Losi LMT Monster Truck

[Biz73 598]

Losi and Axial battling for the market is funny. Kind of like Starbucks and Peets coffee. Do you think the Axial guys shoot rubber bands at the Losi guys in the next cubicle?

[87lc2 858]

I just finished putting together another SMT10 Builder's Kit and while its not the best performing truck I find the build fun and they just look so correct.  If they would just get rid of the AR60s already...hate those things.  I think there is definitely room for Axial to imrpove the SMT10 (axles/transmission), but I doubt it would ever directly compete with the LMT but that's OK.  It's a 1/10 scale monster truck where the Losi is a 1/8 scale basher/racer monster truck.  I think it's great that they made it.  I can see a lot of people getting into solid axle trucks being completely turned off immediately after putting a brushlees system in their newly built SMT10 and completely trashing it...Nice that the LMT will hold up to a lot of abuse out of the box.

The fun part about this hobby is that not everything is  a competition.  I like my Clod based trucks and I like my shaft-driven trucks, they're different but all just as cool as the next.  

[Dakratfink 315]

1 hour ago, 87lc2 said:

I just finished putting together another SMT10 Builder's Kit and while its not the best performing truck I find the build fun and they just look so correct.  If they would just get rid of the AR60s already...hate those things.  I think there is definitely room for Axial to imrpove the SMT10 (axles/transmission), but I doubt it would ever directly compete with the LMT but that's OK.  It's a 1/10 scale monster truck where the Losi is a 1/8 scale basher/racer monster truck.  I think it's great that they made it.  I can see a lot of people getting into solid axle trucks being completely turned off immediately after putting a brushlees system in their newly built SMT10 and completely trashing it...Nice that the LMT will hold up to a lot of abuse out of the box.

The fun part about this hobby is that not everything is  a competition.  I like my Clod based trucks and I like my shaft-driven trucks, they're different but all just as cool as the next.  

Maybe I’m a “light runner” , maybe I’ve gotten lucky or maybe I my 80A 3000kv combo on 2s is “just right “ but I have not had any issues with brushless tearing up the drive train on my otherwise stock SMT 10 

[Saito2 2913]

3 hours ago, 87lc2 said:

I just finished putting together another SMT10 Builder's Kit and while its not the best performing truck I find the build fun and they just look so correct.

You know, I still need to get one of these, lol. Now that its even a kit, the only thing slowing me is the extra-long wheelbase. Out of curiosity, do you think the SMT10 will continue to have a place in a post-LMT world? I heard parts were getting a bit thin after the first time they killed it. On the other hand, how many of the breakable parts are used by other Axial kits? I'm hoping the price difference keeps the two trucks out of each other's market for the most part. I'd like a shafty other than my TXTs. 

[Dakratfink 315]

36 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

You know, I still need to get one of these, lol. Now that its even a kit, the only thing slowing me is the extra-long wheelbase. Out of curiosity, do you think the SMT10 will continue to have a place in a post-LMT world? I heard parts were getting a bit thin after the first time they killed it. On the other hand, how many of the breakable parts are used by other Axial kits? I'm hoping the price difference keeps the two trucks out of each other's market for the most part. I'd like a shafty other than my TXTs. 

1) There are aftermarket kits to shorten the wheels base 

2) regarding compatibility with other Axial models: I know the axles , trans and upper/lower links are all shared with other models. 
 

[87lc2 858]

2 hours ago, Dakratfink said:

Maybe I’m a “light runner” , maybe I’ve gotten lucky or maybe I my 80A 3000kv combo on 2s is “just right “ but I have not had any issues with brushless tearing up the drive train on my otherwise stock SMT 10 

Same here, mine have held up pretty well when treated right.  I was referring more to the people that throw in 4600-5700 kv systems on 3S and go crazy.  If you race an SMT10 in Pro Mod and want to be competitive you will break stock parts since you'll have to either gear up or volt up.  In Sport Mod SMT10s are great and can be run out of the box with hardly any issues.

[87lc2 858]

49 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

You know, I still need to get one of these, lol. Now that its even a kit, the only thing slowing me is the extra-long wheelbase. Out of curiosity, do you think the SMT10 will continue to have a place in a post-LMT world? I heard parts were getting a bit thin after the first time they killed it. On the other hand, how many of the breakable parts are used by other Axial kits? I'm hoping the price difference keeps the two trucks out of each other's market for the most part. I'd like a shafty other than my TXTs. 

As Dakrat said, you can most certainly shorten the wheelbase using links or arms from a few vendors (RH Designs on Ebay or Crawford Performance on their website).  They make down to 12" I believe. I was not a fan of the stock wheelbase either, but with a proper body and Clod sized tires the 13.9" wheelbase can look really good and it also performs well.  

I would highly recommend picking up a Builder's Kit.  It's a nice build and can't beat it for the money.  Just throw a brushed motor/ESC in it and enjoy.  They hold up very well when not pushed too hard.  Clod tires change things, but if you keep the power mild even that is OK. 

[Dakratfink 315]

When things return to “normal” I’d love to see if I can find a local club to race sport-mod. I’ve only used my solid axle truck for crawling , light bashing and some scale stunts on ramps in my yard.

I’d also like to add a Wheelie King to my collection since I recently found someone who still has them in stock. I like that the wheelie king is closer on size to my Midnight Pumpkin 

[Mad Ax 3238]

23 hours ago, Saito2 said:

So, even if this truck is the true game-changer it appears it will be in competitive circles, it might not be the end of development. While it may be a leap forward, I doubt it will be a total dead-end for product development. Given time, even the LMT might be improved upon. Whether it will be akin to the original RC10 (which led to even further development) or put us where we currently are in buggy development (minor tweaks and revisions over the coming years, but likely no more big design shakeups, like the adoption of mid motor in 2wd) will reman to be seen.

True - in that respect, the future is exciting.  If two big manufacturers get in on the solid axle scene then it could lead to an arms race with a heap load of interesting developments.  It would be fun to see what they come up with.

The only problem I see with that is once the engineers get involved, aesthetics goes out the window.  I really hope the rule makers keep the formula close to 1:1 racing so we don't end up with another jellymould formula or cab-forward era.

FWIW I will probably be starting my first SMT-10 kit build in a couple of weeks.  I've had the kit since March, I finally have the body, wheels and tyres I wanted (after waiting all year for stock) and I have the SWB links and sway bars on the way from the US.  I just need a strong servo and a power system of some sort, hopefully with December's budget.  Although all-in I could have bought the LMT for the same money, I don't feel that I've missed out here - I want to enjoy the build, and I want to do my own body and I want to bash around my garden and maybe some astro tracks if we're ever allowed to leave our own back yards again.  For the price and the experience, it still seems relevant here.

[Biz73 598]

With the Axial kit and the fact that Traxxas is starting to make kits as well, I would bet on an LMT kit at some point.

[Saito2 2913]

9 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

If two big manufacturers get in on the solid axle scene then it could lead to an arms race with a heap load of interesting developments.

 

3 hours ago, Biz73 said:

Traxxas is starting to make kits as well,

Now there's a question. Will Traxxas throw their hat in ring?  After seeing the TRX-4, I bet they'd have a good take on the solid axle monster truck as well.

[87lc2 858]

6 hours ago, Saito2 said:

 

Now there's a question. Will Traxxas throw their hat in ring?  After seeing the TRX-4, I bet they'd have a good take on the solid axle monster truck as well.

When I heard a month or so ago that a big name company was getting into the solid axle game, I would have bet it was Traxxas...I was wrong.  Before the TRX4 I wouldnt have even wanted them to try, but if the TRX4 & UDR are any indicication of what they can do in the scale world, I think a monster truck from them would be awesome.  

Just realized the most exciting thing about the LMT - I will now have proper 17mm hex monster truck tires to put on my Mad Force!  I love the MF, but the goofy 3.8 wheels/tires are a real turn-off to me.  I did 3D print some Clod wheel adapters a while back, but being a 2.6 wheel I had to space it out too far to clear the steering and it looked goofy.  For some reason I cant stand monster trucks where the tires stick way outside of the body, I liked them to be tucked in just a little bit like the real thing.  That's one thing I don't like about most solid axle race truck builds, everyone uses such wide offset wheel adapters that they just dont look right.

[Mad Ax 3238]

4 hours ago, 87lc2 said:

one thing I don't like about most solid axle race truck builds, everyone uses such wide offset wheel adapters that they just dont look right.

A fine example of the race for better performance getting in the way of aesthetics.  Something the rule-makers could legislate against

[Carmine A 1494]

On 11/16/2020 at 3:10 AM, Mad Ax said:

......The day somebody turns up at an event with a bone-stock RTR truck and sets qualifying times against rigs with hundreds of hours of innovation baked in is the day it turns into just another chequebook racing series.

And..... That pretty much sums it up. Over my 41 years in the Hobby, I saw it happen to Buggy Racing, Pan Cars, Nitro Trucks, SC Trucks and Sedan Racing (at least in the U.S.). 

Traxxas nearly killed Crawlers in the same fashion. 

Guys like us spend many hours building, tuning, tweaking.... And then some Company with NO passion for Sport, drops an overpriced RTR that can best most of the pack - and the true Hobbyists just think.... "why BOTHER?" 

Yeah, the new LMT is a great Truck. Ticks all the boxes and has nearly fixed everything that we fight with on SMTs, TLTs and Clods. And when it comes to nuts and bolts, we end up putting over $1000 in our Rigs on average (but never tell our Wives!!)... 

So they make $500 for a RTR seem like a bargain. BUT where's the Hobby??? ANY idiot can open a Box.

[Mad Ax 3238]

10 minutes ago, Carmine A said:

Guys like us spend many hours building, tuning, tweaking.... And then some Company with NO passion for Sport, drops an overpriced RTR that can best most of the pack - and the true Hobbyists just think.... "why BOTHER?" 

Despite the tone of my first post, I don't necessarily think it's all bad.  For people who care about racing more than building, this gives them an in-road to competition.  Sure, a big influx of new competitors would change the social dynamic and that could be bad for those who have been there for years in their own tight friendships circle, but ultimately good for the hobby if it brings in higher competitor numbers, more entry fees and more publicity.  Solid axle racing still has the feel of a grass roots league but would it be just as good if it was international, with the top competitors travelling all over the world for events, like buggy / pan / touring?

I know we should think of anything that brings in new members as a good thing, but over my 40 years on planet Earth (and particularly the last 20 as an "adult") I've seen many occasions where some external change has brought a lot of new members into an existing social group, that group is at first genuinely pleased to see so much interest, and then in a short time the original group has splintered off and set up somewhere new because the newcomer changed the social dynamic too much and too fast.

I digress.  Again.

Do you think scale crawling has changed that much with the arrival of Traxxas et al?  I was a little behind the curve - over a decade ago I tried to get into the crawling scene with TLT/Pede/Reign K2-3S homebrew but I didn't really know what I was doing, so I was a late arrival with an SCX10 kit about 5 years ago, before the RTR craze kicked in.  Over the last 2 years the national-level events here in the UK have got way busier with lots more RTRs on scene, but scaling has always been isolated because it's as much about looks and personalisation as it is about going fast.  Sure, it felt like every other car a was a TRX-4 Defender, but every one wore different wheels and tyres, some had roof racks, lots of home made and home printed scale accessories - and more than before, there were lots of youngsters driving RTRs behind the custom-built rigs driven by their dads.  These kids are the future of the scene, so I see it as a good thing.  Today they're driving RTRs but maybe tomorrow they'll be custom building in the shed beside their dad.  Over here I would say the crawler scene is stronger than ever.  I was hoping to go racing again in December but looks like the local clubs have decided not to open up before Christmas (although current rules allow them to do so) so I'll be booking in some socially-distanced and fully legal crawler meets with friends over the next few weekends.

Provided the rule makers maintain the scale realism of the sport (and don't end up in the pocket of the big brands) then solid axle monster racing could stay the way it is, only with more competitors and a greater variety of parts to build your custom rigs from  

[Albert Attaboy 16]

The fact that people act as if sliced bread was new is hilarious.

To me the LMT looks like a hideous version of the SMT10.

[GTodd 929]

...and another plus for the Clod, it's been in constant production for over 20 years. The LHS might have spares if not you can get hop ups and spares with In a week. 

I wish Tamiya had kept the TXT1 as is and just continued it's production.  No one really likes it's all black chassis that disapears due to no contrast, and the wheels suck. The body is nice but nearly all the builds feature clod or X1 wheels with chassis mods to increase it's curb appeal.

Just make a Jugg3 already. We want the chassis and the leaf springs, and give it oil shocks! Done. 

[Yonzariq 71]

On 11/14/2020 at 9:56 PM, Saito2 said:

I know most of us here are probably in the minority nowadays, but I cannot, for the life of me, get my head around RTR. Without assembling it, seeing the work that went into the design, knowing what makes it tick, feeling the sense of accomplishment from the build that makes it "yours" when you are done, it just becomes a toy to me. A kit build is a first and crucial step into starting a long-term relationship with a vehicle that last rather than fades as the years roll on. Still, its a killer truck and I'm happy to see someone finally got it right in this area of RC. Getting into solid axle monsters is such a quagmire for those not on the "inside". Axial SMT10 parts bin specials needing durability upgrades or trying to piece together a race Clod can be daunting to the uninitiated.

I don't mind RTR's but 99% of them need to be taken apart before the first run to properly fill/lubricate the shocks, diffs and gearboxes, haven't had a single RTR with properly filled/lubricated drivetrain.

It is that I already bought a Super Clod Buster this year, else this one would be an instant buy for me, but for now I'll just throw a pile of cash to the Clod to customize it

[Mad Ax 3238]

14 hours ago, GTodd said:

Just make a Jugg3 already. We want the chassis and the leaf springs, and give it oil shocks! Done. 

YES!!

[87lc2 858]

Couldn't resist and pre-ordered the LMT Roller.  Going to put a spare 1/8 Castle Mamba system that I have lying around in it and already have some ideas for a body with a set of decals I've had lying around for a while.  I'll be sure to post some pictures when it arrives and I get it finished.

[paullyjay 99]

I’ve been thinking about getting the Losi LMT since I’ve read so many top reviews I’ve built a bunch of Tamiya kits and run them slightly modified, I’m not looking to compete or race....

I was looking for a solid axle monster truck that is rock solid but reading this I am wondering about an SMT10 or Clod build - anyone got any good places I can go to get some advice about what stuff to get for an Axial or Clod build....

[BJoe76 98]

On 12/1/2020 at 12:45 PM, GTodd said:

...and another plus for the Clod, it's been in constant production for over 20 years. The LHS might have spares if not you can get hop ups and spares with In a week. 

I wish Tamiya had kept the TXT1 as is and just continued it's production.  No one really likes it's all black chassis that disapears due to no contrast, and the wheels suck. The body is nice but nearly all the builds feature clod or X1 wheels with chassis mods to increase it's curb appeal.

Just make a Jugg3 already. We want the chassis and the leaf springs, and give it oil shocks! Done. 

That’s why I may stick with Traxxas and Tamiya, I’ve sold my Vaterra Ascender, trying to put my V100 on eBay, and thinking about getting rid of most my Losi products (other than my Comp and Night Crawler) due to them all getting disco’d and being paperweights if I can’t get parts for them. I’m keeping my Wheely Kings and Axials for now, though they’re difficult to get parts for, it seems, the WKs are pretty much bomb proof at this point and I can still get some parts for the Axial since is shares parts with the SMT line.

 

[87lc2 858]

8 hours ago, paullyjay said:

I’ve been thinking about getting the Losi LMT since I’ve read so many top reviews I’ve built a bunch of Tamiya kits and run them slightly modified, I’m not looking to compete or race....

I was looking for a solid axle monster truck that is rock solid but reading this I am wondering about an SMT10 or Clod build - anyone got any good places I can go to get some advice about what stuff to get for an Axial or Clod build....

That's a pretty loaded question to be honest as far as making a Clod or SMT10 rock solid.  First you have to ask yourself what expectations you have and more importantly, how will you be using it?  You also have to ask how much $ you want to put into it.  If you were looking to race in scale monster truck events you actually can make both pretty reliable, but if you're looking for an all out basher that's where it gets tricky.  

Clod - Clod axles are pretty tough, but you will break axle tubes and knuckles if you're jumping it, that's just how it goes.  Gears are pretty much indestructable and will hold up to whatever you can throw at them.  As far as the rest of the truck, the chassis is pretty durable (with a chassis plate), but you will break the small anti-rotation brackets that locate the ladder bars.  Steering on a stock Clod is bad.  There are modifications you can make that will allow the center mounted servo to work well enough, but for truly good steering you want to get the servos mounted on the axles.  

SMT10 (This assumes you'd be running Clod-sized tires, they actually hold up pretty well on 2.2 tires).  The AR60 axles are the weak point here.  The diffs are small and diff gears are pretty much from an HPI touring car, I've destroyed more than a few sets.  Of course you can lock the axles, but then you're breaking axle shafts.  There are plenty of upgrades due to these being used on quite a few Axial vehicles, but they can get expensive to upgrade and will never be bullet-proof with Clod-sized tires & decent power.  If you keep the power at a reasonable level they will hold up OK, but this is by far the biggest worry on the SMT10.  The trans holds up well with metal gears and the chassis is fairly durable.  I still recommend the SMT10 as its a very scale looking truck and fun to drive.

From everything I've seen the LMT is going to be the best out of the box solid axle truck yet.  If you want something with good power and don't want to spend a ton upgrading just get the LMT.  There's no way you can build a Clod/SMT to be as quick/durable as the LMT for what it costs, they're just not in the same league.  With that said, I love my Clod-based trucks and my SMT10's and will not be getting rid of them once the LMT arrives, they all have their purpose.  

Hope this is helpful.

[Dakratfink 315]

On 11/19/2020 at 3:00 PM, Saito2 said:

I still need to get one of these, lol. Now that its even a kit, the only thing slowing me is the extra-long wheelbase.

You know, I’ve heard this complaint a bunch and I know a LOT of people shorten the links on the SMT10  and fit larger clod sized tires. But after further review, I have been looking at one specific Grave Digger chassis. Grave Digger 12 was known for having longer wheelbase proportion. As I look at my Smt10 Grave digger as I type this and compare it to Chassis #12’s reference pics, it seems to me Axial may have inadvertently made a replica of that specific gravedigger rather than the current iteration. Side note : Chassis 12 has run some more recent events with the blue and silver “Grave Digger the Legend” body . 

[Saito2 2913]

5 hours ago, Dakratfink said:

it seems to me Axial may have inadvertently made a replica of that specific gravedigger rather than the current iteration

I can see your point looking at the fullsize 'Digger you noted. Scaling down the looks of a monster truck can be tricky. In some instances, if a car was scaled down perfectly to 1/10th scale proportions, it oddly wouldn't look quite right to our eyes. I've also considered that our view of what an RC monster truck looks like is skewed by years of looking at the Clod Buster in some cases. Looking at the a truck like Samson 1 or the Crimson Giant and the Clod's tires seem bigger (in scale form) and the body sits higher and the wheelbase seems shorter (Samson 1 comes the closest to the Clod in these terms). 

Honestly, the standard Clod tire looks a little too big for the SMT10 and I can see where Axial was going with the 2.2 tires. Since I got the kit and won't be replicating a Grave Digger, I shortened the wheelbase, but I'm also staying with 2.2s. Good observation on 'Digger 12's proportions @Dakratfink.