also quite a lot of smoke, when accelerating.
too rich or lean ?
which one I should adjust? the top vertical, the middle horizontal (did not touch this one yet), or the small idle one? :confused:

Monsterbrad

04-24-2004, 04:26 PM

Hey rock good to chat with ya again!!!!
I would say yes to that first gear hub thing with those tires.
Here is what I found though. Keep the nut snugged on the tranny gears every time you run the truck to keep the pin locked in tight,thats what I have been doing.
Also have you had any other problems lately?
Mine spit the clutch bearings out have to replace them asap cause the truck is sitting but I am starting a new job here so time will be an issue.
Hey rock whats you email????

DodgeRamSRT

04-24-2004, 09:33 PM

its a hand full with the totally bald stock tires that are still on it.
I am going to run those till they are through to the rims.
Hey Rock whats a good set of street tires for this thing.
I was thinking proline road hawgs but then again the side wall might be to soft.
Have any sugestions people ???????
I'm using Schumachers street tires and like them alot. They are showing good wear and have a slightly stiffer sidewall than the prolines I use on my .21RC10GT. Almost no ballooning and great control at speed. Just my .02

the rock

04-25-2004, 12:07 AM

the rock

04-25-2004, 12:10 AM

I'm using Schumachers street tires and like them alot. They are showing good wear and have a slightly stiffer sidewall than the prolines I use on my .21RC10GT. Almost no ballooning and great control at speed. Just my .02

hey Dodge... did you convert your .21 GT with New Era? I also have one but added the 3-speed... its as quick and as fast as the menace... well its really hard to tell... but im doing some mods to the GT to get it setup right and I will do some vid on some drag races....