Which 4WD

bald eagle · #1 20-01-2007

I am seriously considering getting myself a 4wd electric buggy. I just cant make my mind up on the best to suit me, so I am after some advice really.... Which is the best package? xx4.. spares availability is great, but is it too long in the tooth now? xxx4 i have heard is weak and breaks easily, predator, still has drivetrain problems so I'm informed, zx5.... spares availability????... I have a B4, so I know some parts would interchange onto a bj4...... any advice on this matter is gratefully welcomed...

Chris Doughty · #2 20-01-2007

BJ4....

then if you want something a little bit extra special, go for an S4 conversion for the BJ4.

AE parts cross-over from your B4 too

bigred5765 · #3 20-01-2007

tried them all, except s4 but i would still say xx4 all the way, yes its long in the tooth, but why change it if they are simply the fastest car on the track, after all you don't buy a car because it got parts that will swap with your 2wd, you buy what works on UK tracks surly

Northy · #4 20-01-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by bald eagle

predator, still has drivetrain problems so I'm informed,

Who's informed you of that? I think its one od the strongest if not the strongest drivetrains available now! Why else would TTech guarantee it?

http://ttechracing.com/transmissionguar.html

I have replaced my first crown wheel last sunday, it's been in there for over 12 months!

Not bad I'd say.

Cheers,

G

Scouser · #5 20-01-2007

If I were picking a 4wd to go along side my B4, the head would say BJ4 for the parts compatibility but the heart would say Predator. Might be worth holding on for a little while though to see what Hotbodies/HPI bring out. You also didn't mention the Yokomo or the Tamiya.

Richard Lowe · #6 20-01-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigred5765

tried them all, except s4 but i would still say xx4 all the way, yes its long in the tooth, but why change it if they are simply the fastest car on the track, after all you don't buy a car because it got parts that will swap with your 2wd, you buy what works on UK tracks surly

I'm sorry Carl that's simply not true, the XX4 is sluggish, vague and easy to drive because of it, outright laptime it's not the quickest.
What 4wd has your Matt had his best results with, it wasn't the XX4 was it...

cutting edge · #7 20-01-2007

The XX4 is a great car and my X-5 is even better i would say but i am no pro all i know is its easy to drive and there are loads of second hand ones for sale cheap to strip down for spares

footey · #8 20-01-2007

my heart would always say pred x10 but i just got a xx4

jim76 · #9 20-01-2007

i've had my best ever results with my current ZX5. spares are not a problem at all, and they are amongst the cheapest out there. You do need a few essential upgrades out of the box, but when compared to the yoke and tamiya and x10, it still comes out fairly cheap.

just feels positve but also very safe to drive. it never throughs you any surprises on the track.

cmgreen · #10 22-01-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Lowe

I'm sorry Carl that's simply not true, the XX4 is sluggish, vague and easy to drive because of it, outright laptime it's not the quickest.
What 4wd has your Matt had his best results with, it wasn't the XX4 was it...

Except for a few mistakes xx4 would have had you on sunday

bigred5765 · #11 22-01-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Lowe

I'm sorry Carl that's simply not true, the XX4 is sluggish, vague and easy to drive because of it, outright laptime it's not the quickest.
What 4wd has your Matt had his best results with, it wasn't the XX4 was it...

matt did have is best ever result SO FAR with a bj4 worlds, but that was before we saw the light, and had a test drive with a tried and tested car that still works as good after 10 years of driving

Richard Lowe · #12 22-01-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmgreen

Except for a few mistakes xx4 would have had you on sunday

Not necessarily

You have to take into account this weekend was the first time I've ever run a brushless system in any of my cars. I installed it on Saturday morning and had a couple of packs on the slippy oval before track building, then it was straight on for first practice in the morning.
Tom was faster than me over the tabletop in front of the rostrum, and on the right hander over the mats in the middle, and both were Tom making the difference. On the tabletop I wasn't able to judge the braking for the corner after the downramp so just plopped onto the top, and on the mats in the middle Tom had a much better line than me.
I would have been much faster around the rest of the track if I'd had my usual brushed setup in, which would have brought my outright pace upto Tom and Craig.

jimmy · #13 22-01-2007

"except for a few mistakes" what, you mean ramming into the back of richards car and coming off worst? lol

just kidding, was fun to watch though and happy richard could land back on his wheels every time! nice moves

Carl, Didn't I beat matt on sunday with a 1 month old car ? Never mind any of this 10 year old gubbins!

And it was a Tamiya! haha

bigred5765 · #14 22-01-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy

"except for a few mistakes" what, you mean ramming into the back of richards car and coming off worst? lol

just kidding, was fun to watch though and happy richard could land back on his wheels every time! nice moves

Carl, Didn't I beat matt on sunday with a 1 month old car ? Never mind any of this 10 year old gubbins!

you did, first time in how many years lol
but as richard said we also was trying out a new brushless system which didnt help, and yes it is hard to get use to them stright from brushed to brushless,
would have gone much faster if we had stuck to brushed
but the change has to be made sometime

yokomo rip of u mean

jimmy · #15 22-01-2007

Must be good if I can take a brand new car without years of setup help from top drivers, and do well with it!

Brushless, psch! I was running a 12x1.
And it's not a Yokomo rip off, its a BJ4 rip off also. so there.

Cockerill · #16 22-01-2007

To be fair Richard did what he had to to win. I might have been slightly quicker with out right pace but my own mistakes cost me the final. I had to find a way through and couldn't.

The way I see it is it was a great race with Rich and Craig then me and Rich battling, I had loads of fun as did Rich and Craig and that's what its all about. I just hope it was as good to watch as it was to race.

To answer the original question. I don't see any car that can match the pace of the XX4, especially when we get to the outdoor tracks. So what if its long in the tooth, its well designed, very quick, easy to drive and parts are readily available, what more could you want?

jimmy · #17 22-01-2007

Cheaper parts,
easier to work on,
easier to set slipper,
more information on the internet -non of this word-of-mouth PW hopups or upside down pivot blocks that are hard to decifer for the outsider.
Stronger belts (though could be slightly cured by the easier to set slipper.)

Those are my wants on the car.

Nick Goodall · #18 22-01-2007

Excuse after excuse

XX4 is a PAIN to work on, always has been and isn't something you can really do anything about........

Apart from that overall i'd say it's probably the best all rounder, it just works with one setup and is pretty fast even now.

Looks like the Yokomo is getting there after a few tweeks to suit the UK tracks, but like any 4wd car a lot of things are changed in the first couple of years to get it right.

I was at the first national the XX4's were running at, i think every single one on track snapped the front shock tower (Track was Marston's) - They had to quickly change that design but that's just one of the simple things they changed.

jimmy · #19 22-01-2007

I hope Losi find the money sometime to update the car - im not talking about xxx4 style updating, I just mean to make it pleasent to work on and live with. You'd have to be mad to say it's perfect

bigred5765 · #20 22-01-2007

[QUOTE=Nick Goodall;21779]Excuse after excuse

XX4 is a PAIN to work on, always has been and isn't something you can really do anything about........

not a pain to work on at all
i had to change spur gear in between rounds did that nps at all,10-15mins
you just got except its 12 screws and shock tower of to do so not that bad a job,and being sealed up it dosnt go fu'd that quick ether,and nothing easyer to set slipper on, its one 1/4 nut how hard is that
so there jimmy oOple
na na na na na blithhhhhhhh