List of my bomb proof Ruckus upgrades 2WD

[Bugoff75]

• Metal Tranny Gears (bomb proof the tranny) (its a MUST do)
• 32P AE spur gear and slipper pads (no more stripped gears)
• Adjustable turnbuckles (proper alignment)
• MIP CVD's (no more broken drive shafts)
• Losi front - Traxxas rear shocks and springs (no leaks + greater adjustability with springs)
• ProLine Trenchers (better traction)
• RPM steering servo saver (its RPM everything they make is bomb proof)
• Hitec High Torque Metal gear servo (better steering)
• Castle Creations Waterproof Sidewinder SCT brushless system (*only problem)
• Pen springs w/ longer screws under battery thumb twists (easier to use w/ taller LiPo batteries)
• slivers of a Bic pen under ESC tray (raise it a few MM for taller batteries)
• Original Green body Ruckus so AM radio was never actually used - replaced w/ Spektrum
• Front bumper replaced with 'newer' style (better protection)

* on/off switch started acting funny after a good swim in muddy water. disassembled and cleaned but still turns on/off by itself every once in awhile- usually when its a long walk away from me. Only other issue is I always forget to check my nuts, so speed runs sometimes end with a rear wheel beating the truck to my intended target

Wanted to do RPM arms but haven't broken a OE one yet- so ...

 

[slowmethinks]

Post up some pics...

 

[Bugoff75]

Last image actually shows my Torment, turns out I just loosened the screws on the Ruckus ESC tray. Dirty and beat to Hell and back. Turnbuckles are 8th scale. Way over kill but will never bend or break. MIP CVD's are the old 8106 I believe which fit and work but the suspension travel has to be reduced. Which is why Traxxas shocks in the rear with a bit of fuel tubing to further reduce travel. This was the V1 so the original front bumper was not really a bumper, so replaced it with a V2 bumper. Rain, snow, mud, it just asks for more - as long as the wheels stay on and the on/off switch cooperates.

 

[slowmethinks]

Nice! I'm in the process of replacing front and rear arms with RPM, Hot Racing hubs and casters, metal geared diff (LHS actually had one in stock, online is sold out everywhere), and will have Boom Racing shock towers and skid plate parts soon. Contemplating a T-Bone bumper...

I need to decide what CVD to go with. Hot Racing has three, I know one is junk...

 

[xlDooM]

Nice! I'm in the process of replacing front and rear arms with RPM, Hot Racing hubs and casters, metal geared diff (LHS actually had one in stock, online is sold out everywhere), and will have Boom Racing shock towers and skid plate parts soon. Contemplating a T-Bone bumper...

I need to decide what CVD to go with. Hot Racing has three, I know one is junk...

Do you think the hot racing spindles would work with the stock caster blocks? My spindles have worn out holes so the shoulder screws keep coming out, and the aluminium version would not have this problem I reckon.

 

[Bugoff75]

My theory has always been - Don't upgrade it unless the stock part breaks (keeps breaking) or I just like the bling factor of the part. The V1 driveshafts on my Torment didn't even last shipping. They were broken in the box. Horizon hooked me up with new parts but the 20T motor tore those up (I did do a 17mm hub upgrade so I could use 8th buggy wheels/tires = more stress). Didn't even try on the Ruckus- went straight to MIP. Most of the stuff I did was from lessons learned on the Torment. I like the look of all the aluminum parts available but I beat on my truck too hard. I'd rather break a couple dollar part by running my truck up a tree then tweak a fancy looking aluminum part. That being said I'll gladly swap out anything if I can get a great deal on those aluminum parts. Although the issue I'm gonna be dealing with soon is simple wear and tear play. I had the front and rear ends tight but now theres wiggle room in just about every part. Need a new body too.

 

[slowmethinks]

Yeah, they fit. I had zero issues fitting them.

And while I didn't need to upgrade them with fancy aluminum, I wanted to. Honestly, I like the look. I am waiting for a Kinexis brushless combo from my LHS currently.

 

[Bugoff75]

I talk about not doing it but you should see my Mini-T bling alloy, but the Micro-T only the broken parts get replaced with alloy.

 

[slowmethinks]

I talk about not doing it but you should see my Mini-T bling alloy, but the Micro-T only the broken parts get replaced with alloy.

Gonna needs pics of that too!

 

[Bugoff75]

Calandra Racing Concepts front and rear pivot mounts (cant see em but its the parts the arms bolt to) front shock tower, rear hubs, steering assembly, and GPM? Shocks and titanium turnbuckles. all of the CRC stuff I've never broken, just got a great deal on a bunch of alloy stuff and used some, saved some, and sold the rest to get my money back. This was a Losi Mini-t (or ECX Smash) but only OE parts are arms all around, front bumper and plastic bits, front hubs and steering blocks, rear shock tower and tranny case.. the big ugly alloy piece is a "custom" lol servo holder. I use a 12th scale servo instead of a micro one. Castle 8000kv Mamba system, Exotek extended chassis. etc. Was originally purchased to race at a ex-LHS but that was when they first released em. Now its mostly a shelf queen w/ an occasional speed run to keep the LiPo in check. Things a bullet but one little bump in the street and it goes airborne plus the foam tires are probably 10 years old so traction is sketchy.

 

[Bugoff75]

My one shelf - top left - T-Maxx - converted to Electric w/ Castle Monster system, Kyosho half eight (mini eight) custom chassis built for racing at closed track, EA RC10 Team Car sitting on top of HPI Rally car only ever raced during HPI Challenge -I lost, RC10GT w/ RB engine - raced till tracks closed. Next shelf left - ECX Ruckus - basher extreme, ECX Torment previous basher extreme, Traxxas Slash- built for racing (my sons) but converted to basher. Next shelf ECX parts truck, Mini-T, Jammin X2CR - steering servo went the last week the track was open. Except for the ECX's and team car all were purpose built for certain tracks, all of the nitros and the Slash were used at the same track until it also closed. At one time in my area we had several outdoor off road and on road tracks to choose from and a few indoor carpet and a couple indoor dirt tracks for the winter. I don't race anymore but the last I checked only one or maybe another one is still around.

some of my old video of a race day. Believe it or not that was a guys front yard

 

[xlDooM]

Wow, you're an RC veteran no doubt. Your collection is impressive, and the track in that video is crazy. Must have been murder on those buggies, several didn't clear the jump and flew into the front of the landing.

I'm always wondering, I have a spare lot that I could lay out a track on, but the scene here is pretty small. There is a club 6 miles from here which charges $75 a year and you can only use the track one day per afternoon though, which I'm not impressed with. It's entirely possible that if I were to make a track, I'd suddenly have a lot of new friends, lol.

 

[Bugoff75]

Wow, you're an RC veteran no doubt.

Nah not really, I'm just old. My father bought me my first RC car in '84. Gold tub RC10. Still have it but its in pieces. I just hold onto my old stuff, most guys sell it off and move on. Case in point - I have not one but 2 Hotbodies Lightning 8th scale buggy rollers and enough parts to build a third sitting in my basement with the remains of my RC10 (which has enough parts to build 3) Completely worthless and I'm pretty sure I'll never use them again but I have them. I still have the carry/case/tool box my father built me when I first started racing 2wd buggies. Its big and heavy and wooden and useless but I still have it.
Over the years I've raced just about everything. 12th scale was the best, we use to smuggle in beer and booze. By the Mains we were usually drunk which made the stress and driving so much easier. Had to be sober with the Nitro touring. Age test- whats the thing under the Novak speedo? Those HB buggies were tanks, which was the problem too heavy. Come to think of it I don't think I ever won a single race. ever. I did it for fun anyway, only stopped when it got too expensive. Last time I ran at Motorama I broke a front hub on my Jammin, back then it was $100 for a replacement part. Got my son involved so a typical day at the track if we didn't break anything was costing me over a bill for everything. So when the tracks started closing I took it as a sign and became a basher.

 

[Bugoff75]

 

[Bugoff75]

 

[Bugoff75]

Truck is about due for a complete rebuild. RPM arms and I need to replace worn out hubs. Too much play everywhere. Gotta finish another project first though.

 

[xlDooM]

I like how the weeds make it look like you're blasting through the savannah in that second video

 

[Bugoff75]

More fun with video timing. Just missing the Benny Hill music.

 

[xlDooM]

Welcome back. Looks like a fun bashing spot.

Where are you located? Getting a wild west vibe from that video.

 

[Bugoff75]

What I was playing in was or is most likely toxic, being dredge material from the bottom of the Delaware river. Between Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Some parts are straight sand ( where a grown man will sink into ) to other parts being so stony its practically concrete. Gotta find the happy in between ground to play on. Wild life seems to thrive there so I figure a few short hours of play time shouldn't harm me. LoL! It was a huge spot for off road recreation before they started dredging again. Now its too soft for most vehicles, local police have declined to go back there since their cars/ trucks sink. Plus its federal land, you get into trouble you better call superman cause no one else is coming.

Most of the video I shot was with the camera in a protective case to its not as sharp as it should be. Some parts are from the camera out of the case, much sharper picture.