When I’ve bought my first R/C truck in the early 90’s, the choice was very limited. In fact, there were only two options, 2wd buggy or 2wd truck. Just to point you in time, the next most common question was, mechanical speed controller or electronic speed controller! My choice ended on a Team Associated RC10T, the one with the narrow front wheels and all white plastic parts. The 2wd stadium truck was the heavy metal class!
Today, things have changed quite a bit. There are many more options when comes the time to buy a R/C truck. Among all the R/C trucks on the market, I felt like something was missing. Why there is no 4×4 electric stadium trucks? HPI had released the (now discontinued) RS4 MT many years ago but since then, N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Okay, maybe one or two unknown companies sell 1/10 4×4 electric stadium trucks but not the R/C top names!
I’m a hard believer that 4×4 electric stadium trucks will (must) be the next big thing in R/C. That’s why I’ve decided to not wait for any manufacturers and to go ahead and build my own one, my Team Associated RC10T 4×4!
The base:
For this project, I’ve used a Team Associated SC10 4×4 kit version. I had run the truck few times so I know the truck will be durable and will perform very well on any surfaces. The SC10 4×4 was, for me, the easiest (laziest?) path to build a 4×4 stadium truck.
The very first step was to remove the front and rear bumpers and both nerf bars. Hey! It already started looking like a stadium truck!
Tires and wheels:
When I’ve first thought about this project, my tires choice was already done. I love the Pro-Line Calibers, this was natural for me to install them on the truck.
Now the wheels…For this project, I needed 2.2” stadium truck white dish wheels with a 12mm hex. Only two options available for me, Losi or Kyosho. I’ve finally picked up two pairs of Losi white dish wheels designed for the 22T. Originally, the center of the wheels is too thick for the SC10 4×4’s axles. I had to remove 2-3mm of plastic out of the center where the wheel nut goes before I can screw the wheels to the truck. A special note to the purists, I feel sorry to have installed Losi wheels on a Team Associated truck and vice versa LOL!
Body:
Finding a truck body that fits a short course chassis is not really easy. The traditional 1/10 electric stadium trucks bodies are too short to fit while most truggy bodies are a bit too long to fit properly. After an intensive brain storming session, I remembered that I have an old Pro-Line Shift body in a shelf. The body was still new and packaged because the front forwarded bodies have hit the market before I had time to paint and install my Shift body.
My major concern was the body posts and the wheels’ wells. The Shift body is made to fit a truggy but with little imagination, I’ve managed to make it fit. I first had to flip the body posts so they can go through a flat section of the body. I’ve also lowered the body posts to the maximum. Team Associated had the brilliant idea to make the posts square, so it was really easy to drill them to attach the setscrew through the shock towers. Next I had to drill the upper section for the body clip.
To adjust the body, I’ve fully compressed the front suspension and fully turned the wheels left and right to make sure the tires were not rubbing on the chassis. Once I’ve decided where drill the hole for the front body posts, the rear end was looking good as it was. The rear wheels are not fully centered in the wheels’ wells. I’ve cut a piece of lexan to add a little more clearance. The rear section of the body is slightly too wide. I’d like to have a little more than the ¼” of clearance between the inside of the wheel and the body but it is fine as it is at this moment.
Electronics:
I simply used what I already had in the truck, LRP iX8 ESC, LRP X12L motor, Reedy 7.4v LiPo pack and DS1015 steering servo. No need to spend any extra money for the electronics, this combo is awesome!
Testing:
WOW is the best word to describe how the truck performs. On hard packed or loose dirt, grass and asphalt, the truck has all the traction of a 4×4 truck with the agility of a stadium truck. My RC10T 4×4 has incredible cornering capabilities and awesome straight acceleration. It is like driving a T4.1 on steroids, point and shoot! This is the easiest project I’ve done but it is also the one that I have the most fun with.
Conclusion:
What’s the most fun about this project is that it has only cost me few bucks to realize. When I look to the final project, I can’t stop thinking of the few bucks and effort Team Associated had to invest to have this truck into production. Body posts, body, wheels are they only parts I had to buy for the project.
Is my truck race legal? I really didn’t follow any rules concerning the wheelbase or the weight when I’ve built the truck. The only rule I’ve followed was the fun rule, you know the rule that makes R/C enthusiasts smiling.
