Welcome back, one and all, to the greatest RC show on Earth! Okay, maybe that is a bit of an oversell but we here at 1i-rc.com do strive to bring you the latest and greatest that the RC industry has to offer each week and we thank you for joining us once again. This wee we have new releases from Team Associated, ProTek, Traxxas and Losi as well as a first look at a new set of shocks that we recently got in for review. Let’s dive in and see what’s new!
TEAM ASSOCIATED
New this week from Team Associated is another addition to their line of “Vintage” models, this time a Factory Team RC10 Retro Kit. Race tracks across the country have began running an old-school, rear motor buggy class to give racers another class to participate in using their older, often shelved race kits such as the B4, B5 rear motor, OG 22 and various offerings from Kyosho from the last 25 years or so. The RB10 Retro is a based heavily off of the RC10B5 rear otor kit and this new kit adds a slew of go-fast goodies for a fresh Factory Team vibe including a new bronze anodized B5 rear motor chassis tub, nose plate and motor plate, new grey plastics throughout, new front and rear bulkhead assemblies, a 5.5″ retro flat wing, 12mm hex dish wheels, retro Viper body shell, 13mm Kashima coated big bore shocks, vertical ball studs front and rear to tune roll center, heavy duty steel turnbuckles and rod ends, a B5 ball differential inside the B5’s 2.6:1 Stealth transmission and metric hardware throughout to hold it all together.
Item #90060 Factory Team RB10 Retro Kit https://60years.associatedelectrics.com/rb10-factory-team-retro-kit/
PROTEK RC
ProTek recently added a new low-profile metal gear servo to their impressive lineup of offerings, the new 275LPT. This servo is a metal gear servo produces 274oz-iu of torque and a speed of .06sec/transmit speed at only 7.4v, making this a great option for 1/10, both on-and-off-road. A full aluminum case provides a sturdy home for the all-metal gear train, dual ball bearings and coreless motor. ProTek even supports this servo with a lifetime warranty on all gears inside the servo making this a worry-free option for racers and bashers alike.
Item #PTK-275LPT 275PLT Low Profile Servo https://www.amainhobbies.com/protek-rc-275lpt-low-profile-high-torque-metal-gear-servo-hv-metal-case-ptk-275lpt/p1799124
TRAXXAS
Traxxas is upping the crawler game once again with this new1972 Chevrolet Blazer on the formidable TRX-4 platform, this time including a new interior and a TQi radio system with cruise control. All of the familiar TRX-4 features return including the XL-5 HV ESC and brushed 550 Titan 21t motor, waterproof 2075X servo, portal axles, remote locking differentials, 2-speed transmission, Canyon Trail S1 compound tires and GTS aluminum body dampers. New this time around are the sleek clipless body mounts that Traxxas has been using as of late, a new interior pan with a mix of molded details and decals that attaches tot he Blazer’s inner support cage as well as the addition of cruise control to the venerable TQi radio system that is adjustable through the radio’s multifunction knob.
Item #91076 TRX-4 1972 Chevrolet Blazer RTR https://traxxas.com/trx-4-chevrolet-blazer-with-interior-91076-4?learnmore=y
LOSI
Losi’s line of NASCAR offerings is growing by two this week with the release of the new #24 Dupont Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Jeff Gordon in 2002 and the #48 Lowes Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Jimmie Johnson the same year (his rookie season). These new bodies are mounted atop the familiar NASCAR chassis used in all other releases (including the Latemodel’s) and the big news this time is the inclusion of clipless body mounts that don’t interrupt the sleek lines of the gen5 Cup bodies. Classic 15″ steel style wheels and matching Goodyear Eagles represent what was used in the cup series during that era and the tires are molded in the medium compound that is standard on other NASCAR models as well. Each car is ready to run out of the box with an included Spektrum 2s battery and USB charger, along with genuine Spektrum electronics throughout.
Item #LOS1120024 Jeff Gordon 20002 Monte Carlo https://www.losi.com/product/losi-1-12-nascar-rc-race-car-jeff-gordon-no.-24-dupont-chevrolet-monte-carlo-2s-awd-rtr-brushed-on-road-battery-and-charger-included-blue/LOS1120024.html
Item #LOS1120248 Jimmie Johnson 2002 Monte Carlo https://www.losi.com/product/losi-1-12-nascar-rc-race-car-jimmie-johnson-no.-48-lowes-chevrolet-monte-carlo-2s-awd-rtr-brushed-on-road-battery-and-charger-included-blue/LOS1120248.html
THOUGHTS FROM THE WORKBENCH
Recently I saw a video from Crawler Canyon showing a set of 80mm dampers that actually had the body of a 90mm shock, giving extra travel without needing a super-long shock. He procured his from Amazon and they were fairly inexpensive (around $20/pr.) and I wondered if the versions seen on Temu were from the same OEM and were worth the wait. I ordered four pairs and waited on brown Santa to drop them off. The unique part of these shocks is that the upper mount is offset and attached to a threaded collar, much like the preload collar on a normal shock would be, allowing the upper mount to be moved up and down without chaging shock travel. The Temu units cost a whopping $7.12 per pair so I knew I wasn’t risking much financially to try them.
Here’s the shock after disassembly showing each component:
I appreciate that the lower spring cup is retained by the lower shock eyelet, preventing the cup from yeeting itself into oblivion when the shock droops out. There is a small o-ring above the spring to prevent the spring from making metal-to-metal contact with the shock body during use while the top cap is a simple, smooth body piece of aluminum that houses a soft silicone bladder. Inside the shock is a slotted piston that is held in place with e-clips (I’d prefer to see a lock nut for retention) and the shock arrived about half-full of mystery oil. Finally, the upper mount is just a normal rod end attached to a threaded collar that is free to spin 360° (more on that later). As far as I can tell these springs are the same diameter and length as an Element spring, making tuning options easily accessible (the shocks arrive with medium rate springs installed and an optional pair of soft, red springs in the package).
The shock shaft:
These shocks use an Associated style seal pack that is held internally rather than a screw on lower shock cap so adding a bit of CowRC Udder Butter isn’t possible without complete disassembly.
As far as build quality I am impressed. These shocks seems to operate smoothly, hold their oil and even come with tuning springs in the package. One modification I made straight out of the box was to replace the screw holding the upper shock mount to the threaded collar with an M3x10 stainless steel screw and flipping the collar upside down. The stock assembly has a pocket that the red end sits on top of, and that, combined with the weak self-tapping phillips head screw allows the rod end to spin freely, which allows the shock to swing around into the tire during use. By flipping the collar upside down and replacing the screw with a machine screw I was able to secure the rod end much more securely and this holds the shock in place without allowing it to rotate into the tire.
I want to thank you all once again for tuning in to TWIRC; your loyal readership means more to us that you’ll ever know. Until next time, be good to yourself, be good to each other, be good to your RC.