After a fun trail run with my son yesterday, I accidentally put his green V2 body on my Gen8 AXE and the black wheels completely changed how his truck looked (my AXE looked kinda cool with his chrome wheels too). This got us talking about some of the customizing he'd like to do to his truck including changing the wheels. Although I'm not quite ready to give him the wheels off of my AXE, here are some quick shots of how the truck looked with different wheels...maybe it will inspire you to make some changes to your truck as well Here's my son's Gen8 V2 after our run yesterday. The truck is completely stock including the chrome wheels. The truck looks great and works flawlessly in stock form. Here's the truck with the black wheels from my AXE (actually, this is my AXE with his green body). You can see how the look of the truck changes with the addition of the black wheels. The black AXE wheels give it a more rugged look and would probably look even meaner with the beadlocks painted black like I did on my Gen7 project a while back Here's how his Gen8 V2 looks with some Gen7 wheels. It's not the best photo but you can see the spoked wheels and also how the Gen8 hub covers still fit Here's a closer look at the Gen7 wheels installed on my son's Gen8 Just for fun, here's how an Injora aluminum wheel looks. I plan to write a post on these wheels in the future when I install them on my AXE so stay tuned for that one Wheels and tires are often a personal preference thing. You may like chrome wheels better than black, I may like the Gen8 AXE wheels better than the Gen7 wheels but, that's what's awesome about this hobby - you can do whatever you like.
'till next, have fun Rob Here are some quick links if you want to check out some of your options: And here are some amazon links to tools that I recommend:
A shipment of the new Treal Gen8 brass upgrade parts has just arrived and they are ready to order now. Now you can add stability, strength and crawling performance to your Gen8 with these awesome brass parts:
Check out the full assortment of brass and aluminum upgrade parts for your Gen8 on the "upgrades" page 'till next time Rob UPDATE: Unfortunately, Treal Gen8 Brass upgrades are no longer available from TeamRedcatShop.com. Here's a link to where you can buy them on Amazon however The wait is over and the new Gen8 V2 trucks are in stock and shipping now. Whether you've been thinking about grabbing a Gen8 for yourself or even getting an early start on your holiday shopping, be sure to grab a Gen8 or two while they are here
'till next time Rob Great news Gen8 fans, the new Redcat Gen8 V2 is almost here and pre-orders are now open! You can check out the full specs and details of the Gen8 V2 here and this video will also give you an overview of what to expect of the new truck
'till next time Rob An order of Wendigo parts just arrived including all of the upgrades that the Wendigo Builder's Kit comes standard with. Now you can upgrade your RTR Wendigo to Builder's Kit specs with the following parts:
These parts are now listed on the Wendigo Upgrades page and are ready to ship 'till next time Rob Great news if you've been waiting on parts or upgrades for your Kaiju - a large order of parts just arrived and they are ready to order now!
Almost every part is back in stock including spur gears, diffs, suspension arms, body posts and more. A few new upgrade parts are now available as well including aluminum servo horns, aluminum servo saver nuts and 11t pinion gears Although most of these parts are in good supply, I highly suggest placing your order as soon as possible if you've been waiting on anything. You may also want to check out the top selling Kaiju parts and add a few to your shopping cart to ensure you have them when you need them. 'till next time Rob Well, I didn't see this one coming! The awesome Team Redcat TR-MT10E that was sadly removed from the vehicle lineup a few months ago is back again and is now called the RC-MT10E! The truck is essentially the same but now features a new green color and slightly different electronics along with a lower price!
What's great is the RC-MT10e parts and upgrades are all in stock and ready to order as well Check out the new RC-MT10e here 'till next time Rob Good news! A shipment of parts has just arrived and has been entered into inventory. Today's delivery was a bit of a mixed bag of parts for all the different vehicles including a few Kaiju parts, Camo/Dukono parts, Everest-10 parts, Gen7 parts and Gen8 parts
More parts are scheduled to arrive any day now so hopefully anything you've been waiting for will be available to order soon Check out all the parts and upgrades for your Redcat here and stay tuned to the blog for more updates Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it Rob The ONE Must Have Item You Need for Working on your Vehicles Plus a Couple of Other Goodies9/14/2020
Having been into RC for over 35 years now (gulp), I've made just about every mistake a guy can. One of my mistakes was not investing in quality tools for wrenching on my cars. I invested in "good" tools two years ago and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. If I could go back in time, and talk to a younger me, I'd tell myself to buy MIP tools and nothing else. That's the message I'm sharing with you today as well. I can hear you now..."but Rob, MIP tools are expensive...I can buy a complete set of tools from China for the cost of just one MIP." If you are thinking this, don't forget to consider the cost of replacing those cheap tools - the MIP tools will last much much longer. More importantly, using high quality tools will dramatically reduce the risk of stripping screws. Just think of how much time, frustration and expense you'll save if you ever strip a screw and have to cut it out. Trust me, that's a pain in the butt that you don't want to have to deal with. Here's the good news, you don't need very many tools. If you are on a budget, this is the only one you need: A 2.0mm Hex Driver will cover 90% of your wrenching needs and will only cost you around $20. If money is an issue, just get this one and you'll be in good shape. Do not buy a ball end driver - just get the regular 2.0mm driver (part #9008) If you have a little more money, you may want to consider buying a 1.5mm and a 2.5mm hex driver as well. The 1.5mm comes in handy for small set screws such as those on pinion gears and for some of the trim pieces on the Gen8 body. The 2.5mm will be used once in a while on larger screws (My TR-SC10e only had two screws on the chassis that required this driver). These are available individually but you'll save some money if you buy the complete set. Again, don't buy ball end drivers...just get the regular hex drivers. These will cover 99% of your wrenching needs. But, if you are anything like me, you may want to fill out your toolbox with a few rarely used but very handy tools as well such as a 2.0mm Ball End Hex Driver. A ball end driver comes in handy if you have a difficult to reach screw (usually on lower shock mount or servo horn). The ball end allows you to access the screw from a slight angle. I don't recommend using a ball end driver unless it is absolutely necessary as your chances of stripping the screw increase. A few other nice to have tools but not really required include: I use my nut drivers all of the time and I'm very happy with them but truthfully, cheap nut drivers work fine. I just like everything to match and I like how the MIP handles feel in my hand. I paid around $20 for my power driver and I REALLY like it. It saves a lot of time when wrenching on my vehicles but, you have to be extra careful to not scrip screws. I like to use mine to drive the screw in 95% of the way and then finish it off by twisting the screwdriver manually. So, to recap, if you are on a budget, just grab yourself and MIP 2.0mm Hex Driver. If you have a little extra cash, go for the set including the 2.5mm, 2.0mm and 2.5mm Hex Drivers. After that, you really don't need anything but the power driver and 2.0mm speed tip is a time saver. Everything else is just a bonus.
'till next time Rob The wait is finally over. Several of the long awaiting Kaiju aluminum upgrade parts have just arrived and are available to order right now. A few parts are still on the way but the following are in stock now:
'till next time Rob You asked and Redcat listened! The popular Wendigo, 1:10 scale rock racer, is now available as a builder’s kit. The new Wendigo Builder’s Kit allows you to build this competitive rock racer exactly the way you want it with your choice of electronics and paint color. The kit includes a complete unassembled chassis, wheels, tires, clear body, and additional scale accessories.
The Wendigo kit is loaded with high end features and components, like its competition inspired weight distribution. The front mounted position for the motor and transmission, along with its centrally located battery tray and divorced transfer case provide excellent front to rear weight distribution for confidence inspiring driving. The Wendigo kit’s 1.5mm steel ladder-type frame rails provide a sturdy backbone for this vehicle. The wheelbase is adjustable from 334.7mm to 358.7mm, with 346.7mm being the stock configuration. The Wendigo’s gear boxes feature Mod1 gears and ball bearings for long life and durability. The heavy duty telescoping driveshafts provide reliable power delivery to the front and rear trussed axle housings with diamond shaped pumpkins. The diamond-shaped central axle housing easily slides over obstacles and the CNC aluminum spool, along with a one piece pinion gear, can handle heavy weight, big power and aggressive driving. Steel internal axle tube inserts add low CG weight and prevent axle flex. The Wendigo’s aluminum body oil filled shocks have a threaded collar for quick adjustments to the vehicle's ride height. Each shock tower offers nine upper shock mounting positions for further suspension tuning. The heavy duty 5mm metal suspension links use flared heavy-duty ball cups for an incredibly durable 4-link suspension setup. An adjustable rear sway bar helps to minimize torque twist and adds stability during high speed cornering. The Wendigo sits on licensed Interco Super Swamper 2.2” tires which are mounted to licensed Raceline Avenger wheels. The Super Swampers scooped tread lugs provide excellent forward grip on dirt, grass, pavement, rocks, mud and snow. The aggressive tread design and lug spacing release dirt and debris, keeping the tire clean for the next obstacle. Side lugs allow the Wendigo to achieve grip while squeezing between two large rocks, through washouts and other canyon-like obstacles. Now in TC5 ultra-grip soft compound, these tires are impressive performers. High performance tires deserve a high performance wheel. The Raceline Avenger wheels are precision made with the right amount of offset and superior durability. Now with a silver wheel lip, these wheels look better than ever. Many scale details and accessories come standard with the Redcat Wedigo to ensure you get the very best visual experience from your vehicle. This kit includes a clear racing body with narrowed rear quarters and a full roll cage. Additional scale details include a driver and co-pilot with adjustable helmet visors, a realistic navigation screen, rear fuel cell and a radiator with twin cooling fans. Additional scale accessories include a fuel can, fire extinguishers and functional recovery ramps. While the Wendigo builder’s kit is very similar to the RTR Wendigo, some enhancements have been made specifically for the kit version. Not only will your Wendigo kit based custom rig look great, but it’ll have the potential to outperform your entire fleet. The shocks included with the ready to run Wendigo have black aluminum threaded shock bodies, silver adjustable preload collars and they perform extremely well. The Wendigo kit includes the same high performance shocks, but with silver aluminum threaded shock bodies, black adjustable preload collars, laser etched black aluminum shock caps and titanium nitride coated shock shafts. The Wendigo kit’s aluminum frame rails are also laser etched with the Redcat logo. Enhanced for the Wendigo builder’s kit are the front and rear solid axles, with their steel axle tube inserts. This adds even more rigidity and strength to these already amazing axles. Another major performance upgrade is the use of a softer rubber compound on the aggressive Super Swamper tires. This new TC5 soft tire compound adds lots of traction, giving you another competitive advantage. The black Raceline wheels now have a silver outer bead ring, just for the Wendigo builder’s kit. The new Wendigo builder’s kit not only looks amazing, but it seems to have the makings of a top tier competitor. Recently, with Covid-19 causing delays in getting stock replenished, the new most common question I receive is "When will part #XYZ be back in stock?"
The short answer is: all parts and upgrades have been ordered from the factory - they will be back in stock soon but I don't have an exact date of arrival. It just depends on how quickly the parts are shipped and how quickly they clear customs. I wish I could answer this question with more accuracy but I can not. It's best to just check back from time-to-time to see if the parts you need are back in stock. Hopefully this helps a little 'till next time Rob If you've been waiting on parts for your Kaiju, the wait is over. The majority of Kaiju parts are back in stock and ready to be ordered.
A few of of these parts are in limited supply so don't wait to place your order as they may run out again soon. Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it Rob Just a quick note today to let you know that it seams a lot of tracking numbers and email replies seam to be landing in junk/spam folders lately
If you have sent me an email and didn't get a reply or, you are wondering when your order will ship, please check your email spam folder....you might find the info you are looking for there I've also listed some other answers to frequently asked questions on the Contact Page - most are with regard to shipping and order tracking. Please be sure to have a quick look at those before sending me an email 'till next time, stay safe and have fun Rob The first shipment of Wendigo parts and upgrades has just arrived. Approximately 2/3 of the Wendigo parts are now in-stock and ready to order with the balance expected to arrive soon assuming they do not get delayed for any reason.
Check out all of the in-stock Wendigo parts here. Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it Rob ***UPDATE: More Wendigo parts have arrived. Virtually ever part is now in stock and ready to order. I'm still waiting on a few scews but the sizes are all in stock under different part numbers. Oh, and the clear bodies have not arrived yet but pretty much everything else in now available and I'll be adding more details and photos to each part soon. Another shipment of Kaiju parts just arrived and these parts are available to order now. Just a few of the parts on this shipment include:
'till next time Rob Awesome news if you've been wanting a Redcat Kaiju - A shipment has just arrived and the are ready to order now! I'm also expecting some more Kaiju and Wendigo parts to arrive soon as well (assuming they are not further delayed due to Covid-19)
Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it Rob After a hard bash session, I finally broke a part on my Kaiju - a rear hub carrier. Follow along as I swap it out... Now there's the problem! Although broken, the rear hub's plastic looks very nice, with lots of fibre material After removing the wheel, the next step is remove the two hinge pins. The lower hinge pin requires a 2.5mm driver and the upper requires a 2.0mm driver. Next, use your 2.0mm driver to remove the set screw that is located inside the wheel hex. Once you have removed the set screw, you can push the pin out - I used a 1.5mm driver to push the pin out Here's how the parts look once everything is removed. Notice the set screw on the right side...that's what you need to remove before trying to press the pin out of the wheel hex One nice thing about the Kaiju is that several of the parts can be used on the left or the right side of the truck. When you purchase your 12437 Rear Hubs, you will receive two parts. Each can be used on either side of the truck. These are really cheap too so, you may want to grab a set just to have in your pit bag. Next, I popped the bearings out of the broken hub and snapped them into the new hub. I gave my bearings a quick check over before installing them and they were nice and smooth. These bearings are rubber sealed and they feel like they are grease filled so they should last a while even if I run my Kaiju in some water or mud. Time to put it back together... Once you have the bearings installed in the new hub, slide the CVD through. Then, the wheel hex slides over the CVD, the pin goes through the hole and lastly the set screw is re-installed to hold the pin in place. I chose to not use any thread lock on the set screw. I want to ensure I can get it out easily again in the future. I'll just check it from time to time to ensure it hasn't come loose. Next up was to re-install the lower hinge pin. DON'T OVER TIGHTEN THE NUT. I suggest you tighten the nut until it feels fairly tight then check to see that the hub moves freely in the suspension arm. If the hub feels tight or binds in any way, loosen the nut a little. Keep loosening the nut a little at a time and check the hub for binding. Once it moves freely, stop there. Last but not least, install the upper hinge pin. Pay attention to what hole the pin goes through. My truck came with the hinge pin installed on the inner hole so that's where I put it back...make sure you keep the left side and the right side of your truck set up exactly the same way. Once again, don't over tighten the nut on the hinge pin. All fixed in under 10 minutes. That was easy.
Here are the parts and tools I used to make the job quick and easy:
Now, I'm going to charge up some batteries and get back to bashing! 'till next time Rob Just a quick update today to let you know that a few TR-SC10E parts have just arrived. The following parts are back in stock and ready to order:
Lastly, concerning Covid-19 - TeamRedcatShop is still open for business and shipping as usually. Inventory is still arriving but some items have been delayed and a few are now running out of stock. My best advice is for you to grab a few spare parts now, even if you don't need them at the moment...just in case shipments stop or more parts run out. 'till next time - stay safe Rob Just a quick update to let you know that several Redcat Kaiju Parts have just arrived. With the Kaiju parts being priced so well, and with some of these parts being in limited supply, I'd suggest grabbing a few spares now - even if you don't need them today. The following parts just arrived:
I'll add pictures and details to each part as they become available Now, for the bad news...I few Kaiju parts just sold out this weekend including spur gears, clear bodies and center diff outdrives. These parts will be replenished but I don't have an exact date quite yet Regarding Covid-19...at the moment, it's pretty much business as usual. We are seeing slight delays in product restocking but for the most part, things have been running smoothly. My only suggestion is to grab a few spare parts for your pit box while they are in-stock to ensure you have them when you need them Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it Rob Here's the latest video of the new Redcat Wendigo in action. The Wendigo is in stock and shipping now. A few Wendigo parts are already in stock as well with more scheduled to arrive soon.
'till next time Rob From a sneak peak yesterday to full release today, the newest Redcat RC vehicle is now available and it looks AWESOME!!! Meet the new Redcat Wendigo 1/10 scale brushless rock racer!
Just some of the Wendigo's features include:
Check out a video of the Redcat Wendigo in action, 20 more pictures + full details and specs of the right here and of course, all of the Wendigo parts and upgrades will be available soon as well 'till next time Rob Here's the latest video of the new Redcat Kaiju that I thought you'd like.
Enjoy! Rob I finally had a chance to take my personal Redcat Kaiju out for a bash this afternoon and thought I'd share a quick review with you
Initial Impressions: Initially, I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the Kaiju but now that I've spent some time with it, I have to say that so far I REALLY like it. My son and I spent the afternoon ripping it around the yard and jumping it over a 14" high ramp and it took all of our abuse like a champ. Admittedly, we were not launching it 50' through the air but we had our share of upside down landings and nose dives and the Kaiju just kept going and going. The truck is very controllable in the air and after a few failed attempts, we quickly got the hang of bringing the nose up or dropping it down with the use of the throttle and brake. It's also quite stable in turns as well. We were able to take sweeping turns at full speed and tighter turns by applying some brake before cranking on the steering wheel. Wheelies were no problem either. A jab of the throttle and the truck would cat walk for 50' or more with some throttle modulation. I think dropping the wheelie bar down a notch or two may be my first minor modification for back yard bashing...just to keep the nose down a little closer to the ground. Battery: We started by running the truck on just 2s to see what would happen. It functioned fine but was fairly slow. If you have an inexperienced person that would like to drive your truck, this may be a good option to slow the truck down so they don't crash it. After a few minutes on 2s, we decided to give 4s a try and that's when the truck really came alive. Although I haven't tried the Kaiju on 3s or 6s yet, I'd say 4s is perfect balance of speed and controllability. Tires: There has been some comments online about the tires not ballooning and that they are some kind of miracle tire. Well, I wish that was true but the fronts will balloon just like most other tires out there when you do a big wheelie (something the truck is really good at). I'm not complaining about the tires, I just want you to know that they will balloon if you run the truck hard. Broken Parts: Nope. No broken parts so far. Like I mentioned before, we landed this thing hard on it's nose, roof and tail and my son even drove it straight into a pipe that sticks out of our yard. Nothing broke. No clicking gears, no broken bumpers or links and the body is holding up well. So far so good. General Thoughts: I'm quite impressed by this truck. The ESC is perfectly set-up, the trims and dual rates were well set from the factory, it's durable and I've even grown to like the looks of the body. I'll keep running it but as it stands now, I don't see any dramatic changes being required from its box stock setup. At least for ripping around in the grass. The only extra item I'm planning to add to my field bag is another battery jumper. I have a feeling I may lose one at some point so I may as well have a spare handy. The blue body color is also quite nice but I'll likely get myself a clear body some day and do a custom paint job. Beyond that, I'll wait to see what parts break before stocking up on spares. 'till next time Rob Just a quick update today to let you know of a few changes that happened this weekend:
1. The studio shots of the new Redcat Kaiju have been delivered by the photographer and they turned out great. If you'd like to take a look, you can find them on the Kaiju page here. I've also uploaded more photos of the Kaiju parts and will continue to add more information and details to the Kaiju parts pages as time permits. 2. Several TR-SC10E upgrade parts are on clearance at VERY low prices. I suggest grabbing these while you can as once these clearance parts are sold out, they won't be coming back. 3. Last but not least, another big order of Gen8 parts and upgrades has arrived including Clear Bodies, LED light kits, CNC Steel Transmission Gears, Flat Bottom Skid Plates, Portal Housings, several aluminum upgrade parts and more. 'till next time Rob |