Talion RPM Arms (V5 EXB) Quality Issues

[MMoelmann]

I decided to upgrade my arms on my V5 Talion with RPM EXB arms and I had 2 sets of rear arms break within 5 minutes of using them. After looking at them closely after I noticed that there were air pockets in the arms where they cracked (see photos). I emailed RPM and they stated that I was using them in an extreme manor and they would not warrantee them. Am I wrong to think that jumping a 1/8 scale vehicle no higher than my head is not extreme?

Here is a quote from their response to me:
"Small air pockets are common and acceptable in thick, molded components. We don't use vacuum assist on our injection molding machines so small air bubbles are inescapable. When used under normal operating conditions, those air pockets would not be a problem. It's only during extreme use that they ever come to light.

You defined a "small" jump as one that doesn't go higher than your head. In no way is that a "small" jump. That's 6' of air pancaking onto flat ground in temperatures roughly 10° over freezing. Unfortunately, the conditions you're using your vehicle in are considered "extreme" and outside the bounds of the RPM warranty program. Our warranty policy is basically a modified materials and workmanship policy that includes coverage for breaks that probably shouldn't have happened. Head height and higher jumps onto flat ground, especially in cold temperatures, tend to fall outside of those qualifiers."

 

[RCbuzz]

Come on RPM step up! That air bubble is huge!

I have also heard the red arms are terrible and for some reason break easier. (From this forum)

Oh and my opinion, a 6ft jump is extreme, especially in cold temps.

 

[Steve B in Vegas]

Ugh,

As being a manufacturer for my day job, I completely understand their point and in many ways I agree with them. That said, that same note ( written slightly differently ) with a set of replacement arms at no charge is a far better approach. I like their products and have broken a few racing, but I just mark it off as a consumable good. Usually I purchase a few sets of arms at a time.

 

[Dan B.]

Devils advocate here (and not a fan of RPM arms in the first place) but if you bash in 10° temperatures then you will absolutely, positively break things from even sometimes minuscule impacts. I wouldn’t warranty any plastic item in those conditions either. Not to say you shouldn’t bash in the winter, but you should accept breakages and failures if you want to do it, and accept that it’s on you.

 

[MMoelmann]

Come on RPM step up! That air bubble is huge!

I have also heard the red arms are terrible and for some reason break easier. (From this forum)

Oh and my opinion, a 6ft jump is extreme, especially in cold temps.

Yeah, the red seems brittle. I've had their older arms and they were fine until they sagged and were permanently bent.

I thought I was taking it easy with a 6' jump lol. It was 45 degrees outside.

 

[Garcbomber]

Bet they looked cool for 5 minutes, paint the v5/EXB arms instead if you actually drive rigs. No mom and pop aftermarket supplier will compete with arrma engineering after 5 revisions, especially adding colorants to injection polymer chemistry which naturally induces bubbles in rookie mold setup parameters.

 

[MMoelmann]

Devils advocate here (and not a fan of RPM arms in the first place) but if you bash in 10° temperatures then you will absolutely, positively break things from even sometimes minuscule impacts. I wouldn’t warranty any plastic item in those conditions either. Not to say you shouldn’t bash in the winter, but you should accept breakages and failures if you want to do it, and accept that it’s on you.

It was 10 degrees above freezing. It was actually about 45 degrees outside.

 

[Dan B.]

I thought I was taking it easy with a 6' jump lol. It was 45 degrees outside.

Oh snap, I thought was 10°, not ten above freezing. I would not expect them to break that quickly at 45°, so I agree with you. 10° actual temperature is a different matter. Phew! Now I can just get back to not liking RPM arms in the first place.

 

[MMoelmann]

Bet they looked cool for 5 minutes, paint the v5/EXB arms instead if you actually drive rigs. No aftermarket supplier will compete with arrma engineering after 5 revisions, especially adding colorants to injection polymer chemistry which naturally induces bubbles in rookie mold setup parameters.

I already ordered a brand new set of stock arms front and rear. Those lasted me a while before.

 

[Steve B in Vegas]

Hold up for a moment here gang. I'm not looking to be critical or argumentative, but I have worked with developing molds for plastic before and worked closely with a injection molding company, and from my limited experience, color has nothing to do with quality. All of these details are sorted out a few different ways ( we worked directly with DuPont on the plastic base material ), usually with the plastic supplier and then the actual molding company. They are almost never the same entity.

There are a number of things that can cause errors in molding, as well as the cost to select the best possible base material. I just want don't want the waters to get muddied up on this technical issue.

s

 

[Tex Koder]

Stock EXB arms for the win..!

 

[MMoelmann]

from my limited experience, color has nothing to do with quality

That's good to know. So if it isn't the color then I probably just won't get any more of their arms.

I still like their wing mounts.

 

[oldguywnewtoy]

I've had RPM arms break three times on the front of my Senton, always in the same spot. Went back to OEM arms and they seem to hold up better. Plus, the shock screw hole always seems to strip out on the RPM's because of the soft compound.

 

[CrashBoom]

I would say consider arms as consumable parts if you're leaving the ground. This is a tricky area to warranty. What's "normal use" really? I think the number of people doing even 6' jumps is probably small compared to the total number of RC owners out there.

 

[Dan B.]

That's good to know. So if it isn't the color then I probably just won't get any more of their arms.

I still like their wing mounts.

I agree, some of their other products have their uses. I just got tired of their arms sagging on the 6s Arrmas, and they sag quickly. I did use them in the past with Slash SCT’s and in those fairly featherweight trucks it wasn’t nearly as much of an issue. But then, in all fairness, I discovered the Traxxas extreme duty ”cold weather” arms and went with them exclusively because they looked, fit, and lasted better than the RPM’s. Neither the RPM arms (didn’t fit well, required filing and fitting) or the factory TA “hard” arms (seemed to break as easily as the stock arms) worked well on my TA 10-series rigs.
And yes, apart from the sagging all of the arm failures I’ve ever experienced were in very cold temperatures, unless I just had horrendous crashes that broke them, and I can’t blame RPM, Arrma, TA, or Losi for that. It was all me.
Horizon Hobby gave me a complete replacement set of a-arms and c-hubs for my Losi DBXL-E when I broke a bunch of parts on its very first bash, but it was 20° outside and I’ve always sort of felt guilty for ever even filing a warranty claim for it. I was kind of shocked they did it so thanks HH, that’s some nice customer service.

 

[MMoelmann]

I would say consider arms as consumable parts if you're leaving the ground. This is a tricky area to warranty. What's "normal use" really? I think the number of people doing even 6' jumps is probably small compared to the total number of RC owners out there.

Maybe you are right and I'm in the minority. I bought my cars to have fun and jump them. I have broken many parts and know that arms are consumables, but this time seemed totally unreasonable for the arms to break.

I'm just going back to stock. Lesson learned.

 

[Hector_Fisher]

I've found air pockets on many types of arms, RPM, Arrma, HPI, and Traxxas.

I certainly think the air pockets will affect durability at that localized point, but only if the air pocket was sizable. I do think based on the size of the air pocket you had, it lead to premature failure, and a little disappointing from RPM that they tried to lay the blame solely on you for the failure.

I have had very mixed experience with RPM products, so i tend to take their claims of "bullet proof" plastics worth a grain of salt.

 

[jkflow]

Never tried RPM EXB, just normal versions. Sad to see them break.

Extreme, it's probably jumping in general, I'm sure the jump didn't break it but the crapola landing that comes with it at times.

Below 55ish plastic becomes more brittle and that air bubble sure didn't help.
Switch type or vendor is all you can do.

 

[Avyn Nix]

The older rpm arms for the v4s never broke but the eventually warped, 35ft air no problem. Rich duperbash had similar issues with the new rpm arms as well, maybe they’ll change the compound back to the softer one, maybe they were trying to get their arms not to warp anymore. In reality the M2c captured hinge pin system has been the cure to pulling the hinge pins out of the arms. The new arms are an epic fail, what a shame.
6ft is pathetic for a rpm arm to break.
My profile photo is the exb arm flexing and not breaking with the M2c captured hinge pin system. No breakages in that bad landing after a 25ft jump.

 

[TRIOXIN]

Normal operating conditions they say, tell them to watch Arrma's video on the Talion 6S. At 51 seconds in, sure looks a little more than 6ft. The RTR video alone breaches RPM's warranty for non normal bumps and jumps.

Seriously though, I get that colder weather can make plastic break easier, I get that, but they should have all that info on their warranty page / tech notes, they don't even seem to give any jumping height limits. Normal operating conditions is extremely vague for these style RC vehicles.

I mean it is what it is, just browsing and thought I'd comment.