rc18t ready to go big. lol!
 

so im in the process of selling all of my rc stuff and i will be keeping one truck. the rc18. i think this is the perfect truck for me. all the cool things:
be stored in a backpack
i can throw some offroad tires and make it a MT
i can put some slicks on and make it a drifter
i can put some foamies on and make it a carpet racer
VERY cheap. for some awsome batteries its only 30 bucks
you can drive it anywhere
since its so small and light parts rarely break.
to have a COMPLETELY UPGRADED PERFECT TRUCK its only around 500 bucks!

anyways. main reason why i like the truck is its size. i can put everything i need in a packback! no more clutter!! YESSSS!!

im debating what parts are NEEDED for bashing. so far the truck has
mamba package
tie rods
heatsink
steering upgrade
hardened pinon
mip cvds

hmm ya i think thats it
what parts do i need to get this thing in a NEVER BREAK kinda truck. now i do realize it CAN break but i want the best of the best im thinking

rpm shock towers (blue)
rpm arm (blue) or maybe the toyz extended arms?http://cgi.ebay.com/RC18T-Wide-Track...QQcmdZViewItem
maybe alum or titanium spur? since its a hardened pinon?
or delrin spurs?
1/10 wheel adaptors
dp gear cover http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Spur-Pinion-...QQcmdZViewItem
alum carriers
diggity chassis
alum chubs

anything else?

lmk guys! open for suggestions! or putdowns! throw anything you think at me!

Sounds like a good setup. I had a couple of 18t/mt and they were fun. If yu do not have mip super diffs they are a must have. Them with the cvds will make a great drivetrain. Shim your diffs too, you may have to google that for a tutorial. I used the factory team al c-hubs and blocks and was not impressed, the screws in the c hubs had to be left loose or the steering would bind. The stock spurs never caused any issues with my setup, m25 and a big feigao motor. I used the stock mt tires and they seemed to be the best size for bashing. The rpm stuff would be a good idea, especially shock towers! The spur covers looks good too, I would buy it. I never broke a chassis.

Personally, I would go with the Kyosho Mini Inferno ST, if you don't already have the RC18T. From what I hear, the Inferno ST is really durable with a few small hopups. If you already have the RC18, I would get a CF chassis for it. I've seen em, just can't remember where.

looks good to me

And Squee.... LOL nice avatar!!! :rofl: :lol:

Thanks. :smile: It actually used to be my avatar along time ago.

I have that e-bay spur cover and it is great but if you use it you cannot use 7 cell packs.

That fat kid is freakin' me out man!!!

HAHAHAHAHA He must have just seen a huge donut on tv or something to get that excited!

lmao!

and i will be using a 6 cell ib 1400 along with a couple 2s TP lipos. wil lthose fit?

I've had the RC18T and it was tons of fun, but I did dump tons of money into it and it required a lot of maintenance.

I have the xray M18T and I would highly recommend it over the RC18. And it doesn't require many upgrades to make rock solid:

xray M18T kit
Mamba motor/esc
receiver
batteries - will fit a 2000mAh TP 2s lipo
Upgrades - nickel plated pivot balls, alum. cvds, medium shock springs (that's it!)

ya ive heard good things about the m18t. also have good things about the vendetta. i will have to check both out.

I personally love my RC18T. I use the maxamps 2s, no problems, just had to trim the edge of the stock chassis, that was it. I use mostly stock everything with the exception of steering servo and componets. I use stock diffs with just shimming, never had a problem so far. CrazyJr can contest this as well to difs being fine.
I also use stock towers, never had a problem. I use t bones for drive shafts but would recommend MIP's as the ones I have suck. I do however use aluminum diff housing. I use the TI tierods from lunsford and they seem good too. Cheap little truck and very dependable. IOh, and i use stock pinions on the 8000 Comp Mamba system, no problems.

ya well i knwo the truck is still fun as hell even when stock but i just like knowing i wont break anything when i do stupid stuff with my freindS! hhaa

since i already have the 18t i will probably keep it.. alot cheaper for me!

im just going to upgrade as i go. get some necessities (gear cover and such)

Just my 2c, but I think the M18T is a much better truck. It drives better than my RC18 ever did - and that it stock with barely any upgrades. And it has already taken beatings that easily put the RC18 on the repair bench.

Either way - go with the decision that makes you happy.

well what would make me happy is to be able to try em all out! but dont got enough money for thattt sooo ima go with the rc18

Go for it and enjoy.

I had mine running rock solid for quite a while after throwing some dough into it. Here's a few links that I found very helpful to make the car run smooth.

http://www.drivenpro.net/index.php?s=store (for gear cover)
http://www.beatyourtruck.com/project-RC18T.html

thanks alot man! i will look more tomorow! if you have any tips on the stupid diffs then let me knwo.. i cannot figure out the damn thing

heres a video of my problem if anyone can help!!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...35689731&hl=en

Have you seen the Exotek TEK18 chassis? It has an optional integrated motor mount/heatsink/gear cover. Definately a sexy chassis

actually ya i have! but its a little more expensive idk

From the video it looks like your diffs are either not tuned right or are just shot altogether. I've never been a great fan of ball diffs and much prefer tuning gear diffs with diff oils rather than tension with springs and thrust bearings. Read the manual for the recommended tension on the ball diffs. IIRC it is a certain number of turns out from fully tightened. Eventually a good brushless system will make short work of the stock setup. If you have the funds I highly recommend upgrading to the MIP setup with carbide balls in place of the stock steel balls on the rebuild kit. You'll need two of everything for front and rear diff rebuild.

ive been lookin at the super diff and have a question

does it still use that thurst ball crap? i think it is very stupid.. but o well

and also i was wondering... when it sais 1/2 after fully tightened how do you dertermine fully tightened? when you cant turn any more? when it feels hard to turn? what do i hold to keep it from being tighetned too much? its very confusing to how tight it actually has to be..

when the diff is tuned right what is it supposed to do? move freeely? or should the diff be stuck and not be able to move or what? if someone could explain this to me id appreciate it.

sorry if my post makes no sence but i understand it...

I had very good luck with the MIP diffs. Never had a stripped spur of pinion in either the front or rear diffs. Make sure you shim the diffs - I remember using two or three shims on the gear side of the diff for a good mesh.

I ran the buggy with a Mamba 6800 on 3s with no problems.

This is what I have learned over the years regarding ball diffs.

Tightening and loosening - you tighten the screw until it stops with "normal" pressure - don't try to crank it down hard. Then you back out the screw 1/2 turn (usually more like 1/4 turn that 1/2 turn for high power BL)

The rule of thumb that I had read about on other forums was this - if you take two small screwdrivers and stick one across each outdrive to hold the outdrives in place you should just be able to turn the diff gear with you hands, but it should be very hard to do.

You have to think of the ball diff as providing the same "slipping" function as the slipper gears do on our larger MTs.

Also - it is important to break-in ball diffs. Go to the xray website here: http://www.teamxray.com/teamxray/sho...p?file_id=2438. Read through the instructions on breaking-in the ball diff - it is very important you follow this for any ball diff in order to achieve the highest performance.

awww see stuff like that i have no patients for.. breakin in crap AHHHH if i get the tec18 upgrade will it have a different type of gearing system?

:lol:

You have a link?

http://www.exotekracing.com/tek18.shtml

whatcha think?

Sounds like a waste of money if you are going to bash your 18t. Honestly the stock chassis never broke, and I tried to break it. The diff situation will be a problem if you do not upgrade to the mip super diffs. Once you have rebuilt the stock diff a couple of times you will see. Just need a well lit room and a large shallow pan/dish to do the diffs. You also need to shim them correctly so the ring and pinion mesh properly. This is easy(well, easier than rebuilding the diffs!). Makes sure to keep a few sets of the diff gears handy as they wear out the fastest.

IMHO - if you have the $140 to spend on this, save your money and spend it on the xray. In the long run you'll spend more money on hop-ups for the rc18 and will just end up frustrated.

no, do not get an xray they are totally lame when it comes to getting any sort of parts. i had a m18pro after the 2nd charge i had to replace all of the foam tires. ok no big deal right? $10 for front, $10 for rear, $10.00 to ship and about 10 days to receive them. 10 days later I sold the car. Pointless to have a car without local parts support. stick with the TA

The m18pro is a totally different story. I had one myself and experienced the same thing you did - but keep in mind the m18pro is designed exclusively for groomed carpet tracks. If you drive it on anything else - it really is totally useless.

The M18T is am awesome 1:18 and parts last - including tires.

If you are staying with an 1:18 I would HIGHLY recommend the Vendetta ST. It is a little bigger and a little heavier than the 18T or the M18t but that really helps in the off road handling. It needs a couple hopups like ball diffs and universals, but after that you don't need anything else. It uses 12mm hex so you can put standard touring tires on it and the gears are completely sealed. It also uses a standard size servo which means you won't be stripping any gears on it as well. I have had pretty much every 1:18 in the last couple years and the Vendetta ST is the only one I have decided to keep - it's that good.

Likewise I've heard very good things about the Vendetta. When I was making my final decision on a 1:18 a few months back it was really a tough call between the Vendetta and the M18T.

Sorry to post a link to another forum, but rcuniverse has a great forum on 1:18 minis: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_235/tt.htm

ive also been looking at the vendetta.
one18th.com gave it a pretty good review! does it use the same size batteries and motor as the 18t?

also are the diffs different in the vendetta?

thanks!

again dont forget parts. i find if i dont have support from a local store the model sits much longer than gets used. while parts may be durable on the m18t nothing is indestructible. I hate having a model not running simply because im waiting on mailman to show up.

t maxx- if this is your only car left and you want to get yourself out of the hobby all together, get something that no one stocks parts for.

Ok, I have owned every mini except the xray vehicles. The Vendetta st is a nice truck, stay away from the vendetta buggy, not as good. My personal favorite is the mini quake, has stronger diffs, etc than the other minis. The 18t is most likely the best cause it is simple, however the steering sucks at higher speeds. You will need a metal servo saver spring/collar for the 18t. Other than the mip cvds and super diffs that will be all the 18t needs to survive brushless. rpm arms and towers would be a good idea too. My preference for the mini quake is cause I have run 28mm l can brushless motors and ridiculous gearing in the quake and it is still on the same spur and diffs! The only thing that breaks are the stock hubs, you need to upgrade to al hubs.

I think the steering issue was the one huge turn-off for me on the RC18T. No matter which mod I tried it just was never quite right. The M18T has an awesome servo saver and tracks really straight.

There should be a huge thread on the Vendetta somewhere in the link I posted - read up on it. People have said that the Vendetta ST is a heavier truck that most others and the mamba's don't have quite enough power in a 280 can - a lot of people go with 400 size motors with a quark 33 esc.

Not sure about battery size.

Well if you are going that route you may as well look at the new mini LST2. No Ball Diffs! These are relatively new so I haven't heard much feedback in terms of brushless durability yet but it's certainly worth consideration.

The mini lst is crap, do not buy one. I dumped hundreds in mine and the drivetrain could not hold the power. I tried the metal diffs, and they did not last long. The only thing that worked well was MIP ball diff in the ctr trans. The vendetta and mini quake need larger motors than the little mamba motors. A 280 size feigao or similar will work fine. The vendetta and quake have higher gearing than the 18t so the mamba motors do not have enough torque to push the trucks around.

^ +1
Mini-LST (or mLST2) is totall crap. Too top heavy, if you put any speed on it, it just bounces and flops all over the place. I dumped $500+ into one over a month or more before I literally just dumped it in the garbage can. (first RC product I have just given up on :diablo: and thrown out!)

Heard that, I went all out on the MLST also, probably dumped $600+ on it. IMO my RC18R has been way funner and takes less upgrades, also if you're wanting to put a nice brushless system in the rc18t, just get the MIP Super Diffs and the CVD's, remember to properly shim them and thats all, mine has a mamba 25 ESC with a CC 8000KV motor in it and the drivetrain is holding up without any problems, and believe me, I drive mine really hard. The only thing you've got to remember is that when you rebuild the diffs either MIP or stock it will take probably 2 runs for them to break in, after the 2nd run take it inside and tighten both diffs a lil' and you're good to go, check'em every once in a while though just for good measure. I haven't driven a vandetta or an m18t but so far this little truck has been a blast to drive and is super easy to work on, upgrade the steering servo also, its only 30 bucks or do. Hope this helps.

Good to hear that I am not the only one who had trouble with the MLST.