Buggy vs. Monster Truck

[xlDooM]

I have two questions regarding the difference between the Amp desert buggy and the Amp monster truck:
1) is the front shock tower vulnerable on the buggy, since it is not protected by the body and could burrow into the grass/dirt?
2) does the desert buggy also make that godawful body slap noise when it lands from 5 feet of air?

If anyone owns the two side by side that'd be awesome, maybe there are more differences I didn't think of

 

[X]

2) does the desert buggy also make that godawful body slap noise when it lands from 5 feet of air?

I hate that....

The DB has a wing!!!! And the DB has smaller width tires/ wheels in front. Unlike the Amp which has the same size tires/ wheels all the way around.

 

[Vivendus]

Wouldnt using a higher viscosity shock oil help with the amount of compression and slightly reduce that slap risk?
Also, does that mean the buggy is heavier at the read end (Wing and mount plus smaller wheels in front?) - you cant tell me that wing is actually functional enough to compensate?

 

[xlDooM]

I will pick up some thicker oil next time I'm at the hobby shop. I'm running 350cst right now, what do you suggest? 550?

Also, interesting question about the weight distribution. The MT is quite understeery, would this be even worse with the lighter, narrower-tired buggy? Or would the narrower front wheels dig in better as opposed to skipping over? I run mainly on grass and I have to back right off the throttle to get meaningful steering.

 

[Vivendus]

Im sorry.. id be doing you a disservice to suggest oil weights... im no where near up to speed on that side of things.
I can say traction on grass is definately less than gravel or bitumen so i would imagine the buggy would be even worse than the MT. A more rear orientated weight distribution would bounce the buggy over uneven grass... would be cool to see a video in dirt though!

 

[X]

Also, interesting question about the weight distribution. The MT is quite understeery, would this be even worse with the lighter, narrower-tired buggy? Or would the narrower front wheels dig in better as opposed to skipping over? I run mainly on grass and I have to back right off the throttle to get meaningful steering.

Yea, the MT is really bad at keeping the front tires down on the ground. The DB would likely exacerbate that. Maybe time to experiment with weight distribution. As it is all of the weight is in the back on those Amps (battery, motor, ESC). It would be nice if we could shift the battery forward, not sure how to do that yet.

I tell ya though, it's a real difference between those 2wd models and the 4 wd models. I was used to jumping my sons Amp and I took out my BL 4wd circuit. I nose dived the first few jumps because I was used to the back heavy Amp.

 

[i_r_beej]

The front shock tower on the AMP cars is tough as nails. So to speak. I've given my Boost buggy a beating on the track (this is indoor, thin carpet over concrete with wooden jumps) and have not had any problems.

Furthermore, as X has stated, the 2WD ECX vehicles (AMP, Circuit, and Boost) all have a serious rear weight bias. Steering is going to be problematic until you change your front tires to suit the surface you're running on. Seriously, tires make a HUGE difference.

The rear wing on the DB will have a small effect on the rear of the car but since it's vented, i suspect that the effect will be minimized, regardless of speed. In racing we use wings that maximize downforce to get those rear tires to dig in.

 

[xlDooM]

Good to hear the shock tower can take a hit. When I win the amp raffle (I feel lucky) I'm gonna pick the buggy kit and compare back to back to the Mt.

What kind of tires work well on gravel and grass? Badlands?

 

[Vivendus]

Love your positive attitude. Whomever does get it I hope they set up like a live stream channel so we can all get involved in building the EXCFORUM AMP kit. Yes, the prize has now been dubbed the property of all of us, on long term deployment to the winner.
Actually... now that's not a bad idea (go me!) We have enough members to each throw in a few coins or parts to build a beast.. make it one of you 'Merican ( F yeah!) lot who sets up the donation account and builds the truck... constant forum updates, polls to make purchase decisions etc - could be fun... ill throw in a few coins and a spare RPM ss eliminator i have here

 

[i_r_beej]

What kind of tires work well on gravel and grass? Badlands?

Based on my experience, I'd say look for something with an open tread pattern. The Pro-Line Badlands tire is actually a great example. In addition to the tread pattern, the rubber compound will also make a big difference. The stock tires on our ECX cars is pretty hard and doesn't grip so well, but it DOES wear long. So I think that if you went with soemthing like the Badlands you'd be super happy with their performance.

 

[xlDooM]

Love your positive attitude. Whomever does get it I hope they set up like a live stream channel so we can all get involved in building the EXCFORUM AMP kit. Yes, the prize has now been dubbed the property of all of us, on long term deployment to the winner.
Actually... now that's not a bad idea (go me!) We have enough members to each throw in a few coins or parts to build a beast.. make it one of you 'Merican ( F yeah!) lot who sets up the donation account and builds the truck... constant forum updates, polls to make purchase decisions etc - could be fun... ill throw in a few coins and a spare RPM ss eliminator i have here

That's actually a great idea to fill this forum out with content. Have some sort of forum sponsored build thread. Problems always arise when there is money involved though.

Based on my experience, I'd say look for something with an open tread pattern. The Pro-Line Badlands tire is actually a great example. In addition to the tread pattern, the rubber compound will also make a big difference. The stock tires on our ECX cars is pretty hard and doesn't grip so well, but it DOES wear long. So I think that if you went with soemthing like the Badlands you'd be super happy with their performance.

I can see badlands on the buggy. Not sure if they are beefy enough to look right on the monster truck though. Something like duratrax six pack or lockup would look sweet, but I have no idea if the compound is any good on those.

 

[Vivendus]

Bah! DooM, stipulate DONATION not purchase!!! and rules such as majority of votes in a poll in final decision? And then , i dunno, have a competition at the end for 1 of the people who contributed to win the vehicle? Ive been involved with something similar with a custom Bumblebee Honda CBR600RR here in West Australia before. I didn't win, but it was exciting.