Big Rock who can talk me out of the tenacity MT? big rock?

[maddmatt02]

well... I couldn't resist and was going to go for it and hope I had good luck BUT turns out Chase bank talked me out of it. I could swing the whole thing now but the easy pay was what really sold me on getting another truck right now but my card expires before the last payment would be made so looks like it is on hold. I know you guys kept repeating it but all I could find were original tenMT breakages and shock cap failures on the new one. also, about the motor I know people have toasted it on stock gearing and maybe it hasnt always but the notes say to not run the 14T on 3S and to install the 12T.

I guess its typhon arms to the senton to fit these damn maxx wheels. And I got a story good for some laughs, was on ebay looking for cheap used mega 4x4s if possible to upgrade and only found one used granite mega... came with a racerstar 3670 and no name esc and they wanted 350 bucks for it. no mention of any blx upgrades.

 

[biggman100]

Ok, i didnt read through all the replies, so maybe this was already said, but, for a hard use basher, the Granite and Senton win hands down, but, for a dedicated racer, the Tenacity is better. After having a Granite, a Senton, a Tenacity, and an associated SC10, and, with the associated's known electronics issues, as well as their propensity for the shock caps to constantly come loose, and what i call the defective gearbox (for those that don't know, when building the gearbox, sometimes it can bind, and you have to modify it to keep it free), it really isnt suited for repeated heavy jumps (if the shock caps come loose, it will start to bottom out more an more, which on a track is easier to spot), and the Tenacity's habit of breaking the chassis on hard jumps, as well as other minor issues, they are both best suited for a track. The granite and Senton though, after watching a pair of very rough 12 year old boys literally beat the hell out of them time after time with minimal breakage, i would stick with Arrma for that kind of use. Personally, after having 2 Granite mega's, i started looking at the Granite BLX, and was almost ready to buy it when it came back in stock, until i saw a guy near me with a Big Rock the other day. Now, im leaning way towards the Big Rock.

 

[Megasty]

Ok, i didnt read through all the replies, so maybe this was already said, but, for a hard use basher, the Granite and Senton win hands down, but, for a dedicated racer, the Tenacity is better. After having a Granite, a Senton, a Tenacity, and an associated SC10, and, with the associated's known electronics issues, as well as their propensity for the shock caps to constantly come loose, and what i call the defective gearbox (for those that don't know, when building the gearbox, sometimes it can bind, and you have to modify it to keep it free), it really isnt suited for repeated heavy jumps (if the shock caps come loose, it will start to bottom out more an more, which on a track is easier to spot), and the Tenacity's habit of breaking the chassis on hard jumps, as well as other minor issues, they are both best suited for a track. The granite and Senton though, after watching a pair of very rough 12 year old boys literally beat the hell out of them time after time with minimal breakage, i would stick with Arrma for that kind of use. Personally, after having 2 Granite mega's, i started looking at the Granite BLX, and was almost ready to buy it when it came back in stock, until i saw a guy near me with a Big Rock the other day. Now, im leaning way towards the Big Rock.

If you have a Senton already, throw some Granite wheels on it & you'll have basically the same truck that drives better because it has wider tires. The BRCC's traction roll is terrible. The tires are too narrow. The Granite tires are nearly an inch wider. The body does look good but that is all it has going for it.

 

[biggman100]

Both of my Granites and Sentons (got them used, and all but one had no electronics at all, and the one that did, it was one of those GoolRC setups, which i swapped for a Racers edge setup, and then burnt up the RE wizard ESC) are the mega versions, and, even though i really cant run it optimally, i really want a 3S truck, but, i figured, after doing all the upgrades to one of my trucks, plus the electronics, since none of my trucks have the original Arrma electronics, i might as well just spend a bit more and buy a truck already set up for 3S, and, even though i already know the BR has skinny tires that balloon easy, i figure thats a cheap enough fix, since, literally everything else about that truck, i really like. I am also looking at Redcats TR-MT10E, and their new Camo TT as other possible options, since it could be weeks or months before the Arrma 3S stuff is back in stock, and im looking to buy in early March.

 

[Megasty]

Both of my Granites and Sentons (got them used, and all but one had no electronics at all, and the one that did, it was one of those GoolRC setups, which i swapped for a Racers edge setup, and then burnt up the RE wizard ESC) are the mega versions, and, even though i really cant run it optimally, i really want a 3S truck, but, i figured, after doing all the upgrades to one of my trucks, plus the electronics, since none of my trucks have the original Arrma electronics, i might as well just spend a bit more and buy a truck already set up for 3S, and, even though i already know the BR has skinny tires that balloon easy, i figure thats a cheap enough fix, since, literally everything else about that truck, i really like.

Since you already gone brushless with the trucks, I'll tell you right away that the 3s line & mega are 80-90% the same cars. If you're expecting the 3s line to perform better than the mega with a blx spur then it surely won't. That's the only difference performance wise between the trucks, other than the electronics. If you already gone brushless, then you probably already dealt with the input gear. That said, it is better to buy a whole new truck than upgrade the mega to have all blx parts - but most of the blx parts won't make it perform better. If you want a good idea of how the blx line will behave, drop a blx spur in a mega. A 17t 32p pinion will line up with the 17t hole in the stock mount.

 

[biggman100]

Since you already gone brushless with the trucks, I'll tell you right away that the 3s line & mega are 80-90% the same cars. If you're expecting the 3s line to perform better than the mega with a blx spur then it surely won't. That's the only difference performance wise between the trucks, other than the electronics. If you already gone brushless, then you probably already dealt with the input gear. That said, it is better to buy a whole new truck than upgrade the mega to have all blx parts - but most of the blx parts won't make it perform better. If you want a good idea of how the blx line will behave, drop a blx spur in a mega. A 17t 32p pinion will line up with the 17t hole in the stock mount.

I thought the mega has weaker diffs than the 3S trucks. As for upgrades, i put a BL Racers Edge 3600KV 540 style motor in it, with a 45A ESC, and, according to my GPS, its fastest speed was 22 MPH. I have literally done no drivetrain improvements, other than to replace a stripped spur on the Senton from me using the wrong pinion, and setting it too tight. As for the other Senton, that has a brushed setup i bought cheap on Amazon, and, the 2 Granites i have, one has a 3100KV and 45A ESC kit i got for $45 on Amazon (same kit i bought for the Senton, after burning up 2 of the brushed motors), and the other one, i couldnt tell you any of the specs at all, since i used a BL motor and ESC of unknown specs, that i got in a box of parts i bought at a rummage sale. The only truck i have that has a decent set up in it is my Fury, which has a Castle Sidewinder SCT in it, and that is staying where it is. As an Aside, there is a 3S Granite on Amazon, supposedly in stock, for $329.

 

[biggman100]

After having a Granite, a Senton, a Tenacity, and an associated SC10

One thing i should have specified in what i said is that, the Senton, SC10, and Tenacity i have are all SCT versions. I keep forgetting that the Tenacity also comes in a monster truck version, which Biq Squid shows mostly positive reviews of. The only monster trucks i have are the 2 Granite mega's.

 

[maddmatt02]

Yeah the blx has beefier diffs but only the housing/ring gear and the pinion which can be taken care of for less than 40 bucks shipped from an Ebay shop. Then the spur/slipper is different as well but I haven't even toasted my 48p setup in 5 or so 4s packs through an 1/8 scale powerplant. I'm sure its going to happen though and I did rotat the rear diff input in 30 seconds or so after the big 4268 motor went in.

 

[biggman100]

Yeah the blx has beefier diffs but only the housing/ring gear and the pinion which can be taken care of for less than 40 bucks shipped from an Ebay shop. Then the spur/slipper is different as well but I haven't even toasted my 48p setup in 5 or so 4s packs through an 1/8 scale powerplant. I'm sure its going to happen though and I did rotat the rear diff input in 30 seconds or so after the big 4268 motor went in.

Did yours start as the BLX though? In all the reading i have done, to turn a mega into a BLX, you have to upgrade both diffs, and, since i have el-cheapo electronics in mine, thats another $150 minimum upgrade for a good 80A setup, or close to $200 for the actual Arrma 100A stuff, and, with $70 for the diff upgrade (cheapest i have found so far to do both diff's), im at roughly $230, and, then there is the spur and pinion, since one is 48T and the other is 32T, plus any little stuff im forgetting, and the fact that i like the BR body a lot more, and don't even know if it will fit the Granite, or the price on it, i figured, overall, its just cheaper to get a Big Rock. There is also the fact that if do that to the either the Granite or the Senton i have, then i wont let the kids touch it, so i would have to find another truck for them, so thats another added cost.

 

[Megasty]

I thought the mega has weaker diffs than the 3S trucks. As for upgrades, i put a BL Racers Edge 3600KV 540 style motor in it, with a 45A ESC, and, according to my GPS, its fastest speed was 22 MPH. I have literally done no drivetrain improvements, other than to replace a stripped spur on the Senton from me using the wrong pinion, and setting it too tight. As for the other Senton, that has a brushed setup i bought cheap on Amazon, and, the 2 Granites i have, one has a 3100KV and 45A ESC kit i got for $45 on Amazon (same kit i bought for the Senton), and the other one, i couldnt tell you any of the specs at all, since i used a BL motor and ESC of unknown specs, that i got in a box of parts i bought at a rummage sale. The only truck i have that has a decent set up in it is my Fury, which has a Castle Sidewinder SCT in it, and that is staying where it is.

The main thing holding the Mega back is the stupid 48p 91t spur. That was a mistake on such a heavy car. It's a motor killer. I've put this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/HOBBYFANS-...-2-4-ESC-for-1-8-TRAXXAS-RC-E6S7/173556187498 in a Senton Mega with the blx spur & upgraded input & it ran 66mph with a 17t pinion on 4s. I do expect it the blow up but I've mostly used it on 3s & it has plenty of bashing power. The diffs in both lines are made from the same material so neither is stronger or weaker, but the BLX diffs have larger teeth so they theoretically should be able to transfer more power. However, the gear ratios are the same for the most part - a few hundredths a part doesn't matter. The one problem with that much power is blowing driveshafts but upgrades should handle that. They are the same in both trucks. Some people have been blowing them in the stock BLX trucks. I've wrecked plenty myself but none in my stock BLX trucks, yet. People have also had problems with the BLX system in general, but that goes for all RTR systems. In your case, I would just go for the BLX line. Then you can join the guys here in trying to upgrade the thing. Leaking shocks, broken arms, & puffing power systems are all hot topics with tons of support.

BTW, the ONLY differences between the BRCC & Senton are the body, body mounts, tires, bumpers, &, side guards. The Typhon has longer arms, stock axles that support 17mm buggy tires, & a wing mount that supports a unreleased wheelie bar. All 3 have the same chassis. The ONLY differences between those 3 & the Granite are the chassis, body, tires, bumpers, center driveshaft, & side guards. The Granite & BRCC have the same body mounts. The spur itself is slightly tweaked between the Granite/Senton & BRCC/Typhon. All 4 cars have the same shock towers, diffs, electronics, & motor mounts.

 

[biggman100]

BTW, the ONLY differences between the BRCC & Senton are the body, body mounts, tires, bumpers, &, side guards. The Typhon has longer arms, stock axles that support 17mm buggy tires, & a wing mount that supports a unreleased wheelie bar. All 3 have the same chassis. The ONLY differences between those 3 & the Granite are the chassis, body, tires, bumpers, center driveshaft, & side guards. The Granite & BRCC have the same body mounts. The spur itself is slightly tweaked between the Granite/Senton & BRCC/Typhon. All 4 cars have the same shock towers, diffs, electronics, & motor mounts.

To the OP, sorry if it seems like i hijacked your thread, that wasnt my attention at all. I found a granite roller for $150, but, im not sure if it is a mega or BLX and a Senton that is mostly only good for parts, since it looks like it was crashed hard, for $50. Might make a good starting point to just build a BR out of, but, that is if i can find a BR body for a good price. Ever since the 3S stuff was out of stock, ive been looking to see if i can find rollers and parts, and maybe build what im after for about the same price as new.

 

[Megasty]

To the OP, sorry if it seems like i hijacked your thread, that wasnt my attention at all. I found a granite roller for $150, but, im not sure if it is a mega or BLX and a Senton that is mostly only good for parts, since it looks like it was crashed hard, for $50. Might make a good starting point to just build a BR out of, but, that is if i can find a BR body for a good price. Ever since the 3S stuff was out of stock, ive been looking to see if i can find rollers and parts, and maybe build what im after for about the same price as new.

Throw up a pic & I can tell you what it is & what it needs.

 

[bicketybam]

FWIW, I chipped teeth on a fairly regular basis with the Mega diffs.... both on the input gear and on the ring gear. The only time a chipped teeth on the BLX diffs was when I ran 4s with an 1/8 scale motor. The larger, thicker teeth of the BLX diffs definitely make them withstand more power and force. I’m not saying you need them to run a mild 2s or 3s power system but they will eventually fail with a strong 3s power plant. At least mine did.

 

[biggman100]

Throw up a pic & I can tell you what it is & what it needs.

That was an error on my part, due to being a bit tired. I looked at the pics, saw the red body on the Granite, and the pieces of the red Senton body, and it didnt click until i took a nap what i was actually seeing.

FWIW, I chipped teeth on a fairly regular basis with the Mega diffs.... both on the input gear and on the ring gear. The only time a chipped teeth on the BLX diffs was when I ran 4s with an 1/8 scale motor. The larger, thicker teeth of the BLX diffs definitely make them withstand more power and force. I’m not saying you need them to run a mild 2s or 3s power system but they will eventually fail with a strong 3s power plant. At least mine did.

This whole thing with me looking at 3S is for 2 reasons, and not the usual reason anyone looks at them. One reason is to win a bet. Where we run at, there is an 8 foot wide creek that is about 4 foot deep, and one side of that is a 3 to 4 foot steep bank. The setup we made to run on, we have a sweeping left that turns into a straight along the creek, but, last year, we built a ramp off that straight that goes over the creek, but because of where we had to put it, you come out of the curve, go about 10 feet, then have to turn right to make the jump (the Fury might make it once i do the changes and see how it reacts, but, im not counting on it, and, im not sure i want to take a chance and damage the Castle stuff). So far, none of us have made it over the creek and into the cornfield. I have learned the hard way that Hobby Wing ESC's, even though they say they are, are in no way water proof. I liken it more to, they are water resistant, which, to me means, keep as far from water as possible. Everytime someone tries it and fails, they have to put $5 in a jar, and whoever makes it, gets the jar. Its over $200 at the moment. My thinking is, with 3s, that might give me that extra bit of acceleration to actually clear it, but, its a gamble, since my neighbors JLB Cheetah, which is 3S, wont make it, but, he has it set up more for stupid fast acceleration, you know, the type that flips it over the second you touch the throttle. The simple way would just be to make the ramp higher, but, we decided to turn it into a competition. The other, more, at least to me, practical reason is, with 3S, even if i never really run it much on 3S, and stick to mostly 2S, is that, that way, the electronics might be more durable. For all i know, im looking at it the wrong way though.

 

[Megasty]

You need a car that can at least jump 10ft a small amount of speed. The force of the acceleration will keep the car moving. The tire size is key. You will need to keep the throttle pegged but any kind of ballooning will bring the front end up, making it flip. That's bad for distance in a confined area. If I had to guess for the Cheetah, I would say it would do a single backflip right into the creek. That car is on the heavy side of a 1/10 scale. It would probably make it on 4s with the same 3670 can & buggy badland tires. Neither the stock Granite or BRCC is going to make it. Try the BRCC with the Senton tires, but it might not make that turn with the right speed to clear the jump. The Typhon w/20t pinion would be your best bet to clear it.

In any case, take the fan off the ESC. Get some Silicone Modified Conformal Coating & apply it where the ESC casing meets the black polyurethane under the heatsink, especially where the wires stick out. Go to town on it, one layer at a time. 4-5 layers should do it. You can try to save the servo too. You'll have to take the covers off, coat the PCB & grease up the bearing with marine grease. You can do this to any car to keep it running after it goes swimming.

 

[biggman100]

You need a car that can at least jump 10ft a small amount of speed. The force of the acceleration will keep the car moving. The tire size is key. You will need to keep the throttle pegged but any kind of ballooning will bring the front end up, making it flip. That's bad for distance in a confined area. If I had to guess for the Cheetah, I would say it would do a single backflip right into the creek. That car is on the heavy side of a 1/10 scale. It would probably make it on 4s with the same 3670 can & buggy badland tires. Neither the stock Granite or BRCC is going to make it. Try the BRCC with the Senton tires, but it might not make that turn with the right speed to clear the jump. The Typhon w/20t pinion would be your best bet to clear it.

In any case, take the fan off the ESC. Get some Silicone Modified Conformal Coating & apply it where the ESC casing meets the black polyurethane under the heatsink, especially where the wires stick out. Go to town on it, one layer at a time. 4-5 layers should do it. You can try to save the servo too. You'll have to take the covers off, coat the PCB & grease up the bearing with marine grease. You can do this to any car to keep it running after it goes swimming.

It not only has to jump 10 feet across, but the field on the other side is approximately a foot higher than the ramp, so, it has to go up as it goes across. Ive seen several videos about waterproofing the ESC and servo, so, unless whatever i eventually do decide on has submersible electronics, thats first priority, not only for that jump, but, i live in upstate N.Y., and we get snow, heavy rain (the field out back is always flooded in spring, so we cant even use it until the creek goes down, and, if it rains heavy for more than a day, it floods again), and our road isnt exactly well thought out, so, if it rains enough, it gets puddles that are sometimes 2 feet deep, and, some of us like to blast through them. Im honestly looking at several different vehicles, including the Tenacity MT that the OP mentioned. My list, in order, is the BRCC, Senton 3S, Redcat MT10E, Redcat camo TT, Granite 3S, Redcat Terromoto V2, Tenacity SCT (i just picked up a roller of this truck, but im building that strictly for racing), and, possibly, another Team Associated.

 

[Megasty]

It's a hot mess where I'm at too. The river near a bash spot has flooded the area & giant plates of ice is everywhere. All my neighborhood fields are car killers so I had to waterproof everything. Still, having a muddy mess to deal with after every run is starting to get old & now it's cold again, freezing the last 4 days of rain. The 30-35mph winds don't help either. I don't drive in mess like this & I have plenty of projects to tide me over.

 

[biggman100]

It's a hot mess where I'm at too. The river near a bash spot has flooded the area & giant plates of ice is everywhere. All my neighborhood fields are car killers so I had to waterproof everything. Still, having a muddy mess to deal with after every run is starting to get old & now it's cold again, freezing the last 4 days of rain. The 30-35mph winds don't help either. I don't drive in mess like this & I have plenty of projects to tide me over.

I don't mind driving in it, but, im used to driving in extremely nasty weather, after living in the snow belt in northern N.Y. for ten years, and northwest Iowa for 3, and Alaska for 5. For my job, i routinely drive almost to the Canadian border, and it can get nasty up that way.

 

[maddmatt02]

about the diffs are you looking brand new from a hobby shop or looking at EVERYTHING? because both inputs are had for 9 bucks with new bearings. then you can get complete diffs with new bearings for 17 a piece or I went with just the housings for 8.99 a piece and then just ordered the right screws from a different manufacturer and swapped internals. also I only have the HD input up from with the stock diff and the BLX in the rear. the ratios are SO close I haven't had a problem yet but I haven't really beat on it too much. I am going back to a 3660 and run 3s though because my setup now is just so heavy for a 1/10 sct I feel.

https://jennysrc.com/collections/ar...nput-bevel-gears-13t-bearings-senton-ar102666

https://jennysrc.com/collections/ar...ntial-front-rear-37t-senton-big-rock-ar102666

 

[biggman100]

about the diffs are you looking brand new from a hobby shop or looking at EVERYTHING?

I am just looking at both diffs. I have a bit of a stumbling block with buying online, due to restrictions on my debit card. I am only allowed to buy from preauthorized places, at least for the next 6 months, which i have to set up ahead of time with my bank, and Amazon and horizon, all i found were complete assemblies.