BEST MONSTER TRUCK KIT (OPINION)

[NitroMan]

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=367225&a=7528541&p=25620434&Sequence=0
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=367225&a=7528541&p=25620519&Sequence=0
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=367225&a=7528541&p=25620514&Sequence=0
I have heard alot of people trying to compare the T-Maxx, Nitroquake, Monster Pirate, Monster Blazer, USA-1 Nitrocrusher.....

Lets face it there is a huge difference between 1/10 & 1/8 scale. The T-Maxx is a big for it's britches 1/10 scale kit. It is truly better than it's 1/10 scale class. My T-Maxx before I sold it would smoke RC10GTs at our track all the time because of its abliltiy to withstand jumps and hammer down in the straightaways. They are a cool truck. But, keep it in it's class, 1/10!!!!

Now the 1/8 scale monster trucks are entirely different. These guys have engines with power outputs of 2+ hp. They are larger, have heavy duty aluminum parts, incredible shocks and HUGE tires. They will go almost anywhere, at any speed, anytime. This is the ultimate in monster truck haven!!

I sold my T-Maxx about a month ago and bought the Ofna Monster Pirate. I like it much, much more because I like 1/8 scale. It is reallllll hard to rollover and the acceleration, climbing, cornering, and braking ability is second to none.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=367225&a=8051287&p=26690614&Sequence=0http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=367225&a=8051287&p=26690607&Sequence=0[/img]

So, lets stop that comparison and admire what each other is doing in this hobby!


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Hammer Down and Don't Let Up Till Something Breaks!!!!!

[QUAKE&SHAKE]

I agree with you about the T-maxx being big for its britches. Traxxas built it !/8 scale size and LABELED it 1/10 scale a great marketing ploy.
They knew that there is not much to go against in the 1/10 class and that
more beginners would buy a 1/10 over a 1/8 scale. When you have a Gas Monster Truck you are in the Gas Monster Truck classification.
What are the guidelines as far as Monster Trucks are concerned? What makes the T-maxx 1/10 while the Quake is 1/8? Quite a few people say they are just the same size. The Quake has 6.7" tires as does the MP. Is it this that makes them 1/8 scale? I dont think so because clods and juggs tires are just as tall.
Whatever the size or class of these trucks I still WANT THEM ALL.

[Conman]

Cool trucks and pics NitroMan!!!
The body on the turck in the first pic kicks!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/cool.gif

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If it's broken don't look at me.

R/C isn't a hobby,
or a way of life
IT'S AN OBSESSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cgris1]

Wow! those are nice lookin trucks. How do you like your Ofna? I was thinking of selling one of my USA nitros and getting one.

[NitroMan]

All I can say about the Ofna is WOW!!!!!

I am having so much fun with it! I have absolutely tortured it and it just looks at me like "OK, WHAT YA GOT NEXT!"

But on a serious not I wish that it was out when I bought my T-Maxx. I would have gone that route instead. Hind sight is 20/20!!!

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Hammer Down and Don't Let Up Till Something Breaks!!!!!

[Randy]

is the t-maxx really worth the cash?

[NitroMan]

Let me just say that for the amount of money I put into mine it still isn't and doesn't perform like my stock Ofna Monster Pirate.
I would have actually saved money if I would have purchased my MP first. I would not have had to buy all that aluminum that the T-Maxx really needs. Not to mention all the changes that had to be done right out of the box:

180 carb flip
Shocks bled and refilled
6v receiver battery setup
sway bars(recommended)
...
...

Looking back I would have been better off to just go for 1/8 scale from the beggining and purchased the Nitroquake or Monster Blazer back then. Now, I own the Monster Pirate and hardly mess with the T-Maxx. So I sold it.

The T-Maxx is a great starter monster truck. But if you want a real durable kit (and a real large one) then go for one of the 1/8 scale kits. They are much more durable and far more powerful.

Also, they handle alot better. I loved the suspension on the T. But it just looks good. I mean so what if it has 3.5 inches of suspension travel. I haven't missed it at all with the MP. The Monster Pirate has great shocks and you can drop it from about 5 feet on the stock settings and it wont bottom. Alot of that is helped by the large tires.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=367225&a=8051287&p=26690613&Sequence=0

It upsets alot of T-Maxx owners but I have owned and spent alot of time on both. It is a matter of personal preferrence but I like to get the best available and although they are different in scale and class the Monster Pirate is just much better to thrash, race, and work on. Although I do less working on the MP because things just don't break nearly as often. http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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Hammer Down and Don't Let Up Till Something Breaks!!!!!

[This message has been edited by NitroMan (edited 09-01-2000).]

[QUAKE&SHAKE]

Hey Nitroman, Can you mount the shocks lower on the shock towers?
Reason for this is on my truck it does come out of box with only 2.25" GC(the shocks were limiting the travel) but I moved the shocks lower and now have 3". I dont know what stock is for the MP but maybe your GC might get higher by doing so.

[hpiguy]

Shiver me timbers!!!!

I'll have to look into that Monster Pirate.

Nice truck, and great paint, ARGHHH!

Now where's me parrot, ARghhh.

[tominator]

I got a monster blazer and a monster pirate, the pirate much better than the Blazer in many ways the gearing is better the diffs. are better the truck is much more rugged, I love the receiver box the stearing is much better than the Blazer and now ofna has an upgrade for the diffs. to make them even stronger (four screws instead of 3 for the diff. cases) this thing will chase my neighbors cats up a tree and then go up after them!

[NitroMan]

Funny you say that. I accidentally ran mine up a the tree in my front yard ~4 feet. I couldn't see where I was going so I gassed it and all I know is i see one of the tires literrally going up the tree! The ground had a little slope that helped it get onto the bark. It was hilarious!
Anyhow, here is a pic of my 2 yr old and, oh yeah, my MP with the Proline F-350 T-Maxx body on!

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=367225&a=8051287&p=28456054&Sequence=0

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Hammer Down and Don't Let Up Till Something Breaks!!!!!

[oldtimeRCer]

The Monster Pirate, Nitro Quake, USA-1, and other "1/8th" monster trucks are really nothing more than 1/8th racing buggies with bigger tires and a truck body thats were they get the "1/8th" name. The T-maxx like the Clodbuster, Bullhead, Electric USA-1, are all 1/10th scale monster trucks based on size if the others were to be true 1/8th scale the would be larger then what they are.

[highguy31]

Who cares if they are pretty much 1/8th scale buggies as long as they are BIG, POWERFUL and FUN.

[very low budget racer]

actuall there are more changes between buggy & trucks, the trucks also have a higher gear ratio than buggys to move those big tires and to fit bigger gear the chassis has to be modifed.

[oldtimeRCer]

My point is that the MP, USA-1 nitro and others like them are not 1/8th scale they are based on a buggy chassis so they are 1/8th scale to a offroad buggy if they were to be 1/8th scale of a monster truck they should be alot bigger. and they might change the gear ratio some but other than that the chassis and layout is the same as the buggies. also as far as monster trucks go they are not all of their drivetrain is above the chassis so all of their gound clearence comes from their tires only. The T-Maxx, Clodbuster, and the others like it are monstertrucks what they call 1/8th monsters would be like putting clodbuster tires on a losi xx4 and calling it a 1/10th monster truck.

[very low budget racer]

true.

[Break-A-MAX]

I not the best at working on these cars like puting in motors and such. So what do you think would be a good 1/8 scale truck for. I already have a T-maxx I was kinda thinking of a nitro quake rtr. Any other suggestions?

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To jump it or not to jump it that is the question?

[NitroMan]

Once again, who cares if they are not to scale. They sure beat the crap out of all other so called monster trucks out there. I love to run over T-Maxxs and the like with my MP!!!

If you want one of these "not 1/8 scale buggy monster trucks" then go for the Monster Pirate. They are soooo awesome that many people are being drawn into 1/8 scale. I sold my T pictured above for one. I am sooo glad I did. I have 3 gallons on it now and NOT ONE BROKEN PART YET. Just drive it and refuel. I have tortured it and it keeps going.

The Quake is good but Duratrax hasn't fixed the differential problem yet. They just send you more of the same problem parts. But Duratrax has excellent customer support just like Traxxas.

I would recommend the Monster Pirate because it is only 259.99 at www.brucknerhobbies.com (http://www.brucknerhobbies.com) . The motor will cost less than those over priced .15 that everyone is putting in their T-Maxxs. I went down that road. I put the Picco .15 in mine and all it did was break parts and still wasn't as fast and quick as the MP.

Decide for yourself but I still say that the best nitro monster is the MP.

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Hammer Down and Don't Let Up Till Something Breaks!!!!!