We wanted the fairest shootout possible, with the fewest amount of variables. We wanted it to come down to the chassis itself, and nothing else. Keeping that in mind, we put nearly identical power systems in each truck. All three were powered by Novak Spec ESC’s (no timing), using Novak 17.5 brushless motors, also with no timing. All three were geared identically; 23 pinion/86 spur. We went through a bunch of tire choices, looking for the right tire for the track. We tried stock Traxxas tires, both the BF Goodrich and the S1 versions. We tried Losi Eclipse tires (stock on the XXX-SCT). We tried AKA Enduros. Again, all of these tires were tried on all three trucks looking for the right combination. In the end, oddly enough, we wound up with the stock RTR tires from the Kyosho Ultima SC, model KYOUMT601. They are a medium compound, with a decent amount of tread. We had two sets on hand, and tried them both. One set seemed to work better than the other, so we kept switching that set from truck to truck. As odd as that tire choice sounds, we’ve heard from a few racers that the tire to use at this track is the stock SC10 tire, and these are similar in compound.

All three trucks are using the stock Traxxas 2.4ghz Link radios, with stock receivers. The stock Traxxas servo isn’t the best performer for racing, so all three trucks have upgraded servos. All are using a Savox SC-0254MG. It is a mid range servo, with 100 oz of torque, and a speed of .14 seconds. This is the time it takes for the servo to travel 60°. Keeping with the theme, all three trucks are using stock Traxxas shocks, with the springs that come on the RTR Slash.

For the shootout, we went to High Octane RC, in Syracuse NY. (2083 park st, Syracuse, NY 13208) They have only been open in their new location for approximately 6 weeks. They built an all new clay indoor offroad track, featuring AMB lap counting and an elevated drivers stand. The track is in remarkable shape for how new it is. It offers just the right amount of technical difficulty, while keeping it enjoyable for new drivers. Checkout High Octane on Facebook, and make sure you pay High Octane a visit. Good group of guys up there. Tell Pete you heard about him on RC Soup!!

Now, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that any one of these chassis is a huge improvement over a stock Traxxas Slash. With a stock Slash, you would have a hard time making some of the tighter turns on the track. You would also traction roll at the end of the back straight, and after the big double in front of the driver’s stand. No, it goes without saying that all three of these chassis offer improved handling over stock. But which one performed the best in our shootout?

We had four drivers on hand for the shootout. Kevin Crandall, Jim Decker, and Matt Peterson representing RC Soup, and Jarodd Goedel (a seasoned, sponsored driver- our “Stig” so to speak). These are the same drivers as in our 2WD Short Course Shootout in June. Checkout that article for more information on each driver.

In this shootout, we tested 5 categories; Handling, Jumping Ability, Speed, Ease of Assembly, and Durability.

For “Handling”, we judged the truck’s general feel on the track, taking into consideration things like cornering, traction rolling, consistency, predictability, etc.

For “Jumping Ability”, we judged how the truck launched off the ramp. What was the attitude of the truck as it flew in the air? Did it fly straight, nose dive, etc… as well as how it took the landing.. did it bounce, did it bottom out, etc.

“Speed” was judged mostly by corner speed. How much speed could you maintain through the corner? How fast could you enter and exit turns? We also took into account top speed along the back straight. Since they all had the same motor, top speed should have been about equal.

“Ease of Assembly” is just what it implies. How was it to put the chassis together? Were the directions straightforward? Any odd issues?

Finally we tested “Durability”. We looked not only at the gauge of the parts used, but also took into consideration whether certain components failed during testing.

So how did each chassis perform?? Let’s find out!

Here’s a quick video of us running the trucks at High Octane RC