RustyHunter

That's great to hear! I haven't gotten them yet, waiting for them to get in stock in about a week or so, but where did you use all the washers at?

I haven't run aluminum a-arms on anything, but it seems like if you accidentally clip something they might tear the hinge pin out of your plastic bulkhead. It probably won't be a big deal, it's just that aluminum has no flex to it and will transfer most of the impact to other parts. If the Tamiya bulkhead is cheap enough and relatively easy to replace it shouldn't matter too much.

That's a really nice paint scheme! I hope the aluminum a-arms don't give you too much trouble

It's been a while since I've updated, but the weather finally warmed up and allowed me to finish up the body. I've gotten a few batteries through the truck, and it seems like it's working pretty well now! The wheelie bar wasn't essential since it only wheelies on pavement, but I think it's still nice to help protect the body. I might have to play with the gearing a little, but the only other change I'd like to make is getting the stance a bit wider. I was thinking these https://www.towerhobbies.com/product/mini-12mm-wheel-widener-4/RC4ZS0407.html might be a good option, but does anyone have experience with these or alternatives?

Agreed with others' thoughts on the price. Anyone else notice they're describing it as a limited release? Makes me wonder if it's really limited, or if they're just testing the waters on how well sales go.

Thanks! I looked closer and found where it goes on the body. We are just about done at this point, just need organize the electronics better and then wait for warmer weather to paint.

Hi everyone, my fiancee and I have been working on a re-re Optima kit and are nearly done. However we have a question on one of the last steps, specifically what does "Use it late" mean on the foam piece for Step 31? We got the foam seal around the edge of the gear cover, but we can't figure out where the last piece goes. Thanks in advance for your help!

It is pretty sad that people go to the LHS for repairs. I understand looking for help troubleshooting electrical gremlins since many people don't have a second set of electronics to test with, but replacing mechanical parts can't get much easier. Learning how to do things on your own is a big part of what makes this a hobby IMO. I started out in Traxxas after a brief stint with my dad's Super Champ, and I appreciate that they were a good entry-point for me, but it feels like they've changed a lot even since I bought my Rustler in roughly 2014. I'm disappointed how they are moving their pricing into a more premium bracket despite not changing much about the cars in years (the 2wd models are awful about this like Kowalski said). The only other thing I like is that they're extremely unlikely to discontinue a model and end parts support. There are many cars that I'd love to have, but they seem to get discontinued after a few years with parts drying up quickly.

For me, RTRs offered a relatively cheap, relatively low investment in a hobby I wasn't sure I would enjoy. I had gotten to drive my dad's Super Champ around a bit and had a good time with what it was (complete with MSC and tired battery), but he wasn't sure I was going to click with RC. Looking back, I wish I would have gotten a kit and built it myself, but I think starting with a Traxxas made sense at the time. And there's nothing keeping people from getting into the building after a while. I've been working on a custom monster truck build and have also been helping my fiancee put together a re-re Optima which has been a lot of fun! I think there's also a financial incentive to RTRs - I can't imagine how many kids get one from well meaning parents, run it until something breaks, and throw it in the back of their closet or just lose interest as they get older. The parents might never have bought anything, so I suppose it's an easier sale for hobby shops, even if it hurts the hobby side of RC.

What 3D printer do you have? I would recommend learning Fusion 360 at some point, but it sounds like this project would make more sense to just buy the model and modify it if possible.

Your fabrication skills are very impressive, and it's looking like a really neat solution to the suspension

I still think two fenders would look great, but the flat bed looks pretty sharp too. It's definitely a lot more straightforward and saves cutting up another body.

Thanks for the feedback @Saito2 and @87lc2! That gives me plenty to think about, but I might end up waiting and seeing how it does outside. I haven't ever had a crawler, so I could see myself goofing around with it as a light crawler just to see what it's all about. The torque twist is also slightly worse than my last post since I figured out I had some stiction going on with my shocks. I just had to slightly loosen the lower caps and now things are moving freely. That's also an awesome looking truck you posted! Where'd you get the chassis from? Thanks @RC4x4, I appreciate the praise! It was surprisingly easy to design, I just had to do a bunch of 3D printed prototypes before I felt ready to order it for real. Also helped with mocking up the links a lot.

Surprisingly, torque twist isn't too bad, at least when I accelerate hard in my basement. It does pick up the front right tire, but it's not as bad as some trucks I've seen online. Do people usually use piano wire to create sway bars?

That looks pretty awesome! Size and stance is really nice, and I imagine it has to handle pretty well for a solid axle monster.