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Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and mini-review of each every Thursday morning!
JConcepts Nissan Titan SCT Body
$36.55
When it comes to short course racing, one of the coolest aspects of it all is the realistic appearances of the various trucks on the track. In the right situation, looking at a photo of an R/C short course truck, it could easily be mistaken for that of a full-size short course truck. With the growing class we have seen a list of officially licensed bodies matching that of full-size Ford and Chevrolet vehicles in the past, however, JConcepts has released a first by introducing their officially licensed Nissan Titan SCT body.
This body was designed with racers in mind, as it features optional vent cut-outs to improve airflow, optional rear fins for added stability, and a long list of features found on the entire JConcepts Hi-Flow body lineup.
To test this bad boy out, we decided to put it in the hands of none other than my father, "Homer". In everything Homer does in life, he is very conservative, cautious, and careful...except while driving an R/C car. This past weekend we attended the Short Course Showdown Nationwide Tour Finals, where I equipped his Traxxas Stock Spec Slash with the JC Titan body for the ultimate test.
Pros:
- Easy to cut out and install using the JConcepts install guide sheet included, and includes all necessary mounting hardware for attachments (which did no get used because Homer liked the look better without the number plates and/or fins).
- Includes sticker sheet with replica Nissan Titan headlights, grill, accents, and logos.
- Hi-Flow design allows for various cut-outs and attachments which significantly decrease the "parachute" effect, and increase stability.
- Fresh new design, unlike any others on the market.
- VERY durable...VERY.
- Pleases the eye of even Homer, who is known for his picky taste.
Cons:
- Homer refused to change his wheels to a different color, therefore the beautifully painted body by Darkside Designs (green), was forced to be ran with pumpkin like wheels (orange).
Conclusion:
Installing the JConcepts Nissan Titan SCT body on Homer's Traxxas Stock Spec Slash was a win, win, win situation. He personally loved the appearance, bystanders continually praised the body, it withstood the terror it was put through, AND Homer was crowned TQ and overall champion of the Traxxas Stock Spec Slash class for the weekend! Ultimately, like shopping for a real truck, it comes down to what you like the best. We have ran the JC Ford, Chevy, and now Nissan bodies on our short course trucks, and don't notice much difference in performance from one to the other, however, personally we feel the Nissan looks the best out of them all.
Beacon Rating: 5/5
AVID Diff Thrust Bearing
$3-10 each (depending on the model you choose)
If I could sum up working on ball differentials in one word it would be...$&#%. While ball differentials, at this time, seem to be the most popular choice off differential in offroad racing in America, they are my absolutely least favorite thing to work on, build, and/or re-build. Could it be that I get sick of digging through the carpet looking for tiny balls that rolled off the table? Perhaps. Could it be that my giant fingers were not designed to pick up and insert microscopic pieces into differential gears? That too. Worst of all is just when you have finished dealing with the 14 diff balls, you are faced with 6-8 more thrust balls...which are even SMALLER!
AVID R/C recently released their new diff thrust bearings, claiming to take away the hassle of dealing with thrust balls. In a fit of anger after chasing balls around the workshop, we decided to order up some of these so called "magical" AVID thrust bearings.
Pros:
- Eliminates carefully placing baby thrust balls on wobbly washer that is slid over a tiny screw.
- Available in steel, tungsten carbide, and ceramic.
- Includes thrust washers to go on top and bottom of thrust bearing.
- Very smooth performance, in which might actually exceed that of standard thrust balls.
- Long lasting, as even after several weeks of use, they still feel very smooth.
- When dropped in the carpet, it is much easier to locate these three small parts as opposed to 6-8 thrust balls.
Cons:
- No instructions or grease included (although 99.9% of users already know how it works, and own black grease).
Conclusion:
We are very satisfied with the AVID R/C diff thrust bearings, and would like to take the time to thank them for eliminating at least some of the frustration endured while building and re-building our ball diffs. As we mentioned, we did not notice any immediate performance enhancements by installing the AVID diff thrust bearings, however, in our opinion the ease of installation and lack of anger created by doing so is well worth money spent.
Beacon Rating: 4/5
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